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In the short time it took Adam Parrish to tie his tie, his phone had buzzed at least five times. He smiled as he scrolled through Ronan’s texts.
I'm not drunk enough for this bullshit.
Actually I'm not drunk at all since there's no fucking alcohol here.
I will love you forever if you bring me a drink.
Something strong.
Answer me!!!
Adam ignored Ronan for the moment and called Blue instead.
“Hey, Adam, what's up?” Blue answered.
“The best man is disgruntled.”
“Already??”
“I'm guessing being around Declan and the lack of alcohol is not agreeing with him.”
“He needs help, not booze.”
“I think we passed a liquor store on the way here. In that little town down the road,” he checked his watch. “We have plenty of time before the ceremony starts. Wanna go with me? Are you ready?”
“Yeah, I've been ready for hours. Henry's still working on his hair though.”
Adam heard a shout of protest in the background. Blue laughed.
“I'll come get you. Tell Cheng he's got two minutes.”
Adam pulled on his gray suit jacket and grabbed the BMW keys off the table. He finally texted Ronan back.
You're a cheap date, Lynch.
-----
“Ok. I'll get the booze,” Adam said, when they entered the tiny liquor store.
“And we’ll find something to put it in,” Blue decided, linking her arm in Henry’s.
“We don’t have much time. Hurry,” Adam urged.
They broke up and went their separate ways. Adam headed toward the aisle with the hard liquor and quickly picked out Ronan's favorite brand of Irish whiskey, which also happened to be the most expensive. Maybe he wasn't a cheap date after all.
Adam rounded the corner and saw Blue and Henry gleefully heading towards him.
“What did you find?”
Grinning broadly, Blue held up a tacky silver souvenir flask with the Maine state seal and something in Latin, probably the state motto.
Adam stared at it for a moment, then laughed.
“It's perfect. How about you, Cheng?”
Henry held up a package of miniature red plastic Solo cups, just the right size for shots.
“In case he's in the mood to share,” Henry suggested.
“Ooh, good idea!” Blue exclaimed.
Adam nodded and grabbed both items and paid quickly. They raced back out to the BMW. They still had a little more than an hour before the ceremony was supposed to start.
-----
The resort where they were staying had a long, winding road that led from the guest cabins up to the top of a hill, where the cliffs overlooked the Atlantic ocean. It was a stunning view and the perfect place for an outdoor wedding ceremony at sunset in early Autumn. The reception would be held in the adjacent observatory, where the bridal party was currently getting ready. The grounds buzzed with the security detail tasked with keeping an eye on the event’s more prominent guests when Henry, Blue and Adam arrived. They snuck into the building with their packages under their arms.
A harassed looking wedding planner in a headset exited a door on the left and carefully closed it behind her.
“Oh. Hello,” the woman said. “Are you guests of the bride or the groom? I can show you where you'll be sitting outside.”
“Uh,” Henry said.
“Both?” Blue said at the same time.
“Kind of,” Adam added, unhelpfully. “But we’re looking for the groom and the, umm, groomsmen right now. Do you know where they are?”
The woman looked at them, wary. “They are getting ready for the ceremony which is supposed to begin in,” she looked at her watch, “about an hour. It’s really not a good time for visitors.”
“Look,” Adam said, “my boyfriend is the best man and he forgot something in our cabin that he needs for the wedding. I just need to speak to him quickly.” The lie rolled easily off his tongue.
She eyed their brown paper bags suspiciously and then eyed her watch again, as if she had a life or death choice to make between the two. The watch won. “Fine. I probably shouldn’t do this. Security will have a fit, but the groom and his party are through that door on the right,” she pointed.
“Thank you!” Blue said, hurrying toward the door before the woman could change her mind.
She knocked and then cracked the door open. “Is everyone decent?”
“Jane!” Gansey called. “I don't know about decent, but everyone is dressed. For the most part.” He pulled her into the room.
“Thank God!” Ronan said, when Adam and Henry slipped in behind her. He leapt off the sofa and approached Adam. Ronan’s dress shirt was untucked and his bow tie hung loosely around his neck, defiantly untied, unlike Gansey, Matthew and Declan who were already impeccably dressed in their tuxedos.
“One of these things is not like the other,” Henry sang.
“Et tu?” Ronan snarled.
Adam gestured with the package under his arm. Ronan glanced over his shoulder at Declan, who was pacing by the window, then he took the brown bag from Adam and peered inside. “I love you so much,” he said, planting a firm kiss on Adam’s lips.
“Forever,” Adam reminded him. “Hope you know what you’re getting yourself into for a bottle of whiskey.”
Ronan grinned. “I do know, Parrish.”
“What else did you bring, Jane?” Gansey asked, sitting down in a squishy armchair and pulling Blue onto his lap along with the other brown package.
“Vessels for the liquid courage,” Blue said, wrapping an arm around the back of Gansey’s neck and placing a quick kiss on the top of his head.
“Ronan,” Declan warned.
“What?” Ronan asked, innocently.
