The Reunion

They clinked glasses – ‘Congratulations!’ – and a little cheer went up and Jen took a long slug of ice-cold, bitter gin and tonic and she felt better.
    Conor’s hand rested lightly on her lower back. Opposite her, Andrew sat sipping his beer and holding court, sitting there in the bright sunshine, his smile broad. He was golden, victorious, all that hard work rewarded, everything he’d been striving for over the past few years achieved. Next to him sat Lilah in a vivid yellow mini-dress, hopping up to sashay across the lawn to fetch more drinks, every man in the place turning his head to watch her go. Natalie was laughing at something Conor said, laughing until the tears streamed down her face. Conor turned to her, he smiled and held her eye.
    ‘You OK?’ he mouthed, soundless.
    ‘I’m good,’ she said softly, and gave him a light kiss on the lips.
    Conor’s gaze held hers for a moment or two. ‘You sure? You seemed…’
    ‘Just tired, Con,’ Jen said, and she kissed him again and wished she couldn’t feel Dan’s eyes on them.
    She wished too that she was a little further away from Dan so that she wouldn’t be able to overhear his conversation with Lilah, which lurched at breakneck speed from cars to parties to mutual contacts in London to hangovers to girls, to the girl he’d met last night, to the one last weekend and the one before that, lovely legs, fantastic tits, blonde, brunette, redhead. What was the redhead’s name? He couldn’t remember. Fun though. Jen wished she could stop herself from wondering how, if he ever bothered to do so, he would describe her to someone she’d never met? How would she match up to all the others? Did she figure in the top ten, the top twenty? She wondered if it were all true, if he were trying to make her jealous, or if he really didn’t care at all.
    She finished off her gin and tonic and gratefully accepted a second. Conor was smiling at her, he pushed a stray strand of hair from her face.
    ‘Steady,’ he said. ‘You didn’t have breakfast.’
    ‘I’ll be all right,’ she said, and allowed him to squeeze her closer. She let her head rest on his shoulder. Three weeks. Three more weeks and they would be at the French house. If she closed her eyes she could see them there, working side by side in the barn, sunbathing on the front lawn, or spending all day in bed just because they could.
    ‘Told you to take it easy,’ Conor said, nudging her knee with his. ‘You’re falling asleep already.’ He was grinning at her, his blue eyes warm, freckles across the bridge of his nose a little darker in the sun. Her heart swelled. ‘I was dreaming of France,’ she said softly.
    The perfect moment was marred, though, because when she looked up she saw Dan watching them, face expressionless, cool grey eyes on her face, the slightest twitch around his mouth. He was looking at her face, her neck: hungry, predatory. Jen got to her feet.
    ‘Just going to the loo,’ she said, and walked away as quickly as she could without breaking into a run.
    She sat in the stall for a moment, breathing deep, waiting for her heart rate to slow. She heard the ladies room door swing open and slam shut. Someone rummaging around in a handbag, a sharp intake of breath. The door again, and Natalie’s voice saying, ‘Lilah! What the hell?’ Then there was whispering, then the door banging again, then nothing.
    Jen washed her hands and splashed water on her face, pinched her cheeks to put some colour back into them. She left the bathroom and headed back through the pub towards the garden. Just before she reached the back door, someone grabbed her by the arm, pulled her roughly into a little alcove.
    ‘I can’t stand this,’ Dan said to her. He was gripping her arm too tightly.
    ‘Let go, you’re hurting me.’ He didn’t let go, but he loosened his grip, he ran his thumb up and down the inside of her wrist.
    ‘I can’t stand this,’ he said again. They were standing opposite each other, very close together, close enough that if she stood on her toes and leaned forward she could kiss his lips.
    ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘I’m so sorry.’
    ‘Can we just… I don’t know. I don’t want this to be it.’
    ‘It has to be. I’m sorry. It has to be. It was a mistake, Dan. I made a mistake, and I’m sorry.’
    ‘It wasn’t, it wasn’t a mistake.’ He let go of her arm and reached up to touch her face. She pulled away. ‘I’m in love with you,’ he