Mr. Thomas Collins and Guest

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Grey

request the pleasure of your company

at the marriage of their daughter

Alison Celeste

to

Benjamin Edward Coffin III

At St. Philips Catholic Church, Westport

on Saturday 7th August

at two o'clock

Collins raised an eyebrow as he looked over the gold-embossed invitation. He could tell this was going to be just about the fanciest thing he'd ever been to. Quickly, his mind raced, trying to think of who he could go with. He didn't have a boyfriend – had never really had a boyfriend, but there was a certain someone at the university who had piqued his curiosity. With a grin, he made the decision to ask him the next day.

Looking up as the door opened to reveal Mark and Maureen, Collins stood from his place on the couch and crossed to them, handing them the envelope addressed to Mr. Mark Cohen and Miss Maureen Johnson. There was another for Roger, but Collins wasn't willing to go into his room just then. Roger had been out earlier that morning, and somehow Collins had managed to set him off. He'd stormed into his room and Collins hadn't heard a sound from him since.

"Benny left these on the table," he said, gesturing to Roger's unopened invitation, "Looks like it's gonna be quite the event."

The four of them, while happy for their friend, were more than a little wary of his choice. They'd barely met Alison, except for the one time Benny had brought her over. Alison had sat perched on their couch looking one step away from terrified for what had been the most awkward fifteen minutes in Collins' recent memory. Benny had tried to initiate conversations, but Alison had only replied in one word answers. Soon enough, Benny had realized that it just wasn't going to work, and had suggested to Alison that they go out for dinner. She'd practically raced out of the loft, and hadn't returned since.

But, it was clear that Benny loved her, and that she loved him too; none of them could deny that, and so they tried to be as supportive as they could, even as they watched their friend drift further and further away from them.

Maureen, however, was able to put aside that resentment for the moment, all her attention focused on the elegant invitation with her name on it.

"Oh my God!" she practically yelled, "Look at this, Mark! It's gorgeous!" Maureen ran her hand over the lettering of their names before tearing it open rather unceremoniously. Her eyes scanned over the words on the card itself, smile growing the more she read.

"I can't believe this!" she exclaimed, "Benny's getting married in Westport! Benny!"

She giggled, looking up at her boyfriend, then to Collins. Collins could tell, just from the look on her face, that she planned to make quite the impression on the guests at the wedding. Whether or not that was a good impression, he couldn't tell, but he knew Maureen would certainly make a splash. She always did.

"Who you gonna bring baby?" Maureen asked, flouncing over to Collins and flinging her arms around him. Collins just laughed.

"I was thinking Greg from work," he replied, smiling a little shyly. Not only didn't he date much, but he really didn't talk about it at all. Of course, Maureen was never one to let him get away with something without sharing all the details.

"Great!" she squealed, clapping her hands and moving back to Mark, "Now all we have to do is get Roger off his ass!" she pecked Mark on the cheek, looking at her invitation once more.

"This is gonna be so much fun!"