‘Here, let me take both bags. You carried everything off the plane. My turn.’
Georgia decided not to argue. As much as she wasn’t normally the type to let guys hold doors open or carry heavy things for her, she guessed that he really wanted to do it, maybe even to feel more masculine again, not that he should have felt any less masculine for being afraid of flying.
When they made it out of the terminal, she spotted Marcus right away. It helped that he was a foot taller than almost everyone else in the airport.
‘Why didn’t you tell me your brother was that big?’ Luke asked as they made their way towards Marcus.
‘Not intimidated, are you?’
‘Ha. Only in the sense of fuck yes.’
Georgia laughed. ‘Don’t stress, you’ll be fine.’
They reached Marcus and he gave Georgia a bone-crushing hug before shaking Luke’s hand.
‘Good to see she’s got you waiting on her hand and foot, mate. Can’t carry your own bags, Georgie?’
‘Shut up. He’s being a gentleman.’
‘Mate, you start doing that kind of shit and you’ll end up doing it for the rest of your life. Trust me.’
Luke laughed. ‘All good. I owed her.’
Marcus took one of the bags and they followed him towards the exit.
‘Yeah? Why’s that?’
‘Because I have an irrational fear of flying and she put up with me quaking in my seat on the plane.’
Georgia felt a pang of pride at his honesty and stopped worrying about the fact that she’d mentioned it to Amber. He didn’t need it to stay a secret; he was more mature than that. Impressive.
‘My fiancée is the same, mate. I’ll see if she’s got a Valium or something for you to take on the way back.’
‘Really?’ Georgia interrupted. ‘I didn’t know Bianca was scared of flying.’
‘Yep, we’re totally fucked for the honeymoon to Europe, ay?’
‘Jesus,’ said Luke. ‘Best of luck with that, mate.’
*
They pulled into the driveway of the townhouse Marcus and Bianca had bought together in West Footscray. Georgia hadn’t actually seen it yet. Last time she’d come down to Melbourne, Marcus had still been living in the same bachelor pad Georgia had helped him find in St Kilda.
‘Nice place,’ she said. ‘How the hell did you guys afford this?’
‘Bianca,’ Marcus said immediately. ‘She’s kicking arse at her law firm.’
Georgia knew that even if Bianca was bringing in a big salary, Marcus was also being modest about his own career. He’d worked hard since moving to Melbourne and was now head chef at a two-hat restaurant in the middle of the city. He and Bianca were the ultimate power couple.
They climbed out of the car and Georgia wrapped her arms around herself as an icy wind whipped through them. ‘How do you live down here? It’s always so bloody cold.’
‘Georgia,’ said Marcus, ‘it’s winter, it’s cold everywhere. Come on, we have a fireplace inside.’
‘Who else is here?’
‘Everyone. Yours was the last flight in. Smart move actually, Bianca’s put them all to work on the bonbonnières.’
Luke and Marcus carried the bags and they headed up to the front door, which was thrown open by Bianca as they stepped up to it. Georgia felt strange meeting the woman her brother was about to marry the day before it was going to happen.
‘Um, hi,’ Georgia said, holding out a hand. Bianca whacked it out of the way, stepped forward and threw her arms around Georgia.
‘Oh yeah,’ said Marcus from behind her, ‘don’t think I warned you — she’s a hugger.’
Bianca ignored Marcus and held on to Georgia for just that bit longer than was comfortable, only releasing her when Marcus called out. ‘Hey hon, any chance we could get in with the bags?’
‘I can’t tell you how great it is to finally meet you,’ Bianca said, backing up as the three of them trooped inside. She turned her attention to Luke. ‘And the boyfriend!’ she shrieked. She threw her arms around Luke as well, delivering another ten-second too-long hug while Luke gave Georgia a bemused look over her shoulder. Eventually he was released. ‘Okay,’ Bianca said, ‘the others are all through here on bonbonnière duty. We’re going to Marcus’s restaurant for dinner at seven. Follow me!’
