“So? It’s call PR, man. Go talk to Stevie. Have this same conversation with her. She’ll set you straight.” I pat him on the shoulder, and he leans up, off the car door, letting me drive to the underground parking.
Once I get inside, I see that my sister has outdone herself. The place looks even better than the circus we’ll call our birthday party. It looks well put together, with linen-covered tables, place cards, a dance floor, a DJ that doesn’t suck, since me and Bowie hired him personally, for his knack for discretion. I see Bowie standing by her mother and my mother, and I approach her. She’s dressed in a beautiful cream silk gown with scalloped edges that exposes her legs just below her knees. “God, you look beautiful, baby.” I tell her, giving her a kiss on the mouth.
I still haven’t gotten her an engagement ring yet, and we haven’t told a soul yet that we’re engaged, for our own reasons. The look on her mom’s face is telling. She adores me as much as I adore her, so I go over and give her a big hug, and then I hug my own mother as well. “Congratulations on convincing Mister Hopkins to work with you, Jagger.” Bowie’s mom says.
“Oh, don’t just congratulate me. Congratulate Bowie, and, in fact, this whole room. That’s why we’re throwing this shindig.” I wink at Bowie.
Sure, the guest count is overkill. There are over two hundred and fifty people here, but this is a once in a lifetime deal, and therefore, it deserves a once in a lifetime treatment. Hell, even my father and a couple of my uncles are here. It took a month to plan it, but Stevie is a miracle worker, and it shows. “Hey, little brother.” Stevie says, giving me a hug. It’s funny how she calls me her little brother. We were born only two minutes apart. “We’re all set.” She winks at me. “You ready?”
I look at Bowie. “I was born ready.”
She smiles at me.
“Good. Then, you better get to it, because Axl’s already into the sauce.” Stevie informs.
“Greeeeat. Where’s Jinny? She seems to be able to distract him lately.” I comment, looking around.
The venue has the tables arranged in a horseshoe shape around the dance floor, then the bar is off to the left side, the DJ is to the right, and the podium is next to the DJ. Wesley and his crew have their own tables on the same side as our crew. “I’ll go see if he’s ready to do our thing.”
Wesley sees me approaching and he smiles. “Shall we flip to see who gets to go first?”
“That’s your call, sir. I’m happy to do it though.”
“No, my boy, I’ll do it. Just let me make my way up there to the podium.”
“Bowie and I will be right behind you, sir.”
I gesture to her, but she’s already approaching. “You ready?”
“Let’s do it.” She nods.
Wesley approaches the podium and the music stops. He clears his throat. “Welcome, all of you. I’m so glad to be here in North Carolina, to celebrate this opportunity. A fine opportunity to do business with a company that is all heart. That’s what I take pride in because that’s what’s important. My team and I share the same values, and I wanted to do business with like-minded individuals, which is what we are lucky enough to have with Lawson Enterprises. And that’s why we’re here tonight. To celebrate. Because what is life without celebration?”
Clapping, hooting.
“It also doesn’t hurt that there’s an open bar, right?” Wesley jokes. Then he looks over at Bowie.
“Oh, great. Here it comes.” I murmur to her and she elbows me.
“When I was growing up, my father told me to never trust a woman. They’re emotional, they only want to bear children, spend your money, or sleep with your best friend. It’s obvious that I learned how untrue that is, since I have a lovely wife that supports me in all my endeavors, but I’ve recently learned that not only are women supportive, but there are plenty that are so hardworking, they put some men to shame.” He says with a chuckle, which receives some chuckles in the room. “What I’m trying to say, since I’ve gone off script here, is that Bowie Ritter is a marvel. This woman is the backbone of Lawson Enterprises, and one of the main reasons why I chose to partner with them. Do not underestimate the power of a woman. Mark my words. We’re going to build incredible cars that will change the world.” He raises his glass and we can hear people say, ‘hear hear!’
Once the clapping ends, Wesley steps out of the way, so that Bowie and I can make our short speeches. She goes first. “I’m very humbled by your remarks, Mister Hopkins, but I assure you that our success is built from all the people in this room, make no mistake. I’m happy to have joined Lawson Enterprises, and I have so many ideas, some that have already come to fruition, and others that are just in their infancy. But you’re right about one thing, sir, and that is that we’re going to build vehicles that will be lifechanging. So, let’s all mark this new beginning with a celebration!” She raises her glass and gets the same response as Wesley did.
When the clapping ends for her, I step up to the podium. I clear my throat first before speaking. “When I started this business, I had so many dreams, and I was happy if even half of them came true. But this has turned into a lifetime of dreams coming true.” I look over at Stevie, who is at the ready. “But recently, it’s been about new beginnings, like the one that we’re celebrating here tonight.” I give Stevie the cue. “But since you’re all here tonight, Bowie and I wanted to celebrate something else together.”
I look over at my brothers and my parents, who are sitting at their tables. They’re confused, which is to be expected. But once they see the venue crew bringing out a floral altar, and they see the pastor walk in from the door behind the DJ, the first thing I see is my mother’s hands go on her face. Once mine and Bowie’s family has caught on, they’re standing up, whistling, hooting, and making so much noise, you’d think we were at Times Square on goddamn New Year’s Eve. Jinny being the loudest.
The whole room is clapping as the venue crew lay down a silk runner that leads to the altar, and Bowie signals to her father to come walk her down the aisle. He practically runs to her, giving her a big hug, and I look at my mom, who is wiping her eyes with her fingertips, beaming with pride. I signal to my brothers to join me at that altar, and they just about fall all over themselves, probably because they’ve already been into the sauce, but whatever. Axl runs over, too, and I let him, since he’s about as close as you can get to being an honorary brother.
Bowie points Jinny to the other side of the altar, and she barrels her way there, practically dancing. Gotta say, this is the funnest wedding I’ve ever been to. Everyone is making it what it is: a good time. The DJ gives the pastor a microphone and he speaks into it. The first thing he says is. “This is my first spontaneous wedding, and I have to say, they’re highly underrated.”
Fist pumping, animated growls, shouts of encouragement, similar to what you’d get if this was some sort of Olympic event. The DJ takes over for a second. “Are we ready?”
The entire room shouts a resounding, “Yes!”, and the pastor gives Bowie and her dad a nod, indicating that they can start walking down the makeshift aisle. I watch my bride take steps towards me, smiling from ear to ear, and I’m mirroring her. Halen playfully punches me in the arm. “Way to go, man.”
I grin at him. “Thanks. Now shut the fuck up so that I can get married.”
He chuckles. “Be my guest.”
