CHAPTER 15
KATIE
I fasten the straps of my gold sandals, taking in a deep breath and wondering for the hundredth time how I got here.
Not that I can complain when ‘here’ is heaven on Earth, but right now, mere moments away from meeting Nathan’s parents, his brother and his ex-girlfriend (the ex-girlfriend he may still yearn for), all while pretending to be his new girlfriend, it’s all a bit…much.
“Relax.” Nathan takes my hand in his, and my body complies. It’s like he’s Xanax in human form; one touch and all my neuro-receptors calm right down.
I straighten up and pull at the straps of my dress, smoothing down my hair. “Easy for you to say. You know what we’re walking into.”
He stops walking and places his hands on my shoulders. “You have nothing to worry about. You have more intelligence and class in your little finger than that entire room of people down there. Not to mention you look incredible tonight.”
The fading light of day hides my blush (I hope), and I wobble a smile back at him.
Tonight, I’m wearing one of the many Rosie-approved dresses from our shopping day together.
It’s the fanciest dress I’ve ever worn; a burnt orange colour with a corset top-half and a skirt that floats down to the ground.
The straps are made of delicate gold chain, and it’s so fitted that I have to wear it tonight before I indulge in all the buffet breakfasts and all the biscuits.
After that, there’s no way I’ll squeeze myself into it.
“Soak it in.” I point to my still-slick-sleek-straight hair, hanging long and heavy down my back. “After several minutes in this humidity, it won’t look like this again.”
He rubs the strands between his fingers, a small smile on his face. “If it gets too bad, we can always get you Monica-style braids.”
My funny bone tickles. “You watch Friends?”
“Of course. I know it’s outdated and sometimes problematic, but it makes me laugh every time. That episode in Barbados where Monica’s hair grows bigger and bigger is one of my favourites.”
I squeeze his arm as we meander towards the main reception area, where the sounds of the welcome party drift towards us. “It’s mine, too. Mum and I used to lie in bed and watch it on repeat. As soon as the final episode finished, we’d start right back up again.”
His smile is warm as he looks down at me. “Yet another thing we have in common, then.”
These words swirl in my mind as we walk carefully along the sand to where a large white silk tent has been set up. It is strange how much we have in common, given we both come from and live in different worlds.
“There you are!” Rosie flits across to us and pulls roughly on our joint hands. “I’ve been dying in there without you two.”
This does little to settle my nerves. If Rosie is struggling, how am I going to survive this?
“Rosie, you’re scaring her.” Nathan tilts his head down to me. “I’ve only just calmed her down.”
She scowls at him. “Mother is in a mood. And Dad is hiding at the bar to get away from her. Victoria looks manic, and George, well, he looks drunk. As per usual. It’s a right circus in there.”
Yikes. That’s what we’re walking into?
Nathan stops again and turns to me. “We stay as long as you’re comfortable and not a second more. Do you understand?”
His eyes are a dark shade of blue as he stares down at me, and I swallow hard at the protective note in his voice. “Yes, I get it. Let’s just go in and see how bad it really is.”
The three of us enter the marquee together, and I take a beat to appreciate how beautifully the party has been decorated.
In contrast to the stark white silk material draped around the tent are hundreds (thousands?) of fresh tropical flowers coating every surface.
Blue, red, purple, yellow and orange flowers are bunched together in vases and placed around the room, creating vibrant pops of colour and an intoxicating fragrance in the air.
Every available surface is littered with small tea candles, lending to the dreamlike quality of the space, and in the corner, a string quartet adds a soft, melodic soundtrack to the ambience.
It's incredible.
“Wow,” I murmur as I turn in a slow circle. “If this is what the welcome dinner looks like, I can’t imagine how beautiful the wedding will be.”
Nathan and Rosie glance around with less enthusiasm. “This is what a lot of money can buy. I guarantee Victoria had very little to do with putting any of this together,” Rosie whispers, her voice coated with disdain.
“Rosie,” Nathan warns. “Be nice.”
She frowns at him, her lips firming into a straight line. “I make no promises.”
My eyes bounce between them, while my stomach tightens at the tone in Nathan’s voice. It’s similar to the one he used before, but this time the protective note was directed towards…Victoria?
“Heads up.” Nathan tightens his hold on my hand, pulling me out of my inner turmoil. “Parents incoming.”
Rosie takes this as her cue and scuttles away.
