Page 77 of The Wedding Game

I’m sure I’m blushing. ‘I do. I think I do. He makes me very happy too,’ I reply as we’re hovering over the remaining canapés by the sideboard in the sitting room, hoovering them down together, one after the other.

She gives me an encouraging smile and then says she’s off to talk to my mum again, as she’s remembered the name of the book she was trying to describe to her earlier.

I’d invited my mum and dad along to the party, which in hindsight was a brave move, considering Josh has never met them before. But then, even though they live in the next village, I’d only met Josh’s parents a few times for some kitchen suppers now and then. Josh has been so protective of our time together, seeing as we hardly get any. We’ve been together nearly a year. A year ago this month I met Josh. And Chris. Two different men and two different stories. My life has changed so much since that day.

Today, at this party, I have killed all the birds with all the stones. Everyone’s met everyone. Scarlet and her boyfriend Rory travelled separately from London and Scotland respectively, and are shooting off for the rest of the weekend to explore the Cotswolds as he’s never been to this part of the world.

Scarlet was desperate to meet Josh again, after that one time on the terrace at the wedding back in August, and he was excited to see her again too. He confides in me later, when we’re standing in the hallway as the last guests aretrickling out the door, that he thinks he’s passed the Scarlet Test, and I don’t pretend not to know what he’s talking about.

‘Yeah, she likes you. Sings your praises from afar. Liked you from the wedding where we met, and I leapt on you and snogged your face off.’

‘Oh, you’ve admitted it was you who made the first move then, have you? Even though I allegedly “goaded” you into kissing me.’

‘Yeah, yeah. I’ll let you have that win, but only because it’s your birthday.’

‘Thank you for this.’ He gestures around us at the detritus from the night. ‘No one’s ever thrown me a surprise party before.’ He pulls me into his arms and kisses me deeply in the hallway until Tamara appears, coughs loudly and laughs, hand-in-hand with Mark.

‘Happy birthday for yesterday,’ I tell her as I remind myself again that she and Josh met after being born only a day apart.

‘Thanks,’ she says. ‘We’re off now,’ she smiles warmly.

‘Great party,’ Mark says.

‘Thanks for coming,’ Josh and I both say together and then laugh.

‘You two are just too cute,’ Tamara replies as she and Mark hug us and leave.

‘I think that went really well,’ I say to Josh when we’re alone. ‘It was such a good way for everyone to meet each other and, as a bonus, you got loads of presents.’

‘Mostly wine, I think,’ he says happily as he heads towardsthe collection of bottle bags lined up. ‘I’m glad our friends and family had a good time. They’re all so generous.’

‘You’re very loved,’ I tell him.

‘I feel it,’ he says, moving away from his new hoard of wine bottles and coming back over to me. He looks at me for a long time, as if deciding something.

‘What?’ I ask gently.

‘Would you like to move in with me?’

My eyes widen. Although I’d been wondering if this sort of invite might eventually be dispensed, as we’d talked about it briefly a while ago, I wasn’t really expecting it – not now, not after Josh had had rather a lot of wine. Surely this sort of chat should be reserved for a sober occasion?

He asks me, ‘What’s wrong?’ as I continue to look at him.

‘Really?’ I ask.

‘Really,’ he confirms. ‘Do you think I’m not being genuine? It’s a very big decision to make, asking a woman to move in with me. I’ve never done this before. I wanted to wait for the right time.

‘And that time is now?’ I ask warmly. I’m fishing for compliments, clearly.

He smiles. ‘It is, yes.’ With that he reaches into the pocket of his jeans, struggling to retrieve whatever it is he’s looking for. For one tiny fraction of a second, I wonder if it’s a ring. That would be two shocks in one night and I’m not sure I could cope with that.

But it’s not a ring. It’s a key, on a key chain with a huge glittery L on it.

I beam as he passes it to me. ‘I don’t need this,’ I joke. ‘Your front door’s usually unlocked – which, to me as a Londoner, is just asking for it.’

‘It’s for those rare occasions when it’s locked,’ Josh says, playing along. ‘Consider it a symbolic gesture. We’re moving along, you and me. You know my parents, and now I’ve met yours. It’s been almost a whole year of us going back and forth, back and forth,’ he goes on. ‘Or, rather, it’s been nearly a whole year of you doing this. I’ve stayed right here. And every time you go back to yours to appease Scarlet, I miss you.’

‘I miss you too,’ I reply and then realise what he’s said. ‘I don’t appease Scarlet. I have meetings.’

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