“Do you think he will sign with you?”
“I’m very confident.”
“Life is pretty good for you right now, isn’t it?”
Carmen stroked Ash’s hand where it rested on the steering wheel. “It really is.” She looked at the GPS. “Is that accurate, ten minutes until we get there?”
“Should be.”
“Good. I’m rather desperate for the bathroom.”
Ash laughed. “Want me to speed up?”
“No, don’t get us arrested. I’ll be fine.”
They did indeed arrive ten minutes later and checked in quickly. They had separate rooms, as agreed, but a tingle of excitement ran through Carmen as she wondered if they’d actually use both later. Where they’d left things after the dinner party had held her on a lovely knife-edge of arousal all week. She knew it wouldn’t take much to tip the balance.
“Want to meet for a quick drink before we have to leave?” Ash asked as they walked up the single flight of stairs to their rooms.
“Sounds good. Maybe around one? Tamsyn said the minibus that’s collecting all the guests from here will arrive at one thirty.”
“Perfect. Go make yourself beautiful.” Ash winked.
“Are you saying I’m not already?” Carmen tried to give Ash an evil glare and failed miserably when her mouth twitched with mirth.
“Okay, let me rephrase: go make yourself even more beautiful.”
“Sweet talker.”
The weather forecast was good for the whole day, and Carmen knew the marquees would be warm inside, so she draped only a thin silk shawl over her shoulders. She made sure she had plenty of tissues in her handbag, plus her mascara. Her emotions were riding so high she was bound to be a blubbering mess when Tamsyn and Maggie finally said, “I do.”
Ash waited for her in the bar, and Carmen barely resisted the urge to throw herself at her when she saw how she looked. The black dress trousers hugged Ash’s hips and waist; the pale pink shirt highlighted her full breasts, with the buttons undone enough to show just a smidge of cleavage. It drew Carmen’s gaze and made her breath hitch in her throat.
Ash smiled at her and opened her arms. “Will I do? You were kind of checking me out, so…”
Carmen leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the cheek. “Definitely,” she murmured, keeping her hands firmly grasped on her handbag to avoid any unnecessary spectacle. “You’re gorgeous.”
Ash’s cheeks pinked just a little. “Thanks. You, as ever, look stunning. Wow.”
It was a new dress, bought especially for this wedding, and even Carmen could admit it suited her well. The one-shoulder style was not something she’d tried before, but the sales assistant had convinced her, and she didn’t regret buying it. The material, soft and delicate, in a beautiful shade of teal, swished around her thighs as she moved, making her feel like a catwalk model. She saw Ash’s gaze fall to the strappy heels she wore, higher than her usual style by far.
When Ash looked back at her, her eyes smouldered.
Carmen swallowed. “Like the shoes?”
Ash merely nodded.
They sat in the lounge bar of the hotel and talked quietly over a gin and tonic. Other wedding guests arrived over the next thirty minutes, and greetings were shared. Some people Carmen knew, some not.
“Carmen!” Tony, who did PR for Tamsyn, strode across the room towards her.
“Hi, Tony.” They swapped air kisses.
“You remember Vanessa?” Tony gestured to the woman beside him, a statuesque blonde, who was at least twenty years younger than him.
“Of course.” Carmen shook her hand. “Lovely to see you again.” And shocked actually, given that Tony usually goes through girlfriends at a vast rate of knots . And now it was time for the return introduction. She was nervous, but determined. After all, if she couldn’t be seen with a female partner at a same-sex wedding, where could she? “And this is my partner, Ash.” It was the first time she’d said those words out loud to anyone, and a combination of excitement and trepidation shot through her veins.
Ash squeezed her hand, and Carmen glanced at her. A warm, supportive smile curled Ash’s lips.
Carmen gripped Ash’s hand a little more tightly and looked back at Tony. How would he react?
His expression went from shock to beaming smile in less than two seconds, and her shoulders eased out of their tensed position.
“Nice to meet you.” Tony and Ash shook hands. “This is new, yes?” he asked Carmen.
“Yes, it is.”
Tony leaned in. “Good for you.” He kissed her cheek, then wandered off with Vanessa in tow.
“You okay?” Ash asked.
Carmen laid a hand on her own chest, aware of how hard her heart was beating, and took a couple of breaths. “Absolutely.”
The luxury minibus transported them all to the cottage, where they stepped into a wedding fantasy land. The garden, perhaps half an acre in size, held two large marquees. One marquee was apparently set up for the ceremony, with rows of chairs facing a small dais visible through the open doorway. The other contained tables set up for dining, with a large bar area at one end. Off to the side, the catering staff were hard at work in two large but well-appointed caravans. All through the garden, wooden boardwalks led to and from the marquees to the temporary toilets and elsewhere, preventing the guests and staff from sinking into the lawn.
A waiter appeared with a tray of champagne, and Carmen and Ash each took a glass.
“This is amazing!” Ash shook her head. “But it’s also pretty simple. No gold frills anywhere.”
“Yes, that would absolutely not be their style. This is just them.”
By the time an usher announced that everyone should take their seats, Carmen was on the edge of tears. The setting, the knowledge of what Tamsyn had gone through to get to this point, plus the fact that Carmen herself walked into the marquee with a woman on her own arm, all of it
