Diamonds Are Not Forever

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN 
Juliette

"So, you've submitted a piece for the Golden Gifts Project Gala?" Millie asked, crossing her elegant, outstretched legs at her ankles as she swung on the newly acquired bar stool.
I took a sip of the brandy she had bought me, it tasted sweet and expensive. "Yeah, my boss is just deciding which design of ours to put forward to the panel as our submission." I was sat across from her, looking a lot less elegant.
Teddy had snuck off to deliver the overdue drink he'd promised Carol, so it was just me and Millie left chatting.
The more she had spoken, the more I had started liking her. She was very charismatic, like her cousin Frankie. She was nothing like Elliot, I'd discovered, other than her looks.
"Well, I could put a good word in for you." She shot me a cheeky wink. "My Aunt is on the panel that decides the pieces that go into the auction, I was just speaking to her earlier, so I know she's around here somewhere..." Millie peered over her shoulder and scanned the crowd.
"Honestly you don't have to do that-"
"There she is!" Millie cut me off, pointing to a chic looking couple chatting animatedly with a group of the older aged party guests. The couple were in their late 50's, both very well groomed. The woman, dressed in a stunning deep purple cocktail dress, had her arm looped with who I presumed to be her husband. He looked dashing in a classic black tux and tie, a full head of greying dark hair slicked back on his head.
"Aunt Lillian!" Millie called embarrassingly loud, waving her hand through the air until the woman broke from her conversation and looked up at her. When she registered who was calling, Millie gesturing a 'come here' motion with her hand, the woman excused herself from her crowd and came to join us at the bar.
As she moved closer, her exquisite jewellery came into clearer view. A large silver pendant necklace swinging from her neck, and a matching pair of oval shaped diamond stud earrings twinkled in her ears, she looked like a million bucks.
"Aunt Lillian," Millie rested a hand on her arm as she spoke, "This is my friend Jewel, she's submitted one of her designs for the Gala next month."
Millie's aunt gave me a dazzling smile as she greeted me. "Nice to meet you Jewel, I'm Lillian Truman."
Her dark hair was perfectly coiffed on top of her head, but she still reached up and checked it was in place as she spoke, out of habit it seemed. She was a very beautiful woman. What was it with these Truman's being so good looking?
Millie carried on chatting animatedly. "I was just telling Jewel that you are on the committee for the Gala, and part of the panel that decides what pieces get auctioned off for charity." She gave me a wink over her aunt's shoulder, I wanted to vanish inside myself with embarrassment.
"Yes, the Gala is my husband's passion project." Mrs Truman gestured somewhere behind her in the general direction of the man in the tux she had been stood with. "This year's chosen charity is a local women's shelter; it helps get women and children out of abusive environments and into safe accommodation. It a charity close to our hearts."
"Wow, that's incredible." I gushed, taking a gulp of my brandy – the delicious liquid burning down my throat.
"We think so." Mrs Truman smiled sweetly and took a sip of her own drink, the diamond and platinum bands on her finger clinking against the glass of wine in her hand.
"Jewel works for The Goulding Jewellers as a designer, her work is incredible." Millie interjected, bringing the conversation back onto me. Her eyes flashed with mischief. She'd never seen my work, so it was a bare faced lie, but I respected her tenacity.
"How wonderful, did you design the piece you're wearing?" Mrs Truman gestured to my neck and I instinctively reached up for my locket. I was glad to have it back where it belonged, safely secured around my neck, but it was irritating that Elliot had been the one to return something so precious back to me. To think, I'd been so grateful to him.
When I realised I'd not replied, shaking my thoughts from my head, I unclipped the locket's clasp and the pictures fanned out on my fingertip. "No, this was a gift from my grandma who lives in Ireland."
"You're Irish?" Millie quizzed, before shaking her head. Remembering she was supposed to be my friend already, she corrected herself. "I mean, yeah you're Irish."
"The hair colour is a bit of a giveaway." I shrugged, laughing at Millie as Mrs Truman leaned in and inspected the pictures in my locket, each heart frame making the shape of a four-leaf clover.
She hummed in appreciation. "This is beautiful, are these pictures of your family?"
I looked down again at the pictures, a lump forming in my throat. "Yes, sadly my grandpa and dad passed away, so my grandma wanted me to carry a piece of them with me."
Both Mrs Truman and Millie gave me a sad smile, Mrs Truman moved on to the next picture. "Is this her?"
It was my favourite picture of my mum and grandma, taken at my mum's birthday party a few years prior. They were laughing as they hugged each other, it was the last time I'd seen my mum truly smile. "Yes." I breathed. "My mum and grandma."
"They look alike." Millie chimed in, leaning on her stool over her aunt to get a better look of the picture. "Does your mum still live in Ireland too?"
"No, she moved here when she met my dad. Me, her, and my little brother still live here. We've been meaning to visit Ireland again soon, but we've had a lot  going on..."
Mrs Truman rested her finger on the final picture in my locket. "I was wondering who this handsome young man was. I presume this is your brother?"
"Yeah that's him." I smiled down at the picture; it was one I'd taken of him last Christmas. Milo hated his picture being taken; So when I'd got that camera as my Christmas present that year, he'd refused to smile for me all day. All I'd managed to get was his scrunched-up face as he stuck his tongue out at me.
"Well, what a beautiful family heirloom." Mrs Truman gave me a heartfelt look as I clicked the locket back into place and rested it just above my cleavage. She suddenly looked over my shoulder and flashed another brilliant smile. "And who's this?"
Teddy had reappeared from our table; no doubt Carol had bitten his ear off about how long he had been with her drink. He'd probably rushed back to us the first opportunity he'd gotten.
"Teddy Green, pleasure to meet you."
"Teddy works with Jewel, at Goulding Jewellers." Millie's eyes filled with some unknown emotion as she caught sight of Teddy again. If I wasn't mistaken, a small blush creeped up on her high cheekbones. Did she like Teddy? The thought made me giggle to myself.
"Lovely to meet you." Mrs Truman cooed. I think she noticed Millie's shift in body language too, we shared a secret knowing look. Teddy remained oblivious, leaning on the back of my barstool as he he reached for his brandy.

