Jac had arrived to dinner with a sarcastic grin on her face and an eagerness to eat. Fletch had clocked it immediately.
"So, what's happened?" he asked, not bothering to maintain the pretence of cluelessness.
"Guess who's getting married!" Jac enthused in a snarky tone, biting into a forkful of noodles and eating them with frustration. "Jackpot! Mr. Maconie!"
Fletch swallowed thickly, wondering exactly what he ought to say next. Nervously taking a bite of his ramen instead.
"Fletch! They want Emma to be flower girl! It's going to be absolutely hideous, just like the last one was, and my poor daughter is going to have to be a part of their big, extravagant day!" Jac exclaimed through a mouthful of food.
The waiter was looking across the room at her disapprovingly and Fletch was pleased he had his back to the unsuspecting bystander, knowing that she wouldn't take kindly to being tutted at.
He continued to eat, telling himself that it was just one of those Jac things and that she'd have stopped thinking about it by tomorrow morning but even he was doubting himself this time, she never got so riled about things like this outside of work.
It wasn't until they had finished and he was grabbing the bill that he realised just how frustrated she was.
"What if we took all the kids on holiday? Go a few days before the wedding then when he calls to ask when to pick up Emma, I'll tell him I thought it was the week after! Tell me I'm not a genius Fletcher, I dare you."
Suppressing the urge to roll his eyes at her, he focused his attention on their waiter and thanked him as they prepared to leave. Jac grabbed his hand in hers and hurried him out of the restaurant and down the street.
"Fletch, seriously, can you actually help me think of a way to get out of this?" Jac asked with a newfound seriousness to her tone.
"Jac, do you really think it's the end of the world if Emma has to wear a slightly ugly dress and be dragged around like a doll for an afternoon? They'll take a few photos and then you can delete it from your memory forever," Fletch tried to reason, guiding her towards the car and practically dropping her into the passenger seat.
"Adrian, this is the end of the world. I am going to have to be there every second of the day trying to fake smile my way through a hideous day with everyone looking at me like the doting ex," she retorted as he got in and turned the key in the ignition.
Fletch scoffed at her as he pulled away from the curb.
"Nobody is ever going to look at you and see a doting ex," he reminded her, wondering how anybody could ever see her as anything less magnificent than she truly was.
It seemed irrational to him that she could be doubtful even for a second that she would be the most beautiful thing in the room, bride present or not.
As they pulled into the drive of his house, she was still rattling on about how much of a disaster it was going to be and he couldn't help but guilting snigger at the irony or Jonny Maconie having two disastrous wedding days in a row.
When Evie asked if there was something wrong, Jac turned around and regaled the entire story again, this time with far more enthusiasm. It wasn't a Jac thing...it was a woman thing.
"Dad, you have to go! Go looking absolutely charming and everyone will know Jac got the better end of the deal," Evie suggested as she tucked her feet up underneath herself.
"You want me to, Jac? You know I don't mind catching up with old Jonny boy on his big day!"
"Not the point, Fletcher! If you're going to come then you can't be all friendly with him, that's the exact opposite of what you will be doing," Jac snapped, wondering how on Earth he had got so far in life without her guidance.
Apparently, he was an entirely clueless man and would have almost nothing to do with the plan, though his attendance would still be required. Evie and Jac nattered on about what she would wear to ensure that she managed to be the centre of attention, and how exactly Jac could orchestrate every moment in order to ensure minimal time spent with and or near the bride and groom.
Fletch ducked out of the room after that, going to make himself a cup of tea and heading up for an early night since it didn't look like there was any chance of a bit of late night television in the front room.
By 10:15, Jac had slipped into the bedroom and changed her clothes at the foot of the bed before getting under the duvet and making Fletch just half a foot away from her icy skin.
"Bloody hell, woman," he bit out as he cautiously wrapped his arms around her and tried to warm her up.
"Sorry," she admitted quietly. "I spent the entire night going on about Jonny and his stupid wedding, that probably isn't what you wanted to do with your evening off."
He kissed her shoulder lightly, buried his face there and shook his head. There was no need for words, not now when they were both so ready for sleep.
