Page 11 of The Last to Know

“I know everyone’s said it to you today, but you really do look beautiful,” Caz said over her shoulder. She continued to watch as Grace remained quiet, only moving to twist the ring now on her finger. “Are you alright?”

Grace nodded. “Yes, just really understanding that I know I did the right thing.” She smiled. “We are perfect.”

“Yeah, I think we are,” Caz answered. “So, get changed so we can dance the night away, get drunk, and fall into that bed for a really, really deserved sleep.”

“Sleep?” Grace said, turning back to face Caz, her eyes quickly scanning the half-naked body in front of her. “You don’t want to have—“

Caz’s eyes widened like saucers as she found her voice unable to speak.

“Oh, my God, your face.” Grace giggled. She pulled her arms free of the dress and continued to laugh. “Sorry, that was mean of me.”

“Yeah, it was,” Caz smiled, “and dangerous…one day I might take you up on an offer like that.” She turned towards the wardrobe and opened the door, changing the angle of the mirror.

“You would not,” Grace said, completely sure of herself.

“Try again later when I’ve had a few…apparently, that’s when I forget who I’m kissing.”

Now it was Grace who turned beet red. “God, I should never have told you that.”

“Too late. Now I know I’m the best snog you’ve ever had, I am totally taking those bragging rights.”

Grace wiggled her hips until the dress fell to the floor and surrounded her like a great white puddle of silky protection.

“You are a git.”

“I’m your git, though.” Caz turned and held out a hanger with Grace’s suit.

“That is true. You are. You can’t escape now.”

Caz laughed. “Well, duh.”

“You know we can’t just get changed and go down again. We need to waste some time, so they’ll all be assuming we’re up here getting it on.”

Caz dropped her arm and huffed. “Wanna watch some TV?”

“Might as well. Mini-Bar?”

“Go on, then.” Caz laughed and found a T-shirt from earlier to pull on. Then she launched herself at the bed and lifted the covers, slid under, and found the remote.

“Beer or wine?” Grace asked, still in her underwear.

For a moment, Caz wondered if this is what her real wedding day should have looked like, had she married someone gay and totally into her, of course. She closed her eyes at theimage that moved through her head in that moment and said a quiet, “Beer, please.”

Chapter Five

March 2024

Grace sat nervously at the table in her small flat and looked at the three other faces sitting around it, all looking at her expectantly. Was this what Caz had to go through every time she met someone new and had to come out of the closet again?

She’d invited them over. The intention being to tell them about the new turn in her relationship with Caz.

These were her oldest friends, those first-day-of-school pals who had known her forever, and if she couldn’t convince them about Caz, then there was no way she’d convince anyone else.

“Well, this is fun,” Cressida said, raising her wine glass to sip demurely. “Are we going to find out the big secret?”

Grace laughed. “It’s not a secret, I just…it might surprise you, that’s all.”

Sandra smiled. “I’ve got an evening off from Greg and the kids—surprise away.”

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