by Caragh Bell
‘Groom. My fiancé is the best man.’
Seán’s expression hardened.
Helen’s face betrayed no emotion. ‘So, when are you getting married?’ she asked coolly.
‘Next month. I’m super-excited, especially after today.’ She accepted a glass of orange juice from a waiter.
‘Best of luck,’ said Helen. She’s going to need it.
‘Why, thank you!’ Charlotte beamed at her.
‘So, Mum, when are you off to Mallorca?’ asked Molly, her mouth full.
‘The day after tomorrow. I can’t wait.’
Seán sipped his champagne. ‘She’s had the case packed for weeks,’ he informed the group.
‘You’re so lucky!’ said Alannah enviously. ‘It’ll be September before Ollie and I get to go anywhere.’
‘Are you planning a big trip?’ asked Helen casually.
‘Maybe South America? We’re not sure.’
Helen gasped. ‘Is that safe? I mean, what if something happens to him … I mean, to you both?’
Alannah gave her an odd look. ‘Well, he’s almost thirty so …’
‘I know, but you need vaccinations for places like that and he hates needles and …’
Molly guffawed. ‘Mum, you’re a pity.’
Mathis put his arm around Lydia’s waist.
‘I would like to go up to our room,’ he said, his intentions clear. They were booked in for one night.
Lydia baulked. She was too excited to leave the party. This was the best part of the day; she loved the mingling, the socialising and talking to people she hadn’t seen in years. He didn’t understand as he was a stranger.
‘I can’t at the moment – maybe later?’ She pecked his cheek. ‘I must talk to my mother – be back soon.’
He watched her make her way over to Helen and Seán, who were now sitting with Andy, Sarah and Baby Seán. Lydia was not herself at all. All he wanted was five minutes of her time. Was that too much to ask?
‘Yoohoo, Mathis! Why so glum?’ Colin drained his flute of champagne. ‘You look so angry.’
Mathis stared at him. ‘Did Leed and Luca make sex before?’ he asked directly.
Colin nearly spat out his drink. ‘Say that again?’
‘You ’ear me.’
Colin looked uncomfortable. ‘Well, yes. They had a fling a few years ago.’
‘Fling? I don’t understand.’
‘They were together for a while.’
Mathis pursed his lips. ‘I am not surprised.’
Colin looked alarmed. ‘Why do you say that? Did something happen?’
‘No, I theenk not.’
‘Then why are you worried?’
Mathis said nothing. He just stared at Lydia, who was now standing next to Luca and laughing. Colin followed his gaze and bit his lip.
‘Don’t worry, Mat. They’re just friends now. I mean, he’s engaged.’
Mathis said nothing. He just continued to watch his girlfriend behave in a scintillating manner, smiling and flirting with her ex-lover.
Colin nodded at the barman and indicated for him to bring them two drinks.
‘Don’t worry about those two. It’s old news. Just harmless fun, I promise.’ He handed him a drink. ‘Santé!’
Chapter 31
Laura checked the seating plan for dinner.
‘We’re all together,’ she confirmed in relief. ‘Molly, Ollie and Alannah as well. Luca’s girlfriend, too. Oh, and some guy called Tyler?’
‘That’s Luca’s friend. The redhead,’ explained Colin.
They walked into the beautiful dining room. The tables were covered in white cloth and the seats were adorned with the same fabric. Large silver plants dominated the centre of the tables: dried leaves and branches painted with metallic paint. It was simple and understated – just like the whole day. The tables were large and round, except for the head table which was long and was situated at the top of the room.
Laura checked the placemats for her name. She was seated in between Mathis and that guy called Tyler. She glanced around the room. There wasn’t a redhead in sight.
Colin took a photo of the table arrangement.
‘Just doing some research,’ he quipped, winking at Val, who ignored him.
A sullen-looking Mathis took his seat, a glass of whiskey in his hand.
