slight frown as he hesitantly shakes her hand. ‘Can I get anyone a drink?’
No one needs one so he heads to the bar. I give Bridget a WTF look over the table and she suppresses a grin. Alex seems to have recovered by the time he joins our table, pulling up a seat
between Lisa and Tim. I can’t see his face very well from here, which suits me just fine.
‘How’s your first week been?’ Lisa asks him.
‘Good. Just settling in, seeing how everything works,’ he replies in that warm, deep voice of his. Unfortunately I can hear him very well and I let out a small sigh at the sound. Why
has he put this distance between us? Fine if he doesn’t like me. Cool if he’s seeing someone else. But can’t we be friends? Why is he being so standoffish?
‘What are you up to this weekend?’ Lisa asks, and I realise her question is directed at him. I wonder if her job on the newsdesk helps her excel at small talk.
‘Er, just hanging out with my girlfriend,’ he replies.
A dark feeling washes over me. Not that I didn’t have my suspicions.
‘Well, fiancée,’ he clarifies.
The dark feeling violently intensifies.
‘How lovely! When are you getting married?’ Esther asks warmly.
‘December,’ Alex reveals, as I pick up my beer bottle and take a swig. I have to force myself to swallow. I can feel Bridget’s eyes on me, but I keep mine trained on the
table.
‘When did you get engaged?’ Lisa presses on while I inwardly cringe. Do we have to hear the gushy details?
‘Couple of months ago,’ he says, shifting in his seat. He doesn’t want to talk about this, either. Maybe it’s because I’m here; maybe it’s because he’s
quite a private person. I got that impression when we met, but really, I don’t know him at all. I’m a fool to think that I did.
‘Let’s play a drinking game!’ Bridget erupts and everyone groans again. ‘Come on, you
Hebe
s are so boring!’ She shoves against Russ and he moves aside to let
her out.
‘Bronte, come help me carry the shots.’
‘I am not doing shots,’ I reiterate.
‘Yeah, yeah, whatever. Come and help me anyway.’
I cast my eyes wearily at the ceiling, but silently thank her for the distraction.
The next morning, I’m up and out of bed early. I have a headache, despite my attempts to remain sober, but it’s not too bad. Bridget, however, is decidedly worse
for wear.
‘Hey,’ I whisper, poking my head around her door.
A strangled moan comes from the bed.
‘I brought you pills,’ I tell her with a smirk.
She gingerly sits up in bed and reaches for the water, glugging some down with the headache tablets. ‘Why, oh why did you let me drink those shots?’
‘
What?
’ It’s an outrage!
She purses her lips. ‘I meant to tell you, there was a message on the landline from your mum.’
‘What did she say?’ I ask warily.
‘She said she was just touching base with you. Wanted to say hello.’
Nothing important, then.
‘Have a good day,’ she says. ‘Good luck with it.’
Anxiety surges through me and then the door buzzer goes and Bridget clamps her hands to her head. ‘Shut them up!’
‘I will.’ I laugh. ‘I’ll see you in the morning.’
‘Good luck.’
‘Thanks.’ I’m going to need it.
Chapter 4
‘How are you feeling?’ Maria asks the bride, Suzie, as she applies foundation to her pale complexion.
‘Nervous,’ Suzie admits.
I’d be nervous, too, if I was about to legally bind myself to another person for the rest of my life. Mind you, there’s always divorce if it doesn’t work out.
‘That’s a good sign,’ Maria says encouragingly. ‘I think nerves help you to feel more connected to the day.’
Is that what she reckons? Well, I’m nervous as hell. And I’m not sure I want to feel connected to this particular day.
‘You’re looking radiant,’ Rachel says gently, taking a photograph.
I’m sitting in the corner, just watching and trying to keep out of the way. Rachel moves over to the wedding
No one needs one so he heads to the bar. I give Bridget a WTF look over the table and she suppresses a grin. Alex seems to have recovered by the time he joins our table, pulling up a seat
between Lisa and Tim. I can’t see his face very well from here, which suits me just fine.
‘How’s your first week been?’ Lisa asks him.
‘Good. Just settling in, seeing how everything works,’ he replies in that warm, deep voice of his. Unfortunately I can hear him very well and I let out a small sigh at the sound. Why
has he put this distance between us? Fine if he doesn’t like me. Cool if he’s seeing someone else. But can’t we be friends? Why is he being so standoffish?
‘What are you up to this weekend?’ Lisa asks, and I realise her question is directed at him. I wonder if her job on the newsdesk helps her excel at small talk.
‘Er, just hanging out with my girlfriend,’ he replies.
A dark feeling washes over me. Not that I didn’t have my suspicions.
‘Well, fiancée,’ he clarifies.
The dark feeling violently intensifies.
‘How lovely! When are you getting married?’ Esther asks warmly.
‘December,’ Alex reveals, as I pick up my beer bottle and take a swig. I have to force myself to swallow. I can feel Bridget’s eyes on me, but I keep mine trained on the
table.
‘When did you get engaged?’ Lisa presses on while I inwardly cringe. Do we have to hear the gushy details?
‘Couple of months ago,’ he says, shifting in his seat. He doesn’t want to talk about this, either. Maybe it’s because I’m here; maybe it’s because he’s
quite a private person. I got that impression when we met, but really, I don’t know him at all. I’m a fool to think that I did.
‘Let’s play a drinking game!’ Bridget erupts and everyone groans again. ‘Come on, you
Hebe
s are so boring!’ She shoves against Russ and he moves aside to let
her out.
‘Bronte, come help me carry the shots.’
‘I am not doing shots,’ I reiterate.
‘Yeah, yeah, whatever. Come and help me anyway.’
I cast my eyes wearily at the ceiling, but silently thank her for the distraction.
The next morning, I’m up and out of bed early. I have a headache, despite my attempts to remain sober, but it’s not too bad. Bridget, however, is decidedly worse
for wear.
‘Hey,’ I whisper, poking my head around her door.
A strangled moan comes from the bed.
‘I brought you pills,’ I tell her with a smirk.
She gingerly sits up in bed and reaches for the water, glugging some down with the headache tablets. ‘Why, oh why did you let me drink those shots?’
‘
What?
’ It’s an outrage!
She purses her lips. ‘I meant to tell you, there was a message on the landline from your mum.’
‘What did she say?’ I ask warily.
‘She said she was just touching base with you. Wanted to say hello.’
Nothing important, then.
‘Have a good day,’ she says. ‘Good luck with it.’
Anxiety surges through me and then the door buzzer goes and Bridget clamps her hands to her head. ‘Shut them up!’
‘I will.’ I laugh. ‘I’ll see you in the morning.’
‘Good luck.’
‘Thanks.’ I’m going to need it.
Chapter 4
‘How are you feeling?’ Maria asks the bride, Suzie, as she applies foundation to her pale complexion.
‘Nervous,’ Suzie admits.
I’d be nervous, too, if I was about to legally bind myself to another person for the rest of my life. Mind you, there’s always divorce if it doesn’t work out.
‘That’s a good sign,’ Maria says encouragingly. ‘I think nerves help you to feel more connected to the day.’
Is that what she reckons? Well, I’m nervous as hell. And I’m not sure I want to feel connected to this particular day.
‘You’re looking radiant,’ Rachel says gently, taking a photograph.
I’m sitting in the corner, just watching and trying to keep out of the way. Rachel moves over to the wedding
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