Ann: A Love Story Ch. 95

I gave her a quick buss on her lips, resting my forehead on hers a moment as I thought of all we'd shared. "I'll never forget you," I sighed.

"Good lord, of course you won't forget her. We're friends," Ann cackled.

"We are?" I asked, thinking that was absurd.

"Of course we are. They're at our wedding aren't they?"

It seemed so bizarre to me that Ann would really want to be friends with a woman that I shared an intimate weekend with. I couldn't imagine offering such a thing to one of her former lovers, which is why I asked, "Really?"

She slipped her arm inside mine, standing on her toes to give me a kiss. "Yes Neil, we are. I've known about everything you and Dawn did together since the week that we met, remember? If I wasn't bothered by it then, why would it bother me now? That's why she's here. I wanted her to know how much I love her for what she did for you. That makes her a friend."

Ann's ability to see past any potential landmines of being close to a former flame of mine astounded me. Then again, Tina was her Maid of Honor, and we'd fucked far more than Dawn and I had. So when she said that Dawn and Jeremy were our friends, I had no reason to doubt her. But I wondered what he had to be thinking on that subject as he moved over to me.

Sticking out his hand for me to shake, his other one grasped my shoulder in a friendly gesture. While his grip was firm, his warm, rugged smile quickly put me at ease.

Instead it was his accent that caught me off guard as he said, "Ann's right, Neil. Just like she said, I owe you for putting Dawn's mind right and opening her heart. I'm so blessed to have her in my life, and I have you to thank for that."

I know I had a smirk on my face when I looked at Dawn and then back to him. "Thanks, Jeremy. I really don't know what to say. You're welcome?"

"That sounds about right."

"So, you're Australian?" I asked.

"Nah, I'm a Kiwi, mate. Born in New Zealand. My parents moved to the States when I was fifteen."

"I'm sorry I assumed that...I hope I didn't insult you."

"No worries. Happens all the time. I have a lot of Aussie friends. Think of it as the States and Canada. We're different, but similar...if you know what I mean."

"Actually, that kind of makes sense," I shrugged. "Well, I'm so happy for you and Dawn. Have you two set a date yet?"

"Sometime this spring or early summer. We haven't really decided yet."

"June ninth, in Michigan," Dawn answered as she looked directly at me.

The surprise of her announcement was evident on Jeremy's face, but he nodded, taking it in stride. "Apparently we're getting married on June ninth in Michigan."

"You'll come, won't you?" Dawn asked.

"I don't know. We're supposed to go on our honeymoon next year, but...."

"We'll be there," Ann said with an affirming nod. "You've got lots of vacation time coming next year, baby. We can take it. You never know, maybe they can join us on their honeymoon when we take ours."

"You mean...take them together?"

"It's an idea. Might be fun," she giggled.

It was an innocent comment, but I had to wonder when she said it. I'm sure there was nothing sexual in her mind, then again with Ann it was always a possibility. That's why I loved her. Still, that wasn't what our day was about, and when Dawn and Jeremy left to get a drink and mingle, we were left behind to greet the rest of our guests.

The line had kind of stalled as we'd talked to our friends from Arizona, which meant that Jean was busy keeping conversation going with the next person standing in front of her. As she tried to wrap that up, Ann and I actually had a moment to ourselves.

"June ninth," she said with a sly grin on her face. "That's interesting."

"It is? Why?"

"Because, I'm guessing she sees that as a pretty significant day in her life."

"Why wouldn't she? She's getting married. Isn't December second going to be special for us?"

"Of course. But so is June twelfth."

"Huh?"

"June twelfth is the day we met again, Neil," she winked, giving me a long, deep kiss. "That would mean she wants to marry Jeremy on the anniversary of the day she first met... you. Like I said, it's a special day for her."

~*~*~*~*~*~

The dinner was marvelous. Actually, it was more like a feast, what with it being buffet-style. The main entrée was an amazing local chicken recipe that had been grilled over a charcoal fire for hours to make the meat fall off the bone, and there were so many side dishes to choose from I stopped counting at twenty.

