Outside on the terrace, Sam was deep in some sort of business conversation on the phone. I could hear him talking about staff training and incentives. For someone I’d believed had never conducted business before, or even had a proper job when we met, he’d made quite a smooth transition into ‘boss’ mode. Even though I was ready to wring his neck, the fact that he was so clever made me feel quite proud.
Seeing me approach, he waved his hand in the air and gave his usual cheeky grin. Then he hung up his phone and put it between his thighs. “How’d the meeting go?”
I stood over Sam’s deck chair, hands on hips. I know I’d agreed to let him off most of the wedding preparations because ‘girlie flowers and stuff’ wasn’t his thing but if he’d been interfering from the sidelines he could suffer the consequences. So much for only wanting to ‘rock up on the day’ and have a great time.
“Did you tell Angus you were having three attendants?”
Sam frowned as if digging through the mud in his memory. “Don’t think so. Mum was raving on about something the other day and I told her we wanted a small wedding in King’s Park.” He beamed up at me; seemingly chuffed that he’d even remembered that detail.
“Then why did Angus reel off the names of the rugby boys? And why’re Simmo and Rambo in our wedding party? They’re not exactly poster boys for making a relationship work.”
Sam looked worried now. “Ah, ‘cause I sort of asked them.”
“But we decided.”
“I know we did but listen, please, before you fly off the handle…..” He looked up at me and did his best impersonation of a puppy wanting more dinner. “Mum made the point that we have a bit of an expectation on us, given who my family are.”
There it was again. That word. Expectation.
“But we agreed. Together.”
“I know and I didn’t mean to ask the boys. It sort of popped out after I’d had a couple. Simmo was the first person I met when I came to Perth. And Rambo’s saved me on the pitch more times than I can count. I feel indebted to him. Anyway, they looked so upset when they heard Johnny talking about planning the Buck’s night, I didn’t have a choice.”
I didn’t know whether to be annoyed or happy that Sam appeared to have developed an empathy gene. But after all the ‘little talks’ we’d had, why did he have to choose this moment to use it?
I groaned. “So you were drunk?”
“Not exactly.”
“But you decided to increase the size of the wedding party without talking to me first?”
“I can un-invite them if that’s what you want.”
Now he was taking the piss. As if you could un-invite someone from your wedding party. It was very bad manners.
“I guess it’ll be okay,” I sighed. “I’ll have to ask the girls to stand up too. And you’ll have to choose someone else to be a groomsman because if I ask them we’ll have an uneven number with Alex already in.”
I didn’t care what that fool Angus Adams said. If I had to ask Kirby, Sasha and Mel to be my bridesmaids I was having Alex as the Maid of Honour.
Sam gave a small grin and reached up to squeeze my hand. I couldn’t help wondering if he’d wanted this all along. “Don’t stress about it, Mill’. In the scheme of things a few more sitting at the table is no big deal. It’s not like we’re paying for it.”
Well, that was a relief.