Page 53 of The Wedding Forecast

‘People always are.’

‘Ohhhh. Dancing is one of your moves then?’

‘My moves?’

‘Like, a move you would pull out at a wedding to charm an unsuspecting woman.’

‘Like the celebrant? Where is she anyway?’ He pretends to look around.

‘She left after the ceremony.’

‘That’s a shame.’ He smiles at me. ‘If I was going to make a move while dancing, I would probably dip you a little bit.’

‘I hate being dipped.’

‘Who hates being dipped?’

‘Dipping is too showy. And it comes with a risk of being dropped.’

He laughs. ‘Okay, what if I spin you?’

‘Spins are acceptable.’

He twirls me under his arm, once, twice. It’s so seductive, to be the object of this attention, I can feel myself being swept away. I’m trying to remind myself that these are the emotions of being in a wedding party, of wearing a glamorous dress and having my hair professionally done and fake eyelashes being glued to my eyelids and being on a dancefloor with a handsome man—there are a million reasons why what I am feeling is not real.

As the song goes on, we are getting closer and closer, and my arms are around his neck now. We are smiling at each other. Over Mac’s shoulder, I catch a glimpse of Hayley watching us and then, behind her, Patrick with his camera pointed our way.

Right. Patrick. I am focused on Patrick.

‘Did your mothers get a new place sorted?’ Mac asks me.

‘Yes, they did.’

‘So which one of us gets the good bed tonight?’

The question feels loaded.

‘Rock, paper, scissors?’ I suggest.

‘Sure.’

I choose rock, I always choose rock, there is probably something psychological there, and he holds out an open hand, paper. He looks at me, and closes his hand gently over my fist.

‘I win.’

He holds it there, and for some reason, it makes me almost want to cry.

‘The bed is yours,’ I say.

‘You should take it,’ he says.

‘No, you have it.’

The song has ended, and I step back from him.

‘That was a really nice dance, thank you,’ I say, my voice more formal than I want it to be but, also, I am hoping he understands everything I am trying to convey. I can’t let myself fall for you.

16