Page 16 of Worlds Collide

“Now it’s time for their first dance as married men, and we have the honor of hearing Ed Trent sing them their favorite song.”

My mouth drops slightly. I stayed away from him and his wife Samantha at Harrison’s wedding because I didn’t want to lose my cool, and I definitely didn’t see the legend anywhere in the crowd during the ceremony, but sure enough, there he is, jumping onto the stage like he’s still twenty-five and not in his fifties. He drags a stool over to the mic stand and proceeds to render a beautiful version of his song “When You Don’t,” while Mike and Theo slowdance and never take their eyes off each other.

It’s a great song for a first dance in my opinion, and how freaking cool is it that he’s here to sing it? I’m about to fanboy all over this table... damn.

The song speaks about how you cherish the person who loves you when you’re not perfect. When you’re down and not at your best. The person who stands by you and protects you when you’re vulnerable. It’s a song he famously wrote for Samantha years ago.

Once the last note rings out, and the applause subsides, he leans into the mic again.

“I do wish you the happiest of marriages, boys, and to start it off the way it’s supposed to be—fun—I’d like to invite a friend up here to help me tempt you all onto the dance floor.”

And then Wolf is jumping up on stage as well, and shrugging on a seriously sexy-looking electric guitar. He gets another mic stand and places it next to Ed’s.

“Come on,” Wolf growls into the mic. “I know Theo and Mike don’t want to be alone on the dance floor. And I know you’re all very well put together, and all fancied up, but you’re gonna have to let loose and unclench your assholes to really enjoy this one.”

There’s a beat of silence where a few snickers—one of them Ed’s—can be heard in the tent, and I burst out laughing right before Wolf strikes the first chord of an infectious riff.

Everyone is walking to the dance floor the next second when Mike starts jumping up and down like a dork and Theo follows suit.

I look over at Harrison while I’m still laughing at Wolf telling the elite of New York City to literally relax their asses, and see the groom’s father covering his face with both hands and Tristan laughing uncontrollably next to him.

Then my eyes shift back to Wolf.

I laser in on the way he expertly handles the guitar, only looking down casually a few times even though I can tell it’s a tricky song to play, and I know nothing about playing the guitar. The movements, the confidence, the fucking swagger is giving me all kinds of ideas. I trail my eyes up his torso while he plays the solo and when I get to his eyes, I see they’re solely focused on me.

And he looks beyond angry.

Or maybe it’s not anger, I’m not really sure, but it lights my blood on fire.

That is until Carter slides up next to me and hands me another drink. Then I focus on the party again. The dance floor is full of people as Ed sings a cover of “LUCKY PENNY” by JD McPherson. It’s pretty ironic, how all these rich people sing about a lucky penny only bringing them bad luck. I bet they’ve never picked up a lucky penny in their lives, but they do look like they’re letting loose on the dance floor.

The rest of the reception is just as fun and entertaining.

I get to catch up with Adam about how his brothers are doing and we discuss Kevin’s desire to become a sports agent at length. At three in the morning, it’s only our friends’ group left in the tent.

We’re all sitting around—and I’d bet we’re all drunk—on the dance floor. For some reason we started dragging chairs from the table over here, and now we’re in a happy circle.

Sebas and Adam.

George and Glenn.

Josie and Bidy.

Bennett and Luke.

Theo and Mike.

Derek and Hawk.

Carter.

And Wolf.

I know this is the moment.

These are my people. It’s time to tell them all about the real me.

FIVE

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