The Honeymoon Hotel by Browne Hester

Author:Browne, Hester [Browne, Hester]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Quercus
Published: 2014-09-10T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

In the kitchen in Dominic’s flat, above the toaster, was a Star Wars calendar, marked up with our personal and joint comings and goings: my weddings in red, Dominic’s meals out in blue, hotel events in green, our personal joint commitments in black. There weren’t many black dates. We never seemed to have time at the same time. In fact, it was only down to the benevolent secretarial help of Darth Vader that we each knew where the other was, half the time.

Tonight, though, even Darth had let us down, and I was annoyed, because it was one event that I really hadn’t wanted to miss: Dominic’s London Reporter Quiz Night.

I’d only remembered over breakfast, when I found Dominic revising last year’s Michelin-star winners for the food round.

‘I’m really sorry, Dom,’ I said for the third time, checking my work bag and my emails at the same time. ‘I’ll try to get away by ten. Half past ten, possibly. The groom wants to get the bride out of there by nine thirty so they can catch their flight to Dubai.’

‘Don’t bother,’ said Dominic. ‘And I mean that in a very non-passive-aggressive way. Seriously, there is no need to bother. It’s fine.’

‘But I want to bother,’ I insisted. ‘I want to be there for you. And I’m very good on the pop music round,’ I added with a smile. ‘I really want to meet your friends, too.’

We’d both been making more of an effort lately – and it wasn’t just me. I’d been leaving work by six, and we’d actually been to look around a couple of flats, neither of which, sadly, met Dominic’s very specific requirements. But it was a start, as I’d told everyone at work. In fact, if anyone had been working late, it had been Dominic. He’d booked a couple of review meals lately with colleagues from work – ‘It’s an easy way to pay back favours,’ he’d explained. ‘And you don’t like Thai food.’

‘No, no. It’s my fault, I should have checked the calendar.’ He buttered himself a third slice of toast and started digging around in the marmalade jar with his buttery knife. ‘Don’t know why I didn’t write it down. Anyway, you’ll see people at the Christmas party,’ he went on. ‘You’ll see them all, since you’re organizing the party. For which, many thanks.’

‘No, many thanks to you. I’ll be working,’ I reminded him. ‘Just because you’re my boyfriend doesn’t mean that I can skive off to sip champagne and mingle with the stars. Anyway, I want that evening to be the best ever. I want all the star columnists talking about what an amazing night they had.’ I grabbed a piece of toast for myself. ‘And I want you to be proud of me,’ I added.

Dominic looked up.

I wasn’t sure why I’d said that. Maybe it was my nerves over today’s wedding. Maybe I’d just got used to seeing the way Wynn looked at Helen, and wished Dominic would do the same.

‘I’m always proud of you.

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