I watch her leave, my belly flipping, and I stand up straighter, elongating my torso and wishing for several extra inches of height.
Nathan’s parents are the type of people who appear so formidable.
They make you acutely aware of everything you’re lacking with one cutting glance.
At least that’s how it seems, looking at Nathan’s mum, looking at me.
“Nathan.” She says his name in such a clipped tone it sounds like a rebuke. “We are so pleased you could make it.”
Nathan’s mouth twists, and he leans over to give his mother two air kisses before nodding to his father. A strange way to greet your parents, but with this family dynamic, it seems right. “Hello, Mother. You look lovely.”
Mrs Jackson does look lovely; in the way wealthy older women do.
Her hair is a perfect shade of ash blonde, up in an elegant chignon, not a strand out of place.
Her dress is immaculately tailored and suitable for the mother-of-the-groom while still leaving no one in doubt that it’s designer and expensive.
Her face is wrinkle-free, with the sort of complexion where she could be twenty or eighty.
Many fillers and Botox mean it’s hard to know which generation she belongs to, a fact I’m sure she spent many thousands of pounds achieving.
“Thank you,” she murmurs, turning her glacial blue eyes on me. “And who is this?”
I feel more than hear Nathan’s sigh. “Mother, this is Katherine Winslow…my girlfriend.”
My flipping belly takes another turn, and I pull in a steadying breath before smiling at the woman before me. “It’s lovely to meet you, Mrs Jackson.”
She purses her lips at me as she surveys me from head to toe, and I’m thankful again for the hours Rosie, Jade and I spent prepping me for just this moment.
“Winslow? Are you related to Harry and Martha Winslow?”
Huh. Not what I was expecting. I glance at Nathan, baffled, and struggle to keep my smile in place. “No, I’m not.”
She sniffs, turning back to Nathan, effectively dismissing me. Well, great. That went well.
“Now, I hope you’re going to behave yourself this week. All of this is for your brother; please don’t make a fuss and make it all about you.”
My mouth flops open, and I hurry to close it, biting my tongue to hold in the lecture this woman has coming. How dare she speak to her son this way? How dare she put the needs of George (the betrayer) above those of Nathan?
“Sure thing, Mother. You’ll barely know we’re here.”
She gives him one final hard stare before flouncing away, clicking her fingers at her husband as she goes.
“It was nice to meet you, Katherine,” Nathan’s dad says in a soft voice. Like his wife, he’s scary austere in his appearance, and yet, when he smiles, I glimpse a younger Nathan. It makes me warm to him in a way my fiery temper doesn’t enjoy.
“You too, Mr Jackson.”
We watch the couple walk like royalty through the crowd, and I blow out a noisy breath. “Well, they’re a delight.”
Nathan’s laugh is deep and rich. “They’re something alright. I’m sorry my mother was so rude to you. I’d like to say it’s not personal, but with her, it usually is. That woman takes great pleasure in finding displeasure with everyone around her.”
“Everyone?” I raise a brow.
He shifts on his feet, looking longingly at the bar. “I guess she likes Victoria well enough.”
I blanch, hating the idea that his ex-girlfriend seems to have won this battle. The battle for acceptance into Nathan’s world. Though, to be fair, I wasn’t even in that fight.
I shake my head and pull myself together. This is not about me. For now, I need to support him, one difficult social event at a time. It’s not like his family is going to be any help in that department.
“Alright, bring me in, Coach. What’s the goss? Who do I need to avoid, and why?”
His face lights up as he stares at me. “Bring me in, Coach? Have you ever played any type of sport before?”
I tap my lip with one manicured finger, wracking my brain for an answer. “Do board games count? I’m a killer at Trivial Pursuit.”
His hands find my waist, and he pulls me in closer to him, so close my chest is flush against his. “I’m not sure it’s exactly a sport, but I’m willing to concede this point to you. Though obviously Monopoly is the superior board game.”
I laugh while ignoring the way my heart thumps at his nearness. It seems every time my body touches his, small but not insignificant fireworks go off in my brain. It’s becoming a little concerning.
“How about I get you a drink? Something cold and fruity?”
I nod. “No alcohol.”
He pauses, his eyes searching mine. “Of course.”
His long legs eat up the room as he makes his way to the bar, nodding to friends and foes alike but not stopping to speak to anyone. I watch until he’s disappeared behind a crowd and glance around for Rosie. The last thing I want to do is stand here by myself.