There were several long tables placed end to end along a wall, with people able to walk down either side to fill their plates. To the left of the food was the entertainment area, a huge wooden dance floor inlayed with a little stage set up against that wall. The stage was filled with musical equipment for the live band that was set to perform once the dinner was over.

I'm not sure who Marlin and Jean had hired to cater, but they'd done an amazing job. The food was delicious, and so was the atmosphere. Ann and I sat at the head table, which was actually another series of long tables placed near the far wall directly across from the dance floor, the entire wedding party facing the stage as we ate our meal.

We were enjoying the moment, but our earlier conversation came back to me, and I thought about what she'd said. It was a bit surreal that Dawn would choose the one year anniversary of the day we met to marry Jeremy. I wondered if he knew the significance of that day, or if he cared. I doubted it either way. He seemed to exude confidence, to the point that I was certain he would make that day their own.

It seemed like an inside joke, with Ann being in on it. She'd just reminded me of the fateful Monday when she and I met again at Matt's house. She also recalled how I'd told her everything about my weekend with Dawn, starting with how I met her three days before. Yet I couldn't help but smile when I thought of how Dawn had blurted out the day I first saw her sitting on the couch in Mark and Jill's living room. It was like it had just popped into her mind.

"What are you thinking about?" Ann asked, her one hand finding my leg under the table as she grabbed her glass of champagne to take another sip.

"Truthfully, I'm still thinking about Dawn. I can't believe she chose that day to get married."

"I can. I think it's sweet."

"You do?"

"Absolutely. Can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

"It was kind of my idea," she giggled.

"What?"

"I...have a little confession to make, baby," she snickered, the mischievous grin telling me I shouldn't be worried about the word she'd chosen. After all, I didn't care for confessions, and she knew it.

Raising an eyebrow, I turned slightly to face her. "And what would that be?"

"Dawn went with us for my bachelorette party. She flew up to Michigan ahead of time, and drove down with Mark and Jill. Jeremy didn't get in until last night because he had to work."

"You're kidding. She was with you?"

"In more ways than one," she winked. I almost came out of my chair. I almost came in my pants as well. Her hand moved up toward my crotch, feeling my cock hardening once again as she rubbed it. "Are we going to need to go to the limo again?"

"Are you serious?"

"About going to the limo? Sure, if you want to," she grinned.

"No, I mean did she really go with you? And did you and her --"

"Yes, she went with us. And that's the last question I'm going to answer about my bachelorette party...for now. Someday I'll tell you. But I love that it's a mystery, and that yours is one to me."

"Then why did you bring it up? To tease me?"

"No baby. I only brought it up because I figured you were going to ask me how I knew to wave at her and Jeremy at the church so you'd see them."

"Well that certainly does explain that," I replied with a shake of my head. Attempting to put the other revelation out of my head, I went back to what I'd been thinking about from the start. "What about the date being your idea?"

"I asked her the same thing you did. I wondered if they'd set a date yet. She said no, but that she wanted to get married in the spring because that had always been her dream. I told her it had been mine too, but once we got engaged the importance of that changed. I didn't want to wait for you that long. I feel like I've waited for you my whole life."

"Aw...that's so sweet, babe. But...what does that have to do with telling her when to get married?"

"I didn't tell her. We were talking about being engaged, and I told her that when you first asked me to marry you, I was naturally thinking of spring dates for the wedding because that had always been the way it was in my dreams. And I told her that before I changed my mind, I actually thought about how perfect it would be for us to get married on the day you two met...because that day was fate, and I truly believe it's the reason you and I are together. Obviously she must feel the same way for her and Jeremy."

"You actually thought about all of that?"

"That's what girls do, Neil. I've been planning my wedding since I was twelve. The details have obviously changed a lot over time, but the point is we all have our own version of the perfect wedding. And I have to tell you, today has been so much better than I ever dreamed it would be."

She wrapped her arms around my neck, and we shared a sexy kiss. She was right. Even though there had been some improvisation, it only added to what had been an incredible day so far. The wedding had been...perfect.

That had me wondering. "Were you serious about going to their wedding?"

