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“Oh, that sounds wonderful.” Felicity meant the house, not the Oliver part, but suddenly Polly was leaning over the table with a glint in her eyes. “I hear Oliver picked you up from the airport. Thoughts, quick, before the guys get here.”
Felicity raised her eyebrows. “What kind of thoughts?”
“Score out of ten.”
“Poll, you’ve got to stop this!” Alice protested. “You can’t objectify men like this.”
“Why not! They’ve done it to us for centuries. Just asking.”
Felicity shrugged. “I guess he’s handsome in a conventional way.”
“He’spantie-meltinghandsome,” Polly mused. “But way too serious.”
“Be fair, he’s going through a rough patch,” Alice argued. “He hasn’t always been like that.”
“Yes he has,” Polly said. “Remember when he was at uni, and he’d come into the Book Genie and ask for books likeRich Dad, Poor Dadwith that brooding intense look on his face.”
“He’s just been single-minded about his goals. And he’s achieved them… mostly…” Alice’s mouth turned down. “I really feel for him. All the memories must be flooding back. I mean, Oliver and Leonie— they were like a royal couple, weren’t they?”
“Yeah, and look what happens to royal couples,” Polly replied with a smirk. “What Oliver needs is to loosen up, have some fun.” Her green gaze alighted on Felicity, and stuck. Felicity’s earlobes started to tingle, which meant any second now she was going to blush.
Alice made a horrified stop gesture with her hand. “No, oh, no, Polly, don’t go there.”
“Do you have a boyfriend, girlfriend, whatever, back home, Felicity?” Polly’s eyes were china-doll innocent.
Felicity looked from Alice to Judith, who both shook their heads and burst out laughing. “Let me explain something,” Alice said. “Polly is the Hitch of Perth.”
Felicity blinked. “Who?”
“Hitch. You must know the movie. If Poll could make a living out of matchmaking she would.”
“Two out of two isn’t a bad track record.” Judith took a dainty sip of her champagne. “Though I don’t recall any money changing hands.”
“I had nothing to do with you and Carts hooking up. You did that all by yourself.”
Judith’s eyebrows waggled. “May I remind you of a little red book that you recommended?”
“Ah yes, that one.” Polly threw herself back in her chair with a snicker.
Felicity was totally lost. But at least Polly’s laser attention had shifted. Then it shifted back. “So, is there anyone special in England?”
Felicity shook her head. Was it really two years ago that her and Mitchell had split? It had been so gruelling in the end that she’d been quite happy not to think of having a relationship since. Her occasional forays into dating had left her with the view that Evie and Felix—and Digby curled up at the end of her bed—were more than enough company.
Luckily, she was saved from answering by the arrival of Aaron and his friends. Aaron kissed Alice lingeringly on the lips. An extremely tall guy, whom Felicity immediately recognised from photos as Carts, kissed Judith, and the third, with hair an even brighter shade of red than her own, introduced himself as Dan. With a broad grin, he pointed at his head, then Felicity’s. “Rangas unite!”
“Jesus Christ, Dan.” Aaron rolled his eyes. “Not the way to make friends and influence people.”
“You’re not offended, are you?” A grin spread across his face like a 100-watt bulb. “Us gingers need to stick together.”
Felicity grinned back. Already she liked him. “I totally agree.”
“Ranga pride.” Dan flexed a big bicep. Across from him, Carts shook his head. “His brain cells have been subsumed into his muscles. Too much rugby.”
“Better than examining your navel all day, yogi man.” Dan put mocking hands together in a prayer gesture. “Now, anyone in need of a drink?”
Orders were put in and as Dan bounded over to the bar, Aaron shot her an apologetic smile. “Sorry, we should have warned you about these two. They bicker like an old married couple.”
Once they’d all settled with their drinks, Aaron turned to Felicity and asked, “What are you going to do after the wedding?”
