eye roll at her roguish and rather crumpled fiancé, Bart, who is leaning a shoulder on the whisper-grey wall. Not only did he give her the fireworks, he also happens to own a fabulous stately home in Rose Hill.
She carries on. ‘Lately, Brides by the Sea has been like cupid dust for couples. So make the most of that while you’re here this Valentine’s Day! Take a leaf out of my book – be brave and give love a chance!’
There’s cheering and clapping around the room. Jess is a pro when to comes to working a crowd. She knows exactly the right moment to start again. ‘At Brides by the Sea we always like to offer you something special …’ She waits to get everyone’s attention. ‘Anyone who has their photo taken by Milla tonight and put up on our Valentine’s Day board can come and claim a ten percent discount …’ she pauses for effect, ‘… at any point in the future. Regardless of who you’re getting married to.’
As Poppy grins at me she’s shaking her head. ‘That’s Jess for you, she wouldn’t let a tiny detail like someone being with a different partner down the line get in the way of a sale.’
Jess is gazing around the room like an empress surveying her subjects. ‘So there’s no time to lose! Get those bottoms on the loveseat and your photos on the board!’ She whips around and fixes me with her gaze. ‘What are you waiting for, Milla? Grab that camera and get snapping!’
I’d be more pleased about this if I hadn’t just glimpsed the back of a Diesel windcheater still in the room.
By the time the crowd thins out a lot later, I’ve lost count of how many Polaroid film packs I’ve got through and the corkboard hanging on the shop wall is covered in cute retro-tint photos. Poppy came to help too, which was great, all the way to the last customer. But truly, I could do without the eyebrow action she’s giving me as she ushers windcheater guy into the corner. By the time he finally sidles towards the curve of the white-painted seat, his coat is over his arm. I’m staring at a dark, hand-knitted jumper and frantically checking around to see if he’s got anyone with him.
‘So is it …’ not meaning to discriminate against people on their own, but for the sake of the picture I need to check ‘… just you?’ Behind him Poppy’s eyebrows have switched into overdrive.
He pulls a face. ‘It was, last time I checked. That’s still good for the discount?’
Poppy jumps in. ‘No worries there.’
He laughs. ‘If I’m planning a big spend, I can’t say no to an offer like that.’
Poppy’s eyes widen. ‘Maybe you should be having a chat with Jess?’
His nose wrinkles. ‘I do have quite a few weddings on the horizon. But there’s no rush.’
I can’t ignore a boast that’s even bigger than his yacht one. ‘Well, let’s hope all your wives will be very happy.’ As for where the hell that came from, I’m as shocked as anyone. I don’t wait for a reaction, instead, I nod at the loveseat and lift the camera. ‘Well, make yourself comfortable for now, I’m ready when you are.’ I’m just lining up the angle when there’s a whoosh from across the room and the camera is wrenched out of my hands.
As Jess shoulders me out of the way, she’s beaming down at windcheater man. ‘It’ll spoil the composition if we don’t use the whole seat. Why don’t you pop on there too, Milla?’
If I wasn’t so surprised, I’d already have given her a thousand very good reasons. As it is, the best I can do is to grab hold of Poppy and drag her down with me. ‘One of us either side of you, how’s that?’ I flash a smile at Jess. ‘Three for the price of two. What’s not to like?’
It’s only as we wedge our hips down between the chair arms that I realise my big mistake. With two on the seat there’d have been space for a gap between us. As three of us crash down there’s a muffled crack somewhere under my bottom, but so long as the seat’s holding up I’m not mentioning it. As I aim for my best selfie face I’m rammed so hard against a certain woolly jumper that I’m not only getting the pattern of the stitches printed on my skin through my playsuit, I can also feel