“Wife? He has a wife?” shouted Steph as she sprang up off the bed startling both masseurs and Lindsay.
“He accuses me of being easy and he is the one screwing with my head if nothing else when he has the little wifey stashed away at home. I bet they have a country house where her and the kids wait for Mr Perfect to come home leaving whatever or whoever back in London, hence the bachelor pad or is it just a shag pad.” Steph fumed now. The hypocrisy of the man when all the time he was the one prepared to cheat.
“Steph, please, I don’t really know much about it, but–”
Steph lay back down, stiffer than she had been before the massage had started as she cut her friend off. “No! Look it doesn’t matter. He’s a dickhead, a married dickhead who doesn’t like me and I don’t like him . . . that’s fine so it doesn’t matter if he’s married or not because he is and will never be anything tome. Let’s talk about something else now because I can’t relax or be calm if I think about that man.”
Lindsay risked a glance at her masseur and with a roll of her eyes, decided talking about Jon was probably not the best idea right now, however, she knew her friend well enough to know that Steph did like him, despite his behaviour and her own protests.
As Lindsayand Steph were eating lunch, the manager of the spa came over. “Miss Walters and Miss Pryor?”
They both nodded as he summoned a staff member over.
Lindsay looked at a confused Steph as she whispered, “I bet we are being thrown out because of your behaviour about Jon.” She frowned while Steph actually reasoned that if her friend was right, that would be another mark against him. She had never met anyone who riled her quite as he did.
The staff member appeared with a bottle of champagne, two glasses and a card each.
Lindsay opened hers and smiled. Steph assumed it was from Charlie, but as she opened her own, she frowned, feeling more confused than ever.
Stephanie,
Maybe I do have the wrong idea about you.
Enjoy the champagne.
Jon
She staredat the card and shook her head. Was she really just horny? Is that why he confused her like no man ever had? None of that matter though. Whatever the reason for her attractionto him and her confusion by him she couldn’t and wouldn’t go there. He was married. He didn’t have a girlfriend or even a fiancée, he had a wife, till death, sickness and in health, blah-blah and suddenly her confusion multiplied tenfold because even if she knew she shouldn’t be thinking about him, she couldn’t get him out of her head.
Three
Lindsay was annoyingly calm and chirpy as she prepared to walk down the aisle on her father’s arm. Everyone was in position now. Mr Walters and Lindsay, followed by two little bridesmaids, Lindsay’s younger sisters, Paula and Lauren and then Steph.
As they all walked down the aisle toThe Bridal March, Steph smiled at the sight of Charlie turning to look at his bride like a man totally in love. Her chest felt tight, a weight sitting there as a sense of sadness washed over her at the realisation that she could have been a bride in a different life or if things had worked out with Simon. Although, she was also relieved not to be walking up the aisle towards him.
Steph came to a standstill behind Lindsay and took her bouquet from her before stepping to the side. She looked across at the bride and groom and realised that the best man was staring at her, admiring the image of her looking every inch the demure lady. She shifted from one foot to the other, her nude stilettos covered by a full length, chocolate brown, strapless, satin dress. The corseted detail to the waist held her tightly while the skirt that fell below a cream sash flared gently to the floor, adding an air of femininity. Her hair was curled and piled on topof her head with cream flowers and crystal pins fixed through it. She had added a crystal choker and matching, dangly earrings.
She flushed slightly as she realised Jon was smiling at her now and despite her determination not to, she returned his smile.
As the service was completed,Steph followed her friends to a side area where the wedding document was to be signed and could feel the charge between her and Jon as he walked next to her.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered.
“Not too slutty?” she asked, unable to resist one dig.
He frowned at her and then smiled. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said what I did. I didn’t know you, but you do appear to be rather fool hardy with your own safety.”
She nodded because she could offer no counterargument to that after waking up in Jon’s bed, clueless as to what had happened or even how she’d got there.
When they posed for photos, signing the official paperwork with their friends, Steph could feel a shift between them again. Things were a little easier and as she relaxed in Jon’s company he seemed to become more human, so much so that by the time they were walking back down the aisle behind their friends he offered her his arm, which she accepted, making her ridiculously happy to be there.
Steph had to keep reminding herself that she needed to stay strong and remain sober and un-slutty. She could not give into her desire for this man, no matter how much she wanted to because apart from the fact that he was too much for her in every way, he was married.
There were more photos outside and as the bridesmaids and male attendants were called together, the photographer stoodSteph next to Jon and put the others to their sides and in front of them. The photographer snapped away then stood Steph and Jon together and as he called for the customary ‘cheese’ pose from the two of them Steph felt Jon’s hand on her bum, he didn’t pinch or squeeze it, nor did he cup it, but simply rested his hand on it.
With his hand still on her, he spoke. “Clean slate?”
Steph looked up at him suspiciously and as much as she knew she should tell him to let her go, she didn’t. “We’ll see.”
