by Liv Rider
“Great!” Chris got up. “Do we need to discuss anything before going to dinner?”
“If they ask questions about us, stick to the plan.” They’d agreed to stay as close to the truth as possible. They’d met while working on their GEDs, and instead of becoming friends, they’d lost touch and started dating a few months ago. Instead of Shaun working at Orion’s, he owned the place.
Chris smiled down at him. “Whatever you say, honey.”
Shaun buried his head in his hands. “Okay, we need to work on that.”
“If you don’t like ‘honey,’ how about ‘sweetie’? Or ‘sweetheart’? I think ‘darling’ is too much.”
“‘Honey’ is fine.”
“Oh!” Chris sounded excited. “How about ‘baby’?”
He looked up to glare at his friend. “Definitely not!”
“All right, ‘honey’ it is.” Chris clapped his hands. “Now, about PDA….”
“I thought we agreed to keep it casual. Low-key. The focus should be on Dale and Emily, not the two of us.”
“Don’t worry, I wasn’t planning on sticking my tongue down your throat at the dinner table.”
Shaun knew that mental image would be hard to shake off. “Good.”
“But I think some hand-holding might be necessary. Not too much or too often, but enough to be believable. It’s a wedding. It’s romantic.”
“Hand-holding is fine, yeah.” He still couldn’t imagine himself and Chris casually holding hands and looking convincing as a couple, but Chris was right that they’d have to do something. “Didn’t know you were such an affectionate boyfriend.”
Chris grinned. “Well, I did just watch another guy flirt with my man, so yes, I’m being extra affectionate!”
Shaun grabbed the pillow and threw it at him. “I should never have asked you to come along.”
Chris laughed when the pillow hit him and it fell to the floor. “I warned you. Come on, honey. Let’s have dinner.” He held out his hand, and Shaun pointedly ignored it when he got up.
He had to give Chris one thing, though. His friend definitely knew how to get his mind off of worrying about what the bridesmaids would say.
They were early for dinner, which gave Shaun a chance to catch up with his parents and introduce Chris to them.
“I wish I could say I’ve heard good things about you,” his father said, shaking Chris’ hand, “but I’m afraid Shaun hasn’t told us anything about you.”
Shaun suddenly tried to remember every single phone call he’d had with his parents over the last few years. They didn’t visit often, and he usually took them to lunch or dinner somewhere rather than meet at his apartment.
Had he ever mentioned Chris during those times?
“Maybe because there aren’t a lot of good things to say,” Chris replied cheerfully, making Shaun’s parents smile.
He looked at his parents closely. Neither of them gave a hint that they remembered Shaun ever mentioning a roommate named Chris. Good.
He laughed and elbowed his friend. “That’s not true! You’re great.” At least that wasn’t a lie. “But we’ve only been dating for a few months, and then everything was all about the wedding…” He shrugged. “I figured you could meet now.”
“Shaun has told me plenty of wonderful things about you,” Chris assured them. “I’m glad I could make it.”
“So are we,” his father said.
“Especially since you can keep an extra eye on those cats!” His mother shook her head. “I still can’t believe Emily wants to go through with it.”
“It went fine,” Shaun insisted.
“Exactly. Everything went according to plan. Definitely no escaping cats,” Chris added.
Shaun tried not to wince. “But we will both watch them tomorrow, Mom.”
The hair on the back of his neck stood up. Something about the atmosphere in the room had changed, and he glanced around. Had someone left a door open? Why was he so on edge?
He saw Jake walk in, followed by the two groomsmen. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of Mitchell. He was smiling and chatting with the other groomsman. Shaun’s stomach squirmed, and he turned to look at his mother instead.
“Ladies and gentlemen!” Jake called out. “We are about to have dinner. Please make your way to the dining room and stick to your assigned seating!”
Shaun stared at the name cards along the table. With how his luck had been going, he should’ve expected to be placed next to Mitchell. He nudged his friend. “Want to swap?” he whispered. Kelly was sitting on Chris’ other side, and she would definitely not be as distracting as Mitchell.
