Two old friends find themselves attracted to one another, and decide to start a relationship despite the potential problems that could easily cause them.
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Rod made sure the band's wake-up calls came in early enough to allow extra time to get Ade and Nicko up and moving. The hotel ran shuttles to the docks, so as soon as they'd eaten, the band plus the family members piled into a pair of shuttle buses for the ride to catch the noon ferry to Maui.
The British families gazed in awe at the beachfront hotel and attached reception hall where they'd be staying and where the wedding would take place.
"My God, Dave, this must be costing you a fortune," Angie said to her brother as she rocked little Robbie on her shoulder. "I knew you were doing well since you bought Mum the cottage and all, but this is just..." She waved her hand around in an effort to express what she couldn't quite find words for.
Dave smiled. "Well, there's some money saved cos we've got a group rate at the hotel. The blokes and you lot aren't the only ones coming in from elsewhere – Tamar told me the maid of honour and her family are coming in from somewhere near Toronto, Canada, for example. But also, Rod took care of flying you all here and home again as his wedding gift to me, and Bruce and Nicko covered your room and Mum and Da's room as their gifts to me."
"Still seems like an awful lot, but what do I know?" Angie laughed. "I'm just a hairdresser from Upper Clapton, married to a manufacturing manager."
"If you and Pete have a bit put aside that you can spare, Dan's setting up an investment group for the band," Dave said. "I'd have to ask him, but I'm sure adding you into it wouldn't be any trouble."
"Yeah, s'worth asking," Angie said. "Not like we got much, but Pete's been good about putting some away from each pay packet."
Tamar worked her way through the group of people milling around the lobby area, a dark-haired woman around her own age in tow. "Dave, there you are! Nathalie, this is my fiancé, Dave Murray, and his sister, Angie Wright. Dave, Angie, this is Nathalie Dufresne, my maid of honor."
"Nice to meet you, Dave and Angie," Nathalie said, offering her hand.
It's good to meet you as well, Nathalie," Dave said, shaking her hand. "Tamar's talked a bit about you."
"Yes, good to meet you," Angie echoed.
"Any idea where Ade is?" Tamar asked Dave.
Dave looked around and spotted his partner just getting off the lift with Fred and Kathleen. He waved. "Ade, come meet Nathalie," he called.
Ade looked up at hearing his name and gave a wave in return. "Be right there," he called back. He escorted his parents to the group of sofas where the elder Murrays already sat, then made his way over to the little group.
"Nathalie, this is Adrian Smith, Dave's best man and your partner for the wedding," Tamar jumped in with the introduction. "Ade, this is Nathalie Dufresne.
Nathalie offered her hand once more. "It's good to meet you, Adrian," she said with a smile. "Tamar's told me a bit about you. She said you fish?"
"Nice to meet you as well," Ade said, shaking her hand. "Yeah, I fish when I can. Grew up taking perch and roach from the canal or the Hackney Marshes as a kid and moved on to bigger and better once I was old enough to get proper equipment and do some travelling." He laughed and added, "Joining Maiden helped with that, although the blokes twit me for keeping a bucket of dirt and worms as well as my fishing tackle with my personals whilst touring. But it's good to get out to the nearest water when we've a day off, yeah?"
