Page 80 of The Way We Are Now

‘You’re welcome.’

I liked Tracy enormously; she was so like Linda in both looks and personality, and she was a strong and fiery wife and mother, keeping Les, as well as the kids, under control. ‘’Ere,’ she said now, ‘give Megan to your dad and lead me to the bar. I’m having a night off.’

‘Oh, I can’t put her down.’ I kissed the little girl’s downy head, breathing in her baby smell.

‘Your dad will be fighting you for possession,’ Tracy warned. ‘He adores her. Les says she reminds him of you, and you were always the favourite.’

I moved towards Michael who was chivvying waiters with the drinks, wanting to show off this latest addition to my family. ‘Michael, I don’t even know where we are…’ I turned back to Tracy. ‘He made me close my eyes,’ I added.

‘David came up with it,’ Michael said.

‘You don’t know where you are?’ David, overhearing, laughed. ‘Where all the media and arty people hang out?’

‘Oh, of course. I saw we were in Soho. The Groucho Club! Wow! I should have recognised it; you brought me here once, David.’

What a wonderful birthday: a party and a proposal! I put the latter out of my head – I’d deal with that later – and spent the next couple of hours chatting, dancing, eating delicious food and drinking far too much alcohol. Mum and Aunty Sandra had taken to the dance floor, and, despite both being in their seventies, were reliving their youth, jiving and jitterbugging with Michael and David. Other guests joined in, until the dance floor of the large event room was rocking. I went to see Dad who was sitting down with a sleeping Megan in his arms, and then set off to find the loo, delighted with the whole evening, smiling to myself as I went.

When I finally found it, the bathroom was large and contemporary, and I laid my hot forehead against the cool basin before mending my make-up.

‘Not bad for an old woman!’ I preened, pouting at my reflection and fluffing up my long dark hair in the large mirror, adding more mascara, lipstick and a good squirt of perfume. I realised I’d not actually drunk as much as I thought – I’d kept refilling my glass and then abandoning it to greet more guests. I set off back and, having absolutely no sense of direction, attempted to retrace my steps.

‘Aha,’ I said aloud, ‘here we are.’ I paused, confused. ‘Hmm, maybe not!’

I found myself in another, much smaller and empty events room. I was about to turn round and go back the way I’d come, when I realised one of my guests had obviously lost their way too and was sitting at the bar, nursing a drink.

‘Wrong room, Buster!’ I shouted from the doorway. ‘Come on…’

The man turned and started to reply: ‘Just having a bit of peace and quiet before I…’ He broke off, staring.

I stared back.

‘Theo?’

‘Anna?’

We spoke as one, neither of us saying another word, just staring at the other for what seemed forever.

26

‘But what are you doing here?’ I continued to stare. ‘Why?’ I shook my head, trying to get some sense, some sort of perspective, as to what was going on.

‘It’s my club.’

‘What is?’

Theo waved a hand in the air, not, I noticed, his right. ‘This place. Well, at least it was my father’s when he was down here in London. Despite him being somewhat old-school, I reckon he liked the kudos of being in with the arty, bohemian crowd. The membership just continues and, you know, my lot always have these clubs, don’t they…?’ He trailed off and I wondered briefly, was he apologising or simply stating a fact?

‘Your lot?’

‘I think that’s how you constantly referred to my friends and family back in the day.’

I didn’t reply, just continued to take in every aspect of him, his beautiful gentle brown eyes, his fair hair that was that bit darker now. He could still give Robert Redford a run for his money. He ran a hand through his hair. ‘You’re still very beautiful, Anna.’

‘Thank you.’ I didn’t quite know what else to say. Eventually, I said, ‘Theo, are you telling me your being here, the evening of my birthday party, is a total coincidence?’

Theo didn’t blink an eye. ‘Of course not.’

‘You knew?’