Love & Rum

by Dani McLean

  “Holy shit. Please tell me you said yes.”

  “No, actually, I turned him down.”

  “What?” I narrowed my eyes. “Jerk.”

  “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.” He laughed.

  “Why the hell are you just telling me now?” I asked playfully.

  “I had more important things to talk to you about,” He said, pinning me with a look so earnest and hopeful that my chest ached.

  25

  Jackson

  The hotel was incredible, full of rich deep colors, an over-abundance of lounges, drapes, and the kind of stuffiness that was both reminiscent of its gentleman’s club roots while also being completely fabricated.

  I spotted someone vaguely familiar across the lobby before recognizing Matt’s parents. Most of our family lived in the area, but I knew a lot of Matt’s extended family lived out of state and were traveling up for the wedding. Matt’s dad gave me a friendly nod but thankfully didn’t engage me beyond that. I had hoped for it just to be Audrey and me tonight. Let the circus begin tomorrow.

  The clerk tapped away at the keyboard. “Ah yes, here we are, Mr. Ward. We have you booked for two nights, yes?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Lovely. The suite is all ready for you. I’ll just need a card for the incidentals.” I passed over my card, and Audrey whispered, “Did he say suite?”

  “Surprise,” I replied, kissing her cheek.

  Once all the details were taken care of at the front desk, we were shown to the elevator and told that our bags had already been taken to the room ahead of us.

  The room wasn’t sprawling by any means, but it was inviting and charming in its character. There was a short drop down some steps into a sitting area from the doorway, or what amounted to one with two large armchairs situated in front of a fireplace. A second fireplace sat farther along the same wall to the left in front of the bed. Our suitcases had been placed by the wardrobe near the bathroom, my suit bag hanging on the door.

  Audrey stood by the window, which looked out over Millennium Park. “What a view.”

  I stepped close, my hands sliding around her waist, and she placed her hands atop mine. Her body felt tightly coiled, like a live wire. I had been noticing it more and more lately. I hugged her closer.

  She made a sound of remorse. “Sorry, I’m a little stressed about work. This launch is getting close, and I feel like I won’t be able to relax until it’s over.”

  “Hey, it’s ok, I can help. Maybe I can talk to the show’s PR, and we could—”

  “No.” She cut me off, then softened. “No, that’s ok. I’ve got it.”

  “Of course you do.” I kissed the tender skin below her ear, running my nose along the sleek line of her neck. I was pleased to feel her relax a little in my arms. “You’re a very capable woman.”

  “So, what is the agenda for tomorrow?” she asked, changing the subject. “I’m guessing you’ll be busy with groomsman duties?”

  “A little, but we’ll still have the morning together. I have to be dressed and in Scott’s room by lunchtime. Then Sarah and Matt are doing a first look over at Lurie Gardens, then back for the ceremony. After that, it’s the usual food, drinks, and dancing.”

  “So …”

  “So?”

  “We have the whole night to ourselves … anything you’d like to do?”

  “Mmm. The whole night, huh?” She twisted around and threaded her fingers through my belt loops. “I can think of a couple of ideas.”

  I finished straightening my tie, then fixed the cuffs of my shirt under my tux jacket. The fit was perfect.

  “What do you think? Do I look alright?” I asked, walking out of the bathroom to where Audrey lounged on the bed in her pajamas.

  “Oh.” I didn’t miss the way her eyes widened.

  “Good oh?”

  “Very, very good.” Then she was standing in front of me, eyes glued to the suit. “So good I want to tear it off you.”

  I hummed, the beginnings of arousal stirring within me. “You’re making it difficult to leave right now.”

  “You’re making it difficult not to ruin that tux.” She lightly trailed her fingertips along my lapels, hunger burning in her eyes. It was obvious she was holding back by the way she bit her lip.

  I, however, was under no obligation to restrain myself, grabbing two handfuls of her ass and giving a good squeeze. “Hold that thought. If I stay any longer, I might not leave.”

  Her giggle followed me out as I left the room.

