Chapter 46 : Together
The day of the ceremony came faster than they thought. Only a few days ago, Chris was still looking for the perfect outfit with Luca. She didn't know if he was the right man to find the perfect clothes for the ceremony but at least, she was having a good time.
"What about this?" Luca handed Chris a checked, red and white suit.
Chris looked at it and made a face. "No sorry, Luca, don't feel this one."
"What are you looking for exactly?"
"That's the major problem, I don't know what I'm looking for."
"Chris, my girl. Really? Not even a vague idea?"
She let out a laugh. "No, Luca. My mind is totally empty. I just want to find the outfit I'll be cool and comfortable with and you know well-dressed at the same time and…"
Luca could feel in her tone that she was becoming mad not to have found something when they had been searching for the last four hours.
"Don't worry, Chris, we'll find something. Shops only close in 5 hours."
"Would love to be as positive as you are, Luca… Kind of desperate now."
They kept looking for the perfect piece for tying her future with Jim once again. Last time, she was wearing her tactical gear uniform and was covered with mud. This time, she wanted to be a little more classy. But nothing involving one of this huge, voluminous, Charlotte-like white dresses she disliked with all her heart. Definition of a nightmare for her.
And she saw it, at the back of this little shop near Venice beach. It was perfect. She grabbed Luca's arm to drag him into the shop. He was looking at a basketball match on the beach while eating an ice cream.
"Easy, Chris. At least, let me finish what I'm eating!"
"Hurry, I've found the perfect gem! The seller is ok to keep me the piece aside for a while but I don't want to tempt fate! Eat this ice cream faster, it's melting anyway."
He hurried and swallowed the last mouthful as they entered the shop. The seller handed the piece of clothing to Chris and she vanished faster than anyone could tell in the fitting room. Two minutes later, she got out wearing the piece she chose, glowing.
"Wow, Chris!" Luca was voiceless for a short while, looking at Chris in her outfit right in front of him. It was the seller who brought him to reality.
"It's perfect! Like it has been made for you!"
Chris turned and looked herself in the mirror. It was THE one. The one she had been looking for weeks, all day since this morning. She turned to Luca and the seller and grinned. "I take it!"
[…]
"Hey! Look who's on time today!" Hondo joked while arriving at Deac's house. Deac and Annie had offered to Chris and Street to host their ceremony in their garden as soon as they had learned about their decision.
"Ah ah ha, you're referring to my first day at SWAT, right?"
"What else, kiddo?" Hondo kept laughing.
"What about this first day?" Nichelle asked innocently.
"Let Street tell you about it!" Hondo kept laughing.
"I was late so I drove very fast, got a fine while parking in front of SWAT HQ, wore the wrong uniform and called Mumford a dick…"
"All on your first day?" Nichelle started laughing at her turn.
"Worst on his first hour ever at SWAT!" Mumford irrupted form behind Hondo.
"Mumford! You've made it!"
"Of course, kid! You really thought I was gonna miss free food and booze?"
"Someone talked about booze?"
"Hey Rhokker! Glad you could come!"
"And I'm not alone, Stevens, Kotonin, Chen, O'Rourke and Barry are parking right now. Also saw Rodriguez around. She was talking with Lynch. By the way, seeing both of them in dress, I've almost recognized them!"
"Recognize who, Rhokker?"
"We were talking about you! Look amazing in cocktail dress!"
"Thanks." Lynch finally conceded. "You're not bad either in tuxedo, Rhokker. Like all of you. But sorry the handsome here is Street, look at that smile."
Street felt embarrassed, so much that he started to blush. "I've to let you for a while, just some last things to handle before the big moment. " And he escaped from the awkwardness he was diving in.
"Hey, in a hurry, Street?"
"Oh sorry Deac, didn't see you!"
"No problem… Everything's alright?"
"Yeah, yeah… A little stressed, I guess. And I was escaping the Rhokker Mumford Lynch combo. No need to add more stress today."
"Understand. If it can help, Annie and I checked on the food and drinks. Everything is in order. The caterer is on time, he's delivering everything in the kitchen as we speak."
"Thanks for everything, really."
"You're welcome, kid."
"No really I don't know what I've done to deserve friends like yours, really. Could never thank you enough for the house, the food…"
"Just keep making Chris happy. She deserves to. And when you're around, she's glowing."
Street felt the embarrassment coming back but he felt more comfortable now than before. "Try my best… But it's hard not to make happy, you know. She is one of a kind…"
Deac smiled and put his hand over his shoulder. "She is and she loves you, dumbass."
"And I do love her, with all my heart. She's making me better… At least she's trying. Hard work." He let out a laugh. He needed to make a joke to ease the atmosphere.
"Oh yeah, she's a tough woman, she should find a way." Deac concluded tapping his shoulder. "Annie did find one and I can be pretty complicated!"
"Heyyyyy, this is where the party is?"
Tan's voice coming from behind woke Street up from his lethargy. "Got to let you guys, four monsters to handle!"
Deac ran to the other side of the house, letting Tan and Street alone.
"You're finally here! Thought you'll never arrive!" Street said to his friend, hugging him. "Where's Bonnie?"
"To the lady's room. Kind of an emergency, our lil princess can be kind of annoying pushing on her bladder. And what about you? Not shitting on yourself?"
"Ah ah ah very funny, my name's not Luca." And the two men shared a good laugh, thinking about the bachelor party Tan and Luca had organized for Jim two nights before.
They had taken Street after his shift, waiting hidden for him behind Black Betty. "Surprise!" The two men screamed in the yard, making him jump.
