Martyn is on the guest list. Fucking Martyn is on the list of people that Gerri wants to invite to the wedding. Roman is raging.
"Why would you want him there?" he asks.
"Because he's my friend."
"Please. You only brought him to Con's wedding to make me jealous."
"Like I need to try to make you jealous." She glares at him.
"Where'd you find him, anyway? Geriatric dick dot com?"
"You should know. You're the one who had oppo research conducted on him." Gerri's glare intensifies.
Roman has to admit she has a point there. But he'd been grieving and unhinged when he asked Ratfucker Sam to look into Gerri's date and besides, the research hadn't turned up so much as a parking fine.
"I just don't think we need exes at the wedding."
"You wanted to invite Grace, and Tabitha…"
"That's different," says Roman, although he can't think how at the moment. "And they're not coming anyway."
"And Martyn probably won't come either."
"Then why bother inviting him?"
"Because it'll be weird if I don't. We're friends," Gerri emphasises. "He's a very nice widow. Maybe he'll meet someone at the wedding."
Roman sinks down next to Gerri on the couch. It's not an unreasonable request, really, after all he's put her through. The truth is, the thought of seeing Martyn in formal clothes, all dressed up for a wedding, brings back bad memories of Connor's big day. Gerri looking beautiful with Martyn on her arm, having to fire her, Tom's voice on the end of the phone…
Maybe Gerri can see this on his face, because she reaches for him. "Hey. We don't have to invite him, if it really bothers you…"
Roman shakes his head. "No. It's okay. Like you said, it'd be weirder not to invite him, right?" He tries to keep his voice light.
"Give me a pen."
Roman hands her his pen, wondering which of her exes she's going to add to the list next, but she draws a line through Martyn's name.
"I said it's okay—" he starts, although relief is surging through him.
"No. Let's be weird. That ship's probably already sailed, right?"
Roman smiles and buries his head in her shoulder.