North Meets South, Worlds Collide - 20. Chapter 20

Maybe I’m not gay enough. Talking about having the wedding at Biltmore Inn and reception, I was beginning to tire of talking about it. They were catering the food being served, but we had to decide on the menu. Then there were decisions to make about what the food would be. Were there allergies some of our guests might have? Were there vegetarians?

Then there were the banquet facilities. There was a garden attached where the wedding would be if it wasn’t raining. The ceremony was a crap shot of dice. Most likely it wouldn’t, but plans were made if it did rain. Did we have the florist arrangements made? If not, Biltmore Estate had their own gardens and would be happy to do it. Was there a coordinator to keep things on schedule? Musicians would be hired after we listened to examples of their playing. Did we want a live band or a disk jockey? I’d be happy getting married in the field of our farm, a pack of nabs and a guy playing a harmonica. Listening to Tony ask questions and hearing what he said back. He wanted to make a good impression on his family as possible. Were we having a bar? Would it be top shelf booze or a cash bar? That I left to Tony. The only booze I knew anything about was Granddad’s “no-no water.” That’s moonshine for those that don’t understand. Granddad and grandma claimed they had it for medicinal purposes. Even when little I didn’t understand that. There was a drug store down the mountain. It was a few miles that had medicines, so was it just for medicinal reasons? I don’t think so.

But in the root cellar were these mason jars, which I knew had the “no-no water.” It looked like water! But one sniff at the contents, which would clear sinuses, you knew it wasn’t water.

It was getting late when we finally finished with Ms. Murray. The invitations were being printed, complete with RSVP cards and a preference card for the sit-down dinner choices. Who was coming, how many and their preferences?

During our long conversations with Mom, Kathleen, Louise, and Kathy we had gotten the names and addresses for those we were inviting. I was amazed by the number of people we were inviting. Now we needed to know how many were really coming. How do women to this!? I was feeling a little overwhelmed when we finally made it back to Mom’s and Dad’s.

The next day was Sunday and we went for lunch at my grandparents, then flew back to Charleston. Tony looked a little warily at the chicken that was served during lunch that day.

Then the week went forward and we needed to fly to New York. This time I had to take a day off. Flying up on Friday, it was best to do that early or the day before. So we flew up that Thursday night and stayed at a great hotel in downtown Manhattan. Friday we went to this baker Tony knew to get our cake designed. Design? And of course the head guy, baker, whatever was gay. He attended the MCCNY! He made cakes for gay couples enough to have a business that did just that. He had some samples of his cakes for us to try. I can make a cake, but some of these samples were like speaking to me in Japanese! I heard him but was making little sense. Nut this, mocha that…then I just pointed.

“I like that one the best!” I said frowning. “And don’t ask me what flavor it was, I don’t know. It’s good.”

Gilbert was the man’s name and he was a queen. To say he was prissy wasn’t a word adequate to describe his mannerisms. I was okay with him being a queen, but it wasn’t me. He was in his sixties. It broke my heart to think no one loved him. No partner or even a boyfriend. That was sad. He was not ugly, but he couldn’t be compared to Tony. But apparently, he had a crush on Tony. Not that I blamed Gilbert for that. Gilbert had his fun in the past. No hair, but he’d lived his life on his terms. Now that Tony was here having a cake designed for our Commitment, Gilbert cried.

“Aw, come on, Gilbert,” Tony begged his friend who was almost inconsolable. “You’re the best-damned baker in the world! You’re one of the reasons I flew to Manhattan! I wanted you to make the cake. No one could dream of doing a job that would compare to what you make.”

The man nodded. “And I appreciate it.” He sniffed. Then he fixed a look on me. “But right now, I hate you.”

“What!?” I asked surprised.

Gilbert shook his head and waved me off. “I’ll get over it. I don’t hate you, per se, but I’d hate anyone that married my Tony.”

Tony looked at me and smiled, shaking his head. “It’s just Gilbert.” He said as if that explained everything. “He’s very sensitive.” Then he patted Gilbert on the back. “But you’re going to do it, right?”

Gilbert nodded. “I’d trust no one else.” Then he stood up. “For the icing, I was thinking just a buttercream.” Then he grinned. “I thought the cake itself might have the LGBT rainbow colors.” He shrugged. “You two are gay.” He waved the question about to come from Tony. “You know I can do it. The batter isn’t dark, food coloring won’t change the taste. But it will look normal on the outside. The cascading leaves on the outside will also be rainbow colored. I promise it will be elegant.” He sniffed.

“The gay rainbow colors.” I nodded. “Imagine Dad seeing that,” I said to Tony who just chuckled. “I will have to explain the colors to him.”

“He may think it’ll turn him gay.” Tony laughed.

I shrugged. “After nearly sixty years, it would be a change for him.”

“Now, if you do a topper, I have a few set aside for you two.” Gilbert wiped his tear-streaked face. “I have a few for you to look at. Tony said you planned to wear your family’s pattern. A kilt was what he said.”

“I am.” I nodded.

These things on top of the cake were always boring to me before, but now they made me smile. Two grooms standing beside each other. Some were merely male in tuxes. One where a man was crawling up the side of the cake as the other looked down as the climbing man tried to get to the other one. One had the other thrown across his shoulder. These were the humorous ones. Then two caught my eye.

“Look at this one.” I smiled at Tony.

It was one in a black tux and the other was a Scotsman in a kilt. The humorous part was the man in black had his hand up the Scotsman’s kilt on the Scotsman’s ass.

Tony chuckled. “Your father would kill me if he saw this.”

“And who says I wouldn’t be the one to put my hand on your ass?”

“You would.” Tony smiled. Then he looked at Gilbert. “You don’t have one where they’re touching each other’s ass?”

