don’t trust Marla around me?’
Back in the bar, Gabe glanced over at Marla as he sat back down and found her watching him. Her expression gave him little clue of what was going through her head. Something serious though, going by her frown. She was probably wondering if he’d just killed her fop of a boyfriend in the loos. Even from across the other side of the room, he could make out the dark circles underneath her eyes and, despite the events of the day, he still wished he could smooth them away.
Crazy.
Chapter Twelve
‘This has to be one of the weirdest weddings we’ve ever done.’
Emily glanced over at Jonny as she arranged the huge displays of dyed black and purple roses around the altar.
‘I love it. So dramatic …’ Jonny sighed as he wobbled around on the stepladders to adjust the fake cobwebs that shrouded the rafters.
‘Of course you do. It involves dressing up,’ Emily rolled her eyes and shuddered. ‘I’m not struck. It’s like a scene from
Night of the Living Dead
.’
It wasn’t Emily’s idea of romance, but then who was she to define love? She’d lost any authority on the subject the moment she’d allowed Dan anywhere near her. She admonished Bluey with a stern tut as he delicately pulled one of the black roses out of her artful display with his teeth.
Marla came through from the storeroom with her mouth full of hair grips and her arms full of heavy purple velvet, which they’d use to create the gothic aisle. Alaric and Gelvira weren’t your run-of-the-mill couple, but despite their ghoulish makeup and dark sense of fantasy, Marla had warmed to them straight away. They wanted a full-blown gothic extravaganza for their special day, and that was exactly what she intended to give them. The chapel looked resplendent in forbidding regalia, and Jonny was all too happy to conduct the ceremony decked out as the Grim Reaper.
‘How long have we got left?’ she yelled. It was tricky to make herself heard above the creepy organ music Jonny had stuck on the sound system.
Emily glanced at her watch. ‘Three hours or so? We’re on track.’
Marla joined Emily by the doors and together they surveyed the transformed chapel with a laugh.
‘It’s hideous.’
Emily nodded. ‘I know. Perfect, huh?’
‘Absolutely.’
‘At least there’s no danger of the funeral parlour upsetting these guests.’ Emily said, leaning back to glance out of the shrouded chapel window at their neighbours. ‘Looks like it’s all quiet over there, anyway.’
‘Let’s just hope it stays that way.’ Marla muttered.
She’d mailed a second copy of their bookings list to Gabe in the hope that he’d honour his original promise to do his best not to disrupt them, but after the fiasco with the window last week there could be no guarantees.
‘Jonny, you better get your gear on soon. The photographer from
The Herald
’s coming by early to take some atmospheric shots.’
Rupert had been as good as his word and arranged for the wedding to be covered by the paper. He really was a powerful ally to have on side.
‘Will you help me with my make up?’
Jonny batted his lashes at Emily.
‘Like you need it. You’ve got more eyeliner than I do already.’
Marla laughed and headed up to the office, glad of its plain white walls and stark cleanliness after the lurid scenes downstairs. The only thing that stood out on the bleached room was her black lace dress hanging behind the door and her blood-red skyscraper heels ready for the ceremony.
She hadn’t been able to stay mad at Jonny for long. Although he’d overstepped the mark by a long way with the campaign, she knew that his actions had come from a place of loyalty and affection. The way it had spiraled out of control had terrified the living daylights out of him. Over the last week she’d helped him to conduct a huge clean-up operation online, which was rather like trying to unpick the stitches of a very long scarf one by one. Finally they’d
Back in the bar, Gabe glanced over at Marla as he sat back down and found her watching him. Her expression gave him little clue of what was going through her head. Something serious though, going by her frown. She was probably wondering if he’d just killed her fop of a boyfriend in the loos. Even from across the other side of the room, he could make out the dark circles underneath her eyes and, despite the events of the day, he still wished he could smooth them away.
Crazy.
Chapter Twelve
‘This has to be one of the weirdest weddings we’ve ever done.’
Emily glanced over at Jonny as she arranged the huge displays of dyed black and purple roses around the altar.
‘I love it. So dramatic …’ Jonny sighed as he wobbled around on the stepladders to adjust the fake cobwebs that shrouded the rafters.
‘Of course you do. It involves dressing up,’ Emily rolled her eyes and shuddered. ‘I’m not struck. It’s like a scene from
Night of the Living Dead
.’
It wasn’t Emily’s idea of romance, but then who was she to define love? She’d lost any authority on the subject the moment she’d allowed Dan anywhere near her. She admonished Bluey with a stern tut as he delicately pulled one of the black roses out of her artful display with his teeth.
Marla came through from the storeroom with her mouth full of hair grips and her arms full of heavy purple velvet, which they’d use to create the gothic aisle. Alaric and Gelvira weren’t your run-of-the-mill couple, but despite their ghoulish makeup and dark sense of fantasy, Marla had warmed to them straight away. They wanted a full-blown gothic extravaganza for their special day, and that was exactly what she intended to give them. The chapel looked resplendent in forbidding regalia, and Jonny was all too happy to conduct the ceremony decked out as the Grim Reaper.
‘How long have we got left?’ she yelled. It was tricky to make herself heard above the creepy organ music Jonny had stuck on the sound system.
Emily glanced at her watch. ‘Three hours or so? We’re on track.’
Marla joined Emily by the doors and together they surveyed the transformed chapel with a laugh.
‘It’s hideous.’
Emily nodded. ‘I know. Perfect, huh?’
‘Absolutely.’
‘At least there’s no danger of the funeral parlour upsetting these guests.’ Emily said, leaning back to glance out of the shrouded chapel window at their neighbours. ‘Looks like it’s all quiet over there, anyway.’
‘Let’s just hope it stays that way.’ Marla muttered.
She’d mailed a second copy of their bookings list to Gabe in the hope that he’d honour his original promise to do his best not to disrupt them, but after the fiasco with the window last week there could be no guarantees.
‘Jonny, you better get your gear on soon. The photographer from
The Herald
’s coming by early to take some atmospheric shots.’
Rupert had been as good as his word and arranged for the wedding to be covered by the paper. He really was a powerful ally to have on side.
‘Will you help me with my make up?’
Jonny batted his lashes at Emily.
‘Like you need it. You’ve got more eyeliner than I do already.’
Marla laughed and headed up to the office, glad of its plain white walls and stark cleanliness after the lurid scenes downstairs. The only thing that stood out on the bleached room was her black lace dress hanging behind the door and her blood-red skyscraper heels ready for the ceremony.
She hadn’t been able to stay mad at Jonny for long. Although he’d overstepped the mark by a long way with the campaign, she knew that his actions had come from a place of loyalty and affection. The way it had spiraled out of control had terrified the living daylights out of him. Over the last week she’d helped him to conduct a huge clean-up operation online, which was rather like trying to unpick the stitches of a very long scarf one by one. Finally they’d
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