She reached out and touched the side of his face. He pulled her towards him, cupping her face in his hands, as though she were something precious, and kissed her as though for the first time, as though they were teenagers. Suddenly, a beam of headlights panned across the van and Patsy woke up and whined.
‘Perfect timing.’
‘I’d better go.’
‘Wait .?.?.’ His expression was unguarded in a way she’d never seen him. Every part of her wanted to stay in this moment, safe in his arms.
‘I’ll wait to see that you get inside safely,’ he said prosaically and her heart sank.
So maybe that was her fate, for happiness to be tantalisingly close but always just out of reach. Like the stars from a sparkler, once you tried to touch them, they vanished.
‘See you tomorrow, Pete.’
She climbed out and heard the van door closing behind her like a full stop.
* * *
She’d just stumbled through her front door in a daze, when her phone beeped.
OMG RU THERE? HAVE NEWS!!!
Just in
Instantly, the phone rang. Crap .?.?. she’d wanted to luxuriate in Pete’s kiss a bit longer.
‘You will not fecking believe it .?.?.’
‘What?’
‘You know the Tadpole? Well, she isn’t a tadpole at all, she’s a big fuckingfrog.’
‘Rosemarie, what are you on about?’
‘I always knew there was something off about her .?.?.’
‘Don’t tell me you went on one of your weird internet searches?’
‘Yes. In a word, I did. Remember that selfie I took back in The Owl’s Nest? Well, I have an app where I can do a facial recognition sweep.’
‘Stop!I really don’t think I want to know.’
‘No. You do. And .?.?. wait for it .?.?. She is not who she says she is. Fleur isn’t her real name, surprise, surprise. And she’s not twenty-four, she’s thirty-one!’
‘No shit?’
‘And she’s been married before .?.?.twice!’
‘No!So .?.?. who .?.?. what .?.?. how? God, I’m not making any sense .?.?.’
‘I saw the pictures: one big wedding in Scotland, one in Spain. Plus, they’ve both been wealthy guys, and she’s got a big fuck-off divorce settlement from each of them.’
‘No.?.?.’
‘She’s a professional bride. A fraudster. Flesh-coloured tights? Dead giveaway.’
‘Come on, Rosemarie, plenty of people wear flesh-coloured tights.’
‘But on aSaturday?’
