Feeling light-headed and a little jittery, Johnny stepped out the back door and walked across the back of the group of friends and family to his assigned spot to wait for the ceremony to begin. Deirdre had really shaken him. His stomach was in knots, and he was feeling guilty for not rushing to assure Tim. The look on Tim's face had him feeling like the night they first got together, and he'd ended up locking the bathroom door. He hoped his mother knew what she was doing, not letting him talk to Tim before the ceremony. Damn that Deirdre.
Tim's parents were sitting at the kitchen table calmly talking to Johnny's dad, unaware that Angie was dealing with a crisis, while waiting the word from Angie to proceed to their places.
Miki, Johnny's oldest sister who was already seated, sensed that there was a hang up in the proceedings. She excused herself from her husband's side, and scurried into the house to find her mother looking out the front door. "Mom, what's going on?"
Angie looked at her daughter and let out her exasperation. "That damned Deirdre showed up. She barged in on Johnny. In all the arguing with her, Tim stuck his nose in at the moment that she told Johnny that he'd let himself be seduced by a faggot... and Tim ran."
"Oh, damn. But I just saw Johnny waiting in place outside."
"Chief Wilson ordered the patrol outside to pick Tim up and bring him back in." She glanced out the door. "Here they come now. Everything will be fine now. I'll take care of Tim. Go back out and act like nothing has happened."
Miki hurried back out and smiled at a nervous-looking Johnny as she went back to her seat. Moments later, the music started and she turned to see if Tim was in place. He wasn't. She twisted her hanky nervously as she kept looking back.
Johnny was watching Miki, and getting more nervous by the moment. Where was Tim? God, he wished everyone would stop turning to look back at him.
The opening strains of music could be heard in the backyard when the two policemen stepped into the house with Tim between them. Angie was waiting for them. "Oh, there you are," she said, acting as though nothing extraordinary had happened as she stepped up to Tim when he came through the door. "Johnny is already in place waiting for you." She straightened his bow tie and cummerbund and tugged on his jacket. "Go... it's time," she said, giving him a pat on his tush.
Tim didn't move. He shook his head, feeling like he'd just stepped through a time warp, or into another world whose reality was different than his. "Johnny's changed his mind. That woman in the red dress...."
"Tim... Tim," Angie interrupted him. "Johnny was just in shock that she burst in on him like that."
"He didn't even try to come after me."
Angie looked exasperated. "Of course, he did. I stopped him... I'm not about to let both of you silly men run out of my house and ruin all these lovely plans. He's standing right outside that door waiting for you to join him. Now, go." She slapped him on the butt a good bit harder this time... and Tim moved.
Just as Johnny decided to go back inside and see what the holdup was, Tim stepped out the back door. Johnny grimaced to himself, seeing that Tim did not look happy. Maybe this was all a mistake. Hell no, it wasn't... this was exactly what he and Tim both wanted. He smiled at Tim, raised his hand to his ear and tugged it, hoping Tim would get the message.
Tim noted Johnny's hesitancy, and felt an urge to turn back, but when Johnny did a Carol Burnett ear pull, he sighed with relief, and with a big grin, wrinkled his nose. Johnny grinned back at him, and Tim knew everything was okay. He watched his parents, followed by Johnny's, walk down the center aisle and sit on each side on the front row.
As Tim walked down the side aisle, he passed Chief Wilson and saw that horrible woman in the red dress sitting between him and his wife. He did a double take when he noticed that she was handcuffed to the Chief. She glared at him as he passed. At that point, he felt no malice toward her; Johnny was his man, and in a few minutes he was going to declare that to the world. He sweetly smiled at her and walked on.
Angie pushed the young policemen that had stopped Tim on the sidewalk out the door with Tim. Unrehearsed, one accompanied Tim, the other Johnny. They stopped and smartly took an 'at ease' stance at the end of the aisle, beaming proudly to be part of this occasion. Angie ruefully smiled to herself; she'd only meant for them to go out and find a seat, but then she thought their impromptu actions appropriate.
Johnny turned the corner at the same moment as Tim. Their eyes sought each other's - connected - and everyone else disappeared. They met in the center under an arbor laced with green ivy and creamy white roses where they joined hands - their eyes still locked - in a world of their own - communicating silently.
Someone coughed. Tim blinked. Johnny closed his eyes, and then after getting his thoughts straight, turned and looked at the assembly of family and friends. He quietly cleared his throat, and in a clarion baritone voice said, "Before I start, I'd like to publicly thank one person. This morning, I was questioning whether what I am about to do was the right thing or not. Thank you, Deirdre Wilson, for removing all of my doubts, and making me realize that I have definitely made the right choice."