"Absolutely. They came to ours. That's what friends do."

"And the honeymoon?"

"Oh, I just said that to see if I'd get a rise out of you," she said as she moved her hand back under the table. Squeezing my cock before moving her hand down to my balls, I was suddenly very thankful for the long tablecloth covering what she was doing to me. "Feels like I have."

"You're lucky you're wearing that long dress or I'd be doing something to you," I groaned.

"You'll get a chance later. For now, just imagine about how amazing it would be if we did go on our honeymoons together. That would be fun."

"So you DO want to."

"Not necessarily. I really did just say it to see how you'd react. But if they wanted us to, I'd say yes as long as you're okay with it. I wouldn't have said it at all if I wasn't willing to actually do it."

"So, you're going to ask her about it?"

"No. I planted the seed. If it's meant to be, she'll let us know."

"And just how is she supposed to do that?" I laughed.

Ann shrugged. "She'll call us. I'm going to put our phone number on all of the thank you cards I send for whatever presents we get."

She'd said it like it was such a simple answer. I guess it really was. But it still intrigued me that she'd actually consider going on our honeymoon with another couple, especially with a former lover of mine. Of course, with what she insinuated, Dawn just might have been a former lover of hers as well.

"Wow...something just made your cock jump," she said with a grin.

"You do that to me all the time," I moaned, leaning over to kiss her one more time.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The familiar sound of a silver utensil clinking against glass filled the huge hall, amplified by the help of the speakers near the stage. Matt was standing in front of a microphone with a beer bottle in his hand, using a knife to sound the call to order, so to speak.

Clearing his throat, he took the microphone off the stand, moving off the stage to get closer to the people sitting at the dozens of round tables scattered throughout the room. He set the knife on one of the tables and took a deep breath. For a brief second I thought he might start singing again. Instead, he offered a goofy grin, making everyone crack up.

"Good evening everyone. On behalf of Neil and Ann Thomas, I'd like to officially welcome you to their reception and thank you for coming. I assume that most of you were at the wedding, but for those of you that weren't, my name is Matt Shepard. In addition to my many arduous, exhaustive duties as best man, I'll also be your Master of Ceremonies for the evening."

Ann and I led the room in clapping for Matt, if for no other reason than he was funny. I could also tell that he was a little nervous...far more than he was when he and his sister sang during the ceremony. Taking a swig of the Heineken in hand, he licked his lips and continued.

"First, I have to do my best man stuff, which frankly is a lot more responsibility than I signed up for. Then again, I've had the most incredible time helping Tina with the behind the scenes planning for today. Tina is our beautiful Maid of Honor, by the way. I think she deserves a big round of applause as well!"

The guests again started clapping as Tina stood and gave a little curtsey before waving, her huge smile brightening the room. Matt waited for the applause to die down before he started again, his voice cracking as he spoke.

"Okay, everyone please bear with me for a few minutes. I've been practicing this, but I'm really nervous. Singing is one thing, but I've never given a toast before, and because this is for two people that I love dearly, I hope you'll understand as I work my way though this. It's going to take me a little bit to get to the toast, though. First I have a few things I want to say about Ann and Neil."

Matt took another quick sip of his beer to calm his nerves. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts.

"I've literally known Ann my entire life. Well, she's always been there...I obviously don't remember those first few years, but I have memories of her from as early as age four. You see, she was our babysitter. She took care of me and Maria growing up. Actually, she was more than that. She was kind of like a nanny and this amazing big sister rolled into one.

"Her parents live just around the corner from mine. They always have. I can just see the edge of their house from my bedroom through the trees, and I think it's safe to say that Ann seemed to spend more time at our house than she did her own. My folks work a lot...some would say too much. They're both career driven and they're both very successful. I'm so proud of both of them for a lot of reasons, and I don't want this to sound like I'm complaining or somehow ungrateful. My parents sacrificed a lot to give me and Maria what they didn't have. So please understand that I'm not knocking them. We know that they love us.

