At the Wedding

by Matt Dunn

  ‘Good luck,’ whispered Patrick.

  ‘Same to you,’ said Livia.

  ‘And try to have fun.’

  ‘You too!’

  ‘I will.’ He grinned. ‘I’ve got a daughter, remember. This is probably my only chance to take centre stage at a wedding when I’m not paying for the whole show.’

  Livia nudged him. ‘Maybe not your only chance . . .’

  As Patrick blanched, she laughed. ‘Your face!’ she said, and he smiled sarcastically.

  ‘Very funny,’ he said, resting a hand on the door handle. Though Patrick didn’t think it was funny at all.

  ‘Are you all right?’

  Jed fingered the side of his face as he and Liam stood in the courtyard, waiting for Livia to make an appearance. ‘Apart from the black eye, you mean?’

  ‘Yeah,’ said Liam with a grin, though to his credit, Jed thought he sounded at least a little guilty. The side of Jed’s face was still visibly swollen, though thanks to some hastily applied foundation from Izzy, he should be able to get through the wedding without looking like he’d gone fifteen rounds. Even though, after the day he’d had, that was how he was feeling.

  He gazed around the terrace. Where they stood, and where earlier a handful of sunbeds had been lined up by the old stone wall, now there was a small table with a couple of chairs for him and Livia, and a row of seats arranged behind for their friends, where Rachel and Izzy were patiently waiting. The potted olive trees that dotted the courtyard were bedecked with as-yet unlit lanterns, which were swinging gently in the light breeze coming in from the Mediterranean. The open dining area on the other side of the pool had a long table set for eight at one end, which was decorated with simple white floral arrangements. It couldn’t have been more perfect. He only hoped Livia would feel the same.

  The sun had baked the flagstones all day, which meant there was a pleasant, bearable warmth emanating from them, so why Jed was sweating so much was beyond him . . . Then it hit him. This was real. He and Livia were getting married. And he was actually feeling excited about it.

  Liam nudged him. ‘Set up nicely, eh?’

  ‘The courtyard? Or were you referring to what Livia did to me?’

  ‘Both.’ Liam grinned. The sky was a deep blue, with not a cloud visible, which Jed had to see as a good omen. It looked like it should stay that way too – last night, even from the hotel’s position slap bang in the centre of the city, the constellations had been visible, stunningly so, and Jed was looking forward to a repeat performance.

  ‘Sorry, Liam.’

  ‘What for?’

  ‘You might not be the only star putting in an appearance this evening.’

  ‘Biggest, though,’ said Liam.

  ‘Biggest something.’ Jed grabbed his brother in a playful headlock. ‘And no, I’m not being complimentary.’

  A man in a suit was making his way towards them – the official who’d be marrying them, Jed guessed, so he held out his hand. ‘Hi,’ he said, nervously introducing himself. ‘I’m the groom.’

  ‘Ah, Jed. It is nice to meet you. My name is Miguel,’ said the man, shaking his hand formally. ‘I’ll be marrying you this evening.’

  Jed narrowed his eyes at Liam, hoping to prevent the inevitable attempt at a joke. ‘And this is Liam. My brother.’

  ‘Aha. The best man.’

  Liam gave Jed a look, as if to say ‘See?’ – then, as Miguel excused himself to get ready for the ceremony, he frowned. ‘You’re sure you’re okay?’

  ‘What do you mean?’ said Jed, surprised to find his voice was trembling.

  Liam rolled his eyes. ‘You look like . . . well, like you need the toilet. Badly.’

  ‘Yeah, well, you look like . . .’ Jed grinned. It was a game they used to play as kids, upping the insults until one or both of them collapsed in fits of laughter, and he could do with a laugh right now to calm his nerves. He looked his brother up and down, taking in the slightly shiny suit, trousers with legs so tight he wondered how Liam had managed to pull them on over his feet, the white shirt open almost to his belly button, displaying the Chinese tattoo across his chest that Jed had once (unkindly) managed to convince Liam actually spelled out ‘egg fried rice’ rather than the Cantonese translation of his name. ‘A bloody Premiership footballer. And that’s not a good look.’

  ‘For you, maybe not. For me . . . it’s what the women want.’

