The Wedding Diary (Choc Lit) Read Online Free PDF Page B

Promotions at the Melbury Court Hotel.
    The brochures, DVDs and sample menus had arrived last week. Cat and Tess and Bex spent ages sprawled on Cat’s new sofa, salivating over them. They agreed it all looked wonderful, especially the food laid out on white tablecloths with silverware and crystal, beautifully photographed by glowing candlelight.
    ‘This smoked salmon and fresh crayfish starter,’ Bex suggested, as she ran a perfect scarlet nail down the list, ‘followed by rack of lamb with new potatoes – wilted greens – Beaujolais and cranberry reduction – and to finish off, the triple chocolate soufflé with chocolate and almond petits fours.’ Bex looked up and grinned. ‘All sorted – yes?’
    ‘No, it’s damn well not,’ retorted Tess. ‘What about us vegetarians? If this menu’s planned around you carnivores, we veggies will be given rubbish that’s been in their freezer since Jesus was in Pampers. Nasty quiches full of greyish leeks, boring pasta something, glutinous risotto. You should begin with goat’s cheese tartlets, Cat, and then go on to aubergine and pumpkin gratin topped with saffron custard. Or zucchini parmigiana, that looks good as well. You can keep your soufflé, Bex, but what about this loganberry panna cotta as a second choice?’
    ‘It’s my wedding,’ Cat reminded them.
    ‘Oh, you’ve found a bridegroom, then?’ Bex twirled an ash-blonde strand around one finger and scowled down at the vegetarian options, which Cat was inclined to think looked dull. They were mostly based on cheese, and whereas cheese was fine for rats and mice—
    ‘The bridegroom’s in development,’ said Tess.
    ‘Omigod, don’t tell me Jack’s been sighted?’
    ‘No,’ admitted Tess. ‘But there are several other options. Quite a few, in fact.’
    ‘Online dating, eh? Desperate of Leyton seeks anything in trousers?’
    ‘Shut up, Bex,’ said Tess.
    ‘The Royal Marines Commando Challenge, extreme sports weekends, bungee jumping off tall buildings, right? That’s a sure-fire way to meet some guys, doing something really stupid, preferably wearing awful clothes and looking like a mutant from a Steven Spielberg movie. What if you break your neck?’
    ‘Shut
up
, Bex,’ said Cat.
    ‘Mail order, that’s another possibility. What about some guy from Indonesia or Sudan? Or an asylum seeker – there are lots of them about, and maybe one would marry you?’
    ‘Bex, could you go and put the kettle on?’ suggested Tess. ‘Cat and I are having a serious conversation here. Cat, I think zucchini parmigiana – don’t forget.’
    ‘Rack of lamb,’ called Bex, as she turned on the kitchen tap and started rattling mugs about.
    After Tess and Bex had gone, Cat had Fanny on the phone again.
    God, this woman works ridiculous hours, she thought, as she realised who was speaking – it was nearly midnight.
    But there was no escaping Fanny now, and so Cat went for gold. She could almost hear the soundtrack from that movie
Chariots of Fire
as she lied her socks off.
    Yes, she was really looking forward to meeting Fanny and the team from Supadoop Promotions at the Melbury Court Hotel. No, getting down to Dorset wouldn’t be a problem. Yes, she’d already checked up on the trains. Yes, this coming weekend would be fine.
    ‘As it happens,’ she continued glibly, ‘Jack’s away on business at the moment. But I’m sure you’d like to get things moving, so I’ll come to Dorset by myself.’
    ‘We were rather hoping we could meet you
and
Jack,’ said Fanny Gregory briskly – or was it suspiciously? ‘What’s his line of business, angel?’
    ‘He does stand-up comedy.’ Then Cat crossed the fingers of one hand behind her back and crossed her eyes as well. ‘He’s just beginning to make his name in pubs and clubs in Manchester and Liverpool. So he couldn’t miss an opportunity which came up this week.’
    ‘Oh, I see,’ said Fanny. ‘What’s his name again?’
    ‘Jack Benson,’ Cat