How did I forget? There are no secrets in St Aidan. Everyone, including Jess, will know every last detail of Nate and Becky’s local wedding orders, as well as our exact route around town this afternoon. I put my MacBook Pro on the table and open it up. ‘Have a look, see what you think.’ There’s silence as I flick through the first few photos. ‘Once we got into town they relaxed a lot.’ I look round for Jess’s reaction.
‘Oh my.’ Her mouth is open as she murmurs, then she snaps it shut. ‘Keep going, then.’
I’m flicking through, trying to find a picture she’ll like. I get through the first fifty, then pause for her reaction.
‘Well, well, well.’ Her loafers clatter towards the winding staircase up to Sera’s dress design studio and she calls up the stairs. ‘Okay, Jules, you can come down now.’ As she turns to me, at last, she drops her voice to a husky whisper. ‘Poppy was right, your pictures are wonderful. Now we need to persuade Jules to give you a helping hand, so you get to know your way around weddings enough to tackle your expanded one. And I’m going to lean as hard as it takes to make him cooperate.’
‘Jules?’ My voice comes out as a squeak. ‘Is that really necessary?’ From the aftershave cloud that suddenly wafts up my nose, I don’t have to look round to know he’s behind me. I can tell by his disparaging sniffs that he’s giving me the evils.
‘Go ahead, show us a few more, Holly.’ Jess’s purr is so proud, I don’t dare to do anything else.
There’s a choking noise coming from Jules’s throat. When he finally forms words, he sounds like he can’t get them out for yawning. ‘Very bland, very reportage. And I’m really missing the drama here.’
As I turn to Jess, she’s giving an incredulous headshake. ‘They’re shots of a windy walk in St Aidan, not the bloody coronation.’ Her voice rises to a shriek. ‘For goodness sake, Jules, stop being so silly. They’re incredible.’
I have to butt in here. ‘Really, I wouldn’t go that far.’
Jess is growling. ‘Come on, Jules, even you have to admit they’re good.’
Jules gives a kind of shiver. ‘Okay, technically, they aren’t the disaster I was expecting.’
‘Bloody hell, Jules, the last thing I expected was prima donna behaviour from you.’ Jess is shouting now. ‘There’s only one reason you’re playing the diva here, and that’s because you’re jealous!’
Jules obviously isn’t the kind of good looking hunk who smoulders when he’s angry, because he’s gone pale and very snappy. ‘Well, you’re the one who’s brought in the competition right under my nose. You bill her as someone who snaps quiches for Lidl and then bring on bloody Annie Leibovitz. What am I supposed to do? Cheer?’
I’m sitting with them shouting over the top of my head, wanting to yell, ‘excuse me, I am here,’ but I’m so shocked at how wrong they’ve got it, the words won’t come out.
Jess’s cheeks are scarlet. ‘After all the support Brides by the Sea has given you, Jules, we deserve better than this.’
Jules sticks out his chin like a petulant three-year-old. ‘And my point is, ditto. From where I stand, I’m the one with the talent. And I’m the one who’s lost count of the times I’ve hauled you out of the shit.’
Jess drags in a breath, and at a guess she’s speaking through clenched teeth. ‘Holly is a fellow professional who needs a tiny bit of support from you so she can come through for her friends when their wedding has unexpectedly expanded to whopping proportions. It’s for one time only, she’s not trying to steal your clients. We put a huge amount of business your way, Jules. If you won’t oblige on this, I promise I’ll run you out of town.’
‘Fighting talk. You’re really getting your salopettes in a twist over this, aren’t you?’ Jules’s nostrils are flaring.
Jess’s voice becomes a roar. ‘If I’m about to disappear off up a bloody mountain pass, the last thing I’m going to leave behind me is you two up to your zoom lenses in bloody wedding photographer warfare.’
I’m waving both my hands frantically, trying to get my squeaks heard. ‘I’m definitely not fighting. And definitely nothing to do with weddings.’ Other than a surfie party that accidentally expanded, obviously. Although hearing how loud she shouts, I’m just pleased Jess is sticking up for me and not going against me here.
Jules gives a sneer. ‘Don’t take it out on me because you’ve got holiday jitters, Jessica. If you’ve got polar bear toes at the thought of jetting off to Switzerland, seriously, you need to tell Uncle Bart.’
Ouch. This man is mean.
‘That’s enough from you, Blue Eyes.’ The blood has drained from Jess’s face now. But despite her cheeks being the colour of wedding dress lace, her voice is booming louder than ever. ‘Jules. You’re going to let Holly second shoot your next wedding, on Tuesday. I know Zoe and Aidan will be up for it. What’s more, you’re going to give her all the benefit of your vast experience, without any of the temperamental star crap.’ Thunderous doesn’t begin to cover it. ‘That’s non-negotiable. Understood?’
I have to stand up for myself here. ‘No! It’s not necessary, and not happening.’ A whole day following Jules around? Even if I would learn a lot, I’d rather eat my own Nikon. But they’re both ignoring me.
Jules’s mouth is all bunched up. ‘And?’
Jess’s expression is steely. ‘In return I’ll give your suggestion for the studio serious consideration. Although you do understand, I’ll be asking top price for that space.’ Her eyes glint. ‘Agreed?’
As Jules unwinds his scarf to wipe the sweat off his brow, the sound he lets out is almost a whimper. ‘Okay.’ His naked Adam’s apple does a lurch as he swallows. ‘I’ll be round tomorrow at two to brief you, Holly. You’d better charge up your battery packs.’
‘Lovely.’ Jess is suddenly beaming again, ‘Well, that went well. Anyone for a Winter Warmer while we look at the rest of Holly’s photos?’
But no one replies, because Jules is already out of the door and I’m busy working out what the hell I can do to get out of Tuesday’s wedding.
Tuesday 5th December
In the Bride’s dressing room at Daisy Hill Farm House: Drain pipes and perfect shots
‘So, Holly, the dress and the girls are all yours now.’ Jules flips his scarf so high it bangs on the brides’ dressing room chandelier, and sends it jumping wildly. ‘I’m off to catch Aidan and the boys having breakfast at the Goose and Duck.’ As he flounces towards the door there a brief flash of sapphire as he glances at his watch. ‘I’ll be back at twelve, for Zoe’s “bride gets buttoned up” pics.’ As yet, he’s still avoiding eye contact with me, and he hasn’t cracked even a fake smile in my direction either. This far, his lips are as zipped up as his next shot with Zoe.
Another day, another couple. First Nate and Becky. And now Zoe and Aidan. What started as a favour to some friends has somehow got right out of hand. And this pair couldn’t be more different from Nate and Becky and the huge ‘let it all hang out’ beach bash they’ve ended up with. Today’s couple are trying the knot in Rafe and Poppy’s amazing Georgian farmhouse at Daisy Hill Farm, in front of a mere forty