I finish my drink and set the glass down next to me. “Well, um, the club has only been open about six weeks, so we’re still in very early days. But it’s going well. Actually, we’re thinking of using the space during the day as a cafe. I’m really excited, because the truth is, I could use help to pay the rent.”
“Just ask Matthias for it,” Kiara says, eyeing me.
I honestly don’t blame her for suggesting it. My monthly rent costs less than what they spend on restaurants monthly. “Well, I’m trying to do it on my own right now. It hasn’t been easy, but it’s been really fulfilling.”
My-Linh smiles at me but nudges her friend with her elbow. “Don’t mind her. She’s mad because she’s away from her business. Kiara stepped away from her family’s fortune, too.” She covers her face from her friend and mouths the word ‘billions’.
I laugh. “It’s hard. The number of things I didn’t know about just living.” I grimace, remembering.
“Why did no one ever tell me how much the phone bill costs?” Kiara sits up, the bored look on her face fading. “Right? Or milk!” “Milk costs so much!” I yell.
My-Linh chuckles next to us. “Never thought being former spoiled brats could be something to bond over.”
Kiara elbows her friend, returning the one from before. “Says Damien Baxter’s soon-to-be wife.
Damien bought her parent’s apartment building so they wouldn’t have to pay the rent rise.”
My-Linh’s cheeks burn. “Hey, we weren’t even together when that happened. Maybe it was the good influence of someone else.” She winks at me.
And even though I know there could be nothing further from the truth, for a second I know what it feels like to have someone think good of you.
MATTHIAS
T
he weather god came out to bless the day for my brother’s wedding.
Even our father who moved to Australia from England because he could not stand the grey
skies, looks like he could not have asked for a bluer sky. Baxter blue, as Clarissa would say. I can’t wait to sit down and talk about to him, it’s been months since I had a chance to spend some time with him. It’s one of the things I’m jealous most of when it comes to Damien, being so close to our father.
Damien fidgets as he stands at the altar, playing with our grandfather’s cuff links on his wrists, tugging at his shirt. “Does my hair look okay?”
“If you ask me that one more time, I’m going to grab a handful and pull it out so you can see for yourself,” Kingsley grumbles. He’s hardly a people person at the best of times, and there are a lot of people here.
“You look good, man,” Kylian pats Damien on the back. Not surprisingly, Kylian is Damien’s best man.
Damien had come to Kingsley and I separately and explained to us why he had chosen Kylian. And wanted to know if that would hurt our feelings.
God fucking no. I’ve never wanted to be anyone’s best man. Flattering, maybe, but the responsibility? If it was just about throwing a party, then I’d be all for it. But a Baxter getting married? Not a simple task.
And I say “not surprisingly” not because he thinks he’s everyone’s favorite. But because without Kylian, there probably would not be a wedding. He helped when Damien fell into a drunken depression when our mom come back into the picture, and he helped when My-Linh was in the hospital after they broke up and didn’t want to see Damien.
He was the glue in some difficult situations.
And he hasn’t let Damien forget it, going so far as to print “Am I the glue?” on a T-shirt that he threatens to wear to the reception every time Damien says something to piss him off.
And now he’s standing there, proud as punch that Damien and My-Linh are taking their next steps to a happy life together.
No doubt thinking about when it’s going to be his turn.
Both Kylian and Kiara have separately and together threatened to have the longest engagement in history, so who knows if he’ll ever have to choose which one of us will be his best man. I vote not me.
I watch as Damien tenses, his jaw twitching as the last of the wedding party makes it down the aisle. I want to reassure him, but I also want him to sweat it a little. They both worked through a lot to get here, why not stretch the moment out a little?
Silence descends as the harp music fades out, and there’s a gasp as My-Linh appears at the other end of the aisle. She looks beautiful in a simple white princess gown.
Damien hasn’t seen her yet. He’s too busy staring down at his hand, running through his vows in his head.
Kylian nudges him. “Hey, man. Look!” Damien blinks and turns to her.
And tears spring to his eyes.
Keeping You by Tanya Donelly, the song My-Linh chose for her entrance, starts to play and everyone rises to their feet.
As My-Linh floats down the aisle, eyes trained on her very soon-to-be husband, her smile grows wider and wider as his cheeks get wetter and wetter.
Kylian leans back towards me “He’s going to drown in those tears before she even gets here.” Kingsley lets out a tiny laugh behind me, stifling it immediately.
“Shush. He’ll die happy, okay?” I say.
After a few more seconds, Kylian leans back again. “It’s still flowing. I’m starting to get really worried.”
“Shut up, I’m not going to drown,” Damien hisses without taking his eyes off his bride.
“Famous last words,” Kylian whispers.
Kingsley reaches around me and pushes Kylian back to his position just as My-Linh reaches the front.
Her father lifts her veil and presses a gentle kiss to her head.
“Hi,” she says, taking Damien’s hand. He just swallows. She gives him a reassuring smile. “You look hot. You going somewhere?”
“Just to the end of forever with you, kitten.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Clarissa, sitting in the front row, covering her mouth, shoulders shaking.
I remember nothing about the rest of the day until I’m in the middle of the dance floor with My-Linh, Kiara, Clarissa and Kylian, while Damien and Kingsley stand on the side of the floor, arms folded, looking around at the decorations, talking about how weddings are such a big business that maybe Baxter should look into.
“Bride! This is the song we were dancing to the first time I met you!” Kylian shouts at My-Linh.
“I remember, Best Man! Then Damien dragged me off the dance floor and took me-” She blushes.
“Never mind.”
Kylian takes Clarissa’s hand and twirls her before returning to My-Linh. “Naughty Bride! Do you need us to tell you what happens on the wedding night?”