Free The Crescendo by Fiona Palmer

headpiece with a small beaded veil that draped over her curled hair. Her dress was a strapless beaded bodice with a soft falling skirt. She looked radiant and was dabbing at her eyes with a tissue the moment she saw Gazza waiting for her.
    Jaz sat through the ceremony and wondered if she’d ever get married. With her life working for the agency, would she be happy to marry and settle down? Maybe at some stage, but at eighteen it wasn’t something she’d thought a lot about. However, as she glanced across to stare at Ryan’s hands resting on his thighs, she couldn’t help thinking she’d spend the rest of her life with Ryan quite easily. His hands were strong and manly. She remembered them over her skin, holding her breasts, buried in her hair, holding her as he kissed her hungrily. Jaz swallowed as she tried to keep those memories at bay. Lifting her eyes, she found him watching her again. Her breath caught in her throat as those dark circles drew her in and exposed her. Did he know exactly what she’d been thinking? Had he been remembering it too? There was heat in his eyes, a desire she’d seen before, and she so desperately wanted to kiss him, or even just hold his hand.
    Ryan cleared his throat and shifted in his seat so he was almost facing away from her, and watched the rest of the ceremony. Jaz felt the loss of his attention and shivered.
    Frank gave away his daughter and came and sat beside Jaz, Kathy moved up to the edge of the aisle with her camera clicking away.
    â€˜Don’t you look lovely,’ said Frank, leaning across to kiss her cheek as he sat down in the vacant seat.
    In another five to ten minutes, Steph and Gazza (who she learned through their vows was actually called Gavin) were married and everyone clapped and cheered.
    Jaz stood back as everyone went to congratulate them and in the end it was Steph who came to her with a hug.
    â€˜So glad you’re here,’ she said. ‘I’ll catch up with you later,’ she added with a wink before they departed for some wedding photos.
    Frank yelled over the crowd that drinks would be at the courtyard before the reception, and slowly everyone mingled across to the large building that had many windows to take full advantage of the river. The courtyard had been decorated with more round lanterns hanging from overhead lines and tall cocktail tables were scattered about, with some extravagant white lounges off to one side, giving people a choice of seating. Waiters started bringing around glasses of wine and beer, others with plates of finger food. Jaz reached for a glass, mainly because she felt like the red jelly bean in a bag of green ones. Ryan was caught up chatting to a couple of pretty girls, Jaz was hoping they were cousins as she was sure she could see some similarities, and Kathy and Frank were busy mingling with family and friends. So against her previous statement, Jaz took a big sip of the wine and went for a stroll by the river.
    She stopped not far from the water’s edge and watched the way the river lapped at the sand so gently. The water and the view had kept her entertained for the whole glass of wine; in truth, Jaz hadn’t really seen any of it, just staring off into space. Lately she’d felt more like an outsider not really partaking in life. It all seemed too hard with Pax, Sal and Ryan all mixing up her emotions.
    â€˜Are you Ryan’s girlfriend?’ came a female voice.
    Jaz turned to find not a woman but a girl, maybe around twelve. She had wavy blonde hair and a short blue dress on.
    â€˜No, I’m just a friend. Why? Do you like him?’ she asked teasingly.
    The girl giggled. ‘No, he’s my cousin,’ she said screwing up her face. ‘Why are you standing out here all by yourself?’
    â€˜Well, because I don’t really know anyone besides Ryan and Steph, and they are both busy.’
    â€˜You know me now. I’m Juliet. And that’s my big