Best Man

Trailing her delicate hand along the bannister, a trimmer Caroline descended the staircase as if she were taking in her surroundings for the last time. Each step was as soft as the next as she brought her free hand up to touch her hair. It was swept into a sleek up-do with tiny tendrils of her brown hair curled just slightly around her face and on the back of her neck.

She was, for the most part, lost in thought.

Thinking about the evening's coming event, on who she'd be mingling with...on planning on how she could manage to spend at least most of the time on Mike's arm instead of off on the other side of the room, forced to talk to people she didn't give a shit about.

Caroline was more than happy to play the trophy girlfriend -- er, fiancee -- to the ever piquant Mike Dirnt.

And that thought, alone, made her grin a million watt grin every time it passed through her conscious and subconscious.

Mike's fiancee.

It had a nice ring to it.

Caroline Woods was engaged to Mike Dirnt, otherwise known as Mike Pritchard.

She was getting more giddy at the thought that she almost skipped down the remaining stairs and damn near tripped and killed herself.

Note to self: don't hurry down stairs in heels, she thought.

As soon as she reached the bottom floor, Caroline smoothed out the material of her black, cocktail dress and caught a glimpse of her reflection in the hall mirror. When she looked down to pick a piece of white lint of her dress, she was pleasantly surprised by two very masculine hands working their way around her waist and pulling her back against the owner's body.

Glancing back up at her reflection, she was now staring into Mike's blue eyes with a smile. "Hey, there, sexy," she murmured.

"Hey yourself," he replied, leaning his head down to place his lips against the curve of her neck meeting her shoulder.

Tilting her head back with a lazy smile, Caroline closed her eyes and slowly turned around to face Mike; throwing her arms up around his shoulders and pressing herself more into him.

Looking down his nose into her eyes, he smiled as they kissed.

"Ready to go?" he muttered, snaking one arm around her body while his hand from his free arm rested on the side of her face as he gave her a peck on the lips and then pulled back.

"Mmhmm," she nodded. Bringing her own arms down, she grabbed his tie to straighten it out as he just stood there, letting her groom him.

Groom, he thought to himself with a faint smile. Some day very soon.

Biting her lip in concentration, her eyes flitted up to his face when she finished and smiled in some curiousness at the way he was looking at her.

"What?" she questioned, touching her fingers to her face. "I don't have a booger or something do I?"

Mike shook his head and just smiled. "No. I'm just thinking about how beautiful you are. How lucky I am..."

"I thought we discussed this already," Caroline said in mock seriousness. "I said that I was the lucky one. Remember?"

"How about the middle ground?" he suggested. "We're both lucky."

Pausing for a moment, she scrunched her nose up as if considering, then nodded. "Sounds good to me."

"Good. Now, we should be going, hon. I mean, there's only so much time allotted to being fashionably late."

The couple smirked at each other and, with his keys in his hand, Mike led the way outside, locking the front door to his house.



The sun hadn't yet set by the time Mike and Caroline arrived to the Warner Brothers/Reprise party being held in San Francisco that night at The Argent Hotel San Francisco, located on 3rd Street, near the South of Market arts district.

Once the valet parked their car, the couple walked into the main entrance and into the lobby, hand in hand. When they approached the check-in desk, Mike asked which way was the ballroom, and a staff member directed them to where they had to go.

With a nod and a simple 'thank you,' Mike placed his hand on the small of Caroline's back and led them toward the ballroom. And as soon as they entered the large ballroom, they were greeted by a few record executives standing nearby.

At one table was Stevie Nicks from Fleetwood Mac, also a Reprise recording artist, making small talk with some random exec.

And Caroline's eyes widened.

"Oh, no matter how many times I've met her at these things, I'm still awestruck," Caroline commented, gesturing subtly toward Ms. Nicks.

"Well, why don't you cut into the undoubtedly exciting conversation she's having," Mike remarked, jokingly. Pressing his lips to her temple, he gave her a pat on ass. "Go on."

"Yes, sir," she answered with a smirk.

Watching the Caroline's hips sway from side to side as she greeted one of her female idols, Mike bit his bottom lip and shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked further into the ballroom, when he spotted Tre having his glass of white wine refilled.

Mike nodded to his friend. "The wine here any good?"

The drummer looked over the rim of his glass; his blue eyes locking with the deeper blue ones of the taller man. He gave Mike a small smile and then took a slow sip of his wine. "It's good," was his reply.

Gesturing to the waiter who had poured Tre's glass, Mike inquired about getting his own. "Thanks," he muttered as the waiter walked away after giving him what he wanted. Taking his own sip, he nodded. "It is good. The label went all out this time. And the Argent Hotel ballroom? They're gettin' classier. I wonder what the big deal is this time."

Tre shrugged. "The only specifics I know is that they're honoring a group. And it's not us."

"Good. If we were supposed to be honored, I sure as hell wouldn't want it in some stuffy executive sort of way," Mike commented. "I say, send us a shiny plaque or whatever, and give us all-expense paid trips to Fiji or something."

Smiling, the shorter man nodded. "I concur." Then, "So, uh...where's Caroline?"

