Page 46 of The Pursuit of Her Happiness

It's a beautiful spring day in Independence, Kentucky. And Betty, Stacy, and the other woman have done a bang-up job creating something out of nothing in the field where the multiplex will be built. There’s even a large trailer where Tilly and the girls are getting ready. Everyone understood the significance of the location and worked hard to make it wedding-worthy. Marco, Salvatore, and Enzo are ushers, dutifully guiding everyone to their seats. And Sammy is the impatient ringbearer.

“When I got married,” Adams begins in a low voice on my other side, “it was quick and at the courthouse. I was anxious to finallyget Natalia back to the hotel. I only had 36 hours to enjoy her before I had to ship back out.”

I slowly turn my head to stare at Veep. “How. Romantic.”

His smile drops and he scowls at me, “It was.”

I shrug, “Ok. If you say so.”

He leans in, his frown deepening, “I’m lucky I didn’t blow right there in front of the damn judge. 20-year-old virgins with limited time…it was as romantic as I could make it.”

Ok, that catches my attention. “Wait a damn minute. You were both virgins when you got married?” He nods with his chin lifted defiantly. “You have only slept with one woman your entire life and she’s been…gone for 26 years!” The unimpressed stare he levels me with has my insides curdling as I realize what I’ve just said to the Vice President of my club. But…one woman in like 60 years! Jesus.

“Got a problem with that?”

“Uh, no, definitely not. Just…making sure I understood what you said.”

“I’d like to think that now you have Quinn, you’d understand that when you’ve found your soulmate, everyone else is a poor unsatisfying substitute.”

“Amen.” My dad reaches across mom and I and puts his hand up for a high five that Adams quickly slaps.

The music begins halting any retort I might have had. And honestly, I don’t think I have one. What do you say to something like that? I shake it off and swivel in my seat to watch. My jaw drops and my breathing quickens. Quinn is fucking breathtaking in a pale cream gauzy fabric with subtle yellow and orange flowers. A sliver of her pale midsection peeks out from under the banded top that matches the long skirt. Another piece of fabriccomes up from the side of her waist, across her chest and over the opposite shoulder. It looks like traditional Indian attire and similar to Tilly’s dress for the charity gala months ago.

“Did KellyAnne make the dresses?” Mom asks.

“Yeah. And the groomsmen’s tuxedos.”

“She’s really fucking good.” I laugh at my mom’s remark, but I’m unable to take my eyes off my woman. She walks down the aisle slowly but steadily. My body braces in case she needs help, but she’s got it. Her ass looks phenomenal under the skirt, and I can’t wait to lift it up later and fuck her in it.

Chastity is next wearing the same get up, but it doesn’t do anything for me. However, a few rows back, Langley whistles appreciatively, causing Chastity to blush. She’s a conundrum, to be sure. Sweet, with a pure soul, respectful of members and ol’ ladies, and the nicest of all the lobbyists. She and Langley have been circling around one another since she first showed up at the clubhouse a few years ago. I don’t know what’s keeping that boy from claiming her, but I hope it's a damn good reason. That girl deserves happiness, I just don’t know if Langley is the man to deliver it.

Audrey begins her walk down the aisle, and Lincoln stands up straight at the altar, an expression that can only be described as animalistic appreciation changing his face in an instant. Her dress is the same style, but a pale yellow with orange and white accents instead.

We all stand when the wedding march starts. Tilly is beautiful in her dress, pale aqua with yellow and orange flowers, and an elaborate headdress that covers her forehead in jewels and trails down her back. KellyAnne is uber talented. It’s ridiculous she isn’t in some fashion house in Europe. She and the rest of theDicks and the Boobs love their small Ohio town though. I’m quite fond of Independence, so I guess I can relate.

Tybalt looks every bit like a proud father, escorting his sister to her intended. A few tears escape, trailing down Wilson’s cheeks as he watches her intently. It’s a happy moment for the Congressionals family and I’m grateful I’m here to witness it. I glance back for a second to find Ford in the crowd. He’s in the back with a few of the Golem Guerillas from Pittsburgh. A commotion at the front has everyone laughing, and I turn back in time to see Tybalt high-stepping like a movie villain to his front row seat while Wilson rubs his chest.

“Purple nurple,” Adams relays to catch me up. “A brother’s duty,” he says it so solemnly; I lean forward on my elbows and laugh.

The rest of the ceremony is purple-nurple free. Tilly and Wilson exchange traditional vows, however at the end, Adams stands up and walks around the couple to join Madison. Pres nods at Veep, and Adams takes a deep breath before shocking most of us.

“As Betty to Hayden, as Stacy to Cooper, as Audrey to Keenan, as Laura to Samuel, and as Natalia to me, may you be to your husband.” He kisses a shocked Tilly on the cheek, nods to Wilson and resumes his seat beside me. I can’t imagine how hard that was for him. Fuck, I can’t imagine losing Quinn, not now, not after 13 years like Adams, not even when we’re 90. I hit Adams hard on the back a couple of times, both of us grunting like cavemen.

Wilson carries a laughing Tilly back down the aisle, the bridal party walking two by two after them. I reach out as Quinn passes and grab her hand. She squeezes with a wink and keeps going. The bridal party is led to another spot on the property forpictures, and the rest of us roam around, slowly finding our way to the tent set up for the reception.

“Polk.” Gritting my teeth, I turn around. Ford is making a beeline for me, Judah, Ephraim, and Reuben from the Golem Guerillas behind him. “Hey, man.” He throws an arm around me and gives me a half-hug, thumping me on the back in greeting. “Good to see you.”

What the fuck have they done to him out there in Pittsburgh? Judah breaks the awkward silence, laughing, as he points at my face.

“Dude, your face. I know, it’s shocking, but I gotta tell you your brother has been making the best of his time at Maimonides Mitzvot.”

Ephraim snorts, “Yeah, he’s down to only 3 maybe 4 inappropriate comments a day now.”

I shake their hands, then stare at Ford. “You…look…good, brother. You alright?”

“Yup.” Ford nods excitedly, if he had a tail, it would be wagging. “Listen, I gotta talk to you about something. Quinn—”

“Is mine!” I fist my hands at my side, but the urge is strong to punch him again.

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