Once in a Lifetime

by Chrissie Manby

  ‘Jeremy Corbyn!’ Dani’s voice had taken on a tone of sheer desperation. She stood at the back of the church with her head in her hands, while Jezza did another circuit with the speed of a champion greyhound. The laughter of the congregation only spurred him on. They were loving it. Loving him. Even the vicar was seeing the funny side. Nat, who was now holding Princess in his arms, shrugged to his side of the church as if to say, ‘This will make a great story later on.’

  Emboldened by the reaction of the crowd, Jezza decided to finish his rampage with a bolt straight up the aisle to Dani and freedom. Only one thing was in his way.

  Lola and her father had almost reached the altar.

  The congregation gasped as Jezza leapt at the bride, landing with all four muddy paws on her skirt. For Dani the world went into slow motion as Jezza leapt up at Lola again and again and again until the front of her skirt looked as though it was fashioned from chiffon deliberately printed with muddy brown camouflage. He might have thought he was being friendly but Lola was unlikely to see it like that at all.

  Lola dropped her bouquet and stood staring down in silent horror until, ‘This is not how my wedding is supposed to be!’ she shouted at the top of her voice. ‘This is not how anything is supposed to be! Please, somebody, help me! Help me!!!’

  ‘I think perhaps we need to take a moment,’ said the vicar, taking both Nat and Lola by the hand and leading them out of sight.

  Chapter Sixty-Three

  Dani had been happy with her little Newbay life, until Nat Hayward walked back into it. When she saw him standing there in the restaurant, just the sight of his familiar broad shoulders and the shape of his body made her want to sigh with relief. He was back. He was home. He was her home.

  Except that he wasn’t back for her. He’d come back for his parents and he was staying only for Lola.

  Dani and Nat shouldn’t have tried to rekindle even so much as a friendship. They should have marvelled briefly at all the years that had passed since they last saw each other and moved straight onto nodding terms. They shouldn’t have started going for the occasional coffee after the dog-training course. Dani shouldn’t have started looking forward to those moments, making them the high spot of her week.

  She could only imagine how much Nat must be regretting reacquainting himself with her now. It was because of Dani that the wedding ceremony descended into chaos. Lola would probably be within her rights to sue her for not having had Jezza under control. How much was it going to cost her for having let Jezza ruin the delicate white lace skirt?

  Hiding from the chaos back at home, Dani didn’t know what to do with herself. Her phone was buzzing with messages but she couldn’t bear to check them. She wanted to know what was going on and yet at the same time, she didn’t think she would be able to live through hearing what had happened after she left the church. Would anyone believe she hadn’t let Jezza off the lead on purpose, to deliberately ruin the wedding of the man she had once loved – perhaps still loved – to someone else?

  Meanwhile, Jezza was oblivious to the trouble he’d caused. He was still a pup. Still spending more of the day asleep than awake. Dani might be unable to sit still for a moment, jangling as she was with nerves, but Jezza was tucked up in his basket, his paws twitching as he dreamed of running. Perhaps he was reliving his mad dash around the church.

  Dani shook her head as she watched him. What would Nat and Lola expect her to do with Jezza? Could they ask her to have him put down? She offered up a little prayer.

  ‘Please let them be finding this funny.’

  Later, holding her phone at arm’s length, as though the distance might help, Dani checked her texts. None from Nat. That was a good sign. Sort of. But here was one from Dave the chef.

  ‘Frank’s wedding reception called off. WTF?’

  Chapter Sixty-Four

  Flossie heard about the debacle from Camilla, whose mother had been in the church choir booked to sing while Nat and Lola signed the register.

  Flossie buried her face in Jezza’s fur.

  ‘What did you do, you silly dog?’

  ‘What did everyone think?’ Dani asked.

  ‘They thought it was really funny.’

  ‘But what happened? After Jezza and I ran away.’

  ‘The bride and groom went into the vestry with the vicar. They were in there for ages. The choirmaster had the choir sing a medley of tunes to keep everyone occupied while they were waiting. And to drown out the sound of shouting from the bride’s father.’

