‘I know some people are funny with exes and everything, but you guys were together years ago.’ Sophie waves away Bonnie and Oliver’s relationship like she’s swatting away a fly. ‘And you know what guys are like. He’s happy for me to organise everything. This morning he joked that he’ll take care of his bucks and I can do everything else.’ Sophie shakes her head and rolls her eyes, but her face is filled with loving amusement.

‘This morning?’ Bonnie hears herself echo as images of Sophie and Oliver in bed together spin into her mind. Why had Oliver been having a conversation with Sophie about their wedding this morning when he should have been breaking up with her?

‘So, are you available June third?’

‘Wow, that’s soon.’

Sophie shrugs. ‘Why wait, right? I just picked up the most amazing wedding dress in Sydney. I didn’t think I’d take something off the rack, but it fits me like a glove.’

‘You were dress shopping?’ Bonnie wonders if Oliver knows.

‘I had to go down to tie up some work things but then I thought, why not?’

Bonnie feels lightheaded but somehow autopilot takes over. ‘So, June third. Let’s take a look. I get booked really early these days.’

Sophie suddenly looks nervous.

Bonnie fixes a smile on her face but her heart feels like it’s beating outside her chest. She prays she’s already booked as she moves to her diary. She flicks through the pages and notices her hands are dry; she really should take the time to moisturise like Carla says. The pages settle on June third and Bonnie almost cries. She should tell Sophie no—she doesn’t feel comfortable doing it—but she’s too gutless to say so. She should come up with an excuse but all logical thoughts vanish from her mind and instead she says, ‘Look at that, I’m free.’

‘Yay!’ Sophie cheers, raising her arms in joyful celebration. ‘Great, lock us in.’

Bonnie’s hand shakes as she writes James/Nix wedding in her diary.

‘I can pay a deposit now if you like?’

The deposit is usually non-refundable, so Bonnie doesn’t feel right about taking one when the groom-to-be is supposedly calling off the wedding. ‘Don’t worry about it,’ she says. ‘We can fix the payment up later.’

‘Thanks.’ Sophie claps her hands together. ‘Better be off, I’ve got an appointment to get to.’ She smiles a little mischievously as though she’s about to go pick out wedding night lingerie.

Bonnie manages to make her way through polite farewells and watches as Sophie saunters out of the studio. She doesn’t normally swear, but what the fuck is going on? Does Oliver want to be with her or is this some sort of game to him? She picks up her phone and sends a text: Your fiancée just booked me as your wedding photographer.