The next day is busy with wedding preparations, appointments, ferrying this and that, checking in on the caterers, ironing shirts and checking with guests and relatives down from up north, checking everything basically and Amelia has had her work cut out, but it pays off in the end.
The day of the wedding is a great day and the super happy couple get spliced and no embarrassing hiccups to address. It all goes pretty smoothly thanks to Amelia, but Tamara has avoided her the last two days well, avoided any kind of deeper engagement beyond the bustle of the preparations, mixing more with her other bridesmaids, the gamut of her feelings towards Tamara too complicated to deal with at this time.
But now there she is, the dark haired, pretty Amelia, coming out of the lift and heading over to her. Catching her all alone for the first time she comes toward her, a strange look on her face.
"Tamara..." She says, and stretching out her hand takes a gentle hold of Tamara's forearm, her dainty white fingers showing up against Tamara's naturally heavier build and browner skin. She always tanned at the drop of a hat and with the wedding coming, had made the most of the recent spell of warm summer weather while it lasted.
Amelia looked at her, her blue eyes flickered, there was something in there Tamara could not quite put a finger on, a needing but at the same time, beguiling draw that emanated from those crystal blue depths.
"Tamara, I have to talk to you somewhere quiet." She pleads with her.
"Do we 'ave t' do this now Amelia?" She replies shortly.
Her eyes settle, becoming more intent on persuasion. "Yes, I'm afraid so." She says definitively.
Tamara caves in, her outer defences breached through Amelia's charm and her curiosity.
They move to the lift together, Amelia's pale, freckled arm in hers as she leads her. One of Simon's aunties looks on.
"Glad to see you two getting on together." She pipes up with a prying eye. Tamara cuts her a sarcastic smile before they turn and go into the lift.
As soon as the door closes they look at each other for a second, then Amelia starts. "You've been avoiding me Tamara." Amelia says as she continues to stare.
"I don't wanna do this right now I've gotta lot goin' on now."
"I know." She says receptively.
"It is my weddin' day Amelia..." She tries to cut herself some slack.
"Yes!" "That I've helped you plan for, and turn from a make believe pipe dream into where you are today Tamara." She says, her palms opening at her sides as she almost in desperation, gestures to the surroundings.
She drops her face to the floor and the lift suddenly slows to a halt. Too soon, they exit, head across the hall and make their way unnoticed to the honeymoon suite and go inside.
Tamara rubs the bridge of her nose and sniffs, and then turns as if she has made a decision she would otherwise have put off but given that Amelia is right here the temptation to share gets the better of her.
She bends in her wedding attire and reaches down, pulling open a drawer. Doing a quick search she grabs at something, before straightening again, then pauses briefly before exhaling resignedly and turning to her friend.
Amelia now knows what's been eating at her, Tamara's hands are clutched at her middle.
"I wanted to wear these for Simon." She says, and holds up between thumb and forefinger the sluttiest pair of knickers any woman could own. The one's she wore last weekend.
"D'ya remember them Amelia?"
"Ah, from your hen night I believe?" She tries her hand at humility.
"So you got them back from Simon?"
"Yes but via you!" She drops her little show and turns, smartly shoving them in a drawer.
"Did he enjoy them though?"
She returns a half smile. "He did."
"But I also taught him a lesson, for the colludin' with you be'ind m' back."
She shoots Amelia a cold stare.
"Oh come on Tamara, give and take hey?"
Amelia did have a point, she conceded.
"I still 'aven't made up me mind to wear 'em for him tonight."
Amelia steps forward to her friend and takes hold of her hands in a gentle show of appeasement. They look at each other, and smile with a guarded affection.
"They do look hot on you Tamara."
Tamara's smile turns up at the corners, her eye's betray a sparkle that hints of her own mischief. There is a brief silence. Tamara feels herself abandoning her pride, her lofty stance betrayed by her own longings. She is dying to know.
"What is it Tamara?"
"God!" She exclaims, and finally permits herself to utter the words.
"You got me on camera didn't you?"
Amelia is silent but for the the eyes, that are revelling and rejoicing in this moment of triumph.
"Come on!" "You caught me on film, with that bloke on my hen night didn't you?"
Amelia gets a little tense but then gives. "It's all on here." She concedes, and brings her phone out in front of her, holds it out for Tamara.
"No I don't wanna watch it." "Not now." She says, covering the phone with her hand as if the temptation may prove too great.
"You haven't passed it around have you?"She asks anxiously.
"I made sure, well me and some of the other girls did, that this was the only record of you that night."
"Should I delete it?"
"No!" Shouts Tamara with more than a little too much enthusiasm, and this sets her blushing.
"Ha!" Reacts Amelia as she tilts her head back. "You're a dirty mare you are!" She jokes friendly.
"I know, but Simon and me are good with it." He knows all abou' it Amelia, I've told him....he wants MORE, can you believe it?"
"I told you it would all be fine." She adds quietly.
"Yea you did."
"We'd like to watch it together." "Him and me, I think he'd be alright?"
Amelia raises her eyebrows in a feigned challenge to her sense of decency.
"What, watching you getting fucked by a guy?" Tamara blushes in a counter display of invented, suppressed outrage, and they both laugh knowingly.
Then Amelia redirects the conversation.
Tamara I wanted to tell you something. "She goes silent for a minute as if she needs to compose herself for some great announcement.
"Just, going back to your hen night for one moment." She pauses again, as Tamara looks on with some degree of curiosity.
"I wanted the best of everything for you that night obviously." "For both of you actually." She gives a little wink. "I think you know what I mean by that, yea?" She looks to see if Tamara is following.
"I....think so." She utters, trying to keep up.
"And you almost got what you wanted right?" Now Tamara was unsure what she meant, but before she could apply any more thought, Amelia tugs at her arm as she turns to the door, pulling Tamara with her.
"Don't ask any questions just follow me."
They re-enter the lift which still waits on the third floor and head down.
"Right, now can you tell me what you've got up your sleeve this time." Protests Tamara.
Amelia rubs Tamara's forearm in a way that is both reassuring and condescending at the same time.
"Just trust me ok, all will be revealed in due time." And then the most confident but wicked of smiles breaks out over her small, white face.
"God you're a canny one I'll give you that." Say's Tamara half in defeat.
As ever, the resourceful Amelia was cooking up some plan for her. For Tamara, it was her wedding day, and a stress free day was at the centre of her mind.
"Don't worry about guests for five minutes, they'll survive." Amelia tries to inject some pragmatic sense into Tamara's mind. She can see the chaotic jumble in her head starting to spin.
As the lift comes to a stall a small huddle of figures, wedding guests, comes into view through the glass wall then the lift smoothly comes to a halt. The door opens and it's all smiles for the bride. Amelia has her arm linked into Tamara's and after some obligatory chitchat with her fawning relatives she steers her away down the corridor to number nine, casting her a devilish glance as she takes the key to the lock.
"Just a quick visit to my room." She say's, loading the air with mystery. Tamara is filled with intrigue, suspense.
