The Plus One by Natasha West

Author:Natasha West [West, Natasha]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2016-06-20T06:00:00+00:00

Charlie and Amy were sat back down at the table. The plates had all been cleared away and the room was rumbling with chatter. Everyone knew what came next. The speeches.

It was always the part of the day that everyone dreaded the most. It was a dangerous moment, a moment when the potential of teetering over the edge of what was appropriate was a distinct and awful prospect. The next thirty minutes were a wealth of embarrassment just waiting to happen. A crass joke, an overly emotional declaration, a boring story, these were the excruciating possibilities that were imminently and unescapably about to rain down on Maddie and Josh’s wedding, like millions of weddings before them, and many more to come. That fact played over the guests’ minds as they waited for this minor torment to begin. The most that the guests could really hope for was that the speakers could manage to be brief.

As they waited, Amy turned to Charlie, a glass in her hand.

‘How many toasts are there today?’

‘Just three. Father of the bride, groom and best man. Oh, and the Master of Ceremonies, which is Paige.’

‘Sounds like they’re trying to keep it short and sweet.’

‘Let’s hope.’

All heads in the room began to swivel to a small stage set up in the corner of the room, as Paige stepped up to the mic. She began to tap it, but there was no sound. She tried speaking into it.

‘Hello?’ Paige’s un-amplified voice said nervously.

Everyone waited patiently while Paige figured out the problem. Eventually, she found the source of the issue. It wasn’t switched on.

She tapped the button on the side of the mic but nothing happened. She pushed it a few more times, but it seemed stuck. In her frustration, she jabbed it hard, but without an expectation that it would work.

‘I can’t get it to go in!’ she exclaimed as the mic suddenly awoke, booming the sentence out to the crowd.

Charlie, ever ready with a punchline, leaned into Amy’s ear.

‘That’s what she said.’

It wasn’t an original joke, but Charlie’s timing was dead on. Amy let out a guffaw, spitting champagne onto her dress in the process. Charlie quickly grabbed a napkin and handed it to Amy, who began to pat at her dress. As she dabbed, Charlie and Amy caught each other’s eyes. And they started to laugh.

In their laughter, Lucy was forgotten. It was just Charlie and Amy.

Paige had now composed herself and was ready to MC.

‘Good evening ladies and gentleman, friends and loved ones, welcome to Maddie and Josh’s wedding reception. My name is Paige, and I have been asked to be your MC tonight’ she recited stiffly.

She introduced Ed, who stood and began to make his way to the stage,

Charlie didn’t have long, but she needed to say something to Amy.

‘If I don’t get another chance to say this, you’ve been amazing today’ she said softly.

Amy turned, delighted.

‘I’m happy that you’re happy.’

Charlie caught Lilah’s eye and realised she might have an ear open for whatever she could pick up from across the table.

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