Closing Time

by E. L. Todd

  He came over with a six-pack.

  “Dos Equis?” he asked as he handed one to me.

  His attempt at a Spanish accent was laughable. “Sure.”

  He smirked then sat down next to me, handing me a cold one. “So…nervous?”

  “A little.”

  “You aren’t going to run off again, right?”

  I suddenly realized something. “Is that the real reason why you’re here?”

  Cortland shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

  “My sister asked you to come over here, didn’t she?”

  He drank his beer. “Maybe…”

  “That annoying brat.”

  “In all seriousness, I wanted to come over anyway.”

  “Did you bring handcuffs?”

  He cringed. “Eww…what?”

  I glared at him. “I meant so I can’t run away, sicko.”

  “Oh.” His face relaxed. “Sorry.”

  “You better be.”

  We both watched the game and downed our beers. Then we moved on to the second round.

  “Is there anything you want to do tonight?” he asked as he crossed his ankle at the knee.

  “Not really.”

  “No strippers?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Not my thing and you know it.”

  “It used to be,” he jabbed.

  “That was a different lifetime.”

  “So, what are you going to miss about being a bachelor?”

  “Are we really going to have this girly conversation?”

  He smirked. “Come on, it’s the night before your wedding. Just play along.”

  “I didn’t ask you anything like that the night before yours.”

  “Because I was too wasted to speak. Honestly, I still don’t remember most of that night. It’s all a blur.”

  “Money well spent,” I said sarcastically. “But you were hilarious.”

  “I can be fun every now and then. So, what are you going to miss?”

  I relived my past, recalling all the threesomes I had, the girls I took back to my apartment, and having the freedom to do what I wanted and when I wanted. I’d be out until early the following morning, and no one would call to check on me. I ordered pizza and take out on a whim and had the guys over whenever. My money was spent solely on me. I had no obligations and no commitments. Life was simple. “Not a damn thing.”

  “Really? You lived the bachelor life most guys dream of.”

  “It always looks better from the outside.” I remembered how lonely I was. I pounded different pussy every night, but the orgasms were usually empty. It was slightly better than masturbating. “I don’t regret my past because I refuse to. All those empty nights just made me cherish Janice even more once she walked through my door. But there are never days when I wish I was single or could go back to my glory days. I’m so over that.”

  “Well, that’s good. It’s pretty clear Janice is the one.”

  “She is.”

  “So…no doubts, right?”

  I wanted to snap at him but I realized he had every right to be hesitant. “No.”

  “Then why did you pull that number before?”

  I shrugged. “I was being an idiot. I never wanted to be without Janice. That was never the issue. Sometimes I feel like she isn’t good enough for me. I have a psycho mom that tried to kill my sister. What girl wants to marry into that?”

  “She’s not marrying into that,” he said firmly. “She’s marrying into us. You, me, Sean, Mike, Monnique, Flynn, Hazel, and Scarlet. That’s your family, not that crazy bitch.”

  “I know…”

  “Don’t let it get to you. And Janice loves you for you, not what you do for a living or where your roots grow.”

  “I know that too.”

  “So…I don’t have to keep an eye on you?”

  “No,” I said quickly. “I’ll marry her tomorrow. I just hope she shows up.”

  He smirked. “She will. I’m not sure why she loves you, but she’ll be there. If not, Scarlet would tackle her to the ground and sit on her with her fat ass.”

  I laughed. “God, my sister is a cow.”

  “I hope she doesn’t have the baby tomorrow.”

  “They said the due date is the week after. Hopefully it stays that way.”

  “She told me she had to get another dress,” Cortland said with a chuckle. “The other one wouldn’t fit.”

  “I hope Sean likes them round,” I joked.

  “Man, I love making fun of her. It’s universal, something everyone can enjoy.”

  “Word.” I clanked my glass against his.

  The next morning, I woke to the sound of my alarm. It was the first night I hadn’t slept with Janice for a long time. It was weird not feeling her next to me. I knew she was thinking the same thing at Scarlet’s house. I’d grown accustomed to the sound of her light breathing, the way she sighed when she turned over, and the way she would reach out to me in her sleep, making sure I was still beside her. It was a habit she never broke. I never mentioned it to her, but I always wanted to know why she did it. It seemed like she was afraid she’d wake up to my absence.

  I sat up in bed then rubbed my eyes. I didn’t sleep well the night before. The anxiety plagued my body every second of the night. Cortland slept on the couch and I could hear his snores even through the closed door.

  I was spending the rest of my life with the one girl who changed my ways. It didn’t take any effort and we never discussed it. As soon as we touched, I was monogamous and faithful. I respected relationships and marriages, thinking the sanctity was beautiful and impressive. As a result, I never slept with a girl who had a boyfriend, and I certainly never slept with a married woman. But never in my life did I think I’d be married myself.

  There was no one that caught my eye and kept my attention. Girls were attractive and sexy, and after I got my way with them, I was over it, looking for something else to occupy my time. I knew Janice was different because I was hooked on her before the sex. One look at her sent shivers down my spine. I was obsessed with everything about her; her voice, her appearance, her smile, her confidence, and that attitude that drove me crazy. While I wanted to be inside her, sex wasn’t the only thing on my mind. And that was a first.