Nonchalantly, Mike turned his head and pointed. "Over there, talking to Stevie Nicks."

Tre laughed a little. "Yeah, she's been a big fan of hers since forever."

"Yeah."

"She went and seen Fleetwood Man in concert back in Buffalo, five years ago today, actually."

Mike looked at his friend, holding his glass of wine to his lips. "Five years ago today, huh? So, that would've been May 15th, 2003?"

Tre nodded. "Yep. She told me all the concerts she'd been to when we--" Tre cut himself off by taking a sip of his wine and turning his head away from Mike just a bit. "So, you know we have assigned seats?"

Not missing the quick change of subject, Mike committed it to memory and just shook his head. "Serious?"

"Yeah, they got us at the same table as Caroline and her boys. The Sinners."

"Well, that makes sense. They wouldn't not sit Caroline with me and then have her band sit elsewhere, singling her out, y'know?"

Tre glanced at Mike, his innards twisting just enough that he wanted to go hide under the table he was assigned to. "Yeah. It wouldn't make sense at all," he agreed after some hesitation to answer.

Several small talks with several people later, everyone affiliated with the Warner Brothers/Reprise Records label found their ways to their tables as the 'shindig' began, if you will.

Billie Joe and Adrienne sat down to the right of Caroline as Mike sat on her left, and then Tre at his left. Across from him was the remaining Sinners: Dave Jozwiak, Nefthali Radilla and Nick Konsta with his pregnant wife, Christina.

The nine of them made small talk while the Execs droned on about whatever. They weren't really interested. Then, dinner was served, followed by dessert. After all that was said and done, the Execs took to the front of the ballroom once against, at the platform set up, finally getting to the point of the banquet thing.

"Bawk, bawk, bawk," came a hushed, and oddly feminine, voice.

Several at the Green Day/Sinners table turned around to see Gerard Way from My Chemical Romance trying to cover up the fact that he'd said anything by putting his wine glass to his lips and looking innocent.

"What?" he muttered with a guilty smile.

Mike just laughed and shook his head, turning back toward the Exec talking now while Caroline leaned her chair back toward Gerard and whispered to him.

"Bawk, bawk, bawkity, bawk, bawk," she repeated.

Gerard nodded and reached out his hand to give her arm a squeeze and then smiled.

"My thoughts exactly, sugar," he whispered right back.

Both of them returned to paying attention to the Exec speaking just as he announced awarding Fleetwood Mac a 'Sterling Award' for their achievements over the last 40 years of making music and making a mark in the industry and how they went through many lineup changes, though the important lineup consisted of the fivesome: Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, ex-wife Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and, of course, Stevie Nicks.

Being the only one there to accept the honor, Stevie Nicks left her table and stepped up to the podium set up on the platform and made a bit of a speech, which seemed to keep Caroline enthralled.

And both Mike and Tre were enthralled with her.

Looking across the table, Billie Joe followed his drummer friend's gaze to Caroline, and then back.

Christ on a cracker, Tre, he thought to himself. Since when did you change places with Mike in the pining department?

Catching Billie Joe's look, Tre blushed has discreetly as possible and looked toward Ms. Nicks as she was shaking hands with the Execs and being handed an award statuette.

"She's so awesome," Caroline muttered as she leaned into Mike and rested her head on his shoulder.

Turning to try and look down at her, Mike smiled and pressed his lips to the top of her head and then wrapped an arm around her shoulders to keep her stationary.

"I know someone more awesome than her," he said quietly.

Lifting her head she bit her bottom lip and stuck her chin out as she brushed her nose against his before they kissed. Moving to place her lips against his ear, Caroline smirked.

"When are we gonna tell everyone we're engaged?" she whispered.

"I think they noticed already by the ring on your hand," he answered.

"Maybe...maybe not. I'm talking officially announce it," she amended. "I wanna shout it from the rooftops, don't you?"

"You have no idea, babe."

"So? Whatcha waitin' for, Casanova?"

"You want me to steal Ms. Nicks' thunder?"

Caroline frowned and then smirked. "No, I'm not saying in front of everyone. Just us. This table. And maybe Gerard's table."

"Okay," Mike caved. Waiting a few moments so that Stevie Nicks had returned to her seat and everyone had returned to their conversations after applauding the aging woman of rock, Green Day's bassist cleared his throat and raised his wine glass. "Uh, guys...can I get your attention?"

Caroline bit her lip once again in anticipation as everyone at their table turned their attention toward Mike.

"What's up?" Nick questioned, placing a hand behind his wife's shoulders.

"Well, we haven't announced it officially, even though you probably all know it by now, but..." Mike looked at Caroline and smiled, taking her hand in his. "I asked Caroline to marry me over a week ago and...she said yes."

Adrienne, just as everyone had noticed already, knew they were engaged, but hearing the good news officially made it real. Squealing, Adrienne took Caroline's free hand in hers and grinned.

"Congratulations!"

"Thanks," Caroline beamed.

As more congrats went around, Tre found himself sitting back and taking it all in, rather quietly.

Yes, he was happy for his best friend and his ex-girlfriend, but he knew that if he was going to get Caroline back at all before she was off the market for good, he better get a move on it.

It was now or never.