Page 147 of From Best Friend to Bride
“Fine, I’ll fix it,” he replied. “You can go home now.”
“No.” Deli’s eyes widened, and she scrambled to stand up straight, still clinging to me. She looked at Si and lowered her voice. “If I go home, I have to talk to Fred about me kissing him.”
“You do realise you’re clinging to him right now, don’t you?”
She slowly lifted her face to look at mine, and I smirked down at her. “Hi.”
“Oh, hi,” she said. “Did I do anything silly?”
“That remains to be seen,” I replied. “Come here. I’ll take you home.”
“Nooo, Fred’s at home.”
I stared at Si. “You can’t even have anincoherent conversation with her, never mind one that makes sense. Seriously, how much did she drink?”
“All of it!” Deli threw her arms out and giggled, throwing her head back in glee.
She almost toppled backwards, and I tightened my grip on her, then swept my arms around her and lifted her up.
“Eeek!” She wrapped her arms tightly around my neck. “What are you doing?”
“Carrying you to the car.” I followed Si out of the staff room. “And the whole pub is going to see me carting my wife about like some kind of Disney princess because she’s too drunk to walk.”
“Ooh, I can practice my royal wave.” She stretched out one arm, almost smacking it on a wall, and did the little wrist twirl thing. “Hello, peasants! Helloooo!”
Well, at least she was amusing Si’s punters.
Si pulled his phone out and mouthed, “I’m recording this.”
I bit back a laugh. “Why are you practicing your royal wave, wife?”
“Because I’m a countess now. I should have a fancy wave.” She leant into me. “My husband is the Earl of Coventry, you know.”
Wow.
She was hammered.
“I do know that,” I said, carrying her through the door a still-filming Si was holding open for me. “He’s a nice guy.”
“He’s the best,” she slurred, finally dropping her hand. “He’s handsome and kind and and and really sexy with his shirt off.”
My eyebrows shot up as Si hid a chuckle behind his hand. “Is that so?”
“Mhmm.” Deli closed her eyes. “You sound like him. He can talk me to sleep.”
Ha.
I’d done that more than once.
“I’m sure,” I said softly, smiling. I put her in the passenger seat of my car and belted her in, brushing her hair away from her eyes.
Idiot.
“She’s never living that down,” Si said after I’d closed the door.
“Damn straight.” I paused. “Send me that video.”
He gave me a thumbs up and headed back inside after I thanked him for his help, and the sound of his laughter echoed through the carpark.
