Chapter 11

"Darling, you look lovely," Dad said as he watched me twirl around in the living room. I was careful to spin on the balls of my feet so I didn't trip over my heels. They were golden and shiny and were a perfect match to my emerald silk dress.

"Yes she does," Sawyer agreed. I spun to face him, surprised by his presence. I didn't hear him come in. The look he gave me was devilish, and if he wasn't careful, he'd rouse Dad's suspicions. Even so, I couldn't help but smile at him.

"You look pretty dapper yourself," I said, hoping the mutual compliments would quash any questions. It was also true. Sawyer wore suits to work all the time, but they were nothing like the three piece he was wearing now.

"I feel a bit like I'm picking you up for the Year 12 formal," he laughed and straightened his cuffs.

Dad cleared his throat. "If that's the case, then I better lay down some ground rules." I froze. Oh no! "Be sure to wear your coats outside. Use the valet service, don't park my car in some second-rate parking lot. There will be trouble if you scratch it. And have my daughter home anytime she likes." I rolled my eyes but was secretly relieved he'd made a joke out of things. "Oh and if you dance, be careful of Mrs Gulliver. She can get a little handsy."

Sawyer laughed outright. "Yes, Sir. I'll have your car back in perfect condition."

"Good man."

I stood between them with my hands raised. I must be chopped liver because apparently the car took precedence. "Good to know I'm more important than the Audi." They both laughed this time.

When the moment passed, Dad turned serious. "Are you sure you still want to go? Because if you don't, I've got a suit right upstairs."

I didn't need an explanation to know why he asked. We'd spent multiple dinners this week discussing tonight's event and who was attending. I never admitted how I knew Caroline would be there, but I caved and asked him if he saw her every year. I had to know why he never told me. Naturally, it was his fatherly instinct to protect me. I'd kicked up a big stink as a child any time seeing her was even mentioned. So, he never brought it up.

That, of course, made me feel extra guilty. He was dealing with this all on his own. He said it was fine, and that he was over all that happened. He'd moved on. But had he really? Over the years he dated a few people, but he'd never had a serious girlfriend. It had been more than twelve years and he never found a significant other.

He never told me because he didn't want to cause me pain. Instead, he shouldered it all himself. Was that my fault?

Even though I was petrified of seeing Caroline and potentially talking to her, I couldn't let Dad do this again. Now that I knew, I needed to step up.

"I'm sure Dad, I'll be fine." I had to be.

He stepped forward and took my hands. "If at any point you want to leave, you just leave. Don't feel like you need to stay. It's not a big deal."

I squeezed his hands and put on my most genuine smile. "I'll be fine," I reiterated, hoping I sounded sincere.

He didn't seem convinced, but let it go and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Well then, it's time to go. Have you got everything?"

I looked around and found my clutch resting on the armchair. "I just need to grab my coat," I said and left them in the living room to retrieve it from my closet. I did a final check in the mirror, making sure there were no panty lines showing beneath the skin-tight dress. I wasn't one to toot my own horn or anything, but I was pleased with how I looked tonight. The dress was stunning.

On my way back downstairs, I caught a snippet of their conversation and stopped at the top where I couldn't be seen. "Just watch her," my dad said. "She will put on a tough face, and she won't tell you if she's overwhelmed. She'll try to deal with it on her own."

When Sawyer responded, he sounded worried. "She's a bit like her old man in that way. I promise I'll look after her."

I intentionally made excess noise with my heels on the stairs, to let them know I was coming. As expected, they stepped back, pretending they hadn't been speaking.

"Are you ready to go?" Sawyer asked. His voice still sounded concerned. Now I would have to tiptoe around him as well. As if tonight wasn't going to be difficult enough.

Was I ready? Not in the slightest. Was it time to go? There was no more putting it off. "Yep, let's go."

Dad walked us to the car. We didn't have much of a driveway and it was in the garage. Sawyer parked his road bike as close to the side fence as he could get it. As hot as he looked riding that thing, it was impractical for events such as tonight's. He was nervous to drive Dad's car, but it was the best alternative. Plus, I was not getting on the back of his bike in this dress.

The further we drove into the city, the more prominent my nerves became. I was going to see Caroline. I stayed quiet in the car as I thought about what she'd be like. Did she look the same? Would she have the same haircut? It had been over ten years since I'd seen her. Surely, she looked different now. Would I recognise her instantly?

While I worried about her looking like a different person, one question kept pestering me. Was she happier now? Dad and I clearly weren't enough for her, but did Michael, Claire and Justin fill that void?

