Katie Fforde - Wedding Season

He was hopeless, she realised; as bad, if not worse, than she had been the very first time she had tried waltzing with Laurence. They went twice round the dance floor, which was not huge, and then he said, 'I'm sorry. I'm no good at this. Would you mind if we just did a slow dance instead?'

‘What do you mean? Waltzing isn't terribly fast.’

He laughed at her teasingly. 'You're cute. I meant like this.' He took her hands and linked them behind his head and then put his arms round her waist. It was, she had to admit, much easier than trying to steer him round corners.

Nothing like being in the arms of an attractive man to chase away memories of another one, she thought as they circled the room. Not that this man really had chased away her thoughts of Laurence, but it was a distraction. At one time her dream scenario at an occasion like this would have been to find a good spot to watch it all from. But not now. Since being a substitute bridesmaid at Ashlyn's wedding, she had come on a lot. She now wanted to be part of the party, not just an onlooker.

For example, she pondered, as they plodded round in a small circle, would she have had the confidence to dance with him at all, to let him hold her close if it hadn't been for Ashlyn's wedding and all that followed it? She doubted it. Having her hair cut, Vanessa making her have her colours done, Laurence making her learn to waltz, had all given her confidence. So what if he'd decided it was a mistake, she told herself firmly, at least now she was a braver, more confident person. Having come to this conclusion she decided she should be bolder. She relaxed and smiled up at her partner and held his gaze as he smiled back.

‘Excuse me!’

Someone tapped her on her shoulder and peeled her off her partner. It was Laurence.

‘Excuse me,' he said again, to the man this time. 'But this is my girlfriend. I'm afraid I'm going to take her away.' Elsa's heart gave a little dance of pleasure.

‘Hey, fella! Doesn't she have some say in the matter?' The young American film star was heavier than Laurence and seemed ready to fight for his woman.

‘I'm afraid not. Come on, Elsa,' said Laurence. Then he took her hand and led her away.

‘Laurence!' said Elsa, struggling to keep up with him. 'What are you doing here? I thought you couldn't come!’

He didn't stop until they were in a little pantry, miles away from the party. 'I know, I nearly didn't make it, but I just had to, whatever it took.'

‘Why didn't you let me know?' she said. 'I haven't heard from you for so long. I thought..

He looked suitably contrite. 'I'm so sorry I haven't been in touch. I was so busy. Then I lost my phone and the battery died on my laptop – couldn't get a spare where I was and all my telephone numbers were on it.'

‘Oh.' That did cover most of the bases, apart from the carrier pigeon, of course.

He sighed deeply. 'I really am sorry. Anyway, I'm here now.’

She nodded.

‘I had to get a taxi from the airport. Cost me an arm and a leg.'

‘Oh dear.' She didn't know what else to say.

‘Elsa, I haven't driven for over five hours to get here to listen to you saying "Oh", or if I'm lucky "Oh dear"!’

She twinkled up at him, thrilled to see him, standing there looking so handsome in his dinner jacket. Dear Laurence, he'd come back to her.

Then he took her in his arms and kissed her.

It took Elsa a few seconds to get into the kiss. At first their noses bumped and their teeth clashed but then it settled down into a stomach-weakening clinch that made Elsa's head swim. She was glad he didn't let go when he stopped for breath or she might have fallen over.

‘Goodness, Laurence,' she said breathlessly. 'That was quite a kiss.'

‘I hope you know now how much I've missed you.’

‘Well, I've got some idea.' She smiled, all warm inside. 'I know we hadn't really got that far in our relationship…' He paused.

‘Did we have a relationship?'

‘Well, friendship. But I couldn't wait any longer. And that gorilla would have had you if I hadn't stepped in.’

Elsa laughed. 'I don't think so. We were only dancing.'

‘I know only too well what dancing can lead to!' said Laurence. 'That dancing teacher definitely fancied you.’

Elsa suddenly started to giggle. It was so lovely and funny and silly to be here with Laurence and him being jealous. 'Actually, I think the dancing teacher was gay.'

‘If he was, he was thinking of changing his mind.'

‘Idiot.' Then she went on, not wanting any awkwardness between them, 'When I didn't hear from you for such a long time I wondered if I'd made a mistake sleeping with you. We didn't know each other all that well. I thought maybe you'd lost all respect for me.'

‘Oh Elsa! I could never do that.' He took her into his arms again for a long time.

As Elsa was sort of on duty, in case Carrie had a ‘wardrobe malfunction', they drifted back up to the dancing. They met Sarah rubbing her foot in the doorway.

‘Laurence!' she said, pleased to see him. 'You made it.'

‘In the nick of time.' He glanced at Elsa and Elsa noticed a proprietorial gleam in his eye and it made her insides give a little skip of pleasure. 'She was just about to go off with the best man.'

‘That's what I do at weddings,' Elsa explained. 'It's a golden rule.’

Laurence's hand found her waist and tickled her. 'Not any more it's not. From now on, it's bridegrooms only.'

‘Bridegrooms?' asked Sarah, laughing and easing her foot back into her shoe. 'Not at any wedding I have anything to do with – it would ruin my business.'

‘Not if the bridegroom was me,' said Laurence. 'I'm fed up with always being the best man, I want my moment in the sun.'

‘You'll get a moment in the Sun if you're not careful. A few journalists have muscled their way in,' said Sarah. 'I'm just going to ask them to leave.’

Elsa laughed but uncertainly. She wasn't sure, but she might have been proposed to, in a very roundabout way.

‘So,' said Laurence when he'd got them both fresh glasses of champagne, 'how would you like to be a bride?’

Elsa considered, still not sure if he was asking in a general way, or actually proposing. She decided to take it lightly. 'I don't think I would. I don't think I'd like being the centre of attention.'

‘We could have a very quiet wedding, just family and a few friends..’

She bridled, a skill she didn't know she had. 'What's this "we" business? I thought we were discussing me being a bride!'

‘If you're going to be a bride, I bagsy be the bridegroom.’

She shook her head reproachfully. 'You don't bagsy brides, as if they were a seat on a bus! You go down on one knee and propose-' She let out a small shriek. 'Don't you dare!'

‘I won't go down on one knee if you don't want me to, but I would be very thrilled and happy if you'd agree to be-' He bent his knee.

‘No!' She pushed at him, starting to laugh again. It was all so daft. 'We hardly know each other!'

‘We know each other, in the Biblical sense, quite well.’

‘Really, Laurence!'

‘Really, Elsa!' He hesitated for a moment, and then the band struck up and the wonderful, poignant notes of 'Smoke Gets in Your Eyes' began, and the low; mellow tones of the singer started to float through the air.

He got up and took her hand, 'Come on, they're playing our song. Let's dance.’

She followed him to the dance floor. 'We haven't got a song, Laurence.'

‘We will have from now on. From now on whenever we hear this we'll remember the night you nearly agreed to be my wife.’

Elsa chuckled. 'So will we have another song if ever I do agree?’

He snatched her into his arms. 'No. This one will have to do_’