Page 26 of The Wedding Cake
Freya broke the news about the cake’s double-booking and braced herself for the inevitable outburst, which was pretty hideous to say the least, and yes, who in these parts wasn’t aware that the venue had once belonged to that opinionated tosspot of the mainstream music world. Big deal!
“I really am sorry, Piper. It’s completely inexcusable but we’ll find a solution. That I can promise you.”
There then followed a very uncomfortable few minutes of shouting, which Piper finished off with her swing bombshell. “…And the cake also needs to be fixed to the seat very securely.”
Freya listened to the idea, and took a deep breath. “It’s pretty late notice, Piper. I’m not sure that we’ll be able to accommodate this sudden change, although we will try our best, of course. If we could maybe focus on the cake solution for the moment, that would be great. Obviously, it’s not ideal for the other bride and groom who find themselves in exactly the same upsetting position as yourself and Tim.”
Freya willed the image of a dapper Tim and a svelte and stunning Piper out of her head until she’d reduced them to a couple of stick people. She was going to need to employ this visualisation technique a lot over the coming days. “But they have agreed to us cutting the wedding cake in half – from top to bottom – and actually, by doing so, you’d be at the leading edge of bridal influencer trends, which would be an amazing bonus for you…”
“Get me the cake I ordered on the day I ordered it… along with my updated requirements, or else. And I hardly need to spell out what the ‘else’ part of that sentence implies.”
Freya had known the call to Piper would be challenging but she hadn’t been prepared for quite so much confrontation, or such an ostentatious last-minute demand. But, reading between the lines and putting her limited experience of bridezilla behaviour to the test (mercifully, her clients had mostly been positively angelic), there was a small chance that, if she could pull off this pathetic swing requirement, there would be some damage limitation. So she had to try. Her only other hope was to call Tim, which might have been an option had she not deleted his number after the paragliding trip.
“Hannah!” yelled a trembling Freya, before she changed her mind, did a runner, and never came back. “I need you here!”
Freya opened the door, only to discover Hannah was already standing right outside. So close that they almost bumped noses. She must have been passing. Great minds thinking alike and all that.
“Oh, there you are.”
“Yes. Haha. Here I am… and here you are too! What can I do for you, Freya?”
Was it Freya’s imagination or did Hannah look a little embarrassed?
“Can you go and get Ricky, and can the pair of you work me a miracle?”
ALICE
Alice couldn’t believe it. The camper van rambled along the track to the finca after its epic journey through Spain… only to be greeted by a giant coach parked in front of the entrance to the rustic and beautiful wedding venue. Hayley’s blimming coach!
“Great! So not only is that monstrosity of a vehicle obscuring the view and any hint of romance, but now most of the wedding party has arrived before us.”
Alice was easy-going. Her reaction to the cake calamity was proof enough. Most brides would have completely lost it! But she drew the line at this. Especially when River had supposedly told Hayley not to leave the coach where it would be an eyesore.
“I did make it clear that if Hayley and co decided to arrive the same day as us, then it had to be early evening so we’d have a chance to settle in, I swear. I’m so sorry, Al. I’ll get her to move it immediately.”
“I’m guessing Mervyn let them all in, when Hayley called him with the contact details he said would be stuck to the front door.” Alice tutted. “What’s done is done. I refuse to let it ruin things. Let’s get out and hug everyone before we check the place is still intact, the vintage wine corked, and that nobody’s started skinny dipping in the pool.”
She jumped out of the camper van, determined to snap out of her mood. If Hayley didn’t reverse the vehicle, then Alice would do it herself. Hayley, clad in a vibrant swimsuit, sarong, sunhat and shades – a giant glass of wine in hand – must have heard Twinkle’s wheels crunching on the gravel, and came running out to greet the bride and groom within seconds. She’d certainly made herself at home.
“That had better be the Spanish vineyard house red she’s necking.” River grimaced, striding over to greet their friend too.