Sawyer kept glancing my way in concern. My silence was likely worrying him, but I wasn't in the mood to talk. I was lost in my own mind.

When we arrived, he took Dad's advice and used the valet service. He pulled up to the convention centre and was out of the car and at my door almost instantly. I thanked him with a nervous smile.

The moment was getting closer by the second.

We visited the cloakroom, and I carefully placed the ticket inside my clutch.

The centre was bustling with people preparing to enter the AHM Awards, all dressed to the nines in expensive suits and cocktail dresses. Some even held champagne flutes brought around by waitstaff meandering through the crowd.

I kept my eyes down. Perhaps if I didn't look up, I wouldn't see her, and she wouldn't see me. It was a fruitless tactic. I couldn't avoid her forever.

"Are you doing alright?" Sawyer asked as we stood in line to find our table number. He was worried again, that much was obvious by the tone of his voice. He rubbed a hand down my arm and I finally looked up. "Do you really want to do this? Because we go home."

"No," I told him, shaking my head defiantly. "This is something I need to do." Whether I was ready to see Caroline or not, I had to do this tonight.

I couldn't avoid her forever.

Sawyer took both my hands in his. "Whatever you need, I'm here, okay?"

I nodded. I knew he meant well but I could never dump all this on him. "Look, it's almost our turn."

We stepped up to the concierge and received our table number. I was relieved to find out it was located at the back of the room. Twenty-nine on Queen wasn't nominated for any awards this year, so we weren't considered important company. Justin's father's hotel was nominated, which meant they would all be sitting closer to the front.

We took our seats at the empty round table and waited for the ceremony to start. I looked around the room with the hopes of glimpsing Caroline. Perhaps seeing her from afar would make it easier later, but there were so many people here I had to wonder if she'd even notice my presence.

It didn't take long for me to spot her. My earlier worries about not recognising her were absurd. She looked the same, if not healthier. Tanned skin and long brunette hair. Tonight, it was styled neatly at the base of her neck, and it complimented her burgundy dress perfectly. She was beautiful and I shouldn't have expected anything less.

Then I noticed the men standing with her. Michael, her husband and Dad's ex-friend, and Justin. He confidently spoke to the group surrounding him near the front of the room. That smile of his was so charming on a regular day. Tonight, in his designer suit, it captivated those around him.

That's when I remembered my other concerns for tonight and turned my attention back to my table. An older couple had just sat down and Sawyer was introducing us. "My name is Sawyer McKinnon, and this is Elizabeth Newcombe."

"Newcombe?" The lady questioned as she shook my hand. "Any relation to Richard Newcombe?"

I nodded. "Richard is my father."

"Oh, how fabulous. Looks run in the family, I see," she winked. "Is he here tonight?" The woman looked around expectantly.

I tried hard to portray a polite smile rather than an amused one. Under the table, I slapped Sawyer on the thigh. He wasn't even trying.

"No, he's not here."

"What a shame, he does always indulge me with a dance at the end of the night." She pressed a wrinkled and heavily jewelled hand to her chest and smiled. "Oh forgive me, I haven't introduced myself. I am Juliet Gulliver, and this is my husband, Emmett." She rested a hand on the shoulder of the man beside her. He'd already taken his seat.

He winked. "Forgive my wife, she's a little eccentric."

"Eccentric? Darling, I prefer the term endearing."

Mr Gulliver chucked and kissed his wife's cheek. I let my amused smile free. They were cute. I also got the impression that Dad's warning about dancing with Mrs Gulliver was well-placed. Like her husband, I found her to be eccentric, and I'd only spoken to her for a minute.

Sawyer offered to pour her a glass of wine from the bucket in the middle of the table. He did the same for Mr Gulliver and for me.

"Do you want the red or the white?" he asked me with a gentle voice.

"White, please."

As he poured my glass, Mrs Gulliver spoke again, this time with a suggestive tone. "Are you two a couple? You make a very handsome couple."

I was quick to correct her. "Oh no, we're not—"

Sawyer cleared his throat and sat back.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's not my business." She took a sip of her wine and looked Sawyer over as if he was definitely her business.

I did the same, but instead of looking him over, I glanced sideways to gauge his reaction. His smile was still there, but it looked strained. I felt a little uncomfortable listening to the woman and couldn't imagine what he was feeling right now. Thankfully, more people arrived at our table and introductions took over.

I was grateful when the ceremony began and waitstaff came around with our dinner. Conversation was limited as everyone ate, drank, and listened to the host introduce each award.

Unsurprisingly, Justin's dad won the resort category. On stage, he thanked his team—from the executives to the floor employees—and his family. He mentioned Caroline and Justin specifically.

