Page 83 of It's All Sun and Games

‘You know me, Rick, I wouldn’t miss it for the world,’ I assure him.

‘She’s an Italian now,’ Andrea adds with a smile.

37

‘You want to cut my tie?’ Rick blurts out, his tone a mixture of surprise and amusement.

‘Sì,’ Andrea replies with a chuckle.

Rick raises an eyebrow, clearly puzzled.

‘It’s an expensive tie,’ he points out. ‘Why would I cut it?’

‘It’s tradition,’ Andrea explains. ‘In Italy, we cut the groom’s tie and sell pieces of it to raise money for the bride and groom.’

‘You’re going to sell my tie?’ he blurts.

‘Just… watch,’ Andrea assures him, his smile widening.

Andrea calls Beppe over, because of course Rick has invited Beppe and his wife to the wedding. Well, family is everything, isn’t it?

Andrea speaks to Beppe in Italian. He talks with his hands, gesturing towards Rick’s tie. Beppe says something in response before Andrea turns back to Rick.

‘He says he will give you eighty euros for a piece,’ Andrea translates.

‘A piece?’ Rick’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. ‘How big a piece?’

Andrea holds up Rick’s tie, demonstrating with a small sliver.

‘Sold!’ Rick declares with a laugh, removing his tie in the blink of an eye. ‘Get it all sold.’

I can’t help but laugh – in fact, I feel like all I have done today is laugh and smile and sing and dance. I never expected to actually enjoy Rick’s wedding, it was just going to be another dumb work thing I was forced to attend, but I really, really am having such a great time – especially with Andrea here as my plus one.

I think it’s fair to say that Andrea and I have pretty much been the life and soul of this wedding – apart from Rick and his new wife Sophie, of course – and, if I’m being honest, it’s all thanks to Andrea. It’s him who everyone loves, him who is making sure everyone is having a good time, and him who brings out the best in me. Without him, I would probably be sitting quietly in a corner somewhere, sadly lusting over James, being mildly terrorised by Liz, wishing I was anywhere else. Right now, though, there is nowhere I would rather be.

The actual wedding itself has been absolutely beautiful, from the romantic ceremony on the beach to the delicious three-course meal at the hotel restaurant. Now, as the evening unfolds, the mood has shifted into more of a party mode – which is always my favourite part of any wedding. The dance floor is alive with partygoers, moving to the music as lights flash above them. Everyone who isn’t dancing is drinking, laughing, chatting in groups. It’s just such a relaxed atmosphere. Credit where it is due to Rick, he’s planned a great one.

Sophie, Rick’s new wife, is seriously lovely. She seems to be even more into the Italian traditions than Rick is, asking loads of questions, taking a keen interest in everything Andrea has to say. God love him, Andrea is obliging, telling them everything they want to know. It’s starting to feel like he’s being interviewed.

‘What else do you do?’ Sophie asks eagerly. ‘I’m fascinated by all of this.’

Andrea wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me closer in a gesture of pure affection that feels so natural.

‘Another tradition is to play tricks on the bride and groom,’ Andrea continues.

‘What kind of tricks?’ Sophie leans in.

‘Just little jokes,’ Andrea explains.

‘Like pranks?’ I interject, intrigued by the idea.

‘Sì,’ Andrea confirms. ‘For example, at my sister’s wedding this week, while her husband was busy at the party, his friends went to his hotel room and took the screws out of the bed.’

Sophie’s eyes widen in astonishment.

‘Oh my goodness, why would they do that?’ she asks.

‘Just for fun,’ Andrea says simply, with a smile and a shrug. ‘So that when they got in it, it would collapse.’

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