Page 24 of Promise Me Ever After
“What?” Darcy’s eyes widened. “Why on earth would you do that? Especially on Friday!”
“Remember the key phrase ‘drunk dialled’? I wasn’t thinking straight. I’m not proud of myself.”
My sister pursed her lips. “You should have asked me. I could have lent you the money.” She went to the oven and checked on the potatoes. “I can’t believe you spoke to Russ.”
“Trust me, I didn’t enjoy it. Shit, I still haven’t checked the email he said I should read.” I pulled my phone out of the back pocket of my jeans and found what he’d been talking about. As I scanned it, I realised there was nothing there he couldn’t have answered. Prick. Making me feel bad about nothing. Typical Russ. He’d been like that when we were together. What had I ever seen in him? I fired off an appropriate response, then clicked out of the mail app. Accidentally, I tapped my Contacts. Alex Kane’s name sat proudly at the top of the list. Was my phone trying to tell me something? Perhaps it was time to take a chance. Let go of the past and get back out there. Before I started overthinking things again, I messaged him.
Georgie: Goat’s cheese is the devil’s work.
Alex had the day off. I figured he’d be busy, doing whatever it was he did when not working. So, when he responded immediately, I was pleasantly surprised.
Alex: Got it. No goat’s cheese.
He followed it up with the green vomiting emoji and a laughing-out-loud face. While I pondered how to reply, he messaged again.
Alex: So, what does it for you?
Stifling a giggle, I bit my lip. There were so many ways I could respond to his question, but unless I wanted to give him the wrong idea right off the bat, I needed to keep things PG rated. At least to start with.
Georgie: What are we talking about for this meal? Three courses? Five? Will there be dessert?
Alex: Georgie, I’ll give you whatever you want.
I sniggered.
Darcy glanced over. “Who are you talking to?”
“Oh, no one.” I fired back a message.
Georgie: Sounds interesting… I’ll have to give it more thought.
Alex: Don’t make me wait too long, the anticipation is killing me.
No harm in making him wait. I tossed the phone to one side and turned my attention to Darcy.
“What else do you have to do before the wedding?”
She let out a long, hard breath. “Ugh, everything.”
My eyebrows shot up. Darcy had been planning this with military precision. To hear her say a lot needed to be done came as a surprise. I hoped she was being overly dramatic.
“I thought you’d done loads already?”
“Mmm, I guess.” She dropped down in the chair opposite me and sipped her wine. “It does feel as if there’s so much to sort out. Plus, the shop’s gone crazy now we’re in the run up to Christmas. I’ve got so much to do and not enough time.”
“Is there anything I can help with?” I regretted the words as soon as they came out of my mouth.
“Do you think you’d be able to do a few more shifts in the shop?” Darcy turned her best pleading stare on me. “If I could get a couple of mornings or afternoons back, I can get the last things sorted.”
Working in Itsy Bitsys more wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, particularly if it helped my sister out. But I also had projects I wanted to work on, like bringing gran’s house into the twenty first century. And getting a proper bed. This purchase was getting closer and closer to the top of the list the more I thought about Alex Kane.
I’d be the worst sister in the world if I didn’t say yes, though. Abandoning Darcy in her hour of need this close to the wedding would practically be familial suicide. Mum would never forgive me for a start and I didn’t need that extra drama. In a case of unfortunate timing, she had been called up to do two weeks of jury service. Everyone hoped she wouldn’t get involved in a juicy trial that went on for months and therefore miss the wedding.
“Sure,” I agreed. “But we’d need to work around my rota.”
“Georgie, thank you. I wouldn’t normally ask, but…”
I reached over and touched her hand. “It’s fine. I’m happy to help. I’m friends with Ems, so I can arrange to meet with her and go over everything that needs to be sorted at the hotel too.”
