Elsa sat at her desk sipping at her ice tea, staring out the window. It was a slow time of year, and she really didn't have much work this afternoon. She didn't need to be in the office, but if anything did come up, she'd just have to come right back, anyway.

There was a knock at the door.

"Hi, Elsa!" Olaf chirped, walking in.

"Oh, hi, Olaf," Elsa replied. "What are you doing here?"

"Are you busy? Because I could come back later," he said, starting to back up.

"I'm not busy," Elsa assured him, "I just wanted to make sure it wasn't a professional question."

"No, no it's probably rather unprofessional," Olaf chuckled.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, there's this friend's wedding coming up, and I need to bring a date along."

"Wait, what?"

"Are you going to be busy this weekend?"

"I- No, I don't have plans, but what kind of date is this?"

"I told an aunt of mine that I've got a girlfriend, and now I need to produce one for my cousin's wedding."

"I'll help you out, Olaf, but you know I don't-"

"No, I totally understand, Elsa, that's why I'm asking you."

"Oh, um, I guess I'll take that as a compliment?"

"Sure!" he smiled. "So, Saturday, I'll pick you up at two?"

"Um, great?" Elsa said, watching Olaf turn and leave her office. "Bye, Olaf!"

000

"Wow, Elsa, you're dressed up!" Anna called from the couch as Elsa walked through the living room. "What's the occasion?"

"Olaf needed to bring a date to a cousin's wedding, so I'm helping him out," Elsa explained.

"Aw, that's sweet of you," Anna said, getting back to watching TV.

Elsa's phone buzzed, and she noticed a car waiting out front. "Oh, looks like he's here."

"Is he coming in?" Anna asked.

Elsa checked the message on her phone. They were already running ten minutes late, and his family was punctual.

"Nope, we've got to get going now. I'll probably be out late, just so you know," Elsa said.

"No worries!" Anna called back. "Tell Olaf I said hi!"

"Will do, Anna. Have a good evening!"

Olaf was wearing a suit, sitting at the wheel of a decade old Honda Accord, and waved excitedly as he saw Elsa come out the door. He leaned over and opened the passenger side door.

"Hi, Elsa, thanks for doing this!"

"No problem," Elsa laughed, "I've got to admit, it's kind of fun to dress up like this."

"This is a big help," Olaf said as he pulled away from the curb.

"So, tell me," Elsa asked, "what's our story here? You told me your aunt thinks you have a girlfriend. I don't want to mess this up."

"Oh, so the good news is, I didn't give her any details."

"And the bad news?"

"Everyone else assumes I'm gay, so you might hear some comments about that."

"Wait…" Elsa realized she really hadn't thought to ask.

"That's not important right now," Olaf interrupted, anticipating her question. "The important thing is that my aunt has a friend whose son is in the theater program at the college, and I absolutely do not need that."

"Oh, um, okay." Elsa was even less sure of how she would answer any questions from Olaf's family now, but that was fine.

"Anyhow, want some music?" Olaf asked. "I had the radio on before I picked you up. Light rock, is that fine?"

"Sure," Elsa replied.

They pulled into the parking lot of a church. Elsa had missed the name, but it looked fairly nondescript and suburban.

The music had already started, though the wedding itself hadn't, so they took the programs and got themselves seated. Elsa glanced at the program.

"Which one is your cousin?" she whispered.

"Samantha," Olaf whispered back.

"Ah, I see," Elsa replied, carefully setting the program on her lap once she heard the door close.

The ceremony seemed to drag on, though the musical selections were quite lovely. Once it was done, everyone seemed to be in a rush to get back outside. They congratulated the bride and groom, with nothing but polite smiles and thank yous from the family members.

As they stood around by the parking lot, Elsa realized that she might get roped into the family photo, and asked Olaf if that was what they were all waiting for.

"Don't worry," he told her, "my grandmother only lets people who are at least engaged be in family photos. You're safe."

"Ha, I hope that's not part of our arrangement today?"

"Oh god I hope not," Olaf laughed. "No offense."

"None taken," Elsa replied.

Olaf briefly left to appear in the family photo, and then everyone got in their cars to drive to the reception venue.

At the reception, they chatted with a few people, some of whom Elsa vaguely remembered from elementary school. There were some awkwardly vague conversations catching up with each other, and then they'd move on to another appetizer and another set of people to briefly chat with. Their table mates were cousins that Olaf hadn't seen in several years, and spouses whose weddings he'd missed due to being out of the country at the time. For the most part, they seemed determinedly uncurious about their cousin's plus-one.

When the rest of the table had gotten up for the first round of dancing, Elsa finally decided to ask Olaf what had been on her mind through the reception.

"So, which one is the aunt you told about the girlfriend?"

"She's at table three. Why? Do you want to meet her?"

"Not particularly," Elsa admitted.

"Oh, good!" Olaf exclaimed. "Because I really hadn't figured out any backstory for us."

"Telling the truth is usually easier," Elsa said.

"Oh, I know," Olaf said. "Anyhow, want to dance?"

"I don't really dance," Elsa said.

"Look at them!" Olaf said, pointing at the family and friends on the dance floor. "You'll be fine."

"Good point," Elsa laughed. "Let's go."