Beauty and the Bridesmaid

Chapter Twenty Two

As Ash leaves his room and goes to see his best man, Johnny, I hover outside Damien and Ste’s room. I should tell them what’s just happened and that Ash is ready to get married, but that’s not the reason I’m standing here.

I have a very important question to ask Damien.

The door swings open after my timid knock, but it’s Ste who answers.

“What’s happened?” he asks, letting me into their room. “Where’s Ash?”

“With Johnny,” I explain. “You two need to be getting ready. We’ve all got a wedding to go to.”

“That’s great news!” Damien enthuses, crossing the small room to hug me. “I suppose you need to change into your dress.” He smirks.

I pull a pained expression. “Thank God I only have to wear it for a few hours.” My eyes dart nervously to Ste, who is closely watching us from his position by the bed. “I um…I actually have something to ask you?”

“Oh?” Damien says.

I try to make eye signals to Ste to leave the two of us alone for this moment, but apparently men don’t pick up on those like women do. I suppose with an audience is better than not at all.

“I was wondering,” I begin, chewing on my bottom lip, “maybe you’d like to go along to the wedding…y’know…as my date?”

I can see Ste’s shoulders shaking from here. He obviously thinks this is hilarious, and I scowl at him while I wait for Damien to respond.

“That’s not exactly what I expecting you to say,” he comments. “Bridesmaid don’t take dates to the wedding, do they?”

“Aren’t they supposed to cop off with one of the groomsmen?” remarks Ste. “Hey, which one do you think I’ll get? D’you reckon that Kerry’s into me?”

I roll my eyes at him and turn back to Damien. “This wedding has been far from normal,” I point out. “Why stick to conventions?”

“A date,” he says with a smile. “Why not?”

“Just over an hour to go,” Ste says, glancing down at the watch on his wrist. “We should be getting ready.”

I think about the original plan for today, wondering if I’m still supposed to be having my face attacked by Lela’s hair and makeup person. Hopefully I can avoid that by retreating to my room and pretending I didn’t know what was going on.

When I leave the guys’ room, I take the stairs up to my own room, thinking about how I’m going to do my own hair and makeup. I decide that I might just have time to curl my hair. It doesn’t matter that much if I look different to the other two bridesmaids, does it? It’s not like this wedding is going to be anywhere near perfect anymore.

But then there they are. As I round the corner, I spot Kerry and Steph lingering outside the door to my room.

I freeze and duck behind the wall again. Maybe they haven’t seen me. But I took my bag back up to my room. I need to go in there to stand any chance of being ready in just an hour.

Oh God. What if they’ve come to get me to have my hair and makeup done? I chance a look at them again. They’re both wearing their dresses, but their hair looks plain and unstyled.

One of them looks up suddenly, and I don’t have time to process what’s happening before the two women are bounding along the corridor towards me.

“Jade!” Kerry yells sharply, reaching me before Steph does. “You need to go and see Lela. She’s a mess. She needs you.”

“Me?” I question. “Why me?”