Page 11 of Hat Trick
The look of pure terror on both of their faces is enough to have me snorting a laugh.
Once I regain my composure, the two of them usher me back to my seat before they sit at their table. The first part of the reception goes off without a hitch, even my maid-of-honor speech, where I got to make fun of my brother for a good ten minutes, and by the end of it, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. Whether that was from laughing or crying, we’ll never know.
Now… it’s time to shake my ass.
1 100 Ways - Austin Hull
CHAPTER 9
ODD MAN OUT
DOMINIC
This may not be a huge wedding, but I’ll be damned if everyone here doesn’t know how to have a good time. Since dinner ended, there hasn’t been a single second when the dance floor hasn’t been the place to be.
?1 And when Mr. Baker and I danced to “Let Me Clear My Throat (Live)” by DJ Kool, I swear I almost died and went to heaven. For a middle-aged man who lives and breathes ranching, the dude’s got moves.
I know Lil took a video of it, too, and I’m not lying when I say I want it played at my funeral.
The DJ is a whole vibe, playing the throwback music I wish they would play in the clubs nowadays.
Weddings are always a little bit hard for me. They’re a stark reminder of the things,or people, I don’t have that others do. They remind me that as bright and shiny as the love from another person can be, opening your heart and loving someone that deeply can also lead to somewhere so dark and cold that you’re afraid you’ll never make it out alive.
However, when I’m surrounded by people like I am tonight, it makes it easy to forget. It makes it all bearable. If only for a few hours.
Now we’re to the part of the night where the “older” crowd is all standing around the edge of the dance floor drinking and conversing while the rest of us act like a bunch of degenerates.
I’m fucking loving it.
For the last ten minutes Lil has been sandwiched between Em and I, each of us balancing drinks in our hands, despite the fact that Rocky looks like he wants to murder us every time he looks over. It’s a good thing his new husband has him more than occupied. The three of us are well on our way to being tipsy. Not too much where the rest of the night is going to turn into an absolute disaster, but just enough to lower any…inhibitions.
Emerson and I had a quick, but frank, discussion after the ceremony. Clearly, there is a lot that the three of us need to discuss, but we knew what we were signing up for when we each said we wanted to see other people. Especially considering the number one rule was that we didn’t discuss other partners. As long as we were being safe, that’s all that mattered.
It’s just, Emerson and I never thought that we’d both be seeing the same person.
That being said, there are two things I’m trying really hard not to let sink under my skin. At least not now. One, it’s not a mystery that Lil knew we were best friends. The two of us never shut up about one another, and when we’re not with her, Emerson and I are almost always together. She knew, and she didn’t say anything. And two, Em and Lil have something I don’t have with either of them… their families are now tied to one another. For all intents and purposes, Clay is just as much a Baker as he is now a Campos, which is why he didn’t keep his last name. His family, the Aldriches, aren’t his family. The Bakers are. And now, the Camposes are part of that family. I’m the odd man out.
I feel like the odd man out when I’m with these two.
Buuuuuuut I’m doing what I do best, I’m swallowing it down and putting on a happy face. Because Emerson and I decided that Turks and Caicos was a time for fun. We can figure out all of this shit when we return to reality. As long as Lil is down, which she clearly is based on the way she’s eye-fucking me while pressing her ass against Emerson, that’s exactly what we’re going to have.
Fun.
A lot of fucking fun, actually.
?2 And just when I think it can’t get any better, the music changes. The opening notes to the next song play, and Lil’s and my eyes go wide. She and I stand still for a moment before pointing at one another. And because Emerson knows me inside andout, he knows exactly what I’m about to do. He’s just never seen me do it with Lil. Stepping back, he clears some space around us.
Because let me tell you. We’re about to blow the fucking roof off this place.
It takes no more than fifteen seconds into the song for the rest of the party-goers to circle us and cheer us on as Lil and I sing “Animals” by Nickelback at the absolute top of our lungs. At one point, she even grabs my leg and pretends to use it as a guitar.
And when we make it to the bridge of the song, I really hit my stride and practically take on the persona of the one and only Mr. Kroeger himself.
1 Let Me Clear My Throat (Live) - DJ Kool
2 Animals - Nickelback
CHAPTER 10