‘Blimey, Mat,’ cautioned Laura, concerned, ‘it’s a tad early for hard liquor.’
He picked up his glass and took another gulp. ‘Au contraire,’ he assured her, staring at the table.
‘What the hell is wrong?’ mouthed Laura to Colin, behind his back.
Colin pointed discreetly at Lydia, who had just arrived with Luca. They were in tearing spirits and she was laughing aloud.
Laura made an ‘oh’ sound.
Ollie and Alannah arrived at that moment and took their seats.
‘Hi, all!’ greeted Ollie. ‘Without further ado, can someone pass me the bread? I’m starving.’
‘It was a lovely ceremony,’ Alannah proclaimed politely.
‘Oh, lovely,’ agreed Laura.
‘Where’s Molly?’ asked Colin. ‘She was making fast work of the barman the last time I saw her.’
Val pointed to the other side of the room. ‘She’s chatting to Helen and Seán over there.’
Ollie groaned in pleasure. ‘This spiced bread is amazing.’ He spread a thick layer of butter on a second slice. ‘I thought I’d die of starvation in that church. It went on and on and on!’
‘I plan to have a short ceremony,’ announced Colin. ‘I mean, if I ever get married, that is,’ he added, blushing.
Val pretended to whistle as if oblivious to the whole conversation.
‘Hi, everyone!’ Molly appeared with pink cheeks and a full glass of champagne. ‘This party is the biz!’
‘Is she pissed already?’ whispered Colin loudly.
‘If she ees, I weesh to join ’er.’ Mathis knocked back his glass of Jameson.
Charlotte approached the table shyly, a red-haired man by her side with a pint of Guinness in his hand.
‘Hi, you guys,’ she said softly. ‘This is Tyler – he’s Luca’s friend from New York.’
They all waved at the new arrival, whose red hair was flopping over his eyes.
‘Hi, you guys,’ he said with a broad smile. ‘You’re Lydia’s crew, am I right?’
They all nodded. Tyler peered at the place names and was delighted to find himself next to Laura.
‘Hey, you,’ he murmured, giving her his sexiest look. ‘I’m Tyler Trenton.’
‘Charmed, I’m sure,’ she replied in her clipped tone.
‘Can I get you a drink?’ he offered, looking at her from under his lashes.
‘No, I’m quite all right.’ She held up her full glass and looked away.
She must be careful not to give him the wrong idea. Ginger men did nothing for her at all. He needed to get the message as quickly as possible, to avoid further embarrassment. She would be civil and polite until after the meal and then she would make her excuses. He was clearly not her type. For one, he had discarded his tie and his shirt was open at the neck. She preferred corporate types, looking clean cut and sharp. Then there was his accent. It was so American. That was a definite turn-off.
She sipped her wine. She would be polite and let him flirt, but that was it.
Charlotte accepted an Evian from the waiter. It had been the strangest day. Irish weddings were definitely a different affair.
The church had lasted forever, what with the photos and the meeting and greeting. She made a mental note to avoid that in a month’s time. She smiled to herself. Soon it would be her in the beautiful white dress, a proud Frank du Maurier leading her up the aisle. Soon she would be Charlotte Jacob, attorney-at-law, married to one of the most handsome men she had ever seen. She fingered the giant diamond on her finger. She couldn’t wait to have the gold band next to it, signifying their union.
Yet, for the first time in a while, she felt une
asy. Sure, in the early days, she got paranoid when they went out together and women were all over him. She had learned to steel herself and smile politely when countless girls hugged and winked at her boyfriend. Sure, she knew that he had slept with a good chunk of New York.
None of that mattered now. Her earlier fears had slowly disappeared when he had proved to be an attentive and loving fiancé. But this week had stirred up some of the old insecurities. He seemed to be distant, like he was on some sort of high.
She glanced up at him. He had his arm slung casually across the back of Lydia’s chair and they were having a deep conversation about something. Every now and then, she’d laugh, throwing her head backwards.
