Chapter 5 Almost
Everyone Sees It
By the time autumn settled over the city, Alex had stopped wondering when Jamie had become part of every important moment in his life.
It simply felt natural.
If Alex needed to celebrate good news, Jamie was the first person he called.
If he had a difficult day at work, Jamie somehow knew before Alex admitted it.
If one of them planned to try a new restaurant, watch a movie, or spend a quiet evening doing absolutely nothing, the other was automatically included.
Neither of them had ever discussed it.
There had been no conversation about becoming inseparable.
It had simply happened.
So when Marcus called one Thursday afternoon to remind Alex about his cousin's wedding, Alex didn't even think before asking a simple question.
"Jamie, you're still coming with me on Saturday, right?"
Jamie looked up from the cookbook spread across the coffee table.
"I thought you were going with your coworkers."
"They all backed out."
Jamie frowned sympathetically.
"Oh."
Alex shrugged.
"It'll be more fun with you anyway."
Jamie's smile appeared almost immediately.
"I'd like that."
Two days later, Alex stood outside Jamie's apartment wearing a charcoal-gray suit, polished black shoes, and a tie Jamie had insisted matched the season perfectly.
He knocked once.
The door opened.
For a brief second, Alex forgot what he had been about to say.
Jamie wore a tailored forest-green suit that fit him perfectly. The color made his hazel eyes seem brighter, while a cream-colored shirt softened the sharp lines of the outfit. His usually relaxed hair had been neatly styled, though one stubborn curl still rested against his forehead.
Jamie looked effortlessly elegant.
"You've gone unusually quiet," Jamie teased.
Alex blinked.
"You clean up well."
Jamie laughed.
"I was going to say the same thing."
Alex cleared his throat.
"Ready?"
Jamie picked up a neatly wrapped wedding gift.
"Ready."
The ceremony took place in a beautiful countryside vineyard nearly an hour outside the city.
Rows of white chairs overlooked endless fields of grapevines, while soft instrumental music floated through the warm afternoon air.
The venue looked as though it belonged in a magazine.
Guests wandered through the gardens greeting one another before the ceremony began.
Marcus spotted them almost immediately.
"There you are."
He hugged Alex before turning toward Jamie.
"And our favorite chef."
Jamie laughed.
"I didn't bring food."
Marcus looked dramatically disappointed.
"Then why did we invite you?"
Daniel appeared beside him carrying two glasses of champagne.
"Don't listen to him."
He handed one glass to Jamie.
"We're just happy you came."
As the ceremony approached, guests began taking their seats.
Without thinking, Alex offered Jamie his arm while guiding him through the crowded garden.
Jamie accepted naturally.
Neither of them noticed.
Several other guests certainly did.
An elderly woman smiled warmly as they passed.
"You two make such a handsome couple."
Alex automatically opened his mouth to explain.
Jamie simply smiled politely.
"Thank you."
The woman continued walking before Alex could say anything.
Alex looked sideways.
"You didn't correct her."
Jamie shrugged lightly.
"She looked happy."
"So?"
"I didn't see any reason to embarrass her."
Alex considered that.
"I guess."
Jamie smiled.
"Besides..."
"What?"
"We're only walking to our seats."
Alex laughed quietly.
"I suppose that's true."
The ceremony itself was beautiful.
As the bride walked down the aisle, Jamie quietly reached for a tissue and handed it to Alex.
Alex looked confused.
"What?"
"You always get emotional during weddings."
"I do not."
Jamie raised one eyebrow.
"The last romantic movie we watched says otherwise."
"I had something in my eye."
"For two hours?"
Alex laughed under his breath.
"You're impossible."
Jamie smiled.
"I've heard that before."
Throughout the ceremony, Alex occasionally caught himself glancing toward Jamie.
Jamie smiled warmly whenever the couple exchanged vows.
He laughed softly during the humorous parts of the speeches.
He applauded enthusiastically when the newlyweds kissed.
There was something peaceful about simply watching him enjoy himself.
When the ceremony ended, guests moved toward the reception hall overlooking the vineyards.
Servers carried trays of sparkling drinks while live music drifted through the open windows.
Alex and Jamie found themselves standing together near one of the gardens while Marcus disappeared to help the groom.
A middle-aged couple approached with bright smiles.
"You must be Marcus's friends."
Alex nodded.
"I'm Alex."
The woman turned toward Jamie.
"And you must be his husband."
Alex instinctively looked toward Jamie.
Jamie smiled politely.
"Actually—"
Before either of them could explain, another guest interrupted the conversation.
The couple wandered away after offering congratulations.
Alex blinked.
"That keeps happening."
Jamie laughed softly.
