Dance With Destiny

by Sloan Johnson

  “Would you care to explain to me what’s had you in such a mood all day?” I’ve been waiting for the inquisition to happen ever since my first glance at Dominic sitting next to his friend’s parents. What I’m utterly unprepared for is the genuine concern in my sister’s voice. She’s been a raging bitch the past few days, needing everything to be flawless for the wedding, and yet here she is worried about me. “First, it was your little zoning out episode at the ceremony. Then, I had to watch you glaring at Kennedy and Dom through dinner service. Please tell me there’s nothing I should know.”

  “No. You know there’s nothing actually going on between Kennedy and me. I guess I’m just feeling a bit off today,” I say, skirting around the truth. “It’s probably just my body trying to get used to being up here again. Seriously, did you have to get married in the coldest damned month of the year?”

  Of course she did. Even when we were little, I got to hear all about how she wanted a Christmas wedding because then it would be like the entire city was decorated just for her.

  “As long as you’re sure it’s nothing more.” Caroline is too smart to believe my lies and I’m sure this isn’t the last I’ll hear about my missteps. Damn Dominic for looking so fucking sexy in his suit with his hair looking like he just got through having wild sex. Damn Kennedy for apparently doing too good of a job at patching things up for me. And damn me for letting the memory of Dominic invade my mind every hour since he left me at the train station.

  “I’m sure it’s nothing you need to worry about. Now, shouldn’t you be out there holding court or some shit?” I tease, pushing her toward the door. “I love you for worrying about me, but I promise I’m not going to start anything. Okay? Today’s your day and I hope you know how happy I am for you. Andrew’s a good guy.”

  “Yeah, he is, isn’t he?” she agrees with a sickeningly dreamy look in her eyes. I give her a peck on the cheek as we step into the dimly lit reception hall, just as the DJ calls for the bride and groom to come to the dance floor.

  Before talking to Dominic, I need to steal a few minutes with Kennedy so she can let me know what happened while I was busy having eight million pictures taken. The problem is, she’s nowhere to be found. I could try calling her, but the odds of her hearing the phone ringing over the sappy love song blaring from the speakers are slim.

  Cara and Andrew step onto the dance floor for the first dance. It won’t be long before I’m corralled to the parquet floor with the rest of the wedding party, so I make a quick pass through the crowd trying to find Kennedy. The evil bitch known as jealousy rears her ugly head when I realize that, once again, both Kennedy and Dominic are absent. They’re probably outside having a good laugh over what a dumbass I am. As if that’s not bad enough, it seems my mother has a tracking device in one of my cuff links or something, because more than once I have to pretend to be involved in random conversations in order to avoid her.

  I have to take a break from my hunt long enough to spend three and a half minutes trying to keep one of my sister’s drunken bridesmaids from giving me a handjob in front of everyone. It’s not that I have anything against the idea of having a hand wrapped around my cock tonight, but her fingers are too delicate and she doesn’t have the proper equipment for anything beyond that.

  The song ends and we clear the dance floor long enough for the father-daughter dance. I watch my dad doting on Caroline as if she’s a fairy princess. Unlike most days, when I get pissed about how blatant he is in his preferential treatment of her, tonight I smile as I watch him lead her around the dance floor. I’ve never seen my sister look happier, and I know Andrew will treat her right. Midway through the song, I turn my attention to the sea of already inebriated wedding guests, hoping to find Kennedy. I spot her heading toward the exit, but before I reach her, the DJ is making another fucking announcement. Seriously, the man needs to realize that most people here don’t give a shit about protocol as long as the alcohol is flowing and the cash registers stay closed.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for one of the best parts of the night,” the DJ announces, drawing my attention to the front of the room. Dominic’s sitting next to my mother and her head is thrown back in laughter at something he’s said. I watch him stand and the two of them share an embrace before he drags his feet toward the dance floor and panic rushes through my body. The last thing I want is the two of them getting to know one another. And then there’s the part of me that wonders how she can be so sweet to someone she doesn’t know when she’s an expert at being a judgmental bitch to her own flesh and blood. “We’re going to start by asking all of the single men to come to the dance floor.”

