Mark Drury’s band, The Careless Ones, wrapped up its first set, Mark handing the mike over to Solange to serenade Julius. The groom beamed from the back of the garden, a beer in one hand, his other arm around Gus’s shoulders, both of them completely love-struck.
“Hey, babe,” I heard behind me.
I turned around to gaze into my own man’s face. Will handed me a glass of champagne and clinked his against mine. He had asked me to bring him a suit to change into once the party was in full swing, but he was so sexy in his jeans, his mis-buttoned tuxedo shirt, the bow tie stuffed into his back pocket, his sunglasses askew on his head. We both drank from our flutes, never taking our smiling eyes off each other.
“Well,” he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and slinging his arm around my shoulders. “I think our first wedding went really well.”
“Could be a good side gig. We could hire catering staff, a couple of assistants for Dell, maybe put in a real cauldron for cookouts.”
He looked at me. “Have I told you how fucking beautiful you look tonight?”
“You did,” I said, smiling down at my cornflower blue sundress.
“Have I mentioned how brilliant you are at all of this?”
“Uh-huh, a couple of times already.”
“And have I told you how much I love you?”
“Yup, earlier today, when you pulled me under the trellis and kissed me in front of all those people.”
“Ah. Yes. I do remember doing that.”
We stood there, swaying to Solange’s beautiful voice.
“Should we cater our own wedding, I wonder?” he asked. “Or hire another company so we can relax and enjoy ourselves?”
My eyes widened as I fought back tears. “I didn’t realize we were having a wedding.”
“I mean, if you don’t want to marry me, I’m happy to keep on being your number-one fantasy man for the rest of your life. It is a big step.”
I finally turned to face him, my eyes spilling tears. “Yes, but I accept that step. I accept it wholeheartedly.”
“So it’s a yes?”
I nodded vigorously, too overcome with joy to do anything else but kiss him for a long time. I picked you and you picked me.
The band struck up the marching song “Street Parade” and broke into a little procession. I wiped my eyes and we grabbed our drinks and each other’s hands and everyone shimmied and sashayed behind the musicians, all the way up Third Street to St. Charles Avenue.
We were just in time to catch the tail end of the big parade, me leaning back into Will, his arms wrapped around me, as the sun finally set on this crazy, beautiful city I could finally, truly call my home.