Page 35 of Endgame

‘Understood.’

Dahlia has always been a great dance partner and doesn’t disappoint. She matches me step for step, bump for bump.

‘What is up with the women in your family?’ I ask above the girl group singing. ‘You’re all so…’

‘Lovely?’ She chuckles.

‘Naughty.’

Dahlia lets her head fall back as she laughs. Before she speaks, Hugh Mason interrupts us.

‘Dahlia?’ He reaches out his hand.

She smiles apologetically at me, then takes his. ‘That was a lovely dance, thank you, Caleb.’

I look around to find Ariella and spot her at a table having a deep conversation with someone from Isszy’s family. He is dressed immaculately and is apparently being very charming because Ariella is laughing and having too good a time. I approach them, Hugh Mason style, with my palm outstretched.

‘I’m sorry to interrupt,’ I say to both of them, not sorry at all, then turn to her. ‘Aari?’ I ask.

She smiles apologetically with a ‘Lovely to meet you, Babatunde,’ before she takes my hand. It makes my heart soar. I give her a soft kiss on the cheek as she stands, and I walk her to the dance floor.

‘Hi,’ I say quietly when we come to a stop.

‘Hi,’ she responds, smiling that slow shy smile of hers. Bloody hell, she’s beautiful.

I pull her tightly into me by the hand, hold her close and let her head rest against my chest, and we start to sway to the music. Everything else disappears as I watch Ariella close her eyes. I do the same – after I bend my head to kiss her neck. She pulls me closer. I have no idea how long we are like that, holding on to each other, swaying to the music, but we are soon interrupted by Lara poking my shoulder.

‘We’ve been watching you two sway out of sync to the last four songs. It’s not your wedding and we’re bored. Do something else or get off the dance floor.’

I look up and see that a few people are watching us, including Hugh Mason, wearing a neutral expression as he listens to Jasper chatting away.

‘Can I find you later?’ I ask.

‘I’m sorry, maid of honour duties, but maybe we can have lunch this week?’ she offers and I nod.

‘I think about you all the time,’ I whisper in her ear before I release her.

‘Me too.’ She cups my face and plants a small kiss on my cheek, then walks away.

‘She’s in loooow-oh-oh-OVE! With a monster!’ Lara sings along loudly as she shimmies against me to the song the DJ is playing. Ugh. She knows how to kill a mood. Before she can do anything more ridiculous, I grab her by the hand and waist, then spin her round twice and bring her to a stop. She gasps.

‘Caleb Black. You have skills. More!’ she demands, and we dance the night away.

When I walk into Ivory Bow the following Monday, it’s hard to believe it’s the same company. Everyone is silent. They all look like they are slowly being killed by administration. It’s so bad, I even wonder where that creep Piers is.

‘What happened, Chris?’ I ask as I see him approaching.

‘Hello, Caleb. In here.’ He guides me to one of our meeting rooms, then tells me everything that has happened since Melissa-gate. Harrison was a big personality, but I did not expect such severe cultural devastation. I immediately commit mentally to helping Christopher revive Ivory Bow as much as I can. It’s not until he fills me in on the new financial structure that one of my nightmares is realised.

‘Are you really saying Dominic Miller will own a third of Ivory Bow?’ I try to keep my voice steady.

‘Caleb, Ivory Bow could not continue with me and Harrison in charge. One of us had to go because we agreed that it should not fail. He volunteered. Whatever his errors in judgement, he built this company. We needed investment to carry on and I wasn’t interested in faceless venture capitalists. So I approached Dominic.’

‘Ariella isn’t going to be happy about this,’ I state.

‘She knows.’

I feel the anger rise. I’m supposed to be meeting her for lunch after this and I already know that it’s not going to go well.

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