Then came pop culture. We were at a total loss however William came to the rescue with sixties, seventies, and eighties knowledge while the groomsmen knew more modern things.
We scribbled our answers on the page provided, handing in each paper after each round.
I never threw a dart.
Every time it was my turn, someone needed rescuing. One groomsman wandered too close to another team. Another spilled a drink. Someone forgot which direction the restroom was in and ended up in the kitchen.
By the final round, the groom was vibrating with excitement.
“We can win this,” he said.
“We absolutely should not,” Dex replied.
William threw calmly. Dex followed. The groom stepped up last. He didn’t look as he threw.
Another bullseye.
The crowd cheered again and the groom pumped his fists in victory.
The bartender handed over the cash prize and trophy with a look of disbelief. “Congratulations,” he said. “That was… impressive.”
The groom turned to us, glowing as he held his trophy like a baby. “This is the best night of my life.”
I grabbed the cash and spoke to the bartender. “Use this for our tab. The rest is a tip for the staff. If there’s enough left over, give a round to the other teams.”
Things nearly unraveled when one groomsman bumped into a local and spilled a drink down his sleeve.
“I am so sorry,” the groomsman said fervently. “I am celebrating love.”
The localscowled, his chair scraped as he stood up, towering over the groomsman.
I stepped in immediately, hands up. “We will replace the drink. Our apologies.”
The tension dissolved quickly, leaving embarrassment behind as I steered the tipsy groomsman away from trouble. “Time to go back to the inn.”
Snow was falling hard when we finally left. The wind cut across the parking lot, and the roads were slick and shining.
I drove carefully while Dex attempted to keep the back seat chaos contained and William navigated.
The groom sighed happily. “Best bachelor party ever.”
William nodded. “He had fun.”
Dex philosophically added, “No one was arrested or got a black eye.”
I considered that an overwhelming success.
When we returned to the inn, snow plastered the windows and the heater hummed valiantly. We deposited the groom and groomsmen in the lobby, who thanked us repeatedly before disappearing upstairs.
William clapped my shoulder. “You did well.”
Dex stretched. “Next time, someone else wrangles.”
They headed off, leaving me alone in the quiet lobby.
Jane was nowhere in sight.
I stood there listening to the storm outside, the missed conversation settling heavily in my chest.
