‘Jeez, Becky. Buy a girl dinner first.’
‘Please?’
‘Can’t, sorry,’ Alex replied. ‘I’ve been ordered to get my arse in gear and I have no intention of facing the wrath of Erin today.’
Becky laughed. ‘She’s just worried that this wedding is going to be a disaster. Which it might be. I can smell rain approaching.’
‘You can smell rain?’ Alex glanced outside. Bright sunny day, not one cloud in the sky.
‘Mm-hmm,’ she replied. ‘It’s either that or death. I’m not sure, these nail polish fumes are really strong, it’s throwing me off.’
Reluctant to press Becky any further, Alex grabbed her case from Beth’s room and made her way to Erin’s bedroom at the back of the house. Her jaw dropped. It looked like a boutique had exploded. Outfits tried on and discarded on top of eccentric hats and fascinators which would have been quite at home in the Moulin Rouge.
‘You made it then… Holy shit ,what happened in here?’
Alex turned to see Aiden standing in the doorway, in his jeans and T-shirt. Yet another person still not even close to being ready.
‘A wedding,’ Alex replied. ‘That’s what happened. Choices were made here, and not all of them happy ones.’
Aiden moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. ‘Missed you,’ he said, nuzzling her neck. ‘God, you smell good.’
‘And you smell surprisingly well for someone who was at a stag do last night,’ she said, leaning into him. ‘Everyone all in one piece?’
‘Just about,’ he replied. ‘Nothing that a strong coffee and some electroshock therapy won’t fix.’
‘Did you see Erin? She’s on the warpath.’
He sighed. ‘I asked how she was and she shouted that she wasup to ninetyand before I could ask her what that meant, she called someonea wee shiteso I made a quick exit.’
Alex laughed. ‘Getting people in to help is supposed to make things easier… Aiden Smith, are you sniffing me like a big creep?’
‘Me? No, I just happened to be inhaling the air around your neck.’
‘I need to get ready and—’
‘You do need to take some clothes off, yes.’
Alex grinned and pushed a reluctant Aiden out of the room.
