Like Dizzy Gillespie's Cheeks

Seventy-eight

They called it the "container of love and understanding." The twenty or so people in attendance stood hand in hand and found ourselves in a human circle, with Chad and Jack in the middle and the clergy, if you will, standing in front of each of them. Naturally, holding Kate's hand was a delight, but the guy next to me, queer as I am straight, complete with a metaphoric Popeye tattoo on his right forearm that read: "I yam what I yam," an exquisitely female-set diamond ring that kept digging into my left hand, a storm watch, shiny blue iridescent pants, and closely trimmed mustache, was a tight-gripping hand sweater.

"Hey, how's it hanging? My name's Nat," he whispered with a smile.

I smiled back, and whispered, "Like in a bug, Gnat?"

"Yeah, but without the G."

Apparently, he wanted to chat, this man named Nat.

"Nat Noonoo."

"Nat Noonoo?"

"Yeah. How do you know the boys?"

I paused to process the name. "Long story ..." He was looking at me, waiting for something, anything. "How about you?" I finally said.

"Hockey."

"You guys hockey fans?" I said, trying to image how a group of gay men could enjoy a violent hockey game with their eyes closed and their hands over their faces.

"We play on the same team?"

Now I was interested. Nat caught me by surprise.

"What do you mean? You actually play hockey?"

Kate squeezed my hand, not out of affection, but out of annoyance that I was talking to this guy during the ceremony.

"GHL," he said. "Gay Hockey League. Yeah, I'm gay too."

What did he mean by, "I'm gay too"? Hopefully, he meant as well as the guys getting married, and did not assume I was gay.

"We're the Rainbows ..."

I ignored his implication, if in fact it was one.

"Not a very good hockey name."

"Ssshhhhh." Two guys next to Nat scolded us.

I made a mocking face to the bothered guys, and Nat got a laugh out of it.

"We'll talk later ..."

Besides the strange wording in the ceremony, which included things like, "gathering of male energy," "united in the name of man-love," and being pronounced "partners in life, you may now ... kiss," it was all sort of sweet. Jack stepped on the glass, Chad yipped in excitement, and the party began.

The Dove Suite was quickly converted from a room where the ceremony took place, to a room where the reception took place. I sort of felt like I was watching a play as they changed the set on stage. There were a lot of activities and all the characters were busy doing other things. The trio played a little more of what they already played, not that anyone else would notice, while Chad and Jack got some pictures taken.

Being that it was New Year's Eve, it was appropriate that there was a lot of champagne —but the hors d'oeuvres seemed to be few and far between. As the champagne and hors d'oeuvres began to make their way around the room, I noticed Kate was sort of quiet.

I suggested that we move to the secret door the hors d'oeuvre people would use to come from the kitchen, so we'd get them hot, fresh, and first.

"It's funny how sometimes you don't know how hungry you are until you start to eat," I said, as the hors d'oeuvre lady, in all her sexiness, stood before us with mini napkins, mini quesadillas, and salsa. I never understood how you could serve appetizers with dips when people are standing. What's supposed to happen? The server is supposed to stand by watching and waiting for you to dip before they move on to the next one who's going to dip and drip all over themselves?