Ace followed Paul’s gesture and saw Erik sitting outside of an ice cream parlor on Ninth. He was at a small table on a tiny patio, slowly picking at his sundae and watching the crowds stream by.
Ace bit his bottom lip, thinking. “Do you mind if we- I mean, I know we’re on a date and all, but-”
“We should say hi,” Paul said.
“I really really want you two to be friends. Good friends.”
“I want that too.”
Ace kissed him quickly and bounded over to Erik’s table. He and Paul soon settled in with their desserts on either side of Erik.
“It’s good to see that you’re not at work, Mr. Overachiever,” Ace said.
“It was just too pretty outside to waste the night at home alone,” Erik said, somewhat wistfully.
That tempered some of Ace’s overflowing happiness. Now that Ace no longer needed a bitching buddy on Sundays, his best friend probably felt even more left out of life.
Paul looked slyly at Ace. “Think we should?”
Ace’s eyes widened. He didn’t mean that, right? Did Tanner make him think-
“Send him to Holly,” Paul clarified.
Ace relaxed. “Oh, that’s totally my plan, yes,” he said. “Not that any of us will have much choice.” He turned to Erik. “Once she meets you, you will unleash the matchmaker.”
Erik looked warily at him. “Sounds ominous.”
“More like unstoppable,” Paul said. “Now that she’s got us sorted out, she’ll be on the lookout for a new project. Once the wedding is over, of course.”
The wedding. Ace grinned to himself and took a happy bite of his ice cream. Looks like he was able to find Paul a date to Steven’s wedding after all.
Chapter 17
In the darkness of the hotel ballroom, trailed by a twinkling red spotlight, the couple swayed in each other’s arms and shared a private joke, savoring this moment together that was so long in coming. Appropriate for these two, the song playing throughout the room was not something common or shmoopy. Instead, it was yearning and earnest, and one that the great-aunts wouldn’t recognize.
Paul took another long pull from his beer as he watched his little brother and his new wife continue their first dance in the ballroom of this old hotel on the Plaza.
Meanwhile, his date was sitting across the room with Helen McDonnell, who had captured Ace’s ear and wasn’t letting go. So Paul found himself with nothing to do but drink his beer and watch the dancers.
But honestly, apart from giving the toast before the dancing began, Paul’s job as best man didn’t entail much activity during the reception anyway. Even during the ceremony itself, he had only a few assignments: Produce the rings when the minister said the word “rings.” Don’t trip. And don’t make Holly cry — or get the church giggles.
Which meant he tried to refrain from making any eye contact with Holly at all. Because they learned all too well during the rehearsal that it didn’t take much to set her off — one way or the other.
And Paul didn’t need to aggravate his father today with any hint of tomfoolery. It felt like he was walking on eggshells around that man anyway, considering who Paul’s date was tonight.
A date who looked really hot in that suit.
They were definitely going to need to find a back room before the end of the night.
Paul ended up tuning out most of the ceremony. He didn’t need to hear the words to know what this day meant for two of the people he loved most in the world. He was so damn proud of his brother and so grateful for the very existence of Holly in the world, but if he thought about it too much, he’d be the one fighting tears.
He had always told himself that marriage didn’t mean that much. It was just a ritual, a big show, one of those customs more honored in the breach than the observance and so forth. Of course, that was before he could have ever dreamed that he might want to stand where Steven did. That was before one beautiful blond man turned his life upside down.
As he stood next to Steven on that altar, Paul suddenly understood why anyone would want to go through a wedding — would want the fuss and the planning and the tuxes. Because he found that he wanted to stand up in front of everyone he loved — hell, in front of everyone in town — and announce that he had found his other, his one, his missing piece. He wanted the ritual and the official seal, even. He wanted it to be real for everybody, not just real in his head.
Paul could hardly believe those thoughts ever flirted with his mind. Where was the firmly solo, firmly detached guy from earlier this year?
At that moment in the ceremony, as if he could read Paul’s mind, Ace caught Paul’s eye from the audience and winked.
Oh yeah. That guy from before? Long gone.
Paul was getting ahead of himself. Again. Always. For a few months, he and Ace had been basking in the newness and discovery of a real relationship. And Ace had been there with reassurances when he’d lost some long-time clients in the wake of his coming out. It had helped that his practice was fielding calls from a few new patients. Ace grumbled that far too many of them were hot guys who didn’t appear to be in much pain.
Not that Paul was at all tempted. He knew exactly how good his life was, even without skipping ahead. Marriage was definitely a ways down the road — and a couple of states away.
But for the first time in his life, he could see that road, and there was something to aim for. And there was someone to travel with along that road.
As the song was nearing its end, Paul felt warm hands snake around his waist. He sighed happily. He didn’t need to turn around to know who was trying to sneak up on him.
Ace discreetly rubbed Paul’s flank. “I love this song,” he murmured into Paul’s ear.
“This song is all Holly,” Paul said. “If it were up to Steven, they’d be dancing to AC/DC right now.”
Ace sighed mockingly. “Such a romantic.”
“And accurate. I’m sure she does shake him all night long.” Paul smiled and leaned back into Ace, bringing them as close together as he dared.
Across the dance floor, he caught his dad sending them a frown. Paul tamped down his frustration; the last thing the wedding reception needed was a family spat.