Electric Moonlight Shuffle

8. A Midsummer Night's Dream

I show up in a cutoff Stevie Nicks t-shirt, jean shorts, flip flops, and a gold-fringed septum ring.

I park the Mustang next to Flynn's car.

Jamie and I get out of the car and walk down the grassy hill. We carry caramel iced coffees the size of our heads.

The sun is just coming up over the horizon. Everything is still dusky purple and studded with faintly-burning soft stars. Beautiful.

Everyone stands around in a field at the edge of the woods. It's Tanner, a few crew guys with cameras and white umbrella-shaded lights, and a shrimpy intern with armfuls of bagel-stuffed paper bags. They're gathered around a table spread with breakfast: more bagels, cream cheese, jams, a battery-operated toaster. Someone else is changing behind a curtain.

It's strange, being on the edge of the woods, and infiltrating it with our artificial world. Our cameras, our costumes, our lights.

I head toward the breakfast table. I pick up a warm sesame bagel, but I don't even have a chance to butter it when Tanner comes over, thrusts a beautiful floor-length white dress into my arms, and guides me toward the curtain.

"Five a.m. means four forty-five," says Tanner. "Change as fast as you can. Everyone else is in the woods already."

"Noted," I say.

As I go behind the curtain, Jason Moon comes out from behind the curtain.

He's wearing a tuxedo, and he grins at me.

"Hey, delinquent," Jason says. "Surprised you showed up." He adjusts his silk bow tie, runs a hand through his shiny dark hair.

"Right back at you," I say. "Jet lag's a bitch, Australia boy."

I instantly hate myself--am I stretching the joke too far?!--but Jason hits the ball back.

"I can handle it," says Jason.

"Talk later!" Tanner pushes me around the curtain.

Behind the curtain, I stand alone. I hold up the dress.

Ivory-colored satin, long lace sleeves, mermaid cut, with a delicate train embroidered with roses and poppies. Vintage and classy.

I realize the dress in my arms is a wedding gown.

I'm the bride, and Jason is the groom.

My stomach somersaults.

Maybe getting Jason to fall in love will be easier than I imagined.

***

"I hope you're not afraid of horses." Jason walks next to me, through the red and gold leaves. The trees are thick, and it's cool in here. Tanner, a few paces ahead of us, walks briskly with a flashlight. The white light bounces off the dark trees. This wedding dress is crazy heavy. We think that bros are strong for picking things up and putting them down, but try being wrapped up in the equivalent of your entire morning workout—and not being able to escape. I'm hit with a rush of respect for Lady Gaga and her infamous meat dress.

"I love horses," I say, holding up my heavy train. "I used to ride when I was little. For a hot second."

"Good," says Jason. "Because I'm terrified. One of us needs to be in control."

Jason shoulders up next to me, and the nauseous-butterfly-whatever-the-fuck-this-love-thing-is hits my stomach.

We reach a clearing between the trees. A waterfall bubbles. Gold fairy lights strung through the trees. A beautiful black and white painted horse stands in the center of the round clearing, like it's in the spotlight. The rest of the cast and crew is there, with the umbrella shaded lights, the cameras, the horses.