‘Hang on, hang on,’ Drew calls to the group. ‘I haven’t finished.’

Darcy’s heart sinks, and she suspects a few members of the crowd feel the same, clearly liking her idea of getting on with the night.

‘Everyone just wants to have a good time,’ Darcy whispers as discreetly as she can. ‘I don’t need you to make a speech about me.’

She’s trying to be nice, but she sees his face flicker with frustration. ‘I want to make a speech, okay?’

Her expression is tight. Fine.

The interruption has flustered Drew even more. Everyone’s eyes are on him.

‘Get on with it, mate!’ Lauren’s husband, Scott, calls from the back of the group. ‘Some of us don’t get out much and want to make the most of it.’

A few people laugh, well aware of his three children under five.

‘Okay, I had this all figured out, but it’s not going to plan.’ Drew shifts from one foot to the other. ‘I wanted you all here tonight to be a part of what I’m about to do.’

Darcy looks properly at Drew for the first time all night. He isn’t just pale, he’s sweaty, and his hands are twitchy like he gets when he’s nervous. Her heart suddenly accelerates.

‘I love you, Darcy Reed.’ He turns to her and a few people in the crowd seem to realise what he’s doing. Darcy hears some shrieks of excitement. Her heart now feels like it’s beating on the outside of her body.

‘I want to spend the rest of my years with you by my side.’ He pulls a box from his jeans pocket, more smoothly than Darcy would have expected, and then gets down on bended knee.

Is this really happening? She looks out to the crowd, her eyes searching for her mum, but all the faces blur together. She stares back at Drew. They had a fight today. A really big fight. She spent most of the day furious with him, wondering if they were going to be able to stay together if she loves Sydney and he doesn’t.

‘Darcy, will you marry me?’

Darcy feels like she’s going to throw up. This isn’t how he’s supposed to propose. Why would he think she’d want to be proposed to in front of their friends and family? At the pub? What is wrong with him?