Chris shook his head. “We’re supposed to stick to our assigned seating.” He pulled out Shaun’s chair and gestured for him to sit down. “Have a seat, honey.”
Shaun tried not to glare at him. Going by Chris’ smile, he’d seen who was on Shaun’s other side. He hoped Chris wouldn’t flirt with Kelly. That would be awkward to explain if she noticed.
The rest of the table filled up. Caroline, Natalie, and their husbands were next to Kelly, and the groomsmen were on Shaun’s other side. The bride and groom were flanked by their parents, although Emily was still walking around and making sure everyone took their place.
“Mitchell, you’re over here.” Emily gestured at the chair, then moved on to show her parents where to sit.
Mitchell hesitated before he sat down, and his arm brushed again Shaun’s shoulder. He nodded at Shaun and Chris.
Shaun hoped his own nod was friendly and normal. His stomach felt like he was sitting in a roller coaster rather than at the dinner table. This was ridiculous. He barely knew Mitchell, and even though he had his fair share of crushes, this felt so much more intense.
Chris leaned forward so he could talk to Mitchell. “I never got round to it, but thanks for helping with the cats this afternoon.”
“No problem. I was glad to help.”
Shaun still remembered Mitchell’s hands brushing against his own, and how close they’d been standing. If he hadn’t brought Chris….
“I hope it goes as smoothly tomorrow,” Chris said. “I’m amazed those cats ran down the aisle like that.”
“Emily and Dale must have trained them well.” Mitchell glanced over at Shaun, then looked at Chris again. “I’m sure the cats will do the same tomorrow.”
Shaun knew that the longer he stayed silent, the weirder it was. But he didn’t get why Chris was making conversation with Mitchell.
“We might keep them in the pet carrier a little longer, right?” Chris nudged Shaun.
“I guess that would be better,” Shaun mumbled.
Chris looked at him expectantly, then smiled at Mitchell again. “So, do you have any pets yourself?”
“No. I never thought about it.” Mitchell’s eyes darted over to Shaun again. “You?”
“No pets allowed in the apartment,” Shaun said. Chris sat back, looking pleased. “Our apartment.” He had to keep in mind that Chris was his boyfriend.
“That’s a shame,” Mitchell said. “I think mine allows it, but I’ve never looked into it.”
“Rumple definitely liked you.” Which Shaun could identify with.
Mitchell’s smile grew. “I guess my scent is familiar to that of Dale’s.”
It sounded plausible. Shaun was about to ask if he’d had any pets growing up, but then Emily and Dale sat down at the table and everyone fell silent.
Dale exchanged a glance with his fiancée. “Should we say something?” he asked, in an overly loud whisper.
There was laughter around the table, and the couple got up.
Shaun sat back as his sister and fiancé thanked everyone for coming, and for their help and support. Since they talked over each other and rambled now and then, it was clear they hadn’t intended on saying anything at all.
Everyone toasted and drank, and Shaun smiled at Emily as she sat back down and looked relieved. While unrehearsed, it had been a heartfelt quick speech.
&nbs
p; The first course was gazpacho soup, which wasn’t Shaun’s favorite, but his sister loved it. Conversation picked up around the table, and the wedding and the location were the dominant topic.
Shaun relaxed slightly, although he wasn’t completely at ease. Both because of how close he was sitting next to Mitchell, who was talking to the groomsman on his other side, and because he was waiting for Natalie, Caroline, or one of their husbands to bring up his presence. He’d seen Natalie whisper with Caroline while both women had been glancing his way.
“So, Mitchell,” Chris said, after finishing his soup. “Did you have a long drive over here?”
Mitchell seemed surprised by the question. “It was okay. I had to drive down here from Lewiston, and—”
“Lewiston?” Shaun dropped his spoon in the middle of his soup.
“Yes?” Mitchell sounded confused.
Shaun picked up his spoon, hoping no one was still looking at him. He was sure everyone had noticed. “Just a coincidence,” he replied, looking down at his gazpacho soup. “I live there as well.”
