The Wedding Pact

by Isla Gordon

  August needed help getting out of it now, by someone who would untangle the snarled fabric and wouldn’t judge her. And Bel would likely have her hand in somebody’s gob at the moment, so she probably wouldn’t appreciate dress-gate for the emergency it was.

  Wrapping her dressing gown around herself, August stepped onto the little balcony off her bedroom, checking there was nobody staring up at her from the park and hissed upwards, ‘Callie?’

  She could see Callie’s window was open, so she tried again, calling up a little louder. ‘Callie?’

  August was about to give in and go up to Callie’s flat in person – though she really didn’t want to have to explain all this to both Callie and her mum, that would be too mortifying – when Callie stuck her head out the window.

  ‘Who’s that?’ she called out towards the park.

  ‘Callie, down here, it’s me.’

  ‘Hello, August, what’s up?’

  ‘I need your help with something.’

  Callie’s mum stuck her head out of the window, next to her daughter. ‘Hello, love.’

  ‘Hiya,’ August answered, pulling her dressing gown around her.

  ‘Everything okay?’

  ‘She says she needs my help with something, Mum.’

  ‘Oh. Do you want to come up, love? We’ve got cake up here.’

  August smiled. ‘Thank you, but it would be really helpful if Callie could come down here, actually.’

  ‘All right,’ said Callie. ‘Just me, or me and Mum?’

  ‘I think just you, just on this occasion.’

  ‘On my way.’

  Moments later, Callie knocked on the door, holding two plates with big slices of cake on them. ‘From Mum,’ she explained. ‘Oh, one was for me and one for you, but I can get more if Flynn wants some?’

  ‘No, he’s still travelling,’ said August, ushering her in. ‘Callie, I’ve got a bit of an embarrassing problem.’

  ‘Brilliant,’ she replied, settling down with the cake. ‘The best kind of problem. What can I do you for? Plucking an unwanted hair? Ointment application? Lost tampon?’

  The way she reeled them off had August wondering if she was the go-to fixer in Elizabeth Street. ‘No, nothing like any of those, this is more of a wardrobe malfunction.’

  Callie’s eyes travelled down to August’s dressing gown. ‘What have you got on under there?’

  ‘Not much, to be honest.’

  ‘And what’s the problem?’

  ‘The problem is that what little I have got on I can’t get off.’

  ‘Why didn’t you wait for Flynn to come home? Surely the point is for him to take it off you anyway?’

  August felt herself pink, both at the shame of still lying to Callie, and moreover at the thought of Flynn taking it off her, which flashed into her mind as rather a pleasant fleeting image.

  She regained her composure and said, ‘Well, this is supposed to be a surprise, for another time, I was just testing it out. And now something’s gone wrong with the ribbons on the dress and, I think, the hook and eyes at the back of the underwear because I can’t get it off and I can’t really reach it and something’s beginning to tear.’

  ‘All right, love, well, let’s have a look, then.’ Callie sat back like a punter at a striptease.

  ‘Don’t laugh, okay?’ August cautioned.

  ‘Bloody hell, what is it under there, a mankini?’

  ‘No … ’ August stood up and shyly removed her robe, revealing what was underneath.

  Callie didn’t laugh, she didn’t even make some sordid comment, which August half expected, and wouldn’t have blamed her for. Instead she said, ‘Hon, you look beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. That’s a lovely dress, I’m guessing, when it’s on properly, and that’s some pair of undercrackers. Flynn’s a lucky guy.’

  ‘It’s at the back, around the middle. I can’t really see … ’ August changed the subject but then added, ‘Thank you, though.’ Callie was a good friend, way more than August felt she deserved. In the spirit of this new and improved August, she was going to tell Callie the truth. Soon. Just as soon as she’d spoken to Flynn and given him the heads up.

  Callie got up and had a look, then bent down to scrutinise further. ‘I see what the problem is, the hook on your undies has gone through the fabric of the dress right where one of the ribbons crosses in the centre of your back here. It’s completely mangled.’

  August’s heart dropped. ‘Do we need to cut me out?’

