Best Man

With December having begun and the year quickly coming to an end, the snow blew in like an angry mob come to claim the land that it rightfully owned. Like the spirits of hundreds of thousands of Native Americans returning from their wintery graves to take over their old stomping ground.

Crisp, white flakes blustered about with gusts of wind, making Western New York look like a simple snow globe that had been shaken like crazy by a spastic three-year-old on crack.

With a fuzzy, pink knit skull cap on her head and a matching scarf made of soft fleece wrapped around her neck, Caroline dipped her chin to her chest as her gloved hands shielded her eyes from the December snowstorm that was chilling her to the bone.

"Fucking Buffalo," she grumbled as she scampered away from the rental car Mike and her had been using for the past three weeks; give or take a few days.

Shuddering with each step she took, she whimpered as snow fell down into her boots and froze her ankles with its coldness.

"Sonofabitch," Caroline added with a hint of desperation in her voice as she stepped up to the side door of the home in Orchard Park -- a suburb of Buffalo -- where she was supposed to be meeting with a Realtor.

Turning the handle and pushing the door opened, she thanked whatever deity that it was unlocked; stepping inside to be hit with the warmth right away that awaited.

Once the door was shut behind her, she shook her body like a dog shaking off water and stomped her snowy boots on the floor before heading through the hallway that lead to the kitchen of the house where she was greeted at once by the Realtor, Rebecca Moore, who Caroline was convinced couldn't be any older than twenty-two.

"I was beginning to think you might've gotten stuck in a snow bank somewhere," Rebecca teased, shaking Caroline's hand as soon as the singer's gloves were stashed in the pockets of her puffy, winter coat.

"I almost was," Caroline replied, her teeth chattering as her body temperature gradually came back to normal.

"Well, I got a pot of coffee going so while you get situated just let me know how you take yours?"

"Creamer and two sugars, thanks." Unzipping her coat, Caroline took it off and placed it on the back of one of the chairs at the shitty kitchen table and then pulled her hat off her head but left the scarf draped around her neck as she sat down to glance briefly at the papers laid out on the table. "This all the paperwork for me to sign?"

Looking over her shoulder, Rebecca nodded and then walked over to the older woman with a cup of steaming coffee in her hand; setting it on the table in front of Caroline.

"Yep. There's only three you need to really look over and sign in a few places. The others are your copies to keep. Including the deed," Rebecca nodded, sitting down in the chair kitty corner to Caroline. "You're really lucky to get this house, and not just because you can afford it."

"Why's that?" Caroline questioned, lifting her cup of coffee to her lips and looking at the Realtor over the rim as she took her first sip; albeit carefully because it was hot.

"People usually wait to sell their homes during the warmer months because it's less of a hassle and they can get more money if potential buyers can see what the property looks like without the snow."

"I always said I'd buy this house one day," Caroline commented, still holding the cup in her hands to warm them up. "I just never actually believed I'd be able to. And not because of the money, but for the fact that it'd be up for sale."

"Really?"

"Mmhmm. I remember being about fifteen or sixteen and driving by this place with my parents on the way to the County Fair during the summer and seeing this place and just feeling like it had to be mine. I said that if I could ever buy a home here in Buffalo, it'd be this one, and then one in California. And, well, I got the latter already."

"It's funny how things work out, isn't it?"

"You're telling me," the 28-year-old smirked. "And with my fiance's health at the moment, he can't really travel back to California by plane for a few more weeks. And since he's getting out of the hospital on Friday, and not wanting to stay at my grandma's small house or a hotel, we just needed our own place here."

"Makes sense."

Caroline nodded in agreement. "Exactly." Setting her coffee cup down and pushing it to the side, she pulled the papers closer to her to inspect. "So, I just sign these and the house is mine, officially?"

"Yep," Rebecca nodded, handing the singer a pen. "The first one has two places to sign. On the first page and on the second. Then the other two papers are just at the bottoms with the date. And, yep, the house will be yours. I'll take these back to my office and file them. But as soon as the papers are signed, it's technically yours. Just like a marriage license."

Caroline emitted a short laugh and bit her bottom lip as she began to glance over the first paper. "Something of which my fiance and I will be filing for soon."

"When's the lucky day?"

"Well, we don't exactly have a set date. But we're thinking May-ish. Sometime after his birthday."

"He's a Taurus?" Caroline nodded as Rebecca continued. "So's my boyfriend. Gotta love them Taurus men, right?"

Laughing a bit more, Caroline nodded once again as she signed the first page of the first paper along with the date: December 9, 2008.

Tre's thirty-sixth birthday, ironically.

"Totally," she agreed.

"So how long will you be staying here before your return to California?"

"A couple months. Mike needs time to recuperate before returning back to any work on his part and as for me, my band can come back here to work because the three of us are from Buffalo, anyway, so it'd be like coming home for them, too."

"Where you planning on recording?" Rebecca wondered, as she watched Caroline sign the second page of the first paper, who then looked up with wary eyes. "Don't worry. I'm not asking because I'm planning on stalking you," she added with a laugh.

"Chameleon West. Robbie Takac's place."

"He's the bassist from the Goo Goo Dolls, right?"

Caroline nodded.

Rebecca nodded as well. "I saw him perform with his side band, Last Conservative two months ago, before Halloween."

"Yeah, it's funny. Before my band and I lucked out with our career, we looked up to the Goos for being a band to make it out of Buffalo, and then when we did the same, we actually became friends with them, so...it's kinda weird."

Signing the second paper, Caroline lifted her right hand which held the pen and scratched the itch at the corner of her mouth and rested her head in her left hand while the elbow of the same arm was propped up on the table.

"So, you'll be spending Christmas in your new house, then, huh?" Rebecca questioned, rhetorically.