We'd started up a conversation about Millie's adventures in New York, when Mrs Truman suddenly caught sight of someone walking towards us.
She beamed as she spoke, "Darling, you must come meet Millie's delightful friends."
It was Elliot she was speaking to. When I saw him, I blanched.
He appeared to look a touch less put together than when I'd last rested my eyes on him out on the terrace. His tie had been removed, and the first few buttons of his shirt undone. He was startled to see us all together at the bar, a look of panic crossing his face as he assessed each of them separately – before his cool stare landed on me.
He looked nervous.
I was glad he was feeling nervous, he should be feeling shameful for the way he had behaved.
"Everyone, this is my eldest son Elliot."
Elliot found his manners, leaning in and giving Mrs Truman a chaste kiss in her cheek. "We've all already met Mother." He stated matter-of-factly, his eyes not leaving mine.
Choosing not to noticing his tone, Mrs Truman straightened the collar of his shirt as she spoke. "We were just discussing Millie's art."
It was funny to see Elliot be mothered, he didn't seem like the type of guy that would appreciate that sort of parental attention. I eventually dragged my gaze from Elliot to Millie, who was flitting her eyes between the both of us, trying to figure out the weird vibe we were giving off. She didn't miss a trick, it seemed.
When she finally spoke, her lips quirked up in a small smile. "A gallery downtown has picked up some of my art, they're showcasing it next week. You're all more than welcome to come along and check it out."
"That would be great, I'd love that." My voice felt foreign, like it wasn't really me that was speaking. I was trying to remain calm, a plethora of emotions fit to burst out of me.
I was mad, really mad. Furious even, that I'd let that man make a fool of me, that I'd made a fool of myself for going back to his apartment and having sex with him when he'd only been using me to get to my boss.
I was annoyed because I actually enjoyed the sex we'd had. He was really good at it.
And I was frustrated, because the way he was looking at me right then, dark and smoldering – It made me want to have sex with him again. Hate fucking was a thing, I was sure of it.
Teddy rested a large hand on my shoulder, bringing me into the present. "We should check that out Jewel, I don't profess to know much about art - but I'm sure you could all get me up to speed."
"Great news, I can text you the details." Millie beamed at Teddy.
Elliot was watching us both, his jaw tense behind his dark stubble. He hadn't had that stubble when I first met him, I would have remembered. It suited him, made him look sexy and rugged.
When he opened his mouth to speak to me, I jumped from my seat in a flurry. I'd had enough of being around him, and I'd had enough of the heat that was starting to pool at the pit of my stomach.
Grabbing Teddy's hand from my shoulder, I gave a brief goodbye to everyone except Elliot. "Lovely to meet you all, I'm going to go dance before the brandy goes to my head. C'mon Teddy, I promised you a dance."

When we made it to the dancefloor, a bewildered Teddy stumbling in my wake, he looped his arm around my waist, and I naturally placed my hands on his broad shoulders. A slower song was playing, it was a little jazzy, but a few other couples were dancing together on the dancefloor – so we didn't look out of place.
"You almost gave me whiplash St. James." Teddy laughed, swaying me around the dancefloor. He was a fraction taller than me, so I had to crane my neck slightly up to see his face properly. In the dimmed light of the bar, his dirty blond hair looking more like it was a light brown colour.
"Sorry, I just couldn't stand to be around him a second longer." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Elliot, Millie and Mrs Truman chatting amongst themselves as they watched us dance. I quickly snapped my head away.
"Really?" Teddy looked puzzled; his face etched in a frown. "I figured you liked the guy, considering..."
"We all make mistakes." I interjected quickly.
He nodded in agreement, then surprised me by suddenly spinning me around before dipped me low in his arms, so low I thought for a second I was going to hit the floor. I squealed in fear and enjoyment. Teddy was a burley guy, and I knew he'd never drop me.
"Yep, we've still got the moves." He boasted.
Both laughing, he set me upright again and we proceeded to sway as the music flowed on. I was struggling to keep up, so I hooked my arms around his neck so I could stay in rhythm with him.
"Millie is nice." An observation I threw out, just to fill the silence between us.
"Yeah, she is."
"I think she likes you; you should ask her out." I added, trying not to step on Teddy's toes. Not that it would have hurt him, wearing those massive black boots.
He assessed my words for a second, looking down at me with a muddled gaze. "Really, you think I should ask Millie on a date?"
I shrugged. "Yeah, why not? She's incredibly pretty, and artsy. Very much your type."
Teddy let out a defeated sigh and turned his head slightly, so he wasn't looking at me anymore. "Okay, maybe I will ask her."
When I peeked over his shoulder again, only Elliot was still watching us. His blazing blue eyes staring into my deep brown.
"I think I'd like to go home now." I stated, a sudden tiredness overcoming my body and mind.
"Sure, no problem." Teddy released my waist and led me off the dancefloor. "Lets go tell the others, then I'll get you home."