  ‘No,’ Callie said. ‘I can get you out of this, I’m sure. And I reckon I can save it so you’ll be able to put it back on again afterwards, but I might need to make a couple of little adjustments.’

  ‘You can?’

  ‘I can. Have you got some little scissors, maybe nail scissors, and a needle and thread and maybe … a spare button?’

  ‘Yes, probably, one moment.’ August threw her robe back on to run into her bedroom, where she kept a medical kit with some sewing supplies and small scissors. She also made Callie a quick cup of tea to go with their cake.

  And while this was going on, she didn’t even notice how Callie’s eyebrows raised and her gaze lingered on the open door of her bedroom.

  Back in the living room again, robe on the floor, August stood with Callie kneeling behind her, the dress pulled up with the skirt hooked under August’s arm. August was rather aware of how close her neighbour was having to position herself beside her bottom.

  ‘Thanks so much for this Callie, I owe you one.’

  ‘It’s no problem, hon,’ Callie replied, holding a needle out of the side of her mouth. ‘I had a look on your Instagram the other day, by the way. I was showing Mrs H your new headshots.’

  August froze, feeling a chill cross her skin that was nothing to do with being half naked.

  ‘They’re lovely,’ Callie commented from behind her. ‘You don’t show Flynn much on there, do you?’

  ‘No … no, he’s not a big social media person,’ August replied. How could she have been so stupid? She knew Callie had sent a follow request back when her Instagram account was private, she just forgot when she made it public. And no, Flynn was not on there much, in fact, he wasn’t on there at all before six months ago. Before that, James certainly was featured though.

  August tried to take a calming breath and change the subject, relieved when Callie seemed to move on too. ‘How’s your mum doing?’

  ‘She’s good, thanks. She’s so into yoga now, I’m telling you, she’s been talking about doing this Bikram course where you do it every day for, like, a month and go off on a retreat with the whole class. She wanted me to do it but I was like, Mum, I don’t even like staying in the bath too long if it’s too warm, I would not cope well with steaming-hot exercise.’

  August was so focussed on listening to Callie talk, and the feel of being lightly jostled from the back, that she didn’t hear anybody coming up the stairs or nearing the door until it opened.

  And as the fabric freed itself and the dress pooled to the ground, there he was: Flynn. Not in Japan, but right there in front of her.

  Chapter 77

  Flynn

  Flynn dropped his keys, his head turning quickly to the side so he wasn’t looking at August. He’d already seen it though, just for a second, the vision of her standing in the middle of the living room wearing some kind of sexy, slinky swimming costume. He was pretty sure, actually, that it wasn’t a swimming costume. For a millisecond he wondered if she’d been wearing it for him, but then he heard her gasp in surprise and then Callie’s voice called out, ‘Oh, hello, neighbour!’

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ Flynn fumbled, his eyes closed, using his hands to search for the door and close it.

  August started to drop to grab her gown but Callie shrieked. ‘Don’t move now or the whole thing will spring open. Not that you’d mind that, would you Flynny-boy?’ She cackled.

  ‘Oh my God,’ whispered August.

  ‘Don’t worry about it, so it isn’t a surprise a
ny more, that doesn’t matter. Come on, Flynn. You might as well appreciate your wife while she’s all gussied up. I’m nearly done here; we’re just doing a little maintenance. How was your trip?’

  ‘That’s okay, I’ll just go, um, back out again,’ Flynn then started navigating his way back towards the door, banging his suitcase against the wall. But his eyes were clamped closed, so he ricocheted towards his bedroom instead.

  ‘What’s the problem?’ asked Callie, as he flung open his door, about to jump in after his case. ‘Look how lovely she looks.’

  ‘I-it’s okay,’ August stammered, probably feeling very, very naked. ‘He’ll look later, he’s probably just jet-lagged, or embarrassed that you’re here.’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous, Flynn. Tell her she’s a stunner.’ Callie nudged August and hissed, ‘Let him check up on it, as they say.’ Callie then looked around August towards Flynn, and said, confused, ‘What’s going on? Why won’t you look at her?’