Who was this girl? Sam had never mentioned her and they were apparently best friends for years. Luca had gone to school with her and clammed up whenever she came up in conversation.
She looked at Mathis, staring miserably at his near-empty glass of whiskey and suddenly the penny dropped.
There was history there; there had to be. That was the reason for the secrecy. That explained the subterfuge. She nearly choked on her water. Looking at Luca and Lydia, she could almost feel the electricity between them. They were practically in each other’s pockets.
Her attorney brain went into overdrive. It all seemed to fit. Luca’s mood, Lydia’s reluctance to engage with her when she tried to strike up conversation, the fact that Sam had never mentioned her best friend, Mathis’s depression.
She tried to stay logical. They were leaving the next day; then they need never see that girl again.
Just a few hours more.
She would suggest that they go to bed early, as their flight was in the morning.
She willed herself to stay rational. Being here must stir up memories for him. He was entitled to have fun and catch up with old friends. She had to remain reasonable.
‘So, are we allowed to talk about the old days?’ Luca smiled at her.
Lydia said nothing. She wanted to so badly, but she was afraid of what she might say. Some things were better left buried.
‘Which part?’ She took a gulp of wine and coughed.
‘Remember Paris?’ He gave her a hot look.
‘Well, as I’ve been living there for a few years, I have some recollection of the city,’ she mocked.
‘No, you dummy. That time we were there.’
She understood what he was saying; she just wasn’t sure where the conversation as going.
‘Yeah, I remember.’ She traced the rim of her glass with her fingertip.
He watched her slowly circle the circumference, his eyes half-closed.
‘Why did you come back to Ireland?’ he asked.
‘My life was going nowhere. I needed to get a proper job and sort myself out. Boring stuff, really.’
‘Did Mathis move over too?’ He pressed on.
‘No, he’s based in Paris.’ She examined her nails, willing him to change the subject.
‘Jeez, I get it. You want to forget the past.’
She nodded wordlessly. It was best he thought that. She certainly didn’t want him knowing her true feelings.
‘So, I hear you work in a gallery now?’ She changed the subject.
‘Yeah, my mom’s place,’ he said dismissively. It was obvious he wasn’t interested in talking about his job. ‘Look, Sam and Craig are coming in.’
The head waiter cleared his throat and hushed the crowd. ‘May I present to you – Mr and Mrs Dillon!’
Everyone clapped and cheered as a glowing Samantha, minus her veil, and Craig made their way to the head table.
Lydia waved and blew kisses as they approached. ‘She looks so beautiful,’ she whispered to Luca.
The bride and groom took their seats.
Samantha kissed Craig on the lips, then turned to Lydia.
‘Are you having fun?’ she asked, grasping her hand. ‘You were so great in the church, sorting out my veil and everything.’
‘It’s the best wedding ever,’ Lydia answered, meaning it. ‘This place is so nice! Great choice.’
The waiters were doling out starters at tremendous speed. A plate of melon and prosciutto was placed in front of Lydia. Luca had ordered the same. The room buzzed with conversation as everyone tucked into their food and sipped wine.
‘Remember when we used to order the same stuff all the time?’ she recalled suddenly, nibbling on a slice of fruit.
He speared the raw ham with his silver fork. ‘I sure do. McD’s pancakes … I always loved the way you would eat anything.’
She glanced over at Charlotte, who was half-heartedly eating some melon. She looked like a picky eater; Lydia hadn’t seen a morsel of unhealthy food pass her lips at the rehearsal dinner. In fact, she hadn’t seen her drink wine either.
Luca smiled. ‘This is nice. You and me. It’s so great that we can hang out together.’
She felt her heart constrict. He was putting her in the friend zone again. And rightly so. It’s just sometimes she wished she could be honest about her feelings. It was so hard to pretend. Sometimes he looked at her in a way that made her heart soar. But then, his face would change and it felt like she had imagined it.