  Great. My mother’s favorite part of every wedding: the garter and bouquet tosses. She’s one of those crazy women who believe that the man and woman who catch the garter and bouquet are destined to be together. I suppose that’s somewhat justified seeing as Peter met his fiancée at a cousin’s wedding and Andrew and Caroline first met at the wedding of one of my father’s business associate’s sons.

  “Anthony, get up there,” my mother nags when she finds me in the crowd. “You’re not getting any younger and it’s worked for your brother and your sister.” I roll my eyes at her superstitious nature and she cuffs the back of my head. Rather than point out to her that it’s pure coincidence, I shuffle my way to the parquet floor, strategically positioning myself behind some of our younger cousins who see this as a great way to get the chance to rub their horny chests against some strange woman’s boobs.

  Andrew makes an entertaining show out of removing Caroline’s garter. Or, it would be, if it wasn’t my sister’s skirt his head was currently under. The only reason I’m not retching at the sight is I know my mother’s probably ready to pop a fucking blood vessel right about now. And knowing Andrew, that’s precisely why he’s doing it, which is why he’s my new hero.

  “Just so you know, I’m ducking right as soon as Andrew gets his head out from under her dress.” I feel Dominic’s hot breath ghosting across my neck as he leans in to tell me his plan. “I’d suggest you go left so we don’t wind up running into one another. Just don’t make it too obvious; I’m pretty sure your mother is counting on you to catch that thing so she can start planning another wedding. She’s really something, huh?”

  It doesn’t upset me that he seems to know so much about my mother’s obsession with marrying me off. I’m sure Kennedy’s disappearing act is intentional, just so she won’t have to deal with the same lecture from my mother about how we should be the next ones to walk down the aisle. As far as she’s concerned, Kennedy and I have been seeing one another off and on for the past ten years and it’s high time I settle down and start a family. And maybe she’s right about the latter, but it won’t be Kennedy sharing my bed at night.

  Caroline laughs as she spins Andrew around, trying to get him good and dizzy before he tosses the garter in the air. Taking Dominic’s suggestion, I wait until the thin band of satin is flying through the air and move to my left, half-heartedly sticking my hands in the air so it’ll seem as if I’ve made an attempt for my parents’ sake. And wouldn’t you know it, that slight movement puts me directly in the path of the garter and it lands on my middle finger like a ring in the bottle toss game at the county fair.

  “Fuck,” I mutter, staring at the offensive piece of cloth as my mother rushes up to plant kisses on my cheeks. I hang my head, wondering if there’s any way I can sneak out before my mother sees me. A few guys pat my shoulder as they walk past with relieved looks on their faces. They’re not congratulating me, they’re consoling my sorry ass. Men try to avoid catching the garter almost as much as women fight over the bouquet.

  “Oh, my baby boy! You’re going to be next!” Not in this lifetime. Sure, it’s now legal for me to get married in my great home state, but as long as my parents are drawing oxygen, it’ll never happen. Homosexuality is yet another one of those things my closed-minded parents claim they’re not opposed to, as long as it’s someone else�
�s family being ‘affected’.

  I plaster on a fake smile and look over to Dominic, who seems more than a bit amused by my panic-stricken face. With my arms wrapped around my mother’s waist, I flip him the bird. At least I know now that he’s no longer so pissed off that he won’t even look at me.

  While the women assemble themselves on the dance floor like soldiers heading to combat, I make my way to the bar for another drink. Kennedy’s standing there, my drink already in her outstretched hand, laughing uncontrollably. “Holy shit, T! The look on your face when you realized what happened was priceless!”

  We both lean back against the bar, waiting to see who I’m going to have to dance with in a few seconds. “At least most of them are over eighteen this time,” Kennedy quips. “My money’s on the lanky blonde in the tacky purple dress. You can see it in her eyes, she’s as desperate to find someone as your mom is to marry your sorry ass off.”

  “Why aren’t you up there?” I ask, suddenly wishing she could help put me out of my misery. “You’re not married, so go on.”

