Page 58 of Wedding Games
Sam cracked her knuckles. ‘Righty-ho.’ She strode into the middle of the room, stuck her fingers in her mouth and whistled.
Everyone fell silent.
‘Do we have any single ladies in the house tonight?’
There were a few cheers.
‘Any unmarried ladies who wish their man would put a ring on it?’
There was a louder chorus of ‘yesses’.
‘Okay, then follow me and get your hands up!’ Sam cried. ‘Because the bride is about to throw her bouquet, and I’m going to be the one to catch it.’
Valentina stalked forward. ‘Not if I get there first,’ she replied.
‘Oh, it’s like that, is it?’ Sam asked, cocking her hip.
Valentina struck her own pose. ‘Hell yes. You’re going down.’
The other women who were in the process of joining Sam and Valentina on the floor hesitated.
‘Seriously?’ Zoe asked. ‘Are you all scared of those two?’
There were a few head nods.
Sam cracked her knuckles again and turned to Valentina with a glint in her eye. ‘Right then, Valverde. It’s just you and me.’
Valentina lifted her chin. ‘Bring it.’
‘Hang on!’ Morag cried. ‘Wait for me!’
She thrust her drink into Big Jim’s hand and ran towards them.
Zoe looked over at Jamie. His face was pale, and his hand was on his forehead as he watched his mother and girlfriend sizing each other up as if about to fight to the death.
Zoe faced away from them and Charlie began a countdown.
‘Three, two, one, throw!’
She launched the bouquet in the air behind her, then turned to see a three-way fight between Morag, Sam, and Valentina as they grappled with the bunch of flowers and each other.
‘Jesus Christ,’ Rory muttered.
‘Go for the eyes and the throat, Valentina!’ Charlie yelled. ‘You’ve got this!’
The women were a furious blur of fists and foliage.
Zoe dashed forward. ‘Stop!’ she screamed.
They did, separating with an equal third of battered flowers each.
‘I won!’ they all screamed.
Charlie scooped Valentina onto his shoulders.
‘The champion, ladies and gentlemen!’ he cried, running a victory lap.
‘Bollocks!’ screamed Sam.