He caught her eye and smiled. She looked like she should have a dark thundercloud over her head. He turned back to Tim. "Timothy Michael Corbin, the day that I met you, I knew that we were meant to spend our lives together. Until that momentous day, I had wasted a lot of time searching... for what... I did not know. I never expected it to be a man, and I fought against it. I am eternally grateful to you for your patience. Here, before our families and friends, I declare my undying love for you. I humbly offer you my life and my love. You are my soul's mate for eternity."
"As you are mine," Tim said, just loud enough for Johnny and their parents to hear. Johnny took a simple gold band he'd been holding tightly in his fist and slipped it on Tim's finger. He raised Tim's hand and kissed the ring. He looked at Tim who had tears in his eyes. "I love you," he whispered. And then he turned to those assembled. "This man is mine."
Tim blushed... that had been impromptu. He turned to gaze at the people gathered to witness their declaration; his heart filled with pride and love that Johnny would go so far. He turned to look at his father and mother sitting on the first row. They both smiled up at him. He could see in that brief moment that they had finally accepted him. He grinned at them, then raised his eyes and saw that Deirdre was looking at him. Her look said that she had realized, finally, that Johnny was sincere in his commitment, and that Tim was possibly deserving of it. Tim nodded to her and smiled as he said, "Some of you, I know well... some of you, I have only met... and the rest of you, I look forward to meeting." He glanced over the gathering, and thought, 'These people are all here for us.' "Whichever category you are in, I want you each to know that before I met this man standing beside me, I thought I had only two choices of how to live my life. A life as the most of the world thinks of gay people, never settling for one partner, or I could live a life of chastity. I didn't like the idea of a life of wantonness, so I had resigned myself to a chaste loveless life. And then one day, Dave Gates was kidnapped, and that changed my whole life. Detective Paolini came in to take my report, and my life hasn't been the same since." He grinned, and glanced at his man who was blushing. "One look into John's eyes, and I knew that my life from that day on would be filled with love."
He turned back to Johnny. "John Alexander Paolini, I humbly accept your offer, and give you my life and my love in return. I shall cherish every moment with you. You are my soul's mate forever, through all eternity."
"And I accept yours, Tim. I will cherish you for just as long," Johnny replied. Tim took the ring he'd slipped into his jacket pocket and slid it onto Johnny's finger. He kissed the ring, and following Johnny's lead, he turned to the audience and announced, "This man is mine."
The two men then leaned into each other to seal their words with a kiss - a kiss that ended up anything but chaste. A deep sonorous voice shouted, "Hear, hear." It sounded like Chief Wilson. It was picked up and repeated until the whole assemblage was shouting, "Hear, hear." And then over the cheering, the startling introductory clarion notes of the Ride of the Valkuries rang out. The selection for the digression was so unexpected that the assemblage momentarily stopped cheering. Tim and Johnny grinned. They raised their clasped hands above their heads as they triumphantly walked up the center aisle and into the house, and everyone again cheered and clapped.
* * *
As the crowd rose and started to mill about, a herd of caterers moved in. They quickly moved the chairs to encircle the tables that were already set around the edge of the large yard. A white rose bouquet was set in the center of each table. Buffets filled with gourmet delicacies and delights were set up on the wide veranda with tubs of iced beer and champagne - along with a mixed drink bar. A round table with a four-tiered wedding cake stood in the midst of it all. At the other end of the lawn, under the bower where Johnny and Tim had said their vows to each other, a string quartet played old classic love songs.
The party had spread out to the tables, and a number of men in white jump suits carried four by four pieces of flooring into the center of the yard and fitted them together like pieces of a giant puzzle to create a dance floor.
Chief Wilson had quietly escorted a recalcitrant Deirdre out the front door to her car. Once she was seated behind the wheel and the door closed, he leaned down and told her that she had shamed him once again with her antics, and that if she showed her face around this area again before the party was over, his men had instructions to arrest her for trespassing, and that she would sit in jail overnight, because he would not bail her out until the following afternoon.
David and Eve sat at a table in the corner of the yard watching everyone having a good time. They had danced several numbers. Johnny had insisted on a dance with Eve and, since it was a slow one, David asked his mother to dance.
"You and Eve seem to be getting pretty serious," Mary commented.
"I asked her what she'd say if I proposed."
