Page 122 of Electric Kiss

They had reached the buggy. Yanny slipped behind the steering wheel only to be shoved aside by Heidi who announced she was driving. Yanny didn’t put up a fight and rounded the vehicle and sat at the back with Freya. Daisy sat next to Heidi and Erica took the middle seat with Freya’s bouquet and clutch handbag.

“Yanny, have I put people to too much trouble?” Freya asked.

“No, darling. You have no idea how much fun we’ve had pulling this together for you. We love you and Luke and you are a fantastic couple who I know will have a long future ahead of you. Luke is crazy in love with you. Just seeing him look at you and you look at him like there is no one else in the room. It’s beautiful and we all get to be a part of it, openly and with no restrictions. The other girls didn’t have that so today is about them too. Enjoy it, have the time of your life because you’ll look back on today for the rest of your married life. And do it smiling.”

“You’re a fabulous human being,” Freya said and sniffed.

“I know, darling, I know,” he said patting the back of her hand on the arm that was looped through the crook of his elbow.

Freya laughed as she rumbled along the dry path to the church. She waved at people as she passed and most of them waved back. All of them were in their Sunday best and one look at her, they realised they needed to increase their walking speed if they wanted to be in the church before her.

Chapter Forty-Eight

Gwen

Gwen had never been to a posh wedding in her life. But then she’d never been to a wedding before, unless she counted her auntie’s wedding when she was four. She couldn’t recall anything, and without the pictures of her in a poofy pink dress, Gwen would vehemently deny ever attending a wedding.

For a virgin wedding attender, she thought she’d hit the motherlode.

Gwen wasn’t wearing her own clothes, not even her underwear was her own. The underwear set was brand new, but she hadn’t bought it. The dress arrived that morning with a note that said it would need to be returned only if she didn’t like it. If she liked it, she could keep it.

The shoes were new, but she hadn’t bought those either. Not even her eyelashes were her own.

Erica introduced Gwen to spray tans. The naked kind. When she held her breasts in her hands the previous morning in a gorgeous room with original features at Edward Hall, she thought she’d be stuck with hand prints forever. But they knew what they were doing. Erica’s assistant Yanny also demonstrated his knowledge by asking her all about her fashion likes and dislikes. He never asked her dress size, but he enquired about her shoe size.

She possessed the most even healthy glow of a tan that could have been photoshopped on her. The clutch was to die for and she would wrestle Yanny to the death to be able to keep it.

Four women met her three days before, knowing nothing about her, befriended her and included her in the wedding of the decade. Gwen felt unworthy but was there with bells on.

Everyone she saw as she walked to the church in fabulous high heeled dusky pink sandals were in their finery.

Someone who she had never met before arrived at her home at seven o’clock and dressed her, then they applied make up and did her hair. The treatment she received was fit for a movie star, and the transformation almost brought her to tears. Gwen didn’t because the person glared at her as her eyes welled when they shoved her in front of the mirror to see if she was happy.

Gwen snapped out of her emotional episode and grinned at her dresser. The stranger nodded her head, wheeled her bag of tricks out of her home. Gwen suspected she would never see her again in her life. It seemed as though a fairy godmother had been sent.

She wore a form fitting deep pink, almost purple dress that was crinkled on purpose, ruche at the waist with the hem hitting her knee. It didn’t allow for a long stride but then in sky scraper heels, Gwen wasn’t moving at a speed fast enough to care. She wore a matching deep pink fascinator with swirls and feathers that sat stylishly on the left side of her head. She made a mental note to sit at the end of the pew on the left side of the church so she didn’t poke anyone’s eye out. The dress had no sleeves, and a high neck. Gwen also had a loose soft cashmere wrap that dangled from her elbows. The dresser gave her satin gloves that ended at the wrists and told her they were optional.

Gwen was wearing them.

Gwen was surprised that the church was so big on such a small island. In fact, it appeared out of proportion compared to the nearby buildings. The graveyard to the right was enormous and she should see on the far left the vicarage which looked welcoming, gorgeous and big. Too big for one person to live in.

Shaking off her judgemental thoughts she looked back up at the front of the church and shuffled forward in line to go inside. She doubted she needed a wrap as the day was so warm but then she didn’t know the island and the temperature could drop later for all she knew. As soon as she entered the space between the outer doors and the inner doors, she could hear the murmurings of the congregation and the soft notes from the organ’s music. Teenagers distributed booklets that she assumed were the order of service. When it came time for her to take one, the lad inquired about her role as bride or groom.

“What?” she asked.

“Are you on the bride’s side or the groom’s side?” he asked.

Looking into the main part of the church she couldn’t see anyone she recognised.

“Um, I don’t know. Is there an undecided section?”

The lad smirked at her but not unkindly.

“There are loads of undecideds here, included undecided if they should be here at all,” he replied.

Taking a closer look at him, she wondered how old he was.

“Are you related to the bride or groom?” she asked.

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