Unexpected Liaisons - 25. Big Day Today

“Zu?” Issac waved a hand in front of his face, “Buddy? You in there?”

Zupan blinked, and returned to full consciousness, shaking his head to clear the day dream fog. Issac stuck his thumbs in his jeans pockets and grinned.

“You ready to do this?”

“It’s not like I ain’t done it before Issac. Where’s Zol? Isn’t he supposed to be here by now?”

“The flight got delayed. Bay’s waiting for him at the airport.” Issac gripped his shoulder and shook it gently, then petted Caesar’s head, “He’ll be here. Don’t worry. So are we going in?”

Zupan shrugged off his friend and pushed open the tattoo studio door. The whirr of the needle was back by some film playing on the wall mounted screen, and the girl closest to the door, who was doing a small leg piece, grinned and waved them in.

“Sergi! Your boys are here!” She wiped the skin she was working on and put the gun down for a moment, “Haven’t seen you in a while Zu. You both in, or is it just the one today? Cute dog.”

“Just one. This is Caesar, he’s a service dog. Oh, hey bud.”

“Zu! Issac.” They shook hands with the tattooed man, with many big grins and slaps on the back, “Just in time boys. Get your butt on over here Zupan and we’ll get this tat done!” Sergi pushed the usual client bench around a bit so that Zupan could roll close and comfy on the other side, and started laying out his machines on the cling filmed bench, “It’s all drawn up for you, take a look.” He flicked a drawing at Zupan and started laying out little pots, sticking them with Vaseline to his plate. “We’re just doing black and grey right?”

“No.” Zupan shook his head, “Gimmie a really bold pink, right here in the centre.”

“Pink?”

Zupan nodded firmly.

“Yup. Pink.” He flicked through the colours in the cabinet, “This one. Really, really pink.”

“You’re the boss. Hey, how long have we got?”

Zupan laid his hand, palm up, on the padded surface between them.

“He’s gotta be in his suit by three o’clock Sergi.” Issac settled into a spare chair, “Get that machine buzzin’!”

*

Bay rolled by to pick them up with Zoltan in the car, and Zupan let Issac dismantle his chair and help him out, even if it was just for the day. Caesar wagged his tail happily when he saw Bay, but he didn’t jump up, didn’t bark, and Zupan petted the dog as he folded himself into the space by his feet in the car. The young dog was rapidly approaching his first birthday, and had been excited by the early November snow, grown into his massive paws and taken to cocking his head whenever Zupan spoke to him. Zoltan was excited to meet the dog he’d heard so much about, and ruffled Caesar’s ears and was rewarded with a lick of the palm.

“He’s different when he’s working. Soon as you take the harness off he’s way more excitable and friendly with people.” Zupan patted his twin’s arm, “You two can play in the garden all afternoon if you want.” Zu found himself enveloped in a massive hug, “Yeah, bro. I missed you too.”

He and Zoltan didn’t talk much on the way home. It was too hard. There was so much that had happened in five months, but Zupan was too distracted. His twin rested a hand on his shoulder and Zu just relaxed in the knowledge that Zoltan was home and safe, at least for a few days. Bay drove them home, and Zoltan had a quick shower and changed out of his aeroplane clothes before they all headed out for an early lunch.

Issac had chosen The Warped Lime, and Zupan couldn’t help but smile as he bumped the chair through the narrow doorway. Caesar stuck close to his side, the floppy-tipped ears swivelling as he picked up smells and sounds, and walked with him exactly as he’d been trained.

“Heya there guys. Cute dog!” The head cocktail girl handed Issac the menus and smiled at Zupan, “So what can I get you boys to drink?”

“Man of hour needs something… pink?” Bay grinned like an idiot, “Dude you are so gonna regret coming for lunch with us.”

Lunch became ribs, laughter, conversation, and Zol started to share his stories from abroad, complaints of flights, tales of the families he’d met in Uganda, the school they’d built. He showed them photos on his phone of the little village they’d driven out to, digging the well, a picture of Zoltan with the kids gathered around him, all of them covered in red dust and grinning like fools. Zupan made everyone drink pink lemonade shooters with the frosted sugar rims. Bay cooed over his new tattoo.

Slightly tipsy, they walked home along the promenade, and Zupan let his chair come to a halt opposite the Grand Hotel. Caesar stopped and put his head in his master’s lap.

“Zu?”

“I can’t believe he’s really in there.” Zupan rubbed the cling film over his wrist and the new tattoo, “I miss him.”

“Zupan. Dude…” Issac slapped his friend on the shoulder, “He’s been gone a day and half. You’ll see him this afternoon.”

“Speaking of which,” Bay, who was somehow still completely sober, “We need to get you home and start getting ready bud. Time’s a ticking.”

*

Zupan showered, scrubbed himself all over and used his all over trimmer to even up his buzz cut. He trimmed his beard up, made it square at the bottom like Zander preferred it, and tickled Caesar under the chin. The dog looked at him with a questioning expression.

“Yes pup. We’ll see him soon, I promise.” Zupan rolled himself over to his wardrobe. The contents looked completely different than they had a year ago. Shirts, nice sweaters, a couple of cool jackets, denim and leather, good jeans, two pairs of suit slacks. There was still the obligatory host of t-shirts, though none of them were ratty and stained, along with half a dozen hoodies and a variety of loose gym shorts and sweats. At the back of the wardrobe was an orange and black suit cover, and there was a pair of shiny black brogues. Zupan put his head in his hands and took a deep breath. Today was the day.

Caesar nosed into his lap, big toffee eyes looking up at him from under his arms, and the pink tongue came out and lapped at his cheek. Zupan stroked the short fur gently.