"Oh..." Mary thought he'd tell her what Eve's response was, but David was looking introspective as they continued around the floor. Finally, she asked, "So, what was her response?"
David startled out of his reverie and blushed. "She said I'd have to ask to find out."
They danced on. Mary waited for her son to tell her more. When he didn't, she said, "I'd take that as a positive response."
David's sole response was, "Yeah."
The dance ended and he escorted his mother back to his dad's side.
Lloyd stood up and held out a hand to his son. David took it and was pulled into a hug. "Watching you makes me so proud. I love you, Son."
David hugged his dad, wondering what had brought on this show of emotion. Lloyd let him go; David thanked his mom for the dance and wandered off to find Eve.
Max and Joseph, as soon as the ceremony was over, had disappeared to the back of the yard and into the gazebo.
Tim and Johnny reappeared dressed in matching black pinstriped suits, silver grey dress shirts and red and black diagonal striped ties. The women made much to do about how striking they were, while all the men just looked uncomfortable and slightly envious.
Joe Sr., Johnny's dad, made the first toast. "My friends, for a long time I worried about Johnny finding a suitable mate. But when he introduced Tim to the family, I knew he had not only found a suitable partner, he had also found his soul mate. Johnny, Tim, here is to a long and happy life together. And Tim, I want you to know I am proud to accept you as my new son."
There was much applause and cheering. And then Tim's dad stood up. The crowd hushed. Many knew of the antipathy that he and his wife had toward their son's homosexuality. No one knew what he would say. They prayed that he wouldn't embarrass Tim in front of his friends and new family. Tim held his breath and squeezed Johnny's hand under the table.
"For those of you who do not know me, I am the 'other' father-in-law. Tim, my son, I want you to know that I am very proud of you today. Despite all the opposition that your mother and I threw at you, you held true to yourself. Although, we've had a difficult time accepting your preferences, we have always loved you, and will continue to love you, no matter what. May you and John have a long life together, and may it be filled with love and joy. John, welcome into our family, and thank you for bringing us back together with our son. And, Dave, thank you for making us realize how skewed our thinking was."
Johnny grinned and hugged Tim's neck with one arm. Dave just bowed his head. Tim had tears running down his face. "Thanks, Dad," he called out as everyone clapped and cheered.
There were many more toasts and well-wishes. Tim stood after the last toast. He clinked a knife against the edge of his glass. When everyone quieted and was looking at him, he spoke.
"I would just like to give recognition, and my gratitude, to my new mother-in-law Angie, and my two sisters-in law Miki and Eve, for giving Johnny and I this wonderful party. And... and for making us dress like bookends. Thankfully, both the tuxes and these suits are only rented. Thanks, Ladies."
As Tim sat down, Johnny stood. He raised his glass to his mother and sisters.
"Yes, thanks Mom, Miki, Eve. This is marvelous. And thanks to each and every one of you for coming to help make this such a wonderful time."
The cake was cut and served. Angie removed the two grooms from the top of it and took the top little layer into the house to freeze for their first anniversary.
Tim was standing next to Rence while watching Johnny dance a sharp foxtrot with his sister Miki. One of the police officers stepped up and placed a casual arm around Tim's shoulder and said, "That was some show last night, Tim. Johnny's not the only one that's going to be remembering it for a long time." He squeezed Tim's shoulder and walked away. Rence looked down to see Tim blushing. Rence, who stood a good ten inches taller than Tim, placed a hand on his shoulder and said with a grin. "I wasn't going to mention it, but since you're already blushing... well, all I gotta say is, Johnny's one hell of a lucky fellow."
Tim grinned up at his tall brother-in-law. "I thought that Johnny didn't recognize me and was reacting to a hired stripper. It really pissed me off... but he knew all along it was me."
"Well... maybe not until he saw your birthmark. That's when I realized it was you." If I hadn't seen you naked in the pool, I'd never have known it was you."
Throughout the afternoon, the men who had been at the bachelor party approached Tim and commented on his performance and told him how lucky Johnny was. Several added that they wished that their wives would dance for them like that. Tim took it all in stride, even though he blushed every time.
As the afternoon wore down, Dave and Joe each individually asked Johnny and Tim to be sure and stop up at the Eyrie before going home. They left early to make sure their surprise was ready.
Tim and Johnny discussed at length what Joe and Dave might be up to as they drove across town to the Tower. They'd stayed to say goodnight to the last of their guests, since they weren't rushing off on a honeymoon.
