The Wedding Guest

Touche

    "Hi Mrs Gibbons" I smile politely as she stands in the doorway looking quizzically at me."Ian said you'd be expecting me"

    "Ah yes, come in dear" She welcomes, opening the door wider for me to enter. "Would you like anything to drink or eat?" She offers.

    "No thanks" I decline politely, wanting to get her hair done and get out before I find myself becoming too absorbed in this amazing family once again and once again hurting my own feelings. "Are you okay to start on your hair now Mrs Gibbons?" I ask, trying to remain professional.

She takes a seat in the large kitchen/dining room and I begin styling her hair how she asked.

As I style her hair, we have small insignificant chats and she tells me about the day ahead. I think it's safe to say she doesn't remember me.

I'm almost finished her hair when I hear footsteps come down the stairs and my breath catches in my chest, not knowing who's going to appear.

    "Killian, go and wake your brother or he'll be late" Anne shouts before he even reaches the kitchen door. "I swear only Martin could be late to his own wedding" She sighs and I stifle a laugh.

Minutes later there's a loud bang from upstairs. It sounds as though somebody has literally fallen out of bed or was dragged out. I'm going to assume on the latter as Martin curses at Killian all the way down the stairs.

I keep my concentration on Anne's hair while stifling my laughter, hoping that neither will recognise me.

    "Will you make me tea please darling" Anne asks as I carefully place the hair pins.

Glimpsing up through my curtain of hair to see who she's speaking to, I see Ethan staring at me with a smirk on his face.

    "What is it with you and our family weddings?" He says teasingly, folding his arms across his chest and leaning against the door frame.

Of course he'd be the one to recognise me immediately.

    "Don't worry I'm not attending. I'm just doing Ian a favour" I grin, biting on the hairpins to stop myself from smiling as wide as a Cheshire cat.

I'd kind of forgotten how contagious his gorgeous smile is.

    "Who's she?" Martin pokes his head over Ethan's shoulder, knitting his eyebrows at me.

    "You guys remember Nikki, from my wedding right?" Ethan smiles without taking his eyes from me.

    "I knew you looked familiar" Anne exclaims.

    "The saviour, yeah! You went on the trip around the world right?" Killian asks and I nod in reply, putting the final pins into Anne's hair.

    "Wait, are you actually coming to my wedding?" Martin asks excitedly.

I shake my head. "I'm only here to do your mam's hair" I tell them and
they all seem to physically deflate.

    "But you have to come, I know Judith would be ecstatic if you came. Please" He begs and pouts sadly at me.

    "I don't think so, sorry"

    "Ah come on, even for the meal or just the afters" Martin begs.

    "I'll try" I say, knowing they won't give up till I give some answer.

    "No, you have to make it, if not, we'll come knocking at your house" Killian informs me with a mischievous grin.

    "I wouldn't put it past you" I chuckle at him and spray Anne's hair into place.

    "Martin, go get ready" Anne instructs sternly. "If you're late, Judith will murder you"

    "Okay" Martin sighs, like a scolded child, "See ya later Nikki" He hollers as he drags Killian back up the stairs with him.

    "All done, Mrs Gibbons" I let her know and start packing my stuff away as Ethan makes tea at the counter next to me.

    "Oh It's gorgeous. Thank you so much Nikki" She coos, admiring her hair in the mirror. "How much do I owe ya?"

    "Oh no, don't worry about it"

    "Are you sure?" She checks and I nod my head. "Okay well I hope we do get to see you later" She smiles before excusing herself to get dressed and she saunters up the stairs with her mug of tea.

    "Aren't you supposed to be getting ready?" I ask Ethan, who's sat on the kitchen counter sipping his coffee, watching me pack my bag up.

    "It doesn't take that long to get ready. I've done it before remember" He stifles a smirk. At least he can laugh about his mishap now "besides if I left, who'd see you out"

    "I'm pretty sure I can find the front door on my own" I giggle, turning and gazing into his eyes for the first time.

    "I really hope you come later" He says blatantly causing my heart to race.

How does he still have that effect on me?

    "I dunno" I say, pulling my gaze from him to finish packing.

    "Don't tell me the party starter is actually hanging up her dancing shoes?"

I shrug my shoulder, "Those dancing shoes are an inch thick with dust these days. She traded them in for work boots" I smirk, hauling my bag onto my shoulder. "I better go. I have to get to work" I tell him, heading towards the front door.

    "Can I ask you a favour?" Ethan asks as holds the front door open for me.

I turn to face him, raising my eyebrow curiously. "That depends on what it is"

    "Will you be my plus one to the wedding?"

    "Really?" I ask dumbfounded. "Like todays wedding?"

Ethan smirks and nods his head.

I sigh, rolling my eyes; while internally my head is reminding me that I have a salon to run, trust issues, commitment issues and a terrible track record with dating; but my heart is screaming yes like a giddy schoolgirl.

    "You know it takes hours to dust a pair of dancing shoes off, right?" I grin, deciding to go with my heart instead of my head for once. There's just something about Ethan that makes me defy logic.

    "You don't need shoes to eat cake" He smirks and I burst out laughing.

I can't believe he remembered that.

    "Touche" I titter. "I guess, since you put it that way, I'll see you later"

    "I look forward to it" He winks and I think my insides just melted into a puddle of goo.