  During all of this, thanks to his tightly shut eyes, Flynn didn’t even notice that Callie’s scrutiny had moved off him and was now resting at the view just past his right shoulder. His bedroom.

  Without warning, Callie turned away from Flynn and stared at August, as if trying to read her face. ‘Is it the redhead? That girl he kept bringing over here?’

  ‘What?’ both August and Flynn said in unison, Flynn still with his eyes closed.

  ‘Has he been cheating on you?’ Callie said, looking at August with deep concern before snarling at Flynn. ‘Are you having problems? Is that what’s happening here? I’ve been there, if that’s what this is, if you’re trying everything, gussying yourself up, trying to get his attention and he won’t even look at you.’

  ‘No, no, that’s not what’s going on at all,’ August insisted. ‘Flynn, look at me. What do you think, honey? Welcome home!’

  Flynn cracked open one eye and looked at August’s face, only her face, to see if she was being coerced. But she smiled at him, gave a minute nod of her head, and rolled her eyes. She then struck a playful pose like a pin-up girl, giving him permission to lower his eyes.

  ‘Wow,’ he murmured. ‘You look beautiful.’ She really did, though he didn’t look down. His eyes stayed on her laughing lips, her hands reaching into her caramel curls, the brightness of her eyes. He couldn’t look away from that happy face, even though it pained him to know that all this must not be meant for him.

  He wondered if August and Abe had become closer since he went away. Did Abe now know their secret? It didn’t matter, the fact was, she wasn’t doing this for him. If he’d ever had one, he’d missed his chance. Now he had to step aside so she could be happy.

  Chapter 78

  August

  He came back. He came home. Standing there, dishevelled from his flight, shirt loose, a day of stubble, hair messy, Flynn looked perfect, and August had to remember to breathe.

  Just before she told Flynn to look at her in her lingerie, she’d thought, Oh, bugger it. He’d seen it all when he came in anyway, let the boy out of his misery. So she stood tall, lifted her chin and spoke through only slightly gritted teeth.

  August was shy under his gaze, even though he pulled it away after only a brief admiration and instead met her eyes again. Something passed between them and she wished in that moment she could be standing there for him, after all.

  Behind her, Callie sighed, and it brought August back out of her own mind. Callie. Wonderful, kind, helpful Callie who’d been through so much and who trusted her. August turned her head to meet Callie’s eye, to say … well, she wasn’t sure what, but in that moment she felt like she just wanted to be honest and tell her the truth, more than anything.

  And then Callie beat her to it. ‘Something isn’t right,’ she declared in a quiet voice.

  ‘With the dress?’ August asked, though something had shifted, Callie wouldn’t meet her eye, and there was a sadness to her voice.

  ‘Not with the dress, that’s fine, I’ve got you untangled and I’m going to head back upstairs now. Feel free to drop it up and I’ll do the alterations, like I promised.’ She stood up and gathered her things, heading for the door.

  ‘Callie, can we talk for a bit?’ August held her breath.

  ‘Not right now. Maybe some other time. Let’s talk after the neighbour drinks tomorrow night, okay?’

  ‘Callie—’ August stopped. Neighbour drinks? Oh FFS, she’d forgotten all about them. It was their turn to host again.

  Callie held her hands up, but still refused to look August or Flynn in the face, and August would have given anything in that moment to go back to the first day they moved in, to when she met Callie, who was immediately kind to her, outside the building, bringing her tea, smiling and open and honest. She wished she’d told the truth right there and then, rather than watch Callie leave, and for August to become the villain in her own story.

  Chapter 79

  August

  August was left staring at the closed front door. Callie knew something was up.

  No, no, Callie couldn’t have put two and two together based only on that debacle. That would be impossible. At the most, Callie must think they have marriage troubles. Flynn dived into the shower, and so she went to her room to get dressed, and it was then she noticed both of their bedrooms on full show. Was it that that had given them away to Callie?

  August changed, slowly, listening for sounds of Flynn, taking comfort in knowing he was back home again.

  He was back, he came back. Of course he had, all of his things were here, but the real question was would he stay?

  Her stomach fluttered, thoughts of Flynn tumbling and jostling for space, pushing those of Callie aside, because having him back on the other side of the wall made her happy. It was really, really nice to see him.

