Page 77 of The Last Saturday In July
Adam nodded. ‘When I came out of college, I spent a couple of years working as a waiter in our five-star hotel in Paris. It’s not like Linford, obviously, but it has an old-world feel about it.’
Jess regarded Adam over the rim of her china cup. So, he’d worked the normal jobs: his uncle hadn’t simply handed him a title. A movement at the door caught her eye and she turned as Zoe, in her uniform of skinny black jeans and T-shirt, strode into the room.
‘Hey, Zoe, coffee?’
‘No, thanks. I’ve a bit of a problem: two of the models have dropped out. One of the lads has a stomach bug and one of the girls had a family emergency. I can manage, except for a big group shot I hadn’t got.’
Jess put down her cup. ‘Are you sure? I mean, it’s only two models.’
‘Who’s the photographer here, Jess?’
‘I can get back onto the agency.’ Jess picked up her phone.
‘It’ll take too long. Can the two of you stand in?’
Jess stared at her. ‘We’re not models.’
‘I did a bit of modelling when I was in college.’ Adam shrugged. ‘Handy money.’
Jess met his eyes, before glancing quickly away. She knew exactly what sort of shape Adam was in.
Zoe clapped her hands. ‘Sound. Okay, time is money.’
For reasons she didn’t want to examine, Jess didn’t want to model with Adam. ‘Zoe, I’m kind of tied up here – can you find someone else?’
‘One hour, tops. I promise not to tie either of you up longer than that.’ Zoe gave Adam a flirty wink.
Jess stifled a sigh. Zoe was right: they needed to get everything done today.
‘Fine.’ Jess tried to sound matter of fact. ‘But there’s no way I’ll squeeze into anything those models were wearing.’
‘Chill, Jess. Adam will fit the wardrobe and we can be clever with your shots.’
Clever? Still, they couldn’t afford to miss their deadline. ‘Lead the way.’
Why had she agreed to this, Jess thought, as Gemma helped her into the first wedding dress: a form-hugging fitted sheath. Terrified she’d rip it, she held onto a chair and slipped her feet into the highest shoes she’d worn since her hen weekend.
Gemma ran a critical eye over her.
‘It’s a bit tight, but it’ll do.’
Jess peered down at the dress and wondered how she’d walk in it. ‘I still can’t believe I got into it.’
Gemma shrugged. ‘Some of the stuff is bigger, so if we don’t have the right size, we just pin the dress around the model. But this looks okay.’ She consulted a clipboard. ‘Come on, your sister’s waiting for you in the great hall.’
Jess attempted a couple of steps before slipping off the shoes and hitching up the dress so she could walk barefoot through the hotel and into the great hall.
Gemma had created a Christmas wedding theme at one end, the summer flowers now replaced with garlands of poinsettias, amaryllis and holly, and hundreds of tiny, white fairy lights. The whole area was lit with storm lanterns, open candles and discreet modern lighting.
‘Impressive, isn’t it?’
Jess spun as Adam walked towards her, hands in the pockets of a dark, three-piece suit, the collar of a crisp white shirt open at the neck. She reminded herself firmly that everyone looked good in a three-piece suit.
‘Short dress and no shoes.’ Adam grinned. ‘You own the look.’
Despite her nerves, Jess laughed.
Zoe checked her viewfinder. ‘Jess and Adam, stand over beside the fireplace.’