  “Not a chance in hell. Knowing my luck, I’d catch the bouquet and then your mom would show up on my doorstep Monday morning to go dress shopping. It used to be fun to play around, but now that you actually caught that damn thing, I’m not taking any chances. The way she gets when a wedding is involved, you’d be waiting for me at the front of the church laughing your ass off while I look like a sequin and tulle factory exploded near me.” Kennedy shudders as she signals the bartender for another round of drinks as Andrew spins Caroline in circles. “Not to mention the fact I’m pretty sure Dahlia would kill you in your sleep before putting up with us having a fake marriage.”

  The moment my sister releases the bouquet, the world goes into slow motion. Her aim is so far off that women practically clothesline one another like WWE wrestlers as they slip and slide across the dance floor, hoping to be the first one to get to where the bouquet is going to land on the ground. But it never reaches the floor. My heart stops as I watch Dominic put his hands in front of his face to avoid taking a direct hit. He playfully holds the bouquet high over his head, cackling at the women trying to climb his body. Lucky bitches.

  “Wish me luck,” I say to Kennedy as I turn to meet whichever woman finally manages to wrestle the bouquet out of Dominic’s hands. This is going to be a special kind of hell because not only will I get the third degree from my mother as soon as the dance is over, I’m almost certain I’ll be able to smell Dominic’s cologne on whichever eligible bachelorette I wind up dancing with.

  Andrew rushes to Dominic’s side and pushes the women away as Dominic is tackled to the floor. “Sorry ladies, but rules are rules,” he informs them. Andrew helps Dominic off the ground but stops him when Dominic tries to pass the bouquet to a mousy looking brunette who wasn’t involved in the melee. “Not so fast, buddy. I’m pretty sure the wedding rule book says whoever catches the bouquet has to dance with whoever catches the garter.”

  I’ve always thought Andrew was a good guy, but now I’m rethinking that assertion. He has no clue what type of trouble he’s stirring by forcing Dominic and me to dance together. Small hands land in the middle of my back, pushing me closer to my brother-in-law and his friend. I turn around and see Caroline with a wicked grin on her face. “We were going to introduce the two of you later, but seems you were just destined to be together. Wouldn’t you agree, Andrew? I’m actually kicking myself for not figuring out sooner that Dominic was the one who made sure you got up here for the wedding.”

  Her voice is low enough that only Dominic, Andrew and I can hear her words. Andrew’s response is drowned out by the majority of the already tipsy guests chanting for the two of us to dance. I look to Dominic for a way out of the predicament, but he offers none. Instead, he hands the bouquet back to my sister before reaching for my hand.

  Fate, Destiny, and Serendipity are three evil bitches all working together to make my life as painful as possible right now.

  Because this scene isn’t uncomfortable enough, the DJ dims most of the lights, with the exception of a spotlight, guaranteeing that everyone in the room can see the most uncomfortable moment of my life. And given some of the shit I’ve done, that’s really saying something.

  The room erupts in catcalls as “Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” begins playing. We awkwardly shuffle from foot to foot through the intro and I can see the questions racing through my own mind mirrored back in his mocha eyes. I give him a subtle nod, telling him that, “Yes, we really are going to do this.” As content as I am just standing this close to Dominic after thinking I’d never see him again, I can hear Andrew’s buddies starting to toss out sarcastic comments. With great flair, I throw my arms around Dominic, taking firm hold of one ass cheek in each of my hands, pulling him so we’re standing cock to cock as Steven Tyler begins to sing. Dominic’s eyes widen, but as I study him for the slightest hint of panic, I see his dilated pupils and feel the uneven rise and fall of his chest against mine. Every time I sway my hips from one side to the other, giving Andrew and his buddies the show they were begging for, I feel Dominic’s dick brush against mine.

  My eyes flutter closed when Dominic’s hands land on my shoulders, only to jolt open when he pushes me away from him. As the song continues, we playfully make our way around the floor and the rest of the wedding guests begin to fade into the distance. The only person who matters is standing less than two feet away from me, but it’s still too far.