  She pulled on some pink leggings and a snuggly ice-blue sweatshirt, and placed her hand on the wall, straining to hear his voice as he sang softly to himself inside the bathroom.

  Her phone began to ring.

  Abe. Abe, of course, she was supposed to be seeing him tonight, he was the whole reason for the fancy outfit, not Flynn. ‘Hey, Abe,’ she sang down the line, stealing a glance towards the bathroom where the shower was still running.

  Why did she feel like she was cheating on her husband, when he wasn’t even her real husband? He’d probably just spent the last two weeks getting it on with his ex-girlfriend.

  ‘Hello, August?’ Abe said, as formal as ever, and she rolled her eyes. The reason it felt like cheating is because if she was right about the spark she and Abe shared, and if she did something about it, in his eyes she would appear to be a cheater. An adulteress even.

  ‘Hey, what’s up? Still on for dinner?’

  He cleared his throat. ‘I’m ever so sorry, my mum’s not feeling good at all this evening, and I think I’d better keep an eye on her. Would it be all right with you if we rescheduled, perhaps I could come back to Bath again next weekend?’

  ‘That’s fine,’ she said, hoping he didn’t hear the disappointment in her voice. ‘Of course. Is Mrs H okay?’

  ‘Yes, I’m sure she’ll be absolutely fine, but you know how it is … ’

  ‘Of course. Is there anything I can do? I could bring dinner up for both of you?’ She still wanted to see him, she realised, she still wanted to be near him. God, she was a mess at the moment.

  Abe hesitated, and she listened to his soft breath down the phone line for a second. ‘No, that’s all right, August. I think it will be better to wait to see each other until next week, and then maybe Flynn could come along as well … ’

  ‘Flynn’s back, actually, Abe. He came home early.’

  ‘I see,’ he replied.

  She understood what he was telling her, though it took her by surprise. He was breaking up with her, in a way, or at least breaking the threads they were beginning to form. He didn’t want to be the other man. He was stepping away from her, and what might have been.

  August moved out toward
s the living room window, the sound of the shower still running, wondering if it was even true about Mrs H feeling unwell, and that if not, he’d felt he’d had to lie to her to let her down gently. She needed to figure her shit out, and pick a lane: did she want Abe to think she’d cheat on someone for him, or did she want to tell him the truth?

  Did she want to finally tell all of them the truth?

  Was she ready?

  If anybody passing the house on Elizabeth Street at that moment had looked up they would have seen a woman gazing out of her window on the first floor, lost in thought, or just lost. And if they’d turned their eyes upwards, not one, but two, floors higher, they would have seen a man looking much the same.

  Chapter 80

  Flynn

  ‘I’m sorry about that,’ Flynn said, re-entering the living room after his shower and seeing August curled up on her big green armchair. His flight home had been smooth sailing, way nicer than the trip over last summer. Perhaps it was because, back then, he had been leaving the familiar and entering the unknown. This time he was returning to August.

  ‘About the underwear thing? Don’t worry about it.’ August stood up and faced him, and it was as if neither quite knew how to behave, like there was an invisible layer of ice to crack through before they could get back to normal. ‘How was Japan?’

  ‘It was … ’ Flynn couldn’t find the words, not because he didn’t know them but because he lost himself in her face. So instead he smiled, and pulled her into a hug. ‘Hi.’

  ‘Hi,’ she laughed against him, the tension breaking. ‘Welcome home.’

  They broke apart and Flynn sat on the sofa while she returned to her chair. ‘Japan was good, great even, you were right, it was exactly what I needed.’

  ‘I’m so glad,’ she replied, and he searched her face to try and guess what she was thinking. ‘You look happier.’

  ‘I think I am.’

  ‘Did you manage to see Yui?’

  ‘Yes, it was really nice.’ He paused, wanting to tell her all about it, to open his heart to her about how he felt, but she seemed a little distracted. Was it because of what just happened with Callie? August was close with her, so if Callie felt betrayed it was bound to be playing on her mind. ‘How are you? How have your last couple of weeks been?’