He nodded and widened his smile because there was no way on earth he was going to let Dan in on the trouble he had with Celia. ‘Quite sure. Congratulations, by the way.’
Dan grinned. ‘Thanks.’
‘Great ceremony.’
‘The best. And thanks for being my best man.’
‘No problem. I’m glad I made it in time.’ He’d bust a gut over the past couple of days to get here—and whatever Celia thought it had had nothing to do with over-clingy lovers—and he might be knackered, but he wouldn’t have had it any other way because he and Dan had been good friends for nearly twenty years.
‘So am I,’ said Dan, a
nd then he asked, ‘So why the thunderous expression? What’s up?’
Marcus shrugged. ‘Just trying to remember my speech.’
Dan shot him a knowing look that held more than a hint of amusement. ‘Sure you aren’t ruminating about the lack of single women here?’
Oddly enough—when it was generally the first thing he ascertained at any kind of social gathering—searching for likely conquests this afternoon hadn’t crossed his mind. ‘Maybe a bit,’ he said, largely because Dan seemed to be expecting it.
‘Sorry about that, but we wanted to keep the wedding small.’
‘No problem.’
‘Has it been a while, then?’
‘Six months.’
Dan’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Wow. Because of...what was her name again?’
‘Noelle.’ As the memory of his last girlfriend, who’d turned into a complete psycho stalker, flashed into his head he shuddered. ‘And yes.’
Dan grunted in sympathy. ‘I can see how after everything she did you’d be a bit wary, but, come on, six months? That must be a record.’
‘Not one I’ll be boasting about.’
‘No,’ agreed Dan. ‘Why would you?’
‘Quite.’
‘And not one you’ll be breaking today, I should think,’ Dan mused.
‘What makes you say that?’
‘Celia’s the only single woman here.’
‘Is she?’
‘And judging by the way you were looking at her just now I’m guessing she’s not a likely target.’
Marcus inwardly recoiled. Celia? A target? As if. He couldn’t stand her. And as she could stand him even less, even if he were insane/deluded/drunk enough to make a pass at her again, which he most certainly was not, in all likelihood he’d get a knee to the groin.
‘Didn’t we just clear that up?’ he muttered, really not wanting to dwell on that particular outcome.
‘Not very satisfactorily.’ Dan rubbed a hand along his jaw and frowned, as if in contemplation. ‘You know, Zoe mentioned she thinks you do it a lot.’
‘Do what?’
‘Scowl at Celia.’