  Jed glanced over his shoulder, smiling nervously at Rachel and Izzy. ‘And your date for this evening is where, exactly?’ he whispered.

  Liam shrugged. ‘Thought I’d give it a miss.’

  ‘Slipping?’

  ‘Not really. I’ve just decided . . .’ Liam took a deep breath. ‘I want a Livia.’

  ‘Well, you can’t have Olivia. She’s mine.’

  ‘Not O-Livia. A Livia. Someone like her, at least. Or rather, to have something like you guys have.’

  ‘Wow – my little brother’s finally growing up. What on earth’s prompted this?’

  Liam shrugged. ‘Dunno. Maybe because . . .’ He stopped talking, because Jed had glanced over his shoulder again then turned ashen: Rachel was holding her phone up in the air, the ‘Wedding March’ blasting tinnily out of the speaker.

  ‘Is it her?’

  ‘Who else were you expecting to appear to the strains of “Here Comes the Bride”?’ Liam nudged him. ‘Have a look for yourself.’

  ‘I can’t.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘I can’t move.’

  ‘Bro, if you don’t, you’ll miss one of the most amazing sights you’ll ever have the chance to see.’ He reached across and adjusted Jed’s shirt collar. ‘It’s not like if you lock eyes with her, you’ll turn to stone, like in that film.’

  ‘What film?’

  ‘The one you used to love when we were kids. Something to do with Argos.’

  Jed thought for a moment. ‘Jason and the Argonauts?’

  ‘That’s the one.’ Liam nodded. ‘Now relax. Most grooms worry the bride isn’t going to turn up. You’re looking like you’re worried she has!’

  ‘No, it’s not that. I just . . . I’m getting married.’

  ‘Hold on.’ Liam pulled his phone out of his pocket and – making sure Livia was visible in the shot – took a quick selfie of them all, then stuck the phone in front of Jed’s nose. ‘See? Nothing to be scared of. Just your wife-to-be walking up the aisle, looking abso-fucking-lutely amazing in her wedding dress.’ He peered closely at the screen. ‘At least, I think it’s Livia. Or maybe there’s another wedding going on here, and there’s been a bit of a mix-up . . .’

  ‘What?’ Jed wheeled round, not getting – or appreciating – the fact that Liam was joking, to be greeted with the most incredible sight he’d ever seen. Livia looked . . . well, ‘stunning’ didn’t quite do her justice. Her dress . . . The simple band of white flowers in her hair . . . No wonder Patrick was looking so emotional as he escorted her past the pool.

  At once, he knew this was what he wanted, and that he’d been stupid. He was getting to marry the woman who’d knocked him off his feet all those years ago – and still did, if he was honest, on a regular basis. He couldn’t believe his luck. And what was more, she’d asked him! Arranged all of this. And it couldn’t have been more perfect.

  He felt his chest swell with pride, then his legs started to buckle and he grabbed Liam’s arm for support. ‘Pinch me, will you?’

  ‘She looks good, doesn’t she?’

  ‘She does,’ agreed Jed. ‘She always does.’

  Liam took him gently by the shoulders. ‘Now you’re absolutely, one hundred per cent sure you want to go through with this?’

  Jed stared at him for approximately a nanosecond, then he nodded, surprised at himself, because he’d never been more sure of anything else in his life. Yet as he looked round at Livia again, she seemed to be – well, ‘not that happy’ just about summed it up, and Jed’s heart lurched. How could he have been so unfeeling? So unenthusiasti
c. This was their wedding day, and he’d spent most of it away from her, or sulking, or provoking a stupid argument, then she’d been ill, and to cap it all he’d gone and got into a . . . not a fight, exactly, but he had a black eye. And it wasn’t something he was proud of. Any of it. He should have behaved more enthusiastically from the start. Been smart enough to realise it was a big deal to her, and that she might actually resent him for making her go through all of this, rather than the other way round. And feel a little embarrassed that she’d had to.

  Suddenly, Jed felt awful. He’d been thinking he’d have to try to apologise somehow, but the look on her face right now – if he could turn back time, go back to last night’s proposal, act just a little differently, be honest with her about his doubts, his dad . . .

