“Thank you,” Erica said, her face crinkling into a lopsided squint-grin. “I am excited, and just a little bit nervous. But Brendan keeps my nerves in check.”
“Well, I have to admit that I’m surprised, Oliver,” Harry said as he approached from behind them. “I thought Ben was made up. Boy, was I wrong!”
“Maybe now I won’t have to be the butt of your terrible jokes,” Oliver said.
“I don’t know. There’s still time.” Harry turned to Ben. “It’s still hard to believe that you’ve found a guy who can put up with you.”
“The way I see it is that I’m lucky to have Oliver in my life,” Ben said.
“Well, hello.” A woman walked up to Harry and hugged him around the waist. She looked directly at Ben. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?”
“I’d like you to meet my fiancée, Jane.” Harry threw his arm over Jane’s shoulder and kissed her forehead. “This is Oliver, my nephew with his boyfriend, Ben.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Oliver shook her hand. She was a perky blonde with dazzling teeth, and Harry was obviously proud to be with her. She turned her attention to Ben, and to Oliver’s surprise, she started blushing.
“It’s really nice to meet you, Ben. Oliver is a lucky guy.” Jane’s eyes fastened on Ben for a minute after they were introduced.
Oliver was used to people having that sort of reaction when they first meet Ben. Even though Ben was his best friend, he knew what it was about him that made Jane blush. Ben was a good-looking man.
“He’s really handsome,” Oliver’s mom said. Ben turned to look at Oliver as all eyes were focused on him.
“Mom,” Oliver complained. “You’re embarrassing him.”
“Okay, then. We'll have a lot of time to get to know you on the cruise.”
A woman with a clipboard greeted them at the gangplank. She flashed a broad smile.
“Welcome to The Royal Caribbean!” Oliver noticed her raise an eyebrow as she saw Ben. “My name is Shannon, and in a few moments, I’m going to be asking for your names and passports. First, I would like to say that we hope you all have a wonderful time!”
“Oliver Campbell,” Oliver said, pulling out his wallet.
“And Benjamin Coleman.” Ben stood beside Oliver and followed suit.
Shannon peered down at her clipboard. “Let me see, are you one of the couples getting married?” she asked.
“No, we’re here for my sister’s wedding,” Oliver said. It was odd; she was the second person who thought they were about to be married.
“Oh, you two look like a great couple. I was going to ask you to pose for the photoshoot for our online newlywed profile,” Shannon said. “You would have been the first gay couple to be featured in our newlywed cruise magazine. The pictures will be uploaded to our website after the cruise.”
“Would we be interviewed, too?” Ben asked.
Oliver shot Ben a sidelong glance. It sounded as if he was actually considering it, which was an insane idea since they weren’t even a couple. But, then again, everything about them coming to Erica’s Caribbean wedding cruise as a couple seemed to be insane.
“Oh, of course,” Shannon said. “You’d be interviewed about how you met and about your trip.”
“It’s too bad that we're not the ones getting married," Oliver said, jokingly.
“Gay couples are so hot right now, I’m sure we could at least take a few photos and interview you as a couple who might take a cruise if you decide on getting married.” Shannon sounded excited. “Whose guests are you?”
“Erica Campbell and Brendan Walker,” Oliver said.
“Great. Tonight is the formal dinner party, and there will be a photographer set up in the hallway outside of the dining hall for couples in attendance. I wouldn’t be surprised if you and your boyfriend were pulled aside for a photo or two.”
Oliver observed Ben’s unrestrained, broad, cheerful smile, which was bright enough to light up a room. He was obviously game. There was no reason why Oliver should’ve felt hesitant, other than the fact that they weren’t a real couple and the off-chance that someone from their workplace would see the photos. How would Ben feel if the world assumed they were a couple?
“Anyway, enjoy the trip,” Shannon said. She checked them in and handed them a welcome packet, directed them to one side and then moved to the other passengers.
All of the guests were handed a welcome packet. There was an itinerary. It had a map. The ship was like a small city — five restaurants, a shopping mall, a movie theater, and an arcade.
