Just Rose

Chapter 52

He was a good dancer, a strong leader and effortlessly moved her in time to the music. Swaying gently. There was something sweet about him, almost childish, and she would never have put Rob and Damien together as best friends, they were like chalk and cheese.

‘You’re a great dancer you know?’ He smiled down at her from his tall height. ‘I could see you from over there.’ He motioned to where they had all been congregated earlier and she resisted the urge to look over, afraid she would catch Rob’s eye. Afraid it would make her feel as uncomfortable as the night she had danced with Matt, but Damien was completely different.

‘Thanks! You’re not so bad yourself.’ her smile was genuine as she did mean every word.

‘You look really pretty you know. It’s a nice dress. Makes you stand out. Classier than most of the girls here.’ He was sincere and sweet, but Rose didn’t like where this conversation was heading. The nervousness of his facial expressions, despite being well and truly drunk and the slow creep of colour across his cheeks. She could tell his brain was whirring and clicking, trying to carry out whatever plan he had souped up mid-dance. She had that anxious feeling building inside, suddenly aware that this majorly drunk man was going to make a move on her after all. His eyes glued to her mouth in that undeniable way.

Shit! Rob’s best friend of all people!

She felt her face strain with the effort to keep smiling and tried to put some distance between them. A hard task when he was holding onto her like his life depended on it as he was practically sweating nerves. It was obvious that being best friends they obviously had a similar taste in women.

But what about loyalty?

Rose found that distasteful.

Looking around briefly, trying to catch Abby’s eye, she was aware he was still talking but she was no longer listening. Nodding and raising her eyebrows as though she was responding to the brief conversation Damien seemed to be having with her as she looked for an easy escape route that wouldn’t embarrass him. She was too late and saw the kiss coming in advance, turning her face evasively. Damien, being slower than her, planted his lips firmly on her cheek realising he had missed his target he looked embarrassed and his cheeks started to redden. He made another move forward, more certain of the mark this time and assuming his drunkenness had been the cause. This time he had an intense purposeful look in his eyes as he descended again.

Roses facial expression and raised hand stayed his advances. She looked around fleetingly unsure what to do next.

Rose caught Rob’s eye directly through the crowd, feeling that overwhelming surge of panic rising. Aware that he had probably seen the awkward encounter, but his face gave nothing away. He just stood pouring beer into his mouth from his glass bottle, his eyes steadfast on hers and almost statue like in his pose. The man next to him unaware he had lost his interest in their conversation.

‘Look Damien. You’re really lovely! You are! It’s just...’ Rose dragged her focus back to the task at hand, faced with a floundering man who was obviously mortified at her rejection.

‘s**t, you have a boyfriend, don’t you?’ He frowned hard, hands moving around nervously as they were standing still in the middle of the moving dancefloor, no longer touching.

Rose felt confused. For his best mate, he obviously had no clue that Rose and Rob had once been lovers. That it had only been recent, and things were obviously still raw between them.

‘Not exactly, but I’m still getting over someone.’ Rose smiled gently, Damian was still standing close, but it became obvious the rejection had him looking for an easy escape. She could see his eyes flicking to the sides, looking for a way out and that surge of embarrassment staining his upper cheeks and forehead. Rose felt immediately sorry for him.

‘Do you mind if we sit down, my feet are aching from all the dancing.’ She said softly, patting him gently. It was a little white lie to save his grace as much as hers. Relieved and almost grateful, he gave her another mock bow and let her walk off before turning, walking back to the podium area and being enveloped back into the group of men.

Rob was still glancing her way between responding to his friends, his eyes never leaving her as she made her way off the floor. He smiled at something that was said to him, that thousand-watt killer smile, but it didn’t seem to reach his eyes. He seemed to be fully focused on what had just taken place down here on the floor instead and now that it was over he stopped looking her way and turned his back. The jovial noise echoing her way and a hint of his laugh. It sounded genuine despite his previous manner.

Rose literally could not handle another episode like that today. She felt like she had been on way too many rollercoaster rides lately, it was becoming way too familiar a feeling. And what she needed was a long evening of carefree emotionless fun that didn’t involve advances from men or watchful eyes that made her feel guilty.

The entrance hall, bustling with people was quieter than the dance hall, venturing out she found her parents perched on a love seat by the main stair chatting to another elderly couple on a matching couch. The relief washed over her, and she slid on to perch beside her mum, welcomed with a motherly arm slid around her back. A simple gesture bringing back her childhood memories of her mum reading to her.

It was safer out here, no more men to try and seduce her, no bodies bumping and grinding around her and no more staring eyes watching her every move and making her feel guilty even when she was doing nothing wrong.

She soon bored of the conversation, though, the rotational planning of a vegetable garden was not something she would ever find passion in and the call of some great music beckoned her. Abby would be done with smooching as this was a firm favourite, she was always singing it in the car on full blast. Just the beat alone had her hurrying back to find her friend.

She went back in search of her, grabbing a glass of bubbly from a passing waiter.

One wouldn’t hurt!