friends had assembled for what appeared to be a surprise party.
Liza, the bass player, launched herself at Casey and wrapped her in a big hug. ‘Welcome back, honey! We missed you!’
‘Wow. Thanks!’ Casey was lost for words.
‘We thought we’d throw a party in honour of your nuptials, to welcome you back, and to celebrate with everybody who couldn’t make it out to the wedding.’ Myles grinned broadly and slapped Alex on the shoulder. ‘Hope that’s okay?’
‘It’s fabulous. I don’t know what to say.’ Alex grinned helplessly. ‘You had me all worked up about some crisis, and instead you’re throwing a party.’
Myles looked a bit sheepish. ‘Sorry about the crisis bit, but I needed to get you over here pronto. No point in having a party without the guests of honour!’
Casey laughed. ‘You’re a star, Myles. Thank you.’
‘My pleasure.’ Myles winked at her, and Casey had an awful sense of foreboding. She remembered all too clearly Myles’s comments on the yacht. He was bound to follow up on them. That would be exactly the kind of thing he would do.
She wasn’t wrong.
Myles continued talking. ‘Speaking of pleasure… I hope that man of yours showed you his wicked ways after I left?’
Casey gulped. All of a sudden, the babble of conversation died as everyone waited for her answer. She should laugh and put Myles in his place, as she had done so many times before. But given the sexual non-events of their honeymoon, she found herself tongue-tied and unable to take the joke. Instead, she could feel a furious colour rising in her cheeks.
Liza came to her rescue, probably without knowing so. ‘Aw, look at her, she’s blushing! I bet we’re going to see a honeymoon baby in… oh… about nine months!’
The whole room burst out laughing, and Casey forced herself to join in. The awkward moment passed, and Myles marched off with Alex towards the buffet, no doubt to elicit salacious details. Well, she would leave Alex to ride that one out by himself.
She settled herself on a sofa flanked by Liza and Sasha and held court. Sasha was dying for the inside story on the honeymoon beyond the sparse details Casey had shared on the phone.
‘How was it, sweetie? I felt like I’d lost my right arm, not being able to contact you! I want to hear all about it.’
Casey rolled her eyes. ‘You’re as bad as Myles!’
‘I am not! I want to hear about the yacht and the cruise and all the fabulous places you’ve seen. How was it?’
Casey heaved a sigh of relief. She could have kissed Sasha for giving her a reprieve, and she gladly launched into an animated recap of all their adventures.
‘Dolphins? Wow! I’m so jealous!’ Liza exclaimed after Casey described swimming out in the open sea.
Casey glowed with the memory. ‘It was pretty spectacular, I have to say. And Sasha, you’re simply the best for all the surprises on our wedding day. I don’t know if I’ve thanked you enough!’
She pulled her friend into a hug. At the same time, she caught Alex looking at her from across the room, and she blew him a kiss. He winked at her, and she felt ludicrously thrilled. It was almost like the old days, when they first dated.
Sasha intercepted their exchange and chuckled. ‘Honestly, you. Hugging your best friend and making eyes at your husband at the same time. Tsk!’
‘I think it’s sweet,’ Liza offered good-naturedly. ‘They’re allowed to be a bit loved-up after their honeymoon.’
‘A bit? I’d say, a lot!’ Sasha teased, as Casey’s reprieve abruptly came to an end.
‘So… did you have lots of lovely sex, then?’
‘You are as bad as Myles,’ Casey tried to prevaricate, but this time Sasha didn’t let her off. She and Liza nudged closer to Casey and started whispering to her.
‘Go on, you can tell us. Getting married, does it change anything?’
Casey swallowed, desperate to buy some time. How on earth was she supposed to answer this one truthfully? It wasn’t her
Liza, the bass player, launched herself at Casey and wrapped her in a big hug. ‘Welcome back, honey! We missed you!’
‘Wow. Thanks!’ Casey was lost for words.
‘We thought we’d throw a party in honour of your nuptials, to welcome you back, and to celebrate with everybody who couldn’t make it out to the wedding.’ Myles grinned broadly and slapped Alex on the shoulder. ‘Hope that’s okay?’
‘It’s fabulous. I don’t know what to say.’ Alex grinned helplessly. ‘You had me all worked up about some crisis, and instead you’re throwing a party.’
Myles looked a bit sheepish. ‘Sorry about the crisis bit, but I needed to get you over here pronto. No point in having a party without the guests of honour!’
Casey laughed. ‘You’re a star, Myles. Thank you.’
‘My pleasure.’ Myles winked at her, and Casey had an awful sense of foreboding. She remembered all too clearly Myles’s comments on the yacht. He was bound to follow up on them. That would be exactly the kind of thing he would do.
She wasn’t wrong.
Myles continued talking. ‘Speaking of pleasure… I hope that man of yours showed you his wicked ways after I left?’
Casey gulped. All of a sudden, the babble of conversation died as everyone waited for her answer. She should laugh and put Myles in his place, as she had done so many times before. But given the sexual non-events of their honeymoon, she found herself tongue-tied and unable to take the joke. Instead, she could feel a furious colour rising in her cheeks.
Liza came to her rescue, probably without knowing so. ‘Aw, look at her, she’s blushing! I bet we’re going to see a honeymoon baby in… oh… about nine months!’
The whole room burst out laughing, and Casey forced herself to join in. The awkward moment passed, and Myles marched off with Alex towards the buffet, no doubt to elicit salacious details. Well, she would leave Alex to ride that one out by himself.
She settled herself on a sofa flanked by Liza and Sasha and held court. Sasha was dying for the inside story on the honeymoon beyond the sparse details Casey had shared on the phone.
‘How was it, sweetie? I felt like I’d lost my right arm, not being able to contact you! I want to hear all about it.’
Casey rolled her eyes. ‘You’re as bad as Myles!’
‘I am not! I want to hear about the yacht and the cruise and all the fabulous places you’ve seen. How was it?’
Casey heaved a sigh of relief. She could have kissed Sasha for giving her a reprieve, and she gladly launched into an animated recap of all their adventures.
‘Dolphins? Wow! I’m so jealous!’ Liza exclaimed after Casey described swimming out in the open sea.
Casey glowed with the memory. ‘It was pretty spectacular, I have to say. And Sasha, you’re simply the best for all the surprises on our wedding day. I don’t know if I’ve thanked you enough!’
She pulled her friend into a hug. At the same time, she caught Alex looking at her from across the room, and she blew him a kiss. He winked at her, and she felt ludicrously thrilled. It was almost like the old days, when they first dated.
Sasha intercepted their exchange and chuckled. ‘Honestly, you. Hugging your best friend and making eyes at your husband at the same time. Tsk!’
‘I think it’s sweet,’ Liza offered good-naturedly. ‘They’re allowed to be a bit loved-up after their honeymoon.’
‘A bit? I’d say, a lot!’ Sasha teased, as Casey’s reprieve abruptly came to an end.
‘So… did you have lots of lovely sex, then?’
‘You are as bad as Myles,’ Casey tried to prevaricate, but this time Sasha didn’t let her off. She and Liza nudged closer to Casey and started whispering to her.
‘Go on, you can tell us. Getting married, does it change anything?’
Casey swallowed, desperate to buy some time. How on earth was she supposed to answer this one truthfully? It wasn’t her
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