Caleb, Jake, Sam and Nate shake their heads, albeit with smiles on their faces.
“Those days have come and gone, my friend.” Sam laughs as he ties his polished leather dress shoes.
Liam sends a quick fist into Ryder’s shoulder. “Ain’t none of our women going to be cool with that dick-move idea.”
“Hell, I’m in!” Reese struts out of the dressing room then stops to straighten his gold silk tie and admire himself in the mirror. “I look fucking good. Tuxes are like guaranteed get-laid-suits.”
“Yeah, and with the wedding’s star-studded guest list, you might just get lucky with Emma Stone,” Jake says, working at the silk tie around his own neck.
Reese straightens his back and his smile grows wider across his face. “Now that’s what I’m talking about.”
Talon rolls his eyes. “I swear your brain is in your dick.”
“Well, yeah!” Reese makes no apologies. “Where else would it be?”
We all laugh. Yep, that’s Reese all right.
Connor weighs in. “I’d totally make a play for Jennifer Lawrence.”
“You wouldn’t fucking know what to do with Jennifer Lawrence,” Ryder quips, leaning back casually in one of the rich high-backed leather chairs that decorate the large room.
Chase lifts his hand. “I got it! Whoever’s in, we’ll meet tonight at House of Ink and Steel and then head over to Queen of Hearts later—nude strip teases, lap dances, buffet and VIP room—it’s perfect. And come Friday, we won’t care how lame the geriatric party that Liam has planned for Josh is.”
“You guys are fucking pricks,” Liam yells from behind the dressing area, laughing.
“Oh, don’t get your dangly bits in a knot, Liam.” Reese winks at Chase as he tries to goad Liam on.
We’re interrupted when Thomas, the owner of the shop, comes in with a box. “Mr. North, the gold cummerbunds were just delivered.”
The tuxes are rich black and accented with a gold vest, silk kerchief and cummerbund.
I look them over. “Perfect. Thank you.”
“How are you sleeping lately?” I hear Nate ask Jake as the other guys are figuring out tonight’s arrangements.
“Livie decided to breastfeed and co-sleep, so baby Lily has more of the bed than I do,” Jake answers good-naturedly. “And that means I think I had about forty-five minutes of sleep last night all together.”
“Same here, bro.” Nate laughs and steps back into his Levi’s without bothering to go into the dressing room. “First real night’s sleep I had in weeks was last night at the hotel.”
“You two are such * whipped old men!” Will jeers, shaking his head disgustedly and unsympathetically.
Nate gets Will in a headlock—as his pants fall back down around his knees—and rubs Will’s scalp with his knuckles, laughing. “Shut up, asshole.”
“So, what is the bachelor party plan anyway?” Sam wants to know as he wraps the cummerbund around his midsection.
“That’s a surprise,” Liam explains, coming back out from the dressing stall in his street clothes. “But, hey!” he shouts above everyone’s chatter. “We all need to meet at Josh’s tomorrow around four. Don’t be late.”
Once everyone agrees to the arranged time, I lift my hand to gain their attention. “All right, losers. I have a lunch date with Sophie and can’t be late,” I lie. “See you all tomorrow.”
***
It’s been a while since I was in a public library. I usually go straight for the bookstore, but parenting is about personality and philosophy; it’s not an entirely one-size-fits-all endeavor, and I want to take my time to see what different authors have to say.
“How to Take the ‘Step’ out of ‘Step-father,’ Parenting your Blended Family, Becoming an Instant Parent.” I whisper some of the titles before pulling one off the shelf.
I don’t think I’m bad parenting material, but I’ve definitely never read a parenting book, and even though I think my parents are the greatest out there, they don’t have actual experience with becoming a blended family, so what the hell do I really know?
I need to do everything I can to put Sophie at ease.
I have to prove to her I’m the best man for the job—both as her husband and as a dad for Charlie—so she can come to her own wedding free from fear and doubt!
Wedding.
I’m getting married in three days.
I feel my adrenaline rise, and my body begins to tremble slightly like it does right before a fight.
I promised her I’d take on her old demons—and I am—but they don’t fight fair. They’re more like ghosts; they have no tangible physical body to grapple with; they can slip through a room and wreck a perfectly amazing moment then escape by disappearing into a wall.
I fight in the octagon with my fists and hands and entire body. I battle fires with real, touchable tools and equipment like ladders, axes, water …
So, all of those things are defeated by material forces …