7. Bryson
7
Bryson
The next morning, I woke up on the couch in my hotel room. A blanket slipped off me as I sat up and stretched my stiff neck. When I saw what had prevented me from sleeping in my bed, I couldn’t help but grin.
Embry was splayed out across my mattress, tangled in the top sheet and snoring softly. He was still wearing the tiara, and he was cuddling the dick-shaped sports bottle like it was a stuffed animal.
I grabbed a few things from my luggage and snuck to the bathroom as quietly as I could. A hot shower helped me feel close to human again. Afterwards, I got dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt and returned to the bedroom.
Goldilocks had rolled over while I was gone. He was still lightly snoring, but now his head was under the sheet, his knees were bent underneath him, and his butt was sticking up. He was dressed in nothing but a slightly cropped T-shirt and a pair of red briefs, so that was awkward. I gingerly tossed a blanket over him before retreating back to the bathroom with the hotel phone.
Not surprisingly, my head was pounding. After I placed an order with room service, I popped three ibuprofen, turned on the sink, and used my cupped hand to scoop some water into my mouth.
I’d definitely overindulged last night. After leaving the hotel bar, we’d taken a cab to a very loud, crowded gay nightclub, where we’d remained until closing time. The rugby players came along, and at some point the rest of their team had joined us.
I remembered feeling self-conscious at first. I’d never been in a gay club before, and I definitely felt like a fish out of water—at least until I got drunk. At that point, I didn’t care about much of anything.
A knock at the bathroom door brought me back to the present. When I opened it, Embry said, “Sorry to interrupt whatever you were doing, but I really need to pee.” His curls were wild, and the tiara was hanging off the side of his head.
“I was taking drugs. Ibuprofen! Not whatever that must have sounded like.” I grabbed the phone and mumbled, “I’m done,” before relocating to the couch.
He joined me a couple of minutes later with the tiara neatly centered on top of his head, and he asked, “How do you feel?”
“Not great, but that’s to be expected. How about you?”
“I’m fine. I stopped drinking around ten last night.”
“Wish I could say the same.”
He smiled at me. “You looked like you were having fun, though.”
“I can’t believe you got me out onto the dance floor. Let’s hope your friends didn’t film that.” Embry chuckled when I pantomimed some of my less than epic moves.
There was a knock on the door a few minutes later, and Embry asked, “Want me to get it?”
I got up and pointed out, “You’re not wearing pants.”
“I left them in my room. I tried to go to bed when we got back from the club, but Vee invited some of the rugby guys over and kept partying, so I came here.”
“Now I remember.”
After the room service waiter set up a table for us and took off, I handed Embry a mug of hot chocolate. He took a sip and said, “This is what I would have ordered for myself. How did you know what to get me?”
I shrugged as I slowly pushed down the plunger on a French press. “You were drinking that the day we met. I read the order on your cup.”
Embry murmured, “Thanks for noticing.” He seemed touched by that, but I didn’t know why. It didn’t seem like a big deal.
I couldn’t face anything besides coffee, but he eagerly polished off the continental breakfast for two. Then he leaned back and brushed some croissant crumbs off his T-shirt as he asked, “What’s on your agenda for today?”
“A nap, hopefully. Also, I’m planning to buy us our wedding rings. Do you know what size you wear?”
He switched a silver ring from his right hand to his left. “You can use this as my wedding ring if you want. I got it at a craft fair when I was a teenager, and it’s one of my favorite things.”
“I want to get us matching bands. I think that’ll help us seem like a real couple.”
He took off the ring, and when he handed it to me, I noticed it was embossed with a repeating pattern of turtles. “I don’t know what size I wear, but maybe you can use that as a guide.”
“Good idea. Want to come along, so you can pick out something you like? You’re going to be stuck with it for a year.”
Embry shook his head. “I need to spend the day finding our wedding venue, and then making myself cute for the ceremony.”
“You’re already cute.” He probably thought I was trying to flatter him, but it was true. He was actually adorable.
“Oh, it gets better than this. Believe me.” He got up and said, “Thanks for breakfast, and for letting me crash in your bed last night. I was planning to sleep on your couch when I invited myself over.”
“I wanted you to be comfortable.”
He collected his phone, dick-shaped sports bottle, and key card on the way to the door. I walked him out, and he turned back to me and said, “I’m not sure if the place I find for the ceremony is going to need a deposit. I might end up asking you to call and give them a credit card number, since I don’t have one. Is that okay?”
“That’s fine.” I had exactly one functional card left after maxing out the others trying to save my failing restaurant, and I was using it to fund this entire weekend. I thought of it as an investment. Running off to Vegas should sell the story of two impulsive people in love. I could only hope my grandfather ended up buying it.