Beside me, Sawyer made a noise deep in his throat. What did that mean? I was hesitant to ask in case it opened up a conversation I didn't want the rest of the table to hear. I didn't like to relive my past, so I had no intention of explaining anything to them. Plus, Mrs Gulliver seemed like a bit of a gossip.

Once the ceremony was over and dessert had been served, people started to mingle. That was when the bar opened as well. Thank goodness. During dinner service, we were restricted to table wine. If you were lucky enough to catch a waiter, you could order something from the bar, but I didn't see much of that happening. I didn't hate wine, but there were other drinks I preferred.

"I just saw an old friend from Uni," Sawyer announced. We were standing with Mr and Mrs Gulliver and they were reminiscing about a recent holiday to Fiji. Sawyer turned on his most charming smile. "Please excuse us."

Mrs Gulliver looked disappointed. "Promise you'll save me a dance," she cooed.

Sawyer didn't respond with words, instead choosing to avoid answering by giving her another tight smile. He took my hand and pulled me away at a polite pace.

When we were safely out of earshot, he said. "My God, that woman hits all the wrong nerves, doesn't she?"

I laughed and wriggled my eyebrows at him. "Feeling her deep down, are you?"

Sawyer shivered. "Keep me away from the dance floor later."

"What about now?" Mr and Mrs Gulliver were making their way through the tables and were heading in the direction of the small dancefloor in the corner. A band had just started playing some well-known classics. I had no idea what type of band they were, but they didn't sing, and they had a cellist.

"Well, it's a good thing I really did see an old mate. I'm a little busy and Mrs G will have to find another victim."

I laughed at his antics. He was being a little dramatic, but I always enjoyed this side of him. He started walking again and I realised he was still holding my hand. I pulled it out and placed it on his shoulder. "Do you want anything from the bar?" I asked. "I'm sick of wine and desperate for a lemon drop."

"Sure, whisky straight please."

With his order, I left him to approach his friend and headed for the bar. The line was already long and I was in for a wait. They were making all sorts of cocktails tonight and the bartenders were being put to work.

I found myself eavesdropping on a conversation between two potentially desperate housewives. The blonde one in the very tight dress was bragging, quite explicitly, about her masseuse's gentle hands, and the redhead wasn't shy in asking if she could borrow him for a session.

"How do you think this will end?" a deep voice asked beside me. I jumped, not expecting to be caught eavesdropping. "Cat fight in the carpark?"

The tailored suit did a lot for Justin, or maybe for me. Either way, with his hands in his pockets and that all-knowing smirk in its rightful place, he was looking fine.

I pretended to mull over his words as I watched the women. "Threesome in the cloakroom," I countered.

His eyebrows rose in surprise. "Okay, yeah, I see it," he nodded in agreement. Then he did something completely unexpected. He lent down and kissed me on the cheek. "Hey."

There was nothing sensual about it, although I felt the heat from his lips tingle all the way from my cheek to my fingertips.

"Hey," I breathed when I could finally form the words.

He glanced down at his feet for a moment, like he was preparing himself for something. When he looked back up, he didn't hide his wandering eyes. "You are stunning," he said confidently.

My blush was instant and I couldn't hide my smile. I knew I looked good in this dress, it was gorgeous, but I hadn't expected such a straightforward compliment. "Well, thank you. You look quite stunning yourself," I admitted. He really did.

"I know," he said, straightening the collar of his jacket.

"Careful now, cockiness could land you a position in the cloakroom."

He held my gaze with intense eyes. "You offering?"

That wasn't my intention at all, but now that he'd put it out there, I'd be lying if I said it didn't cross my mind. I couldn't let him see that though, so rolled my eyes and lightly slapped his arm.

"If you're in line for some wet pussy shots, I wouldn't want to prevent you from reliving a good night," he said with amusement. I felt the need to slap his arm again. "But can I steal you away for a minute?"

"Why?" I questioned cautiously. Where was he going to take me? "The cloakroom's already spoken for, sorry pal."

That made him laugh. Justin placed a hand on my lower back and started leading me away from the bar. "Do you hear that?" he asked.

"Hear what?"

"The song. Don't you remember?"

I listened carefully to the band but couldn't pick the song they were playing. It was currently instrumental.

I shook my head. "I don't know what I'm supposed to remember." Did he play it at a gig?

"Come on, I'll jog your memory." I was acutely aware of his warm hand on the bare skin of my back, and how it distracted me from his true intentions.

Justin was leading me to the dancefloor.