Page 85 of Need Him
Gareth studied his best friend and smiled. The past year had been good to him after getting over the crappy situation he’d been in with his boss. He’d never seen Preston happier than he was, and it was all down to Preston himself. As for Victor, the man was still waiting for his Daddy, but that couldn’t be helped. The man would come along when it was time and not before.
Gareth downed his tea, uncaring how hot it was, and threw the cup in the bin. “I’m ready.”
Preston rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I’m now going to rephrase. When I finishmytea, we should be good to go.”
Gareth chuckled and went over to the window, leaning against the frame and staring out at the gardens filled with varying colours of flowers, shrubs and overhanging trees. The hotel was as picturesque as the brochure had shown, and Ben had been over the moon with it. They’d used the hotel once for a Daddy’s Boy event, and they planned to return in the future.
Daddy’s Boy had picked up speed in the community and had over two thousand members now. They’d completed three events so far, one in the northeast, one in the southwest, and one in their home county. They had organised another five events that were all fully booked, and several more were pencilled in for the rest of the following year. Ben was in his element, and they found more pairings every time another event took place.
Gareth and Ben had taken on the business as a partnership, with contracts and everything, to ensure they were both protected should the unthinkable happen. The unthinkable was they split up. It wouldn’t happen. Gareth was certain, but he’d wanted Ben protected in case Ben had a change of heart. Ben had kicked up a fuss, and it had been one of their biggest ever fights. In the end, though, Gareth had got his way.
“Time to go, lovebird.”
Gareth showed Preston his middle finger and stepped towards the door. “About damn time.”
They strode through the hallways until they entered the ballroom they were using for their reception dinner. They had placed the tables on either side, leaving an “aisle” for them to walk down and out into the garden area. That aisle funnelled into the actual aisle for the wedding.
Guests from Gareth’s side of the family and all their friends and colleagues were waiting on seats on either side. He smiled and nodded at them as he passed, eager to get to his place at the front. He shook hands with a friend of his father, who happened to be ordained and had agreed to marry them. Ben loved the idea that they were keeping it within the family, as he called it.
Stepping into his spot at the front and to the right, he held his hands in front of him and stared at the hotel, waiting for the first glimpse of his soon-to-be-husband. Ben had insisted on Gareth not being allowed to see his outfit until that day, and as it made Ben happy, he’d agreed to go along with it.
He glanced at his father, sitting on the front row of seats, next to Felix and Jane, who were now a couple after fighting the attraction for many months. On the opposite side of the aisle were Lindsay, Toby and Ollie. Because of Ben’s situation with his relatives, he hadn’t wanted the usual one side for one family, the other side for the other family. Gareth had suggested that they just let people find a seat and sit in it. That way, they didn’t need to worry about a seating arrangement for the wedding, only for the reception. Ben had given him a thank you blow job for that suggestion, which Gareth hadn’t turned down, of course.
Preston touched his shoulder, and he glanced at him, receiving a nod in the hotel’s direction. He whipped his head around as the music started, waiting to see his boy. At first, all he could see was the silhouette of two people walking through the ballroom—someone must’ve turned the lights off—and his heart pounded. He couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face as Ben stepped outside.
His boy wore an ivory suit with a check design. The jacket was one-buttoned, with peak lapels and a navy-blue edge around the pockets. The waistcoat matched the rest, but he wore a plain white shirt with a navy-blue tie that matched the colour of Gareth’s suit. Gareth now understood why his tie was an ivory check design.
As Ben navigated the steps down to the main aisle, Gareth stayed where he was, although he wanted to run to Ben and lift him to the sky, spinning them around. But that could wait until after their “I do’s.”
He locked gazes with Ben and smiled, seeing the love shining through Ben’s eyes and hoping his were the same. When they arrived, and Victor held out Ben’s hand for Gareth to take, he couldn’t resist and leaned forward to kiss him. Everyone behind them laughed, and someone shouted, “You’re too early!”
He kept it quick and chaste but tagged on, “You’re gorgeous,” as he pulled back. Ben bit his lip and smiled. Gareth led him to their places in front of the minister.
“We are gathered here today to observe the joining of Gareth and Ben in matrimony, and I ask you all to stand witness for these two people.”
Gareth squeezed Ben’s hand, having never let it go, and Ben squeezed back.
“The love between two people is not to be taken lightly. It is to be treasured, to be adored, to be cherished. The giving of one person’s love to another is a value above all else. Ben and Gareth have chosen to show you, their guests, that they hold the other half of their soul as close as they would if it were their own.”
Gareth glanced at Ben, seeing his eyes brimming with tears already, and handed him his handkerchief. Ben sniffed and smiled.
“Now, Gareth, Ben, please face each other and repeat after me. I, Gareth Tremain, take you, Ben Mycroft, to be my husband, to hold, to love, to cherish, to care, to carry, to champion, to encourage and to provide from this day forward.”
Gareth repeated the personalised vows with a firm voice, meaning every single word.
“Ben. I, Ben Mycroft, take you, Gareth Tremain, to be my husband, to hold, to love, to cherish, to comfort, to strengthen, to support and to provide from this day forward.”
Ben repeated with a shaky voice but no less strong.
“I now ask of the witnesses; do you know of any reason this marriage should not take place?”
No one said a word. If Gareth was to hazard a guess, he would think no one was breathing.
“Then it is without further ado, my greatest pleasure to announce you as married. Guests, I give you Gareth and Ben Tremain. And although you’ve already done it, you can kiss.”
Their guests stood and clapped, whistles and shouts abounding. Gareth took Ben into his arms and kissed him like his life depended on it. This was what they would share for the rest of their lives if fate permitted. When they pulled apart, Gareth gripped his hand, tucking Ben’s arm under his, and began their walk back down the aisle to the waiting reception. Confetti flew, landing in their hair, but Gareth didn’t care. All he cared about was that the man beside him was his.
As they stepped into the ballroom, Gareth pulled him in for another kiss and rested their heads together. “I love you.”