Embry flashed me a smile and said, “See you soon, Bryson,” before turning and walking down the hall. As he passed an older couple, they stopped and stared—probably because he was barefoot and wearing nothing but a tiara, red briefs, and a T-shirt. He called a cheerful, “Good morning,” and waved to them with the dick bottle, never breaking his stride. He had zero fucks to give, and I loved that about him.
I kept watching until he reached his door and unlocked it, just to make sure he got in alright. He looked back at me and waved before disappearing into his room.
I’d been propping my door open, and I ducked back inside and let it swing shut. Then I slipped the turtle ring onto my pinky finger for safekeeping, since that was the only place it would fit.
I held up my hand and studied it for a moment. The ring wasn’t my style, but I liked it because it was just so Embry . I hadn’t realized how much I needed a friend until I met him, or how dark my world had become until he came along and brightened it up.
I really wanted to find him a beautiful wedding ring, something he could enjoy beyond this next year. I wasn’t sure why that mattered. It just did.
Late that afternoon, I double-checked the address Embry had sent me and climbed out of the convertible. I was parked in front of a large, Spanish-style house in the foothills outside Las Vegas, which seemed odd.
I was about to text him when the front door opened and Hal stepped outside. He was dressed all in black in a halter top and tailored pants, so effortlessly stylish that he looked like he belonged on the French Riviera.
He hurried over to me and said, “You’re in the right place. I saw you sitting out here, and you seemed confused.”
“Where are we?”
“This is the rugby team’s Airbnb. They agreed to let you and Embry get married here.”
“Is one of them independently wealthy?”
“No. They’re in town for some kind of tournament, and they needed someplace big enough to accommodate the whole team. This probably isn’t all that expensive by the time you divide it by fifteen guys.”
“It’s really nice,” I said, “but what happened to the idea of a theme wedding? I thought Embry was pretty sold on that.”
Hal swept his long, dark hair over his shoulder and shrugged. “We went to a bunch of wedding chapels today, but none of them felt right to him. Embry said, and I quote, ‘Bryson is a classy guy, and this wedding needs to be classy, too.’ That’s when I thought of this place and messaged Ryder.”
“Who’s Ryder?”
“He’s the captain of the rugby team. He and I ended up coming back here after we left the club last night.”
“I thought the team captain’s name was Rock.”
“That’s just a nickname, thankfully.”
“Okay. So, should we go inside?”
“Actually, we’re going to go straight into the ceremony, which is happening in the backyard. It’s all planned out. You’ll come in from the left, Embry will come in from the right, and you’ll both meet in the middle, at the gazebo. That’s where the wedding officiant we hired is waiting.”
“Got it.”
“I’m not sure where Vee is going to be, but he’s probably sticking close to Embry. The entire rugby team is back there, too. They decided to wear their team uniforms, along with cowboy hats. Since they’re from Texas, I guess it’s to be expected. Vee put two of them in charge of taking pictures and a third is supposed to film it, so they might be moving around during the ceremony.”
Hal turned around and glanced at the sky, and I asked, “What are you looking for?”
“We’re trying to time this to the sunset, which will look great in the photos. I think we should give it five more minutes.”
“Sure. Whatever you say.”
“Want me to hold the rings? That way, I can have them ready and hand them to you when the officiant calls for them.” I gave him the box, and he opened the lid and murmured, “Wow, these are beautiful.”
“Thanks. I hope Embry likes them.” The modern bands were made of tungsten, a silver metal known for being tough and long-lasting. They had a narrow channel running all the way around them, which was filled with small, deep blue sapphires.
“He will for sure. Hold out your hand.” When I did as he asked, he placed both rings in my palm and snapped a photo with his phone. Then he smiled at me and took them back as he said, “Vee would want me to get that shot. It’s very ‘wedding photographer.’ Let me get one of you with the convertible, too.”
“Okay. I just need to put on my suit jacket.”
“Actually, can I make a suggestion? If you wear a jacket, you’re going to look way more dressed up than Embry, and you two should match.”
“No problem, I’ll leave it off. Anything else I should do?”
“Lose the tie, unbutton the top two buttons on your shirt, and let me help you roll up your sleeves.” I followed his instructions, and after he neatly folded back my cuffs, he stepped back to take a look at me. “Much better,” he said. “Now you two are on the same page. It’s good that you went with a white shirt and pale gray pants.”
He instructed me to lean against the car so he could take my picture, but he ended up frowning at the results. “You can’t pose me,” I reminded him. “I just end up looking stiff.”
Hal returned the phone to his pocket. “You’re right, but that’s okay. I’ll help Vee get lots of candid shots after the ceremony, when we cut the cake and do the champagne toast. Embry decorated the cake, by the way. He worked really hard on it, so be sure to tell him it looks nice.”
“How’d he have time to make a wedding cake?”