Declan sighed. “At least finish getting dressed first.”
“Seriously, Ronan, what’s going on here?” Adam asked, tugging at the hem of his shirt.
“He wants to wear a tie for the least amount of time possible,” Matthew answered.
“Fine,” Ronan said, reluctantly handing the bag with the booze back to Adam. He unbuttoned and unzipped his pants.
“Whoa, should I go?” Blue asked, squirming.
“Relax, Sargent,” Ronan said, sloppily tucking in his shirt before anything more than a quick flash of the black boxer briefs underneath became visible. He buttoned his shirt up the rest of the way and then grasped the loose ends of the bow tie, frowning down at them.
Adam rolled his eyes. “Come here,” he said to Ronan. “I’ll help you. Cheng, pour some shots.” Ronan wistfully watched as the bottle exchanged hands.
Adam grabbed the ends of Ronan’s tie and pulled him closer. After fumbling with it for a couple of seconds, Adam said “wait, I can’t do it this way.” He glanced around the room. “Over there,” he said, pushing Ronan toward a mirror in the corner of the room away from the others. He stood behind Ronan and watched himself deftly tie a neat bow tie in the reflection. Ronan ogled his hands while he worked. Adam smiled. “I know what you’re doing.”
Ronan shrugged. “Wishing your hands were being put to better use.”
“Hmm. Maybe later,” Adam teased, pulling tight on the bow and stepping back to admire his work. “Turn around.”
“Maybe?” Ronan asked, incredulously, as he turned to face Adam. Adam reached up to fix his collar. Ronan took the opportunity to lean in close, breath hot on Adam’s face. “I thought you were a sure thing, Parrish.”
Adam grinned and gently pushed him away. He circled Ronan, checking his hasty shirt-tucking job. He stopped a couple of times and slipped his hands down inside Ronan’s pants to smooth out the folds of the shirt, letting them linger a little longer than was truly necessary.
“Jesus Christ. Forget about later. How about now?” Ronan growled.
“Patience, Lynch,” Adam responded, calmly, making a couple of last adjustments.
“Are you two going to join us or what?” Matthew called.
“Yes,” Adam said at the same time that Ronan said “No,” and tried to pull Adam back into the corner.
“Come on, Ronan,” Adam drawled. Ronan sighed and followed.
The rest of the group had gathered around a tall cocktail table where Henry had laid out seven shots.
“We should toast,” Gansey said, holding up one of the tiny red Solo cups. Everyone followed his lead.
“This is so fucking classy,” Ronan said. Adam elbowed him in the side.
Gansey continued, “To Declan and…”
The door opened and a perfectly coiffed head and sheath of ivory satin peaked around the edge.
“Helen?” Declan asked, setting down his shot and rushing towards the door. “What are you doing here?”
Ronan groaned and downed his shot anyway. Blue followed suit. They silently bumped knuckles over the table.
“Wait,” Gansey said, blocking Declan’s view. “You can’t see the bride before the ceremony.”
“Oh come on Dick,” Helen said. “You know I don’t care about that silly superstitious stuff. That’s always been your thing, not mine.”
“Mom is going to kill you,” Gansey said.
“That’s why I came over here. To get away from Mom,” Helen explained. “Looks like you guys are having all of the fun anyway. I don’t want to miss out.”
Gansey let Declan pass. After his initial hurry, he now approached Helen slowly, drinking in the sight of her.
“You look so beautiful,” Declan said, reaching to cup her face in his hands.
“Wait, watch the makeup,” Helen warned. Declan laughed and gently placed a kiss on her forehead.
“I can’t wait to marry you,” he said.
Helen beamed. “I love you.”
“Can we get back to the shots?” Ronan asked. “Cheng, we need a couple of refills. Helen, you want one?”
“Oh God yes.”
Henry pulled out an eighth plastic cup and refilled the two empty cups as Declan and Helen joined them around the table.
“As I was saying,” Gansey said, “To Declan and Helen. Look down, you gods, and on this couple drop a blessed crown.”
They all raised their miniature Solo cups to the bride and groom and drank.
Then they laughed and teased Gansey about his toast for the next several minutes, while Adam helped Ronan with his cufflinks, vest and jacket.
“Traitor,” Ronan hissed, growing more resentful with every extra piece of clothing he had to put on.
“But you look so good like this. Let me enjoy it for a little while,” Adam begged.
Ronan relented. “Only for you and only because you’re going to help me out of it later.”
Adam snuck a quick kiss. “Maybe.”
The fun ended when an appalled Mrs. Gansey ushered Helen and Blue out of the room.
“Gentleman,” Henry called. “How about one more?” he asked, holding up the whiskey bottle.
Declan, Matthew, Gansey, Ronan and Adam all gathered around while Henry poured.
“What should we toast to this time?” Matthew asked.
They glanced around at each other.
“To brothers,” Ronan said, finally.
“To brothers,” they all agreed, lifting their little cups again.
“Excelsior,” Gansey said.
They all laughed and they drank.