Worst Impressions

Chapter Sixty Seven

I'd thought prom might be the last time I got to see my friends for a long while, but the wedding had brought us all back together.

Usually, Lisa and Chrissy would have been the life of the party, making spectacles of themselves and dragging every available man out onto the dancefloor. Instead, she stood off to the edge of the excitement by herself, watching everyone else have fun without her. It must have been strange for her to be at an event with so small an acquaintance. There were hardly any of our classmates in attendance, Charlie and Will were both spoken for, and she had met none of my family before. Taking pity on her, I made a move to approach her rather than continuing in my search for Will.

My pity, it seemed, was unnecessary.

Her solitary stance hadn't gone unnoticed; Lewis made his way to her and thrust out a hand to shake hers. Lisa regarded it with some apprehension before she shook his hand stiffly. I bit back laughter as he stammered throughout his introduction, stumbling over his words as he awkwardly asked her to dance, making sweeping gestures toward the band as he did so. Awkward though their introduction was, it successfully charmed Lisa. Soon, her arm was linked through his, and I lost them in the crowd.

As I'd followed them, Georgia and Wyatt caught my attention. He still held himself with an air of superiority, but while he was in conversation, his mouth was closed more than it was open. For once, he was listening to what other people had to say without talking over them and singing his own praises. Georgia cast him affectionate smiles and patted his arm reassuringly throughout and I found myself full of hope that he might improve with her help. It was amazing what a person was willing to do to better themselves in the eyes of the person they loved. I would always question Georgia's attraction to my stepbrother, but I would also cheer for her happiness, with or without him.

'Well, well,' Freddie said, making me jump. 'Don't you look stunning, mon ange?'

I turned on my heel and threw my arms around him. 'You made it! I thought you'd ignored the invitation?'

'From you? Never. But,' he said, disentangling himself carefully from the hug, 'I have been told by my cousin that, if I hit on you, he will punch me again.'

'Well, now I want to flirt with you just to cause trouble.'

'Mon ange,' he cooed the nickname, 'you are a wicked girl. You would let him damage this piece of art,' he gestured to his face, 'for your own amusement?'

'Yes.'

Freddie laughed. 'I have missed you. And I have missed my chance with you! Will is lucky to have captured your heart where I could not.'

'It wasn't luck.'

'Fate?' he asked. 'Do you believe such things?'

'No,' I defied. 'Coincidence, maybe, but not fate.'

'You are not romantic,' he sighed. 'Perhaps your friend over there believes in fate?'

He nodded in Meg's direction. I looked back at her over my shoulder and smiled. 'Well, she's read enough novels to believe that sort of thing. Maybe you should ask her yourself?'

'Oui, I think I will.' He kissed my hand. 'Always a pleasure.'

I covered my mouth with my hands, watching in awe as Freddie sauntered up to the quietest girl I'd ever known. Meg stared up at him in disbelief as he introduced himself with a gentlemanly bow. I thought she might faint; the blood rushed to her cheeks so quickly that it must have left her feeling light-headed. In a daze, she was led away to dance, her eyes as wide as saucers.

Well, if anyone could get her to come out of her shell, it was Freddie.

'What are you looking at?' Jenny asked. I pointed out the dancing pair, not quite able to make enough sense of it to form real words. She gasped, 'Oh, that is so cute! Look at them!'