Page 2 of The Suite Life
‘Yeah, seriously, so impressive,’ Nina adds. ‘You guys will be the couple no one can take their eyes off – never mind the bride and groom.’
Everyone at the table laughs, but it doesn’t take long for the atmosphere to turn awkward as, one by one, they all realise what they are saying. Their chuckles die down, and one by one, everyone averts their gaze, looking anywhere but at me.
Ahh, the elephant in the room – the one who was absolutely not invited to this super-exclusive wedding, but is almost certainly going to be my plus-one – the fact that Nathan and I broke up last year, in November, and now he’s dating someone who is justsoimpressive, irritatingly so, because I just cannot compete. Oh, and not that it’s a competition, but the fact that he has moved on with so much style (and so soon after our split – a matter of weeks, as far as I can tell), and I haven’t, is starting to make it look like I’m still hung up on him. I don’t even have a plus-one to take to the wedding, which is always there, in the back of my mind, because I am going to look so tragic, being the only single person in the wedding party, while the man I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with sits loved-up across the table.
It’s an unavoidably complicated situation. Lucy’s fiancé, Rick, is Nathan’s best friend (which means Nathan is his best man too), and since I’m Lucy’s sister and chief bridesmaid, we all have no choice but to play nice. As the wedding day approaches, it’s becoming increasingly evident that we’re going to have to spend more and more time together, and I can’t put into words how much I hate it. How am I supposed to move on from him when he’s still knocking around?
In desperate need of a breather, I make my excuses, telling the group I’m going to the bar to get another drink. Hopefully, while I’m away, they can all whisper together, about how so, so sad it is that I’m single, and how they should all try harder not to make me feel bad. Honestly, I hate the idea of them all pitying me, but if it happens behind the scenes, and it makes it less awkward for me in person, then I’m all for it.
As I walk away from the table, I can’t help but feel a knot in my stomach, knowing that this is just the beginning.
I sit down at the bar, briefly taking shelter from the shitstorm back at the table. The dim lights and quiet chatter are a welcome escape from the increasingly awkward vibe back there.
The friendly barman flashes me a knowing grin as he serves another customer. I wonder if you have to be attractive to be a barman, or whether it just helps. Eventually, he lands in front of me and takes my order.
‘Why the long face?’ he asks, his smile cheeky, knowing what a cliché line he’s delivering.
I wonder how often people actually give him an honest response?
‘I’m the chief bridesmaid at a destination wedding where my ex-boyfriend is the best man, and to make things even more uncomfortable, he’s bringing his new celebrity girlfriend.’
‘Yikes,’ the barman replies, but his curiosity is piqued. ‘Who’s his girlfriend?’
‘Sunshine Greene,’ I tell him with a sigh so deep I almost take the mats off the bar.
‘Wow, she’s hot,’ the barman blurts – almost involuntarily.
Don’t worry, I’m used to that reaction. Sunshine was a contestant onWelcome to Singledom, the reality TV dating show where they stick a bunch of young, attractive singles on an island who have to couple up while trying to survive in aBig-Brother-meets-Survivorsituation. I used to be a fan of the show, in fact, I watched the series Sunshine took part in – and hilariously I even made Nathan watch it with me, even though he hates stuff like that. Sunshine actually made show history, by being the only bombshell islander whom every single man was willing to leave their partner for. Not all that long after we broke up, Nathan met her through the PR firm he works for. How was I ever going to be able to compete with that?
Realising his reaction might not have been the ideal one, the barman quickly backtracks and stammers an apology.
‘It’s fine. I’m used to it,’ I inform him. ‘Really. I mean, being still single while he’s moved on, everyone around me seems to think there’s no chance I’ll find a date for the wedding. I couldn’t look or feel any more tragic – especially not to that lot – so, unless you want to slip me your number, when you bring me my drink, to show them that I’m not completely undesirable to everyone…’
I’m joking – well, half joking, at least – but I notice a glimmer of something in the barman’s eye.
‘A barman giving you his number won’t impress them, trust me,’ he replies. ‘But I do have an idea. Go sit back down with your friends. I’ll bring you a drink.’
I smile, nervously excited, keen to see what the barman has up his sleeve. I make my way back to the table and sit down with the others. They’re all back to general wedding chat now, rather than the part that highlights my own tragic situation.
I am just about to get lost in my thoughts when the barman joins us, bearing a tray with my drink and a folded piece of paper. He hands them to me with a grin.
‘The guy you were talking to at the bar wanted me to give this to you,’ the barman tells me, quietly, but still ensuring that my friends can hear him. ‘It’s his number.’
The barman makes his exit, clearly pleased with his work. I look at the piece of paper, then at my friends, and I can’t help but smile as I notice that everyone around the table has turned their attention to me. Then they look over at the bar and notice a handsome, dark-haired man in an expensive-looking suit. Oh, this is so satisfying. I can tell by the look on their faces that, even if it is only for a split second, they’re impressed, maybe even a little envious. There is a hot man at the bar and he’s seemingly given me his number. I’m young (ish), free and single. I can take numbers from hot men. Nathan is in a relationship so, in theory, his days of getting a buzz like this are over.
Their admiration soon crumbles as the man is joined by a woman, clearly his wife. The light catches the shimmer of her wedding ring as she places a hand on his face to kiss him, confirming their connection. The atmosphere at the table turns awkward, and the room suddenly feels smaller, and warmer, and if the ground could just open up and swallow me whole, that would be great. I’m almost certainly heading down that way eventually anyway.
‘Wow, what a creep,’ Lucy blurts.
‘Yeah, that’s not on,’ Rick adds. ‘Someone should say something to him.’
Nathan, ever the gentleman, stands up, his chair screeching loudly against the floor.
‘I’m going over there,’ he announces. ‘His wife should know. He’s not messing her, or you, around like that.’
Oh, great, now everyone feels sorry for me again. Also, more pressingly, this poor man is totally innocent of any wrongdoing, and Nathan marching over there is only going to cause a big mess and, ultimately, more embarrassment for me.
I rise from my seat, clearing my throat, searching for the words and the confidence to nip this in the bud.