“You do? That’s great!”
The obvious enthusiasm in Mitchell’s voice was heartwarming, and Shaun found himself smiling at him. “It is great place to live.”
Mitchell was grinning as if he’d just been told he’d won the lottery. “Amazing.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Shaun joked.
“Where do you live?” Mitchell asked. “I can’t believe we’ve never met before.”
Shaun was definitely regretting that too. “On the west side of town.”
Mitchell nodded. “Ah, that explains it. I live in the east. What do you do?”
“I work in a bar,” he replied. “You probably don’t know it.”
“He owns the bar.” Chris elbowed Shaun. “C’mon, honey, tell him.”
Right. He couldn’t believe Chris had to remind him. But looking at Mitchell was very distracting. “I own the bar. It’s a great bar. And a lot of work, which is why I said I work in a bar.” He hoped that sounded convincing. But he didn’t want Mitchell to ask any follow-up questions about Orion’s. “What do you do for a living?”
“What do I do?”
Shaun wasn’t sure why Mitchell sounded surprised. It was a perfectly normal question. “Yeah. What’s your job?”
“Oh, um, I manage a local charity. You wouldn’t have heard of it.”
Shaun didn’t understand why Mitchell sounded embarrassed about that. In a perfect world, charities wouldn’t have to exist, but they helped many people. “What kind?”
“Arts and culture.”
That didn’t tell him a lot, and he still didn’t get why Mitchell was reluctant to talk about it. Wasn’t he proud of the work his charity was doing? “What, like supporting local drama societies? Or promoting local artists?”
“Yes, things like that.” Mitchell was more focused on his soup.
“Sounds fun.” Shaun exchanged a look with Chris, who shrugged. He was about to ask Mitchell more about what managing a charity involved, but then their plates got cleared away.
They moved on to the main course, and the salmon was much more to Shaun’s liking. Around him, the conservation drifted to talking about the drive to the Lakeview Inn. The salmon turned to ash in Shaun’s mouth. He knew it was only a matter of time now.
It only took twenty seconds before Natalie mentioned being worried about her car, while her husband nodded gravely next to her.
“Why?” Dale’s mother asked. “There was plenty of space in the parking lot, so there’s no risk of anyone parking too close to your car and scratching it.”
“Oh, it’s not about that.” Natalie’s smile was polite and almost sincere. “Ever since my first car got stolen when I was a teenager, I always worry about car thieves.” She looked over at Shaun, then smiled at Dale’s mother. Her husband’s expression was serious, and Caroline, who was sitting on Natalie’s other side, was smirking.
“I don’t see why you would worry about that now.” Emily’s tone was cheerful, but Shaun knew her well enough to hear the warning underneath. “We’re the only guests here, which I can’t believe! This place is amazing, and they’re usually booked solid for weddings and family reunions, but this weekend was still available.”
Dale nodded along. “That was definitely a lucky break.” Shaun wasn’t sure if he knew why Emily had changed the subject, but he was glad his future brother-in-law was going along with it.
“Speaking of luck, yours has just run out.” Dale’s father wiped his mouth before standing up.
Dale looked up at him, slightly horrified. “Wait, you prepared a speech? I told you that wasn’t necessary!”
His father reached down to squeeze Dale’s shoulder. “I’ve looked up how weddings work, son. I’m the father of the groom, it’s my duty to give a toast at the rehearsal dinner.” He took a few sheets of paper from the inside pocket of his jacket.
Shaun wondered about Dale’s father looking up how weddings worked and what his exact duties were. The man had gotten married himself. But then, maybe he had just wanted to double-check wedding etiquette. Shaun sympathized, since he had done some of that himself. Fortunately, the brother of the bride didn’t have to do anything but turn up and be supportive.
The toast itself was sweet, if on the long side. There were references to family anecdotes that Shaun didn’t understand, but going by how Dale had his head buried in his hands while Mitchell and the other groomsmen were laughing, they were plenty embarrassing.
