Page 61 of The Wedding Pact
‘Well, you have to tell me now.’
‘Should I leave?’ Kenny asked.
Bel shook her head. ‘No, it’s fine.’
‘Good, because I had literally no intention of leaving. Ooh, unless you need anything from reception? August, do you need some toothpaste samples?’
‘No, I’m good.’
‘I’ll get you some anyway.’ He high-tailed out of the room.
‘What do you want to talk about?’ asked August.
‘Now we’ve decided the wedding will be next summer, we’ll soon start sending out save the dates. Do you want a plus one, or do you want Flynn to come with you, or should I invite Flynn separately and give him a plus one too?’
‘Oh, I hadn’t thought about that. Flynn won’t be expecting an invite, you know, you don’t need to invite himanda plus one to be polite, it all adds up, money-wise.’
‘No, I know, but I feel like we’ve been getting to know him and he’s a nice guy, a nicefriend. We’d like him there.’
August mulled this for a moment. This was sweet of Bel, and she knew it would make Flynn happy. ‘He could just be my plus one – or, you know, you could just invite the two of us together. Because I’ll be on bridesmaid’s duties for much of the day anyway.’
‘All right.’
‘Although, will he be lonely, then? Maybe he needs a plus one to keep him company?’
‘ … All right.’
‘But I don’t think he has anyone he thinks of like that at the moment. And weddings are good places to meet people, perhaps he’d make more friends if he came on his own, he might meet a nice girl.’ August was putting way too much thought into this; she could feel it. And how did she know Flynn didn’t already have a string of women in his office queueing up to be his date? He was certainly good looking enough, and charming enough, and kind enough.
If she let herself … yes. She could very much see what women would see in Flynn. Maybe she was beginning to see it herself.
Bel stood up. ‘How about you just talk to him about it? We’re happy either way you want to play it, just let us know when you know.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes. Let’s just give it a little time and see where the dust has settled after a couple of weeks. I can hold back your invites for now. You’re both on the B-list anyway, so you’re only in if other people decline.’
‘Ha ha.’
August left Bel’s dental practice with clean teeth, a spring in her step, and lips that still tingled happily from yesterday’s kiss, fake or not.
Chapter 41
Flynn
While August was having her teeth checked and her soul searched by Bel, Flynn was across Bath, on the verge of getting in touch with Poppy. He was taking a short break at work, twirling his phone in his hand while her contact details lit up his display.
He’d not thought much about the redhead from the pub, and maybe shutting out all thoughts of romance, from Yui to August, would be the right thing to do. But she’d seemed nice, and fun and, like he’d thought just before he’d met Poppy, perhaps the misguided feelings he was having for Augustwerejust loneliness. So maybe he should give happiness a chance instead.
Convincing himself, at least partially, he sent her a text asking if she’d like to meet in the pub sometime over the next couple of weeks, if she was free.
*
During a still-warm evening in mid-October, Flynn waited for Poppy, waving to her across the pub with a little more confidence this time.
‘I owe you a drink,’ she declared, wandering over to him. ‘Several, probably, thanks to you getting me out of that pickle with the hens!’
‘You could have got away without – I didn’t expect to see you again,’ Flynn replied. ‘I thought you must be part of a visiting hen group, to wreak havoc in this cathedral city and then head back to your homes across the country.’
