Chapter 11 Bryan
ELEVEN
brYAN
The wedding had been beautiful, and we’d wrapped up a series of photos, where I was the odd man out since Elise’s friend was still snowed in. My sister didn’t seem to mind, smiling and holding court with our family and her friends.
We’d finished up, and I was hanging by the bar during the cocktail hour while Elise and Wamil were off on their own with the photographer.
It hadn’t been my intention to loiter by the bar, but apparently, the bartender was also on the West Jannah Town Council, and he happened to have heard that the bride’s brother was a landscape architect.
While he poured drinks, he managed to chat me up about an interesting project West Jannah was considering.
“At least I hope they’ll consider it. That’s why I have to have a really good presentation.”
A presentation that included a landscape plan. My new friend, Gus, brought me another beer after asking me if I had any advice for him.
I didn’t even bother asking him how he knew so much about me. After all, I’d been in the small town for almost forty-eight whole hours at that point.
He set my beer down before a message on his phone distracted him. He looked up at me with a strange smile then back down at the phone before replying.
We talked about landscaping between customers, my mother eventually pulling me away.
“Darling, your sister and Wamil will be here any minute for the first dance. When they introduce you, maybe head to the back of the room. That way it won’t be so obvious that you don’t have a partner.”
“Mother, it’s not the end of the world. Everyone knows the snow kept her away.”
“Hmm,” was all I got out of my mother.
We lined up then, two by two except for me as the DJ announced the parents, the wedding party, and finally, my glowing sister and her besotted groom.
For months, my mother had drilled into my dad and me that the newlyweds would dance alone until the end of the first chorus. “Bryan, you can take the lead, along with your dad and me, and head to the dance floor after that.”
I was watching the happy couple, and maybe wiping away a tear or two, when an unassuming person emerged from the same door we just had entered.
Not wanting to draw attention to himself, he clung to the wall and made his way around the room, scanning the crowd and heading to the opposite corner from where I hid, like Mother had asked.
He was radiant, his brown hair brushed back from his face, clearly being held in place with some type of product. He was wearing a tux that was way too big on him, a sprig of sea lavender on his lapel. I took a step forward, and he noticed me. For a second he looked scared, but then he smiled.
Had he been afraid of showing up? I hoped not, and I hoped I had the opportunity to tell him so over and over again, when we told the story of how we’d met.
He found his way to me.
“Hi,” I said, though I wanted to say so much more.
“Hi,” he returned.
I touched the flower on his lapel. “Sea lavender.”
“For any number of reasons, it’s my favorite flower, and I was wondering, in your expert opinion, if I could maybe plant some in Gran’s garden?”
“You came here for a consultation?”
He took a deep breath. “I came here to sweep you off your feet.” Just then the second verse of my sister's wedding song began.
I held out my hand. “May I have this dance?”
I spent the night in Ollie’s arms, but I couldn’t sleep.
We’d talked for hours, about gardens and careers, about hopes and dreams and visions of the perfect future.
He was so warm in my arms, his back to my chest; then at one point, he sat up, sitting cross-legged in his pink flannel pajama bottoms. I sat up too, facing him and taking his hands in mine.
“Can I see you again?” he said. “I mean, I know you live three hours away, but I could come visit, or you could come back …” He trailed off.
“I would like that very much.” I said. We didn’t say more, just leaned in and kissed. The logistics of a long-distance relationship could wait. He fell asleep sometime after, when we were both naked and sweaty and tangled in each other’s arms.
I was able to slip out of the bed as the sun rose, without waking him. The kitchen that he’d said customers didn’t visit had an old laminate table in it. I made myself comfortable and began my work.
I found my way back to Ollie’s room and slipped into the bed.
I skipped another family brunch in favor of spending the day with him.
I got the full tour of the Lavender Sea, and we even bundled up to walk the boardwalk, sharing memories of our youth and time spent in Jannah Beach.
I was due at work the next day, so after Ollie made dinner, I kissed him goodbye, with the promise to talk soon.