‘As friends.’ Bob gave Winnie a stern look.
‘As friends.’ Winnie’s eyes twinkled. ‘Until then it wasn’t. Fifty years, and when he kissed me it felt exactly the same.’
‘Worth the wait.’
‘But we aren’t waiting any longer! Thanks to a last-minute cancellation, a month later here we are, about to be newlyweds!’
‘First love,’ Bob sighed, picking up Winnie’s hand and pressing it against his lips. ‘Nothing like it.’
With an aching heart, I had to agree.
* * *
I was getting ready to haul my weary bones home when I heard the unmistakable sound of my brother about to lose his temper. Connie was at the other end of the room doing a final check of the fairy lights, so it wasn’t anything to do with her.
‘We’d better see what’s going on,’ she suggested. I’d have settled for earwigging through the door, but she was sort of my boss so I couldn’t refuse.
‘According to the checklist you’ve completed the rooms upstairs,’ Isaac said, his voice one decibel below a shout.
‘Yeah, I did it after lunch,’ Gemma said, hands on her hips, chin jutting out.
‘Both the bride and groom’s sitting rooms, and the bathrooms?’
‘I just said that.’
‘Then why is the windowsill covered in dead flies? I found a chocolate truffle squashed into the sofa, andhow did you possibly miss the used condoms in the bathroom bin?’
‘Oops,’ Connie whispered.
Gemma’s neck was mottled scarlet. Her eyes darted back and forth. ‘Well, shouldn’t whoever cleaned up after last week’s wedding have sorted it? Why aren’t you having a go at them?’
Isaac took a deep breath. The struggle to control himself was real. ‘Gemma, that was also you.’
‘Oh. Right.’ Her eyes roamed wildly about the foyer, as if she’d find a decent excuse somewhere in the rafters or the wooden floor. ‘I mean. Sorry, I’ll give it another once over. But no one needs to freak out over a few flies. It’s not like it’s one of the important weddings, is it?’
‘Oh, girl, that was not the way to play this,’ Connie muttered, eyes wide.
‘We can’t be expected to go to the same effort for the cheap dos as the proper ones. Most of them can’t even see if it’s dirty or not.’
Isaac’s lips were the only part of his body that wasn’t completely still. ‘You get paid exactly the same.’
‘Not in tips, I don’t!’
‘So, you think only people who give you big tips deserve a wedding venue free of dead insects and condoms?’
‘Um…’
‘Or is it because they’re older, so they don’t matter as much?’
‘Look, I’m sorry, okay! I said I’ll sort it. It’s not that big a deal.’
‘It is though. For Bob and Winnie this is the biggest deal there is. And I don’t want anyone on my wedding team who doesn’t think that every person trusting us for the most important day of their life – however long that life has been – deserves the very best we can give them. I’ll pay you for today, but please don’t come in tomorrow.’
Gemma’s mouth dropped open. ‘Am I fired?’
‘Yes.’ Isaac shook his head in disgust. ‘For the lousy attitude. I’d have given you a second chance over the shoddy work.’ Marching past me, he bent his head and quietly said, ‘Still interested in working a Saturday?’
After seeing my quick nod, he was gone. Gemma turned to Connie, her eyes filling with tears.
