Page 57 of A Secret Cornish Wish
‘More like the next Hugh Grant.’ Mandy grins.
‘No, don’t be daft,’ Rob says. ‘I’ve got another year at Cambridge yet. She’s simply given me her card and said to call her if I’m interested in acting when I complete my studies – that’s all. No big deal.’ He shrugs and takes a sip of his beer again. ‘Do you fancy a dance?’ he asks me, listening to the music just beginning to play over the big speakers underneath the DJ. ‘It’s a song I think we both like.’
Wet Wet Wet’s ‘Love is All Around’ was the previous song, so I have to listen carefully to the first few bars of the new song floating over the dance floor.
I nod.
Rob takes my hand and leads me onto the dance floor, then he wraps his arms around me and we begin to sway to Bon Jovi – ‘Always’.
‘Should we get out of here, do you think?’ Rob murmurs into my ear when we’ve been swaying in time to the music for a few minutes, our bodies getting closer as the song plays. ‘Find somewhere more private, perhaps?’
I look up at Rob. ‘Yes,’ I whisper. ‘Let’s do that.’
Rob takes my hand and begins to lead me away from the dance floor as Jon Bon Jovi finishes his ballad of love.
‘Wait!’ I say. ‘Are we leaving the wedding?’
‘Yes,’ Rob says, looking puzzled. ‘Why?’
‘I need to say my goodbyes, then.’ I look over towards the other mermaids.
‘They’ll understand.’ He tugs on my hand again.
‘Just give me a minute,’ I say, pulling my hand away from his and dashing back across the dance floor to our table. ‘Rob and I are going,’ I blurt out as I reach the table.
I look at my friends sitting around the table sipping drinks. ‘Oh, hello,’ I say to an unfamiliar face sitting next to Mandy. ‘You must be Jenna?’
‘Hey, nice to meet you,’ Jenna says in a Texan drawl, sounding like a cross between a character fromDallas– an American soap opera I used to sit and watch with my mum – and Jerry Hall, the model. She actually looks a little like Jerry Hall too as she stands up and reaches over the table to shake my hand. ‘You must be Frankie?’
‘Er . . . yes,’ I say, taking her hand.
‘Rob was telling me all about you earlier.’
‘Was he?’
‘Yeah.’
Rob appears next to me at the table. ‘Hi again,’ he says to Jenna.
‘So, you two are getting out of here, are you?’ Eddie asks, grinning at us.
I glance at the others. They all smile knowingly back. ‘I didn’t want to go without saying goodbye,’ I say quickly. ‘In case you’re all heading off tomorrow?’
‘Not until later,’ Eddie says. ‘What about you guys?’ he asks Suzy and Mandy.
‘No plans to dash off early,’ Mandy says. ‘Suzy?’
Suzy shakes her head. ‘I’d like to get away in the afternoon if possible. Shall we have a coffee together in the morning?’
‘Yes, great idea,’ I say keenly. ‘Let’s do that. How about the café overlooking Morvoren? Say eleven . . . thirty,’ I add, realising we will all probably be a little hungover in the morning.
We all agree to meet up tomorrow before we go our separate ways again.
I feel Rob take my hand. ‘Right, see you all tomorrow, then,’ he says, tugging my hand again. ‘Nice to meet you, Jenna.’
‘Call me if you change your mind!’ Jenna says, smiling at him. ‘I’m serious.’
Rob just nods.