Marcus grinned at Georgia. ‘She’s a force,’ he said quietly. But Georgia could see the look in his eyes. In all the years he’d been with different girlfriends, he’d definitely never looked this content. She was happy for him. Maybe she and Luke could have the same thing down the track, if only Cadence would leave them alone.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
It was one of those restaurants where the kitchen was centre stage and opened right up so you could see bursts of flames every now and then, along with the chefs hurrying about, shouting out instructions at one another. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows showcased a view of the Yarra River, and quiet drum and bass music thrummed through the room. The wait staff all looked like models and they swept about the restaurant somehow looking simultaneously serene and urgently busy.
When they arrived, Marcus headed over to the kitchen to do complicated handshakes involving fist bumps and high-fives with several of the staff before returning to join them at the long table. Bianca’s close family and bridesmaids were already there, plus Marcus’s groomsmen.
Georgia leaned towards Luke as they followed the rest of her family towards their chairs. ‘How are you doing so far?’
She had the sense he was a bit shell-shocked. Back at the townhouse, Bianca had led them through to the living room and Luke had been introduced to Georgia’s parents, her three other brothers and their three wives all at once in a flurry of handshakes and back slaps and hugs and kissed cheeks. At least most of the nieces and nephews weren’t there. They’d stayed behind in Sydney with babysitters, and only baby Emma had come down for the wedding.
‘I’m coping. Your family is great,’ said Luke. ‘So, your brother is head chef here? Nice place.’
‘Yeah, I haven’t been down since he started here. It’s pretty cool, hey? I kind of don’t feel I dressed well enough.’ Georgia was wearing a chunky jumper and jeans but she felt as though she ought to be in a slinky dress.
‘You look gorgeous,’ he replied, flicking his eyes over her body and making her feel warm inside.
They squeezed their way behind some chairs to reach their places, smiling and nodding at the various faces as they went.
A guy with dark curly hair sitting opposite them stood and leaned across the table. ‘What? I don’t warrant a kiss from Marcus’s baby sister?’
‘Grant! I didn’t even see you there.’ Georgia leaned over the table to let him kiss her cheek.
‘Highly offended, babe. I’m sitting right across from you.’
‘Unfair, I only just got here.’
Georgia sensed Luke watching, so she sat back down and introduced him. ‘Luke, this is Grant, Marcus’s best man. He’s flown down from Sydney too.’
‘How’s it going?’ said Luke, reaching across to shake Grant’s hand.
‘Not bad. It’ll be better when we get past the speeches tomorrow though.’
‘You’ll be right,’ said Georgia. ‘A bit of liquid courage should see you through.’
‘Oy,’ said Marcus, who was a couple of seats up. ‘No one’s giving Grant a drink until after the speeches.’
‘Well, you can drink tonight at least,’ said Georgia, reaching for a bottle of white wine and waving it at Grant. ‘Calm your nerves?’
‘Yes please, fill ’er up.’
Georgia poured drinks for Grant, Luke and herself. ‘Any other Sydney boys down here?’ she asked.
‘Just me for now. I’m the only one who scored a jersey for the bridal party. But a few more from the old group arrive first thing in the morning for the wedding.’
‘You met the other groomsmen yet?’ asked Georgia.
‘Briefly. They both work with your bro. That’s them down the end on y
our side.’ He turned his attention to Luke, and Georgia guiltily realised she’d been excluding him from the conversation. ‘How long have you two been dating?’
She bit her lip. She knew Grant would be surprised that she’d bring Luke along to a family wedding so soon.
‘Coming up on about two months,’ said Luke.
It was a bit of rounding up but Georgia was glad — it sounded better than six weeks.
‘So, you went to school with Marcus?’ Luke asked.
‘Yeah. Known him since kindy days.’
‘Back when he used to steal your jam sandwiches,’ Georgia added.
‘You know he only told me that was him a few years back? We used to plan missions to figure out who it was and the whole time the bastard was chowing down on them behind the toilet block every day.’
Georgia almost spat out her wine. ‘Are you serious? You didn’t know all that time? It was because Mum always made us eat Vegemite and Marcus hated it. She said jam was too sweet for school lunches.’