“Tony.” I smiled but shook my head. “As funny as I think that would be, we have a lot of straights coming. They won’t necessarily like being shown we touch each other’s’ ass.”

Tony nodded. “Not to mention other things we do there.” Then he shrugged. “But they are coming to a gay wedding. And the ones from your family are gay-friendly.” He thought.

“Do you have any like these that aren’t…” I moved my hands around it. “...touching.”

Gilbert nodded and showed us where there were two grooms, but one was in a kilt.

“We’ll take them both.” Tony grinned. “We’ll keep the one with the hand on his husband’s ass for when we celebrate our first anniversary.”

I shook my head. “Then we won’t need these two, you can do it yourself!”

Tony grinned. “We’ll take both.”

“And you can deliver it to Asheville?” I asked.

“Honey, I’ve delivered to Australia!” Gilbert said proudly. “Only this time, I’m coming with it. There are some final things I may need to do.”

Tony smiled at him. “Of course you’re invited. All my friends at MCCNY are invited.”

“And Luke?” Gilbert asked. I don’t know what that was about, maybe testing to see if I knew about Tony’s past.

“He’s welcome to come,” I said for Tony. “If just to see that it could be him marrying Tony, but of his stupidity, I am.” I smiled. “How could he even think of cheating!?”

Gilbert smiled. “I’m beginning to like you.” Then his eye narrowed. “But if you hurt Tony, I’ll scratch your eyes out!”

“Gilbert, he was a cop,” Tony said laughing. “He could take me, he’d have no problem taking you down.”

“A cop!” Gilbert smiled. “I love cops!” Then he was off as his hands clasped together in glee. “The uniforms, those shiny badges.” Then he turned. “You’re young, so I assume you were a uniformed cop?”

I nodded. “I was.”

He brightened. “Any pictures?”

Tony grabbed Gilbert’s collar. “Stop hitting on my husband, Gilbert!”

“But he’s so pretty, Tony!” Gilbert begged. “Please?”

That was funny. Gilbert went from friendly, to jealous and to friendly again.

Then Tony looked at me as we walked down the sidewalk with his arm thrown over my shoulder as we normally traveled. “Did you bring your suit?”

Did I dare think? “For church…”

“Well, its good thing we’re going to have me measured for the tux, we’ll get something for you there. I have tickets to Cats.”

My eyes widened. “You know I want to see Wicked.”

Tony nodded. “Yes, but it won’t be opening until April, so we’re a couple of months too early. I promise we’ll go.”

“You just want to have sex with me.” I grinned.

Tony’s eyes glistened. “It works. So, what’s this about Wicked?”

I grinned. “I loved the book. The story about Dorothy and Oz was cute, but I loved reading about Elphaba, The Wicked Witch of the West. She was an outcast from the moment she was born. Galinda, who becomes Glinda, the Good Witch was really a sort of bubble-headed. The Wicked Witch was made by events others caused to her to make her become wicked. She truly had more depth than all the other characters.”

Tony nodded. “I guess we’d know about being outcasts.” He chuckled. “But you’re okay with Cats, right?”

I grinned and broke into song. “Memories, all alone in the moonlight….”

Tony grinned. “Are there others you know?”

I thought a split second. “Everything’s coming up roses for me…” I sang from Gypsy.

Tony shook his head. “At last I found it.” He grinned at me.

I looked at him not understanding. “Found what?”

“Your tell!” Tony declared. “You say my tell is my closet of clothes. Yours is show tunes!”

I chuckled. “I guess this morning with you wasn’t enough to confirm that I am gay?”

“This is your outward tell,” Tony said. “Not your private one.” Then he looked up. “Ah, here we are.”

“Here we are where?” I asked.

Tony pulled me in the store. “We’re picking out our wedding rings.” He shrugged. “If we don’t find it here, we have time. But we’re meeting Mama, Kathy, and Melissa for lunch, then picking out my tux.”

As I’ve said before. I’m not a shopper, but there were times a man has to do it. I’d deal with it. The decision about the wedding rings was easy, though I never thought I’d get a wedding ring that was black. It was black gold. I never knew gold came in other colors! I knew there was white gold, but not black. They were both masculine, wide and looked good on.

Then we arrived at the place to have lunch. I’m never late. I arrive half an hour early for work. If you’re to be at work at eight, you don’t arrive at eight, you start working at eight. Meaning, you’re doing the job, not getting ready to work. That I got from Dad.

We had a reservation and were seated, waiting for the Delveccio women to arrive.

Tony sat at the big table beside me. “Don’t be surprised if they’re late.”

I grinned. “Well, they aren’t.” I pointed as the three walked in. The host pointed to us for them.

Melissa hurried over as we stood for them, body slamming both of us. “My two favorite uncles!” She hugged tightly.

“Air.” Tony gasped. “We need air.”

“It’s good to see you,” I said as we hugged all of them.

“This is so exciting!” Melissa said as we sat. “I’ve been to a fitting for wedding dresses with Erin, but never with two guys. And no dress!”

Kathy chuckled. “Well, it’s for Tony.”

Melissa looked puzzled. “What are you wearing, Uncle Mitch?”

“He’ll be wearing the closest thing to a dress,” Tony said, which I really hit him in the shoulder. “Ow!” But he was chuckling.

“It’s not a dress!” I stated firmly. “I have never, nor will I ever put on a dress.”

“He’s wearing his family’s kilt and all the things that make him Scottish.” Tony grinned.

Melissa smiled. “A kilt?” Then she grinned at me. “Does that mean you won’t be wearing anything underneath as I hear?”

I shook my head. “There’s only one other person who will know that besides me is Tony.”

The trip was good. I enjoyed Cats, but too soon it was time to go back to Charleston. But I was promised I’d see Wicked. Next time?