Page 1 of The Last Saturday In July
Chapter 1
‘FOR the last time, Kate, I was totally cool about being put on that ferry to the Isle of Man. Like, would it even be a hen party without a practical joke?’ Jess Bradley tipped back her head in the loos of the Charleston Hotel Group offices and squeezed a couple of eye-drops into her right eye.
Kate flicked her a look in the mirrored wall as she slicked on some lipstick. ‘Jess, I’ve known you since we were twelve, and your eye always does that twitching thing when you’re lying.’
‘It’s Monday. They’re twitching because I’m tired. Hence the drops.’ Jess took a deep breath and held it while she aimed the tiny bottle towards her left eye.
‘Really?’ Kate looked doubtful.
‘Of course.’ Jess swiped the corners of her eyes and straightened up to flash her best friend a bright smile.
Kate sighed. ‘Fine, but I still feel bad. It was my job to arrange everything, and that was not on the itinerary.’
‘I love that you’re a control freak.’ Jess scrutinised her slightly frizzy, mouse-coloured hair and decided to tie it back. It made her feel more professional – sometimes it was the little things. ‘Why do you think I asked you to be my bridesmaid? Anyway, it wasn’t like I was in any danger. Zoe was with me.’
Kate looked slightly mollified, and Jess’s insides squeezed with guilt.
‘No offence to your sister, Jess, but that doesn’t make me feel much better. I didn’t even know she’d planned it until the last minute.’ Kate tucked her dark bob behind her ears. ‘Seriously, I tried to tell her it was a stupid idea, but she said it’d be a total laugh.’
Jess vaguely remembered Zoe giggling and telling the others that they’d be fine, only for her to pass out drunk on the bed as soon as she and Jess had checked into that hotel on the Isle of Man. She’d be strongly tempted to kill her sister, if Zoe wasn’t a photographer who’d agreed to do her wedding pictures free of charge.
‘Yeah, well, you know Zoe once she gets an idea.’ Jess shuddered. ‘To be honest, I’m still not over that TikTok video.’
As sole bridesmaid, Kate had organised Jess’s hen party. On Saturday night they’d all gone to a Chinese restaurant in the city centre before hitting a club. Zoe had pushed Jess into the middle of the floor, where Jess had gone full-on Taylor Swift. And then there’d been more drinking. After that, Jess had been a lot less Taylor Swift and a lot more Cardi B. According to Zoe, she already had fifty thousand views.
Jess felt a fresh wave of nausea. She reminded herself that on the surface things could be worse. Her fiancé Simon, bless him, wasn’t on social media, and even if he accidentally stumbled on the video, he probably wouldn’t recognise her. After she’d lost her L-plates and cute veil, Zoe had made her wear a red wig, which had made her look like Pretty Woman’s less attractive cousin. Kate wouldn’t say a word, obviously. She was a total sweetheart. ‘Have fun,’ Kate had said. ‘Go wild!’ Well, she’d ticked that box. Now all Jess wanted was to forget it had ever happened.
‘Trust me, it was the best weekend ever.’ Jess spoke more firmly this time.
Kate pursed her lips. ‘If you say so. What about Simon? Did he miss you?’
Unwilling to meet Kate’s eyes, Jess rooted through her bag as they walked back through the lobby of the modern office building by the Grand Canal, its cream walls and pale wooden floors warmed by the early-morning sun slanting in through the huge glass doors.
‘Uh, I think he was too busy working to even notice.’ Jess found a Twix and offered some to Kate.
Kate scrunched up her nose. ‘No, thanks, I’ve just had breakfast.’ She hit the call button for the lift. ‘Don’t be so hard on Simon. I think it’s great he’s so dedicated.’
‘Hmm.’ Jess was munching through her Twix. She’d always found it attractive that Simon was a successful solicitor, but the man specialised in company law. The way Kate went on, it sounded like he did pro-bono work for refugees.
‘Jess?’ Emily, the new receptionist, waved frantically.
Jess gave a little wave in return. ‘I’d better go see what’s wrong.’
Kate looked over at Emily and rolled her eyes. ‘She’s probably broken a fake nail – the girl’s a total drama queen.’
Jess said nothing. Sometimes Kate could be a teensy bit judgey. ‘I’ll go tackle my spreadsheets. See you at lunch.’
Kate’s eyes widened. ‘Can you believe your wedding is so close?’
‘Ha ha, don’t remind me.’ Jess caught Kate’s puzzled expression and forced a quick smile. ‘I mean, it’s so exciting.’
The lift arrived and Kate stepped inside, still frowning.
Jess waited until the doors closed and the lift was whisking Kate up to Accounts, before she sagged against the wall.
That had been the worst weekend of her life. After she’d thrown up the contents of her stomach over the side of the ferry and they’d reached dry land, she’d had to mind Zoe, who’d pulled a Sleeping Beauty at the first chance she’d got. Which was exactly what Jess should have done.
Instead, she’d gone to the hotel bar where she’d had a few more drinks and a personality transplant, before hooking up with that guy, Declan. Jess fanned her face rapidly with her hand. They really needed to turn up the air conditioning in here. Nobody knew. Not Zoe, who assumed Jess had spent the night asleep beside her. Not Kate. Certainly not Simon. Mind-blowing sex aside, it was the worst thing she’d ever done, and she clearly needed to have her head examined.
