Chapter 29
‘Did you guys get an invitation?’ says Liam, holding up a slip of card identical to the one that was delivered to my room. ‘Who is it from?’
‘No idea,’ I say. ‘Are you going?’
We are lounging on the cabana. Matteo is networking, the Dollz are dancing, Liberty and Eddie have been welded together since we came off stage. The birthday party is showing no signs of ever ending.
‘What if it’s Big Sue and Big Mand?’ says Ged theatrically, his mouth gaping open. ‘What if they’re getting hitched while we’re here? They might have planned a military-style wedding.’
Oh. That would make sense. They were looking at rings.
‘When would they have had the time to buy wedding cargos? They’ve been full metal jacket since we got here.’
Images of how excited they were in the shop flood my mind. ‘I’m not sure they’d wear wedding combat gear, guys.’
Ged raises an eyebrow.
‘Tash and Kev have been behaving very oddly. What if it’s them?’ says Liam.
Oh. That would make a lot of sense too. ‘She could be preggers, and he may have proposed.’
‘Let’s not leap to conclusions,’ says Ged.
This is very much the pot calling the kettle black. Not so long ago we all thought Hank was a hitman.
‘Or maybe it’s Liberty. Look at the way they are glued together,’ Liam speculates.
‘Nah. Too soon,’ Ged says. ‘Although he is forty and a billionaire, he might do this sort of thing on a regular basis. This is Las Vegas.’
‘Unless…’ I peer at them. ‘Unless it is you two, and you’re trying to call my bluff?’
They feign innocence. ‘Honey, if we were planning a secret wedding, you’d know about it.’
He’s right. They couldn’t keep a secret to save their lives. None of us will forget the time Liam admitted in a job interview that his guilty pleasure was eating jars of organic baby food while quilting. He didn’t get the job. But we do have too many quilts.
‘I guess we’ll have to get all spruced up for it. It’s quite romantic, don’t you think? A midnight wedding on our last night here?’
‘But surely if it was one of the Dollz getting married, they’d say?
’ I shake my head, wondering whether to reveal that I’ve seen nearly all of the Dollz in Macy’s.
It could be any of them. ‘I’ll probably give it a miss.
I’m sure Matteo would rather spend the night alone with me. If that’s okay with you guys?’
‘NO!’ squeaks Liam. ‘We must go. We must. I couldn’t bear to not find out. You need to be there to see who gets married, babe.’
‘Who is getting married?’ says a sharp voice.
Ged jerks upright, spilling his drink.
Gah!
Like a disgruntled ghost, Birdie is floating before us. She is wearing a barely-there bikini made of two fine strips of coloured tape criss-crossing her nipples and a loose chiffon kaftan. I’ll be honest, it’s awful. Very in your face.
I shield my eyes from the sun. It’s time to face her head-on.
I’m a married woman now. It’s time to start acting like one.
Butterflies flit around in my stomach at the thought of being Matteo’s wife.
‘What are you doing here? You’re not welcome.
You’ve done everything you possibly can to keep me and Matteo apart. ’
She has the good grace to bend her face into a shape that looks vaguely guilty. ‘You’re right. Sorry,’ she says with absolutely no remorse whatsoever in her voice.
‘Making him work all through the night just so he can’t consummate his nuptials,’ blurts Liam. ‘Who does that?’
What did I say about keeping secrets?
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about. I haven’t seen Matteo since yesterday evening,’ Birdie says snippily. ‘He’s obviously been too busy producing your amateur track to do what he’s being actually paid to do.’
‘I beg to differ,’ I say, defending Matteo. ‘Your client has asked if that amateur track of mine can feature on his new album.’
Birdie’s jaw drops to the floor. ‘But… how? Why didn’t Matteo tell…?’
‘Perhaps because you’ve been treating him disrespectfully since you got here.
’ I fold my arms and stand up straight. I’m an inch taller than her even though I’m in bare feet and she’s in high mules.
‘My husband is a very talented man. He has a successful business to run, and he is married. So why don’t you back off, stop with the emotional blackmail, and behave professionally for once?
’ My heart is pounding in my chest. I’ve never stood up to a bully like this.
As my words sink in, Birdie lifts her chin and regards me through her long lashes. ‘D’accord.’
Oh, my word. While that felt incredibly satisfying, I hope I haven’t just made everything worse.
I’m too busy watching her flounce off in a huff to notice Matteo standing nearby, listening to every word. I can’t tell what he’s thinking. He puts his hands together to slow clap me, his eyes crinkling at the sides as he walks over. ‘Glad to know you have my back.’
If only he knew how I feel about him. In this moment I’d do anything for him.
I am flooded with joy, and all I want to do is be close to him, touch him, listen to every word he has to say.
