“I hate high heels,” she said, peering at the vertiginous shoes with annoyance.
“Then why are you wearing them?” Tom laughed, perplexed.
“Because they go with this dress and make me look tall. And although I hate them, I love strutting around in them. Well, until they make my feet hurt so much that I want to cry.”
“It’s a long day at a wedding. Will you survive an entire day in those things if that’s how they make you feel?”
Carole held up the tote bag she’d brought and lifted out a pair of low kitten heels. “When the pain gets too bad, I’ll change into these. By that point, we’ll be well into the wedding reception and most of the guests will have had too much to drink and no one will notice what anyone’s wearing on their feet. With these on”—she gestured with the kitten heels before sliding them back inside the tote bag—“I’ll still be able to dance and have fun. Plus, I brought plasters and blister packs in case things get bloody.”
Tom laughed, but the idea of Carole limping around with blood seeping from her feet made him wonder what she was thinking. “Are you sure you don’t just want to wear those other shoes for the entire day?”
“No, I want to have these heels on for the wedding ceremony and the first part of the reception at least, because…”
When she trailed off, Tom glanced away from the road and saw Carole was frowning.
“Because?” he prompted, wondering at her odd expression.
She blew out a breath. “Okay, there’s something I haven’t told you about this wedding we’re going to. The reason my mother was trying to set me up with a date for the day was because it turns out that one of the guests who’ll be there on thegroom’s side is an old boyfriend of mine and… well, let’s just say our break-up was one of the worst things that’s ever happened to me.”
Her suddenly solemn tone had Tom glancing her way again. “Ah, I see. I’m sorry.”
“It was a long time ago, fifteen years to be exact, and I got over it. I mean, youhaveto get over it, right? But this is the first time I’ll have seen Steven since then and…” She sighed and gave a slight shrug. “And although my mother was definitely meddling when she tried to set me up with the awful son of her friend, she was right in thinking I wouldn’t want to see Steven for the first time after all these years at a wedding where he’s there as someone’s guest and I’m there all by myself.”
“You need some moral support. That makes perfect sense, and that’s what I’m here for.”
“You and these killer heels,” Carole said with a laugh, nodding to the shoes she’d kicked off. “I hate those shoes, but I love how I look in them. Call me vain, or maybe stupid, but wearing those shoes makes me feel confident and… ridiculously tall.”
Tom couldn’t help laughing. “I understand.”
“When I see Steven again after all these years, I want to look amazing.”
“You look amazing whether you’re wearing those high heels or not,” he said, and meant it.
Carole returned his smile. “Thanks. See, this is why I know you’re the perfect date for this wedding. Keep talking me up. I need it.”
Tom laughed as he focused on the road. He wanted to ask Carole about what had happened with her ex all those years ago, because the strained expression on her face when she’d mentioned the break-up had surprised him.
During their limited interactions since she moved in next door, he’d never found her as anything other than upbeat and cheerful, but the glimpse he’d caught of her just now spoke of pain and heartbreak, barely concealed.
Still, he didn’t want to put a downer on the day by asking more about the mysterious Steven and what had happened between the two of them. Carole was heading to a family wedding, after all, and was no doubt looking forward to a fun day filled with celebrations. It wouldn’t be right to ask her to dredge up hurtful memories just because he was curious, and risk her turning up at the wedding ceremony feeling glum.
He was about to change the subject and start talking about something else when Carole surprised him by saying, “Ever since I found out that Steven would be at the wedding today, I’ve been thinking about what to wear to make sure I look my best, because it’s easy to think about all that stuff. But now that we’re in the car and driving to the church, I’m getting nervous about seeing him again. Nervous and… embarrassed.”
Tom glanced away from the road and saw those nerves etched across her expression once more.
“Why are you embarrassed?” he asked. “Whatever happened between the two of you is in all in the past, right?”
“The long distant past, yes. But you see, the thing is…” She trailed off and stared out of the window for a moment before continuing. “Steven and I were engaged to get married, and then two weeks after he put the ring on my finger, I caught him in bed with one of my friends.”
Tom blinked in stunned surprise. “Carole, I’m sorry. That’s bloody awful.”
“It happened on the night of our engagement party, which made it even worse, if that’s possible.”
Tom’s eyes widened further and he gave her a sympathetic look, encouraging her to continue with the story, if that’s what she wanted.
“We’d booked a function room at a local hotel to celebrate, and I was supposed to meet Steven there before the party kicked off,” Carole said. “I was still living at home with my parents in our old house in Winchester. I was only twenty at the time and couldn’t afford my own place yet. Steven was seven years older than me and had his own flat and I thought it would be fun to surprise him at his place before the party.”
A wistful look crossed her face, her eyes distant.
