Chapter Eleven
‘Congratulations.’ Geoff Harrington said, jumping up from the bar stool at the kitchen island and dashing towards Genevieve and Finlay.
‘Good morning, sleepy heads,’ Hilary added, beaming like they were precious little three-year-olds who had slept in after a birthday party with too much cake.
Stupid as it may seem, Genevieve kind of felt like that, though cake hangovers weren’t as painful as prosecco ones and they rarely led to marriage proposals.
Her mum was hugging her and as she pulled away, Genevieve spotted her dad shaking Finlay’s hand vigorously and clapping him on the arm. Her dad wasn’t stiff or dry when it came to emotions, but he usually held himself together around her boyfriends and showed more of his business side than the dad-side he used at home. Why then did it look like his eyes were a little shiny?
Could those smiles get any wider? Genevieve couldn’t stop herself from smiling back at both her parents. She should be reminding herself this wasn’t real and that she and Finlay needed to look for an escape clause. No way should she be enjoying it, but her mind drifted into a fantasy where this was real. Something about it made her lightheaded and bubbles fizzed in her chest. A happy anticipation crackled around her, but she had to shut it out.
Not real.
None of this is real.
But how could they get out of it? They still hadn’t thought up a way. She’d lose face if she confessed to her followers it was all drunk nonsense and Finlay’s family would be furious with her for playing with him. Plus, he’d have to suffer yet another failed engagement. Was all of that inevitable? Shouldn’t they just nip it in the bud right now?
‘Now…’ Geoff clapped his hands together. ‘I’d like to get you both something to celebrate. Not just a candle holder or a sandwich toaster, something meaningful that will be useful.’
‘No, really,’ Finlay said. ‘That won’t be necessary.’
‘Don’t be silly. Of course it is.’ Geoff led him to the kitchen island and indicated for him to sit.
Finlay threw Genevieve a look, as if begging for help.
‘Listen, Dad, this is all just a…’
Geoff smiled at her expectantly and Finlay’s eyes widened. She couldn’t say this was all a joke or a mistake. Her parents thought her whole life up to this point a joke and a mistake. If she burst this bubble now, how could she bear the fallout? Her gaze connected with Finlay’s and he mirrored her helplessness.
Where was the escape route? What should they do?
‘Just a what?’ Geoff said, glancing between her and Finlay.
‘Just a bit overwhelming,’ Finlay said. ‘The reaction. We had quite a lot to drink last night and didn’t mean…’
‘To record it live,’ Genevieve added.
‘Ah, yes.’ Geoff nodded.
‘We did wonder,’ Hilary said. ‘I mean, the engagement itself doesn’t surprise me at all. I could tell the moment I saw you together you were made for each other.’
Genevieve’s eyes caught Finlay’s again and they shared a silent moment. If only this space-age house had been designed with ejector pods. They could sure use one around about now.
‘I was surprised that you chose to make the event public,’ Hilary went on. ‘But then I suppose if I were you I’d want to shout it from the rooftops too. You’ve made such a good catch.’ She sidled up beside Finlay and put her hands on his shoulders, her gaze soft and full of admiration.
‘Um… yeah.’ He glanced at her and smiled.
‘So, we need to think of a gift,’ Geoff said. ‘And I’ll need your input on what would be most useful. Also a party. Now we can do you something like we had yesterday, or I’d happily take a function room at a hotel or restaurant. There’s the Loch View Hotel or the Cross Keys.’
Finlay blanched and Genevieve knew exactly what he was thinking. A few short weeks ago, he’d had an engagement party there with Elise, and she’d pulled the plug on their relationship. Genevieve had been there, watching them. She tried to bully her mind into going back there. She’d spent the evening trying not to look at Finlay but failing miserably. When she’d heard what Elise had done that night, it had taken every last vestige of pretence to remain on Elise’s side and not cut ties with her for how she’d treated him.
No chance could she make Finlay relive that by going there again. If her dad threw a party for them, how could she fake her way through it? Every second they prolonged the lie, they were making things worse.
‘Listen, Mum, Dad, we can get back to you on the gifts and the party. My head isn’t there yet and I’m sure Finlay is the same.’
‘Yeah… I, um, need to…’ He seemed to be grasping for words.
‘Get some air?’ Genevieve suggested. ‘To help clear our heads.’
‘Exactly that,’ he said. ‘And thank you for all your hospitality.’
‘No problem at all,’ Hilary said.
‘Well, I need to walk Mitzi.’ Genevieve checked the time. ‘So, we can get back to you about… everything.’
‘Of course, of course,’ Geoff said. ‘There’s no rush. Oh, but you need to call James Charlton. He was looking for you yesterday. I think he’s going to offer you something big. You don’t want to miss out.’
‘Really?’ Genevieve sucked on her lip. Hopefully it was something to do with business and not personal. She didn’t need two proposals on the same weekend.
‘Don’t you want some breakfast?’ Hilary asked.
‘We could take some toast with us,’ Genevieve said. ‘I’m not sure my stomach can take much more.’
‘Yeah,’ Finlay agreed.
‘We could have the wedding here,’ Hilary said to Geoff as she fetched some bread. ‘In the rose garden.’
‘That would be very fitting. Are you a churchgoer?’ He asked Finlay.
‘Um… not really.’
‘I’m not either but Hilary is very involved in the church. Would be lovely to have you married in Glenbriar Church, such a pretty place.’
Finlay smiled at Geoff before switching his focus to Genevieve and pulling a face that clearly asked, what should I say next?
‘We’ll take the toast outside,’ Genevieve said.
