The Lunchtime Special

Chapter 26 - To Champagne and Hot Tubs

"Jacob, you remember Ava."

Of course I do; she and Laila were my shadows through most of my formative years. "Ava, it's good to see you. I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but I'm needed over there." I wave vaguely towards a corner of the room, when in actual fact my sights are set on Mia, who I can see is having a rare moment on her own. We've barely had more than a few seconds together privately today, enough only for me to tell her how beautiful she looks in her Best Friend tuxedo; it matches my own as well as that of Will and the two groomsmen, but with her curves underneath, the fitted trousers, waistcoat and jacket somehow look incredibly sexy.

"Nonsense, I'm sure someone else can handle it," my mother continues, waving aside my excuse. "Ava has been working in Buenos Aires, Jacob; I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about." With that, she simply walks away and I can hardly leave now without breaking all the rules of etiquette. I sigh internally, wondering if mater thinks I haven't noticed that she's been throwing young, unmarried women in my face for the last two days. It's puzzling and I have full intentions of speaking to her about it when I get the chance, but my sister's wedding reception is neither the time nor the place.

"Have you been to Argentina?" Ava asks, smiling. She was gawky as a teen, I recall, but turned into an attractive, intelligent woman, and it's been probably five years since I last saw her.

"Only once, on holiday about three years ago," I tell her, and we spend half an hour talking about the country's top tourist spots which somehow leads into a discussion of the economic upheavals and work of President Macri to tackle inflation and public debt. When Ava touches my arm for the second time as she smiles into my eyes, alarm bells ring and I decide it's time to extricate myself. "Ava, listen, it's wonderful to catch up with you, but I've had hardly more than a few seconds alone with my girlfriend today, so if you'll excuse me..."

Her face reflects disappointment and confusion, and guilt settles in my gut for a few seconds until I realise it's my mother who's at fault here; she has obviously implied that I'm single and available even though I know from Laila that she knows I'm seeing Mia.

Mia.

I look around for her, Ava already forgotten, only to find her on the dance floor with Patrick, laughing and looking like she's having a great time. When I catch her eye she gives me a smile but it's a mere shadow of her usual grin and doesn't reach her eyes.

"May I cut in?" I ask Patrick, though I give him a look that says I'm not really asking.

"Sure." He heads off towards the bar and I wrap my arms around Mia, drawing her close as the tempo of the music slows. Pressing a kiss to her hair, which is done in an elegantly intricate style, I inhale her familiar scent.

"Hey," I murmur near her ear. "Long time no see."

"Hey," she murmurs back.

"I missed you last night." Mia had spent the night at the hotel rather than with me at my flat, saying she had to be up bright and early for wedding duties. "I had to cuddle your pillow all night instead but it's nowhere near as nice to kiss as you are." The faint chuckle I hear makes me feel a little better. "I missed you today too; my mother seems determined to introduce me to every female under the age of fifty at this shindig."

"You do seem to have been surrounded by women the last couple of days." Her words alone tell me how much she's noticed, but the hints of uncertainty and hurt in her voice that she tries to hide with that dash of bravado let me know it's gotten to her more than she'll admit, and definitely more than I want it to.

"None of them hold a candle to you," I tell her, running a hand over her back underneath the suit jacket.

"No?" She speaks softly, hesitantly.