Page 87 of Forever

He sighed and zipped his pants back up.

I cleared my throat. “Now, where was I?” This afternoon wasn’t going according to plan at all. I blew my whistle and Tanner’s animal guy wheeled out a covered cage.

“Hi, Claude,” Tanner said. “Matt, I didn’t know Claude was your animal guy too. Good choice. He is thebest. But what does being a best man have to do with animals?”

I’d gotten Claude’s information from Nigel. But I’d actually had Nigel organize all of this. Which also made his random dick measuring contest idea not make any sense. He knew what I was going to ask everyone to do already.

“It’s what the animal symbolizes,” I said. “The most important part of being a best man is holding on to a valuable item.” I stared at all of them.

James raised his eyebrows. “Are you talking about the ring right now?” He glanced warily at the covered cage.

“Yes. You have to protect the ring at all costs.” Brooklyn was probably right. I was having way too much fun with this. Especially since I already knew who I was going to ask.

Something clanged against the inside of the cage and Rob jumped.

“What are you about to make us do?” Rob asked.

“Take care of something valuable,” I said. “And what’s more valuable than a living thing?” I nodded at Claude.

He pulled the cover off the cage.

There were five monkeys jumping around inside. One of them threw a banana peel out of the cage and it almost hit Mason in the face.

“Sorry,” Rob said. “What exactly are you about to make us do?” he asked again.

“You have to take care of your monkey for the rest of the day. Whoever takes care of it best will win this last part of the best man competition.”

“You’re serious?” Rob asked. “You know I’ve never had a pet, man.”

“You’ll be fine.”

Rob shuddered.

“Sounds good,” Tanner said. He walked over to the cage, took out a monkey, and placed it on his shoulder.

The monkey reached out to touch Tanner’s hair, but Tanner snapped his fingers, and the monkey put his hand back down.

Huh. Weird.I didn’t know Tanner was so good with animals.

“This is nothing like a ring,” Rob said and picked up one of the monkeys. “But if I can handle two kids, I can surely handle a monkey.”

The monkey immediately put its hands on Rob’s right pec.

“Why is it so handsy?”

I shrugged. “Maybe it’s a skin-on-skin thing?”

“I’m not getting naked with my monkey.”

Nigel grabbed a monkey too. “Who’s a good little simian?” He rubbed him under the chin.

Like always, I didn’t know what Nigel was talking about.

James walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder. “You do already know who you’re choosing, right?” he asked, so no one near the cage could hear.

I laughed. “Yup.”

He smiled. “Then I’m going to sit this one out. I’m not risking giving anyone in my family some kind of weird monkey disease. Even if Scarlett would love having a monkey in the house.”

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