He takes my hand. ‘Mind if I steal my wife away for a few minutes?’
Gah! I will never tire of hearing that.
The music is pumping out around us. ‘We never did get a first dance,’ he says, leading me to a small clearing.
We never got to do a lot of things.
He twirls me out and back in again so that I’m pressed up against him. Sparks shoot down to my toes as our foreheads touch. With a wide smile, he dips me backwards. I’m still wearing my tiny sequined bra top and hot pants. He must be getting a right eyeful of underboob.
‘So, how’s married life?’ I say as we sway in time to the music. Keeping hold of my hand, he moves behind me, flicks the hair from my neck to lightly nuzzle it, before swirling me out and back in again.
We do a two-step in time, one hand on his shoulder and my other clasping his. ‘So far so good,’ he says dryly.
I instinctively lift my leg for him to put a hand beneath my knee and lift it to his waist. He puts his forehead to mine, yanks me closer and runs an appreciative hand down the back of my thigh.
We grind gently against one another, me with my hands clamped round his neck, him with his other hand firmly round my waist. I dip backwards once more, pushing my pelvis against him.
His eyes flash as I curl back up, bringing my lips to his, brushing them lightly.
‘I’ve missed you,’ he says in a low groan, tracing my cheek with his lips, trailing downwards to nuzzle my neck again. It sends electricity coursing through my veins. I can feel his breath become ragged. He wants me. He wants his wife.
I close my eyes, my head rolling backwards to give him full access.
He places gentle kisses on my throat, his hands now roaming my back, pulling me towards him so that every inch of our bodies are touching.
He tangles his hands in my hair and pulls my head back up, his eyes trained on my lips as he dips his head to kiss me.
His every desire is unleashed as he hungrily slides his lips against mine.
I wind my hands tighter into his hair, eager to match his passion.
‘Get a room, you two,’ Cherry says, swaying over to us.
We spring apart. ‘Look.’ She points through the crowd to a couple cavorting on a giant inflatable flamingo.
It’s Sister Kevin. He is getting down on one knee.
He’s stretching out his hand. Tash is taking it in hers and gazing at him with a blissful look on her face.
‘I think we can guess who sent the invitation then,’ Cherry says.
‘You got one, too?’
‘Thought it might have been Mandeep, but now I’m not so sure.’
We stare as Tash and Sister Kevin lock lips on the flamingo, disappearing as they fall inside it.
Big Sue and Big Mand run towards us. ‘Did you see what just happened?’ Big Mand says, out of breath. ‘Do you think he’s proposed?’
‘Looks like it. I guess we’ll find out at midnight,’ I say.
‘You got the invitation?’ Big Mand asks as we all exchange raised eyebrows.
‘It’s all very mysterious,’ I say. ‘And romantic.’
Liberty wanders over with Eddie. ‘Enjoying the party?’
I am desperate to escape with Matteo and enjoy our honeymoon, but it feels too rude to slope away. I can feel Matteo tense next to me. ‘Best birthday party ever, Eddie,’ I gush.
‘I mean, where else do you see human champagne fountains and powder paint fireworks exploding out of the DJ booth? It’s awesome,’ Liberty agrees, just as an explosion of silver streamers and ticker tape sprinkles down on us.
And it really is. It’s a kaleidoscope of colour, noise and human sweat.
‘Eddie needs to borrow Matteo for a moment,’ she says. ‘Something to do with business.’
I just have time to see Matteo being escorted away by Eddie. He looks back just long enough for me to catch a nervous look in his eye.
‘Oh, did you receive an invite today?’ Liberty says, as though she’s just remembered.
I nod.
‘Me too. Strange. I suppose we’ll just have to go.’
‘Erm, where’s Eddie taking Matteo?’ I say to Liberty, but she’s already moved on to dancing with Cherry, who looks like she is making up for days of lost time.
She has a cocktail in each hand, held up high while she gyrates to the music that is pumping out.
They are magnets to a swarm of men in skimpy thongs.
‘They certainly know how to get an all-over tan here,’ says Ged, sidling up to me. ‘Where’s your new hubby gone?’ He takes in my disappointed expression. ‘Not work again? Seriously? This is getting ridiculous.’
I am starting to agree with him.
‘I’m sure he’ll come straight back,’ he backtracks. ‘He adores you.’
‘It’s almost time for the birthday firework display and light show!’ yells Liberty. ‘Come on. Then we need to get changed for this chapel thing at midnight.’
‘Well, Liam and I need at least an hour to chill first. Will we all meet at the love sign and go together?’ he says, before dashing off.
‘I guess so,’ I say, losing everyone in the crowd. Suddenly, I’m no longer in the mood to dance.