  ‘Oh no.’

  ‘Then, after about forty-five minutes, the vicar came back out and told everyone that they could all go home. The wedding wouldn’t be happening that day. Camilla’s mum and the choir had to stay, though, because there was another wedding due at midday.’

  ‘And she didn’t see Nat and Lola go out.’

  ‘They went out through the back door,’ Flossie said. ‘If you ask me, that doesn’t sound like a good sign.’ There was an unseemly amount of glee in Flossie’s telling of the tale.

  Hearing all this, Jane did her best to reassure Dani.

  ‘A couple of paw prints on a wedding dress is not enough to stop a wedding,’ she said. ‘When your grandparents got married, people didn’t bother with special wedding clothes at all. Grandma wore her Sunday best, but that was all.’

  When Sarah came over that afternoon, she agreed, ‘There’s so much ridiculousness around weddings these days. The idea that if it isn’t perfect, it isn’t worth doing. It’s about the marriage. Not about the day.’

  ‘Thanks,’ said Dani. But it didn’t make her feel any better.

  By late evening, Dani’s phone had stopped fizzing with messages from people who wanted to know what was going on. That was a relief. But there was still one person she wanted to hear from.

  She checked her bank accounts to see how much cash she had to hand. She went on-line to the church’s website to see if there were any details there regarding the cost of a ceremony.

  She already knew what the reception at The Majestic was going to cost, of course. Did they have insurance? Would it pay out for a disruptive dog?

  Dani typed out a text to Nat.

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ she wrote. ‘Please let me know how I can make it up to you both.’

  No reply.

  She imagined Nat and Lola at their executive home. She imagined Lola’s fierce father demanding that someone be held accountable. She imagined Lola’s mother crying. Nat’s parents. Nat’s sister. His nephews.

  The way Dani saw it, the only person who could possibly be pleased about that day’s turn of events was Will.

  Will! He might be able to tell Dani what was really going on. She snatched up her phone, only to remember that she had deleted his number after the date that had turned into a foursome. The night when Dani and Nat might as well not have been there.

  Dani did know how to get hold of him, though. She would send him a message on Instagram.

  Will’s account was still in Dani’s search history. She brought up his feed. He’d posted an awful lot of pictures since she last looked and Dani couldn’t help but look through them. There were at least fifty new shots. Including a whole sequence taken on the beach at Palma, Majorca.

  Dani sat back in the kitchen chair and examined the photographs more closely. When was Will in Majorca? She checked the dates. He was there the weekend that Dani and Nat had to drive to Gretna (which explained the foreign dialling tone). He was there when Lola was on her hen weekend.

  Had Will flown out there to stalk his ex-girlfriend?

  Lola’s Instagram and Will’s Instagram contained almost identical pictures. They’d both posted photographs from the same beachside restaurant in Portixol. The same large lady in an orange sarong was walking through the background of both shots. Which meant that Lola and Will must have been there on the same day. At the same time? How was it possible that Lola hadn’t noticed her ex-boyfriend was on the very same terrace? Unless?

  Th
e penny dropped.

  Will hadn’t followed Lola to Majorca stalker-style. She knew he was going to be there. He’d met her there.

  If there had ever been any point getting Will’s take on the whole disaster, Dani changed her mind about it now. She thought back to Lola’s visit to the kitchen. Lola wasn’t warning Dani off. She wanted Dani and Nat to be having an affair. She was looking for an excuse.

  Though she really didn’t want to, Dani had to go back to work the Monday after the wedding-that-never-was. She tried to keep a low profile as she walked into the hotel, but everybody wanted to talk to her. It wasn’t often that someone cancelled a wedding reception at The Majestic.

  ‘I can only remember it happening once before,’ said Dave the chef. ‘Because the bride’s sister stood up and said she’d slept with the groom when they did that “anybody know of any reason” bit. Was Frank having it away with one of his bridesmaids?’ Dave wanted to know now.

  Dani didn’t explain her theory.

  She was going through the motions. Fortunately, she could do her job with her eyes closed these days. There was nothing out of the ordinary about today’s service.

