Page 114 of Just Past Two

Silas laughed. “Maybe.” He leaned over to kiss Matthew. Matthew kissed him back, feeling lazy and content and happier than he’d been in a long time. Things wouldn’t be easy all the time; they were different people, with strong personalities and even stronger opinions. That was part of the challenge.

As any true gamer knew, though, the challenge ultimately made the win that much sweeter.

Epilogue

“Hold still.” Silas swatted Matthew’s hands away from the bow tie. “I watched a tutorial video on this today, and I know what I’m doing.”

Matthew rolled his eyes but let Silas fiddle with his bow tie, amused more than annoyed. “I don’t know what’s wrong with the regular necktie. It looks fine. You’re wearing one.”

“But you’re a groomsman. You have to match.” Silas pursed his lips in concentration, still messing with the light blue tie, and then stepped back and nodded in satisfaction. “There. Perfect. Take a look.”

Matthew admired the perfectly tied bow tie in the mirror. “Not bad, not bad.” He adjusted the hang of the tux jacket, which he had to admit was flattering. Ever since quitting Gigi’s, he hadn’t had much opportunity to wear a suit. “I forgot how good I look dressed up. We should go out to more fancy dinners.”

“I’ll never say no to food.” Silas poked at his hair in the mirror. “Are you sure I look all right?”

“You look hot. Just like the first night I met you.” Matthew ran his thumbs down Silas’s suspenders, their look completing his hipster ensemble. “These are sexy. Remind me to thank Dee for taking you shopping.”

Silas shrugged. “You know I can’t buy clothes. Especially dressy clothes like this.” He gestured to the suit he was wearing, gray and tailored, with black suspenders and a thin necktie contrasting against his light blue dress shirt. It was a good look on him, and those slim trousers made Matthew’s thoughts turn decidedly inappropriate.

Instead, he thought about how far they’d come in the past six months. They still bickered now and then, but their time together was generally effortless. Being technical manager at PI Games kept him busy, but not too busy to drag Silas into a gaming marathon every week or so, a hobby Silas enjoyed now that he was restricting his time at Wayscorp to a normal nine-to-five workday.

Well, most of the time. Matthew still had to pry him away when he got engrossed in a big project, but he’d become proficient at luring Silas home with sex, a bribe neither of them minded. When Silas had asked Matthew to move in last month, it was a surprisingly easy decision for him to say yes. As long as Zuul could come along, of course.

Matthew pulled Silas closer by the suspenders. “Maybe when we get home tonight, you’ll let me peel you out of all of this. Yeah?”

Silas grinned, a bit of mischief in his smile. “Or maybe we can just find a coatroom somewhere.”

A jolt of arousal brought Matthew right back to that night in the back room of Gigi’s, their hands all over each other, hot and panting and unfamiliar. “Shit, man, I’m not going to make it to the wedding if you keep talking like that.”

Silas put his hands on Matthew’s chest and gently shoved. “Come on. Isabel will kill you if we’re late.”

Matthew had privately thought Honeymoon Island might be a bit clichéd for people like Isabel and Caleb, who’d bucked tradition at every turn, but those thoughts vanished when he arrived. Rows of white chairs faced a wooden arch bedecked with a rainbow of tropical flowers, late-afternoon sun illuminating the entire scene in golden light, and the beauty of the locale surpassed anything he had imagined. At sunset, as he stood in support while Isabel and Caleb exchanged vows, he found himself sneaking glances at Silas, sitting at the end of one row and watching the entire scene with a slight smile. And even though it was too soon, he couldn’t help picturing what Silas would look like standing across from him in a tux, saying these same words of commitment in front of everyone they knew and loved. The swell of longing surprised him, and he had to look away.

Not yet. But maybe someday.

After a blur of photographs and receiving lines and meeting Isabel’s entire extended family, which seemed to involve half the island of Cuba, Matthew finally made it to his seat next to Silas at dinner. “I thought I was never going to see you again.” He squeezed Silas’s hand.

Before Silas could respond, they were joined at the table by other familiar faces. Iris and Owen took seats next to them, Iris in a familiar retro pinup-style dress with cherries on it. Owen couldn’t seem to stop staring. Matthew grinned. He knew that feeling well whenever Silas wore slim-fitting trousers. They didn’t have a chance to strike up a conversation before the happy couple was being introduced, and then there were toasts and cheers and a buffet to visit. Conversation finally picked up again once they were back at their table with food and friends. In addition to Iris and Owen, Phil and Dan were at their table, both solo.

“What a beautiful wedding,” Iris said, sighing and looking off toward the beach where the sun had just slipped below the horizon. “You know, I never thought I’d be interested in this sort of thing, but now?” She shrugged. “What do you think, Owen? You think that’ll ever be us out there?”

Owen smiled and squeezed her hand. “You know I’ll marry you as soon as you get around to asking me.”

Iris laughed. “So that’s how it’s gonna be, huh?”

“Yeah, I think so.” He leaned in to brush a kiss on her lips, and she returned it, smiling.

“Be careful. I might take you up on that.” She waved down a passing waiter for some more champagne.

“Not me,” Dan said, folding his arms. “Bachelor life for good. Me and Phil right here? Straight pimpin’.” He peered past them toward one of the tables up front. “Isabel’s got some smokin’-hot cousins. I think I’m going to make some new friends. Phil, you in?”

“I’m in.” Phil clinked his champagne glass with Dan’s and the two men pushed back from the table.

Matthew smiled at them as they sauntered away. Already his player days seemed far behind him, and he didn’t miss them as much as he’d thought. “So, Owen, how’s the bakery?” He finished off the rest of his champagne and set the empty glass in the middle of the table, where it was immediately refilled by a waiter.

Owen looked up from his steak. “Still going well. Busy, but a little more manageable now that I’ve got my assistant handling more of the business side of things. This is a first for me, though, attending a wedding I made the cake for.” He laughed.

Matthew looked up in time to see Isabel and Caleb heading over to their table, both all smiles, Isabel radiant in her flowing wedding gown, her curly hair hanging loose down her back. They greeted Iris and Owen first, hugs and warm wishes, before moving on to Matthew and Silas. Both stood to hug the new bride and groom, and Isabel clung to Matthew for an extra few heartbeats, holding him close. “Thank you for everything,” she whispered into his ear, squeezing once more before letting him go. “You know, Caleb and I wouldn’t even be here today if it wasn’t for you.”