“Thanks bud. Come on, let’s get dressed.” Zupan took the yellow bandana he’d bought and tied it around the dog’s neck, setting the point at a jaunty angle. “Looking good pup.”

There was a soft knock on the door. Bay looked formal and fancy in a black tux, his hair textured and neat. He grinned wickedly.

“Zu… lace boxers... I’d never have guessed it.” He crossed his arms snugly over his chest, “So you going like that or are you getting dressed any time soon?”

Zupan growled, but Bay ignored him and took the suit hanger out from the wardrobe. He started laying out the pieces on the bed. Caesar lay with his head on his paws and watched as Zupan began to get dressed. Bay held up the two ties that were hanging with the gunmetal suit.

“Which one of these are you going for Zu?”

“That one,” Zupan began to tuck his shirt into the open waist of his trousers, lifting himself up with his elbows on the arm rests of the chair, “The shot silk.”

“Huh?”

Zupan shook his head. Of course Bay didn’t know what shot silk was.

“The one that changes colour in the light. Pink and purple.”

“Cool.” Bay looped the tie over his head and tied it in a loose knot before slipping it off and handing it to Zupan, “We’re nearly set bud.”

“Jesus,” Zupan’s hands shook as he set the tie over his collar and tightened the knot, “Oh god.”

“Here.” Bay folded his collar over, smooth the line of his shirt, settled his jacket over his shoulders. “You’re good Zu. You look great.”

“Really?” Zupan ran his hand over his head again, “Why do I feel like I’m about to throw up?

“Ha!” Bay punched his arm, “You’ll live. Come on Zu, time getting on, and you gotta get hitched.”

Issac and Zol had cleaned and polished up his other chair, so Zupan transferred himself in his shiny suit to his shiny chair, but Zoltan had to do the laces on his shoes for him. Caesar had his good leather lead attached to his collar. He wasn’t working today. Issac attached a huge pale pink rose to his lapel, and then there was no more fiddling to be done, nothing else left to tidy up. It was time. Zupan took a deep breath.

“You ready Zu?”

Zupan looked at his twin, his best friend, his brother. Issac had always felt like a brother to them. He permanent third wheel who wasn’t. He had three of the best guys here with him on the greatest day of his life. Screw winning a game or getting on court at the Olympics. If he was going to pick a best day, this was going to be it. Caesar wagged his tail and nosed his hand. Today was the big day.

“Yeah. I’m ready.”

*

It was the longest wait, sitting there at the end of the aisle in the registry office, waiting for the man he loved to appear. Those were minutes that lasted hours. Bay had picked the tracks, instrumental rock songs as the guests filed in. There weren’t many, it had been an all or nothing situation, so the ‘all’ were going to join them after the ceremony. Just his parents, Zander’s mum and stepfather, flown over from New York, Zoltan, Issac, Bay. Dale was there, Micky too and a whole section had needed the seats removed to seat some of the guys from the team: Jay, Rob, Todd and Dan all looked as uncomfortable as Zupan felt in their suits, some with modifications. Issac stood with him and Zoltan, leaning on his prosthetic leg. He was nervous too.

Then the registrar who had interviewed him, asked him his name, checked that he was still the same person as he had been five months ago, welcomed them all to the office for the ceremony and asked those who could to stand. Zoltan turned and grinned. The music swelled. Zupan swallowed nervously. Caesar shivered at his side.

“Turn round Bro,” Zoltan whispered in his ear.

Zupan shook as he turned the wheels of his chair, just a little and looked back. Billy was walking towards him down the aisle, dressed in a bright blue suit with a paisley pink shirt. He looked ridiculously pleased with himself. Then he stepped sideways.

Zander. Looking every bit as beautiful as the first time Zupan had seen him. He’d let his hair grow out a little bit, kept the short back and sides, but he’d let the fringe grow back in. He smiled like the sun. He wore a suit with a giant dogtooth pattern in white and palest dove grey, and a blush pink tie. White teeth bit his bottom lip and his eyes sparkled. Whatever knot that had tightened in Zupan’s chest eased, and he could feel the muscles of his cheeks pulling as he grinned. He knew he had to look like the happiest guy on earth.

He had no idea what he said, he barely heard a single thing the registrar said, didn’t remember his own voice when he intoned the words he had to say. When they got to the part where there would normally be rings, he touched the band that Zander hadn’t taken off since the day he’d put it on and smiled. Zupan couldn’t wear a ring, it would get in the way when he played, and snapping his neck had left the finger he would have worn it on permanently misshapen. Zander took his hand and Zupan removed the film from around his wrist and showed it to him.

In permanent black lines over the width of his wrist, were slightly curly, slightly gothic inch high letters. All black, except the first initial, filled with a bold, bright pink. The boy he loved threw his arms around him, kissed him full on the mouth even though they hadn’t been told to yet, and Zander took everything he could from that kiss. He tasted like the colour pink, sweetness and sugar and the intoxication of addiction. Zupan didn’t ever want to let him go.

And even though the tattoo had some healing up to do, Zupan knew it was always going to be his favourite one, now, for the rest of the party, for the time spent with the guys drinking and eating and laughing, watching Zander dance, having Zander in his lap, forever. That was going to be his favourite tattoo for the rest of his life.

ZANDER

The ceremony was over, and the registrar folded her notes.

“Remember, most importantly, enjoy each other.”

Zander folded himself into Zupan’s lap, arms around his neck. He giggled with a sexy little pink smile and Zupan growled softly as the boy wriggled his hips.

“Oh I intend too.”