A few moments later, toast in hand, she and Finlay took Mitzi up the path towards the woods. Geoff and Hilary had brought her and the labs into the house after all the other guests had gone. Presumably when Genevieve was wasted in the bed beside Finlay. What had got into her? Too much alcohol, for starters! Plus, she’d been high on the fact she’d squeezed a kiss out of him. Somehow, a few glasses had turned into several too many and the kiss had turned into a proposal.
‘What the hell are we going to do?’ Genevieve said.
‘I have no idea, but this is awful.’ Finlay nibbled on the end of his toast.
‘Should we just suck it up and tell everyone the truth?’
He groaned and rubbed his forehead. ‘I’m going to look like a total and utter idiot, but let’s face it, I do anyway. After Elise, everyone thinks I was stupid to rush in there. It’s my M.O. I can already hear everyone commenting behind my back on how idiotic I was to do it again.’
‘The thing is, whenever we do it, we’re going to look stupid, unless…’ Genevieve’s phone buzzed in her pocket. ‘I need to turn this to silent.’ She pulled it out and her heart sank further. Elise.
‘Oh Christ,’ Finlay said, glancing over. ‘Things can’t get any worse, can they?’
Raising the phone to her ear with a sigh, Genevieve braced herself.
‘What is going on?’ Elise said.
‘Meaning what?’
‘You know exactly what I mean. Since when are you and Finlay a couple? I saw you yesterday afternoon, and you didn’t even want to get in the car with him. You hate him. Everyone knows that. You’re always so standoffish with him. But now you’re engaged. It’s so obvious it’s fake. But why would you do that?’ her voice sounded shrill and on edge.
‘It’s not what you think.’
‘I know exactly what it is. And, Genevieve, I’m so sorry for you. Please don’t do this.’
‘What are you talking about?’
‘I never thought Finlay would do this, but clearly the split has hit him hard and now he wants revenge. On me. It’s the only reason he’d have done something like this. Please, whatever he’s said to you, walk away. I know you want to find “the one”, but don’t do it like this. I’d hate you to get hurt.’
‘Look, that’s not—’
‘I know I’m a fine one to talk. I never set out to hurt Finlay. When he came along, he was such a friendly, steady guy, I thought I could make it work and he’d help me get over Aidan. And it worked for a while. Obviously now, it looks like I used him and he feels the need to hurt me in return.’
‘No, that’s not what he’s doing.’
‘Oh god. This is worse than I thought. How can you not see it?’
‘Because I know the circumstances.’ But did she really? Wasn’t it so much more likely that Elise was right?
‘Remember James Charlton?’
How could she forget? ‘Why are you bringing that up?’
‘It’s James all over again. You’re making up your own little love story and hoping you can turn it into something real.’
Fuck it! This was when she wished she hadn’t confided everything in her best friends. Elise was so damn right. But Genevieve had never let on he was the only man she’d ever slept with. Sex didn’t equate with feelings for most people but to her it did. No matter how much she psyched herself up on dates, she couldn’t do it. James was a nice enough man, gentle and unthreatening, but he’d been fine with casual sex, not taking it to mean anything. While they’d ‘dated’, it had been nothing but a show for their respective parents. Genevieve had played the game, pretending he was ‘the one’, until James had walked away from the arrangement, unable to keep up the pretence any longer. Their families believed they’d split amicably but didn’t know they’d never really been a real couple at all. Elise was right, Genevieve was great at making up her own reality and now she was at it again.
‘Genevieve, please,’ Elise said. ‘Listen to me. I’m only saying this for your own good.’
‘I know, but don’t worry. Everything will be fine. You’ll see.’ If Elise thought she looked stupid and gullible now, just wait until thousands of people discovered this was all a mistake.
She ended the call and half closed her eyes. ‘Did you hear all that?’ she muttered.
‘Some of it,’ Finlay said.
‘Elise knows it’s all fake, only she thinks I’ve been duped into it by you, so you can get revenge on her.’
Finlay shook his head. ‘One day she’ll discover the whole world doesn’t revolve around her. I kind of wish I could be there to see it.’
Genevieve put her phone on silent and thrust it into the back pocket of her tight jeans. ‘This is all such a mess.’
‘You’re not wrong.’
Elise’s words burned in her ears. She’d known Elise for a long time. They’d shared so much. It made sense just to tell her this wasn’t real and put her mind at rest but a selfish part of Genevieve didn’t want to. Why should she give up on Finlay? She’d liked him longer than Elise ever had and she didn’t want to treat him in the same way.
‘I need to get back to the flat,’ Finlay said. ‘I’ve got loads to do.’
The words brought reality raining down on her. He was packing to leave. ‘We should confess…’ Her eyes met his and that spark of something she’d felt ever since yesterday afternoon reignited. For her, it had always been there, but now it had intensified and was even more potent because it seemed to exist for him too… Though that could be her imagination playing tricks on her.
‘Yes. We should.’ He kept his gaze on her for a few more seconds, then turned away with a sigh. ‘I’m sorry I’ve messed up again. But this wasn’t real, was it? So it’ll just disappear as a silly prank, won’t it?’
‘No doubt.’ Her focus slipped to the ring on her left hand. It really was beautiful and fitted her so perfectly. She tugged at it and for some unknown reason, a lump rose in her throat and tears threatened. Mastering them, she pulled the ring from her finger and held it out to Finlay.
He stared at it, and for a second, she thought he was going to refuse it. But he put out his hand, and she dropped it into his palm. His fingers closed around it and his Adam’s apple bobbed like he was also swallowing back a lump.
‘I guess it wasn’t third time lucky, after all,’ he muttered.