‘We should find our table,’ Viv says, moving us on.
The tables are not numbered or named like usual. Instead, we have to find ours by working out the punchline of a joke. ‘Well, Mrs Killjoy, you’ll never find your table,’ I whisper to Sarah, who gives me a tight smile and shakes her head. The joke for our table reads: ‘What happens when Iron Man takes off his suit?’ Viv and Sarah exchange confused glances.
‘Oh, come on,’ I say. ‘Seriously?’
They both shake their heads. I look to John and Mark, their husbands, who are wearing equally blank expressions.
‘He’s Stark naked! Tony Stark?’ I say, chuckling in response to a few groans. I remember Bridget running that one past me and I thought it was hilarious.
We find our table, and sure enough, the centre plaque reads ‘He’s Stark naked’. As we sit down we watch several bewildered guests wandering around in confusion.
‘Are you struggling?’ I say to an elderly gentleman hovering by our table.
‘Just a little.’
‘What’s your clue?’
‘RIP water.’ Puzzlement is etched into his brow. ‘It doesn’t even sound like a joke.’
I stifle a smirk. ‘You will be mist,’ I say, gesturing to the table to my right. I turn to the others. ‘I think this is more fun than the actual wedding.’
‘I’m just glad Bridget and Alex found one another, because they’re the only two people who get these jokes.’ Sarah takes the wine from the centre of the table and fills us up.
‘So, I’m allowed to drink now?’ I say sarcastically.
Sarah rolls her eyes. ‘I was just looking out for you.’
I’m about to retort when Viv’s husband, John, interrupts me.
‘So, Sam, no handsome prince on the horizon yet?’
‘Nope.’ I take a long sip of wine in place of a groan.
He tilts his head to the side. ‘You’ll meet someone soon.’ And there it is. I notice Viv giving him ‘a look’, which I’m grateful for. Maybe Bridget has had a word.
A loud gong interrupts the slightly awkward silence which ensues. ‘All rise, for the bride and groom.’
There’s a loud cheer and a round of applause as Bridget and Alex enter and take their seats at the top table. The happiness radiates from the pair of them and whilst I’m finding this whole day a little difficult, the smiles they wear are infectious. Not all romances are doomed and the love they have for one another is real, it only takes a quick glance in their direction to see that. They look beautiful together and the solid block of ice in my chest starts to thaw with the warmth that breaks through from just looking at them. I genuinely wish them a long lifetime of happiness.
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A Letter From Victoria.
Dear reader,
I just wanted to say a huge thank you for taking the time to read Sun, Sea and Sangria. I’m a huge fan of the Canary Islands and after visiting several of the islands and enjoying lots of hotel entertainment, felt they made the perfect setting for this book. Writing the book during the 2020 lockdown helped provide me with some much-needed sunny escapism and I hope it does for you too whatever your circumstances.
If you’ve read any of my other books, you’ll know that travel features quite heavily, from Scotland to Las Vegas. I love swapping travel stories so do get in touch and let me hear your thoughts if you’ve ever visited any of the places mentioned in any of my books – you can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok (although I don’t really know what I’m doing there other than making a fool of myself).
Reviews long and short, good and bad are incredibly valuable to authors. They let us know how we’re doing, how we can improve and give us warm fuzzy feelings when people like our work. If you can spare a few minutes to leave one on your chosen retailer’s website, I do read them and would love to hear your feedback.
Finally, thank you again for your support in purchasing this book and, if you liked it, please check out my others.
Best Wishes,
Victoria Cooke
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Sun, Sea and Sangria: Escape with a feel good romantic comedy in the summer sun! Page 28
