A Groom With a View Read Online Free PDF

totally surreal. Looking like aliens who’d just landed in the setting of face-brick walls, tank of tropical fish and exposed steel girders were about twenty of their erstwhile wedding guests, the women in floaty frocks and big hats, and the men in morning suits. Katharine herself was holding court at the centre of the group in her sequinned flapper-style wedding dress, complete with veil, bead-encrusted headband and even a bouquet.
    “It was just the most special day of my life,” she burbled, sipping champagne. “And we’ve been so excited about getting the photographs back and reliving it all. So when Iain suggested that we ask a few of our closest friends to share the moment with us – well, what could I say?”
    A glance at Iain’s stony face told me that he’d suggested nothing of the kind.
    “Thanks, mate.” Nick took a cocktail and passed me a glass of champagne from Iain’s outstretched tray. “Look, I know this is probably not the best time, but I wanted to tell you. . . To ask you. . . Pippa and I are engaged. Would you mind. . .?”
    Iain enveloped us both in a bear hug, spilling quite a bit of cinnamon mojito down my front.
    “Finally!” he said. “I thought you two would never get around to it. Congratulations. I’d be honoured to be your best man.” And, bless him, he actually had to blow his nose on his pocket square.
    “Just remember, word to the wise,” he went on, lowering his voice, “It’s just one day. It’s very, very easy to get carried away, if you see what I mean? Especially the ladies.”
    Before I could object to this ridiculously sexist observation, he’d called Katharine over to join our little group. “Darling, Nick and Pippa have fabulous news! They’re finally getting around to tying the knot, in. . . when did you say it was?”
    “February,” said Nick.
    “Oooh, fabulous!” Katharine made ‘Mwah, mwah’ noises at us. “Congratulations! And more than a year to go – that’s plenty of time to get everything organised absolutely perfectly.”
    “Actually,” I said, “We were thinking more of this coming February. Like, the one after December and January?”
    Katharine’s excited face fell into a look of horror. “ This February?”
    “Well, yes,” I said. “We want to keep it all quite simple really, and Nick’s seen a potential venue that’s had a cancellation, and. . .”
    “Right,” Katharine said. “Congratulations! Personally I think you’re quite mad to try and arrange a wedding in three and a half months, but I expect it can be done. . . Come with me.”
    She took my arm in a vice-like grip and marched me off to their bedroom. I cast a ‘rescue me’ glance over my shoulder at Nick, but he was listening intently to what Iain was saying.
    “I love weddings. Love them! In fact I’m thinking of doing some wedding planning for friends in my spare time and maybe making a career out of it later on, when we have children. So I’d be thrilled to have you as my guinea pig,” Katharine said, with what I suppose was meant to come out as a sisterly giggle, but sounded more like a demented cackle to me.
    “Katharine, that’s absolutely lovely of you,” I said feebly. “But really, we want to keep things very low-key. It’s sweet of you to. . .”
    “Don’t mention it. I would like nothing better than to help. Being part of another person’s special day is a pleasure, it’s a privilege! Now, the first thing you need is my master USB stick.”
    She powered up her laptop and inserted a removable storage device. “This baby holds all the secrets to your perfect day,” she said. “For a year I took it everywhere with me. Everywhere! If I saw a shop window display that captured my imagination, I’d take a photo and save it on here in the ‘Inspiration’ folder. All my quotes are here, under ‘Finance’. And of course everything feeds into the master spreadsheet, which has pages for the week-by-week and day-by-day countdown,