‘Sorry,’ Anthony said. ‘My bad, but we gotta get going. The wedding is on. We need to get haircuts and this lovely girl,’ he gestured to Samantha straddling Roman, ‘needs to do whatever is left on the day’s schedule.’
This was tremendous news, the best possible outcome, but the timing! Lord! First Anthony and Naomi were conspiring to put them together, now they were conspiring to pull them apart. She touched Roman on the cheek. ‘To be continued?’
He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed the palm. ‘Bet on it.’
With a resigned little sigh, Samantha eased off Roman and climbed off the bed. She smoothed her wrinkled dress. ‘All right. Let’s go.’
Naomi and Lucy were still crying when Samantha walked in on them. Only this time, the tears were joyous. They were hugging and laughing, too. Samantha snapped a quick photo, certain this was the day’s high point.
‘OK, everybody! I’m getting married at five. Let’s get moving!’ Anthony said in the fitness coach voice that had made him famous.
‘Actually, we’re getting married at six,’ Naomi corrected.
‘Any time is Trinidad time!’ he exclaimed, then grabbed Roman and his mother, blew a kiss to his bride, and took off.
Once they’d cleared out, Naomi turned to Samantha, beaming. ‘Do you think there’s still time for brunch?’
Samantha linked her arm through Naomi’s. ‘There’s always time for brunch.’
Having given up on any semblance of normalcy, the remaining bridesmaids invited their friends and significant others to share the meal. When Naomi walked through the French doors, her heart set on coconut dumplings, she was greeted like a queen with cheers and ‘Long live the bride!’
‘What’s going on?’ Naomi cried.
Jasmine offered an explanation. ‘Uh … We didn’t want the food to go to waste.’
Maya told her the truth. ‘We figured if there wasn’t going to be a wedding, there might as well be a party.’
Prosecco flowed. Dance music boomed from the speakers. The dining table was pushed aside to make a dance floor. The new guests ignored the strict black dress code and showed up in their brightest, busiest beachwear.
‘There’s going to be a wedding!’ she snapped. ‘Nothing has changed.’
‘Don’t get cross with me,’ Maya said. ‘I’m entertaining your guests. Everyone was freaking out.’
Naomi looked slightly alarmed. ‘Everyone knows?’
‘They know there’s drama,’ Maya said. ‘But even I don’t know the details.’
‘Don’t worry. Mum will clue you in.’
Naomi ventured into the party, climbed onto a chair – which Samantha wasn’t sure a woman in her condition ought to do – and waved a pink cloth napkin in the air. ‘Your attention, please!’
She waited until a hushed silence settled in the room. Someone tactfully lowered the music. Naomi in her white cotton sundress, hair smoothed back in a simple bun, was beaming with joy. No one would ever guess she’d been crying moments earlier.
‘Thank you all for coming,’ she said, as if the impromptu party had been in the schedule all along. ‘As you may have heard, there was some drama this morning, just a bit. All of that is sorted and we’re back on track.’
‘What’s a wedding without some drama?’ Jason called out. Samantha noticed that he was a little pink in the face.
‘Exactly!’ Naomi said. ‘Now let’s have some fun.’
More cheers, music, and the party kicked off in earnest. A gentleman, Adrian rushed forward to help Naomi down from the chair. Hugo made a beeline for Samantha. He was thoughtful enough to bring refreshments. ‘Here, gata,’ he said, pouring her a glass of fizzy wine. ‘You deserve this.’
‘I do, don’t I?’ Samantha took the offered champagne flute.
‘You badass,’ Hugo said. ‘You singlehandedly kept the love boat from sinking.’
‘I had help. Roman came through.’
He raised his glass for a toast. ‘Teamwork makes the dream work.’