sympathy over the rim of her champagne. “We’ve got to have a viewing party when it’s back on.”
“YES!” Lucy swallowed and bounced in her chair. “We should cosplay! Simon’s already working on something for Freddie.” Dropping her fork on her plate, she hitched up the bodice of her white dress and leaned over Harry’s plate toward Spencer. “It’s the uniform that bloke from Inverness wears.”
“Ooh, I HATE that guy!” Spencer seethed. “What he did to Mark’s—”
“Spoilers, sweetie!” Lucy shot Spencer some cutting side-eye and glanced across the table at the Scott sisters.
Leia smiled at Sarah on the other side of Tarquin. “We better catch up, then! I think we’re the only people on the planet who haven’t seen this show.”
“Mark is pretty cute.” Sarah stared as he chatted with Ben and Riley a table away.
Joan jumped in. “He’s a lovely lad, and he treats our Alex like a queen.”
Leia locked eyes with Tarquin. “Don’t worry—he’s got nothing on you, Balfour! You’ll always be my movie star.”
“C’mere!” He pulled her in for a huge kiss as Freddie and Simon hovered, all loved-up smiles and boozy glee.
“Lovely jubbly, the gang is all here!” Freddie beamed, fiddling with his bow tie. “Oi, Tarq, sorry to cockblock…”
Cheers, Freds. Mid-kiss, Tarquin opened one accusatory eye.
“…but I must hug Leia before I get too trollied.”
Leia’s giggly snort broke their kiss. “Freddie”—she chuckled—“you already thanked me for fixing your hem. Twice.”
“But, you SAVED me, princess!” Freddie nudged his glasses up his nose as Simon shared a joke with Jordan. “How horrific would it have been to say ‘I do’ to my darling fashion designer hubby with one trouser leg flapping on the floor like some disheveled clown?”
“Nice one, Ley. Do you always travel with a needle and thread?” asked Lucy.
Leia laughed. “Just a small sewing kit.” Tarquin draped his arm along the back of her chair. “Blame the day job.”
Freddie’s eyes narrowed as he swept his floppy fringe off his forehead. “There was something else I wanted to thank you for…” He peered across the room.
Tarquin followed his search. Alex was laughing alongside Simon’s parents, all three nibbling on colorful Smarties and Rockets.
Freddie snapped his fingers. “That’s it! The sweetie table. Cheers for the Canadian treats, Ley.”
“Yeah, I may have pinched a few.” Lucy snickered, revealing a small bag of ketchup potato chips hidden in her bag.
“Brilliant!” Tarquin chuckled, meeting Leia’s eyes.
Harry scanned the bag. “Ketchup flavor? Ah, so that’s why you nicked three—”
“Shh! I didn’t take them all!” Lucy protested.
“I’m glad they’re popular,” said Leia.
“Yep! Si’s fam feel right at home because of you! I must admit, I can’t leave that cornucopia of Canuck fabulousness alone either. Come on, who isn’t partial to a sneaky Mr. Big!”
“Freds is so partial he married ’im!” bellowed Simon, a tipsy playfulness saturating his voice.
Tarquin, Leia, and their friends laughed as the wedding coordinator spoke with Mark near the cake cutting table.
“Ooh, and we’re so glad Freddie did!” Joan nodded, acknowledging Ben and Riley passing by holding hands. “Aw, bless ’em! True love! You can’t beat it.” She smiled and leaned in, confiding in Tarquin and Leia. “Do you know, I married Alex’s granddad when I was only eighteen? Our parents were dead set against it, but we eloped and did it anyway!” She stroked her thumb gently over a cherished wedding ring on her left hand, lost for a moment to her memories. “Thirty-five wonderful years, we had, almost to the day. And in all that time, no regrets, no doubts. We were just meant to find one another, and it’s as simple as that…” Joan’s voice drifted off, becoming quiet as Madonna gave way to “Wonderwall”.
Meant to be. Glancing at Leia, Tarquin took a deep breath and shifted closer, his eyes softening, brimming with gratitude. That’s you and me. You saved me, gorgeous.
Leia gave him a teary sigh and reached out to hold Joan’s hand, but as she did, Alex’s grandmother met Leia’s rapt expression with a nostalgic smile and a conspiratorial wink. “What I’m saying is—when you know, you know!”
“Amen to that, Joan. Amen to that.” Tarquin grinned as he raised a respectful glass in her honor. “To true love, then?”
The youthful gleam returned to Joan’s eyes as she lifted her champagne and joined in the toast with Leia and Tarquin.
As the conversation continued around the table and the Oasis classic resonated through the room, Tarquin lowered his glass, his heart full and hopeful. He shared a happy glance with Leia as she took a festive sip