All the Bells And Whistles

by Jeff Baker

“Wow,” Steve Jones breathed, looking around the small garage which opened onto a side street. “How long has it been since we started hanging out here?”

“High School,” Corby Austin said, sipping a soda. “Remember? We had that school project due and we walked over from school to your house to work on it out here.”

“Yeah, and you guys grabbed me because I had the car and you needed to get that thing you two built back to school,” Horacio Owen said.

“And because you’re my cousin,” Corby said.

“And because Mom told me to,” Horacio laughed. “Wow Fifteen years ago.”

Corby finished his soda with a characteristic slurp, crumpled the can and tossed it into the bucket with the others.

“Two points!” Horacio said.

“Yeah.” Corby said. “It’s one point when I have to go over, pick it up from the floor and toss it in.”

After a moment, Steve took a deep breath. “Sooooo, what do you guys think of Lance?”

“He seems nice,” Corby said.

“And tall,” Horacio said. “And wayyyyy to good-looking for you!”

They laughed again.

“Thanks!” Steve said. “You know, he doesn’t think he’s that good-looking.”

“Yeah, right!” Horacio laughed.

Steve had invited them to lunch with Lance the day before. It had gone well, Steve had introduced Horacio and Corby as “My straight best bros,” and they had hit it off. Steve had been nervous as hell, but everything had been fine, even the burgers.

Steve looked around the garage again and smiled. “I really can’t believe we’re doing this.”

“Doing what?” Horacio asked. “Getting hitched?”

Steve looked over, surprised. “It’s written all over my face, isn’t it?”

“You two were holding hands under the table,” Corby said.

“Yeah,” Steve said with a grin. “We got a license and were planning on this coming fall. Big wedding. Reception. All the bells and whistles. But we decided, you know, we’d better speed it up. We wanna do it next weekend.” Steve took another deep breath. “My folks are gone, and my cousins live out in California so would you two be there? Kinda best men, family, standing up for me, witnesses kind of thing?”

“Hell, yeah” Corby said.

“Same here, bro” Horacio said. “Whad’ you think, we wouldn’t want to be there?”

The three twenty-somethings hugged, stumbling awkwardly around the riding mower in the middle of the floor.

“Look, I just want to thank you guys for doing this again,” Steve said.

“Hey, no prob! ‘Sokay” the two others chorused.

“Hey! We can hold the reception here!” Horacio said.

“Yeah, right! We’d have to move the riding mower!” Corby said. “Dad doesn’t allow it to leave the garage until spring.”

“Uh, thanks guys, the rec room at Lance’s apartment building will do fine.”

“Sounds good to me,” Horacio said. “Hey We can ask Corby’s Dad if we can bring the mower”

“Or that old school project,” Corby said. “I still have it in a box somewhere.”

“You’re kidding?” Steve said.

“Yeah,” Corby said with a big grin. “But I’m glad I still have you guys!”

—end—