Page 47 of The Day After Christmas
‘An enormous gin?’
‘Well, yes, definitely, but also… Sophie. You need Sophie.’
Felicity’s eyes widened.
‘I do need Sophie. She will make it all all right. She’ll know what to do. If I play my cards right, she’ll even take it off my hands. She loves all the admin and that. Why Bex didn’t make her the maid of honour is totally beyond me.’
‘You really don’t know why?’ said James, his perfect brow line wrinkling.
‘Do you?’
‘I have a theory.’
Felicity’s stomach twisted. She took a deep breath. ‘Go on then, let’s hear it.’
James hesitated for a second, then spoke, with pain in his voice.
‘Well, Bex obviously just wants to torture you, doesn’t she?’
‘Does she?’ said Felicity, eyes widening.
‘I think so. She’s known you for years and years. She knows you’re not a… natural organiser, let’s say.’
‘Hey…’
‘Sorry.’ He winced.
In spite of the sinking feeling in her gut, Felicity laughed. ‘It’s okay. You’re quite right of course. Go on.’
‘Well, has it ever occurred to you that this is her way of making you pay for Adam being in love with you, for all those years? She’s keeping her enemies close, for one thing, always a good strategy. And she gets to watch you try and organise all this stuff, being as exacting as she can be, knowing you’ll be hating every second.’ He lifted his glass and took a sip of wine, letting Felicity absorb his words. ‘She’s an evil genius, basically.’
‘Well, we knew that already, didn’t we?’
‘True.’
Felicity swallowed. ‘But surely she must think there’s a risk I’ll sabotage the whole thing. It’s a gamble.’
James nodded. ‘It is, but it’s a calculated one. She’s banking on the fact that you’re far too lovely, not to mention intimidatedby her to mess with her wedding. I kind of admire it in a weird way. Bex is calling your bluff.’
‘Don’t you dare say you admire her.’
‘Okay, sorry, poor choice of words. But it’s kind of impressive how much gall she has, given everything.’
‘She can take her bluff and stick it up her arse.’
At that very moment, a waiter hovered into view. He gave a small cough when he heard the last line but to his credit he kept a straight face.
‘Can I offer you any desserts, madam? Sir?’
‘Oh yes, please,’ said Felicity. ‘I’ll have whatever is the largest dessert you can find, with the biggest gin to go with it please.’
‘Ooh. Same for me please,’ said James. His cheeks were already flushed after the first gin. Felicity was feeling a bit tipsy herself but one more couldn’t hurt, could it?
When the waiter had backed away, a bemused look on his face, James raised his eyebrows at Felicity.
‘You okay?’
‘Yup. I worked out a way to get my own back. I’m going to get enormously fat. Then she’ll have to buy me a new dress and new shoes to fit my big fat maid of honour cankles.’