“This sounds cool,” Ben said as he read look at his map. “It has twenty-four dining options, twenty-one pools and hot tubs, multiple live performance venues, which include an ice rink and Aquatheater for high-diving shows.”
“Yep, and we need to be in our tuxes in a few hours for the dinner party,” Oliver said. “I can’t wait to see Erica’s dress. I know her and Brendan are going to look their best as there’s going to be a fair bit of attention on them.”
“I bet,” Ben said.
Oliver couldn’t help smiling. “Remind me to ask you for photos when we get back.”
Ben shook his head. “Now I’m regretting mentioning it in the first place. If this trip is going to be as amazing as Shannon says it is, then maybe you’ll forget about my embarrassing high school pics.”
“Fat chance,” Oliver said with a grin. “Speaking of pics, what were you thinking when you agreed to have our photo taken for the magazine? Aren’t you worried that someone from work might see us?”
“To tell you the truth, I hadn’t thought about it when I agreed,” Ben said. “I was just thinking about how great it would be to have a memento. A photo of us in tuxes, as a couple, would be a great souvenir. Don’t you think?”
“You’re right, I know, but you know how some people at work might behave,” Oliver said.
“What, you mean the stares and whispers?” Ben asked. “I’ll gladly be a target if it means I get to have as much fun as possible with you. I hadn’t thought about all of the attention that we’d get as a couple. Do you think we should charge them as we’ll be helping to promote their company?”
Oliver stared at Ben, who sported a wide grin and chuckled. “Trust you to want to get us deeper into our roles than we already are,” he replied to Ben.
Oliver wasn’t entirely sure why Ben was so comfortable with pretending to be his boyfriend, even after he tried to convince himself that it was nothing more than Ben helping him out as he always did. But it was obvious that his painfully straight best friend wanted them to have a good time together.
“I’m sure we’ll get a discount if we get married,” Ben said. “I might get down on one knee right now.”
“Stop it.” Oliver shook his head and laughed as a tiny smirk turned up the corner of Ben’s lips. “Idiot.”
After the rest of the passengers were checked in, Shannon led them up the gangplank.
6
Ben
“Come on, dude, I can’t just sleep on the bed and let you take the couch,” Ben said. He opened the large closet door. Life jackets were kept on the top shelf, and seeing them made Ben think of the movie Titanic and how Rose never gave up and was eventually saved by a lifeboat. They had unpacked an hour ago. “I won’t feel right.”
“It doesn’t bother me. Really,” Oliver replied. He stood out on the balcony and looked over at the vast ocean. “You have a bad back, so there’s no way that I’m going to let you take the couch.”
Ben stepped away from the closet and made his way across the room to the balcony. They were staying in a balcony room, and Oliver had seemed pleased when he found out that they were in the cabin next door to Erica and Brendan.
Their cabin was a mini-suite, with a queen-sized bed, one large closet, and furniture that seemed to be scaled down in size. The sun streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors and reflected off the two-toned walls.
They had to be downstairs in ha
lf an hour, and they were barely dressed.
“If this ship goes down, at least we have two life jackets,” Ben said. As he approached Oliver, he saw him gazing soulfully out into the ocean.
“So we won’t have to brave the icy waters on a floating door,” Oliver said with a laugh.
Ben acknowledged the Titanic reference with a smile. He liked how he and Oliver thought alike. This made it easier when they were hanging around work colleagues or meeting new people. It meant he had someone who was in on all of the same jokes. So even if they were at a social event that was too crowded for their tastes, Ben could rely on Oliver to have fun. When it came to playing off each other, Ben and Oliver worked together like a well-oiled machine.
The floral scent of Oliver’s hair gel coupled with his musky cologne fought the salty sea air of Miami beach. As Ben approached, he was momentarily captivated by the subtle softness rimming Oliver’s features, touched by the glow of the setting sun, and the sight of Oliver in a deep moment of self-reflection. But then he wondered if something was amiss; was Oliver having a moment of soul-searching, or was he simply admiring the view? Ben looked at his friend.
