Always, in December by Emily Stone

Chapter Fourteen

It was still just light as they pulled up outside the venue in Brooklyn, the sky turning a pale, purply blue, the lights down the street just starting to wink into existence. As he was nearest the car door on the pavement side, Max got out of the cab first, smoothing down the plain black jacket he was wearing over a navy blue shirt – having decided that, for something like this, you couldn’t go wrong with simple and understated – then paid the driver through the window while the other three got out.

Chloe put her hands on her hips and stared at the building in front of them. ‘It doesn’t look like much, does it?’

Max huffed out a little laugh. ‘What were you expecting?’ It looked fine to him – it wasn’t exactly a feat of architectural genius but it was solid, and the owners had clearly worked with what they’d got, preserving the archway to the ground floor and using traditional lettering with the name of the place. It was a tall, brick building, and Max knew that it was the first two floors that they’d be exploring tonight – a gallery-slash-bar that the owner, who also happened to be Max and Liam’s client on an entirely different project, was hoping would be the next big, ‘trendy’ thing, where people could buy the ‘cooler’, more abstract type of art, and have a drink at the same time, appreciating the ambience. It sounded a bit pretentious to Max, but he and Liam had been invited to the opening of the place and instructed, firmly, by one of the senior partners that they must go along, because this guy could throw more work in the company’s way in the future.

‘I don’t know. Something . . . cooler.’ Chloe looked around, to where Liam was approaching on her right. Liam was wearing black trousers like Max, but that’s where the similarity on outfits ended. Liam’s grey jacket looked as though it had been made for him, and he’d added his usual splash of colour – never more than one thing at a time – in the form of a green polo shirt. Chloe hooked her arm through his. ‘Come on then,’ she said to him. And with that, she steered him straight through the entrance. Liam shot a slightly guilty look back at Max, who just shrugged as if to say, You’re on your own now, mate. Out of the presence of their parents, and given they’d been sandwiched next to each other in the cab, Chloe and Liam seemed to have got over the ignoring you stage of the relationship. Max hadn’t quite decided yet which was better, but as Liam had been there in the office on Saturday, despite Max’s assumption of the opposite, and had invited Chloe to the ‘shindig’ himself, there had been nothing Max could do about it. It wasn’t that he minded his sister having her fun, he’d just rather she didn’t destroy his own friendships in the process – and he genuinely liked Liam, not to mention the fact that he was turning out to be a useful contact. Even if he didn’t think he’d need Liam’s help again, it was nice to have the option. Still, Chloe was only in New York for a week, which hopefully wasn’t long enough for her to do any damage, and to be fair, Liam did seem to have his head screwed on about all this shit.

He and Erin followed the two of them into the building. Chloe turned and shrugged off her leather jacket to reveal a black dress with green dots over it, tight enough that it showed just how in shape she kept her body – and tight enough to make him want to wince, given the appreciative look Liam was now giving her. Max decided to ignore the way Liam’s gaze dropped to her legs, which she was showing off in a pair of heeled boots. She handed the jacket to him and gave him a slightly smug smile. ‘You sort the coats, Liam and I will get the drinks.’ Erin raised her eyebrows at Max, but as Chloe was already walking away, Max reckoned it was easier just to go along with it. He saw Liam looking down at Chloe, all starry-eyed as they pushed into the ‘gallery’ part of the building, apparently finding her bossiness and entitlement incredibly endearing, and wanted to roll his eyes. At least he and Erin had always – for the most part – had their heads level around each other, even if they did find each other attractive.

They handed in the coats and followed Liam and Chloe into the gallery, which was dimly lit, with individual little lights to highlight each of the paintings, making them look, Max was sure, much better than they would do at home. Erin slipped her hand into his. It was warm and comforting, and he smiled down at her without even thinking about it. She smiled back in a way that made him a little glad when a waiter came up with a tray of some kind of red cocktail, because he had to ask which was the non-alcoholic version and it gave him an out from the moment. Yes, he definitely felt affection for Erin, but it was hard to figure out how much of that was friendship, and the lingering feelings of a long relationship, and how much of it was genuine for the here and now. And sure, she said she wanted to get back together, but she hadn’t been so certain of that a year ago, so who knew how long that resolution would last?

She did look incredible that evening though, in a black dress, white stripes on the top half, with red painted toes pointing through her open-toed stilettos and a pendant hanging at her neck, just above her breasts. Her arms were bare and tanned in a way that, even if the colour was out of a bottle, made her look somehow more alluring, and she’d done her eyes in that way that made them look even more blue.

They shifted out of the way of another few people coming in, and Max took a sip of his drink, wishing it was alcoholic so that it would take the edge off, as he scanned the room for Chloe and Liam.

‘I’m glad I’m here,’ Erin said, and Max glanced down at her again to see that she’d put her drink on the ledge that ran along the wall behind them.

