Flightless Birds
Nine
Maggie Martin stopped mid pull from her beer, eyes growing wide, as she stared over her best friend Hanna's shoulder. In their favorite Nashville dive bar in the dead of summer, she was positive she was losing her mind.
"What? What's wrong?" Hanna asked, glancing over her shoulder.
"I swear to god I just saw Geno."
"Doubtful."
"I know! It's summer and I just saw the big dumb Russian goofing off on his Instagram in the motherland yesterday."
"While stranger things have happened, like you getting married after knowing someone for nine months, there is no way this is happening to us twice in one year."
Maggie laughed. "Right? Deja vu much?"
"Maggie! Hanna!" Geno's voice boomed through the din of the bar. "I find you!"
"This is the part where you talk about his butt," Hanna laughed as Geno lifted Maggie out of her seat in a crushing hug.
"Is still best, yes?" Geno asked.
"Yeah, just don't tell Paul," Maggie answered.
"Don't tell Paul what?" Paul asked as he hopped on Maggie's empty bar stool. Geno deposited her into his lap and turned to lift Hanna up into a hug.
"Nothing," Maggie sing songed, tipping her head back to kiss him. "Why is Geno here?"
"Lazy tell me you marry Paulie. I come to say congratulations," Geno grinned.
"You came to Nashville to say congratulations? You know you could've called, right?"
"Lazy tell me you have pretty friends I should meet. Also that he plan post wedding bachelor party for Paulie."
"He what?! Where is he? I'm going to kill him," Maggie swore as she leaped off Paul's lap. Paul pulled her back down with an arm securely around her waist. She struggled against him as James approached with Brandon.
"I told James he could plan a trip to Vegas to celebrate since we didn't invite everyone to the wedding," Paul told her. "And I also told him no strippers."
"Why?" She whined. "If we're going to Vegas we have to go see the strippers!"
"Hell yes!" James exclaimed. "Maggie's bachelorette at the strip club. This is going to be awesome!" He and Maggie high fived.
"Joint bachelor/bachelorette would be even better," Maggie said.
"Yes!" They high fived again.
"Oh lord," Hanna groaned. "This is going to be bad."
"No, it's going to be epic," Maggie replied.
"So epic," James chimed in.
"When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?! Short notice much, Nealer?”
“Paul knew.”
Maggie slapped at his arm. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Surprise!” Paul smirked.
“Jerk.”
“You love me.”
“So much. I mean, who else would accept a proposal over skype?”
“You proposed to her over skype?” James asked incredulously. “Why?”
“Because it’s us,” Paul answered. “And when I was gone for two days after signing my new contract with the Sharks at the beginning of the month, I knew. So when we skyped that first night, I asked her.”
“And then I threw together the most hastily planned wedding in Nashville history in three weeks,” Maggie smiled.
“Even for hastily planned it was pretty great,” Hanna added.
“Except did not invite me,” Geno said.
“It was small. Our families, James, Hanna, and Brandon because I didn’t have a choice,” Maggie told him.
“You know you love me more than Nealer,” Brandon spoke.
“I mean, I have seen your penis.”
Brandon blushed and Geno roared with laughter. “You’re not supposed to bring that up,” Hanna said.
“I’m failing,” Maggie shrugged. “But since you guys are so happy together I’ll try harder.”
“How is job, Hanna?” Geno asked.
“It's good. I decided to start my own consulting company so I have a ton more flexibility to my schedule, which is good since Brandon insisted I spend time with the entire Sutter clan this summer. I’m looking forward to getting back to Pittsburgh at the end of next month though and settling back into a routine; and getting moved into our new place.”
“Is lot of Sutters.”
“But do they all have the same dong?” Maggie asked.
“Maggie!” Hanna said with a shake of her head.
“You left me wide open for that but I swear it’s the last time I bring up pens dong.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“I don’t believe me either.”
Everyone laughed at Maggie’s admission and James signaled the bartender for another round. When everyone had a drink in hand, he raised his in the air. “Here’s to great friends, great loves, and great dongs.”
“Here, here!” Maggie exclaimed. “Long live the pens dong!”
