Reversing Over Liberace by Jane Lovering Page A

floor, place smelling of fresh coffee.”
    â€œAnd a sofa, here.” I pointed to the space next to the balcony. “So we can sit and people-watch.”
    A smile spread over Luke’s face like butter on a crumpet. “I knew you’d go for it.” The hand around my shoulders tightened into a hug. “Things are going to be great, Willow. I can feel it. You’ll forgive me if I don’t buy a ring straightaway, won’t you? I think all the money we have should go into the business and this place.”
    I pulled free of his embrace and walked in what I hoped looked like a taking-in-the-view way to the balcony, where I projectile-vomited over the rail, narrowly missing the solitary rower who was making his way back downstream again.
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    â€œYou only went out for bloody milk!” Katie shrieked, when I enlightened her on the reason for my prolonged absence from the office. “And you come back with a fiancé and a flat. You only took a pound, for God’s sake. It’s a good job we didn’t send you with the whole petty-cash tin. You’d probably have come back with Prince William and the Taj Mahal.”
    The speed of it all had overwhelmed me, too. “It was incredible. He did it all properly, down on one knee and everything, and he’d already got the flat lined up for me to look at. It’s just… amazing , Katie, the whole thing.”
    Katie shook her head. “So, when’s the big day? And what are you going to wear? Oh, please, can I be matron of honour? I’ve never been one before. I’ll do anything, I’ll wear purple, I’ll have visible tan lines, anything.”
    I shrugged again. “We haven’t really talked about the actual wedding yet.”
    â€œWill you get one of your brothers to give you away? Ash could do it. He looks great in a suit.”
    â€œLook, Katie, right now you know as much as I do about the whole thing. As soon as there’s any breaking news, you will be the first to know. But at the moment, can I get on with these ads?”
    As soon as Katie went out, I hugged my arms around myself in a tight circle of glee. That had been the performance of my life, trying to be cool and not scream with delight and head for the Yellow Pages to discover the whereabouts of the nearest bridal-wear shop. Let me calm down, have another therapeutic flick through the bridal magazines, and then I’d invite Katie over for an evening of wine, chocolate and detailed planning. For now, life consisted of me and Luke, our home-to-be and enchanting daydreams about our future children.

Chapter Twelve
    Clay was on the sofa, hugging a cushion and watching The Simpsons when I got home. “Good day?” he asked, leaping up to make me a cup of tea.
    â€œPretty good, yes.” I glanced around the living room. It was scattered with scraps of paper, all bearing pencil drawings. “What have you been up to?”
    â€œAh, nothing. Just fiddling. Designing my perfect house, actually. Do you want a biscuit?”
    â€œNo, I’ll do myself something on toast in a bit. Have you eaten?”
    â€œI had some scrambled egg earlier. Ash rang, by the way. Said he’ll call you back later.”
    â€œFine.” I sat back and took the mug Clay offered me. It struck me then, suddenly and horribly, that this was probably what married life would be like, and I had to sit very still until the palpitations went away. Surely Luke and I would never descend to this level. Clay and I had known each other all our lives. We were entitled, indeed expected , to have conversations like this. I was hardly likely to come home to be greeted by him suggesting sex in the garden before dinner. Urgh, nasty thought, nasty thought. It took ten minutes with a furtively bought copy of Young Bride (yes, all right, I know , but some of those brides weren’t that young) in my room before I got rid of that image.
    â€œI’m