  Now I was going to marry her. Committing to her for the rest of my life wasn’t scary. When I left her, it was a stupid decision, but it’s never what I really wanted. I was trying to be selfless and put her first. But, of course, that blew up in my face. I was lucky I only got a few slaps out of it. And honestly, it was kinda hot. When we had sex every night, I asked her to hit me because it turned me on in a sick way. She slapped me across the face, not using too much force, and I slapped her ass. Our carnal but romantic relationship was perfect for the two of us. I was never bored with her. Every time we had sex, I was satisfied but still a little hungry, wanting more of her.

  I wanted to have kids with her. I always questioned my capability of being a great father, but Mike made me feel a little better. He never struck me as the parenting type. He spent most of his life fucking around, unable to take anything seriously. But when Trinity was born, he swooped in and automatically became the dad of the year. If he could do it, surely I could. Maybe when I held my son or daughter in my arms, hopefully just a son, that instinct would come out and take over. Maybe they wouldn’t care about what I did for a living. Hopefully, they would understand that I was passionate about my work and I took care of them, gave them a roof over their head, and put food on the table. And one day, hopefully, they would respect me.

  Cortland knocked on the door. “It’s time to get up, sunshine.”

  “I’m up,” I said groggily.

  Cortland opened the door. “Good. You aren’t naked.”

  “What’s the point if there’s no girls in here?”

  “Well, at least you didn’t jerk off the night before your wedding. That’s not exactly romantic.”

  “Maybe I did,” I challen
ged.

  Cortland cringed. “Anyway…”

  “You brought it up.”

  Cortland grabbed the suit from the living room then placed it on the bed. “I got your shoes, tie, and your watch. You’ll look spiffy.”

  I stood up in my sweatpants and looked at the outfit. “I hate wearing suits.”

  “I don’t think Janice would appreciate it if you came wearing jeans and a sweater.”

  “We both know she’d marry me anyway.”

  “Don’t push your luck.” He laughed then left the bedroom.

  I showered then got ready for my big day. After I did my hair three different times, I brushed my teeth and tried to perfect myself as much as possible. I knew Janice would look beautiful, but I wanted her to think the same of me. I put on my suit then struggled with the tie.

  How the hell do you put this on? My dad showed me once but I forgot how. Scarlet usually did it for me.

  “How is he?” I heard my sister say from the living room.

  “He’s not thrilled about wearing a suit,” Cortland said.

  “Shocking,” she said sarcastically. She walked to my door then barged in without knocking. Typical.

  She stopped when she saw me in my suit. A smirk spread on her face. “You combed your hair.”

  I smirked. “Don’t get used to it.”

  She came to me then stared at my jacket. “You look so handsome, Ryan.”

  “I always look handsome.”

  “No, you don’t,” she said quickly. She eyed my tie. “Can I do the honors?”

  “Sure.” I dropped my hands and let her grab the material. Like a pro, she put it around my neck and tightened it. “I do it for Sean all the time.”

  “Lucky guy.”

  She flattened it against my chest then stepped back. She wearing a green gown with her hair pulled back. A pink flower was in her hair. She looked beautiful, even though she was swollen and big. “You don’t look that ugly today.” That was the nicest compliment she was getting from me.

  She smirked. “Thank you.”

  I put my hands in my pocket while I stood in front of her. “How’s Janice doing?”

  “Good. She looks amazing, by the way.”

  “I bet she does.”

  “You’ll probably rip the dress off her when she comes near.”

  “I hope you guys like free porn.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Can you be serious for just a second?”

  “No,” I said with a laugh.

  She examined my room, noticing the picture of Janice and I. There was one of me and Scarlet at Mega-Shake. Janice found it in the moving box and immediately put it on the dresser. It was a candid shot and we were both laughing. I admit it had a special place in my heart.

  “I’m really happy for you,” she whispered. “Janice is the perfect girl for you.”

  “She is.” I cleared my throat, feeling the emotion coming through.

  “And you deserve nothing but the best, Ryan.”

  “I don’t know about that, but I will gladly cherish her.”

  “When you clean up, comb your hair, and put on a suit, you look so much like Dad.”

  I thought the same thing when I looked in the mirror. Maybe that was why I purposely dressed down all the time. My image haunted me. I would never be as smart or as successful as my father. I was just a shadow of him.

  “He would be really proud of you, Ryan.”

  “You think?” I whispered.

  “I know. But he wouldn’t be as proud as I am. Married or not, you’re still my hero.”

  She’d been saying that to me since I can remember. “Now you have a new hero in your life.”

  “Yeah, I do. But you’ll always be the first.”

  “You aren’t too bad yourself. You beat the shit out of Sarah.”

  “Yeah, I did. But nobody messes with my daughter and gets away with it.”

  “True.” I loved my sister more than words could say. Now that I was getting married to an amazing woman, I realized Scarlet wouldn’t be the number one girl in my life. My wife would be. And I guess that was hard to accept.

  My sister could read my mind just by looking into my eyes. “We still have each other’s backs until the end of time. And just because we have our own families now doesn’t mean we don’t love each other as much as we always have.”