‘Your mum was a classic. She was tough on everyone. I remember she made me eat meatloaf when I came for dinner one night. Then my mum found out and was like, right, if you can eat it for Mrs F, then you can eat it for me. I was devastated.’
‘Yeah, she really didn’t help us make friends.’
Susan overheard them from the other side of the table and leaned across Troy. ‘I did not,’ she said. ‘I would never have forced you to eat something you didn’t like.’
Troy’s mouth dropped open. ‘You must be having a laugh, Mum.’
‘No,’ she said firmly. ‘That goes against all of my core values as a Buddhist.’
‘Only problem is you weren’t a Buddhist back then, were you?’ Georgia argued.
‘I still don’t recall making you eat Vegemite. It’s full of salt. Could someone pass me the wine?’
‘I don’t think Buddhists drink, Mum.’
‘Hush, Troy, no one likes a know-it-all.’
Grant made eye contact with Georgia and winked before passing the wine bottle to Susan. ‘Here you go Mrs F, enjoy.’
‘You been involved with much of the wedding prep being in the wedding party? Or is it too hard being up in Sydney?’ Georgia asked him.
‘Not heaps. I mean I flew down a few weeks back for the tux fittings and the buck’s night, which was a cracker of a night, by the way, but that was it. From what I saw though, all the wedding prep seemed like utter chaos. Think I’ll elope when it’s my time.’
‘Yeah, I’m sure your parents would let you do that.’
Grant came from a huge Italian family. He was the apple of his mother’s eye — there was no way she’d ever forgive him if he eloped.
Georgia realised that once again she’d got caught up chatting with Grant and excluded Luke from the conversation. She put a hand on his knee under the table and gave it a gentle squeeze while racking her brain trying to think of a talking point he could be included in. She was saved when Marcus started tapping his fork against a glass to make a toast.
*
‘I can’t believe you still smoke Winnie Blues. Haven’t you given up yet?’ Georgia folded her arms around herself, trying to keep warm as she wandered over to where Grant was smoking out the front of the restaurant.
‘Tried to, probably about five or six times, but the old Winnies keep calling me back. What’s your excuse for being out here?’
‘Fresh air. It’s hot and loud in there. And between you, Luke and the waiter, my wineglass has been topped up so many times, my head’s started spinning. Food’s great though. I’m impressed.’
‘Beautiful food. Luke seems like a nice bloke.’
‘Yeah, I reckon he’s one of the good ones. I’m happy.’
‘I’m really glad for you.’
‘How about you? Seeing anyone at the moment?’
‘Few irons in the fire. No one serious enough to invite along tomorrow.’
‘You have irons in the fire? How romantic.’
‘Screw you; it’s an expression. So, you two must be pretty serious if Luke’s meeting the whole family?’
‘I guess. I mean, the timing of the wedding just worked out that way.’ Georgia hesitated. What if she’d tried to push things along too quickly by inviting him to this wedding . . . not to mention asking him to move in? But it was the right choice, wasn’t it? The only way to protect their relationship from Cadence. ‘It is pretty early for him to meet everyone, isn’t it?’ she asked.
‘Look, it’s early days, but if it feels right, then why not? Fingers crossed you make it through the honeymoon period.’
‘I reckon we’ll be fine.’ As long as Cadence leaves us alone. ‘Fuck it, give me a drag of that cigarette, will you?’
‘Little Georgia Fitz. Surely you don’t smoke anymore, do you?’
‘No. But there’s no harm in the odd drag here and there. Hand it over.’
Grant continued to withhold the cigarette. ‘Do you remember what happened last time I got caught sharing a cigarette with you?’
‘Oh my God, I was fifteen! And it’s not my fault Marcus punched you. I never asked him to play the part of my protector.’
Grant stared at her for a moment and then passed the cigarette across. They were quiet as she dragged it in, inhaled and then passed it back.
‘You know that’s not the real reason he punched me, don’t you?’
‘What are you talking about? Yes, it was. I remember him walking around the corner of the house and catching us. The look on his face!’
A voice spoke from behind them. ‘Catching you what?’
