Page 71 of The Day After Christmas
‘Have I told you lately that I love you?’ murmured Felicity, grabbing James around the waist and burying her face in his lovely broad back.
He reached one arm around to pull her against him.
‘Not this morning,’ he said and she could hear the smile in his voice.
‘Also, how come you didn’t run away screaming when you saw the state of me last night?’ she said into his bare skin.
‘I was tempted, I won’t lie,’ he said.
‘Er, rude. Your poor car. I’m so sorry.’
‘Don’t worry,’ he said, waving a hand. ‘That’s what car shampoo is for.’
‘Was it that bad?’
‘It was pretty bad.’ A pause. ‘What the hell happened?’
‘I need to eat first,’ she said. ‘And I need coffee. So much coffee.’
James deposited her gently into a chair and passed a mug of steaming hot black coffee into her grateful hands. She clutched it like it was a life jacket. Which, in a way, it was.
CHAPTER 35
Three egg-and-hash-brown muffins and two coffees later, Felicity was finally ready to talk. Extremely fast.
The story came out all in a rush.
‘Slow down, Crazy Cat Lady. I see the caffeine is kicking in.’
‘Sorry.’
‘Start again.’
‘Okay. So… Bex was sick in my face.’
‘It was Bex? No way.’
‘Yes, way. She was sick like right in my face, and then she was sick all over the table and I was sick in the toilets and it was a whole big vomit-fest basically.’
James laughed out loud. ‘I mean, I guessed there was vomit involved somewhere along the line. But that is absolutely horrendous.’
‘It really was. I actually don’t think anyone’s ever had a worse hen do since the dawn of time.’
‘I’ve never seen Bex drunk enough to vomit, have you?’ said James after a moment. ‘I can’t even imagine it.’
‘Never,’ said Felicity. ‘She’s always really restrained but she was properly giddy, like one step from falling down drunk.’ Sheburied her head in her hands. ‘I feel awful. I never should have let it get that far. It was the bottomless brunch that did it.’
‘The what?’
Felicity’s stomach roiled at the thought of the warm wine and she had to hold on to the table for a moment before she could speak.
‘Basically, I’m the worst maid of honour in the world.’
‘I’m sure that can’t be true.’
‘Oh, it is. We had a lovely day planned but when Bex thought the man at the pottery place was a stripper…’
James rolled his eyes. ‘Oh my God.’
