‘Faye!’ Dani straightens up from where she’s been bent over a lady in a wheelchair who is dressed top-to-toe in black. Dani. She’s the reason I bought it. And her white swimsuit—which, to be fair, is even more revealing than mine—screams ‘the lady of the moment’ and I can hardly kill her now. On her wedding week.
‘It’s about time you got down here,’ she admonishes, walking towards me, her grin wide as she gives me a quick once-over. Her eyebrows do the same little waggle she pulled off in the swimwear boutique as she declared an impending end to my sex drought.
If only she knew the truth. I hadn’t required swimwear to sort it... I swallow. It hadn’t been the man she’d had in mind either.
‘Sorry!’ It’s a bit high-pitched and I smile more brightly and force my shoulders to relax as I embrace her and give her a peck to both cheeks. My eyes are drawn to Rafael, who is still heading in the same direction, before I snap them back to her. ‘Just plucking up the courage to come out in this thing.’
She gives a flighty laugh. ‘You’re kidding, right? You look hot as...’
She hooks her arm through mine. ‘You must come and meet my grandmother. She’s heard so much about you.’
Yes, the grandmother—not the suave, sophisticated, too-hot-for-words older brother who’s ab
out to join us.
‘Ah, and my brother too. Did you find him earlier?’
‘Yes.’ My voice hitches and I pray she doesn’t notice. ‘We...we talked about your mother. Everything’s sorted on that front.’
At least I hope it is...
‘Ah, thank you.’ She leans in conspiratorially. ‘Well, now I can introduce him properly. Just remember, he’s not the ogre he first appears to be.’
‘Ogre, right.’ My giggle is loaded with nerves, guilt and a sudden desire to defend him. ‘He seemed perfectly pleasant to me.’
‘Really? Maybe he’s on his best behaviour. Miracles do happen!’
If that’s his best behaviour, my body is already wishing it could see his worst. I suck the inside of my cheek to kick back the heat and curse my body that’s too keen to travel down that road. I also wrap my kimono around me as I feel the swift return of twin peaks.
‘Maybe you just need to see him through fresh eyes.’
She murmurs something I don’t quite catch, and I don’t have time to probe without being overheard by an audience.
‘Great to see you, Faye.’ Tyler gives me a warm embrace. ‘Sorry I missed you at breakfast.’
His eyes sparkle as he releases me and I get the distinct impression he’s also thanking me for sending his wife-to-be back to bed. Not that he need thank me. My little errand saw me rewarded in a very similar manner. I smile over the heat that’s made it into my cheeks, grateful that my sunglasses conceal so much.
‘No problem. It was nice to get a quiet one in before all the guests arrived.’
Though, Raf never quite made it in, did he? Jesus!
‘Nonna...’ Dani places a hand on her grandmother’s shoulder and gestures to me ‘...meet my fabulous friend, Faye. Faye, meet my fabulous grandmother, Nonna... Greta to her friends.’
‘It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you, signora. Your reputation precedes you.’ I grin down at the lady who is every bit the Italian grandmother. Her brown eyes sparkle and crinkle at the corners with her smile and the wisps of grey that have escaped the knot at her nape soften the bronzed lines of her face. ‘All good, I promise,’ I add in my best Italian. I’m not fluent, not by a long stretch, but I’ve picked up enough to impress over the years.
‘Greta, per favore.’ She beams up at me. ‘Ciao, bella.’
She reaches out and I place my hands in hers, lean down, and she kisses each cheek as is the custom for friends, and I immediately feel welcomed in...welcomed in and...sad.
It’s a sudden pang of loss as I acknowledge how different our situations are, Dani’s and mine. I have no elder to look up to within my own family, to be loved by and to love in return. No one, save for Dad. And the lack of a female, of that maternal connection, suddenly feels huge. It makes tears spike out of nowhere. I close my eyes and breathe through it. It’s such a silly thing to get caught up on, right now of all times. But then, grief doesn’t abide by any rules.
I straighten back up and frown as I take in Greta’s chair. I don’t remember anyone mentioning her being wheelchair-bound and I make a note to mention it to the wedding planner, if Dani hasn’t already.
‘Nonna had a fall this morning,’ Dani chips in, spying my focus. ‘She’s sprained her ankle.’
‘Ouch.’ I look to her feet which are hidden beneath the skirt of her dress. ‘Ti fa ancora male?’
‘Adesso, va bene. No fuss.’ She waves a hand at me and goes to raise her foot with a wiggle but winces almost immediately.