"Yep. I plan on heading out to the Galleria Mall to go through Pottery Barn and the other furnishing-esque stores because I don't want Mike to come home to our new house and have it bare. I'd at least like there to be the basics in furniture and maybe a TV. We can get the other things to start decorating after he's home so I can get his input and whatnot."

"Makes sense."

Before signing the last paper, Caroline tapped the end of the pen on the table and tilted her head as she looked at her youthful Realtor. "Now, I'm signing these with my name, Caroline Woods. But when I get married, will my name change on the deed as well?"

"Yeah, just let me know when you've filed for the name change once you're married and I'll make the necessary changes and bring you new papers to fill out."

"Okay," Caroline bobbed her head, accepting the answer. "Sounds good," she added, dotting the 'i' in her first name once she signed the paper.

"Can I ask what your married name will be?"

"Pritchard."

"Caroline Pritchard," Rebecca muttered; considering it. "It has a really nice ring to it."

A smile spreading from her lips to her eyes, Caroline agreed by licking her lips and nodding. "I know."

Setting down the pen and pushing all three forms across to Rebecca, the 28-year-old singer and new bassist for The Sinners picked up her coffee cup once more to hold warmly in her cold hands.

"Well, Caroline, I'd like to congratulate you on owning your new home." Gathering the papers up, Rebecca extended her hand to her client and both women shook.



Wrapped as warmly as Caroline had been two days earlier, Mike stood beside the front passenger door looking up as his newest home before looking across to the opposite side of the car where his beautiful fiancee stood already staring back at him.

"You're right. The pictures on your camera don't do this place justice," he commented, his warm breath coming out in white clouds from combating the cold air outside.

Caroline smiled. "Glad you agree."

Walking around to Mike, she linked her arm through his and the two of them walked side by side up the driveway, ignoring the cold air blowing through their coats until they reached the side entrance and Caroline unlocked the door and allowed Mike to step inside first.

Once the duo was within the confines of the side hall, Caroline began to help Mike peel away his coat and scarf and laughing a little at how tousled his hair became when she pulled his scull cap off his head.

"Thank you, Nurse Woods," he teased, placing a kiss at her temple.

Giggling a bit, she simply gave him a look while finally shedding her own outside garb; hanging everything up on the wall hooks in the hall and kicking her boots off in such a way that they hit the wall with a thud.

"Very graceful," he continued.

Smiling a little, Caroline gestured to his own feet. "Need help with your shoes, babe?"

In response, Mike gave her a look that was sort of hard to read. "I'm not an invalid, ya know?"

"But you ain't exactly ready for straining yourself either...so...let me help you as much as I can, 'kay?"

"If you insist," he shrugged.

"I do." Crouching down, Caroline began to undo the laces of his shoes and slowly had him bend one knee so she could pull the shoe off, only to do the same with the opposite side. "There," she announced afterward. Standing back up she placed her hands on his shoulders and smiled up at him and stood on tiptoe to place a kiss on his nose. "So, wanna see the house now?"

"You want my honest answer?"

"Uh, yeah?" she replied, quirking an eyebrow while giving him a look that suggested he must be stupid.

"If you don't think I'm strong enough to take off my own coat and shoes, does that mean you think I'm not strong enough to christen our new home?"

"What's that supposed to mean, huh?" she asked impishly as he wiggled his eyebrows at her like a little boy up to no good. Parting her lips, she began to smile at him incredulously while swatting his arm gently. "Michael Pritchard, you just had your second heart attack two weeks ago and you wanna get down and dirty already?"

"Is that wrong?"

"The doctor said to take it easy for at least the next week or more before having sex because it could add strain."

"Yeah, but he said as long as I feel up to it and I'm the one on the bottom, not doing all the work, I should be fine."

For a moment, Caroline just stared at him, narrowing her hazel eyes to take in what he'd said before pursing her lips knowingly and lifting her right hand to run her finger through his floppy brown hair that was getting a bit longer with every month that passed.

"You just like me on top, you big ol' penis."

Raising his eyebrows, Mike began to grin. "Maybe I am a big ol' penis, but could you maybe...perhaps...consider riding me like a race horse? I mean...if I'm gonna die, I want it to be from having the greatest sex ever. Not from worrying about how stressful and crazy life can be."

Caroline's face fell because she didn't want to think of Mike dying. Not ever.

"I'll give myself a third heart attack if you don't say yes."

"That's unfair."

"So is denying me some of that booty," Mike remarked, slapping her ass playfully.

"Mike, I'm serious. Please don't even joke about this." Caroline furrowed her brow as her heartbeat sped up.

"Oh, babe," Mike said gently as he cupped her face with his hands and kissed her forehead. "I'm not trying to worry you, but I just can't help it. I could be a paraplegic with no feeling from my waist down and still wanna have sex with you. It's just how I feel. I love you so much and want to be with you in every way for as long as my ticker will let me. But, if you wanna hold off on sex for a few weeks, I understand," he assured. "I don't need you having a heart attack from worrying about me having a third."

Focusing on a very tiny stain on his shirt, Caroline dropped her arms down to her sides and then wrapped them around Mike's waist, only to stuff her hands in the back pockets of his pants and give his ass a tight squeeze, surprising him.

"Well, as long as you're sure you can handle me, go in the living room, take off your clothes and lie on the ground because I'm gonna give you a little death."

Slowly grinning from ear to ear, Mike began to back her up through the kitchen and then through the dining room which was currently unfurnished until they got to the living room where there was a big, fluffy couch against the far wall.

"How about the couch? It'll be better on my back and hurt less," he suggested, pressing his lips hungrily against hers.

"Whatever," she muttered. "Just get naked and let me do all the work."

As their laughter echoed off the bare, undecorated walls, Mike muttered lazily, "I always did enjoy playing doctor..."