Sam wraps his arm tight around me. He smells perfect, like salted caramel.
I move my arm around him, like we do this all the time. Though my arm is dead and rigid. Sam is solid under me, marbled skin perfectly sculpted.
I hope, pray, that Ollie’s buying this. He places a kiss on Alec’s cheek. I almost break right there and then.
Sam’s fingers run over my neck.
‘How long have you been together?’
‘Six months.’
‘A year.’
We’d said it in unison, our voices clashing against one another. Alec’s head cocks to one side.
‘Oh, silly me,’ I say. ‘We didn’t go official until six months ago, but we were together longer than that.’
Please, Dionysus, let this slide and I’ll give you the biggest glass of wine ever.
‘I know what you mean,’ Alec says. ‘Sometimes it feels like you’ve known each other forever.’
He meets Ollie’s eye, and I feel a surge of anger– that should be me, not him.
‘Oh, absolutely,’ I say. ‘It’s like I’ve known Sam all my life.’
Technically, true. Though he never came up in conversation with Ollie.
‘So, Sam, you’ll be coming to the wedding, too,’ Ollie says in such a tone he would win the award for the least enthusiastic man on earth.
‘That’s right,’ Sam replies. ‘If you’ll have me.’
‘Of course.’ Alec breaks away from Ollie at last.
‘Where are you getting married?’ I ask. ‘The invite said “venue to be revealed”.’
Ollie holds out his arms and sweeps around.
‘You’re getting married here?’ I gasp. ‘On the Acropolis?’
Ollie beams, and Alec fails to hide his elation. Sam lets out a small ‘huh’.
‘That’s right,’ he says. ‘The ceremony will be in the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. There’s a restaurant across the way with a magnificent view of the Acropolis, which will be where the meal and the evening entertainment will be.’
‘Two venues?’ My shock is impossible to hide.
‘We’re very lucky,’ Alec says. ‘I have a family friend with a connection to this place who could get us in. There’s lots of paperwork, and we still have to register it legally in the UK, but it can go ahead.’
Of course, their wedding would be the wedding to end all weddings.
I mean, look at this view. The history. I bet the Ancient Greeks didn’t think two men would get married in their theatres. Only recently the Greek government made it legal for such a thing to even be legal.
A pang twists in me, one of longing and good old-fashioned sadness. This is miles away from anything I could ever have, would ever have. Even wedding-averse me can admit that this is perfect. A Greek wedding in the most quintessential Greek location ever.
And it’s all finally happening for Ollie. With someone else.
‘Well, I can’t wait,’ I say.
‘We’ll leave you to it,’ Sam says. ‘You’ve got a lot to plan.’
