"I slept fine"

"I slept fine," she said, keeping her voice steady. She didn't want him to know just how little sleep she'd actually gotten, or exactly how she'd occupied herself to drift off.

"Good," he said, taking a sip of his coffee. He looked relaxed and not at all nervous like she felt. "It's a long day. Carrie's wedding is going to be a drag if you're not sitting with someone you can actually talk to. Want to sit together?"

Emma looked at him. Sitting alone was unthinkable, sitting with him at least felt tolerable. "Why not," she said.

She finished her coffee and headed up to her room, the wedding was at 11.00 so she had a few hours. She spent the next hours getting ready. She pulled her hair up, pinning it tight, and secured a small navy fascinator to the side. She slipped into the dark grey satin dress. The material was snug; it clung to her hips and the lift of her breasts, and the off-the-shoulder cut made her collarbones and shoulders stand out. She stepped into her light grey heels, feeling taller and slightly more exposed.

She grabbed her phone and turned to the full-length mirror. She angled her body to show off the way the dress hugged her waist and the curve of her ass. She snapped a photo, then fired it off to Tom with the caption: Wish you were here to see this. She didn't expect him to reply quickly; he was probably stuck at his desk.

She grabbed her navy clutch and checked her reflection one last time. She looked good, sharper and more polished than she had in a long time. She felt a thrill of anticipation that had nothing to do with the wedding itself. She walked down to the hotel reception to meet Liam and head to the garden room.