Page 39 of The Worst Guy Ever
She smiles softly, a little hum at whatever memories she’s conjuring.
“Sarah was useless in the bar, have you met my Sarah?” she points across to where Luke’s mum is standing at the bar and I nod. We met at the engagement dinner, but I wasn’t sat near her so we didn’t get to speak much. “Always had her head in a book. That’s why she’s so good at what she does, she’s a surgeon, you know. But my Derek didn’t mind. He’d let her sit at one end of the bar and he’d quiz her while he pulled pints. Then the customers got in on it too, always quizzing her when she was doing her studies. They were all bawling their eyes out when she passed her exams.”
“He died not long after Heather got her cancer diagnosis,” she continues. “And I know it sounds awful, but sometimes I’m glad he went then, because I don’t think he’d have survived seeing what she and Luke went through. He loved her to bits. She was like a granddaughter to us.”
Luke’s first wife isn’t exactly a secret, she comes up in conversations often, and we went to visit her tree on her birthday. It had been Kara’s idea, and Luke and Rob had spent a couple of hours regaling us with stories about her. This is the first time I’ve heard someone mention Heather today though, and it’s sweet that Annie doesn’t treat her like an elephant in the room.
“I wish I’d been able to meet her,” I say, though the reality is if she’d survived, Luke would never have appeared in our lives. And if I hadn’t met him, then I’d never have met Rob. And if I hadn’t met Rob, then… My chest tightens at the thought. I don’t know how I would feel about life without him. He’s such a fixture now, whether I like it or not. I shove the thought down and knock back the rest of my wine.
“Derek would have just loved Kara. I tell him all about her.” She points skyward, then holds my hand. We watch my sweet friend across the room, biting into a huge slice of pizza with a napkin tucked into the front of her dress. “And he would have loved you too, doll. He always liked lassies with a bit of fire in them.”
I burst out laughing and wrap my arms around her. “That’s probably the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me Annie, thank you.”
And I mean it. My attitude is usually a problem for people. Bossy and unlikeable. Doesn’t follow instructions. Too demanding. Not compliant enough. That’s what they say.
The sound of metal clinking against a glass draws my attention. From the stage, Megan adjusts the microphone to her height.
“Good evening everyone,” she begins. “It’s almost time for speeches. If I can ask you all to please take your seats, the lovely team here at Moonshine will make their way around to top up your glasses. Afterwards you can gather around the dancefloor for the cake cutting and the first dance.”
“I need to eat some more food, Annie,” I say, rising from my seat.
“Come and find me later for a dance, doll.”
“I will, I promise.”
This is the bit I’ve been dreading most of all. I’m no stranger to public speaking, but the subject of love is definitely out of my comfort zone. Megan should be the one to do it, she’s a believer in all that shit. Plus, as an English teacher, she manages to keep entire classes of teenagers engaged every day, but she handed Kara’s request for a bridesmaid’s speech off to me before I could object.
“Are you ready for your speech?” Rob asks, appearing out of nowhere as I finish a mouthful of a second slice of pizza.
“Yes. Are you?”
“Sure am. Think you’re going to like it.” He bumps my shoulder with his and when I look up at him, he gives me one of those smarmy winks that still somehow sends heat racing through me.
“Rob, please do not use this as an opportunity to wind me up. This is Kara and Luke’s day.”
He walks backwards away from me, that gorgeous grin taking all my oxygen with it. “What kind of monster do you take me for?”
I find my seat at a table up front with Megan on one side, Kara and Luke on the other.
While Kara’s dad shares stories of her as a little girl, I force a smile and pick at the skin at the side of my thumb. I haven’t been a guest at many weddings, but this bit is always my least favourite. These public declarations of love and belonging are too much to handle. It hurts to know nobody would ever stand up and do the same for me.
Fortunately, it’s a short speech, and Luke takes the stage to tell the story of how he offended Kara when they first met. He thanks her for giving him a second chance, tells the room how much he loves her and before I know it, Rob is up behind the mic.
“For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Rob. I’m Luke’s best man and his oldest friend, and I couldn’t be happier to stand up here with him on this beautiful day.
“Kara, you look absolutely stunning. Luke tells me every day how lucky he is, and I’m sure he tells you, too. To the bridesmaids, Megan and Hattie, you’ve done an amazing job of getting this place ready this week. Megan, you look beautiful, and Hattie…” His gaze locks on me and my stomach turns to cement. Of all the ways he could humiliate me, this would be it. On stage, mic in hand, knowing full well I won’t cause a scene.
“I’m just… I, er—” he clears his throat. “There just aren’t words to describe how incredible you are.”
Kara and Megan both gasp and shoot their hands out to rest on my knees. I press my fist to my mouth and will myself not to smile, or cry, or do anything to make it obvious I’m hanging on by a thread right now.
“I’m not exactly the best candidate to make a speech about love since I’ve never been in it,” he continues, finally tearing his eyes away from mine. The room is filled with an‘awww’from the seated guests and I roll my eyes and angle my body back towards the table. As if he needs sympathy. It’s probably one of his tactics to get laid.
The rest of his time on stage is a blur. I smooth out the skirts of my dress, drink my water, make the appropriate noises, giggling along on auto-pilot with everyone else, but my ears refuse to hear anything else except‘there just aren’t words to describe how incredible you are.’
‘How incredible you are.’
‘Incredible’.
