Page 1 of Ted's Temerity
Chapter One – Ted
“…To have and to hold from this day forward until death do you part?”
The question is quite solemn, but the officiant delivering them is anything but. The short, curvaceous woman is wearing a bright pink dress and her hair, cut into a spiky pixie style, matches it. She’s bubbly and bright and is grinning at my best friend, Charlie, waiting for the guy to answer.
Seeing as I’m Charlie’s Best Man, I give him a little nudge. In front of us, our assembled friends chuckle while Charlie clears his throat and finally answers with the only possible words he could. “I do.” From where I’m standing, I can see that the sides of his neck and the skin on his jawline and cheeks not covered by his trademark dark stubble are turning a little pink.
The officiant winks at him and teases, “Right answer!”
Everyone laughs at that. Then she turns to Charlie’s fiancé and asks the whole spiel again. I can see Asher’s entire face from my spot behind Charlie’s turned form. The younger man is practically vibrating with joy as he stares across at the man he’s marrying. His curly hair has been trimmed and artfully styled, and his hazel eyes are shining brightly under the hot summer sun.
Thank God this is a casual wedding. The grooms are dressed in matching white linen short sleeved shirts and beige khakis. Matt and I, standing for Ash and Charlie respectively, are wearing the same pants, but short sleeved shirts in a pale blue color. It’s late afternoon and there’s enough of a breeze that we’re not sweltering, but I’ll be glad when this ceremony’s over and we can crack open some crisp, cold bottles of beer.
Ash gives the same answer, the officiant declares them husband and husband, they kiss and we all cheer.
“Congratulations to you both,” I drag Charlie in for a hug first, then Asher right after him. “I’m so happy for you.”
Charlie pats me on my shoulder blade, but Ash squeezes me tight. “Thanks, Uncle Ted.” I resist the urge to ruffle his hair. I can see that effort has gone into styling it today, and probably a bit of product besides. “Next time’ll be you, right?”
I snort. I’ve known Ash for almost as long as he’s been with Charlie, which is coming up on three years now. And in that time, while I’ve gone on a few dates from guys I met at The Grove, the local BDSM club, I haven’t found the sort of connection that Ash and Charlie share. Additionally, there’s a lot about my past that not even Charlie’s aware of which, after close to fifteen years of friendship, would be difficult and painful to explain now. Instead, I focus on the obvious.
“I’m almost fifty,” I argue with a shake of my head.
It’s a mild exaggeration. I still have a few years before I hit that milestone, but it’s sneaking up fast.
At Asher’s questioning glance, I sigh. “I think I’m getting too old to believe I’ll find someone to settle down with now.” I shrug, forcing a bright smile that I hope meets my eyes. “But this is your wedding day, kiddo. Let’s not bring down the mood.”
Until recently, I was also Ash’s boss in addition to being his and Charlie’s friend. But he graduated college, having deferred and then studied part time after he met Charlie, and is now working with his husband. Together they’re building a community hub for people like us: people in the BDSM lifestyle, with additional focus to those who enjoy the age regression kink. I’ve been helping out with some of the legalities, but Asher’s business degree has proven useful for them, as have Charlie’s connections from his previous career as a cop.
I’m significantly older than both of these men, but our social circle is eclectic. That’s to be expected, considering we all met through the BDSM lifestyle.
Case in point: Ash’s best friend, Matt, wanders over with his Daddy’s hand clutched in his. To look at them, you’d assume the roles were reversed. They’re both tall, broad men, with Matt eclipsing London in height and muscle mass. Matt’s arms are heavily tattooed, and his neatly trimmed beard is more salt and pepper now than the brown it once was. The shaggy hair on his head, also neatly styled back today, is turning the same. He’s roughly my age, so that’s hardly a surprise. But his Daddy, London, is in his late twenties with thick, black hair and the flawless skin of youth. Like Ash and Charlie, their Daddy-boy relationship has been going strong since they met.
And, alright, if Matt could still find love in his mid-forties, maybe I’ll concede that hope is not lost for me after all. It just seems unlikely.
“Congrats, guys,” London gives the grooms each a quick hug before drawing Matt back against his side, “that was a really nice ceremony.”
“Yeah, it was,” Matt agrees, snuggling against his Daddy’s shoulder. His tone is wistful and dreamy. “The weather was perfect, too.”
We’d all expressed our concerns that choosing to marry in the park without a backup plan for bad weather was asking for trouble, but Ash held firm. He’s quite stubborn when he wants to be.
As if reading my thoughts, he casts me a smug little grin. “Told you it would be.”
I shake my head. “You got lucky.”
Charlie chuckles at that and tugs his new husband flush against him. “I’d sayIgot lucky,” he says, aiming for schmoopy and disgustingly sweet.
Thankfully, his younger brother, Josh, has also meandered over from his spot among the guests. “Nah,” he teases, “that’s what your wedding night is for, isn’t it?” He waggles eyebrows that match Charlie’s for emphasis.
Charlie sighs with exasperation when we all snicker like teenagers. He shoots his younger brother a glare. “Fuck off, Josh.”
“You wound me,” Josh places a hand over his chest, then lunges for Ash. “We’re officially brothers now!”
“He gets this from Mom,” Charlie tells us as an aside, as though we’re not all aware of the fact.
“Speaking of,” I jut my chin towards the woman in question.
She’s bustling across the manicured lawn like a woman on a mission, practically dragging her husband (an older version of Charlie and Josh) along beside her. Charlie’s baby brother, Axel, follows at a more sedate pace. Unlike his older brothers, Axel’s short and stocky, with his mother’s rounded facial features and curled hair. He graduated high school a couple of years ago, but still looks like a teenager to me. Then there’s Charlie’s sister, Maisy, and her husband whose name I can’t remember. Charlie’s family are lovely, but they’re high energy and I’m already looking for my escape.
