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‘Look, I was wondering if I could ask you something?’ Gus shifted on his feet.
‘Yes, of course.’ Pausing, Heather looked at him. ‘What is it?’
‘You can completely say no, if you want to, but I was wondering if you’d like to be my plus one at this wedding I’m going to at the weekend. It’s for Lisa and Jay, two people I work with at the nature reserve. They’re having a small reception do at the reserve’s café, so, I just wondered if you’d join me?’
‘A wedding reception?’
‘I completely understand if you don’t want to. I know we’ve not been seeing each other long and a wedding reception is a pretty big date but...’ He shrugged. ‘I probably shouldn’t have asked.
‘No, I’d love to.’ Heather grinned. Gus was right, a wedding reception was a pretty big date. ‘I have no idea what I’m going to wear though, I didn’t pack anything wedding reception worthy. Jeans and jumpers, yes, pretty dresses, no.’
Smiling, Gus nodded. ‘Great. Thank you. Whatever you choose to wear will look amazing on you anyway.’
Chapter Fifteen
‘Are you sure this looks okay?’ Heather twirled around on the spot and looked across at Elsie.
Pushing the bowl of cake mix away from her, Elsie wiped her hands on the tea towel and stepped towards her. ‘You look beautiful. Here, let me tie up the ribbon.’
‘Thanks.’ Standing still, Heather pulled her pendant around to the front, the clasp sitting at the nape of the neck.
‘Is he picking you up?’
‘Yes. He’ll be here any moment now. I don’t know why I feel so nervous. It feels like a big deal being invited as someone’s plus one, doesn’t it?’
‘Yes, it does. But that’s a good thing, isn’t it?’ Elsie stepped back. ‘There you go, all done.’
‘Thank you.’ Heather turned to face her. ‘Yes, I think so. I mean, yes, it is. It is a good thing. I haven’t felt like this about anyone since me and my ex broke up. It seems to have happened so fast. I didn’t think I’d feel like this about someone else so soon after splitting from my ex but also, I’ve not even known him that long. Is it possible to feel as though I’m falling for him after so little time?’
‘Umm, now that’s a tricky one as everyone is different. I know I fell for my Ian quickly though.’
‘This quickly?’
‘Yes, I’d say so.’ Elsie nodded.
‘How long have you been together now?’ Maybe it was normal to develop feelings for someone so quickly then? She definitely hadn’t with Jordan though, it had taken a good fewmonths of them knowing each other before she’d felt even half of what she felt for Gus.
‘Just over a year.’
‘A year?’ Heather widened her eyes. ‘Sorry, I don’t mean to sound shocked, I just assumed you’d been together for, I don’t know, decades, not just a year.’
Elsie chuckled and touched her wedding ring. ‘That’s probably because we’ve known each other so long. We met a long long time ago but neither one of us had the courage to tell the other how we felt. We were the closest of friends and didn’t want to risk losing that.’
‘Oh.’
‘So, my advice to you would be to be honest with yourself about how you feel about Gus and honest with him too. There’s no point wasting years of your life worrying that the way you feel won’t be reciprocated.’
‘Yes, I guess you’re right. It’s better to know one way or the other.’
‘Exactly.’ Elsie nodded and turned back to her bowl, sieving flour into the mixture, a cascade of white on top of the creamed butter and sugar.
‘You look lovely. I love the dress!’ Carrying a notebook, Wendy walked into the kitchen, pausing in front of Heather. ‘You’re off to Lisa and Jay’s wedding reception, aren’t you?’
‘Yes, do you think this looks okay?’ Heather looked down at her dress. She hadn’t had much choice in the shops in Trestow.
‘Definitely, it’s beautiful.’
‘Thanks.’