  Neither Sarah nor Matt had wanted a large wedding, and that had extended to the bridal party as well. I was one of three groomsmen, including Matt’s best friend Lucas and his older brother Scott, who was the best man. I hadn’t had many chances to meet either of them before, so I wasn’t prepared when Lucas wrapped me up in a hug as soon as I walked into Scott’s hotel room, where we’d agreed to meet prior to the ceremony.

  “The third amigo arrives!” Lucas cheered, hustling me into the room.

  Matt hovered by the window, jacket off and beer in hand, and he met me in the middle for a one-armed hug. Scott materialized from my right to hand me a drink, which I took before taking a seat on one of the lounge chairs. Lucas dropped onto the sofa next to me and held his beer out so we could toast. He was the one I knew the least since I’d met Scott a few times through family occasions, but he seemed nice enough. After we clinked bottles, Matt took a long swig and seemed to relax a little until the photographer stepped into the room.

  I felt for Matt, who looked stiff and uncomfortable as the center of attention, but I was fairly sure most of the reason was nerves. Having had a lot of practice getting comfortable in front of a lens, I sat back and chatted with the other two while we waited for the signal to move downstairs.

  His vows were typed on a piece of paper he’d folded and unfolded a half dozen times until Scott took it from him and promised to give it back at the right moment.

  When the time came, we were whisked downstairs to the Games Room; a large open bar area complete with games tables, where we were united with the girls, and we all collectively awed at Sarah in her finery.

  I’d seen the dress before, but with all the finishing touches, Sarah looked radiant.

  We spent the better part of the next hour taking posed shots together. Although, Sarah was quick to tell us not to post anything on social media until after the ceremony because she didn’t want to risk any of the guests seeing the dress early. Apparently, there was a specific hashtag she wanted us to use.

  Afterward, any chance I had to go back to the room while Sarah and Matt were off on official wedding duties disappeared as more and more family members arrived.

  It seemed the entirety of our family had managed to make their way into the city for the wedding, making it difficult to keep track of the time.

  Before I knew it, Scott was leading Lucas and me up to the eighth floor for the ceremony.

  The ballroom was stunning, with beautifully rich wooden flooring, gold speckled beams across the ceiling, and three massive chandeliers lining the walkway. In front of the windows at the end of the room, a freestanding fireplace marked the spot where the bride and groom would stand. An incredible array of flowers, rich in reds and pinks, adorned the mantlepiece. A spread of fake candles sat where a fire might have been and lined the aisle, their battery-operated lights flickering shadows against the floor.

  Looking across the gathering crowd, I caught sight of my parents and waved. Mom was already clutching a handkerchief as she took her seat near the front of the room.

  The photographer trailed Matt as he slowly made his way up the aisle, shaking hands and hugging his dad before taking his place. It was almost time.

  “How are you doing?” Scott asked, concerned.

  Matt looked like he was about to pass out. “I can’t believe she actually agreed to marry me. I thought I would feel more relaxed right now.”

  I gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “You’
re both lucky. There’s nothing to be nervous about.”

  “Thanks, J.”

  I scanned the rows of chairs and just caught Audrey’s eye near the back as the music started up.

  Matt’s slow exhale nearby caught my attention. “This is it,” he said, mostly to himself, and Scott gave him a supportive nudge. “You’ve got this, Matt.”

  Matt nodded but didn’t look any less nervous. I wondered how I might feel in his position—standing, waiting for the love of my life to walk towards me so we could spend the rest of our lives together.

  I’d always considered weddings as an unfortunate requirement of getting married. Yes, I wanted to have someone to love and commit myself to, but the whole song and dance around it? It never appealed to me.

  But standing here in front of my entire family, seeing the mix of nerves and excitement on Matt’s face as he waited with anticipation for my sister to walk in and announce in front of everyone how she wanted to spend the rest of her life loving him, ‘till death do they part … Well, I finally got it.

  I could finally picture it.