Watching Mitchell laugh made warmth flare up in his stomach. He enjoyed seeing the other man happy and wondered what it’d be like if he had made Mitchell laugh like that.
If there was a downside to living in Lewiston, it was not seeing Emily often enough to get to know Dale better. Not just because that might have led to meeting Mitchell sooner. Shaun promised himself that after the wedding, he would visit her and Dale more often. They had moved to Greenville, so it wasn’t like there’d be anyone he’d want to avoid. Greenville sounded like a pleasant small town, from what Emily had told him. It hadn’t taken her long to feel at home there.
When the toast was finally over and Shaun could get back to his now-cold salmon, the conversation went back to the wedding. Dale and Emily talked about setting a date and how hectic the preparation beforehand had been. It led to another round of them thanking everyone at the table for being so involved.
“We couldn’t have done it without you,” Dale told them. “Doesn’t matter if you helped once or were there every step of the way. Every bit helps, even if you just listened to us vent.”
There were some ‘no need to thank us’ and ‘it was my pleasure’ murmurs from around the table. Shaun nodded along, but felt awkward about it. He hadn’t helped at all until this weekend. It was his own fault for not confirming he’d be here sooner.
“We’ve been friends for so long.” Natalie reached over to pat Emily’s arm. “Of course I wanted to help as much as possible. I’m sure anyone who cares for you feels the same way. You make time for the people who matter to you.” She gave Shaun another pointed look.
His hands curled tightly around his cutlery as his stomach squirmed with guilt. He wondered how much of Emily’s venting had involved him and his inability to RSVP.
“Anyone who matters to me made time,” Emily replied. “And just because our lives revolved around this wedding, doesn’t mean everyone else’s did.”
Some of the tension in Shaun’s body eased at that.
“Well….” Shaun’s father smiled at Emily, and she laughed.
“I’m sure you two helped more than anyone!” Natalie enthused. “Family always does at a wedding.” She didn’t look at Shaun this time. She didn’t have to.
Shaun tried to keep a polite smile on his face. It was one thing to hear her talk about stolen cars, because he knew he had nothing to feel guilty about. But this was something Emily could blame him for. He should’ve tried to be more involved.
“As
much as we can, yes, when living so far away. It’s not always easy.”
Shaun blinked as he looked at Mitchell, who seemed uncomfortable at his admission. Relief flooded through him. He wasn’t the only family member who hadn’t been able to help as much as possible. Mitchell lived far away from his family as well.
“Especially when work keeps you busy too,” Shaun added. Mitchell hadn’t mentioned how busy his job was, but managing a charity sounded like a lot of work. It was probably no more a nine-to-five job than Shaun’s.
Mitchell gave him a grateful look, and Shaun found himself smiling back. He could look at Mitchell looking at him like that forever.
“What kind of work do you do, Shaun?” Natalie asked, so fast that Shaun suspected she’d been hoping for an opening like that. “Still in the car business?”
“Car business?” Chris sounded almost convincingly puzzled. “Why would he be in the car business?”
“Oh, has he never told you about his history with that?” Caroline asked innocently. “It’s not a good sign if he’s keeping secrets.”
Chris scoffed. “I know a lot more about Shaun than you do.”
“I was never in the car business,” Shaun told her.
“Are you sure?” Natalie feigned confusion. “You were back when you lived in Millersburg. I figured you moved away to, well, expand.”
He almost wanted to laugh at how ridiculous this had to sound to Dale’s side of the family. Natalie, Caroline, and their husbands, however, all had similar pleased expressions on their faces. “Nope. Never had anything to do with cars.”
“That’s not what my dad said,” Caroline said.
“Your dad must have been mistaken.” Shaun hoped she’d drop the subject.
“My father is never mistaken,” she replied haughtily. “He takes his job seriously. Unlike you, I expect.”
“Hey.” Chris’ tone was surprisingly serious. “Shaun takes his job seriously. He’s a great bartender and—and bar-owner.”
