Eat, drink and be merry!

The rehearsal dinner was spread across two tables in the private room allocated to them. Alexa was at a table with her husband-to-be, both sets of their parents as well as Daniels boss Aaron, who was to be his best man, and Alexa’s matron of honour. The rest of the bridal party being seated at the opposite table. Alexa was in a conversation with her mother but wasn’t able to concentrate on what she was saying fully. She was distracted by Vinny seated facing her and the fact that Bernice had taken prime pouncing position next to her ‘friend-with-benefits’. Ironically Alexa thought she should be outraged that her friend was moving in on someone she considered to be her territory. And would Vinny go there with one of her friends considering the arrangement they shared? Then again who was she to say who Vinny slept with, she was the one getting married tomorrow. Alexa was all together conflicted.

Suddenly realising that she had completely zoned out of the conversation with her mother, she was brought quickly back to the present by Daniel calling her, “Darling? Darling? Is everything alright?”

Snapping back into it, Alexa replied, “sorry, sorry! What was it? I completely phased out there for a minute.”

“Your mum was asking if you found any places you liked for the photographer tomorrow.”

Turning back to her mother she told the most technically correct half-truth of her life, “Oh I found somewhere I liked but I don’t think it would be good for tomorrow to go there.”

“That’s a shame,” Alexa’s mum comforted her. “I’m sure the photographer will know lots of good locations already and the grounds here are just wonderful.”

Daniel, not yet ready to move on from Alexa’s absence just yet, “you didn’t find anywhere? You were gone a long time.”

Rubbing her fiancé's leg under the table, “well I was going over my vows again. I wanted them to be perfect.” Well, that was a lie!

Vinny felt altogether quite happy with his lot in life at the moment. The drinks were good, the food was good and the company was likely to be good if he so chose. Bernice was making it well known to Vinny that she was more than a little bit interested in him. He had no doubt that she would skip off out of the rehearsal dinner with him if he was so much as to ask.

The waiter placing his steak in front of him had been the clearest indication yet.

“Mmmn, that looks good,” Bernice said looking not at Vinny’s plate but at his stomach and lower.

Bernice had ordered pasta for herself instead. “You could have ordered the same for yourself,” Vinny told her.

“I know but looking at all that meat now gets my mouth watering,” was her response.

Vinny covered his cough with a mouthful of whiskey and realised silence is always an option.

After the excellent meal, it was the turn of the husband and wife-to-be to give some quick speeches followed by their parents. The group spoke on the excitement they felt for the wedding to come tomorrow and how they were touched to be sharing their special day with all their friends and family coming tonight and tomorrow. Their parents on how much they were looking forward to accepting Alexa and Daniel into their respective families.

The rehearsal dinner drew to a respectful early finish. Kyall was the one tasked with collecting the cake in the morning so was keen to turn in early. Both sets of parents likewise taking the opportunity to get an early night for the big day tomorrow. Vinny himself was in an adventurous mood after a number of glasses of top-shelf malt whisky. Seeing Alexa had gathered her bridesmaids in for a last minute powwow on the itinerary for tomorrow, Vinny used his chance to escape quietly without Bernice seeing him, sure he wouldn’t get a second chance quiet so easy.

Returning to the hotel bar Vinny picked up a bottle of champagne to take upstairs with him. The barman passing across the champagne in a sterling silver ice bucket along with one flute.

A voice from behind Vinny said, “did you want to get a second glass for that?”

Bernice had found him after all.