Page 9 of Dance With Me
“I don’t know what to say to you, Clare. We’re getting married in eleven weeks. Surely that should be confirmation enough for you not to feel so insecure.” Joe held her hand across the table, trying to put her mind at ease, but he felt like a dick, knowing that he’d been instantly attracted to Seb.
He loved Clare, he knew that, but he was starting to question if he wasinlove with her, and that worried him. Was his bisexuality the source of his unease? Was she right? Was he falling for a man?
They continued to eat their meal in near silence. Apparently, neither of them knew what to say, and after Joe paid the bill, they left. Clare was quiet on the journey home as she looked out of the window, but at least she didn’t appear to be annoyed with him anymore. Whilst he’d felt an attraction to Seb, he still didn’t want to upset her.
The following morning, they sat and read the Sunday papers at the breakfast bar in the kitchen. They ate croissants with a cup of strong, hot coffee, as if the previous day hadn’t happened.
Joe loved his kitchen. He’d had it remodelled when he moved in. It now boasted shiny, white cabinets with black granite worktops, a black Aga and built-in stainless appliances. It was open plan with a large dining area that was separated from the kitchen by the breakfast bar. Bi-folding doors led from the dining area to the garden with a large, paved patio as you stepped through them. Modern rattan garden furniture sat on it with heaters dotted around.
The garden itself was all lawn with borders around the sides, which were usually filled with bright plants, but this time of year, there wasn’t much in flower. The doors were closed though today, not quite warm enough to open them.
Joe had agreed to host the weekly Sunday lunch for his family today, as Clare was having to work later. His parents were coming, along with his sister, Jayne, her husband Aidan and their children, Grace and Matty.
Jayne was younger than Joe by just three years. She and Aidan had married six years ago, and baby number three was due in September. She had refused to be a part of the wedding party; she was not going to look like a ‘fucking humongous marshmallow’, she’d said, and honestly, he didn’t blame her. Joe didn’t want to look like a ‘fucking penguin’, but as the groom, he had no choice in the matter.
Clare seemed back to her usual self this morning as they chatted about the news and articles in the papers. After breakfast, she went upstairs for a bath, and Joe started to clear up the dishes and made a start on preparations for the meal later.
At two pm on the dot, Joe’s parents arrived, shortly followed by his sister and her clan.
“Uncle Joe, Uncle Joe,” Grace squealed as he scooped her up and swung her around. She was four going on forty.
Matty put his arms up to be picked up too. “Unk Joe, Unk Joe.”
Matty was only two, and Jayne was going to have her hands full when the new baby came along. She was made to be a mum and was terrific at it. He was in awe of her patience and only wished he’d be as good a father when, or if, the time came.
“How are my favourite people today?” he asked, kissing them both noisily on the cheek.
“Fablas, Uncle Joe. Can we go and play in the garden? Promise we won’t dig up the pretties.”
He set them both down, and they ran into the garden. Joe went to the kitchen and carried on cooking as Jayne poured him a glass of wine.
They sat down to lunch a little later, and as usual, talk turned to the wedding. Clare had already warned Joe not to say anything about the dance they’d planned, so they discussed the wedding fayre they’d been to the day before. Joe was quiet whilst they talked. Bored, if he was honest, and he was glad when the meal was over. His mum and Clare cleared the table and started to clean up the kitchen.
Joe went with the others into the lounge to watch the football on TV. Whilst his dad and Aidan watched the match, Joe sat next to Jayne, and she rested her head on his shoulder. He played with her hair, and she sighed.
“Mm, that feels good. You OK, big bro?”
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” he replied, kissing her temple.
“I don’t know. You seemed a little out of it earlier when we were talking about the wedding. Everything OK with you and Clare?”
“Of course, why’d you ask?” Joe sat for a moment and wondered if he should say anything about how he was feeling. “I just feel a bit overwhelmed, I think. I don’t know. I just feel a bit odd. I can’t really put my finger on it.”
“I felt a little like that before I married Aidan. I must have called it off at least three times before we actually walked down the aisle. It’s probably just nerves. You’ve had a lot to organise in a short amount of time. I don’t know why you didn’t have a longer engagement.”
“Clare didn’t want to wait, and honestly, she’s done most of the arrangements. I just pay for most of it.”
Joe wasn’t bitter about paying for the wedding, but as an accountant, he liked to get value for money. And because everything they’d booked was last minute, they’d ended up paying over the odds for a lot of things—including the fucking cake!
He turned to look at Jayne and saw her eyes had closed. She was fast asleep. Pregnancy and being a mum were clearly taking their toll.
Joe carefully moved away and placed another kiss on her head as he laid her down gently. The children were playing outside in the garden, and Joe went out to join them. He chased them around pretending to be ‘monster Joe’ and played football with them until it started to get cool.
By this time, Jayne was awake, and she started rounding them up to go home. He kissed his niece and nephew with a promise to come and visit soon. As he hugged his sister, she tightened her embrace.
“If you ever want to talk, I’m always here. I love you, Joe,” she whispered in his ear.
“I know. I love you too. Take care of this little bean,” Joe said, and he rubbed her stomach.
