No,theirroom.The room they would share.
If he hated the throw blanket Phil’s ex-wife had picked for the couch or the decorative vase shaped like an ostrich egg, he could get rid of them.He was allowed—invited, even—to take up space here.
“We do need witnesses,” he said.
Phil’s head snapped up.“Seriously?”
“I don’t see any other options.”
“We can get court-appointed witnesses.”
“This will be a much better story.”
Phil laughed.He took a bite of his eggs, made a face, and turned to Breezy.“Hey, Breezy, how good are you at keeping secrets?”
“So good,” Breezy said instantly.“You all don’t even know about—the thing I am definitely not telling you because I promised I would keep it a secret.”
“Nice save, dude.”Charlie did a poor job of hiding his laugh as he said it.
“So Ben and I are getting married this morning.Courthouse appointment’s in about an hour.You want to be a witness?”Phil asked Breezy, but his eyes remained trained on Camille.
She had great eyebrows, thick and dark but plucked to perfection.They shot up her forehead for a second before she schooled her expression.“This I can’t miss” was all she said.
“Are you sure we can leave her alone with Charlie and Breezy?”Ben asked in an undertone as they went upstairs to get ready.
“Oh, yeah, she’s a sweetheart,” Phil told him.“She only looks mean.It’s the eyebrows.”
“She’s gorgeous.”Ben hadn’t intended to say it, but it slipped out unbidden.He couldn’t help but note all the differences.Apart from gender, Camille was immaculately groomed and slender to the point of being petite.
Ben was decidedly neither.
Phil squeezed his ass on the way to the shower.“Not a complicated guy,” he reminded Ben.“Just have a wide-ranging palate, apparently.”
“I would make a joke about eating me, but we don’t have time.”
They hurried through showering and shaved standing next to each other at the vanity.
Phil reached for the burgundy suit he’d left on a hanger on the bathroom door to steam out any wrinkles—the same suit Ben had complimented him on long before Ben had seen any of this coming.
With a sigh, Ben wandered into the guest room and perused his own stack of suits.There was a blue one he didn’t hate.
“No way.”Phil appeared behind his shoulder, buttoning a white shirt over a distracting expanse of bare chest.“Wear something you actually like.”
“But it’s our wedding.”
“Yeah, and I don’t want you pulling on your tie for the whole thing.”Phil pulled open a dresser drawer and selected a dark green sweater and a pair of tan chinos.“Here.”
Ben debated arguing, but they were already running late.
The ceremony itself went off without a hitch.Ben didn’t see how it couldn’t, given they’d arrived on time and had all the necessary documents.There was the dicey part where they both had to say “I do,” sure, but contrary to his own expectations, Ben didn’t worry about that.Phil had been clear about who he was and what he wanted, and Ben wanted the same things.
The whole thing took fifteen, maybe twenty minutes, and then they signed some paperwork.The officiant made a nice little speech beforehand, something about the rainbow at the end of the thunderstorm.From a journalist’s perspective, she could have picked a less twee metaphor.As the guy getting hitched, Ben got the impression it wasn’t rehearsed but rather that she wrote something new for each couple she married.It must be a nice part of her job.Charlie presented them with the ring box when the officiant indicated to do so and, after they’d exchanged rings, surprised them both with a big hug.
“I know you’re not doing this only for me,” he said, “but thank you anyway.”
Ben hugged him back, eyes watery.He suspected he wasn’t the only one because as soon as Phil finished kissing him, he wrapped Ben up in an equally tight embrace.
Having Phil’s ex-wife sign as a witness felt a touch surreal, but she took it in good grace, and the rest of them followed suit.
