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I’m really surprised. I think about Elizabeth, and the way her expression changed when she talked about him. “So… what happened with Elizabeth?”
“They’d just met, in their second year. She really liked him, I could tell. They were flirting a lot. She was hoping he’d ask her out. And then he goes and gets another girl pregnant. Elizabeth was really shocked and quite upset, I think. That was pretty much the end of it, from what I remember anyway. We were all working every hour under the sun by that point. Then the baby was born, and Hux was off helping out where he could. Elizabeth pushed him to the back of her mind and concentrated on work.”
“But he did ask her out?”
“Yeah, a while after Joanna was born. She said no, and continues to, and they both date other people.”
“But nothing long term?”
“No, they’re both too focused on their careers at the moment, I think. They like each other, but there’s this barrier between them they can’t break down. It’s a strange relationship. Too much water under the bridge, you know? They’re the best of friends now, and I guess they don’t want to spoil that.”
I curl up next to him as he puts the movie back on, and rest my head on his shoulder. It makes me sad to think of Elizabeth and Huxley seeing other people, even though deep down they obviously have feelings for one another.
Life has a strange way of bringing people together, though. You never know what’s around the corner.
*
The next evening, Jamie drops us off at the club just after seven thirty.
I’ve already told him the reason for us being there. Emma’s catching an Uber and she’ll arrive in a few minutes, once we’ve gone up. Everyone else should be here, because Huxley told them all it starts at seven. I cross my fingers that everything goes according to plan.
“See you later,” Mack says, waving to Jamie. Jamie drives off, disappearing around the corner, where I know he’s going to find a parking space so he can run back.
I hold Mack’s hand as we walk into the club and go through to the elevator. He’s been quiet today, and I wonder whether it’s because he knows it was the afternoon of the Royal Society Awards Dinner. I haven’t mentioned it, though, and neither has he.
He’s wearing the black dress shirt with the silver patterns that he didn’t get to wear on New Year’s Eve. I’ve chosen a simple black dress and my high-heeled sandals. I’ve taken extra care over my hair and makeup, enough for him to comment on it as we left, but I don’t think it’s made him suspicious.
“You okay?” I ask, reaching up to kiss him as the elevator rises.
“Yeah. I’m just not really in the mood for this.” He slides an arm around my waist. “I’m beginning to enjoy our evenings at home.”
“Want me to buy you some slippers and a pipe?”
He chuckles and kisses me. “I can think of worse things.”
The doors slide open, and we go into the lobby. The only people there are Gail on reception and Ed, standing by the door.
“Wow, it’s quiet,” Mack says, waving to Gail. “I guess Vic really did screw up the emails.”
“Evening, Dr. Hart. They’re all in the Chess Room,” she calls.
“Thanks. Evening, Ed.”
“Evening, Dr. Hart.” Ed opens the door for us, and we walk through, and along the corridor.
“I can’t hear any music,” Mack says. “What the fuck’s going on?” He walks up to the double doors, pushes one open, and walks inside.
Immediately he stops as there’s an enormous cheer. The Chess Room is filled with people, who all whoop and let off streamers and party poppers as they see him.
He stares for a second. All his friends are here—Elizabeth, Huxley, Titus, Victoria, Kai, Cherry, Eoin, and many more from both Koru Tech and the club, all smiling and cheering as they look at him.
Shit, I think, this was a mistake. I didn’t know they were going to do this.
Unsurprisingly, Mack backs away, meets the door with a bump, then turns and strides out of the room.
The cheering dies down, and I hear Elizabeth say, “Fuck.”
“Don’t worry,” I call out. “I’ll get him back.” I turn, go through the doors, and run along the corridor, eventually catching up with him in the lobby.
