Helena had had the nerve to invite him to her wedding; and then, to add insult to injury, she'd told him he was welcome to bring along his significant other too.

"There must be someone by now, no?" she smirked somewhat unpleasantly, and he couldn't bring himself to correct her. Now he was secretly praying that MJN Air would get a booking for that day, because there was no way he would show up at his ex-wife's wedding alone.

"Maybe you could ask Carolyn," Martin said without conviction. "I don't think Herc would mind."

Douglas shot him a particularly vicious glare. There was no way he would bring Carolyn of all people; if it ever came to that, then he would rather have Arthur as his fake date.

"I would go with you, you know," his friend murmured, fiddling with the buttons of his uniform. "If I were a woman, I mean."

That made him pause for a moment, a wry grin tugging at his lips. "Does it really matter?"

"What do you mean?"

"I dare hope that sir is aware of the fact that not all men favour women over their own sex."

Martin blinked, confusion apparent on his face. "Of course I know that. But you do, don't you?"

"I don't think I do. I'm more of an equal opportunities lover, if you get my meaning."

"Oh," the captain exhaled in surprise, and Douglas promptly shook his head.

"Anyway, I'm not actually asking. I understand that you may feel uncomfortable about such a thing. Let's just drop the subject, shall we?"

He was halfway to the cabin door when Martin called after him. "As a matter of fact, I wouldn't mind at all."

That was when Douglas decided he was actually looking forward to Helena's wedding after all.