All four of the others’ heads shot round and they all stared at Georgie.
Raf was laughing so much that he nearly choked on his champagne. He was still coughing a bit when the others resumed their own conversations.
‘Serves you right,’ said Georgie. ‘That wasnotfunny.’
‘Actually, it reallywasfunny. Beautiful timing.’
She pursed her lips at him and he laughed more.
And somehow, that had broken the ice, and suddenly talking to him felt okay.
They carried on talking and laughing all the way through dinner. Beth and Noah had their heads together the whole time, and so did Declan and Poppy, with lots of smiles and low voices. It looked like they might perhaps get back together again, the thought of which made Georgie’s heart sing.
Alex’s speech was heartwarming and almost laugh-out-loud funny in places. And Ankita’s speech was full laugh-out-loud funny most of the way through and justclever. The whole time she was upstaging him on the speech front, Alex sat and looked at her adoringly, and it was justgorgeous.
As Ankita finished and they all clapped, Georgie glanced at Raf and saw that the broad smile she felt on her own face was mirrored on his. He looked at her and his smile widened even further. Georgie couldn’t take her eyes away from his until it was time to raise her glass for the toasts. Her gaze went to his large fingers holding the delicate stem of his champagne flute, and there was something about looking at his hands and – if she was honest – imaginingverynaughty things that he might do with them (where had that thoughtcomefrom?) that made her suddenly very hot.
Raf leaned in and spoke close to her ear. ‘What were you thinkingjust then? You had a very cheeky edge to your smile.’
Nooooo. What if he’dguessed?
‘Nothing!’ Georgie squeaked.
Raf rolled his eyes a little and nudged her thigh very fleetingly with his, and honestly, the brief touch made her almost spontaneously combust.
‘Andnow, it’s time for the first dance.’ Ankita’s mum had done the last speech. ‘And once my daughter and her husband—’ everyone cheered ‘—have shown you how it’s done, they’d love you all to join them on the dance floor.’
On Georgie’s left, Noah leaned into Beth and spoke quietly to her, his neck going scarlet as he did so.
‘I’d love to,’ Beth said in response, and they stood up together and moved towards the floor.
Out of the corner of her eye, Georgie saw Declan and Poppy look at each other and then stand up together. Georgie sat completely still, not wanting even to twitch, in case any movement might pierce the little bubble the two of them seemed to be in. It would be wonderfulif they got back together, and maybe tonight would be the catalyst. She and Poppy might not be speaking much at the moment, but Georgie still loved Poppy and was desperate for her to be happy again, and it was so obvious that Declan and she were wonderful together.
‘Would you like to dance?’ Raf put his hand out theatrically and Georgie smiled and laughed as she put her hand in his because there was no other option. And who was she kidding? Obviously it wouldn’t exactly be a hardship.
‘Why, I’dloveto.’ She hoped she’d sounded ironic or comedic oranythingthat would disguise the way her heart was suddenly banging against her ribcage.
They all clapped and cheered as Ankita and Alex finished the most amazingquickstep, and couples began to crowd onto the dance floor as the band struck up some Dusty Springfield.
Raf held an arm around Georgie’s shoulders as they were jostled on all sides as they tried to find a space. When they’dfound their own little spot, they went for a waltz hold exactly as everyone else was doing.
‘If I’m honest,’ he said, ‘I’m not the world’s most gifted dancer. There’s some serious ballroom dancing going on here. I’m probably just going to go with swaying.’
‘There’s a lot to be said for swaying,’ Georgie told him. ‘It keeps everyone’s toes safe, for a start.’
‘I wouldn’t be so sure about that.’ Raf grinned down at her and then his smile became more serious. Georgie couldn’t take her eyes off his face. He was just gazingat her as though she was someone very special, which she knew she wasn’t, but it felt lovelythat someone would look at her that way.
They carried on with the not-very-waltzy swaying all the way through the waltz and the next couple of dances, and it was just magical. Georgie felt like she belongedin Raf’s arms. She could have carried on like that all night, and was pretty sure shewouldhave done if someone hadn’t begun a conga. Soon they were all dancing and kicking their heels up, with Raf behind Georgie in the line. She could feel incredibly deeply where he had his hands on her waist, almost to the extent that she wasn’t really aware of anything else.
When the line ended, somehow Raf’s arms slid round her and they were back to the swaying before going more adventurous and doing some spins, which made them both laugh alot.
They danced together the entire time until just before midnight, when everyone went out into the garden to watch the fireworks.
They weren’t normal fireworks. They were mega fireworks, because apparently Alex knew someone who was huge inpyrotechnics. The barn and the main house were at right angles, along the edge of a massive, probably about two-acre-plus lawn which stretched towards a wood, and beyond that apparently some fields, all belonging to Alex. And now his wife, Mrs Ankita McCarthy.
Again, married, wow.
All the guests stood outside the barn to watch the fireworks. It seemed completely natural that Georgie ended up standing with Raf, as if they were their own little world inside the crowd.