"Yet as I say that, there's one thing I'm very certain about. I am who I am today because of Ann, and if Maria were to tell you, she'd say the same thing about herself. Ann helped raise us. Whenever my parents weren't home, she was always there, taking care of us. Imagine being an eleven-year-old girl, taking care of a four-year-old boy and a newborn baby in the afternoons. Imagine that same girl becoming a teenager, and at fourteen spending every day of her summer caring for a boy that's seven and a girl that's four, making grilled cheese sandwiches and entertaining us twelve hours a day, six days a week.

"Think about what it would be like as a high school girl, and instead of getting to date or hang out with your friends, you're spending every moment away from school either taking care of two kids or working at the Dairy Queen. I can't imagine the sacrifices you made for us Ann. I don't know if I could do it. And yet I never heard you complain, and you never treated us like you didn't want to be there. We were always your first priority. That just amazes me. I realize it's not going to happen anytime soon, but you're going to be the best mother this world has ever seen, Ann. You've already raised two kids; I can't imagine how amazing you're going to be with Neil helping you.

"I also have a confession to make. You were my first crush. I'll never forget the summer day when you came over in a pair of white shorts and a pink tank top. That's the day I realized you weren't my big sister. You were this hot eighteen-year-old babe, and I was the luckiest eleven-year-old boy in the world. Of course... now you're back to just being my big sister again," he chuckled.

Ann was in tears as she listened to Matt, her hands clutched at her chest as he talked. She did let out a big laugh when he admitted he looked at her differently for a while. And that had her looking at him a little differently as well.

"That explains the looks he used to give me during those years," she whispered.

Matt continued his speech, changing his focus, putting the spotlight on me.

"I haven't known Neil nearly as long. I met him just a couple of years ago, actually, when I started working summers at Beck. But I mean it when I say I feel like he's my older brother. I've had a lot of friends, but none like him."

Matt started to choke up, and he had to clear his throat again to compose himself. I was sure he wiped away a tear as he held the microphone.

"This is harder than I thought it was going to be," he laughed, the room laughing with him, which made him smile. "Sorry. I just get a little ticked when I think about Neil sometimes. I know that sounds strange, so let me explain...if I can.

"You see, he's under this impression that somehow I helped save him. I've actually heard him give me credit for pulling him out of the funk he was in. I really wasn't going to bring this up today, because that was such a horrible time in his life...and you all know what I'm talking about. The truth is, as small as this town is, there's a chance someone in the room was a part of it, whether you want to admit it or not. And that's fine. I'm not here to point fingers or seek someone out. I only bring it up because of how Neil has talked about me.

"But here's the thing. All I did was stand beside you, buddy. I'm not the hero. You are, and that's why I love you. You somehow think I was holding you up, like you were learning to ride a bike and I was holding on the whole time. Well, I wasn't... I just ran along beside you. That's what a wingman does. If I take credit for anything, it's being the one to hold my hand out to help you up in a town full of people who stood on the side of the road and watched you fall. That doesn't make me a hero. It just makes me your friend, and that's something I'm proud to be.

"Like I said, if anything, you're the hero in my eyes. There's no one else that lives here that has the strength, courage and character to not only deal with what you had to deal with, but to come through it as a better, happier man. I know a lot of that has to do with Ann. But a lot of Ann's happiness has to do with you as well. You're so perfect for each other that frankly it's a little unfair for the rest of us. Then again, I've always believed one gets what they deserve, and you deserve each other like no couple I've ever met."

With that, Matt raised his beer and asked the room to stand as he finally made his toast.

"To Ann and Neil Thomas. May this world and the people in it bless you both the same way you've blessed us all...with an abundance of love, wisdom, happiness, humor, openness, honesty, playfulness, integrity and friendship...and may there be a whole lot of sex thrown in there just for kicks."

"HERE, HERE," someone shouted as we drank to the toast, a roar running through the room that was followed by more cheering as Matt walked over to us. We had a collective hug, the three of us squeezing each other for a few moments.

"I'm glad that's over," Matt exhaled, another goofy grin on his face.

"It's not," Ann said as she kissed him on the cheek. "I'm going to hold that moment in my heart for the rest of my life, Matthew."

~*~*~*~*~*~