  When she went into the pantry, however, she couldn’t fail to see the wedding cake.

  ‘We should box it up,’ she said. ‘And ask where the bride wants it sent.’

  Dani held the two little icing sugar people in her hands. The red colouring of the bride’s smile had bled into the surrounding icing over the course of the weekend, leaving her looking as though she’d necked a bottle of red wine. The figurine that was supposed to be Nat wasn’t looking that perky either. His long legs had bowed, leaving him looking as though he was halfway through a curtsey.

  Dani placed the figurines side by side in a box lined with shredded tissue.

  Poor Lola. Poor Nat. Poor Will.

  When Dani got home that night, Flossie was crying at the kitchen table. In front of her she had a box.

  ‘Jed dropped my things off,’ she said.

  ‘Were you here when he did?’

  ‘No. Gran spoke to him.’

  ‘What did he say?’

  ‘He said he was sorry. He said he really did love me but sometimes things just don’t work out.’

  ‘It’s true,’ said Dani. ‘Sometimes they don’t.’

  ‘I thought what we had was once in a lifetime!’ Flossie sobbed.

  Dani lay her hands over her daughter’s. ‘Flossie, love, I’ve got something I need to tell you. It’s something I should have told you ages ago. I don’t know why I didn’t. I suppose I was embarrassed.’

  ‘About what?’

  ‘Having to admit that you’re not the first sixteen-year-old to have made a big mistake when it came to love …’

  Chapter Sixty-Five

  1996.

  Dani’s summer had been all about Nat. From the moment they shared their first kiss at Cinderella’s nightclub, they spent every second they could together. Dave the chef started to call them ‘Tweedledum and Tweedledee’.

  They didn’t care. Nothing mattered but their blossoming love. Every minute they could snatch with each other was precious. Especially once they lost their virginity to one another.

  But towards the end of August, Dani started to feel a little strange. And not in a good way.

  On the last Saturday of the month, she grabbed Nat by the arm as they passed in The Majestic’s kitchen.

  ‘Nat, I need to talk to you. As soon as service is finished.’

  ‘You look worried,’ he said. ‘Do you want to talk to me now?’

  Dani shook her head. Julie was within hearing distance and Dani could tell she was all ears.

  ‘Later will be fine. You’ll probably need some time to yourself after we’ve spoken anyway.’

  ‘What is it?’ Nat pulled Dani towards the door into the car park. ‘You can’t just say that to me then leave me hanging for the rest of the night.’

  ‘I can’t tell you now,’ said Dani.

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘Because I’ll cry.’

  ‘Are you going to break up with me?’ Nat asked. His face was suddenly drained of colour.

  ‘No,’ said Dani. ‘But you might decide to break up with me.’

  ‘Why? What is it?’ He grasped both her hands and held them tightly.

  There was no way she was going to get away without telling him now. What a stupid thing to have done, tell him that she needed to talk to him after service. She should have sat on her news for just a couple more hours, rather than flagged up that she was desperate to have a conversation. If she didn’t tell him everything now, then he would only spend the whole of service worrying – if he went back into the restaurant at all after hearing what she had to say.

  ‘I can’t work while I’m worrying about what you’ve got to tell me,’ he said.

  ‘OK,’ said Dani. ‘But you probably won’t be able to work when I tell you what it is either.’

  ‘Try me.’

  Dani pulled Nat further behind the wheelie bins. It wasn’t exactly where she’d expected to be having the conversation but perhaps it was appropriate, given how shitty she was feeling.

  Nat’s face was pale and anxious as Dani struggled to find the words, even though she had played the conversation through her head a thousand times already. What she would say. How he would react. What he would say back to her. Spinning his answers every possible way. Good. Bad. Ugly. She felt as though she was underwater. Everything seemed muted and shimmering.

  ‘Spit it out,’ Nat said at last, pulling her back to the surface.

  ‘Nat, I think I’m pregnant,’ she said.

  Nat’s face was immediately and strangely, thought Dani, relieved. As though it was good news and not the worst possible thing that could have happened to two kids on their way to university.