‘I’m glad you’re here too,’ Max said. Because whatever else may be the case, that much was true.

Then she stepped into him, tilted her face up and kissed him. Her lips were firm, and sure, and tasted of lip gloss, like she always did. He didn’t resist it – they’d been dancing round it the whole weekend, so why the hell not? It was just a friendly kiss. And yes, there was a familiar stirring there, signs that the chemistry hadn’t gone away. Maybe it was impossible for it not to be there, given their history, the fact that they knew exactly which buttons to press.

She pulled away, smiled in that sure way of hers, then picked up her drink and set off into the fray. He closed his eyes briefly, then followed. It would be so damn easy just to slide into it all. To go with the flow this evening, have a couple of drinks, and end up in bed. It was her last night here, and she clearly wanted to. And, God, it had been four months now. Maybe it would even be easy to carry it on, to move in with her, settle back into each other. She knew everything about him – or pretty much – meaning he had a hell of a lot less capacity to upset her.

They did an obligatory circle of the artwork – they were all a bit too obscure for Max – then climbed the stairs to the next level, where they found Liam and Chloe by the bar. They ordered another drink each – all on the house this evening apparently – and Max tried not to think about the heat of Erin’s arm, pressed next to his.

Liam took a swig of his beer. ‘Well, look at us all, standing around in the new place to be in the up-and-coming part of town.’

‘Think Brooklyn’s been “up” for quite a while, mate.’ Max accepted the fake gin and tonic that Erin handed him. ‘And don’t you live just around the corner?’

Liam made a face. ‘Around the corner’s a bit of a stretch. But either way, I have no shame – not all of us can afford to sponge off our parents.’

‘Think that’s a bit of an oxymoron?’ Max cocked one eyebrow at Erin in question, who allowed herself a little smile.

‘Oh God,’ muttered Liam, jerking his head almost imperceptibly towards the other side of the room. ‘Incoming.’

Max swivelled in time to see Tim, senior partner, and Bradley, the owner of this place and Max and Liam’s client, zero in on them. ‘Well, better now than when you’re all drunk,’ Max said, making Chloe grin.

‘Liam!’ Tim exclaimed, budging his way into the circle and clapping Liam’s shoulder, even though he had to reach up to do it. He pushed his glasses back on his nose and smiled benignly around the circle. ‘I was just telling Bradley here what an excellent job I think you’ve been doing.’ After muttering something to a nearby waiter with a tray full of glasses, Bradley stepped up, smiling on cue. Max knew full well not to be conned by that smile – Bradley was as sharp as they came, and seemed to have unerring focus on anything he dabbled in, despite the number of ideas he seemed to throw up. It was probably why he was still ripped, even though he was mid-sixties.

‘Yes, yes,’ Bradley said, nodding to Tim as if indulging a small child. ‘I’ve been impressed by the work that Max and Liam have done so far, but let’s see how it all looks when it’s done, hey?’ He gave the general circle a wink and they all smiled back obediently. Max wouldn’t actually be at the company to see the final block of fancy, ‘bespoke’ apartments, but he was under explicit instructions not to mention that he was leaving, in case that caused any uproar.

‘But yes,’ Bradley continued, taking a glass of champagne that the waiter brought up to him, ‘I’m glad you could all make it. I wanted all my people to see the kind of vibe I have in here, gives you a better sense of the type of thing I go for, you know.’ He took a sip of his champagne, not so much as blinking at the use of ‘my people’. Max arranged his face into something he thought indicated sage agreement, though he saw Chloe’s eyebrows shoot up, and hoped she wouldn’t say anything.

‘It looks like a marvellous set-up,’ Liam said, gesturing around, to which Tim and Bradley just nodded.

‘Yes, I think so, but it all depends on whether it can turn a profit, doesn’t it?’ He looked away for a moment, scanning the room – presumably for someone more interesting or important. While his back was turned, Max mouthed ‘marvellous’ to Liam, with raised eyebrows, and Liam shrugged a little helplessly. ‘Ah, here’s my PR man,’ Bradley continued. He waved someone over, then turned back to them, slightly blocking Tim from the circle as he did so. ‘I wanted to get everyone in the same room, you know. It’s good for business, isn’t it? Always good to make connections, to celebrate the successes with the people that made them so.’

‘Exactly right,’ Tim said, nodding like Bradley had said something profound.

Bradley carried on as if Tim hadn’t spoken. ‘And Ollie here is actually doing the PR for this venue. Ollie!’

The man was already walking over to them, but doubled his pace at Bradley’s shout, an action that was more noticeable because he was slightly shorter than average.

Ollie came into the circle, shook hands all around. His brown eyes lingered on Max for a moment. Max knew this guy, he was sure of it. It was the pixieish quality that he remembered, all sharp chin and slightly pointy ears. Josie’s ex. An uncomfortable sensation brewed in his stomach, and he took a sip of his drink to try to quench it. Every now and then, Oliver’s gaze flickered towards Max, in a way that suggested he recognised him too. Max realised he must be staring too hard when he noticed Erin looking up at him curiously, and tried to straighten out his features.