  I inch my hands toward Dominic’s back, taking note of the way he sucks in a sharp breath as my hands graze over the top of his suit coat. Now that I know at least a not-so small part of him is interested in me, I need to make him see just how badly I want him. One thumb brushes the nape of my neck as he draws my body inches closer to his. This may be my only chance to apologize to him, so I allow my hands to drift back to the top of his ass as I speak.

  “I’m sorry about the other night. When I see something I want, I tend to go for it, without thinking about the consequences of my actions. And I honestly didn’t realize until today how it probably looked to you, seeing Kennedy jumping on me when I got out of the car. You aren’t the first guy I’ve fucked around with, but something about you is different. I hate knowing that I upset you. Kennedy and I have been covering for one another for a long ass time and I didn’t think I’d ever see you again, so there was no need to explain who was picking me up. Had I known then what I know now, I would have told you that she’s my best friend, nothing more.”

  “Tony?” Dominic says softly. I fucking love the way my name sounds on his lips.

  “Yeah?” I can hear the need in my own voice. If it wouldn’t be so fucking obvious, I’d take Dominic by the hand right now and walk out of this party.

  A strong hand squeezes the back of my neck. “Shut up. Right now, I don’t want to think about anything.”

  Each step we take in time to the music brings us a bit closer to one another. A lump forms in my throat when Dominic starts singing along with the lyrics. His voice is amazing, but it’s the way he stares deep into my soul that has me close to my breaking point. He’s making me feel every single word, wishing I could wake up next to him, feel him sleeping in my arms. Everything. In an attempt to ease the sexual tension that’s sucking all of the air out of the room, I brace my arm in the middle of Dominic’s back and dip his head to the floor. The crowd erupts into cheers as I pull him back upright. Instead of giving me a much-needed break from the longing in his eyes, I’m even more drawn to him than before. My gaze drops to the tip of his tongue working its way across his lips. I lean in, desperate to taste his plump lips again when there’s suddenly a petite body shoving between the two of us.

  “Okay boys, the fun’s over,” Kennedy announces, wrapping her own arms around my neck as she hip checks Dominic out of the way. “You two were about a millimeter away from doing something I know at least one of you would regret instantly.”

  Looking over her shoulder, I offer Dominic a silent ap
ology. The fact that Kennedy has a valid point does nothing to ease the emptiness I feel as I watch him walk away from me. For just over a minute, I allowed myself to believe that there could be something more for us, even if only for tonight, and I hate letting that go. “Come on, lover boy. It’s time for you to dance with the love of your life.”

  “I think I just was,” I mumble, dumbfounded by the loss I feel after having him in my arms again. Kennedy grabs my biceps, shaking me until I realize that I’m just standing in the center of the dance floor like an idiot.

  “Get a fucking grip, buddy,” Kennedy laughs, taking charge of our movements. “In all the years we’ve known one another, not once have I seen you this twisted up over a guy. It figures that the one you fall for is not only your brother-in-law’s best friend, but a man who lives a couple thousand miles away.”

  Leave it to Kennedy to be the bucket of ice water on my fantasy. My sister all but gave me her blessing to jump this man’s bones and it’ll never go anywhere beyond this building. After tomorrow, he’ll head back to Phoenix and I’ll be here for the next week, wishing shit could go differently for once in my wayward life.

  The song ends and people start filing off the dance floor. Kennedy stands on her tiptoes, kissing my cheek as she shoves a hand in my pocket. “Don’t think about everything that’s spinning circles up there. You have tonight, use it wisely.”

  I thank Kennedy for saving my ass, as she always does, and shove past the couples who’ve stayed on the floor for the next song. I want to find someplace quiet and figure out if Dominic wants to have as much fun as we possibly can before he flies home. It’s not enough, but something about him captivated me the moment he approached me in the airport and I’m willing to take whatever he can give me.

  After fifteen minutes of searching for him while ducking into the crowd every time my mother spotted me, I head outside to grab a smoke and clear my head. I shouldn’t have ran across the street to grab a pack earlier, but since I have them, might as well smoke up before I do something stupid like ask Andrew if he’s seen his friend.