vix_spes

“Are you sure about this?”

Lucas rolled his eyes at being asked the same question for about the fourth time since they left the house, Wes laughing at his reaction. “Adam, unless you’ve changed your mind about marrying me then yes, I’m absolutely sure about this. Besides, we’re just telling the team; it’s not as if we’re putting a notice in The Times.”

“Okay, okay. Come on then, let’s go and tell them the good news.”

By the time that the trio made it to their destination -a pub with a rather nice garden in deference of the good weather – the rest of the team was already waiting with drinks in hand. After a quick detour to get a pint for both he and Lucas as well as a coke for Wes, Adam cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention.

“Okay so, not that it isn’t lovely to see you all but we did ask you here for a reason. Lucas and I have an announcement to make; we’re getting married.”

Amid the flurry of congratulations, they heard Harry’s voice rising clearly above the rest. “Who’s got the book? We need to know who won the pool.”

“I’ve got it,” Ruth waved a little notebook, “and unless they got engaged more than two weeks ago, Harry’s won.”

“You have a pool on us?” The shock in Adam’s voice was palpable while Lucas leant back against the picnic table and carried on quietly slipping his pint, not entirely surprised by the proceedings.

“No, we have two pools going so … who proposed to who?”

Lucas grinned and answered Ruth’s question. “I proposed to Adam and did the deed four days ago, so who won the second pool?”

“Malcolm takes the pot for that one and a rather sizeable pot at that; we all thought that it would be Adam that proposed.”

As Jo and Ros mollified Adam with a second pint, Lucas watched as his soon-to-be step-son took hold of relatively generous wads of cash from both Harry and Malcolm and smirked. Moving slowly so as to be unnoticed, he came up behind Wes on silent feet.

“I believe that’s what’s known as insider trading.”

Wes practically leapt a foot in the air. “Shit, Lucas! Don’t do that!”

“What would your dad say? Swearing and cheating…”

“Please don’t tell him … I can finally afford to buy that new PS4 I’ve wanted for ages.”

“What’s in it for me?”

Wes looked panicked momentarily before a look of triumph crossed his face. “Cake from Crumbs and Doilies on the way home?”

“Wes Carter, you have yourself a deal. Just hide that money before your dad sees it.”