Standing Tall

Scott hung up his phone and put it in his pocket. “Real nice G…I’m trying to have a moment with my bride and you’ve gotta be an ass.”

“Sorry, I couldn’t help it. Plus, it’s your fault for being within earshot…you should have gone outside if you wanted privacy,” Claude said as he sat up with his back against the sofa. “What time is it?”

“It’s like quarter to eight. We have to start moving. Breakfast first, Johanna’s making French toast I think. And my parents are going to bring over bagels. They should be here in a few minutes.”

“Gotta love Momma Hartnell…always worried that we don’t eat,” Claude said as he wiped the sleep from his eyes. “Get up you schmucks!” Claude yelled at Braydon and Luke who were sleeping on the sofa and floor respectively.

“Damn G…why do you have to yell? My head is killing me,” Brayden pleaded as he rubbed his temples.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have had so much to drink…you knew today was gonna be an early day,” Claude said in a louder voice to annoy his teammate. “Come on…Johanna’s making breakfast. We gotta clean this room up before people get here.”

“I still don’t understand how Jake and Simmer managed to get the other bedroom,” Luke complained as he stood to fold the blankets that he had unwrapped himself from.

“Because you thought you could ride the bull longer than they could. It’s your fault for making the bet,” Scott reminded him.

“Yeah…and somehow I lost out on a bed because of it,” Brayden complained.

Scott shook his head at them. “G, you got this? Make sure everything is put away…and help Johanna with whatever she needs. I’m gonna get Jake and Simmer up.” Scott went upstairs to get the remaining groomsmen up to start their day.

As Scott was threatening his teammates with bodily harm if they didn’t get out of bed, they heard the doorbell ring. “Now you’re in for it. Parents are here,” Scott said mockingly.

“Oh shit! Jake get up! Momma Hartnell’s gonna kick our asses if we’re not downstairs!” Wayne shouted as he jumped out of bed and darted down the stairs. Relunctantly, Jakub followed and made his way downstairs to join his teammates.

Scott took a few moments for himself in the spare bedroom he had occupied the night before. Since he had woken up before the others he had already made the bed and laid out his tuxedo on the bed. He stood in front of the dresser and emptied the bag that contained various grooming tools so that they would be ready for use after his shower. He stared at himself in the mirror and recalled the moment he knew he could spend the rest of his life with Rebecca…

The walk from the restaurant to the Academy of Music was only a few blocks, so it seemed natural to avoid having to look for another parking spot if they could help it. Scott could tell that she was nervous walking through the city by the way she held his arm as they walked. He tried his best to assure her that they wouldn’t be walking long, and before she knew it they would be at their destination.

Scott had never been to the ballet before. No one that he’s ever dated seemed all that interested, so when Kimmo mentioned that Johanna had a friend that had access to tickets, he thought she might be the one that would enjoy it. As they entered the building he took the tickets out of his pocket and handed them to the usher, the whole time nervously hoping she wouldn’t realize he had no idea where he was going. Watching her fidget in her seat before the performance was the most adorable thing he had ever seen. She was actually more nervous than him.

He knew that touching her could end up getting him slapped since they didn’t really know each other yet, but he wanted to try and calm her down…and himself at the same time. Her legs were crossed away from him, allowing her dress to sneak higher up on her thigh, and she was nervously rubbing her hand over her knee. It took him a few minutes to get up the courage to reach for her hand, but when he did he couldn’t help but lean in so that he was only inches from her ear. "Don't be nervous. We're not the ones that are getting up there in tights."

He had always resorted to humor when he was nervous, but thankfully she didn’t know that yet. The moment that she responded with a giggle and laced their fingers together sent a feeling through Scott that he had not felt in years. Not since the early days of his and Lisa’s relationship when she still managed to give him butterflies. It was a feeling that he missed and he didn’t think he’d feel again after Lisa.

Rebecca kept their hands on her lap, occasionally rubbing her thumb against his hand that sent chills down his back. Each time she did it he would glance over at her, trying to determine if she knew she was doing it or if it was just instinctual. Each time she was intently watching the performance and hadn’t even noticed that he was looking at her. He admired everything about her…her hair, which was blonde but with a subtle hint of red that made it more like strawberry blonde; her eyes that at the moment were fixated on the performance, but he had noticed earlier were almost sky blue; her hand that was holding his was soft and manicured; her legs, which were now crossed towards him and occasionally rubbed against his, were muscular but lean. As much as he tried to think like a gentleman, he couldn’t avoid admiring her breasts, which showed just enough cleavage in that dress to garner intrigue.

There was no denying she was beautiful. How in the world was she still single? How would he convince her that he wasn’t like his teammates, jumping from woman to woman without caring what was left in their wake? He desperately wanted to see her again, to feel the butterflies again, but she was so reluctant to go out with him before would she even consider a second or third date?

After the performance they walked back to his SUV and he could tell that she was more relaxed with him by the way she wrapped her arm with his and held his hand. During the ride back to her house she continued to hold his hand, again randomly rubbing her thumb over his, sending that same chill down his back each time. Walking up to her door he got a knot in his stomach anticipating kissing her goodnight. He had to remind himself that they were grown adults, not inexperienced teenagers. She fidgeted with her keys while thanking him for the evening. He knew that kissing her hand was an outdated move but he still wasn’t quite sure how she would react if he kissed her. When he looked in her eyes as his lips touched her hand, he saw his answer.

He swallowed the lump in his throat as he leaned down to place his lips on hers. Of all the kisses he’s experienced in his life, this one topped them all. Most first kisses are awkward, but there was nothing awkward about this one. Her lips felt like velvet against his. Their mouths moved in sync like they had been kissing each other forever. That chill that had been going down his back all night with each touch of her hand was nothing compared to the feeling he got from this kiss. He knew then that he wanted to be the recipient of kisses like this for the rest of his life.

“Scott?” a voice brought him out of his head and back to the present.

“In here Dad,” Scott said as he turned away from the mirror and started for the door.

“Everything alright?” Bill Hartnell asked as he entered the room.

“Yep. Perfect. Did you have any problems finding the place?”

“No. GPS actually worked this time,” his father chuckled.

“I’m not so sure it’s the GPS most times,” Scott chided his father. “Is Mom crying yet?”

“Not yet. But I’m sure she’ll start once you get into your tux,” he said. “Johanna said to tell you breakfast is ready and the boys have already dug in. You better get down there to make sure you get something in your stomach. It’s gonna be a long day.”

“Long yes…but definitely worth it,” Scott wrapped his arm around his father’s shoulders as they exited the room and headed to join everyone else in the kitchen.