Page 20 of Going Overboard

‘Well, I don’t trust you, you’ve got a bit of an intense vibe about you,’ he says. ‘So I’ll go get them later, how about that?’

Ryan walks back towards the wedding. I follow him, unwilling to back down.

‘You can’t hold my keys to ransom,’ I say, following him as fast as my heels will allow.

‘Whoa, who said anything about a ransom?’ he asks. ‘I’m just keeping them safe. The night is young, the wedding has hardly gotten started. I’m planning on getting pickled myself, actually.’

‘All the more reason to – whoa!’

My ankle wobbles and I stumble. Ryan is around like a shot, catching me in his arms, saving me from face-planting my way back into the marquee.

‘Erm, thanks,’ I tell him, the gratitude genuine but it still tastes bad in my mouth. ‘That was…’

‘Seriously impressive,’ he says, finishing my sentence for me. ‘I’ve made some good catches in my time, but a whole drunk woman falling for me in gigantic shoes might be a personal best.’

‘I fell towards you, not for you,’ I correct him, shoving him off. ‘And another thing?—’

‘There you are!’ Kira says.

She practically floats in my direction, in her beautiful dress.

‘I’m about to toss the bouquet and I thought, with you being, you know, newly single, you should be there,’ she tells me, taking me by the arm.

Kira is such a genuine person so I know this is coming from a good place but, honestly, I’d rather get up on the makeshift stage and tell everyone I gave my car keys to a random man.

‘Oh, right, erm…’

What can I say?

‘You two know each other?’ Kira says, surprised.

‘Not really,’ I reply.

‘Princess was just ranting about how there’s no valet parking here,’ Ryan says – I’d call it our own little joke but only he finds it funny.

‘That’s not like you,’ Kira says as she drags me across the marquee, out onto the lawn where the toss is happening.

‘No, it’s not, is it?’ I reply. ‘He’s just joking. It’s just, you know, not funny, so I get your confusion.’

Kira is a woman on a mission, so she pretty much ignoreswhatever it is we’re doing here. And for some reason Ryan is following us.

‘Are you coming to catch the bouquet?’ I ask him. ‘Seeing as though you’re just sooo good at catching things.’

‘No, but I can give you some pointers, if you like?’

‘Go on then,’ I reply.

‘Have five less drinks two hours ago,’ he teases me.

I seethe.

‘Okay, everyone, all the single ladies, line up, get behind me, it’s bouquet-tossing time,’ Kira announces.

It becomes very quickly apparent that I am the only one standing here. Incredible.

‘Erm, Jessa,’ Kira says, shuffling awkwardly back towards me. ‘I hadn’t realised you’re the only single girl here so… do you just want to take them? It seems daft, to throw them to you.’

This whole scenario has daft written all over it.

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