“He bought three cakes at a bakery to save time, so all he had to do was stack and redecorate them.”
“I see. Can we do this now?”
“One more minute.”
I shifted my weight from foot to foot. To make conversation, I said, “So, you and Rock, huh?”
“Ryder.”
“Right. Which one was he?”
“The incredibly cute brunet with a short beard. Six-foot-four. Wall-to-wall muscles, and an ass like a—you know what? Never mind. For a minute there, I forgot I was talking to a straight boy.”
I grinned at that and gestured at the pink sky. “I’d call that the start of a sunset.”
“You’re right. Let’s see if they’re ready.” He sent a text and got a quick reply. “Two minutes. Everyone’s getting in place, so let’s circle around to the side gate.”
I started to follow him around the edge of the front yard, which was landscaped with cacti and other native plants. Then, out of the blue, I was hit by what exactly was about to happen.
I was getting married.
Married!
I bent over with my hands on my knees and took a deep breath.
No, it wasn’t a real marriage, but try to tell my anxiety that.
Hal sounded concerned as he asked, “You okay there, Bryson?”
“I don’t know.”
“Talk to me. What’s going on?”
A lot of things. I picked one of them. “It just… it seems disrespectful, doesn’t it? I’m about to stand up in front of a wedding officiant and take a vow to love, honor, and cherish Embry ‘til death do us part.”
“Fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce, and they take the same vow,” he reminded me.
“I know.”
“What about this? When the officiant says that bit, silently make your own vow to Embry. Vow to take good care of him this next year. Or vow to get him the money you promised him, because that’s going to change his life. Vow to be his friend, even after this ends. There are so many pure, honest things you can pledge to him in that moment.”
I straightened up and adjusted my glasses as I murmured, “I like that idea.”
My heart was still pounding, but I continued around the side of the house and paused with Hal outside the gate. After a moment, a chorus started to sing an acapella version of “I Don’t Want to Miss A Thing.”
I raised a brow. “Aerosmith?”
“The rugby team thought of it.” He smiled at me and said, “You’ve got this, Bryson.” Then he opened the gate for me, and I stepped through it.
The first thing I saw, directly in front of me, was a large swimming pool. To my left, over a dozen rugby players in cowboy hats, bright blue shorts, and matching jerseys were lined up. They were doing a choreographed routine of sorts—step to the left, back to the center, step to the right—while singing more or less on key.
Past them was a white gazebo, where a middle-aged woman with long, red hair was waiting with a smile. The gazebo was backed by a decorative wrought iron fence. Beyond it, the land dipped down into a valley, with the Las Vegas skyline off in the distance.
But where was Embry? I looked around as I made my way to the gazebo. Then Vee stepped out of a pool house across the yard and held the door open, and Embry appeared.
He looked beautiful. There was no other word for it. He’d straightened his pale blond hair and swept it to one side, and it framed his face in a flattering way. He was dressed all in white, from his pants and sneakers to his dress shirt with the sleeves neatly rolled back. As a finishing touch, his open collar revealed several strands of pearls.
It took Embry a moment to spot me, and when he did, his face lit up. We both hurried to each other, and I grabbed him in a hug and whispered, “You look gorgeous.” He was trembling a little, which told me he was nervous, too.
“Thank you. So do you.” He reached up and gently brushed my hair off my forehead. Then he smiled at me and asked, “Are you ready to marry me?”
“Absolutely.”
We climbed three steps and walked into the gazebo hand-in-hand. Hal and Vee joined us, and the rugby team finished their song and gathered around. The red-haired woman opened a book and began, “Dear friends, we’re gathered here today to witness the union of Embry Jayne and Bryson Baudelaire.”
The ceremony was short and straightforward. I repeated the standard vows when it was my turn, while silently promising to take care of Embry, and to always treat him with kindness, patience, and respect. Hal handed us the rings when the officiant called for them, and we placed them on each other’s fingers. Before I knew it, I heard, “It is my honor to pronounce you married. You may now kiss your husband.”
Oh.
Right.
I’d forgotten about that part.
I took a breath and cupped Embry’s cheek. Why was I so nervous? When he looked up at me, there was a sparkle in his eyes. It seemed playful, and a bit like a dare.
I brushed my lips to his and felt him respond. We leaned into each other, both of us lingering in the moment. The kiss was soft. Tender. It felt good.
Later on, Vee would ask me if it seemed weird kissing a man, but that part hadn’t even crossed my mind. I was kissing someone who mattered to me, someone I’d grown to care about in a very short time. The only weird thing about kissing Embry was that it happened in front of a wedding officiant, with a bunch of people watching us.
Afterwards, Embry smiled at me, and I drew him into an embrace as everyone cheered and applauded. It was a beautiful moment.
