Page 66 of Lie For Me

After a moment, Jack murmured, ‘Been waiting for years for someone to ask me to be their fake boyfriend but no one asked.’

Lucy snorted in typical ladylike fashion and shoved him. He stumbled sideways into the meadow grasses. ‘Every summer,’ he continued, steadying himself, ‘along came the wedding season, and I thought—wait!’ He wrung his hands. ‘This could be my year!’

Lucy batted him with her shoes.

‘Oh, shut up! I was trying to actually give a serious, heartfelt thanks, but everything is always funny to you, isn’t it?’ she said, only semi-cross.

‘Not everything,’ he said, his face suddenly serious.

His pace slowed, and Lucy fell back to walk in step with him.

‘Luce,’ he said, and she angled herself to look at him as they walked along. ‘There is something I’ve been trying to tell—’

‘Coming through!’ came a shout from behind them as Greg and Dave hurried along the path.

Greg, who deserved an award for Champion Best Man Wrangler, was leading the way, with a red-faced and sweating Dave bringing up the rear. Greg was carrying both of their jackets, the rings and Dave’s speech. Dave looked a little better than when they had seen him earlier, but that wasn’t saying much. The heat was cruel to those already feeling fragile, and Dave looked like he wanted to throw up in the hedge.

‘Come on mate,’ Greg urged, as they panted past. ‘We’re late.’

Dave belched into his mouth as he lurched up to them.

‘Sorry,’ he said, shambling by. ‘Hi, Lucy.’ He flushed a darker shade of red. ‘Hi, Jake.’

‘Think he fancies you,’ whispered Jack as the boys stumbled around the curve in the path ahead.

‘And he thinks you’re called Jake,’ Lucy said. ‘Let’s not correct him. He has enough to cope with today.’

Some more guests caught up with them, and Lucy looped her arm through Jack’s.

‘C’mon, we’d better get a move on, or we’ll be late too. What was it you were going to tell me?’

The couple behind them were arguing in angry, hushed tones.

‘It was the tone of your voice,’ the woman hissed. ‘You didn’t need to say it like that.’

‘Jesus,’ came the reply, through gritted teeth, ‘can you for once just listen to what I am saying instead of trying to analyse my facial expressions and tone….’

The woman shushed him.

‘Fine. Let’s just try to enjoy the day, shall we?’

‘Go on. What is it?’ Lucy urged Jack.

‘Not now,’ Jack said, smiling at her. ‘Not the right time.’

The path opened out before them onto a lane, and across the quiet lane stood the church. Lucy couldn’t help but admire the setting Ollie and Sophie had chosen for their vows. Sitting in the middle of a neatly manicured churchyard, surrounded by a low stone wall, the church glowed in the sunlight. Copper beech and oak trees sheltered guests from the midday sun as they clustered under them, fanning themselves with hats, bags and jackets. There was no sign of Greg and Dave.

An old couple with a portly, drooling Beagle sat on a bench on the opposite side of the road, watching the entertainment provided by the arriving guests.

Heather and Mark were on the church steps, and Heather raised a hand in a half-hearted greeting.

‘Hmm, I see some sort of relations are restored,’ Jack murmured.

‘We’re doing this for Ollie,’ Lucy muttered back, pausing to shove her feet into her shoes.

Guests were slowly making their way inside, and Lucy and Jack joined the queue.

It was dark and cool as they made their way into the church. A ripple of sighs rolled back to them from the people ahead, all gasping and saying, ‘ooof, isn’t it lovely and cool in here’, ‘such a relief’, ‘good to be out of the sun for a bit,’ and the very appropriate, ‘thank god.’

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