‘Sure.’ She picked up the platter. ‘He’s got a serious girlfriend then?’
Robert piled the last of the sausage rolls into the dish. ‘No.’ He gestured to go through to the living room.
Cleo whispered, as they were being eyeballed by ravenous guests who were about to pounce on the food to soak up the alcohol in their stomachs. Dylan was safely on the other side of the room, talking away to someone else. ‘So why aren’t you setting me up? It’s so unlike you and Violet, it’s unnerving!’
‘The guy just buried his mom, Cleo.’ And with that, Robert was back in the throng chatting to his guests.
Cleo hung around for a bit longer, danced with Violet and a few others out on the back patio, but by nine-thirty she’d had enough. She was tired, her head was still buzzing despite the gallons of water she’d tried to get into her, and it was time to call a cab for the station and head back to the city and the comfort of her apartment.
‘Thanks for coming.’ Violet hugged her friend to her. ‘I think it did you good.’
Cleo pulled on her jacket. ‘I’d better get outside and wait for the cab.’
‘I saw you talking to Dylan,’ Violet added as they reached the front door.
‘He’s nice.’
‘Oh? Do I detect some interest there?’
Cleo grinned. ‘Maybe. I don’t know. Nothing happened, we talked about parents, you know.’
Violet nodded. It hadn’t been long into their friendship when Cleo had confided in her friend about her own mum’s death, the stepmother she didn’t get along with.
‘What’s his story?’ Cleo turned back as she stepped out onto the porch.
Violet moved closer and pulled the door behind her. She wasn’t one to gossip or reveal a person’s personal details to all and sundry. ‘I don’t know him all that well. I’ve only met him twice before tonight, but I like what I see.’ She smiled at her friend.
‘You’re holding back on me. What else do you know?’
Violet pulled a face. ‘He’s a lovely guy who Robert knows from college. They lost touch but met up again in a park a few weeks ago. He’s been going through a tough time and you know what Robert’s like, he hates to see people unhappy. So he invited him along tonight.’
‘Violet, I’ve known you long enough to know that’s not everything.’ Cleo waited as she buttoned up her coat.
‘Don’t run a mile, but he has an ex-wife who walked out on him and their two kids.’
Cleo’s heart sank. She should’ve known he had a past, everyone did. But what she hadn’t expected was the news that he had children. That changed things completely.
‘Don’t let it scare you away,’ Violet advised. ‘He seems so lovely. If you two hadn’t ended up speaking tonight, I’m sure I would’ve tried to push you together sooner or later.’
Cleo smiled. ‘I don’t doubt it.’ Dylan was good looking, completely Cleo’s type if she actually had many men to measure him up against. But he didn’t sound like someone she wanted to get involved with. Being an outsider was tough for all concerned and in Cleo’s experience, it never worked out well. How could she risk becoming the woman she had come to despise as a kid? The wicked stepmother character in all those kids stories had to be based on a grain of truth, didn’t it? The title must’ve materialised for a reason. She never wanted to be in that position, or expect a child to welcome a new mother figure into the fold when all they wanted was their own mum back. Mind you, if Dylan had two kids already, at least he wouldn’t be pressuring her to have her own. And that had been Aaron’s downfall. Because it was something she would never, ever do. She simply couldn’t.
Cleo hugged her friend goodbye again. ‘You go back to your party and have a great night.’
Violet had only just retreated back inside the house, shutting the door behind her, when a voice made Cleo jump out of her skin.
‘Dylan?’ Her hand was still against her chest when the figure leaning against the tree at the edge of the sidewalk, stepped forwards. ‘Dylan? Why are you hiding out here?’ He was far enough away he wouldn’t have been able to hear her conversation with Violet, the exchange about his personal life.
‘I was waiting for a cab that never turned up.’
She lifted her phone. ‘I’m about to call one.’
‘Great.’ Unsure of himself he added, ‘I know this is a bit out of the blue, but I was wondering if I could have your number. Maybe we could go out sometime.’
As gorgeous as he was, Cleo had her warning signs now she’d spoken with Violet. She buttoned the top of her coat.
When she didn’t answer, he laughed and shook his head. ‘God, this is embarrassing. Maybe I need to shut up and be on my way. It was lovely to meet you, Cleo.’
The sound of her name on his lips was like velvet, and she watched him go for a second before she called after him, ‘Can I walk with you?’