  Jed sighed, suspecting it was already too late. He’d blown it. And Livia would probably never forgive him. He reached up and touched his eye again, wincing as his fingers found the tender part above his cheekbone. Still, it would be a talking point in the photos, he realised.

  ‘Sorry again,’ said Liam.

  ‘Some best man you turned out to be,’ Jed whispered, and Liam made a face.

  ‘I’ll do better next time, I promise.’

  ‘You’d better!’ said Jed, then he did a double take. ‘Wait. What?’

  ‘Nothing.’

  Liam had turned white – quite a feat in a man whose daily moisturiser included a significant percentage of fake tan, so Jed narrowed his eyes at him, wincing again at the throbbing from the side of his face. ‘What do you mean, “next time”?’

  ‘Nothing. Slip of the—’

  ‘Liam!’ he hissed.

  ‘Well, Patrick said . . .’

  Jed shook his head. Liam used to do this as a kid whenever he felt he was in trouble, try and deflect the focus of the conversation, the blame, onto someone else, and in that moment, Jed knew something was up.

  ‘Patrick said what?’

  Liam was staring at his shoes. ‘Livia’s going to kill me.’

  ‘She won’t. Because I already will have. Unless you spill right now . . .’

  His brother glanced round at the slowly approaching Livia, then back at Jed. ‘Well, you’re going to have to do all this again, aren’t you?’

  ‘Am I?’

  ‘Yeah. On account of today not being legal.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I said, on account of this not—’

  ‘Not “what?” what, Liam. I meant explain.’

  ‘This wedding. It’s not really a wedding, is it? Not legally. I mean, I dunno, maybe it is in Spain, like if you were to do something illegal on holiday in, say, America, like get caught with drugs – nothing heavy, mind – then when you went back there, they could like arrest you for it, so perhaps if you and Liv come back here you might find yourselves actually Mr and Mrs . . .’

  ‘Liam!’

  ‘This bloke.’ Liam jabbed a thumb at Miguel. ‘He could be anyone, really. Could be me, for all it matters back home.’

  ‘I don’t . . .’

  ‘Jed, normally I’m the thick one. What part of “what you’re about to do here doesn’t mean you’re legally married in England” don’t you understand? You’re going to have to do this for real when you get back home. Properly. At a register office or something. Which means you can have a proper stag night. And I know just the place to go. Gets great reviews on TripAdvisor. Though StripAdvisor would be more appropriate.’

  Jed stared at Liam for a moment, looked round at where Patrick was about to deliver Livia to his side, then – like he used to do when they were kids – grabbed his brother by the ears, pulled his head forward and kissed him squarely on the forehead. ‘Liam, you beauty!’ he said.

  Because suddenly, he knew how he was going to make everything right.

  Livia took her place next to Jed, her head spinning with a range of emotions. And though he’d smiled down at her when she’d arrived, his face was . . . it was hard to read. Then again, he was probably nervous. God knew she was.

  She reached up and tenderly rested a hand on his cheek, then withdrew it sharply. ‘What happened to your eye?’ she whispered.

  ‘Liam,’ was all Jed said in response, and Livia knew better than to ask any more. As a hush fell over the assembled guests, she felt Jed grab her hand, and she returned his squeeze gratefully.

  ‘You okay?’ she asked, concerned Jed hadn’t seemed able to meet her gaze.

  ‘Yeah,’ he mumbled. ‘Actually, no.’

  ‘No?’ Livia felt her legs almost give way. Surely Jed wasn’t about to call the wedding off – and in front of everyone? ‘What do you mean, “no”?’

  She stared at him for a moment, registered Liam’s look of horror and spun round to lock eyes with Rachel, but when she turned back again, Jed was nowhere to be seen. Then she heard a familiar voice whisper, ‘Liv?’ and she looked past her stomach to see him kneeling at her feet.

  ‘What are you doing down there?’

  ‘Bro . . .’ said Liam, attempting to haul him up again, but Jed shook him off.

  ‘Hang on.’ He grabbed Liam’s wrist and pulled a ring off his brother’s index finger. When he presented it to her, Livia’s mouth dropped open.

  ‘What’s this?’

  ‘An engagement ring.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Well, it’s symbolic. I’ll get you a proper one when—’

  ‘I heard you the first time. I just . . . I don’t understand.’

