I'd seen him several times before, at Gerald's house and at literary do's. Networking, circulating. I'd even spoken to him a couple of times, when we had both been standing about in the same group talking business. He was a nice looking, rather sweet guy. He had always had a certain appeal about him, but I hadn't been looking for appeal then. I had deliberately not remembered who he was.
Now he was standing off to one side at the party and looking rather sad. Watching Casey and his new boyfriend Heath. The object of my attention had stopped being social when they had turned up, then he'd casually moved up to them, but smiling like an idiot, obviously keen on the blond hunk, Heath. They had moved on quickly, leaving him there.
Well even I knew he wasn't going to get far with Heath. Casey was a very successful agent and the blond had a book coming out, thanks principally to Casey's legendary ability to turn anything into a best seller if he was motivated enough. And according to the grapevine the blond definitely had Casey motivated. And he wouldn't be risking his future for the sweet guy mooning over him.
"Who is that?" I asked Gerald.
"Who?" he asked.
"The attractive dark haired man, over there. I've seen him here before. The one who's obviously keen on Heath."
"Oh, Clarke? He is a very good editor. Does a lot of freelance work for my company."
"Oh. And?"
"And, what?"
" Anything I should know?"
Gerald suddenly turned his attention full on me. "Clarke?" he queried, in surprise.
I shrugged, "Maybe. I'm curious anyway. I like a man who isn't afraid to get involved. And I like the look of him. Nice body."
"Clarke?" Gerald said again, arching his eyebrows. "Well. I knew you were missing Lucas since he went to London, but Clarke isn't the man for a casual fling."
"Lucas has found the woman of his dreams." I replied dryly.
"Woman?" Gerald replied in amazement.
I shrugged again. "He always wanted a family, children. This woman seems to love him and be happy for him to play both sides, as long as he takes precautions and gets tested regularly. And her clock is ticking and she wants to stay home and play mother, which suits him fine. They are getting married next week. So no more Lucas." I said calmly, having after 3 months got over the worst of the emotional roller coaster his announcement had set me on. "And I am getting lonely. And I am not into casual flings either, as you know Gerald."
Gerald was looking shocked. I hadn't been really. I had known how much Lucas wanted kids, and I hadn't really been into the adoption or surrogate thing. And more importantly I didn't see either of us playing mother well enough to raise any child properly.
"So. Clarke," I said, and turned to find him again but couldn't. "Damn," I said suddenly feeling lost, "Where is he?" I asked, looking about with increasing annoyance. It wasn't often a man grabbed my attention the way Clarke had.
"I think he went downstairs," Gerald replied vaguely, obviously still in shock and trying to digest the latest news.
"Well then, I might just go downstairs too."
I got up off the sofa Gerald and I had been sitting chatting on, and went and said a few words to Casey about the latest project I knew he wanted desperately from me. And then I slowly made my way down stairs.
I checked the bathroom down there and found it empty, and then the small gymnasium, but that was empty too, which only left the big Pool room.