"I noticed."
"Do we really look that much like a couple?"
Jamie tilted his head thoughtfully.
"I don't know."
Alex folded his arms.
"I mean..."
He searched for the right words.
"...we're just standing here."
Jamie looked at him with playful amusement.
"You offered me your arm."
"I was helping you through the crowd."
"You carried my jacket."
"It was heavy."
"You fixed my tie."
"It was crooked."
Jamie smiled.
"You also remembered I don't like sparkling water."
Alex sighed dramatically.
"When you list everything..."
Jamie grinned.
"...it sounds a little different."
Alex laughed despite himself.
"You're enjoying this."
"A little."
As the afternoon continued, similar moments happened again and again.
A photographer asked them to stand together for "the couples' photo."
Jamie politely stepped aside before the mistake became awkward.
Later, one of the waiters smiled while pouring champagne.
"You and your partner look wonderful tonight."
Alex thanked him before realizing what had just happened.
Jamie simply accepted the compliment with another easy smile.
It surprised Alex how little the misunderstandings bothered him.
In fact...
They didn't bother him at all.
If anything, correcting everyone suddenly felt like unnecessary work.
He wasn't pretending to be something he wasn't.
People were simply making assumptions.
Those assumptions should have made him uncomfortable.
Instead, they left him strangely... content.
During cocktail hour, Emma finally arrived after getting delayed by traffic.
She spotted them immediately.
"There are my favorite almost-married men."
Alex laughed.
"You've had exactly thirty seconds to behave."
"I never agreed to behave."
Emma hugged Jamie warmly before stepping back to admire them both.
"You two actually coordinated your suits."
Jamie looked down.
"We didn't."
Emma pointed between them.
"The colors match."
Alex blinked.
"They do?"
Jamie smiled sheepishly.
"I might've suggested your tie."
Emma folded her arms with exaggerated satisfaction.
"Of course you did."
Alex rolled his eyes.
"It isn't a conspiracy."
Emma laughed.
"If you say so."
The reception officially began shortly afterward.
Guests filled beautifully decorated tables covered with flowers and candles.
Alex and Jamie were seated beside Marcus, Daniel, and several older members of the groom's family.
Conversation flowed easily.
Stories were shared.
Glasses were raised.
Laughter echoed across the room.
Between courses, an elderly gentleman leaned toward Alex with a warm smile.
"You've done well for yourself."
Alex politely nodded.
"Thank you."
The older man glanced toward Jamie, who was quietly helping an elderly woman open a difficult bottle of sparkling water.
"He has wonderful manners."
"He does."
The gentleman smiled knowingly.
"My late wife used to say you could learn everything about someone's heart by watching how they treated strangers."
Alex found himself smiling.
"I think she'd like Jamie."
"I'm certain she would."
A second elderly woman joined the conversation before Alex could respond.
She patted his arm affectionately.
"You've brought such a wonderful husband."
Alex froze for half a second.
Before he could explain, another woman nodded enthusiastically.
"He's absolutely lovely."
"So thoughtful."
"And handsome."
The first woman smiled warmly at Jamie across the table.
"You take good care of him."
Jamie looked up, slightly confused.
"I'm sorry?"
She laughed kindly.
"Oh, don't be modest, dear."
She turned back toward Alex.
"You've found a good one."
Alex opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
He looked toward Jamie.
Jamie smiled politely, thanked the women for the compliments, and gently changed the subject before anyone felt embarrassed.
The conversation moved on.
Dinner continued.
Yet Alex found himself unexpectedly replaying those simple words.
You've brought such a wonderful husband.
It had been another misunderstanding.
Another harmless assumption.
Another moment that should have made him immediately correct everyone.
Instead...
He had simply smiled.
And somewhere deep inside, a question quietly began forming.
Why had hearing those words felt... nice?
One Breath Apart
As dinner came to an end, the reception hall slowly transformed into a dance floor.
The staff cleared away several tables while strings of golden lights hanging from the wooden beams cast a warm glow across the room. Outside, the vineyard disappeared into the evening, leaving only the soft shimmer of lanterns lining the garden paths.
A live band replaced the quiet background music with gentle love songs that encouraged guests to leave their seats.
Marcus immediately pulled Daniel toward the dance floor.
"We're dancing before you can invent another excuse," Marcus declared.
Daniel sighed dramatically.
"I was enjoying dessert."
"You can enjoy dessert after you dance."
Emma laughed as they disappeared into the growing crowd.
Alex leaned back in his chair, swirling the last of the champagne in his glass.
"I think Marcus plans this every wedding."
Jamie smiled.
"I think Daniel secretly enjoys it."
"He definitely does."