  “I know…”

  Her eyes welled up. “I love you so much.”

  My eyes started to moisten. Damn it. “I love you too, baby sister.”

  She moved into my arms and hugged me, resting her head against my chest. I held her close, my hand on her back and the other on her shoulder. Memories of our childhood came to me. We had suffered more than anyone ever should, but we got through it together. And we would always get through it together. The bad times were challenging and hard, but we pulled through. And happy times like this, where we were both getting a happily ever after, were times I cherished. I didn’t have parents, even my best friends couldn’t completely erase what I lost, but Scarlet could. No matter what happened, I could always rely on her and she could rely on me. And now we both had editions to the family, making it bigger and stronger.

  I blinked my tears away because now wasn’t the time for sorrow. We were starting a new age, years filled with happiness and joy. We worked hard to get to where we were, and nothing could erase all our accomplishments. Today was a day of laughter and happiness. The past was the past, and now it was over forever.

  She pulled away. “Are you ready to get married?”

  I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m more than ready.”

  We took a limo to the house in Connecticut. Sean stayed behind and helped with the set up and caterers, despite how difficult it was to be separated from his wife.

  “I’m surprised he didn’t come with you,” I said.

  “Oh, it was a battle, that’s for sure.” The limo stopped and she got out. Cortland and I followed behind her. “But this is your day so don’t worry about the drama with my husband. It never ends anyway.”

  “I know that too well,” I said with a laugh.

  We entered inside the house and saw the vacant furniture. Tables covered in food ant decorations lined the living room. When I looked outside, it looked like a professional had completely renovated the backyard. Circled tables covered in while table clothes and white lights hung across the opening from tree to tree. It looked impressive.

  My eyes narrowed when I spotted something that shouldn’t be there. “She got the ice sculpture?”

  Scarlet laughed. “She had her heart set on it.”

  I rolled my eyes then stopped thinking about it. It was her wedding day. She could do whatever she wanted.

  We walked outside then moved down the rows of chairs that led to the beach. A small stage was erected on the sand, making us visible to the guests. Mike and Flynn were standing there, talking while they looked clean in their suits.

  “Wow, he showed up,” Flynn said.

  I rolled my eyes. “Go to hell.”

  “Do we need to hook a anvil to your ankle?” Mike offered.

  “If you weren’t a father, I’d kill you,” I threatened.

  “It wouldn’t matter anyway because my wife would beat your ass.” He winked. “And she’s feisty.”

  “She’s got nothing on Janice,” I jabbed.

  “Oooh…” Flynn got a wicked gleam in his eyes. “Let’s get them riled up and put them in a pool full of Jello.”

  Mike smirked. “That’d be fun to watch.”

  “And throw Hazel in there,” Flynn offered.

  “Even better,” I said.

  Scarlet glared at me. “You’re getting married, Ryan.”

  “Oh yeah. It slipped my mind.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Men…”

  Sean came to me then patted my shoulder. “I wasn’t sure if I’d see you today.”

  “Damn, stop with the jokes,” I snapped. “I’m never going to hear the end of this.”
>
  “Nope,” Mike said.

  I sighed in annoyance.

  Sean smirked at me. “Everything is ready. Thanks for looking after my wife.”

  “She was looking after me, actually,” I said. I looked at my sister. “Try not to go into labor today.”

  “It’s not like I can control it,” she snapped.

  “Just keep your legs closed,” I said. “Even though I know that’s hard for you to do.”

  She hit my arm. “You were so sweet an hour ago.”

  “My charm comes and goes.”

  “Apparently,” she said sarcastically.

  Sean looked at his watch. “Well, I just checked in with Janice. She and the girls are ready to go and the guests are here. I think we should get this party started.”

  “Yeah,” I said calmly.

  “Or do you need a few minutes…?” Sean looked at me hesitantly.

  “I’m ready,” I snapped.

  “Alright. Places everyone.” Sean walked away.

  “Is he the wedding planner?” Mike asked. “Because that’s pretty damn girly.”

  “He’s a girly man,” Scarlet said.

  Cortland laughed. “Wow. What a burn.”

  Scarlet shrugged. “But I love him that way.”

  “Not sure why…” Mike walked off.

  “Coming from Mrs. Doubtfire,” Cortland called out.

  “Shut it.” He flipped us off then kept walking.

  Scarlet took my arm and guided me to the stage. “This is where you stand.”

  “I know how weddings work,” I said sarcastically.

  “I sincerely hope you have a better attitude when your bride arrives.”

  “Well, I actually like Janice. So yes, I’m usually pretty nice.”

  “I wonder what that’s like,” Scarlet said sarcastically.

  “You’ll never know.”

  She kissed my cheek then joined the rest of the wedding party, leaving me to stand alone.

  “You look like a million bucks.”

  I turned to see Andrew.

  He smiled at me and gave me a big hug. He held me for a long time, longer than he ever had before. For a second, the hole in my heart closed, the place where my father resided. It was nice to feel the love of a parent, someone who loved you just because. He’d always been wonderful to Scarlet, taking her side even when his wife didn’t. And I knew he loved me like his own son.