Page 96 of The Christmas Holiday
Chapter Twenty One
Winter Wonderland was throbbing with colour, noise and people. Riders on the amusements screamed, music blared and lights flashed. As the day drifted into darkness, the colours brightened and the cold bit more deeply. The day had been bright and crisp and dry but clouds had now gathered and the snow was beginning to fall and settle around us. I snuggled down in my coatand kept the smile in place for Liv and Sandeep. Laughing when I was supposed to, speaking when it was appropriate and generally pretending I was happy to be here when, after last night, I’d have given good money to be anywhere but.
‘This is surprisingly good!’ Sandy observed as he tucked into a burger, which, thanks to the Germanic name they’d given it, in accordance with the theme, enabledthem to charge twice as much.
Hunter was sitting next to me and, busy making light work of his own burger, made a sound of agreement. To be honest, I thought we both deserved BAFTAs, or at least nominations, for the performances we had put on today. The wedding was just a couple of days away now and then it would all be over. I knew now I was never going to have the sort of closure Loreleihad talked about. Not with Hunter. It was never going to be all calm and kumbaya. It wasn’t his style. Or mine. He’d said his piece. I’d said mine. And now we were both just counting the days.
***
‘My darling!’ the bridal boutique owner exclaimed as Liv appeared from behind the screen. ‘You look so beautiful! Your groom will be the happiest man alive.’ The lady was petite, dressed sharplyin black and slightly terrifying.
‘Oh, I hope so!’ Liv cooed as she swished this way and that in the dress, its fine layers rippling after her as she did.
‘He will!’ The lady’s heavy Russian accent pronounced it like an order. Standing behind her, I widened my eyes and bit down on the laugh that was desperately bubbling up. It was the first time I’d truly felt like laughing in days. Asthe woman bent her head and made a tiny adjustment to the dress, Liv looked over the top of her and begged me with her eyes to stop as she forcibly held back the giggles.
‘Sorry,’ I whispered as the owner marched off for a moment, barking orders at an assistant.
‘It’s all right. It’s nice to see you smiling.’
I gave her a quizzical look.
Olivia rested her head on my shoulder fora moment. ‘Don’t think we don’t appreciate the effort you’ve both made to make everything appear perfectly normal. And to anyone else, it would have worked. But we’ve just spent over two months solid with you both. Something clearly happened the night of the ice-skating. And you don’t have to tell me what. I just hope you’re both OK.’
So much for the BAFTA nominations.
‘Did you sleep withhim?’
And so much for me not having to tell her what happened.
‘I’m sorry. I just said you didn’t have to tell me and then I go and ask anyway. Sandy always says I’m far too nosy for my own good.’
I gave her a squeeze. ‘No, you’re not. You’re lovely. And I can’t thank you enough for including me on this trip. It really has been amazing. I’ve done things I never thought I’d get thechance to.’
‘Does that include Hunter Scott?’
I laughed, but even I could hear the undertones of sadness.
‘It does not. Admittedly, it nearly did. But… no. It would have been a really bad idea.’
‘I’m hearing you say the words but I’m not feeling it.’
‘Hunter’s different now. I didn’t want to be just another forgettable notch on his camera strap.’
‘Does that mean you wantedto be something more than that?’ Liv said as we moved out from the private area to where her bridesmaids were now congregating around Liv’s own private photographer. He looked over the top of the women and a beautiful, genuine smile lit his face.
‘Wow,’ he said, stepping away from the gaggle. ‘You look breathtaking, Liv. Sandeep’s going to be a puddle on the floor.’ Behind him, there weresighs and I’m pretty sure I heard some ovaries pop.
‘Thank you.’
‘Can I take a few shots?’
‘Of course!’ Liv did some more swishing and I headed over to the table and, passing over the champagne, chose an orange juice and kept out of the way as more bridesmaids joined the impromptu photo shoot and a chiffon and silk cloud enveloped the group. Having made some more notes, I finishedthe juice and grabbed another drink, more for something to do than anything else.
‘And what do you do? Youare not bridesmaid?’ The Russian woman appeared beside me, seemingly from nowhere, and I jumped about a foot in the air. Behind her, Liv held her hand across her mouth, stifling the giggles as I’d done earlier. Giggle karma had come back and bitten me in the arse.
‘Oh! I’m… no. Nota bridesmaid. I’m helping document things for Olivia.’
‘You don’t take photos?’
