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Crashing this wedding is probably one of the best decisions Percy’s made in a while.
There aren’t a lot of guests, only about a hundred or so, which would make blending in a lot harder if the lighting wasn’t turned so low. Everywhere he turns, couples are wrapped up in each other on the dance floor, too busy gazing into each other’s eyes to notice a wedding crasher. On top of that, not everyone seems to know everyone, since there are a lot of introductions going all around.
So far, Percy’s managed to avoid the introductions part of things, and he’s only danced with one person – a hunched-over grandmother who kept calling him Roy and wandering her hand way too close to his butt for Percy’s liking. Fortunately, it helped him blend in even better.
The best part about throwing on this rented suit-and-tie and wandering over to the venue, though, is that he not only gets to eat what is probably the most delicious cake he has ever had the good fortune to come across, but also chat up a guy who looks like a professional supermodel.
When Percy says that (in between mouthfuls of heavenly cake), Jason just laughs. “More like a college professor, but thank you.”
“Professor, huh? Well, I never liked teacher but I think I can make an exception for you.”
Jason gives him a crooked smile. Percy would probably shout SCORE if his mouth wasn’t full of cake right now. Has he mentioned how good this cake is?
“So,” Jason says, leaning against the table Percy’s got his plate on. Well, plates. He knows he’s being greedy but Jason doesn’t look like he minds, and besides, this cake is undoubtedly going to be finished in the next few minutes. Percy has to stock up.
“Are you a friend of the bride or groom?” Jason asks.
Percy smiles easily. “Oh, you know…” he waves his fork around vaguely. “This cake is amazing. Do you know what flavor it is?”
“Cinnamon with vanilla butter cream,” Jason answers instantly. It’s like he’s memorized it. A man after Percy’s own heart.
“So good. I love it.”
“I can tell,” Jason says, raising an eyebrow when Percy slaps someone’s hand away from one of his plates. “Why don’t you sit down at your seat so you can eat in peace?”
“Oh, I’m fine. Besides,” he grins at Jason, “our seats are probably in different places, huh?”
“That doesn’t matter. We can still sit together. Just tell me where you’re placed.”
Percy bites at a sugar flower, biding his time. Jason watches him with eyes so intense, he can barely think straight.
“I just prefer to stretch my legs,” he says finally.
For a second, he thinks Jason isn’t buying it, face neutral and eyes unwavering. Then Percy nervously licks his lips and Jason’s eyes follow the movement, breaking his concentration.
All nervousness drains away, and a smirk spreads across his face. He leans towards Jason. “What do you say we get out of here? After we shove the cake in our pockets, obviously.”
Jason’s cheeks turn a red almost as beautiful as the roses on the cake, but when he looks up, his eyes are narrowed. “You never answered my question.”
“What’s that?”
“Are you a friend of the bride or the groom’s?”
Percy lets out a long-suffering huff and rolls his eyes. “Fine, if you must know. The bride. We go back ages. Now open up your pockets.”
He reaches forward for the third and fourth plates (he already ate the first two) but all of a sudden there’s a large, warm hand enclosed over his wrist. He blinks up at Jason, whose face is too close to be comfortable.
“This is a gay wedding,” Jason says, voice low. “There is no bride.”
Percy freezes, staring at him wide-eyed for a full minute. Then slowly, he turns around to look at the dance floor and realizes the two men dancing in the middle aren’t guests, but the grooms.
“Right,” Percy says, drawing the word out. Jason lets go of him and raises an eyebrow, staring him down.
“Well, you see,” Percy huffs a laugh, “I was just testing you! I mean, obviously I know there’s no bride, I’m not stupid or something, I was just – I gotta go.”
“Hold it,” Jason orders. Even though he isn’t gripping Percy’s wrist anymore, Percy stops where he is. Jason walks around him so he can look him in the eyes. “You really should’ve thought twice before crashing my best friend’s wedding.”
“Look, man, it was an honest mistake!” Percy holds up his hands in surrender. “I was just looking for the bathroom –“
“In a suit and tie?”
“This… is how I normally dress?”
Jason is unblinking. “And then you decided to stay for cake.”
“Can you blame me?” Percy casts a mournful glance at the four-tiered cake nearby, almost completely demolished by the guests. “It’s such great cake.”
“A tip for crashing a wedding next time – don’t flirt with the guy who planned the whole thing and knows the guest list by heart.”
Percy closes his eyes in defeat. That’s like one of the cardinal rules of wedding crashing: Avoid the wedding planner at all costs. “You’re the planner?”
“No, I’m one of the best men. But I arranged the whole thing because there’s no maid of honor. And you,” he pokes Percy’s chest, “were not invited.”
“Wait, so is that the only reason you talked to me?” Percy frowns. “So you can catch me red-handed or something?”
Jason falters, lowering his hand. “That’s – I wasn’t – you’re crashing this wedding!”
“And you used me.” Percy folds his arms. “You know, I really thought we were getting along. I can’t believe you would be this heartless, especially on your own best friend’s wedding.”
“That you crashed!”
“I wasn’t going to! The cake was just so good.”
“Stop talking about the cake already,” Jason snaps. “Get out of here before I call the police.”
Percy stares at him, open-mouthed. “You would do that?”
“In the blink of an eye.”
“I can actually feel my heart breaking right now. Right down the middle.”
Jason blushes again, but his will must be unshakeable, because he doesn’t even twitch. “Go.”
“Geez, fine, okay!” He glances at his plates. “Can I –“
“No. That cake’s going to go to everyone else here. You know, friends and family who were actually invited.”
“Fine, no cake. But can I ask for something else?”
Jason sighs. “What now?”
Percy shoves his hands into his (devoid of cake) pockets and looks up at Jason through his eyelashes, feeling weirdly shy. “Your number?”
For a second, Jason’s lips twitch and Percy brightens, but then he simply raises an eyebrow at Percy. “This is not exactly a meet cute.”
“No, but at least we’ll have a funny story about how we met,” Percy beams.
Jason doesn’t respond. His lips are scrunched up in what Percy can’t decide is exasperation or stifled amusement. They stand there staring at each other for a full half minute before Percy nods. “Alright then,” he two-finger salutes Jason. “As you were.”
He knows his disappointment is painfully apparent, so he quickly turns around and starts walking away, sending a small internal I love you to the cake.
He winds through the crowd, barely steers clear of the handsy grandma, and is pushing open the doors of the venue when a familiar hand closes over his wrist again.
It’s Jason – pink-cheeked, out of breath, flustered. He shoves a piece of paper in Percy’s hands. “You’d better not wait a whole three days,” he says, not making eye contact.
Percy stares down at the paper. Written haphazardly are the words Jason Grace with a number underneath it.
He knows the smile on his face is dopey. He can’t help it.
It helps that Jason looks like he’s in the same boat. He graces Percy with a full, genuine, absolutely beautiful smile for only a few seconds before he leans over and opens the doors. “Now get out,” he says, “before I throw you out.”
Percy leaves the wedding venue with a smile on his face and a skip in his step. He hopes Jason enjoys having their first date at a bakery.