‘Are you here alone then, Ollie? No colleagues along with you?’ Bradley asked, clicking a hand in the air to someone at the same time. Again, Chloe wrinkled her nose, but said nothing.

‘The others wanted to get in an early night, what with it being a Monday and all, so it’s just me, I’m afraid.’ Oliver raised his hands in a way that was clearly supposed to indicate apology, then took one of those hands up to smooth his already overly styled hair.

‘No, no need to apologise,’ said Bradley, taking a second glass of champagne from a tray that the waiter brought along and handing it to Oliver, who was apparently the only one in the circle who would be offered one. Liam shot Max a questioning look. So, his scowl had returned then. He gave a big shoulder roll, told himself to stop being ridiculous. He barely even remembered the guy, and hadn’t given him a second thought since he’d met him. But he did remember thinking he was a dick at the time, and that thought seemed to have intensified now. Not helped by the fact that Bradley was just fawning over him – a couple of unintelligent, puffed-up peacocks.

‘I did manage to drag my girlfriend along with me though,’ Oliver continued.

‘Is that so? Well, I’d be delighted to meet her . . .’ Max let Bradley’s words wash over him for a moment. Girlfriend. The word thumped its way around his mind. It wouldn’t be.

But then Oliver turned and beckoned to a woman, and Max’s gaze shot over to her. And it was her.

Josie.

Josie, looking fucking stunning in skin-tight black jeans and heels to make her long legs look even longer, and a high-necked green, white and black top. She stood out more because she wasn’t wearing a dress, and was now walking over to them as if she owned the room, smiling brightly at Oliver. She’d grown out her fringe, which suited her, and her hair was pulled up in some kind of elegant knot, studs glinting in her ears.

He saw the moment she clocked him. Her gaze darted from Oliver and around their little group, travelling over Chloe, Liam and Erin until it landed on him last. He saw her stride falter slightly, before she whipped her gaze away from him so fast he didn’t have time to properly register the expression there. Those gorgeous eyes, ones that put the colour ‘brown’ to shame, stayed focused on Oliver as she came up to join them. Max found he was gripping his glass too tightly and flexed his fingers deliberately, trying to relieve some of the tension that had sprung through his entire body.

‘This is Josie,’ Oliver said proudly, gesturing towards Bradley. Josie’s eyes were fixed on Bradley alone as she held out a hand, smiling, Max thought, a little tightly, her jaw locked into place.

‘So nice to meet you.’

Bradley smiled. ‘Is that another English accent I hear?’ He didn’t give her the chance to answer. ‘Charmed. She’s a keeper,’ he said to Oliver, even though he didn’t know the first fucking thing about her. She hooked an arm through Oliver’s and he wrapped his around her waist. Max couldn’t look away, though she was refusing to look back at him, like she was deliberately trying not to. He wanted to clear his throat, to make her look at him, but what the fuck was he supposed to say when she did? She shouldn’t even be here, in this city, and especially not with this prick. He’d cheated on her, for Christ’s sake.

‘Well,’ Bradley said, clapping his hands together. ‘It seems I’m surrounded by Brits! Max here is from England too, Ollie, he’s been working on my little apartment project, so I’m sure you’ll find lots in common.’ Max tried and failed to pull his gaze away from Josie, aware that she must be able to feel it on her, that that was probably why she wouldn’t return it. She had barely any makeup on, but she seemed to glow more in the dim lighting than either Erin or his sister. He took a deliberate sip of his drink. Lots in common, indeed.

Chloe cocked one eyebrow up, in a way that he’d taught her to do when they were twelve, and folded her arms. Max spared her a quick glance, checking for any warning signals that she was about to pipe up. She’d clearly taken offence at the fact no one had properly introduced her yet. Liam seemed to realise this at the same moment and said quickly, ‘Can I also introduce you to Chloe, Mr Vane?’ Oliver and Bradley both turned to look at Chloe as Liam indicated her, but Max saw Josie’s gaze pass over Chloe to Erin before she quickly looked back at Oliver. Look at me, he pleaded silently with her. ‘She’s Max’s sister,’ Liam continued, ‘and English too.’ Bradley spared her a perfunctory smile, and Chloe nodded politely, with a fleeting glance at Max as if to acknowledge that yes, he was indeed the dick Max had claimed.

But Max barely paid attention to any of that, because at the sound of his name, Josie had finally turned that gaze on him, as if she knew she couldn’t avoid it any longer. And he’d given her every right to want to avoid it, hadn’t he? His throat tightened as her lips twisted to form a smile that seemed painted on.

She cocked her head in that way he remembered. ‘Hello, Max.’