Page 5 of The Last to Know

The venue was a swanky place that Ron, Grace’s father, had insisted on paying for. Caz would have been happy with a few drinks at Blanca’s, but she was,Making Grace happy, she kept reminding herself.

“Okay, so I was thinking a few candid shots of you both under this tree would work.” The photographer looked up at the light dappled through the leaves. “Just there. Now, Caz, if you can get in as close as you can to Grace, and then just rest your forehead—” He waved a finger. “Perfect, and then both turn just a little to look at me—great.” He snapped away.

“I feel a bit of dick,” Caz said.

“Well, no different to usual then.” Grace laughed, and Caz had to admit it was possibly true.

The photographer snapped away.

“Lovely, that’s—yes… Okay, now, shall we do the kiss in front of that wooden arch?” He walked away towards it before either could say anything.

“More kissing.” Caz laughed. “I’ve never kissed you before, and now—”

“You did kiss me once,” Grace interrupted as they walked together, hand in hand, with their free hands lifting dresses from the grass.

“When?” Caz frowned.

“It was about four years ago. You’d had too much to drink after a party and I walked in. You were expecting that idiot…”

Caz wracked her brain for who she was dating four years ago and then grimaced. “Ugh, Valerie.”

“Yeah, well it wasn’t ‘Ugh, Valerie’then. But you thought I was her and…it was dark, and I’d had a fair bit to drink, too, and…you kissed me.”

“Like…a kiss—”

“Yeah, the full snog.” Grace laughed when Caz’s face went beet red and her ears looked like they’d steam.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Grace shrugged. “Didn’t seem important. You’d have just been embarrassed, and I wasn’t going to risk our friendship over it. It was no big deal… You didn’t even remember the next day.”

“Bloody hell.”

“Want to take a moment?” the photographer asked. “Only, you both look a bit flushed.” He grinned. “Understandable, it’s hot and—” He thought better of whatever else he’d planned to say when Caz glared at him.

“I’m sorry,” Caz said quietly to Grace.

Grace looked at her, confused. “About what?”

“Kissing you. That was… If you’d told me—” She went to run a hand through her hair and then remembered she was supposed to be looking her best.

Grace poked her. “Don’t be stupid. It was ages ago, and I’d forgotten all about it ’til…well, ‘til you kissed me in the church.”

Caz rolled her eyes. “That wasn’t really a kiss. That was just…a long peck.”

“I know, but for some reason…it reminded me.”

The photographer’s voice interrupted, “Okay, so if we…alright, Grace, you turn around. Caz, scoot in really close, arms around Grace’s waist.”

They moved into position.

“So, was it good?” Caz asked against Grace’s ear, grinning to herself.

“What?” Grace asked through her teeth as she smiled for the camera.

“The kiss. Was it good?” Caz whispered, but this time Grace turned a little to look at her.

“In the church?” she said softly, their eyes holding each other’s gaze.

---