Page 72 of The Wedding Game

I draw in a breath. ‘This is even more exciting than Josh telling me he loves me. How? When? Who?’

‘Which bit do you want answering first?’ she asks joyfully.

‘All of it in one go, and quickly.’

She giggles and it’s lovely seeing her like this for the first time in … for ever.

‘He’s called Rory and I met him at the wedding in Scotland.’

I narrow my eyes. ‘But that was two months ago.’

‘I know. We messaged back and forth a bit, and I didn’tthink it was going to go anywhere. I message a few guys a bit on dating apps, you know that. And because they go nowhere, I don’t mention them, but …’ She’s hesitant, cautious, as if she dare not say, ‘I think this has potential.’

‘Ooh,’ I make an appreciative noise.

‘It’s early days,’ she’s quick to say. ‘But he’s a gardener from Leith and we’re making plans to meet up soon. I’m going to go and visit him.’

My mind is blank. ‘Where’s Leith?’

She gives me a look. ‘Scotland. Edinburgh.’

My mouth falls open. ‘He lives inScotland?’

‘Yes,’ she confirms. ‘Did you do that thing where you think somewhere you’ve never heard of must be an outer-London suburb?’

‘Shut up,’ I joke. ‘OK. Right, I’m confused. How did you meet at the wedding?’

‘You set me a challenge to snog someone and—’

‘You did it? You said you didn’t. Did you snog a gardener? And youdidn’t tell me?’

‘No,’ Scarlet replies patiently. ‘I was nowhere near drunk enough to do that, but I was sort of on the lookout for someone to flirt with and if it led to snogging, then I was willing to get a bingo square ticked off …’ She shrugs. ‘But it didn’t, because Rory’s not like that. He’s quiet and reserved, but he’s so fit and sweet, and he sort ofwooedme with his chat about flowers. He took me for a walk around the estate grounds and it was lovely, even though we couldn’t see much because it was dark, but there were lanterns flickering, and the house was behind us and …’ She sighs romantically. ‘It was likegoing back in time to a bygone age when men don’t try to sleep with you the minute they meet you. It was all my Jane Austen fantasies rolled into one evening.’

I sigh romantically too. ‘Does he work there? At the house? What was he doing gardening at night?’

‘No,’ she says as if I’ve asked the world’s silliest question. ‘He was a guest of the bride, who’s from there.’

‘Oh,’ I reply. And then I ask, ‘Are you shacking up in Scotland with a sexy gardener?’

‘Might be,’ Scarlet cries excitedly and we both squeal with joy.

‘You didn’t tell meanyof that!’ I say, as we settle in and she shows me a picture on her phone of Rory from Leith.

‘I was practically bursting to tell you at the spa day, but you seemed sodownand I didn’t want to brag. I also wasn’t sure if it was going to go anywhere, so …’

‘Was I down?’

She nods.

I don’t remember being down. I was definitely annoyed. Annoyed with Chris. Annoyed at a missed opportunity for … I don’t know what. Although, on reflection, I know it’s for the best. I’d never have made that suggestion not to get to know each other. It’s far too grown-up and mature for me to have thought of it. So I suppose I should be grateful that Chris made that suggestion, that heforcedme into being mature.

I don’t want to go over all that again out loud, so I focus on Scarlet and her new man – and this relationship, which may or may not be the start of something.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

May

I hate having to be in any kind of contact with Chris now, but it is inevitable, seeing as we work together, even if we’re far apart in both time and distance. My work emails are clipped and short and, far from thinking I’d have nothing to do with him until the end of this project, it seems he’s currently a huge part of my working day.

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