The roles had been spectacularly reversed. He was the one in a long-term relationship this time; he was the one who held all the cards.
Mathis crossed her mind. She knew she was treating him appallingly, but she couldn’t handle it right now. She knew how he felt about her; it was plain that he was in love. When it came down to it, she didn’t love him back. Not that heart-wrenching, exciting, volatile feeling of love that takes over your life. She really liked him and they worked well together, but more as comfortable companions. He didn’t make her heart sing.
‘Right, the desserts are over so we should set up the sweepstake.’ Colin was all business.
‘Sweepstake?’ enquired Laura.
‘What the hell is that?’ asked Tyler, scratching his head.
‘It makes the speeches more bearable. Everyone put a fiver in this glass.’ He brandished an empty glass at the occupants of the table. ‘Then, every time “Thank you” is said during the speeches, the glass passes along from person to person. The lucky one to have it in their hands at the end wins all the money.’
Val put two fivers into the glass. ‘That sorts us out,’ he said to Colin.
Laura fished around her clutch for money, but all she had was a fifty-euro note.
‘I got it,’ said Tyler, putting ten euro in the glass. ‘You can pay me back later.’ He winked suggestively.
Laura pursed her lips. He had been shamelessly flirting throughout the meal and it was exhausting.
‘Cheers,’ she said stiffly. ‘As soon as I get change, I’ll reimburse you, yeah?’
‘As I said, it’s no biggie.’ He grinned.
Mathis barely looked up when Colin waved the glass in front of his face.
‘I’ll put some in for him,’ offered Val. ‘He can pay me later.’
Molly squealed in delight. ‘I hope I win! I love this kind of thing.’
Mark stood up and tapped the microphone. The crowd hushed and looked up at him expectantly.
He cleared his throat.
‘Welcome, all,’ he began. ‘Thank you for coming to share in our special day.’
Colin passed the glass to Val. ‘Here we go!’ he whispered excitedly.
‘Samantha has always been the light of our lives, ever since she was a little girl. From the moment she was born she has filled our days with fun and laughter. She has always succeeded in whatever she set out to do, be it sport, school, university or even a game of Monopoly. She is a doer, a go-getter and we love that about her.’
‘Ah, come on Mark!’ said Ollie. ‘Say “thank you”, for Christ’s sake!’
‘Sandra and I were delighted when Craig entered our lives. He was a law student which was promising and a rugby fan as well. As we had never had a son, it was great for me to have a man around the house to have a bit of banter with. Thank you, Mi
chael and Anthea, for raising such a fantastic boy. Thank you for that.’
The glass moved from Val to Molly and from Molly to Ollie.
‘Finally,’ he murmured. ‘Keep it moving now, Markie boy.’
‘Samantha looks beautiful today, doesn’t she, everyone?’ Mark raised his glass. ‘That dress cost me a fortune but looking at her today, it was worth it.’
‘Thank you, Daddy!’ Samantha blew Mark a kiss.
‘Does Sam count?’ demanded Molly. ‘If so, move the glass to Laura.’
Tyler handed the glass over, blowing her a kiss as he did so. She made a face before turning away haughtily. She was growing tired of his relentless flirting. It was getting rather embarrassing.
Charlotte waited expectantly for the glass and, when Mark thanked the hotel, she grasped it eagerly.
‘This is fun, you guys,’ she beamed.
Colin held his empty glass out for the waiter to refill. ‘It has kept me sane through many days like this,’ he acknowledged solemnly.
Mathis got up abruptly, pulled out a pack of Marlboro and stalked off.
‘What’s with him?’ asked Charlotte, her blue eyes shrewdly observing his behaviour. ‘He has barely said a word all through dinner.’
Laura glanced at Colin. ‘He’s not feeling well …’ she began and trailed off.
‘He has a tummy bug,’ added Colin, taking her lead. ‘He’s been vomiting all day. Non-stop. All he wants to do is go to bed.’