  Yes, it was a song and dance, but not the kind where you were awkwardly stepping on someone’s toes. It was the Gene Kelly, “Singing in the Rain,” about to burst out of my skin, I was so happy kind.

  It was what you did when you found someone to love and love you back, someone who filled you with so much happiness that you had to throw a party for all the people you knew just to share it around.

  Someone who made me a bubble bath after a long day. Who would commiserate the roles I lost and celebrate the ones I won. Someone who looked as sexy in sweats as she did dressed up. Who made me laugh and could enjoy my company, even when we weren’t doing anything at all.

  Someone like Audrey.

  And with a suddenness I should have found frightening, I knew I loved her. Was in love with her.

  And later, while Matt read out his vows, I could picture myself in his place, staring into those iridescent hazel eyes, bright and shimmering like the night sky, trying to put into words how much I wanted to spend the rest of my life deserving her.

  Once the ceremony had finished, most of the room was dismissed into the adjacent ballroom for the reception while the bridal party and immediate family stuck around to take photos.

  I was keen to get back to Audrey, grateful that we’d be sitting together. I didn’t even want to imagine Audrey stuck at a table with what amounted to the far reaches of our family tree.

  Just before I could detach myself from the main event, Mom wrapped me up in a big hug, largely crumpling my jacket, but at least most of the photos were taken now. “Darling, you look so handsome!”

  “Thanks, Mom. You look really lovely, too.”

  “The girl who did my makeup made my eyebrows too dark, but I like how she did my hair.” Considering how short it was, I wasn’t aware that she’d done anything different to it, but I wasn’t about to say that to her.

  “Jackson.” My dad’s voice came up behind me as he joined us.

  “Dad.” My greeting was lost in his shoulder as he wrapped me in a tight hug.

  A few claps on my back and he pulled back. “How is work?”

  “Great. We’re in the middle of filming right now. It’s going well.” He looked good; hair a little greyer than it had been the last time I saw him, but bright with pride.

  Mom brushed at whatever fluff she could find on my jacket. “Sarah said your girlfriend is lovely.” Of course, she had.

  “I think so.”

  “When do we get to meet her?”

  “Tonight, hopefully. If I can find her among everyone.”

  “I’m just checking! You haven’t introduced us to anyone in years. I was starting to think you were ashamed of us.”

  “Never.” I gave her another hug, tighter than before. “I just never met anyone good enough before.”

  Mom looked gleeful. Uh oh. “Oh, now, I can’t wait to meet her!”

  26

  Jackson

  I was itching to see Audrey, to touch her, even though it had only been a few hours.

  Making my way into the ballroom where the reception was being held, I found Audrey sitting at our assigned table, chatting away to Lucas’ date, who was seated next to her.

  Audrey, Lucas, and his date were in deep conversation. Lucas was gesturing passionately, and Audrey’s head tilted back to laugh the way she always did when she found something really funny. Her back was to me as I entered the ballroom, so it wasn’t until I was pulling my chair out from the table that she noticed me.

  “Oh, hello, stranger.” She stood to hug me, and now that I could see her in full, I was struck by how incredibly gorgeous she looked tonight.

  “Wow,” I said, realizing I’d always be floored by this woman. “You look especially beautiful tonight.”

  She blushed from the compliment. “You don’t look so bad yourself, but you already knew that.”

  I smiled against her lips as I kissed her. “Do I? It’s always nice to hear it again.”

  “Aren’t you two adorable!” Lucas’ girlfriend Marie said. She introduced herself as we sat down. She was lively and never short of interesting conversation, and it turned out she was the sous chef at one of the restaurants Audrey sold to. “I knew she looked familiar; I just assumed she was famous because of who she’s dating,” Marie said, gesturing to me.

  Lucas, now ecstatic that he could post as many photos as he liked, took a few selfies of us and promised to tag me in them.

  We chatted idly throughout the meal and listened in earnest during the speeches. It wasn’t until after dinner that Mom and Dad made a beeline to our table as I knew they would. Far be it from me to date someone that my mother hadn’t met—sorry, interrogated.

