Harry
New Year's Eve
I came in from a run around the garden with the dogs and flopped into a chair. Meg took a seat on the arm of the chair. "Let's go out tonight. We haven't really been out clubbing since we got engaged."
"True," I said. I didn't add that it was mostly because she was not fond of nightclubs and she hated most of my male friends. "Bit late to be trying to make reservations but I can play the royal card and get us in the door. Where do you want to go?"
"I was chatting with Beatrice on Christmas Eve and she recommended Clara Chelsea. It's fun but not too big, and it's pretty exclusive, so we won't get caught in a crush of people."
"Sure. Why not?" On my own, I'd have gone to The Box, but it was too gritty and wild for Meg's taste. I had nothing against Clara Chelsea, although it would host much tamer New Year's festivities than ones I had celebrated in the past.
Meg jumped up, a smile on her face, and I let her kiss me. "This will be so much fun! What will I wear?" she asked, and headed off to her giant walk-in closet to riffle through her wardrobe. From experience I knew that choosing an outfit and doing her hair and makeup would take at least two hours, so I sent a few quick texts to Sam while I waited.
We jumped the line at Clara Chelsea and went right in. I didn't even have to say a word. The doorman just took one look at me and ushered us inside, and the manager got us a decent table upstairs where we had a bit more privacy. It wasn't long before we were joined by some of my old mates and their girlfriends and a few people that Meg knew, all standing or sitting around our table talking and laughing.
I had a few drinks, began to relax, and was having a really good time. For once Meg was not hanging on my arm but was chatting with the other women, laughing and being almost flirty with a few of my friends, which was absolutely fine with me. I was standing, vodka in hand, with my back against the wall, where I had an excellent view into the rest of the club downstairs. My old friends from my harder-partying days, Corrigan and James, were with me and we were talking rugby and polo and skiing and anything but the damned wedding, and that's when I saw her.
Samantha.
I managed to keep talking, with only a slight pause, but I was no longer focused on the conversation. All of my attention, all of my thoughts were down on the floor where she stood with her friend Randa. And a few men, who were obviously flirting with the pair.
I don't even know how I recognized her. She looked nothing like I'd ever seen her, dressed to the nines in an evening gown that looked haute couture but I was willing to bet she had made it herself. The dress flowed over her like liquid, revealing her figure in a way that jodhpurs and jumpers never would.
I stepped away from the wall for a better look, heedless of how obvious that would be. Her hair was perfectly done and she looked so happy, so self-possessed. I couldn't help thinking that what she needed now to complete the look was sapphires and diamonds around her neck and a tiara nestled in her hair.
Things that I could give her.
My palms began to sweat. I had to talk to her. I knew this was not the time, not the place, to be seen speaking with another woman, but I didn't give a damn. I wanted to see her up close, wanted to see her eyes light up when she recognized me.
What I really wanted was to take her out of there to someplace private, but that wasn't possible.
I realized that the conversation had stopped and both James and Corrigan were staring at me.
"Think I'm going to step out for a bit of air," I said, hoping I sounded breezy and disinterested.
They nodded and let me pass, and I made my way to where Meg was sitting, a few drinks in, her cheeks pink. She introduced me to an actress she had worked with and I smiled and nodded, said all the right things, as I had been trained to do, but I could do those things without thinking. My thoughts were focused on Sam.
I leaned close and gave her a peck on the cheek which meant nothing to me but seemed like the appropriate thing to do. "I'm just going to step out back and get a bit of fresh air and another drink. What can I bring you?"
She named off a cocktail and smiled, trying to catch my eye for one of those long adoring looks she liked to give me. I nodded, patted her shoulder, and made a path through the crowds to the stairs.