All of a sudden, I was overcome with emotion. I felt raw. Vulnerable. Why, though? That didn’t make any sense. Judging by the way he clung to me, it seemed like Embry might be experiencing the same thing.
There was some business to take care of, so I tried to push my feelings aside. Embry stuck close to me when we went into the kitchen at the back of the house. I kept my arm around him as we signed the marriage license, with Vee and Hal as witnesses.
While we were doing that, a poolside party sprang to life. Dance music started to play, and the rugby boys began mixing drinks at an outdoor bar. What I really wanted was some quiet time to process all of this, not a loud social event, but we were guests here and just had to go with it.
Once the officiant left, we told Vee and Hal we’d join them in a minute, and they returned to the backyard. I gently squeezed Embry’s shoulder and asked, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I just felt really emotional for a minute there. I don’t know why.”
“Same.”
He leaned into me, and I gave him another hug. After a long moment, I murmured, “I guess we should join the celebration.”
“Yeah.” I let go of him, but neither of us moved.
I bought us some time by asking, “Do you like the ring?”
“Oh! I was super distracted, so I didn’t look at it very closely. All I could think about was dropping your ring and losing it through the gaps in the floorboards.” He held up his hand and turned it to examine the ring from all angles. Then he murmured, “It’s absolutely beautiful.”
“Before I forget, here’s this one back.” I took off his turtle ring, picked up his right hand, and slipped it onto his finger.
He squeezed my hand before letting go of it. Then he straightened his posture and said, “There’s a cake. I’d like to eat some of it.”
“Sounds good.”
The cake had been set up on a patio table, and everyone gathered around when Embry announced we were going to cut it. Each of the three small tiers were frosted in an ombre pattern that blended from white to sky blue, and neatly finished with scalloped edges. The whole thing was swathed in a garland of pretty blue and white flowers, and some candy bees were scattered among the blooms. As a cute finishing touch, two bees sat side-by-side on the edge of the top tier.
“A bakery made the cakes,” Embry explained, “but I scraped off the frosting, stacked them, and decorated them. It’s all buttercream, including the flowers. Oh—except for the bees. They’re modeling chocolate.”
I meant it when I told him, “It’s absolutely wonderful.”
He turned to me with a hopeful expression. “Do you really think so?”
“It’s perfect. You’re incredibly talented.”
You would have thought I’d paid him the highest compliment ever, given the way his face lit up. “I’m so glad you like it.”
“I feel bad about cutting it.”
“Don’t worry about that. It’s meant to be enjoyed.”
While Vee took pictures, Embry carved two generous slices out of the bottom tier, which turned out to be a vanilla cake with strawberry filling. We picked up some forks and were about to taste it when someone called, “You’re supposed to feed each other!”
Embry and I chuckled as we awkwardly shoveled some cake into each other’s mouths. Then we stepped aside while Hal began cutting slices and passing them to the rest of the party.
Vee followed up the cake with a champagne toast. As I watched everyone’s reactions, I whispered, “I don’t think the rugby team knows this is a fake wedding.”
“I can’t remember if we told them,” Embry said, “but I don’t think it matters. They’re having a good time either way.”
A little while later, I decided to order some dinner for our gracious hosts. I grinned and muttered, “My family would have a fit if they knew I was serving pizza at my wedding reception.”
Embry and I hung out in the kitchen while we waited for the food to arrive, watching the party through a wall of windows. The yard and pool were aglow with colored lights, techno music was playing, and a disco ball spun over the patio. As Vee danced with three guys, Hal and his big, burly cowboy made out in the gazebo, and the rest of the team played a lively game of beer pong. “Elegant villa by day, party central by night,” Embry murmured.
Once dinner was delivered, we lined up several extra-large pizza boxes on the kitchen counter, along with salads, sodas, and a mountain of garlic bread. Embry glanced at me and said, “I think I’m ready to go. How about you?”
I’d been hoping he’d say that. “Me, too.”
I handed him a box with a medium-sized cheese pizza and grabbed two sodas. Then I stuck my head out the back door and called, “Thanks for everything, guys! Dinner is served in the kitchen, and Embry and I are going to take off.” That was met with a chorus of goodbyes and shouts of congratulations.
As everyone began to make their way inside, Embry picked up his large tote bag, and we cut through the house and stepped out onto the front porch. He paused to send a text, and when he was finished I held up the car keys and asked him, “Want to drive?”
“I don’t know how, so that’s a big nope.”
“Want me to teach you?”
“Not today.”
It was a little cold, so I retrieved my suit jacket from the backseat and draped it over Embry’s shoulders. As we settled in and put on our seatbelts, I said, “So, what’s the plan?”
“We don’t have one, but I guess we’ll figure it out as we go along.”
It occurred to me that was true not just for tonight, but for every minute of the year ahead.