Chapter 34
34
F leur skimmed the body of an email from work, which had pointed out to all staff who travelled for training purposes that there was a team-building exercise coming up in the calendar. She tutted to herself as she thought about the various team-building exercises she’d been part of over the years. The reality was that most of the people didn’t last very long in the company anyway—although, to be fair, her friendship with Cassy had certainly blossomed through the job. However, there weren’t that many people who had been doing it as long as they had. They certainly didn’t need to team build with anyone especially if it involved dreary weather and outdoor activities that included mud and rain. Despite various attempts at team-building and staff retention, at the end of the day, the company had a fast turnover of staff, and just about everybody knew it.
Skimming back over the email, Fleur opened her calendar, noted the date, and then thought about the fact that she still hadn’t told Wendy about the wedding. She’d told her mum not to say anything until she had spoken to Wendy and had asked herself a few times—or more like a hundred times—what on earth had possessed her to blurt out the proposal and act in haste in the first place. Spontaneity was nothing like Fleur, not at all. Most of her life was pretty straightforward and organised, and now she had thrown a random wedding proposal into the mix. All Fleur really knew was that her relationship, her move to Lovely Bay, her new life and just about everything was at a pivotal point. If someone had told her a year or so before that this would be happening, she wouldn’t have believed them. But it was happening, right here in front of her eyes. Now she had to relay the latest development to her sister who could be stroppy at the best of times.
As she thought about Wendy and checked the time in Australia, she decided that she had to get the call over and done with before Valerie got in first. Flicking open WhatsApp, she looked at herself in the camera and smiled. Hopefully, Wendy wouldn’t think she’d lost the plot and would be happy for her. A few minutes later, after messaging Wendy to see if she was free, Wendy came onto the screen and smiled.
Fleur decided to cut to the chase right away. ‘Hey, how are you?’
‘Hi! Good.’
‘Look, I’ve got something to tell you.’ Fleur took a breath and went in for the kill. ‘I’m getting married.’
Wendy made a very exaggerated wide-eyed face. Her eyebrows flew up. ‘What? You’re getting married?’ There was a pause. ‘Sorry? To who?’
Fleur frowned. ‘What do you mean to who? How many people do you think I’m getting married to in my life?’
Wendy burst out laughing. ‘Patrick proposed? Aww!’
Fleur shook her head. ‘No. Not that way at all.’
‘Not that way at all? What do you mean?’
‘I mean that I proposed to him .’
Wendy didn’t say anything for a second, then squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again, as if she was trying to get her head around what her sister had just said. ‘Sorry— you proposed to him?’
‘Yes.’
‘You mean that you, Fleur Champion, proposed to the man that you met in…’ Wendy hesitated, narrowing her eyes. ‘The same person who said they would never get serious with anyone again, let alone get married to someone? The same person who, when her divorce came through, said that she hated men? The same person who said that she was so glad she was independent?’
Fleur scoffed. ‘The same person. That person is me.’
Wendy exhaled. ‘It doesn’t take a lot to shock me when I get calls from either you or Mum. I mean, last time, it was an infected finger and there was the Lucy drama, bless her, you moving to Lovely Bay, Dad, the cottage, Marvellous Marvin—everything. But this, this one is really up there. Not just a winner of the week but the winner of a lifetime. I did not see this coming.’
‘I like to keep you on your toes.’ Fleur joked.
‘I don’t know what to say!’ Wendy let out a small gasp. ‘Well, of course—congratulations! How amazing! Fantastic!’
‘Thank you.’
‘So when’s the big day? I’ll book my flights. It’s been ages since I’ve been home.’
‘You see, that’s the thing. We’re going to do it in Maui.’
There was silence for half a second. ‘Wow. Now I am shocked.’ Wendy started to laugh and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. ‘A Champo proposing, getting married, and doing it in Maui of all places! I mean, you do realise that if I had to list the top ten things I never thought I’d hear from you, this would be right at the top?’
‘Yes, it appears I am full of surprises these days,’ Fleur said sarcastically.
‘Clearly! Oh, Mum must have loved this. What did she say?’
Fleur sighed, sinking into the chair at her kitchen table. ‘Oh, you know, she made it about her, as usual.’
Wendy snorted. ‘Of course she did. How did she manage it this time?’
‘By going off on a tangent about how she doesn’t believe in marriage, and how I should be out there living in a van and being free like she is.’ Fleur shook her head. ‘Honestly, I don’t know why I expected anything different.’
Wendy smirked. ‘Well, at least she didn’t try to convince you to get married in the van. Count your blessings.’
‘Don’t give her any ideas.’
Wendy beamed. ‘So, tell me more, then. Maui, eh? This was your idea?’
‘Well, it started as just a thought, but the more I thought about it, the more I knew it was exactly what I wanted. I want to be on a tropical beach, watching the sunset…’
Wendy tilted her head. ‘Exciting!’
Fleur smiled. ‘The hotel is licensed to do weddings, so hopefully it will all come together.’
‘Who’s coming?’
‘We don’t want a big thing, but I’d love for you, obviously Lucy, of course, Cassy, if she can. Maybe her husband, if they can make it work and then Patrick’s immediate family. No one else. It will be very small.’
‘I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Tell me more about this hotel.’
‘Oh, it’s gorgeous. Right on the beach, small but stunning, the kind of place that just feels right, it’s not a budget hotel put it that way. They handle all the wedding stuff, which, frankly, is a godsend.’
Wendy laughed. ‘Sounds great.’
‘So, this way, it’s simple. We get married on the beach, have a little dinner with our closest people, and then well, then we start the next part of life, I suppose.’
‘I’ll say it—I love this! I really do. I’m so happy for you, Fleur. After everything you’ve been through.’
Fleur swallowed. ‘Thanks, Wens. I hope it goes well…’
‘It will, we’ll make sure it will. You’re happy, Fleur. That’s all that matters. It’s been a long time. I can see it written all over your face.’
Fleur smiled back, realising for the first time in a very long time that she was happy, like forever happy. How nice did that feel? Nice.