Georgia turned to see Luke approaching and he put an arm around her shoulders. ‘You cold out here, babe?’
Georgia noticed a tiny intonation on the word babe that didn’t seem quite right. ‘Freezing, actually. But I was feeling claustrophobic in there. Sorry, didn’t mean to ditch you with my family.’
‘It’s fine. I’m holding my own.’ He grinned. ‘So, who caught you doing what?’
‘Marcus caught Grant letting me smoke one of his cigarettes when I was fifteen. He lost it. They got into a fight. I ran for it.’
‘Ah. Classic big brother move.’
‘Yep, they’re always happy to pick on you, but if they think someone else is doing the wrong thing by you — bam, they’re in for it,’ Georgia said. ‘All right, enough fresh air for me. You want to go back inside?’
‘Sure.’
‘See you two shortly,’ said Grant as he continued to puff on his cigarette.
Luke kept his arm around her waist as they headed back in, and Georgia noticed he was holding her closer than usual. She gave him a sideways look. ‘You weren’t getting jealous of me chatting with Grant out there, were you?’
‘Of course not. Why? Should I be?’
‘Ha. Not in the least.’
‘Okay, maybe a little. But only because the guy has history with you.’
‘What history? We were never a thing.’
‘I just mean he’s known you most of your life. If I’m jealous of anything, it’s that. Plus, the fact that he calls you babe . . . I’m just glad I braved the flight to join you here.’
Ah, that explained it.
‘I am too. And don’t worry about him calling me babe. It’s not like that at all. Marcus always used to refer to me as the baby, and it caught on with his mates as well. Babe is just a progression from baby.’
CHAPTER TWELVE
It felt like the wedding reception had descended into more of a twenty-first birthday party, now that all the formalities were done with. The lights in the marquee had been turned down low and the music had been turned up loud. The atmosphere meant Georgia couldn’t help cutting loose herself — especially with all the free-flowing Prosecco. She wasn’t usually a sparkling wine girl but, like the previous evening, her glass kept getting topped up and it was going straight to her head, making her feel giggly and light. Her new sister-in-law’s three bridesmaids had pulled her onto the dance floor
and the four of them were dancing to Beyoncé.
‘When Queen Bee plays, you bow down to your queen,’ the tallest of the three had informed her.
The ceremony had been beautiful. They’d had a garden wedding under the winter sun, and Georgia had shed a tear as she watched Marcus’s face light up when Bianca walked down the aisle towards him. Susan had completed her seven Hindu blessings and they were actually really lovely sentiments. The seventh one had been Georgia’s favourite: May this couple always be the best of friends.
The song changed and Georgia took the opportunity to escape from the dance floor. She scanned the room looking for Luke and did a double-take when she eventually spotted him in a darkened corner. Was he . . . holding a baby?
She headed over to him and as she got closer, realised he was cradling her niece, Emma.
‘Hey, stranger. Where you been?’ he asked as she approached.
‘Trapped on the dance floor with a gaggle of bridesmaids. I feel like gaggle is the correct collective noun for bridesmaids, right?’
‘Sounds legit.’
She sat down next to him and tried not to look too closely at the way he was gently rocking her sleeping niece. Her ovaries might explode. Even though they were a long way off that stage of their relationship, she couldn’t help flashing forward, picturing him holding a miniature version of himself. ‘So how did you end up on baby duty?’
‘Your sister-in-law, umm, it’s Chloe, right? I accidentally made eye contact with her. Next thing, she’s made a beeline for me and she just handed the baby over. She did double-check that I was your boyfriend and not some random before she took off for the dance floor.’
‘Ha. Poor Chloe. I can find Troy, if you want? Remind him he has a baby daughter he should be looking after.’
‘Nah, I’m good. Happy to chill here for a bit.’
‘You’re looking pretty natural with her there. I’ve, umm . . .’ She paused as her voice dried up and she had to cough to clear her throat before continuing. ‘I’ve never asked you about your thoughts on kids. Are you . . . do you . . .’ Oh God, why was she getting all flustered about this?
Luke smiled at her. ‘I’d love to be a dad one day.’
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