The Wedding Guest

Swoon

    "Oh my God, that cake was gorgeous" Rose states, leaning back in her seat after finally finishing the fourth piece.

    "For five hundred it'd wanna be" I snicker. "Was this you or that bitches idea to spend that much on a cake?" I ask curiously.

   "That bitch" Rose sniggers.

    "Hers. This whole day was her planning" Ethan admits.

    "He wanted to elope" Glen interjects.

   "A handful of close friends and family on a nice warm beach somewhere. That'd be like the best holiday ever" I say and Ethan nods.

   "Take it you have your perfect wedding planned?" Glen chuckles.

   "Me? Oh no, I don't even plan on getting married" I admit, grasping their attentions and judging by their faces, they quite stunned.

   "What? Why not?" Rose enquires. "Don't you want to get married?"

I shrug my shoulders. "I dunno. I mean I'm happy just living my life as is and if I fall in love I guess I'll consider it then but I've never actually thought about myself getting married. It's not a priority to me"

   "Are you sure you're female?" Glen teases, causing us to laugh.

  "She's definitely something else, I'll tell ya that" Ethan adds, winking at me and I think for the first time in my life I've swooned over a guy. Typical of me and my bad luck to swoon for a guy on the day that should have been his wedding day.

The function room doors, burst open, startling all four of us but we quickly calm down when we realise it's just the band that have arrived to set up.

   "I thought that was gonna be your Ma coming in to murder us for eating the cake" Glen admits, picking at a stray piece of icing on his plate.

   "Nikki!" Ian hollers, startling us again as he enters the function room.

   "I swear I'm gonna have a heart attack if people keep bursting in here" Ethan titters.

   "I was trying to call you" Ian tells me, looking quizzically around the table at me, Glen, Rose and Ethan. "and everyone's looking for you" He adds at Ethan.

   "Yeah my phone's in the room, all I have is my room key" I wince and pat my breasts before remembering Ethan put my key is his pocket with his own because it'd be safer there than in my bra.

   "Why is everyone looking for me? I'm a grown ass man, I don't need a minder" Ethan groans, rolling his eyes.

   "Eh because nobody's seen you since you left the alter?" Ian nips sarcastically.

   "I was having a beer with Nikki" Ethan responds informatively. "You have a great friend here by the way"

   "I know" Ian says outright like it's nothing he wasn't already aware of.

   "Thanks" I beam chuffed with my compliment. "Wait, did you tell your parents yet?" I ask Ian directly.

   "Oh did he tell them he's gay?" Glen questions and I stifle a laugh.

   "Yes, I told them" He says, rolling his eyes at Glen, "and you were right, they were fine about it and they're looking forward to meeting Daniel"

   "That's great" I chirp, delighted that it turned out as I had said it would. Ian needed to get it off his chest and stop hiding from his family, even though it seems they were all aware of it already. "Now come join us. We've got cake" I entice, knowing Ian can never refuse cake.

Ian's butt barely touches the seat next to me when those damn doors are pulled open again. Only this time it has less of an effect on us, even though it's Anne and Frank who have entered, leading the remaining guests.

Everyone seems slightly taken back to see the five of us already here, sprawled out comfortably around a table with empty plates in front of us and full glasses.

   "Ethan. What's going on?" Anne questions, glimpsing around at each of us. "Are you lot eating the wedding cake?" She asks rhetorically, looking slightly horrified.

   "Yes and it was nice, not five hundred euro nice but still enjoyable" Ethan states blatantly.

   "Don't worry we took a photo of him cutting it" Glen asserts causing the four of us to burst into laughter.

   "Ethan, are you sure you're okay son?" She asks with genuine concern for her son.

   "I'm fine Ma" He says assuring her and glances at me. "Oh and have you met Ian's date Nikki?"

   "Yes, briefly" She smiles kindly at me and I somehow feel as though she knows I've been keeping Ethan company all this time. "I have to go talk to the band but I hope we can talk more later" She says to me and I nod in response, smiling up at her. "And Glen, I can only imagine what those cake cutting photos are like" She chuckles as she strides away.

   "She seems cool" I say to nobody in particular.

   "She actually is" Ethan affirms.

   "She doesn't always show it but she has a great sense of humour" Glen adds.

   "Well she'd need one with Frank and those four boys around" Rose interjects. "And you" She adds, poking Glen. "I swear in the five years we've been together, I've seen him spend more time in their house than his own"

   "What can I say, Anne and Frank love me like one of their own"

   "Keep dreaming boyo" Frank comments as he passes and we all burst out laughing.

   "Ah Frank, ya know ya love me really" Glen calls after him as we all sit tittering.