"David?" Seth approached quickly. "Could I have a word?" Seth said as he got close to David.
David stopped loading the car. "Sure. You ok?"
Seth nodded. "Yeah, I am fine." He ignored small talk. "I just need a favour."
"From me?" David chuckled.
"Yeah."
"Ok, I hope I can help you." David's eyes watched Seth's reactions and figured this was an important favour.
"Jack's getting married." Again, direct.
David grinned, and sighed in relief, "I know, mate!" Then his smile vanished when he noted the concern in Seth's eyes. David stepped away from his car, and said with a touch of concern, "What's the problem, Seth? You have an issue with Jack about getting married?"
"No. Not exactly."
David waited.
"I think I created an issue for Jack. Actually, I've created a rift between Gabriella and Evie, which has a repercussion for Amelia. And hence, Jack." Seth ran his fingers over his jaw.
"Ah." David reared back. Why tell him about this, he wondered. Seth should talk to Ben's milk-sharer, what was his name? He pretended not to know. But the guy's name was imprinted in his mind: Peter. His name and his image with Ella were stored in David's brain. David knew that Ella was away, because Jack told him that, but the image of Ella and Peter at that event, refused to leave him in alone. Like a nightmare. A day-nightmare.
"The thing is Evie said something about you and her."
"Me? Ella and me?" David shook his head, "I think you have got that wrong. Me and Ella, must be a fiction in Evie's imagination. Or just made it up."
"No. Evie said you and Ella."
David slammed his car boot shut, and it mirrored his frustration and fury. "You do know that Ella went out with Peter? So obviously I am not dating Ella. She is going out with Peter. Albeit just one date so far."
It was a fact he couldn't shift from his brain. He remembered watching Ella at that event, as if he was her guard. He might not be physically alongside, but in his mind he was practically joined to her hip.
"Yeah. I heard that. She and Ben's share-milker went to that awards thing." Seth frowned as he watched David's reactions.
"Exactly." David snapped.
Seth was surprised by David's response and the tone of that one word. He was angry. And Seth couldn't remember seeing David so angry.
"She is away, at the moment." Seth reminded David.
"I know." David leaned on his car and took a breath. "But she was with Peter. At that event."
"Yeah. I know. I know the town's grape is have a great time with that. The fact Ella was on a date with Peter, and apparently she was charming. That they spent their time, just staring into their eyes!"
"Exactly!" Fury raced through his blood. How could he be so upset? Why it did it matter to him? "There is no Ella and me!"
"Ok. If you say so." Seth kept his gaze on David and David folded his arms. Seth said quietly, "Clearly Amelia, understandably, wants her friends, her best friends, to at least be talking to each other at her wedding. And I heard that Gabriella is flying in for Amelia's wedding."
"Yeah. I know that. Jack told me." David quirked an eyebrow, hethought he must be missing something. "So what do you want me to do?" David snapped.
Seth wondered if this was out of the fry pan into the fire, by talking to David about this matter, given David's reactions. Seth decided to continue with his idea. "Look, David, Evie told Gabriella you weren't interested in icicles, ie her!" Seth watched David carefully, and David winced at that statement. "Amelia knows. Evie knows. So does Jack. But no one is saying anything. And unless I know, I can't fix this."
For several long seconds David hesitated. Then he pulled at his ear, and announced, "You must know that Gabriella is decorating my home, given the local grapevine."
"Yeah, I know. So why would you think she is an icicle, given you invited her to decorate your home?" Seth asked quietly.
"Long story." David muttered and folded his arms and braced for the next few minutes.
"You asked her to decorate your house, right."
"Yes. But we have avoided each other for the last two years." David said quietly.
"Yeah, I know, I remember telling Evie that I had never seen you and Ella in the same room, let alone the same event. On purpose or just fate?" Seth left that as a question, and waited for David's response.
David ran his hand behind his neck, before he said, "I knew Ella during my training days. Her father was the manager."
"League?"
David nodded. "We met in my first week at a camp training. Almost got involved."
"Involved?" Seth's eyes showed his bafflement. "Almost? You and her?"
"Yeah."
Seth prompted when David appeared to have abandoned this discussion, "And?"
David shrugged, "And nothing. She kept away. I steered clear. Then she showed up here two years ago. The end!"
Seth frowned at that, and refused to let David walk away. "Have you seen her recently?"
"No. She's supposed to be doing my house. But she hasn't been round for ages. Not since she went to that do with Peter. And Jack said she was away."
"Evie said something about that." Seth shook his head as he reviewed his conversation with Ella and Evie, "Didn't make sense to me at the time, but then I thought I knew her for what she was, a prime time venomous bitch."
"Who Evie?"
"Gabriella."
"You think Gabriella is a bitch!" David glared.
"Thought. No longer. She's a real piece of work, isn't she?"
David continued to glare.
"All that bullshit front! And a marshmallow middle. Really loyal to the core." Seth said.
David accepted Seth's conclusion.
"Ben told me about her going with Peter to that awards night. Apparently he and Amelia asked Ella to go to that event with Peter, took a bit of persuading from Ben. Eventually, Gabriella went. Just so that Peter would have a date."
"Oh." David was far from pleased to hear that she had been set up with a date. But that didn't mean he intended to share his feelings with the world. As far as people in town were concerned, Ella was sorting out his house. He was pretty sure that Ella hated his guts. She hadn't approached him at the event, basically she had just ignored him. She focused on her date, didn't acknowledge the fact the David was present, and spent her time just sitting and talking to Peter.
Seth shook his head, "The thing is I need to talk to her. Where did she go?"
"I don't know exactly, but her sister is having a baby." David heard that rumour from Amelia. "So she may be there." That is what Amelia told David.
"Shit!" Seth frowned. "I'd ask her friends, except she isn't talking to Evie."
"She isn't talking to Evie? Why?"
"A bit of a fall-out, because of me."
"Oh?"
Seth rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. A story for another time."
David took a breath and then suggested, "Have you tried her family?"
"No." Seth looked at David, "Could you?"
"Me?"
"Yeah, you know them. I don't. You and her father, must be friends, or at least colleagues."
"I just knew her father ages ago. In any case, I don't know her family." David had no intention of contacting her family. "She'll be here for the wedding."
"Amelia said the same thing. I hope you're both right."
David feigned a smile. "She'll be here."