Connected (F1 Story)

Chapter Fourteen: The Wedding

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter- it was a tough one to write. Please, please, please, do press the vote button. Hours and hours do go into this story...and I do mean hours!

"Oh Jesus, Saskia. Are you okay?" With my head still in the toilet bowl, a steady hand held back my tangled hair. I could hear Daniel trying to wrap a towel around himself at the same time. "I'm going to go and get you some water. You aren't going to faint, are you..."

I stopped throwing up cocktails and rest my head in the palm of my hands, letting my eyes water. I grunted as a rather unsure 'no'.

"I told Paul you'd meet Lizzie at five, not three. She threw up all over the hotel rug," Daniel explained, sounding thankful that I hadn't caused that much of a mess. "Did you take the paracetamol I left on the side for you?"

I waited until Dan came back into the en-suite before answering. If I raised my voice I would most definitely be sick again.

"I didn't, no." I whispered, a bit embarrassed. I'd never been ill in front of him as a result of drinking too much. "But thank you for leaving them there. And writing the note."

"No problem," he answered, rubbing my back as I decided to see my Sambuca again. "Did you have a good night?"

"It was a very good night...from what I can remember." Sniffing, I leant back against a very damp Australian and closed my eyes. "How was your night?"

Dan sat down on the bathroom tiles instead of just crouching and continued rubbing my back. "T'was fun. Paul and I watched everyone else get drunk. We danced a lot."

"What did you do at the gym?"

"Neck weights." Dan clicked his neck and my body decided that enough was enough; I vomited for the third time. "Sas, you're making me feel a little bit ill now."

"Sorry." I gasped, gulping down the water. "I don't even remember how I got back here last night."

"Let's see, I think you walked into the table at five this morning, then passed out on the couch with your dress stuck on your head. I tried to get you back into bed but you weren't responding for the love of...what's that bloke's name? Gary Barlow?"

"I'm so very sorry." I whispered and Daniel kissed the top of my head. "I thought I was okay until I smelt the new soap."

"Best not to let this slip to Christian." Dan chuckled lightly. "Gonna be sick any more?"

Shaking my head, he helped me to my feet and I gave him a hug. "Christian and Geri are getting here at eight tonight," I said, and made a mental note of the mountain of cleaning I had to do. Changing bed sheets was first on the list. "Do you want to finish off your shower that I rudely interrupted?"

"I'm all done, don't you worry." Dan released me, then handed me my toothbrush and toothpaste. "Brush your teeth and then we can make the bed...and then go for a snooze."

"But what about the bathroom and the kitchen and the lounge and-"

"Saskia, I'll do it." Daniel said, with utmost certainty. "Besides, our new bleach smells vaguely of pineapple and I don't want to chundering over the lounge floor."

---

With the biggest pair of shades that Daniel owned and an Accessorize hat to hide my ridiculously greasy hair, I left Daniel hoovering the apartment. Between us we'd battled through the tiredness to disinfect our home. Actually, it looked really, really clean now.

Lizzie was waiting for me at our usual meeting place, a little cafe overlooking the harbour. She too had massive sunglasses on accompanied by a swipe of MAC lipstick. All my lipglosses tasted half nice and I did not want to run the risk of throwing up because of a hint of marshmallow was lingering on my lips.