Thankfully, Jay didn’t need to say more as the senior usher took his position at the end of the arch near the doors, facing the two rows of Marines. He gave them the order to draw their swords and then remove them from their scabbards to touch points with the Marine across from them.
Rose petals were thrown at the bride and groom as they moved through the arch. Ryden and the Marine across from him lowered their swords when the married couple reached them at the end of the arch, stopping them in their path.
“Welcome to the Marine Corps family,” the senior usher declared.
The bride and groom kissed, and Ryden patted the bride on the butt with the flat edge of his sword before the Marines were ordered to lift their swords again. As soon as the married couple was clear, the senior usher ordered the Marines to return their swords to their scabbards. He then dismissed the detail.
Everyone followed the bride and groom outside into the Grand Foyer, and Jay met Ryden so they could do the same. Was he supposed to take Ryden’s hand? There were very strict rules of what a Marine could and could not do while in their dress blues, even if they were no longer serving. Jay was far more familiar with Army regulations since he worked for the Kings and Wild Cards, who’d served as Green Berets.
As Ryden’s “boyfriend,” Jay should know what to do. As if reading his thoughts, Ryden held out his left elbow, and Jay took hold of it, allowing himself to be escorted. It was all so surreal.
Outside in the Grand Foyer, everyone was ushered down a hall leading to another large room with a bar on each end and several high tables, including a longer one against the wall with trays of fancy little appetizers. The music started, and guests lined up at the bars for drinks.
Ryden escorted Jay to a table on one side of the room. “Can I get you a drink?”
“Um, I’ll have a mojito. Thank you.”
“I’ll be right back.” Ryden went off to get their drinks, and Jay couldn’t help but watch him go. Because that’s what a boyfriend would do, right? Ogle their man as he walked away. Jay was committed to playing his role to perfection. Was it his fault he was so detail-oriented? It was both a blessing and a curse.
Ryden stood taller than many of the guests at just under six feet. He wasn’t as big or muscular as King, Red, or even Saint, but anyone looking at Ryden could tell he worked out regularly. And then there was that Texas drawl, which Jay supposed some would find sexy.
Considering their history together, Jay had no idea why he kept forgetting Ryden was from the same part of Texas as Mason. Probably because the two were so different. Then again, no one was as annoying as Ryden. The man lived in T-shirts, tactical pants, or shorts. He had no right to speak about Jay’s ensembles.
Jay loved to people-watch, and weddings were among the best places to do so. Everyone was dressed to impress and on their best behavior, at least until the open bar started serving drinks.
At one end of the room, the Marines stood talking. Whatever they were discussing wasn’t a casual conversation. Everyone else in the room laughed and smiled as they made idle chit-chat. Not these guys. Ryden was right. Something was going on. Jay might not have been military, but he’d worked with soldiers from every branch for over a decade. It was in their stance, how they carried themselves, and their expressions. Their eyes said more than their words ever could.
When the group dispersed, Ryden got stuck at the bar talking to one of the guests. A few Marines left the room via the door everyone had come in from, but Martin had Jay’s attention. Theroom had four doors. The first was the one they’d come in from. Door number two was closed, so it was most likely some other available venue space. The third door led outside to the covered walkway, and the fourth went to some kitchen or catering space since that’s where the servers were coming from. It was also the door Martin disappeared through. What did the guy want with catering?
Checking that no one was watching him, Jay headed confidently to door number four. Over the years, he’d learned that people assumed someone was supposed to be there if they walked exuding confidence.
Walking through the door, he caught sight of Martin just before the guy disappeared through another door at the end of the catering area. Where did that go? Jay quickly reached the door, pausing to listen. He wasn’t about to barge in somewhere unfamiliar. Not hearing anything, he cracked the door open and peeked inside. He could always say he was looking for the bathroom.
The door led into a stairwell. He’d just stepped inside when he heard voices echoing from above. As someone who spent much of his time talking on the phone, he had an excellent memory for voices, and the one quietly bouncing around the empty stairwell belonged to Martin. The second voice was unfamiliar, and since he hadn’t heard any of the other Marines talk, he couldn’t say it wasn’t one of them.
Jay knew better than to wander off after some mysterious fake Marine alone, so he texted Ryden to let him know where he was and what he was doing. Then he snuck a peek up the stairs. It was hard to tell how far up they were. He stilled and listened intently.
“Everything’s ready,” Martin said. “This would have been so much easier if that asshole had just agreed.”
“Well, he didn’t, so we need to improvise, adapt, and overcome.”
Wait. Jay knew that mantra. The guywasone of the other Marines.
“How are we supposed to keep a low profile?” Martin hissed. “After this, we need to be ready to move fast. We can’t have that shit just sitting out there. We’re all dead if we don’t have the shipment ready to go in a week.”
The door opened, and Jay quickly stepped back, his heart ready to beat out of him. One of the other Marines walked through the door. He narrowed his eyes at Jay. Oh shit.
“What are you doing here?”
“Hi,” Jay chirped. He took another step back as the guy approached.
“I asked you what you’re doing here?” The guy grabbed Jay’s arm, and Jay did his best not to sound as scared as he was. This was bad. Very bad.
“I’m just waiting for my boyfriend. I wanted a little…somethin’ somethin’ if you know what I mean, and since that sort of thing is frowned upon while in uniform, I thought, what’s the harm if no one sees?” Jay replied, his voice low and throaty. He ran a finger over one of the gold buttons on the guy’s chest. “It’s not every day my man gets to wear his panty droppers.”
The guy was suspicious, and Jay could tell he was trying to decide whether he believed Jay. “Why don’t I wait with you?”
Just then, the door opened, and Jay had never been so happy to see Ryden. Talk about timing.
