The Orphan Club

The Wedding: Mace

Tomorrow does come and has turned into today. Today is the day before the wedding and several things have changed. Now, not only will all of The Orphan Club be there but some of Kristen's friends and Heidi's friends protested at being cut out of the wedding, so they are invited.

Meanwhile, we are all getting ready for the wedding. Macy and Liam are tasked with creating a flowery, whimsical-looking arch for their ceremony. Matty and I are tasked with convincing the building manager to let us use the courtyard tomorrow. Yes, they should have gotten this part done earlier. No, I am not shocked it's not done.

"It will only be a half an hour ceremony, and then a little party," I say.

"No, it's too late. The residents don't like the noise." Damion says in his thick Slavic accent. Also, it's New York. It's never quite here.

"All the residents are invited to the wedding!" Matty offer. Dude, we don't have enough food or drinks already.

"Ok, but if I hear one complaint, I shut the thing down."

With that done, we now have to figure out more food. We already increased the order at Cucumbers and Feta, a very gentrified Mediterranean place that Heidi and Kristen live by. Now we had to figure out food for a potential 100 more people.

"Pizza and beers!" Matty suggests as we come back to the apartment. "In New York, you can get those things delivered like that. So quit worrying."

"Fine, but you're in charge of it, and of dealing with the residents and telling Kristen and Heidi," I say, sitting down on my usual spot on the couch. Matty grabs two beers from the bar fridge and hands them on to me before joining.

"Done! I am here to solve all your problems!" And create a few more with every move. I say nothing and take a long swig.

"Where is everyone?"

"At the courtyard. Setting up. We just missed them."

"Then, why are we here?" I ask. Matty raises his eyebrows at me.

"I had to sneak out of your room a little too early this morning. I didn't get to return the favor for last night." He widens his eyes at me, tugging at the ends of my blouse.

"Matty no, we have to be there to help them."

"We will." He puts his beer down. Puts mine down for me as well. "We can be 20 minutes late."

****

45 minutes later, Matty and I are setting up seats playing Would You Rather (apparently he would rather only eat peanut butter all his life than work a day with Liam.) Matty is dragging several metal chairs between his arms and hips, handing them to me, one at a time so I can place them facing the non-whimsical arch Liam and Macy put together. Meanwhile, they are still fiddling with the arch.

"Rob, your pants zippers are not done up," Macy quietly comes up to me and whispers.

"Thanks, must have been in a rush." We were.

With all six of us working we were able to split the courtyard into the wedding ceremony area and a reception area. We had neatly lined up chairs with DIY bows I made stuck on all of them so they looked wedding-ready. With all the sex and sneaking around, I am shocked I have the time to help with this wedding.

The reception area was easy. We don't have any sit-down tables but we stole several tall coffee tables from the cafe in their building—to Damion's protest, which were ignored by all—so people can place their drinks and food there in between all the dancing. We are not expecting anyone to sit and eat. Which according to Kristen is a sign of a good party. I knew the, "we want a small wedding" talk was all bullshit.