“I’m on it, guys!” Hayley waved her arms, quite forgetting her drink, red liquid splashing all over the ground. “I’ve only had a couple of sips, don’t fret. The thing is, I had to drop everyone and their luggage off and I couldn’t expect them to haul it up the long driveway in this heat. Your mum made a beeline for the vino, Riv. I was powerless to stop her.”
Alice supposed Hayley had a point. It might only have been midday but the sun was relentless already, and due to hit thirty-eight degrees later. Hardly the best idea to start partying already. They’d have to keep an eye on River’s mum. She was such a twig that it wouldn’t take much to get her trolleyed.
“Erm, Hayley?” River tapped at an imaginary watch on his wrist.
“Oh, right. That, yes.” Hayley laughed nervously, which was quite unusual for their friend, who firmly believed she was in the right 99.99% of the time. “The last motel we were meant to be staying at was fully booked… so on the subject of lasts, that’s the last time I trust a friend of a friend of my boyfriend’s. We’ve had to drive ten hours straight… hence cramping your style and arriving a tad early, like.” The sunshine brought out Hayley’s Somerset twang and her favourite filler word at the end of her sentences. “But three quarters of this lot,” Hayley gestured at the finca and the guests who were no doubt already milling around inside it, “will be out of your hair in a jiffy and I’ll arrange taxis to their accommodation in Mijas village as soon as they can check in, like.”
And justlikethat, Alice’s heart went out to everyone. It was impossible not to feel sorry for her friend and her passengers after such a long stretch of time on the road. It was no wonder Hayley had resorted to daytime drinking. Let them enjoy the finca’s facilities for a few hours. If she and River had been let down by their hotels, at least they would have been able to kip in their mode of transport.
To give Hayley her due, she could have been a travel agent in a previous life. Despite the fact she was exhausted, she shepherded everybody together marvellously over the next couple of days, taking them out on all the excursions she’d promised them, and more. This made the atmosphere at the finca as chilled as could be during the days building up to the wedding. Alice and River were able to sunbathe, swim, and read their books, soaking up the paradise of the venue’s surroundings.
Zara and Bruno arrived three days before the wedding to learn some basic mixology and help River set up his cocktail bar, so his beloved blueberry lavender sangria and rhubarb Bellinis could be served as planned. Alice’s cousins descended with their offspring the same day – the village tailor running around the lawns after them, when she wasn’t beckoning for them to get out of the finca’s swimming pool for last minute flower girl and bridesmaid dress adjustments. Rio and Justin, the couple’s newly acquired friends from their stint in Cornwall, showed up the following morning. They’d become so thoroughly enamoured with Glastonbury, after taking a sabbatical to hang on Twinkle’s coattails when Alice and River had spent the festive season travelling in her, that they’d quit their scriptwriting jobs at the BBC and secured premises to set up a Keanu Reeves-themed ‘Kindness Cafe’ in the town (as one did). Alice and River were overjoyed to learn the news. It was better than any wedding present! Which was just as well because Rio and Justin forgot to bring one.
In a move that surprised everyone, Lee and Jonie had closed Glastonbury’s cocktail bar on the high street for a few days, since most of their regulars were River’s old customers and they would be travelling to Spain courtesy of Hayley’s coach, so it wasn’t worth staying open. River would have asked Lee and Jonie to run the wedding cocktail bar, but they deserved some time off – even if super-pale, easily burnt Lee would be spending most of it in the shade.
Heather and Terry, River’s mum and stepdad, had decided to travel the long way down with Hayley and co. Alice held her breath as to whether Blake (River’s school friend-turned nemesis-turned step-brother… who’d had a bit of a thing for Alice all through high school) had been able to make the trip with Ali, his girlfriend. But thankfully, the couple were now running a cat sanctuary on a Greek island, after their stint on the school reunion reality TV show,Bubblegum and Blazers. Which had worked out pretty well for them, all things considered.
