Page 280 of Never
Tamara had wanted the humanist woman who had officiated at the marriage of Drew Sandberg, the embassy press officer, to Annette Cecil of MI6. She had called Annette and asked for the woman’s number.
‘Tamara!’ Annette had screeched. ‘You’re getting married! Darling, how marvellous!’
‘Calm down, calm down.’
‘Who is he? I didn’t even know you were dating.’
‘Don’t get excited, it’s not for me, it’s for a friend.’
Annette did not believe her. ‘You secretive cow. I’m desperate to know.’
‘Please, Annette, just give me the contact details.’
Annette yielded and produced the information.
The humanist celebrant was called Claire and she was free this evening.
‘It’s on,’ Tamara had said to Tab, and she had kissed him exuberantly. ‘Now, where shall we hold the ceremony and the party?’
‘The Lamy Hotel has a lovely private room that looks out onto the gardens. It holds about a hundred people. We could do the ceremony and the party in the same place.’
They spent the day organizing everything. The Oasis Room at the Lamy was available. The hotel had large stocks of Travers vintage champagne. Tab booked it.
‘Are we going to have dancing?’ he said.
‘Oh, yes. I fell in love with you when I saw how badly you dance.’
The Malian jazz band Desert Funk were free, and Tamara booked them.
They sent the invitations by email.
Late that afternoon Tamara stood at the open door of Tab’s closet, looking at his suits, and said: ‘What shall we wear?’
‘We must dress up,’ he said immediately. ‘Everyone must know this isn’t, like, a Las Vegas wedding, even though it’s been organized at the last minute. It’s a real marriage, for life.’
After that she had to kiss him again. Then she returned to the closet. ‘Tuxedo?’
‘Nice idea.’
She noticed a plastic suit cover bearing the wordsTeinturerie de l’Opéra. It came from a dry cleaner presumably situated near the Place de l’Opéra in Paris. ‘What’s in here?’
‘White tie and tails. I’ve never worn that outfit in Chad. That’s why it’s still in the cleaner’s bag.’
She took the suit out. ‘Oh, Tab, you’ll look gorgeous in this.’
‘I have been told it flatters me. But then you’ll have to wear a ball gown.’
‘That’s all right. I have the perfect dress. You’ll get a hard-on just looking.’
At eight o’clock that evening the Oasis Room was packed with about double the number of guests they had invited. No one was turned away.
Tamara wore an ice-pink dress with an eye-popping neckline.
In front of all their friends they vowed to be companions, allies and lovers for the rest of their lives, however short or long. Claire pronounced them husband and wife, a waiter popped a champagne cork, and everyone clapped.
Desert Funk started to play a smooth blues. The waiters removed the covers from the buffet and poured the champagne. Tamara and Tab got the first two glasses and each took a sip.
Tab said: ‘You’re stuck with me now. How does it feel?’