  ‘Olivia Wilson, will you marry me?’

  ‘Um . . . I was just about to?’

  ‘Properly.’

  ‘What?’ Livia had started to colour, and Jed grinned.

  ‘I may not have seen this coming, Liv, but I’m not completely blind. We’re going to have to do this for real when we get back. Aren’t we?’

  ‘Are we? I don’t know, I—’

  ‘Liv!’

  ‘When did you find out?’

  Jed glanced up at Liam, who was trying his best to look innocent. ‘That’s not important. Were you ever going to tell me? Or was the plan to wait until we got back, then do some grand Scooby-Doo-type reveal?’

  ‘I . . . I just thought it’d be easier this way. To make you see that marrying me wasn’t so bad.’

  Jed shook his head. ‘Liv, I never thought it’d be bad. I just thought I’d be bad at it. Besides, I didn’t think it was something you wanted. Something we wanted.’

  ‘And you do now?’

  ‘I’m on one knee in front of you, in front of everyone, holding a borrowed ring. I’ll leave you to work that one out.’ He grimaced up at her. ‘But don’t take too long, will you? I’m in danger of getting cramp.’

  ‘Oh, Jed. I don’t know what to say.’

  ‘Well, that’s a first,’ said Jed with a smile.

  Livia stared at him for a moment, then she peered at the ring and – ignoring a surly ‘I want that back’ from Liam – slipped it onto her finger. She hauled Jed back up and, to a round of applause from Patrick, Rachel and Izzy, turned back to face the front.

  ‘Sorry about that,’ she said, and Miguel smiled.

  ‘This is, I think, going to be the shortest engagement in the whole of history.’

  ‘But possibly the best proposal,’ said Livia.

  ‘So . . .’ Miguel looked at them both in turn. ‘Are we ready?’

  ‘We are,’ said Jed.

  ‘Okay. Well, thank you all for coming,’ Miguel said, though Livia thought it was perhaps a little over the top for the three people gathered behind them. ‘We are here this evening to celebrate the marriage of Olivia and Jeremy . . .’ Liam coughed loudly at the mention of Jed’s full name, and both she and Jed turned to shush him. ‘Now, marriage, as I am sure you all know, is the union of two people, voluntarily entered into for life’ – Livia cringed a little at the ‘voluntarily’ part – ‘to the exclusion of all others. The purpose of marriage is that you may always love, care for and support each other through all the joys and sorrows of l
ife. It is a partnership in which two people can pledge their love and commitment to each other; a solemn union providing love, friendship, help and comfort to you both through your life together.’

  ‘Sounds fine to me,’ said Jed, to a ripple of laughter.

  ‘Now, I am going to ask you both whether you know of any lawful reason why you should not be married to each other.’

  Jed hesitated, and Livia nudged him. ‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘You said “I’m going to ask you.” I didn’t realise that was you actually doing the asking just then.’

  ‘No,’ said Livia. ‘We don’t.’

  Miguel laughed. ‘In that case, I am going to ask you, Livia, if you take Jed to be your husband, and whether you promise to be loving, faithful and loyal to him for the rest of your life together?’

  Livia turned to face Jed, and tried to ignore the fact he’d turned a shade of white. ‘I do,’ she said.

  ‘And do you, Jed, take Livia to be your wife. And do you promise—’

  ‘I do,’ said Jed, loudly, followed by, ‘Sorry, just got a little ahead of myself there.’

  ‘Can I have the rings, please?’

  Jed cleared his throat and glanced at his brother, and Liam stood there for a second or two, as if he didn’t realise Miguel was addressing him. He looked at Jed, then at Livia, then he paled and began frantically rummaging through his pockets. ‘Hang on,’ he said, after a moment. ‘You didn’t give me them.’

  ‘Gotcha!’ whispered Jed.

  ‘You bastard,’ Liam whispered back, as Patrick stepped forward and passed the officiant the ring Livia had collected earlier. Then Jed reached into his jacket pocket and handed Miguel a jewellery box. Although Livia thought it looked a little big for a ring.

  She raised an eyebrow at him. ‘What’s that?’

  ‘I went back to the shop. They said I could exchange mine for anything I wanted, so . . .’