Wedding Woes

Chapter 15

The house was beautifully decorated with pink roses to match those they had decided on for the wedding. Younger family members raced across the back garden up and down the Chinese inspired bridges, running over a babbling man made brook. They instantly spotted Mikey, drinking with his buddies. Ellie was dancing with her mother to a Spice Girls song, and they seemed to know all the moves. She couldn't help but smile as Ellie beckoned her over. True to her mission, Annie waltzed off to the bar, ready to make a move on the groom. She tried not to make her interest in Annie's plight too obvious, and found herself joining in the highly energetic dance routine.

She spotted Saul and Sophia chatting with an older couple, and then Luke. Rebecca was nowhere to be seen, and he looked positively sombre, sipping on a bright blue cocktail, his eyes fixed on his shoes. She danced with a man who introduced himself as Andrew, Mikey's cousin, and then with Reuben, Mikey's Uncle. She found herself having such a good time, that she did not notice Annie had sloped away. And so had Mikey.

Heart suddenly transplanting itself into her throat, she left the dance floor telling Ellie and her mother that she'd bring back a couple of drinks. Stumbling through the mass of people, more people than the couple could possibly know, she crashed straight into Luke. His blue drink splashed all over his shirt, and she heard an impossibly loud sigh, as she stormed away towards the house. Eyes searching for Annie, she didn't catch even a glimmer of her sparkly black dress, so she followed Luke. It was possible Mikey had taken her indoors. Maybe he worked his charm faster than she anticipated. Luke took the back staircase, and she tailed him. If he knew she was following he didn't let on, and as he entered an unmistakeably masculine bedroom she watched him strip off his shirt and head for the shower.

She sat on the bed, eyes fixed on her phone, waiting for some sort of sign from Annie. Maybe she had ditched the plan and run off with Captain America. Maybe they were doing the horizontal samba in one of the bathtubs. That dress was better suited as swimwear.

Moments later, Luke appeared, a towel sling low around his hips. Self conscious, she watched the adorable spread of colour bloom across his cheeks. Then anger. It definitely looked like anger.

'What are you doing here?'

Her eyes were drawn down his body. The fine dust of brown hairs on his chest, leading down to a soft, but still muscular figure. As her eyes were drawn back up to his face, all she could do was stare at his lips, plush and red and begging for her to kiss them. As she stepped closer to him, they heard a scream. It was Annie. No doubt about it. She knew that sound well, usually issued when a spider dared to stroll into their flat.

As she dashed from the room, she headed down the hall, where the noise had come from. She dodged out of the way as Sophia came rushing towards her, dress unzipped and held together with her hands. Then came Annie, face like thunder, stomping along the corridor in those pencil thin heels. She grabbed Emilys hand, and Luke stood at the top of the stairs watching bewildered as the women thumped down the stairs in pursuit of one another. Then came Mikey.