Page 108 of Be More Lucy

‘You couldn’t get that bag of beans down, could you? I can’t quite reach.’

‘Of course,’ he said, handing her the bag from the shelf above Nancy’s fancy coffee maker.

‘Is there a problem?’ he said as Lucy stood looking at the machine.

‘Yes. A big one. I have no idea how to work this thing.’

‘What’s up with you?’ Jack asked. Mark was leaning against the bar, nursing the remains of a pint of beer and looking like thunder. ‘You’ll make the milk turn sour, as your mother would say.’

‘Harry’s here.’

‘Is he? Where? We didn’t invite him.’

‘He’s in the kitchen with Lucy, helping her make coffee. I was going to fetch something from my room, but I caught sight of them together. He had his arm around her shoulder, showing her how to load the coffee beans. It all looked very cosy. ’

‘Are you sure it was Harry? Claudio was in there earlier.’

‘Who the hell is Claudio?’

‘Charlotte’s new man. He’s just walked in now.’ Jack nodded in the direction of the marquee entrance.

Mark looked up. ‘That’s him. Jesus, she’s making a play for her own friend’s boyfriend.’

Jack raised his eyebrows.

‘Ok. I’ve not been entirely innocent on that front. I thought we’d put that incident to bed?’

‘An unfortunate choice of phrase.’ Jack looked less than impressed.

‘I’m sorry.’ Mark put his head in his hands. Nothing was going right today. ‘I may as well become a monk. I’m a lousy judge of women. If Lucy’s that fickle, I’ve had a narrow escape. Did you invite any single women tonight?’

‘Charlotte, but she’s got Claudio now, assuming Lucy hasn’t snaffled him. There’s always Caroline, of course.’

‘Don’t even joke about that situation.’

‘Do you want another pint?’

‘I’ll get them. When are you and Em making your announcement?’

Jack looked at the time on his phone. ‘The band should be finishing any minute now. Looks like the caterers have got the buffet ready. So in about half an hour, after everyone’s got their food.’

‘Would you be upset if I went to the pub afterwards?’

‘Are you seriously going on the pull?’

‘No. I need some space. And I don’t want to see Lucy with someone else.’

‘I’d offer to join you, but leaving your own party on your wedding night is not the done thing.’

Mark looked baffled. ‘Why do you want to escape?’

‘So I don’t have the embarrassment of seeing my father chatting up my mother.’ Jack looked over to the sofa on the other side of the bar, where Peter was cosying up to Olivia.

‘For fuck’s sake, is no one faithful any more?’ Mark said.

58

The bar manager nodded to Jack. ‘Everyone’s got a drink,’ he said.

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