It was a stunning view.
Ben took a step back as his breath hitched in his chest, then moved forward and rested his elbows on the railing.
“We should share the bed,” Ben said. “It wouldn’t be the first time we slept next to each other.”
“Yeah, but this time it’s on a bed; plus, it’s going to be for ten days,” Oliver said. “You won’t have a problem with that?”
“No way,” Ben said. “Why would I?”
He never thought that sleeping in the same bed as Oliver would be awkward, and it was true that they’d never shared a bed; usually, they ended up curled up on a couch after watching a movie.
Oliver hadn’t put on his jacket yet. He looked good in black and white. His shirt was crisp and fitted, and even though Ben hated suits, he couldn’t help wishing he looked half as good as Oliver did, and appeared comfortable, too.
Ben preferred loose clothes, and from when he first wore a tux at his high school prom, suits felt to him like he was being strangled by the invisible man. It felt overbearing and stuffy at best. He usually sweated through his shirt as he was always too hot.
“You’re not ready yet?” Oliver said as he turned to face Ben and nodded towards his bow tie. “Do you need help with that?”
“Please,” Ben groaned. The damned thing was a major pain in the ass, and he’d given up attempting to straighten it on the third try. “I just can’t seem to get it symmetrical. I should have bought a clip-on. I wouldn’t have had to go through the last fifteen minutes fighting a losing battle. I started feeling like a Masochist.”
“Let me do it,” Oliver said.
Ben stood helplessly as his best buddy adjusted his tie. In a few moments, Oliver stepped back with a look of satisfaction on his face. He gave Ben a thumbs up.
“Thanks, you did that so effortlessly, it seemed like magic,” Ben said. “My high school friend’s dad was a haberdasher. He coached me through the whole process of tying a knot. I remember practicing for weeks and in the end, I made it so tight that I had to loosen it during the prom.”
“And what happened?” Oliver asked, studying the look on Ben’s face.
“It ended up falling in the punch bowl.” Ben shook his head at the thought. He started cracking up, and Oliver laughed.
“At least you went to the prom. I never had a date for mine. I ended up staying home,” Oliver confessed.
“Oh, man. That must have sucked. I’m sorry,” Ben said.
“It wasn’t that bad. I don’t think I would have been comfortable dancing, anyway,” Oliver said. “I sucked at dancing.”
“I sucked too,” Ben said. He checked his tie in the mirror. “Perfect.”
“Now, let’s hurry,” Oliver said. “We’re going to be late.”
“Right,” Ben said. Grabbing his jacket, he put it on and stood back in front of the mirror. He never thought he looked good in suits, but he couldn’t hide his surprise at seeing himself in the tux. He wasn’t exactly perfectly groomed, but for once he looked okay. He would have still traded his shirt and tie for a tee-shirt.
“Holy crap, you look like a fashion model,” Oliver said.
“Really?” Ben liked the way his shoulders appeared accentuated by the suit, but saying he looked like a model was a little far-fetched. Well, to his mind, anyway. “I do look more sophisticated, I guess.”
“If that’s what you want to call it,” Oliver said.
“Why? How would you say that I look?”
“Hot!” Oliver blurted out.
As soon as he heard the word, Ben found Oliver’s eyes in the mirror, which momentarily darted away. His cheeks were red, making him look embarrassed. As Ben stared into the mirror at his best friend, a sense that the other man was holding something back filled up his chest.
“Wow. Thanks,” Ben said, quietly.
Oliver shrugged. Abruptly, he walked back out to the balcony. “If I request that they open the divider out here that separates our room from Erica’s room, do you think they’d allow it?”
“You can only ask to find out, but I don’t see why they’d say no,” Ben said, moving across the room to follow Oliver back out onto the balcony.
They stood side-by-side and gazed at the Miami skyline. The sky was now magenta as the sun began to set, and everything seemed so tranquil. Oliver’s eyes were steady to the distance, and his face was aglow from the mauve of the dusky sky. Ben would have been happy enough to spend the rest of the night there with Oliver; they wouldn’t have to go to the party to have a great time together.
