again. âYeah, well, our wedding party isnât set yet, and every delay means things move around even more, so it works as a cover.â
âYeah, well, I can relate. Sort of.â
âWe went in the opposite direction, baby,â Jeff reminded me.
This was true enough. Weâd had to move our wedding up by several weeks in order to foil one of the many Bad Guy du Jour plans. However, the delays Chuckie and Naomi were going through werenât anything any of us could avoid.
What with all the invasion drama and whatnot, the powers that beâwhich included the President and many other major countriesâ leaders, including Australiaâs, where Chuckie normally lived half the yearâall felt that what would help solve many issues was a good olâ Royal Wedding Extravaganza.
Jeff and I having already done said Extravaganza was good, because the
World Weekly News
had the picturesâcourtesy of our favorite paparazzo, Mister Joel Oliverâand was re-running them regularly. But Christopher and Amy having had the nerve to forego a big wedding meant that Chuckie and Naomi, being the next in line to get married, were now the âItâ couple for the big to-do. I didnât envy them. At all.
A large part of my lack of envy was that they were probably the least involved bride and groom ever, in terms of what kind of say they were getting in regard to their own nuptials. I mean, Iâd been uninvolved, in that sense, but Reader had handled everything, and done it well, and Iâd actually had veto power.
Every decision Chuckie and Naomi made had to go up through both the A-C and U.S. governments. And then, and only then, could they actually run said decisions by their families. And then any changes the families wanted went right back up the chain. Needless to say, this took time, which added to the overall frustration factor.
Wedding By Committee was no oneâs idea of a fun time. That neither one of them had killed anyone yet was a magnificent testament to the fact that they were, apparently, the most patient couple on the planet.
âSo, whatâs the issue Jeff and I are helping you solve, wedding party-wise?â
Chuckie sighed and looked slightly embarrassed. âI still donât have my side chosen, and that includes the best man.â
âPaulâs performing the ceremony, right?â Jeff asked. It was sad that we actually had to ask, but who was marrying Chuckie and Naomi had changed at least six times so far by my count.
âYes. Thatâs been finally and officially approved and, God willing, nothingâs going to change it. And Reader, as his husband, is a groomsman, and so is Michael.â Michael was the fourth Gower sibling. He was younger than Gower, though like his older brother he was big, black, bald, and gorgeous. Michael was older than Naomi, with Abigail holding down the baby of the family slot.
Michael was also an astronaut and the A-C Player of the Year, Every Year. âHaving Michael must be kind of like a double for whoeverâs making demands, right? I mean, an astronaut has to be a decent draw or coup or whatever it is theyâre looking for.â
âTrue enough. And while Readerâs joyfully taken over the role of Reynolds Hater that your husband here held so happily for so long, I donât have any objection to him being in the wedding party.â
Jeff laughed. âJust took getting to know the real you.â
Chuckie snorted. âWhatever spin makes you happy.â
âSo, you have two dudes so far. How many girls are on Naomiâs side?â
âAbigail, of course, and sheâs Maid of Honor. Also confirmed and, please God, not changing. Then you, Amy, and Caroline.â
âReally? I hate to sound really stupid and out of it, but Naomi hasnât actually asked me.â And I had to figure if she hadnât asked me, then she hadnât asked Amy or Caroline, either.
Chuckie
Jack Heath, John Thompson
Piers Anthony, Jo Anne Taeusch