Black Mountain by Kate Loveday

him. ‘Come and sit down. We’re just deciding what to eat.’
    Taking the vacant chair Greg smiled around the table. ‘I was expecting to have a lonely night all on my own,’ he told them. ‘So this is an unexpected pleasure.’
    â€˜Can I get you a drink?’ Tim asked.
    â€˜I see we’re all drinking white wine. Let me get a bottle,’ Greg suggested, pushing back his chair.
    â€˜And we had just all agreed on sharing some tapas plates,’ Tim added. ‘If that’s all right with you?’ he asked Greg.
    Greg nodded. ‘Sounds good.’
    â€˜Then I’ll come with you and order.’
    As the two men walked away to place their orders, Gai looked at Elly with a smirk. ‘Well, aren’t you full of surprises? Where’ve you been hiding him?’
    Elly shook her head with a laugh. ‘You’ve never changed, have you? Always looking to pair me up with someone. I hardly know Greg, I’ve only met him before at trade shows.’
    â€˜Hmm. He’s very good looking. A bit older than you, but that wouldn’t matter.’
    â€˜Gai, will you stop it?’ Elly laughed. ‘What is it with the matchmaking?’
    â€˜Well, you need someone in your life to take your mind off Jackson,’ Gai defended herself. ‘And you tell me you’re not interested in Mitchell, so …’ Spreading her hands she gave a little chuckle.
    â€˜For heaven’s sake, stop it. There never was any romance between Jackson and me,’ Elly declared emphatically.
    â€˜You were prepared to spend a weekend with him.’
    â€˜And we’ll never know if that might have developed, but it didn’t, so let it go. He certainly didn’t break my heart.’
    Gai raised her hands. ‘Okay, okay. I’ll say no more.’
    â€˜Good.’
    Gai’s lips twitched. ‘But if Greg makes a move you shouldn’t knock him back.’
    â€˜Shut up, or I’ll pulverise you.’ Elly laughed. She knew her friend wanted her to meet someone so she would be as happy as her and Tim, but there was no way she was going to tell her about Mitchell, and how he had made her feel. That was still too new, too unexplored.
    Tim returned, accompanied by Greg with a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. Seating himself with a smile, Greg topped up their glasses and poured one for himself.
    â€˜Cheers,’ he said raising his glass. ‘Thanks for asking me to join you.’
    â€˜Here’s to a good night,’ Tim responded, as they clinked glasses.
    At that moment the band started, and they settled back to enjoy the music, and the tapas, which arrived soon after.
    Greg Talbot proved a good companion, charming to the two girls and friendly to Tim, and at the end of a night that had turned out to be most enjoyable, they said their goodbyes on the footpath outside the venue, with Elly promising to join Tim and Gai again when the same band was playing.
    After they left to go to their car, Greg fell into step beside Elly as she started to walk down Grafton Street.
    â€˜I’m going this way too,’ he told her. ‘Mind if I walk with you?’
    â€˜Of course not.’
    They talked easily about the band as they walked along until they came to the stop lights at a cross street, when Elly saw Mitchell’s car pull up for the red light.
    Through the street light shining into the window she could see he was not alone. He had a woman with him, and she realised with a shock that it was Fancy Pants. As Elly stared, she saw her lean across to push his hair back from his face, then reach up and kiss him on the cheek. It was a gesture that implied close familiarity, and Elly’s heart clenched as she felt a sudden chill. Obviously their kiss had meant nothing to him—the belief that it was special was all in her mind.
    But he had certainly given the impression he was finished with his former lover. Why had he felt he had to do that?
    As