‘Oh yeah, a real page-turner,’ Owen muttered.
Phoenix slunk off, mumbling something about seating. As Tessa and Rory drifted off to find more drinks, Owen made trout lips behind Tessa’s back. ‘You’ve made an enemy for life there, Kate,’ he smiled at her conspiratorially. ‘And what about you, you slut?’ he mocked Will. ‘I thought there’d only beyour big toe left to pull you out by, you were so far up her jacksie.’
‘I was not!’ Will protested. ‘I was just being polite.’
‘Don’t know what Rory’s doing with her,’ Owen went on.
‘I don’t imagine it’ll last long.’ Will said. Tessa’s relationships weren’t renowned for their longevity.
‘Don’t be so sure,’ Owen said darkly. ‘I think Rory’s looking for a father figure.’
‘A father figure?Tessa?’
‘Yeah. You know – someone to tell you you’re shite and beat the crap out of you.’
* * *
Tom and Rachel had spent so long posing for photographs that all the guests were sozzled by the time they were summoned to dinner. As everyone piled into the ballroom and took their seats, Helen noticed to her extreme annoyance that Walking Wounded had commandeered a table for themselves, scuppering the seating plan she and Rachel had spent weeks arranging.
She wasn’t the only one put out by their piracy.
‘Phoenix was supposed to be sitting besideme,’ Tina was complaining to Will. ‘I can’t believe he’s abandoning me to go and do the gang thing with the band. First you and now him. I don’t know why I bothered coming!’
‘I’m not abandoning you. I’m the best man. Ihaveto sit at the top table.’
‘Now I’ll get stuck with some bloody randomer!’ Tina huffed.
Just then Helen came bustling up and overheard her. ‘Sorry, Tina,’ she said, ‘but there’s nothing I can do. Your lot have rather landed us in it, I’m afraid, Will.’
‘Should have known better than to try and separate theinseparable,’ Will said coolly. ‘And please tell me you weren’t trying to fix Georgie up with someone.’
Helen smiled guiltily – she was an enthusiastic matchmaker. She ran a singles club purely as a hobby, inspired by her sincere desire to help others achieve the state of wedded bliss that she enjoyed. ‘And another thing,’ she leaned closer to whisper in his ear, ‘I think Owen and her are doing coke.’
‘Probably,’ Will agreed. ‘And I’m sure they’re not the only ones.’
‘Yes, but I mean out on the table, in front of everybody.’
‘What?’ Will groaned. He wished people wouldn’t invite the band to their parties and then expect him to nursemaid them. He had warned Rachel that if she insisted on asking them to her wedding he wouldn’t be responsible for policing their behaviour. Still, there was more at stake here than the smooth running of Rachel’s wedding. ‘Right, I’ll have a word with them.’
‘Thanks.’ Helen turned to Tina. ‘I’ve put Kate’s friend Freddie beside you, Tina,’ she said, then placed a firm hand on Tina’s back to propel her to her seat.
Will went over to the band. Sure enough, Owen had all his gear out and he and Georgie were chopping out lines of coke in view of everybody. ‘For God’s sake, Owen, put that stuff away,’ he said impatiently. ‘If you must do it, at least go into the bog.’
‘Hey, don’t sweat it, Will,’ Owen said. ‘It’s a private party.’
‘So what? Surely evenyouknow that stuff’s illegal!’
‘Yeah, but we’re among friends, aren’t we? Who’s going to shop us?’
‘So, you know every waiter and waitress here personally, do you?’ Will countered.
‘No, but?—’
‘Because you can be damn sure they knowyou. And they aren’t paid so much they wouldn’t be tempted by the nice fatbonus they’d get from a newspaper for a story about you and your Class-A nosebag.’
‘Oh… right. Sorry.’ He cleared everything away and shoved it into his pocket. ‘Love the lollipop look, by the way. Very cool.’
‘Thanks.’ Will chuckled. It was impossible to stay angry with Owen for long. As he was about to head for the top table, Owen got up, took Georgie’s hand and made for the door.
