Page 8 of My Husband’s Wife
Seven
The sun shines down on the Sea Horse Hotel today.
I close my office door and do a happy dance, then I quickly compose myself before a guest passes my window.
Ben and Alice only went and booked the gold package.
It turned out that romance isn’t dead. They wanted those special touches like rose petals trailing up the aisle, and the butler assigned to the honeymoon suite because who doesn’t want champagne on tap?
I head to the canteen to grab some lunch with Hallie.
‘My next happy couple will be here soon,’ I say as I eat as fast as I can.
‘Go nail it again, Eva.’
Hallie reaches across to grab a napkin. As she does, she knocks a ramekin of mayo off my plate and it lands upside down in my lap.
‘Damn.’
‘I am so sorry.’
We stare at the mayo that has landed right on my thigh, dirtying my mint-green trousers. ‘It’s okay. It was an accident. Can you let the two o’clock couple into my office while I clean myself up?’
‘Anything. Again, I’m really sorry.’
I hurry into the loos and begin dabbing the large oily stain. Nothing is working so I untuck my silk blouse and it falls over the mess. I button my jacket up and check my hair. I’m not looking my best but as my mum always says, it is what it is. I swallow because I still haven’t called her back.
As I walk into my office, I see the back of a head of flowing red curls draping halfway down the woman’s back. She turns to face me; her nose is covered in light freckles and her green eyes are striking. ‘Hi, I’m Madison. The bride-to-be.’ She pulls her lemon sundress over her knees.
‘Hello, Madison. It’s lovely to meet you. I’m Eva, your wedding planner. Are you alone today?’
‘No, my husband-to-be has just gone to change the baby. It’s typical, as soon as you walk out the door they fill a nappy.’
‘They tend to do that. It’s been a few years for me but I remember it well. It’s like they know,’ I reply with a sympathetic smile. ‘I’ll make a drink. I have espresso, latte, hot chocolate, tea, soft drinks…’ I grab a cup in readiness.
‘Your assistant already made us drinks.’
I glance at the table and see two cups with steam curling out of them. ‘Ah, that’s great. How old is your little one?’
‘She’s three months old.’
‘How lovely.’
Just as I’m about to start talking babies there is a tap at the door. ‘That’ll be Theo.’ Then he enters, holding the baby.
He goes to hold his free hand out to shake mine. ‘Lovely to meet you,’ he says.
I stare like I’ve never stared before. The cup I’m holding hits the floor and the handle crashes into the side of the cabinet and flies under my desk.
The air has been sucked out of my lungs and I can’t stop gasping.
I look down, thinking that I’m having some unexplainable moment but I’m not.
I saw right – the man in front of me is Hugo, my dead husband.