  “Mom, Dad, this is Audrey.”

  Mom reached out first, crushing Audrey in a tight hug. “Lovely to meet you. Jackson’s told us absolutely nothing.” Cue the disappointed look in my direction.

  And here I had been worried about them ganging up on Audrey.

  “Actually, that’s my fault. I’ve been a little nervous about meeting everyone,” Audrey offered.

  “Nonsense, from what Sarah’s told me, you’ve got nothing to worry about.” Mom said. Then in a conspiratorial whisper, she added, “I hear I have you to thank for getting rid of the horrible favors.”

  “Please don’t start on that again, Deb,” Dad said, offering a hand to Audrey. “Hi, I’m Robert, the financier of this whole shebang.”

  It was now Mom’s turn to scoff. “Bob, if I have to hear you go on about how much you paid for this wedding one more time ...”

  Dad was nonplussed. “You said yourself, Deborah, it’s not like Jace is getting married anytime soon.”

  So, this was going well.

  I risked a glance at Audrey, hoping she wasn’t as mortified as I felt right now, and felt immense relief when her lips pursed in amusement.

  Mom, who was on fire tonight, unhelpfully added, “Well, you never know, Rob. Audrey would be a fantastic addition to the family. Right, Jace?”

  Warning bells were flashing in my head. Abort! Abort! They’d only met for five minutes, and already my mother was planning our wedding. How the hell had we gotten on to this?

  “It might be a bit early for that. I only just finished paying for my divorce.” Audrey laughed nervously.

  “I’m not surprised, dear. It’s how I know Robert will never leave me. He could never afford it.” I choked on a shocked laugh. Dad just shook his head, like he’d heard that joke before.

  I attempted to change the subject. “Speaking of, how nice was the ceremony?”

  Mom completely ignored me to speak to Audrey. “Oh, Audrey, I should give you the name of the lawyer my friend Susan just used. She made a mint in the split. Granted, her ex was a horrible man.”

  “Asshole tax is what it is. She should have gotten double. Man has the worst backswing I’ve ever seen.”

  Even Dad was getting in on this? I reall
y had to get a hold of this conversation. “Have you said hi to Aunt Viv and Uncle Al yet? I saw he wore his lucky pink socks again.”

  “Jackson, stop interrupting while I’m trying to talk to your girlfriend. It’s very rude.” Mom turned to Audrey and proceeded to ask her a series of questions about her job, apartment, and hobbies, while Dad turned to me with the same, “you know your mother,” look he’d perfected over their thirty-plus years of marriage.

  We both came back into the conversation when Mom lightly slapped Dad’s arm while talking to Audrey. “Oh, you don’t know the half of it. His mother hated me.”

  “Only because I told her to,” Dad joked.

  Audrey thankfully laughed, and I wondered if she was ever going to stop being perfect. I loved my parents to death, but they were, like Sarah and myself, confident in their oddness, and it sometimes took people off guard. After seeing Sarah and Audrey click so well over brunch, I should have known = I had nothing to worry about.

  “But that was before I started meditating.” Mom said, and I realized I’d lost the thread of conversation. In the corner of my eye, I caught Dad pinching the bridge of his nose.

  “Oh, really? How did you get into that?” Audrey genuinely looked interested, which was good because this would definitely end up being a long conversation.

  “Well, I’ve been having some pain in my wrists, which my naturopath believes could be linked to a lack of—”

  Dad sighed. “Honey, Audrey doesn’t want to hear about your old age pains.“ He turned to Audrey. “She has pain everywhere. In her hips, her knees …”

  “And you’re the pain in my neck.” Mom laughingly smacked his arm. “Now, shush, I’m trying to talk to Audrey. Why don’t you and Jace go entertain your brother before he embarrasses himself on the dance floor.”

  I looked over to see my uncle trying to do what looked like an interpretive dance while the bridesmaids looked on in stunned silence. Sarah was laughing her ass off, but he had managed to scare almost everyone else off the dance floor, so it wasn’t the worst idea for Dad and me to intervene.