"Are you crazy, man? I'm about to have a heart attack!"
"Where are you going like that?"
"Home, why?"
"Not tonight, man! You're coming with us!"
"What?"
"Bachelor party!" Luca announced proudly. "Hondo, Deac and 50-Squad are waiting for us at the bar!"
"But what about my bike?!" Street asked puzzled.
"You can let it here, Chris will bring you tomorrow to get it. She's not working either."
Tan and Luca pushed Street at the back of Tan's van and got in it in the front. They drove for fifteen minutes and parked just in front of a bar. "Dino's" was written on the outside sign.
"Was it…" He was cut by an overjoyed Luca.
"Yes, the bar you used to run with Nate when you were a mischievous teenager to drink some beer."
"Yeah" Jim looked astounded. "How do you know this?" He asked completely overwhelmed by what was happening.
"Let's just say you have a pretty well-informed wife." Tan told, tapping on Jim's shoulder. "Let's go now."
Luca pushed Street inside the bar where all the guys were waiting for him. "Ohhhh look who's there! The man of the year!" Hondo brought Street a bottle of beer.
"Ready for the night?" Rhokker walked to the bar to take a drink. The guys and I have a lot for you, be prepared, kid. " He emphasized the last word.
"Hey, just 20-Squad call me this way. Except Tan because he's a baby!"
"Oh harsh! Don't forget I've planned everything for you, bro!"
The guys spent the rest of the night talking, drinking, eating and dancing. Tan and Rhokker brought Street to the dancefloor. It was not a natural thing for him but his friends had put so much energy in pleasing him, he should do an effort too. After dancing, they went to Santa Monica pier to enjoy some roller coasters and other rides. Hondo and Deac teamed up against Tan and Street in a coconut shy game. Rhokker, Mumford, O'Rourke and Chen provoked him in a high striker duel.
"I'm gonna crush your ass, Rhokker, you know that. Like I did with the others." He gave a look at Mumford, O'Rourke and Chen who were still mumbling about their defeat. "Look? Hondo and Deac are holding the big Teddy Bear I won from them. Boom!"
"You may have beaten them but I will be the one kicking your ass, kid!"
"Not a chance, my man is going to kill you, Rhokker, sorry!"
"Tan, taking side. Not even surprising! Look at me killing all your hopes."
Rhokker took the hammer and hit the small plate on the ground and the ball on the thermometer rise till reaching 90, almost the top of it. He turned to Street, proudly. "Come and beat me now, loser!"
"Ohhhhhhh" Tan, Luca, Hondo and Deac did at the same time.
Street walked calmly till the hammer and took it. He looked at the thermometer, sighed, lifted the hammer up and hit the plate with all his strength. The ball rose till touching the number 100 then going down.
"Yeahhhhhhhhh" Tan, Deac and Hondo came to congratulate Street as Chen, O'Rourke and Mumford started to laugh, looking at Rhokker's discomfited face.
"We've got a winner, told it earlier, man of the year!" Hondo told as he raised Street's arm up.
"Oh come on!"
"Ah you see Luca is on my side!"
As they turned to Luca, they realized he was on nobody's side. He was just cursing against something, looking at the sky. And then, they understood Luca was having an argument with a seagull.
"Guess, it's time to go home." Deac concluded, smirking.
Deac and Tan drove Street till his apartment. "And don't be late tomorrow! Bonnie and I come to take you at 11! We go to one of my fav shops in Echo Park!"
"Echo Park, kind of very posh, no?"
"Shut up, you only marry once, you can go there!"
"Technically, I'm already married so…"
"Oh shut up, Street. You're coming with us tomorrow. And Bonnie wants to go to Echo Park because she likes this shop! And when a pregnant woman tells you she wants to go somewhere and you care about your own well-being, you just listen to her. No question asked."
"Understood! I'll be ready and very happy to go there, they can even take all my money. Happy?"
"More than happy, relieved! And you will be too. Sometimes, hormones are scary!"
"Wait for 4 pregnancies and then 4 kids and we can talk about hormones." Deac finally told. "And Tan is right, Street, whatever you do or tell, just listen to Bonnie and nod. And remember that pregnant women can feel anything. But they also have a sixth sense and they give you the best advice. If she tells you in Echo Park, my little finger told me it's because she's on something!"
"See you tomorrow then! For the moment, I just want to sleep. And also give a kiss to my wife."
"Sounds like a perfect plan we should all follow this plan."
"Wise Deac is always right! See you tomorrow, Street."
Street looked at his friends vanishing at the corner of the street, before turning to the building and seeing there was still light in the apartment. Chris was waiting for him to go to bed.
[…]
"Time to go." Deac came to look for Street who was talking with Auntie Elena and Diego.
"If you excuse me." Elena slightly smiled and stroked his arm.
"Mi cariño, disfruta cada segundo de este momento."
"Te lo prometo." Street nodded to Deac and followed him to a little table at the end of the garden, walking through the aisle in the middle of the chairs, which were occupied by their close ones. He felt the looks over him. He was not fond of this in normal times but today he didn't care. He smiled at Buck who had agreed to unite them today during the secular ceremony and turned to watch the alley. Chris should be here at any second.
When she appeared at the bottom of the aisle, Jim stopped breathing. This outfit. This hair style. She was here at her uncle's arm, walking to him at the rhythm of this The Cure song, Disintegration, she liked so much and she was absolutely stunning. He didn't have the words to describe, she was just… Just Chris. And he felt even more in love with her than he was the second before.