Everything looked absolutely amazing. Jimmy couldn’t believe that in just a few short hours, he and Cold would be up on that stage together. Dario was waiting by a piano and a microphone that had been brought in and set next to the stage, waving at him excitedly.
It reminded Jimmy of the first time he had met Dario in Cold’s club, and he smiled warmly as the memory washed over him. So much had changed since that day, and Jimmy really couldn’t imagine his life any other way now. He embraced Dario as he said, “Hey! Thank you so much for doing this!”
“Duh,” Dario laughed. “You just remember how I helped you out when I decide to pop the question to Rowena. You know, help protect me from Big Boss Cold.”
“Absolutely,” Jimmy chuckled affectionately.
“Chit-chat later!” Charlie scolded, glancing at his watch. “You’ve already wasted three minutes that you could be using for practice! Come on! Chop chop!”
Dario rolled his eyes but took his seat at the piano, smirking playfully. “Ready, Jimmy?”
“So ready,” Jimmy confirmed, reaching for the microphone.
They ran through the song a few times, and Dario gave Jimmy a solid thumbs up and a full finger gun salute. Satisfied that he was comfortable with the song, Charlie led Jimmy from the gardens into the house, rapidly explaining, “You’ll be staying in the east wing with your groomsmen until I call for you.”
“Where’s Rod?” Jimmy asked immediately.
“He’s here,” Charlie replied. “You can’t see him yet! Don’t you know that’s bad luck? Ugh. I swear. Now, he’ll already be waiting in the garden when I come to get you. Maury will walk with Rowena down the aisle, and then you and your father will go down together. Yes?”
“Yes. Got it.”
“Good! The priest will say his piece and when he asks you to recite your vows, that’s your cue to take the microphone and blow everyone’s little socks off.”
“Okay. I got this!” Jimmy cheered, taking a deep breath as he tried to mentally prepare himself for the big event ahead of him. He was grateful to see his father and Maury waiting for him in a large bedroom, both of them already changed into their new tuxedos. “Wow! Hey! You guys look great!”
Maury had already undone his bowtie and was pouting in a chair, huffing, “I look like ten pounds of shit in a five pound shit bag, and I smell like a fuckin’ whorehouse.”
“Oh, hush,” David chided. “You look fine.” He hugged Jimmy close, kissing his cheek warmly. “We still have some time if you’re not ready to get dressed yet.”
“Me? Oh, I’m fine!” Jimmy blinked. “Why? What’s wrong?”
“You’re sweating.”
“Oh, crap,” Jimmy groaned, wiping his forehead off with the back of his hand. He grinned sheepishly, stammering, “Okay, maybe, m-maybe I am getting some last-minute jitters.”
“Here,” David said, motioning to the chair beside Maury. “Sit down. Relax, son. Roderick isn’t going anywhere. There’s no need to rush.”
“Tiny bit of a need to rush,” Charlie mumbled, looking again at his watch.
David gave him a stern glare and Charlie sighed, retreating out of the room to give them some space. “Don’t worry about him. Just take some deep breaths and relax, slugger.”
Jimmy melted into the plush chair, stretching out his legs as he said, “I just can’t believe it. I mean, I can believe it because it’s already, like, happened? But this just makes it feel a hundred times more real, and I think I’m freaking out a little bit.”
“Come a long fuckin’ way from pimpin’ yourself out,” Maury said sagely.
“Maury!” Jimmy hissed frantically.
“What?” Maury scoffed, shrugging and pointing at David. “He ain’t stupid, you know.”
Jimmy’s face went through several different shades of red. “But it’s not like that, it’s not, uh, it’s...”
David held up his hand, smiling fondly at his son. “Jimmy, however you two started doesn’t matter to me. Unconventional as it might be, you really found someone that loves you. That’s a hell of a thing, son. And I couldn’t be more happy for you and Roderick both.”
“Really?” Jimmy gulped, blinking wide-eyed at his father.
“Really,” David said with a wink.
“I love you, Dad,” Jimmy said earnestly, smiling despite the raging heat still burning all over his face. “Thank you.”
