Page 78 of The Seaside Cocktail Campervan

‘Sounds great.’

‘It’ll just take me two minutes to make. It’s called a French 75.’

‘Sounds intriguing.’

‘It’s a champagne-based cocktail with gin and lemon.’

‘Perfect,’ Jen replied, adding, ‘can I have a glass of water first, though? This’ll go straight to my head, I’m sure, and I need to keep going. Don’t want to miss a second of this amazing day. It’s been brilliant, hasn’t it, Rob?’

‘Just the best.’ Her new husband gave a broad grin.

Jack smiled too. It was great to see this couple, and in fact everyone he’d met today, enjoying themselves. When events like this worked out so well, Jack took a pride and a pleasure in being a part of that.

‘Yeah, I’ve been getting good vibes here all day. Your guests are certainly having a great time.’ As he spoke, a conga was winding its way past the campervan and around the castle’s courtyard. Young and old snaking past with much hilarity. ‘Here you go.’ He passed across a large glass of water to Jen with a garnish of ice and lemon.

‘Delightful.’ Jen gulped it down. ‘Just what I needed.’

‘And now for the pièce de resistance.’

The newlyweds watched as Jack measured out gin, squeezed fresh lemon juice, added a splash of his homemade sugar syrup, shaking it over ice, and then pouring it all into two sugar-dusted flutes which he topped with chilled champagne.

‘Enjoy!’

Carefully, flutes in hand, they looped their arms through each other’s, and took a synchronised sip. ‘Oh wow, that is divine,’ said Jen with a beam of a smile.

‘Brilliant, mate. Cheers.’

‘Cheers to you both! Enjoy the rest of your special day.’

‘Oh, we will!’

It really was a magical setting. And even commitment-phobe Jack had to admit that the happy couple seemed good together. Relationships could sometimes work out. Love … marriage … committing yourself for life. Some people could get away with it. His mum and dad, despite the worst happening and them losing a son, were still strong together.

To have that conviction, that faith in each other … it still stunned him. How you could ever know … did you ever know? Or was it just that it was worth bloody trying, at least? Would he ever, one day, regret not trying?

Jack didn’t get time to dwell on the answer to that, with one of the bridesmaids dashing over. ‘Hi-i,’ she gave Jack a cute wave. ‘Jen, over here!’ she called out. ‘Mum wants a photo with Auntie Eleanor.’ With that, the bride was whisked away and her new hubby Rob was left at the bar.

‘You two seem great together. Congrats again,’ Jack said.

‘Yeah, well it took him long enough to get round to it.’ One of the ushers had strolled up, listening in.

‘Right?’ Jack was curious.

‘Thought it’d never happen, me.’ The chap was tall, tie loosened off, with a sheen of sweat from all the dancing shining across his brow.

‘Don’t mind him, it’s Jen’s brother,’ said Rob with a chuckle, giving the guy a friendly pat on the arm.

‘Ah, can I have a bottle of Peroni please, mate?’ the brother asked Jack. ‘And a glass of that gorgeous champagne for the missus.’

Jack made the order up, and then the guy moved on.

‘Back to practise my killer dance moves,’ he joked with a wiggle of his hips.

They couldn’t help but smile.

‘So … a bit of a slow burn, was it? You and Jen?’ Jack found himself intrigued about how this perfect-looking wedding came to be.

Rob took another gulp of his cocktail. ‘Yeah, bit of a story that. More of a near-miss, mate. Between you and me, I nearly wrecked it all. Was a total idiot.’