Page 19 of The Pearl Sister
‘I can’t, I’m afraid. For all sorts of reasons, including legal ones . . . Only Linda knows the truth,’ he murmured, ‘and it’s best you don’t.’
There he went again, being the mystery man, and it was really starting to irritate me. I decided it was probably something to do with a woman who was taking him to the cleaners for his millions in a divorce and I wished he wouldn’t feel so sorry for himself.
‘You know I’m here if you ever want to talk,’ I offered, thinking that this was turning into a fun evening so far. Not.
‘Thanks, CeCe, I appreciate it, and your company tonight. I was dreading spending New Year’s Eve alone. As you said, it’s just one of those nights, isn’t it? Anyway, let’s toast to your dad. And to friends old and new.’ We clinked our glasses of water. Then he glanced down at his watch – a Rolex, and definitely not picked up from one of the fake stalls in Bangkok. ‘It’s ten to midnight. How about I pour us both that glass of champagne we’ve promised ourselves and we’ll take a wander down to the beach to see in the New Year?’
‘Sure.’
While he was gone, I took a moment to text Star and wish her a Happy New Year. I was tempted to tell her about my new friend, but thought she’d probably get the wrong end of the stick, so I didn’t. Then I texted Ma and sent a round-robin message to my other sisters, wherever they all were in the world tonight.
‘Ready?’ Ace stood there with a glass sparkling in each hand.
‘Ready.’
We walked to the gate and Po jumped up to open it for us.
‘Five minutes to go . . . Any New Year’s resolutions?’ Ace asked me, as we stood on the shoreline.
‘Blimey, I haven’t thought of any. I know! To get back into my art, and to find the balls to go to Australia and discover where I came from.’
‘You mean, your birth family?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Wow! That’s something you haven’t told me about.’
‘And your resolution?’ I eyed him in the moonlight.
‘To accept what is to come, and to take it with grace,’ he said, not looking at me, but staring up at the heavens. ‘Andto make sure that this is the only glass of champagne I drink tonight,’ he added with a grin.
A few seconds later we heard the hoots of horns from the fishing boats moored out in the bay, then saw the flash of fireworks from nearby Railay Beach visible over the top of the limestone pillars.
‘Oh wow!’ I gasped as we saw Chinese lanterns floating gently upwards into the sky from the other end of the beach.
‘Cheers, CeCe!’ he said, clinking his glass of champagne against mine. I watched as he drained the lot in a couple of mouthfuls. ‘God, that was good! Happy New Year!’ Then he threw his arms around me and gave me an enormous bear hug, which sent most of my champagne flying over his shoulder and onto the sand. ‘You’ve saved my life in the past few days. I mean it.’
‘I don’t think I have, but thanks anyway.’
He pushed me gently back by the shoulders, one hand on each of them. ‘Oh yes, you have.’ Then he put his mouth to mine and kissed me.
It was a nice kiss, quite strong, yet soft at the same time. Like a hungry werewolf on Valium. My rational brain – the bit that normally recognised all the warning signs of such a move – did not respond, so the kiss went on for a really long time.
‘Come on.’ Ace eventually dragged his mouth away from mine and began to pull me by the hand back up the beach. As we passed Po, who must have got an eyeful of us kissing, I smiled at him and wished him a Happy New Year.
As Ace guided me to his room, his hand still holding mine, I felt like it really might be.
That night . . . well, without going into detail, Ace obviously knew what he was doing. In fact, he seemed to be a bit of an expert, while I definitely wasn’t. But it’s amazing how quickly you can learn something when you want to.
‘CeCe,’ he said as he stroked my cheek after what must have been a few hours, because I could hear the faint twitter of birds, ‘you’re just so . . . delicious. Thank you.’
‘That’s okay,’ I said, even if I did feel like he was describing the flavour of an ice cream.
‘This is just for now, isn’t it? I mean, there can’t be any future involved.’
‘Course not,’ I replied lightly, worried that I’d given him the impression I was clingy.
‘Good, because I don’t want to hurt you, or anyone, ever again. Night, sleep tight.’
