Jill Steeples - It's Now Or Never

‘Thanks, Jen. Yeah, who’d have thought it, eh? It’s been a while.’

Maybe I imagined the awkwardness as he leant in to give me a chaste kiss on the cheek or perhaps it was just because I hadn’t seen him since they’d got back together again. He looked much more handsome in his sleek grey suit than I remembered him to be. Clutching Angie’s hand, looking fondly into her eyes, he looked every inch the devoted husband-to-be. If Angie had found it in her heart to forgive Tom, then maybe I should do the same too.

Be gone with you, scumbag, grotbag and all the other uncharitable names I had for Tom. I allowed my remaining reservations about him and this whirlwind marriage to flutter off in the light spring breeze. This was their special day and, as Angie’s best friend, I was determined to celebrate it with them.

Putting all negative thoughts out of my head I wandered off and said my hellos to some of the other guests and chatted briefly with Angie’s mum and dad, before Angie grabbed me by the arm and led me away.

‘Let me introduce you to Alex. I don’t think you two have met before, have you? Alex and Tom used to work in the city together. Alex, this is my very best friend in the whole wide world, Jen.’

She’d brought me to a standstill in front of the man who was clearly auditioning for the part of most gorgeous wedding guest. In my opinion, without even seeing all the other guests, he’d won the part hands down. I looked up at him and smiled.

‘Delighted to meet you, Jen,’ he said, lifting up my hand and depositing the lightest of kisses on my fingertips in a gesture so gallant and ridiculously over-the-top it made my toes curl.

There’s something about a man in a navy blue suit and a crisp double cuffed white shirt that does funny things to my insides. Don’t ask me why, but it’s always been that way. Added to that the fact that this particular man was over six foot tall with dark hair and warm sparkling eyes and it made for an intriguing combination. As his lips met my fingers I caught the faintest smell of sun-drenched orange groves and I tried to ignore the flip of anticipation that turned in my stomach.

‘I understand you’ll be my partner in crime today?’

‘Excuse me?’ I hadn’t been listening to his words, I’d been too busy taking a surreptitious inhalation trying to recapture the essence of that delicious scent.

‘You’re the other witness, right? Is it your first time too?’

‘Oh yes, my first time,’ I said, concentrating now on his lips, which on close inspection were full and wide and really rather lovely.

Angie had left us alone, giving my hand a gentle squeeze as she went off to greet a couple of new arrivals and I noticed those lips were now twisting in amusement.

‘And do you have the slightest idea what we have to do?’

‘Absolutely no idea whatsoever.’

‘Brilliant, let’s go and do it together then,’ he said, grabbing my hand and leading me inside.

Smiling, I wandered with him into the registry office and we stood to the side of the bride and groom, who seemed oblivious to anything else but each other. Tom tidied Angie’s hair away from her face and whispered something into her ear which made her laugh, happiness radiating from every inch of her being.

Looking around the oak-panelled room, waiting for the registrar to start the proceedings, my eyes landed on the ring of flowers on the desk, and my breath caught at the back of my throat at the enormity of the situation. My best friend, the girl at school who was once named the least likely to get married, was doing exactly that (before me even, which was still a bit of a sore point) and things would never be the same again. It was the end of an era and the start of a brand new one and there was still a tiny part of me that felt hugely unsettled by that fact.

I clasped my hands in front of me letting the words of the registrar, a kindly middle-aged woman, wash over me. The legal formalities were all wrapped up within a matter of minutes. Tom and Angie signed the register, before Alex and I were invited to do the same, adding our names in black ink at the bottom of the page. Signed, sealed, delivered. As easily as that.

***

After some photos, taken by Tom’s brother on the steps of the town hall and on the bridge overlooking the river, our small party took the short walk to the restaurant where we were greeted by Michel, the owner of the establishment, with welcoming glasses of champagne.

‘Can you believe it?’ Angie, already drunk on happiness, radiance and excitement, steered me into a quiet nook of the room. ‘I’m a married woman at last. Who’d have thought it?’ She waved her wedding band in front of my nose.

‘Congratulations, darling. I am so happy for you. And no, I still can’t quite believe it!’ I lifted up her hand to examine her finger just to make sure. ‘Really though, I hope you and Tom have a long and happy married life together filled with love and laughter.’

‘Squeee!’ Angie hugged me so tightly I thought I might faint. ‘We will, Jen. We will.’ She released me from her bear hold and slipped an arm around my waist.

‘You do realise that this changes nothing between us. Obviously I’ll now have to be made an honorary member of the Single Girls’ Club but I still intend to attend our meetings in an advisory capacity only, you understand.’

‘I should hope so too.’

‘Oh yes, our Tuesday nights are going to remain a permanent fixture on my calendar, don’t you worry. I’m going to be coming round to yours and scanning those dating websites with you and I’m not going to stop until we find your Mr Right. Of course, being a married woman, I’m an expert in these matters now and so will expect to find you the perfect man in next to no time.’

‘You reckon, do you?’

‘Absolutely. There’s no question of doubt in my mind.’

We laughed, but I knew it was never going to happen. Giggling at dating profiles had been a blast when we’d both been in the same position, single girls looking for love, but doing it on my own with Angie acting as my chaperone smacked of desperation. And I wasn’t desperate. Absolutely not. Besides, I was quite capable of finding my own romantic hero if I wanted one. I certainly didn’t need anyone’s help on that front.

‘So what do you think of Alex then?’ she whispered in my ear.

I span around just to make sure he wasn’t in the vicinity and his eyes locked on to mine from across the other side of the room, where he was chatting with Tom, as if he knew we were talking about him. He raised his glass of champagne to the air and hooked me with a smile.

‘Well, he seems lovely. Charming and, well, just delightful really.’ I don’t know if it was the effects of the champagne which was being topped up to the brim of my glass faster than I could drink the stuff or whether it was the emotion of the occasion, but I was already feeling lightheaded and we hadn’t even sat down to eat yet.

‘Ha ha, listen to you, acting all coy and “oh yes, he’s delightful .” I’ve seen the way you look at him. You fancy the pants off him, don’t you?’

‘He’s very attractive, I admit, but I’m just appreciating the beauty of a man who is clearly a fine specimen of his breed.’

‘Is that right?’ Angie’s mouth quirked in disbelief. ‘In all seriousness though, he is lovely. Totally charming, but let me just give you a word of advice. If you thought Tom was a player then Alex is in another league all together. He’s a love ‘em and leave ‘em type of guy and I think he’s left plenty behind in his past. I’ve lost count of the number of girlfriends he’s had since I’ve known Tom and none of them have lasted past the three month stage. If you want to keep your heart intact, then honestly, Jen, don’t even go there.’