  ‘What do you mean by “think”?’ Nat asked. ‘Have you done a test?’

  ‘No. Not yet. I don’t think they work until your period is two weeks late.’

  ‘How late is yours?’

  ‘Three days.’

  ‘Is that soon enough to worry?’

  ‘I dunno, but I sort of feel different. I feel as though something is happening inside me. Mum always said she could tell straight away when she got pregnant with me.’

  ‘Have you spoken to your mum about it?’ Nat asked.

  ‘No way! She’s going to go crazy. And as for Dad.’

  Dani felt suddenly quite weak at the knees. She leaned into Nat’s side and was relieved when he wrapped his arms around her, holding her upright and strong.

  ‘It will be OK,’ he said. ‘It will be fine. We’ll be fine. Your mum will be fine. Your dad will be fine. I’ll make sure everything goes smoothly. Whatever you decide to do,’ he added. ‘Just know that I’m behind you whatever you choose.’

  Which Dani was already assuming should be an abortion. Until Nat said, ‘If you feel as though you could keep the baby, I would be right there with you, you know. I’d be the best father I could.’

  ‘Would you?’

  ‘It would be an honour.’

  ‘Oh Nat.’

  ‘Are you two finished smoking?’ Julie shouted from the door. ‘Only the restaurant is filling up out there and I can’t be expected to do everything on my own.’

  ‘Coming,’ said Nat.

  He gently brushed his thumbs across Dani’s cheeks to wipe her tears away.

  ‘Remember,’ he said. ‘We’re in this together. You and me. Always forever.’

  Those Donna Lewis lyrics again.

  Dani nodded.

  The day after Dani told Nat she thought she might be pregnant, they went for a walk on the cliffs. They held hands, as they always did, though their mood was slightly subdued.

  ‘I didn’t think I’d ever meet someone like you. Someone who really understands me.’

  ‘I felt the same way,’ said Dani. ‘Though it took you long enough to notice me!’

  ‘I noticed you the first time you came to
rehearsal,’ said Nat. ‘I just didn’t think you could possibly be interested. You were really cool and beautiful and I was the class geek.’

  ‘You were different.’

  ‘I feel like you’re my reward.’

  Dani lay back on the grass. High above them, so high they couldn’t even see it, a skylark sang its triumphant song as it tumbled in the air.

  Nat lay beside her. She reached for his hand.

  ‘You’re the best thing in my life,’ she said.

  ‘You’re the best thing in mine. Whatever happens about you being pregnant, let’s stay together forever. I am never going to leave you,’ said Nat. ‘I want to be with you for the rest of my life. You are my life.’

  Nat raised himself up onto his elbow and looked down into Dani’s face. She tried to look up at him but the sun was too bright and she had to squint. But even squinting wasn’t ideal so instead she closed her eyes.

  ‘Dani.’ Nat cleared his throat. She could tell it was a portentous moment. ‘Dani, will you marry me?’

  Dani kept her eyes closed as she told Nat, ‘Yes.’

  Nat made a ring from three blades of grass plaited together and tied it around Dani’s finger.

  ‘With this ring,’ he said.

  ‘It’s perfect.’

  ‘I’m going to get you a massive diamond. Just you see.’

  ‘I don’t need a massive diamond. I only need you.’

  ‘You’ve got me. You’ll never get rid of me now. So, when are we going to do it?’ Nat asked.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Actually get married.’

  ‘Shouldn’t we find out if I’m pregnant for sure?’

  ‘We could do it right away.’

  ‘How? I’m not eighteen yet, Nat. Mum and Dad won’t let it happen.’

  ‘That wouldn’t matter if we went to Scotland.’

  ‘Why would we go to Scotland?’

  ‘Gretna Green.’

  ‘Are you serious?’

  ‘I want you to be my wife as soon as possible,’ Nat said. ‘Nothing has ever felt so right! Let’s do it, Dani. Let’s elope. It will be an adventure. And then nothing and no one can come between us. Even if we have to be miles apart for our courses, we’ll know that what we have is real. You’ll be Mrs Hayward and I’ll be the happiest man on earth.’