Dreams in Moonlight

Part 1

"He's one of the most eligible men in the area." Harriet stated in awed tones, as reverence dictated a certain element of wonder, "Self made. Started with almost nothing and now heads up one of the largest supply firms in the North Island."

Mallory knew all that. She'd kept tabs on his progress, but from afar and in secret. She had no intention of sharing that bit of information with anyone.

"And he's bloody gorgeous!" Tina added with the benefit of reverence. All eyes shifted to focus on her, as she'd intended. "He came to dinner last weekend, and I practically wet myself!" She grinned at Mallory, and watched carefully to see if her cousin felt the intended slap when Tina went on to state with subtle malice, "I can see why you fancied him Mallory, when you were a kid in school even if he didn't have money at the time. Shame he ditched you."

Tina knew her cousin would feel the intended slight, which was good, for she fully intended to keep rubbing in the fact that Greg had dumped Mallory all those years ago.

Mallory didn't take umbrage at the snide remarks. Her cousin was spiteful and over the years Mallory had learnt to ignore the catty remarks that Tina made regularly. The difficulty this time stemmed from the fact Mallory was realising, to her cost, that her feelings for the man ran pretty deep. She'd imagined, on many occasion, just what would happen if she and Greg met up again. How she'd react. How he'd react. How they could pick up where they left off.

In her dreams, she had a perfect ending.

In reality the man was ignoring her.

It would appear that in real life, circumstances were anything but perfect even if the man in question was perfect. He had aged well. Broader in shoulder. Cheekbones more chiseled, jaw line more defined. More confident. His clothes no longer the rough and ready kind. This man had clearly made it. Everything about him shouted success. Once upon a time she had thought they would be a success. Together.

"Mallory," Harriet took Mallory's arm and with little finesse pulled her closer, as she teased in delight, "You didn't tell me you knew him." Harriet's eyes were demanding more information. She grinned broadly and stated the obvious, "That man is seriously fit!"

Tina nodded. Her eyes narrowed as she prepared to embarrass Mallory just for the fun of it. "Mallory had a huge crush. Huge." Tina announced as if it was open season on her cousin's love life. In any case she wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to humiliate Mallory. With a casual shrug Tina semi whispered, "It was truly embarrassing."

"Really? I'd have said it showed Mallory has taste!" Harriet went into bat for her friend.

Tina ignored that comment. "Mallory went out with Greg for a couple of months, or so."

Mallory was tempted to laugh. Thirty-four months was more than a couple months. But then her cousin never was strong in arithmetic. Mallory kept her thoughts to herself, knowing that Tina would take ever opportunity to make things a hundred times worse if she knew how Mallory still felt about Greg. But even so, Mallory had to bite her tongue to stop herself from correcting Tina's statement about dating Greg for a couple months.

Mallory started dating Greg when she was fifteen, and he was sixteen. When he'd left school they'd carried on dating, for nearly all of the next three years. Three years of bliss as far as she was concerned. It was just such a shame it had ended so badly. He'd left.

"Our family was far from impressed." Tina carried on as if Mallory were not present, and as if telling tales was perfectly acceptable. David's father, Tina's father and Mallory's father were siblings.

Harriet looked across at her friend, her eyes widened in astonishment. "Mallory?" She was surprised to learn that her friend knew the man, let alone had let him go. "You dumped him?" Harriet teased and waited to see if Mallory would add any detail.

"He dumped her." Tina threw in with open glee. It had never failed to amaze her that Greg had found her cousin interesting. Mallory was passably pretty. Her only real talent was the fact she could dance. Well, that had been her talent. Now she couldn't even do that.

Deciding to make sure that at least some of the facts came to light, Mallory spoke up. "I had a scholarship. To the States." Mallory ignored Tina's statement and did her best to ensure that she maintained her composure. She wondered when she would stop feeling that sharp pain whenever she thought of what might have been and what she still felt for him. Surely as a grown woman she should be over her teenage infatuation? Twelve years. At one point in time she had told herself that over time she would get over him. By the looks of him, he was clearly over her. But time had not afforded her the same luxury.

Harriet frowned at Mallory. It seemed such a lame reason to dump one of nature's prime specimens. The man not only looked good, apparently, from the local gossip, he was also a real gentleman. "So? You could have, I don't know, kept in touch with him. How long were you gone for?" Harriet pressed and her brows practically met to form a solid line as she frowned in concentration.

"Three years." Mallory said softly, as the heartache that she usually managed to keep at bay began to make its presence felt. How could the hurt from a failed school-girl romance continue to feel so real now that she was an adult? She should be over him. Well over him, shouldn't she? If she wasn't able to get over him, how was she ever going to move on, and get on with her life. She'd lulled herself into a false state of reality, believing she was over him, just because he had not been around in the last twelve years.

"What? That's just a blink in terms of time." Harriet kept shaking her head in disbelief. She was sure that she was only getting to hear part of the story. "Why didn't you get back in touch with him when you returned." She stated rather than asked, even though her tone suggested that was simply undesirable and unexplainable.