Before this week, she’d planned so well how she was going to be looking her best when she saw Matt, and yesterday she’d looked like an idiot with the scarves and today she was standing in front of him with the worst haircut she’d ever had in her entire life. Thirty-three years to get a shit cut, and all had always been well, and now,now, was the time she’d done it. Marvellous. Splendid.
Matt’s lips twitched again.
‘Don’t laugh,’ she said.
‘I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.’ Matt pressed his lips together and looked at the ground and back at her. ‘I haven’t seen you like this before.’
‘Tess and I have just had our practice hair styling for the wedding.’
‘Oh. How’s hers looking?’
‘Hers looks genuinely fantastic.’
‘Well, that’s good.’
‘Yep.’
Yesterday, it had really unsettled Lily how when they were so close to each other on the floor with the scarves she’d felt like every nerve in her body was attuned to him and today it was unsettling her how gorgeous he looked. They’d split up, it was a long time ago, and they were nothing to each other now. She shouldn’t be reacting to him.
And his thick, wavy hair looked as good as usual and hers looked so bad she could almost have laughed herself if she hadn’t wanted to cry.
‘Ask about Tom,’ Tess hissed from behind the hairdresser’s door.
Lily took a deep breath and managed not to snap at Tess –sometimesthings were a bigger deal than some tiny pre-wedding detail, and both seeing your love-of-your-life-ex two days running and havingshit hairfor the next few months felt like huge deals. Instead she said, ‘Tess would like me to ask if Tom’s nearby because she doesn’t want to see him with her perfect wedding hair until the actual wedding.’
Matt leaned in and lowered his voice. ‘And her hair is really, genuinely perfect?’
‘Yes. Genuinely. We didn’t have the same stylist.’
Matt nodded and pressed his lips hard together again like he was trying not to laugh again.
Lily shook her head. She didn’t want to have to talk toanyoneright now, let alone Matt, or Tess, actually; she just wanted to go back to the hotel and wash her hair and try to work out how to live with the fringe and the short sides. ‘So is Tom nearby?’
‘Sorry. No. We’re about to head over to the golf course for a game. I think he’s probably already on his way over there. Other side of the island. I think Tess’s safe to come out.’
‘Yay.’ Tess burst out of the hairdresser’s and threw herself at Matt. ‘My favourite cousin. It’s so nice to see you. Thank you for coming out for the wedding.I’m gettingmarried on Friday.’
‘It’s great to see you too,’ said Matt, returning her enthusiastic hug and smiling. ‘Wouldn’t have missed the wedding for the world. And your hair does look lovely.’
‘Thank you.’ Tess patted the loose curls the hairdresser had created from nowhere – her hair was naturally poker straight – and preened. Then she said, ‘OMG, don’t tell Tom about it, will you?’
‘Dammit, I’ve already surreptitiously taken a photo and sent it to him,’ Matt said.
‘Oh my God,’ Tess screeched. ‘Why would you do such a thing?’
‘I think it was a weak joke,’ Lily said.
‘Was it?’ Tess asked.
Matt nodded. ‘Obviously.’
‘Why would you make a joke like that?’ Tess said.
‘Um?’ Matt swivelled his eyes a little.
‘These wedding preparations are serious business,’ Lily told him. If he hadn’t worked that out already, he’d realise soon. Tess had an excellent sense of humour and would laugh about anything normally, but not so much when she was only two days away from her wedding. Or even two months away from it, actually.
‘The wedding’s going to be perfect,’ Tess said. ‘Lily’s been an amazing help.’ She turned to face Lily and gasped. ‘Oh. My. God. Lily. Oh. My God. Your hair.’ Sothatwas why she hadn’t freaked about it earlier. She just hadn’t noticed. Even when Lily had said that she looked ridiculous. To be fair, Tess’s own style was stunning and she was the bride. She’d had lots of mirror-gazing to do. ‘It’s literally the worst hairstyle I’ve ever seen. Anywhere. Ever. You look like you’ve had a poodle perm cut into a mullet.’
