Page 88 of The Little Flower Shop By the Sea
‘Let’s stay and snuggle a bit longer?’ Ash pleads. ‘It’s comfortable here, and the weather outside is shit. Why do you want to leave?’
‘I don’twantto leave,’ I tell him, stroking his hair as he holds me in his muscular arms. ‘Ihaveto. I can’t miss this meeting tonight, it’s our final one before the wedding on Saturday.’
Stan had given his permission for us to hold a wedding at Trecarlan, silencing Caroline and the Parish Council for the time being. Several members of the council had come to offer their help with the wedding, so I knew my problem was definitely with Caroline. But I still hadn’t a clue why.
In an effort to coordinate all the helpers, I’d taken Woody’s advice about teamwork and had attempted to form a wedding committee – not very successfully to begin with.
As Jake had predicted, everyone had been keen to volunteer their services to help the young couple out, and the tiny village hall had been packed when we held our first meeting. But trying to channel all their ideas and enthusiasm into action had proved tricky. In the end I’d asked if people could separate themselves into those that only wanted to help out on the day, and those who’d like to form a committee with me to organise the wedding in advance, and asked them to put their names down on two pieces of paper accordingly.
The subsequent meetings of the newly formed committee had been much more successful, and I was happy with the way things were coming along. But even though by this stage they could easily have coped without me, I didn’t want to abandon them tonight. To my surprise, I was actually enjoying organising the wedding.
‘Please?’ Ash asks, his head tipped to one side as he looks at me.
‘No… you’re not going to persuade me this time. I have to go.’
‘Not even if I do this?’ Ash asks, manoeuvring himself in the bed so he can begin gently kissing my neck.
‘No…’ I protest, even though I can feel myself succumbing to his charms.
‘Or this?’ Ash asks, kissing along my neck and down on to my chest, so I shudder with anticipation.
My defences destroyed, I feel myself surrender…
‘I’m so sorry I’m late!’ I apologise, as I arrive at the reserved table in the Merry Mermaid. I notice an official-looking sign in the middle that saysWedding Committee Onlyas I hurriedly sit down on the one remaining chair.
‘Are you OK, Poppy?’ Lou asks. ‘You look a little flushed.’
I glance at Amber, who grins at me, knowing full well where I’ve been. Then I can’t help looking across the table at Jake.
He sees Amber grinning, then he looks at me with disappointment.
I immediately drop my eyes, and examine the neatly typed minutes in front of me. Much to my annoyance I feel my cheeks flush even redder.
‘Yes, yes, I’m fine, thanks. So, where shall we begin?’
‘At the beginning?’ Jake says tersely, gesturing to the piece of paper in his hand. ‘Willow has done a sterling job of typing up an agenda and the minutes of the last meeting.’
I look around the table for Willow. ‘Thanks, Willow,’ I say, smiling at her. ‘That’s very efficient of you.’
Willow blushes slightly. ‘Well, I was voted secretary,’ she says proudly.
‘And you, as chair, Poppy, need to get a move on with this meeting,’ Jake reminds me. ‘Some of us haven’t got all night.’
I glance at Jake. Gee, why is he so tetchy this evening? It couldn’t just be the fact I was late, surely?
We work through Willow’s agenda, and everything seems to be set for the big day on Saturday. Ladies from the Women’s Guild, led by Harriet and Willow, are going to decorate the tables and the ballroom for the wedding reception. Rita and Richie will be catering the first two courses of the dinner and laying on a bar for the evening. Ant and Dec will be doing the desserts and of course the wedding cake. Local bands and musicians will provide the entertainment – Charlie’s been busy finding suitable acts for us. So that left just one thing, which everyone strangely seemed the most excited about: the flowers.
‘The flowers will make the whole event,’ Belle had enthused at one of our earlier meetings, ‘especially the way Amber makes them up.’
‘How are yourspecialarrangements going?’ Lou had asked quietly, and the others had all pricked up their ears.
‘They’ve been going very well,’ said Amber. ‘I’m getting more and more people asking after them all the time.’
It was true; Daisy Chain was getting busier by the day. And it wasn’t only the special bouquets that were bringing people in; the more traditional floral items for weddings, christenings, birthdays and anniversaries were also in demand.
Our meeting eventually comes to a close and everyone begins clearing their stuff away. I wave across to Ash, who’d appeared during our meeting and found himself a quiet spot at the bar while we finished off. He lifts his pint and wanders over.
‘How’d it go?’ he asks, kissing me on the cheek, while slipping his arm around my waist.
