AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘Well, we haven’t chosen a date yet, but we’re thinking the sooner, the better. Probably before Christmas.’
‘Good luck with that.’ The words shot out of Lucy’s mouth and she looked as surprised as anyone. ‘God, I’m sorry.’ She reached across the table to touch Stella’s arm. ‘It’s just that I’m already trying to book somewhere for our office Christmas bloody party and it’s a nightmare, everywhere’s booked up.’ Lucy worked as an editor at a big publishing house and always seemed to be lumbered with organising any kind of office get-together. They all knew she secretly enjoyed it, despite her protestations.
‘It’ll be very small, to be honest. He doesn’t have a big family, just his dad in fact. And I don’t think he’ll even be coming. They haven’t spoken in years.’ Stella felt sad at the thought of it. She’d tried to talk to Simon about his dad, suggesting that perhaps now was the time to mend bridges between them, but Simon had simply changed the subject each time. ‘Actually,’ she took a deep breath, ‘we might even go and get married abroad, on a beach somewhere. Just us, between Christmas and New Year.’ Stella picked up her glass and took a sip, her already much-admired engagement ring glinting in the light.
Bridget’s eyes had practically popped out of her head. ‘Are you serious? You always said you wanted a big wedding!’
Stella swallowed her wine with an audible gulp. ‘Once, Bridge. I think I might have said that once, and if I remember correctly, we were pretty drunk when I said it.’ Stella thought back to that very conversation. They’d been sitting on the grass outside their student halls, sharing a post-nightclub kebab. At the time, Stella had been madly in love with someone whose first name she couldn’t even remember now. ‘And anyway, you were busy planning to have babies with what’s-his-name…’
‘Clive.’ Bridget tried to keep a straight face.
‘That’s it! Clive…’ Stella laughed.
‘Actually, I was planning how not to have babies.’ Bridget had fallen for a mature student in her class and, at the time, thought him incredibly sophisticated. As it turned out, he was anything but. Also: married. Not that Bridget had known it back then. She steered the conversation quickly back to Stella, not wanting to open that particular can of worms. ‘Anyway, back to you. A beach? Really?’ Bridget couldn’t hide her disappointment. Stella would be the first of her friends to get married and suddenly it looked like there might not even be a wedding to go to.
‘Even if we go and get married somewhere, I promise we’ll have a party when we get back. I know that’s what you’re all really after.’ Stella had grinned at her friends.
‘I can’t lie, I’d thought we were a shoo-in as bridesmaids.’ Sarah sounded wistful.
‘And I could have done the photographs for mates’ rates,’ Bridget chipped in. Bridget was much in demand as a wedding photographer, which amused her friends no end given her total aversion to having her own photograph taken. Whenever she was caught on camera, she always, always had her eyes closed.
‘I know, I’m sorry. We want to do it quickly and it means we can do the whole wedding and honeymoon in one go.’
‘How romantic.’ Lucy’s delivery was the verbal equivalent of an eye roll. ‘What does Caroline think?’ Knowing Stella’s sister as she did, Lucy guessed Caroline would be just as disappointed with the whole small wedding idea.
‘I haven’t told her yet,’ said Stella, taking another sip of her wine.
Sarah shot Lucy a look, then turned back to Stella. ‘Whatever you decide, here’s to you, my darling.’ She raised her glass and smiled, looking to the others to join her.
‘Absolutely, here’s to you, Stella. To you and your happiness with… what’s his name?’ Bridget winked at her friend.
‘Stop it.’ Stella had laughed gently, nudging her friend’s arm.
‘To you and Simon, and a happy future together.’ Sarah led the clinking of glasses and they all joined in congratulating Stella. If any of them weren’t convinced by this whirlwind romance, none of them had wanted to be the one to let it show.
3
The beach wedding had taken place in between Christmas and New Year, just as Stella had said. In fact, plans had already been starting to take shape when the four of them met up in the pub that night, but Stella hadn’t the heart – or guts, if she was honest with herself – to tell them. She knew they all thought it was too much, too soon, even if they didn’t say it out loud.
But Stella felt as if she’d stepped into something that had always been waiting for her with Simon. He loved her, made her feel like anything was possible, that life was there for the taking. He was confident, caring and completely adored her. For the first time for as long as she could remember, Stella found herself daring to think ahead rather than worrying that something bad was around the corner. Most of all, she felt utterly loved and in love – and it was intoxicating.
When he had suggested they get married in Mustique, Stella had gasped at the idea, not least because she could only imagine what that might cost. They’d already discussed doing some work to the house, converting the basement into an office and putting another room in the loft. But before she could stop him, Simon had put down a deposit for a small one-bedroomed villa on the island a short walk from the beach.
They’d married at sunset, white sand between their toes. Stella was dressed in a simple pale gold silk bias-cut sleeveless dress and wore flowers in her hair. Simon wore a cream linen suit, a pale blue linen shirt and a smile that broke his face in two when he saw her. Tall palm trees swayed in the gentle breeze, the sound of the waves on the shore providing the most perfect backdrop to their simple ceremony. Afterwards, they had sat and feasted on fish sashimi and fresh lobster tails washed down with chilled Meursault before walking to the shoreline to feel the sea on their skin and look up at the stars. In the few days they had either side of the wedding, they fished, swam and snorkelled. The rest of the time was spent tangled in the cool white cotton sheets of their bed.
One evening, after a blissful dinner overlooking the bay, Stella had lay nestled into the crook of Simon’s deeply tanned arm as they sat side by side on the swinging chair outside their villa by the beach.
‘How about we stay here forever?’ Simon had whispered into the top of her head.
‘Actually, I’ve been thinking. I love my job, but I want to do something for myself one day. You know, start my own company.’ Stella gazed out across the calm sea, the moonlight throwing silver beams across the surface.
‘What do you want to do?’
‘Well, that’s the thing. I’m not entirely sure. I just know that I don’t want to work for someone else forever.’
‘Then that’s what you’ll do.’ Simon ran his finger along her naked shoulder, his touch making her skin tingle.
‘Yes, but I’ve got to come up with something first.’