“I thought a slim-fit tux would be more of your style,” Oliver said. “That’s a double-breasted tux, and they’re almost impossible to find.”
“I had to go to a black-tie event with my ex,” Ben recalled. “I actually went into the store looking for a double-breasted tux, just like the one I wore a high school. And was lucky enough to get the last one.”
“Are you ready to go down?” Oliver asked.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Ben said. “I really like your family.”
“They really like you. I think that up to this point they’ve been waiting for me to show up to their houses with a girl who has helped me get over my ‘gay’ phase, and that I’d settle down with her and buy a house with a white picket fence.” Oliver took Ben’s hand. “But now I think they’re just happy to see that my ‘boyfriend’ is gorgeous.”
“Hmm, am I your trophy boyfriend?” Ben asked. He smiled.
“You’re the best boyfriend that I’ve ever had,” Oliver said.
Ben’s heart raced; he found himself excited and happy to be with Oliver on the open sea, so far out of his element, but with the only person he wanted to be with.
He had no idea why Oliver had been so worried about them meeting his family — so far, everything was going smoothly.
When the elevator doors opened, it was just like a scene from a movie where all of the guests in the room turned to face them. There was a pause. Ben could hear talking in the background as someone made their way through the crowd. It was Erica, gliding prettily towards them.
She looked dazzling.
“You both look splendid!” Erica sounded thrilled as she hugged them both. “I’ll get you guys drinks. The appetizers are all over there.”
Oliver looked across the room at the table with all the appetizers. “We need to get to them before they’re gone.”
“Shall I grab us a plate?” Ben offered.
“Wait, I’d like you to meet Madeline. She’s been dying to meet you,” Erica said. At that point, a tall woman crossed the room. She hugged Oliver and then Ben.
“Madeline, but everyone calls me Maddie. I’m Brendan’s sister.” Madeline’s voice reached over the chatter of the crowd. She had a charming smile, and her stick-straight hair was cut in a cute 1920s-ish bob. “I’ve heard all about you. Yo
u look so much like Erica, it’s uncanny!”
Ben flashed a look at Oliver. His expression was relaxed. He it was obvious he was enjoying himself.
Ben knew it wasn’t the first time someone had pointed out the striking resemblance he had to his sister. Oliver had told Ben that he’d always felt confused when people said he looked like Erica.
However, Ben noticed similarities in their demeanor and even the crinkles at the corners of their eyes — that almost-smile as if they liked what they were hearing, but didn’t want to give too much of themselves away.
Brendan brought Oliver and Ben drinks.
Linda, Brendan’s mom, pivoted and hugged Oliver. “I was shocked. Two good-looking gay guys. Just make sure you don’t hit on my husband!”
Ben felt his annoyance rising. His attention roamed past Linda and around Madeline so that he could pay attention to Oliver’s reaction. Oliver gave him an awkward smile.
“Don’t worry, Oliver’s the only guy I’ve ever had eyes for,” Ben said, shooting her a sideways glance. “He’s my soulmate.”
He nodded to her politely as she turned away, then he sipped his drink and met Oliver’s eyes once more. Oliver’s eyes lit up.
“Mom, I think Dad needs you,” Brendan said. “He wants you to tell the story about your cat, Corra.”
Linda gave Ben a final look. “Each to their own,” she snorted before whirling away.
“I’m sorry if my mom insulted you,” Brendan said. “She can be really embarrassing sometimes.”
“It’s not your fault,” Ben said.
Nervous laughter clanged in Brendan’s throat. He appeared relieved his mother hadn’t caused too much damage. At that moment, a man tugged Brendan’s arm and began speaking to him.
“I swear I thought you were going to lose your cool,” Oliver said in Ben’s ear. “I’m glad you didn’t.”
“It was hard to bite my tongue, but there was no way that I was going to create a scene,” Ben admitted.
“Well, I’m happy you didn’t.”
“Are you okay?” Ben asked. There was a part of him that felt powerless to protect Oliver from ignorant comments like the one Linda made.
Wedding Fever Page 5