FIN
"What? What's wrong?" Hanna asked, glancing over her shoulder.
"I swear to god I just saw Geno."
"Doubtful."
"I know! It's summer and I just saw the big dumb Russian goofing off on his Instagram in the motherland yesterday."
"While stranger things have happened, like you getting married after knowing someone for nine months, there is no way this is happening to us twice in one year."
Maggie laughed. "Right? Deja vu much?"
"Maggie! Hanna!" Geno's voice boomed through the din of the bar. "I find you!"
"This is the part where you talk about his butt," Hanna laughed as Geno lifted Maggie out of her seat in a crushing hug.
"Is still best, yes?" Geno asked.
"Yeah, just don't tell Paul," Maggie answered.
"Don't tell Paul what?" Paul asked as he hopped on Maggie's empty bar stool. Geno deposited her into his lap and turned to lift Hanna up into a hug.
"Nothing," Maggie sing songed, tipping her head back to kiss him. "Why is Geno here?"
"Lazy tell me you marry Paulie. I come to say congratulations," Geno grinned.
"You came to Nashville to say congratulations? You know you could've called, right?"
"Lazy tell me you have pretty friends I should meet. Also that he plan post wedding bachelor party for Paulie."
"He what?! Where is he? I'm going to kill him," Maggie swore as she leaped off Paul's lap. Paul pulled her back down with an arm securely around her waist. She struggled against him as James approached with Brandon.
"I told James he could plan a trip to Vegas to celebrate since we didn't invite everyone to the wedding," Paul told her. "And I also told him no strippers."
"Why?" She whined. "If we're going to Vegas we have to go see the strippers!"
"Hell yes!" James exclaimed. "Maggie's bachelorette at the strip club. This is going to be awesome!" He and Maggie high fived.
"Joint bachelor/bachelorette would be even better," Maggie said.
"Yes!" They high fived again.
"Oh lord," Hanna groaned. "This is going to be bad."
"No, it's going to be epic," Maggie replied.
"So epic," James chimed in.
"When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?! Short notice much, Nealer?”
“Paul knew.”
Maggie slapped at his arm. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Surprise!” Paul smirked.
“Jerk.”
“You love me.”
“So much. I mean, who else would accept a proposal over skype?”
“You proposed to her over skype?” James asked incredulously. “Why?”
“Because it’s us,” Paul answered. “And when I was gone for two days after signing my new contract with the Sharks at the beginning of the month, I knew. So when we skyped that first night, I asked her.”
“And then I threw together the most hastily planned wedding in Nashville history in three weeks,” Maggie smiled.
“Even for hastily planned it was pretty great,” Hanna added.
“Except did not invite me,” Geno said.
“It was small. Our families, James, Hanna, and Brandon because I didn’t have a choice,” Maggie told him.
“You know you love me more than Nealer,” Brandon spoke.
“I mean, I have seen your penis.”
Brandon blushed and Geno roared with laughter. “You’re not supposed to bring that up,” Hanna said.
“I’m failing,” Maggie shrugged. “But since you guys are so happy together I’ll try harder.”
“How is job, Hanna?” Geno asked.
“It's good. I decided to start my own consulting company so I have a ton more flexibility to my schedule, which is good since Brandon insisted I spend time with the entire Sutter clan this summer. I’m looking forward to getting back to Pittsburgh at the end of next month though and settling back into a routine; and getting moved into our new place.”
“Is lot of Sutters.”
“But do they all have the same dong?” Maggie asked.
“Maggie!” Hanna said with a shake of her head.
“You left me wide open for that but I swear it’s the last time I bring up pens dong.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“I don’t believe me either.”
Everyone laughed at Maggie’s admission and James signaled the bartender for another round. When everyone had a drink in hand, he raised his in the air. “Here’s to great friends, great loves, and great dongs.”
“Here, here!” Maggie exclaimed. “Long live the pens dong!”
FIN
♠ ♠ ♠
You may have noticed that I don't mention Brandon's trade. Time wise, this ends right before that happens IRL so I left it out. Also, it gives me a really good jumping off point to continue with these characters. :DUp next: Jason Demers