Both totally out of breath, they arrive to see the rows of chairs have been moved into a dinner setup, all the guests already in their newly designated spots. Charlotte’s blood runs cold when she sees Gabi and Lou standing at the gazebo, microphone in hand.
“...not sure where they are, but they should be somewhere around here,” she hears Gabi say, shielding her eyes with a hand to search for the two women who have only just arrived.
“Oh! There you are! Charlotte, Riley, speech time,” she says excitedly, and the guests applaud politely.
Charlotte and Riley turn toward each other, having a silent, panicked conversation between themselves.
Fuck.
The speeches.
Did you—?
No.
Me neither.
Charlotte makes a decision. She pulls Riley toward the gazebo and snatches the microphone from Gabi’s hand, motioning for the brides to take their seats.
“Hi everyone,” Charlotte says to the guests. “I’m sure you all remember me: the surprise act at the engagement party for our lovely brides here.”
A few people chuckle, and Gabi and Lou exchange knowing smiles—smiles that have nothing to do with what Charlotte’s saying, but rather the state both she and Riley are in.
“Sorry we’re late,” she continues, watching Riley from the corner of her eye. “But we had some business to attend to. Business that we need to dedicate to Gabrielle and Lou. Uhm…”
Charlotte takes a deep breath. “We’re… wearethe business.” She jabs a thumb in Riley’s direction and tries to ignore the drop of her jaw. “Not to make this about us,” she chuckles, awkwardly clearing her throat when the audience remains quiet. “But Lou and Gabi—they knew. When they chose us to be their maids of honor, they knew they were signing us and each other up for a lot of trouble, but mostly for something… more.”
Looking at Riley again, who seems to be in the middle of processing Charlotte’s sudden change of heart, she smiles and takes her hand. “And I think that is the thing we want everyone to know about my best friend Gabi, and Riley’s best friend Lou. During one of the biggest events of their lives, they created space for something they knew would be good for us, something they saw wayahead of us and something they wanted to nurture and grow. It speaks of the unrelenting and stable love they are capable of; not only for each other, but for their friends.”
There’s a restless murmur in the audience, and she watches Lou slide her hand over Gabi’s knee. Then, Riley takes the microphone from her.
“The way Lou and Gabi were willing to put their own wedding at risk to feed something they believed in, is what makes them the most deserving humans of an unforgettable wedding ever. I’m sure we’re not the only ones who've fallen victim to their scheming, and ultimately, their love, so we want to invite you all to take the time tonight to let them know how important they are to you. How indispensable. And how we all wish them the luckiest, happiest, best marriage. That is what they deserve, because of what wonderful humans they are.”
While the guests start applauding and cheering, Charlotte takes over the mic one more time.
“I hate you, Gabi. But I love you.”
Riley leans in: “And Lou: I’m coming for you. But first, let’s party.”
The music gets turned up, giving Gabi and Lou the opportunity to walk up to their friends while the guests dig into their dinner.
“So… you showed up late to take care ofbusiness?” Gabi smirks. She points at the corner of her mouth. “You’ve got something—”
“Don’t make me tell them something embarrassing about you again,” Charlotte warns her. Next to them, Lou envelops Riley in a tight hug.
“What does this mean?” she inquisitively asks them. Riley and Charlotte exchange a look.
Charlotte sighs. “It means she finally gets what she wants,” she says jokingly, nodding at Riley.
“It means you won’t want to be around us for the next two months,” Riley adds with a smirk.
“Nothing scares us anymore, honey,” Gabi deadpans. “You desensitized us on the first night.”
“Are you sure?” Riley muses, deliberately bringing her hand to Charlotte’s lower back and sliding it down to her thighs. “Because I think I just found a button that makes her—”
“No thank you—”“Hey—!”Both Gabi and Charlotte respond in shock. Charlotte elbows Riley in the stomach and receives a squeeze to her ass in response.
“I see how it is,” Lou smiles. “Enjoy your honeymoon, ladies. We’ll do the same.”
