Chapter 13 #3
‘Andy,’ she says with a gasp – I suppose I should be grateful they’re using their real names for this.
He takes her hand gently.
All I can do is stand there, my feet squelching in my shoes, watching my best friend propose to the woman he’s going to marry, using the ring I just nearly drowned with.
‘Cordelia,’ Andy says again, his voice soft but steady.
‘I know that I’ve already asked you… and you’ve already said yes…
but after last night, after seeing everyone here and imagining what it’ll be like when we do finally tie the knot…
I…’ He swallows, glancing at me for a second, then back to her.
‘I want to do it properly. And for you to have a beautiful ring.’
He lifts the ring slightly, to show her.
‘I want to marry you because you make me feel like I can actually have the life I always thought was for other people,’ he continues.
Cordelia is crying already. A pretty cry – a movie cry. It’s dry and gentle. Not like the kind I’d be doing if people weren’t watching. Then again, I could probably style it out as fountain water.
‘I want to wake up next to you every day,’ he continues, ‘and build something with you. Something solid. Something real. And I know it’s fast, and I know it’s crazy, but… I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.’
Ouch, this hurts so much. I smile anyway, because that’s what you’re supposed to do, right? When you’re happy for someone. Or pretending that you are.
Cordelia nods frantically.
‘Yes,’ she whispers. ‘Yes, yes, yes, of course, yes!’
Andy laughs, relieved, and slides the ring on to her finger.
It fits perfectly. It doesn’t get stuck like it did on my chubby digits.
Cordelia throws her arms around him, kissing him like she’s in a movie.
God, they look so happy, and I feel sick.
When they finally break apart, Cordelia wipes her cheeks and looks at me, glowing.
‘Whitney,’ she says, voice thick with emotion. ‘Wasn’t that just… perfect?’
‘Perfect,’ I manage to reply.
‘Your female influence has clearly been really good for him,’ she tells me. ‘You were training him up for me.’
I bite my tongue so that I can’t reply.
‘You need to get changed. Do you want to borrow some clothes?’ Andy asks me, suddenly concerned.
‘I’m fine,’ I say automatically. ‘I’ll sort something.’
Cordelia laughs again.
‘We have a spare robe upstairs if you want?’
‘What, and walk around like Hugh Hefner?’ Andy replies to her with a laugh.
‘Honestly, it’s okay,’ I say quickly. ‘Congratulations to you both – I’m going to go to the loos…’
I walk off – well, limp – only for Andy to catch up with me.
‘Listen, we booked a room for Tink’s parents, in case they could make it, but we’re pretty sure they’re not coming,’ he tells me. ‘Why don’t you take it? Dry off, spend the night here, relax.’
I don’t really want to accept, but I can’t walk around like this.
‘Are you sure?’ I reply. ‘They won’t turn up to surprise you?’
‘Nah, they live in Canada, and they work, so I don’t think they can make the trip,’ he replies. ‘I’ll grab you the key card from reception. You could invite JJ, get her to bring you some clothes, have a girly night – it’ll be fun.’
That does sound like fun, despite the circumstances.
My throat tightens. Of course he’d do this. Of course he’d look after me even though he’s unintentionally wrecking my life at the same time. He’s a good man.
‘Are you sure?’ I check.
He rolls his eyes.
‘Yes, I’m sure,’ he insists.
‘Well, then yes, thank you, that would be a big help,’ I reply.
‘I can’t believe you fell in the fountain,’ he says as we wander towards the reception desk.
‘I can’t believe you proposed like that, in public,’ I reply.
‘Neither can I, to be honest,’ he tells me. ‘But it just felt right.’
Once I have the key card Andy returns to Cordelia, so I take my phone from my bag to call JJ, to invite her to join me – and to ask for clean clothes.
JJ answers on the second ring.
‘How did it go?’ she asks.
‘I fell in the fountain,’ I say simply. ‘Can you bring me some clothes?’
‘Oh, Whit,’ she says sympathetically. ‘Of course – I’ll come ASAP.’
‘I have a room, if you fancy a night here?’ I suggest. ‘We could get room service, watch movies…’
‘I’m in,’ she replies. ‘I’ll grab my things, and your things, and I’ll be right there. Did he at least get the ring okay?’
‘Yes,’ I say with a heavy sigh. ‘And then he proposed again. In front of me. While I dripped on the probably centuries-old carpet.’
Silence for a second. Then…
‘I’ll be there as soon as I can, go get a drink,’ she insists.
‘On it,’ I assure her.
Although I think I might need a cup of tea, to warm up a bit.
‘So, it was all bad?’ she checks.
‘Yes,’ I reply. ‘Actually, no, I did meet a sexy cowboy.’
‘Every romance writer’s dream,’ she says with a laugh. ‘I look forward to hearing all about that. See you soon.’
‘Yeah, see you,’ I reply.
I wander over to the window and look outside, half expecting to see Biscuits there, or the cowboy working out by dead-lifting a tractor, but there’s no sign of them.
I’m sure they were real. They had to be.
Well, at least tonight will be better than today, a night with JJ in a plush hotel room with room service and wine and trashy movies on the TV.
And I’ll tell her all about the cowboy. She’ll love it.
Real or not, he was a total dreamboat. And if he hadn’t been there to help me, well, maybe my bad day would have been a bit worse.
So at least there’s that.