Tom glared at James as the three boys dressed in their new suits. Alex grinned at the animosity and snippy antagonism between his two friends. Tom not forgiving James for being James really. The young German had a gained the reputation of straying easily. He had gone through four girlfriends since breaking up with Alex. Not that Alex minded as with each break up James sought out Alex for comfort. Alex was a sucker for comfort sex, well it was the only sex he got. Each encounter was relayed to Tom who told Alex he was a fool to left James play with his heart, but Alex explained it wasn't like that, fuck buddies was the term James used. The concept was an anathema to Tom, who despite the mine field of his parent's marriage, was still very conservative and straight laced regarding relationships. Not that Tom minded Alex and James playing for both sides, just the frequency they'd swing from friends to lovers and back again.
The three boys patiently waited down stairs for Marius to stop panicking and get his act together. The wedding venue was half an hour away and they had to get there early, even if they all knew Blythe was going to be fashionably late. The wedding was small and low key. Alex had been runner for much of the preparations, having taken his A levels in January rather than June. Blythe worked in London and emailed and texted every day, only visiting at weekends. James was still recovering from his final semester at Gymnasium in Dusseldorf. James had finished school in Germany after deciding to go to the local state school moving back in with his father and spend his holidays with his mother. Blythe and Marius had dated seriously for a year before getting engaged last summer.
Alex had settled into boarding school routine after the incident in Wales, taking up drama, triathlons, karate and book clubs to stave off boredom, when not surfing. He tried not to think on the incident in Year 12, that was just a practical joke after some girls decided to straighten Alex out. That stunt had been too close to the bone, but then again Alex had a very black sense of humour.
Last summer had been spent in San Francisco and London. The Pleasure's were still happy to include Alex in their family. Tom was his own man and had a room in a shared house in Vauxhall. How Tom longed for a house of his own. He worked hard, as well as finishing his apprenticeship. He saved and invested. Tom Harris, the driven young entrepreneur, was on his way to get rich or die trying. Being penniless sucked.
Alex watched Marius check his watch for the fiftieth time, asking Alex that he had the rings fir the sixteenth time, and then they all piled into the boring Volvo V40 for the drive to Redruth. So the four guys piled into the Volvo, Marius was so preoccupied he did not complain with Alex driving nor Tom's choice of music.
Blythe looked wonderful in a designer linen suit, the whole wedding was smart but not traditional as it was the second wedding for both bride and groom. It was a small ceremony followed by a fantastic five course banquet. The hotel had promised no press, a wonder in this day and age. Blythe had not even been tempted to sell the deal to hello, preferring for a short press to be released once she and Marius were on their honeymoon in Jamaica. She had wound down her publicity work, modelling and acting since Christmas.
Alex had two roles during the day, handing over the rings and a short speech detailing James and himself acting as matchmakers. Alex stood and surveyed the room, he was nervous as this was the only speech.
"Hello and congratulations to Mr and Mrs Beckett or Uncle M and Auntie Blythe, this wedding making James and I officially cousins. The two of us became fast friends in 2001, when we were both committed trouble makers, trapped in an exclusive boarding school in France. I lasted less than two weeks there, a record for a stay at any school for me, I don't know James record but we were a right pair between the ages of fourteen and sixteen. So, at fifteen, I came to be under Marius' dubious care and he managed ti guide me to manage two years uninterrupted schooling, taking my exams and actually passing them. I must say Marius likes a good curry, cannot stand rap music and is the most laid back deputy headmaster I've ever met and I've met a few. So Marius tamed me and in the process met James' mother, the lovely Blythe. Their meeting was initially via a series of phone calls over me disappearing. They met during my subsequent stay at St Dominic's Hospital and somehow, Marius invited Blythe and her son James to come and stay during the summer holidays. The rest was history in the making. Blythe had to experience the almost criminal living conditions in a small three bedroomed house with one bathroom shared with three men. Marius saved the day with his organisational skills and a bathroom rota which left the faciities free for the lovely Blythe for 95% of the time. We had to shower and shave in two minutes, I kid you not. James had already made the bet that this squalor would see his mother running back to London. He lost his bet, by the end of the week.." at this Alex winked in a comedic manner.. "Cupid's arrow had struck. We became a mismatched, dysfunctional and cross country family. Last Christmas Marius asked me to be his best man.. the stress of everything was obviously getting to him, I should not be trusted with anything, no matter what glowing references my previous foster parents, the Pleasures say, but amazingly there has been no fights, fall outs, ski chases or fires. If your asking about these incidents it was just bad timing on my part, wrong place wrong time, honestly." Alex took a breath and a sip of water. "I know I'm meant to be telling embarrassing stories abut Marius. The most embarrassing moments have been Marius being kind and understanding dealing with my complete paranoia. I'm making a big thing actually calling him uncle. For the first eighteen months I told no-one we were actually family, as in related not a social services placement. I expected to be orphaned again, after loosing my parents, my uncle then my first permanent foster parent I was a bit jaded, not wanting to jinx anything. Sad huh. Marius played along, he's been the best really. So, into Marius' nice neat ordered, monk-like existence wandered the wonderful mercurial infuriating force of nature that is Blythe McCudden and here we are. However, just to let you all know, this is not happy families, just happy ever after for the newly weds. Marius and Blythe have volunteered to be complete do-gooders and are going to teach in Africa attached to Unicef. James is soon to start studying finance and banking at the Sorbonne and I'm off for a year off before reading Eastern European Studies at London. For those who know, I'll hopefully be sharing a flat with Tom in South London. So to the future, pastures knew, peace and happiness. Please raise your glasses to the bride and groom."