“I… I don’t know what to say. I never thought…”
“Never underestimate yourself!” says Eileen with a warm smile, and gestures around the floor. “Browse for as long as you like and let me know what you’d like to add. If you need any help, you know where I am.” She squeezes my arm. “Well done, Becky.”
As she walks away, I feel my eyes pricking with grateful tears. Someone doesn’t think I’m a disaster. Someone doesn’t think I’ve ruined everything. In one area, at least, I’m a success.
I head toward the antiques cabinet and gaze up at a silver tray, filled with emotion. I won’t let Eileen down. I’ll register the best damn antique hollowware I possibly can. I’ll put down a teapot, and a sugar bowl…
“Rebecca.”
“Yes?” I say, turning round. “I haven’t quite decided—”
And then I stop, my words shriveling on my lips. It’s not Eileen.
It’s Alicia Bitch Longlegs.
Out of the blue, like a bad fairy. She’s wearing a pink suit and holding a Tiffany carrier bag and hostility is crackling all around her.
Of all the times.
“So,” she says. “So, Becky. I suppose you’re feeling pretty pleased with yourself, are you?”
“Er… no. Not really.”
“Miss Bride of the Year. Miss Enchanted Bloody Forest.”
I gaze at her puzzledly. I know Alicia and I aren’t exactly best buddies — but isn’t this a bit extreme?
“Alicia,” I say. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?” Her voice rises shrilly. “What could be wrong? Maybe the fact that my wedding planner has dumped me with no warning. Maybe that’s irking me a little!”
“What?”
“And why has she dumped me? So she can concentrate on her big, important, Plaza-wedding client. Her extra-special, spare-no-expense client Miss Becky Bloomwood.”
I stare at her in horror. “Alicia, I had no idea—”
“My whole wedding’s in pieces. I couldn’t get another wedding planner. She’s bad-mouthed me all over town. Apparently the rumor is I’m ‘difficult.’ Fucking ‘difficult’! The caterers aren’t returning my calls, my dress is too short, the florist is an idiot…”
“I’m so sorry,” I say helplessly. “I honestly didn’t know about this—”
“Oh, I’m sure you didn’t. I’m sure you weren’t sniggering in Robyn’s office while she made the call.”
“I wasn’t! I wouldn’t! Look… I’m sure it’ll all turn out OK.” I take a deep breath. “To be honest, my wedding isn’t going that smoothly either…”
“Give me a break. I’ve heard all about your wedding. The whole bloody world has.” She turns on her heel and stalks away, and I gaze after her, shaken.
I haven’t just ruined my own wedding, I’ve ruined Alicia’s too.
I try to turn my attention back to the antiques cabinet but I feel upset and jittery. OK, come on. Let’s pick a few things. That might cheer me up. A nineteenth-century tea strainer. And a sugar bowl with inlaid mother-of-pearl. I mean, that’ll always come in handy, won’t it?
And look at this silver teapot. Only $5,000. I scribble it down on my list and then look up to see if there’s a matching cream jug. A young couple in jeans and Tshirts have wandered over to the same cabinet, and suddenly I notice they’re staring up at the same teapot.
“Look at that,” says the girl. “A five-thousand-dollar teapot. What would anyone want with that?”
“Don’t you like tea?” says her boyfriend with a grin.
“Sure! But I mean, if you had five thousand dollars, would you spend it on a teapot?”
“When I have five thousand dollars I’ll let you know,” says the boyfriend. They both laugh and walk off, hand in hand, light and happy with each other.
Suddenly, standing there in front of the cabinet, I feel ridiculous. Like a child playing with grown-up clothes. What do I want a $5,000 teapot for?
I don’t know what I’m doing here. I don’t know what I’m doing.
I want Luke.
It hits me like a tidal wave, overwhelming everything else. Brushing all the clutter and rubbish away.
That’s all I want. Luke normal and happy again.
The two of us normal and happy. I have a sudden vision of us on a deserted beach somewhere. Watching the sunset. No baggage, no fuss. Just the two of us, being together.
Somehow I’ve lost sight of what really matters in all this, haven’t I? I’ve been distracted by all the froth. The dress, and the cake, and the presents. When all that really counts is that Luke wants to be with me, and I want to be with him. Oh, I’ve been such a stupid fool…
My mobile phone suddenly bleeps, and I scrabble in my bag for it, filled with sudden hope.
“Luke?”
“Becky! What the hell’s going on?” Suze’s voice shrieks in my ear so fiercely, I nearly drop the phone in fright. “I just had a call from Michael Ellis! He says you’re still getting married in New York! Bex, I can’t believe you!”
“Don’t shout at me! I’m in Tiffany!”
“What the hell are you doing in Tiffany? You should be sorting this mess out! Bex, you’re not going to get married in America. You just can’t! It would kill your mum.”
“I know! I’m not going to! At least…” I push a hand distractedly through my hair. “Oh God, Suze. You just don’t know what’s been going on. Luke’s having a midlife crisis… the wedding planner’s threatened to sue me… I feel like I’m all on my own…”