"Knowing those two, you can be sure it will be something unexpected and grand." Tim sighed. "I still haven't gotten over Dave finding the El Camino and giving it to me. That took a lot of effort, you know."
Johnny nodded in agreement and squeezed Tim's right hand, which he held on the seat between them. He raised it and kissed his knuckles. Tim took his eyes off the road for a moment to smile his love at Johnny.
"I think that every man at the party tonight told me how lucky I am that you chose me as your mate. You're so special, Tim. I am amazed that you wanted to marry me."
"And why wouldn't I want to? You're everything I want. The only one I want. I love you, Johnny."
"And you know I love you, Babe."
Tim steered the sleek pickup into a guest parking slip in the underground garage. In the lobby, they greeted the guard on duty.
"Congratulations, you two. May you have a long and happy life together."
"Thanks, Troy. Give your wife our regards." Johnny said, as they got into the elevator to the Eyrie. When the elevator stopped, they stepped out into the foyer of the thirtieth floor.
"What the hell? This isn't the Eyrie," Johnny exclaimed. Seeing the door of the condo that faced the mountains ajar with a huge white bow adhered to it, the two men cautiously pushed the door open to see that the place was furnished in the luxurious taste that Joe excelled in. In the center of the entryway set a silver champagne bucket with a bottle of Dom Perignon chilling in the ice. Attached to a bow around the neck of the bottle was a card.
Tim took the card and opened it. He gasped.
"So, what does it say?"
Tim could only hand the card to Johnny, he was too emotional to speak.
Johnny read it aloud.
"A white picket fence
'round a little cottage quaint,
this place certainly ain't.
High in the sky
Where the eagles fly,
make your own nest.
And in your own Eyrie,
may you love and rest.
We know our poetry stinks, but it's the thought that counts. We love you two, and hope you share many joy filled years with us in your new home. Come up for coffee tomorrow morning.
Dave and Joe
"Damn, I never expected anything like this. They even gave us our choice of this place or the one across the way, and we didn't even realize it. Those sneaky bastards," Johnny raved.
"I can't believe this," Tim said, walking around touching everything. He looked twice at a chair by the fireplace, and then examined it more closely.
"Johnny, this is the chair that you and I bought when we rented the apartment."
"It sure looks like it."
"It is. Here is the wine stain I couldn't get out. Remember when you attacked my neck without warning, and I had a glass of Chardonnay in my hand?"
"It is our chair."
As they looked around, they recognized more and more of their own furnishings. The dining room set was new, but their old dinette set was in the breakfast nook in the kitchen.
"My God, they had our whole apartment moved up here this afternoon."
In the den, they found the rest of their living room furniture. But a huge new Plasma television screen with a Bose surround sound system had replaced their old TV.
In the bedroom, they discovered their old TV already set up so they could watch it from their new California king bed that was covered in a spread of soft black leather.
"I guess your brother suspects how kinky we are, huh?" Tim joked, as he sat on the bed and rubbed his hand over the leather.
Timothy lay in bed with his wife Edie enfolded snugly against his chest. "That was a nice ceremony, wasn't it?"
"It was beautiful. Johnny's mother and sisters really did it up grand," Edie said.
"Dave and Joe were right, you were the best dressed woman there. You really turned heads."
"Oh, how you do go on."
"You're still as beautiful as the day I met you, Sweetheart."
"I'm sorry I tried to hide it for so long. It was a sin to do that. That born again preacher sure had my head filled with a lot of nonsense. I nearly lost my son, and I have a feeling that if I'd persisted in believing his hateful lies, I'd lost you, too."
"Well, I don't know about that," Timothy weakly protested.
"Anyway, it's wonderful that you are amorous again. I really missed that."
"I did too, my love." He kissed her.
"There's certainly a lot of love in this family that we've become part of."
They lay wrapped in their individual thoughts for a few minutes.
"It's hard to believe that Joe and Dave gave that condo above us to Tim and Johnny as a wedding present." Edie said, breaking the silence.
"I wonder just how wealthy those two guys are. I would think that condo has to be worth over a million dollars."
"Angie, Johnny's mother, told me that Dave inherited the entire Way fortune. And it's worth many billions of dollars. Dave's suppose to be one of the richest men in the world."
"You certainly wouldn't know it just talking to him. If I met him on the street, I'd assume he didn't have a thousand bucks to his name," Timothy said.
"And he put Joe's name on everything he owns."
"They're even more married than our son is to Johnny." Timothy grinned at his wife's astonishment.