Paste

"Come on, please?"

"I said no!"

"Sam…."

"Baby, get it through your thick skull," Sam said as her, Carly and Freddie sat in Spencer's living room. "The Galaxy Wars theme is not going to be on our wedding playlist."

"But you have like, three tracks from haunted houses on it!" Freddie defended.

"So? Haunted houses are cool, Galaxy Wars is not," Sam said simply.

"Come on, aren't we supposed to be compromising on things now that we're about to be married?" Freddie pointed out.

Sam groaned. "I hate it when you pull that line on me. Fine, we'll add the stupid song! But I get to add another haunted house track."
"Works for me!" Freddie said brightly.

"Wow, you two are getting good at this marriage stuff," Carly said, impressed. "I didn't even have to intervene on that argument and you solved it like civilized adults!"

"I know, we've been practicing," Freddie said proudly, putting an arm around his fiancé.

"Well good work," Carly said, scribbling a few notes down in her notebook. "Well, that just about takes care of your playlist for your reception. I'd say we're just about done with wedding planning for today."
"Thank God!" Sam said. "That's six hours I'm never gonna get back. Okay, I'm starving; let's go get some-"

"Just one last thing," Carly said quickly.

"No!" Sam moaned. "Now we're gonna be here another three hours!"

"Relax, it's quick," Carly chuckled. "I just have a few questions I need to ask you about your bachelorette party I'm throwing for you."

"Oh, so you just need Sam for this, right?" Freddie said.

"Right," Carly nodded.

"Cool, then I'm gonna run up to the bathroom," Freddie said.

"You can't ditch me!" Sam exclaimed.

"Baby, I've had to pee for the past two hours," Freddie said. "If I don't go I'm gonna explode."

"Nub!" Sam called after him as he hurried up the stairs.

"Let your fiancé pee," Carly smiled. "Besides, like I said, it's quick. We'll be done by the time he comes back down. So, do you want your party to be at a venue or back at my apartment?"

"Um, your apartment I guess," Sam said.

"Perfect, perfect," Carly said. "Now do you want chocolate cupcakes or vanilla?"

"Uh, both?" Sam said, rolling her eyes.

"I know, dumb question," Carly grinned. "But I just wanted to make sure. Now, for the stripper-"

"The what?" Sam frowned.

"The stripper," Carly repeated. "You know, the guy who's gonna come in and-"

"I know the definition of a stripper, Carly!" Sam snapped. "But who ever said I wanted one at this party?"

"It's a bachelorette party!" Carly said. "Strippers are a given!"

"They are not!" Sam said.

"Uh, they kind of are," Carly said. "So anyway, I've been doing a little research, and I found some guys that seem tasteful, yet totally hot and-"

"Um, Carly I don't know if I want a stripper at my bachelorette party," Sam frowned.

"What? Why not?" Carly frowned. "It's a tradition!"

"I just don't know how Freddie would feel about some guy stripping off all his clothes for me," Sam shrugged.

"Come on, it's not like you're going to do anything with him," Carly said. "It's just for fun!"

"I know, but still, he might be uncomfortable with it," Sam said.

"Well…how about you at least talk to him about it?" Carly said.

"You want this stripper for you, don't you?" Sam grinned.

"Well I've been single for the past four months, I could use this!" Carly said.

"Fine, I'll bring it up to Freddie tonight to see how he feels," Sam promised.

"Thank you," Carly said as Freddie came back down the stairs.

"Alright, who's ready to go get food?" Freddie said.

"Let's move!" Sam said, getting to her feet. "If I don't get some food in my stomach I'm literally gonna implode."

"Why do we keep getting a catalogue for knitting patterns in our mailbox?" Freddie asked later that evening as him and Sam sat in their bedroom.

"I think your mom put our address on some mailing list," Sam said, rolling her eyes. "She's been telling me I need to take up more 'traditional' hobbies."

"Ah," Freddie nodded, sitting down on the bed next to his fiancé.

"Hey, baby, can I, um, talk to you about something?" Sam said.

"Sure, what's up?" Freddie asked.

"Well, um, so you know Carly's started to plan my bachelorette party," Sam said.

"Right," Freddie nodded. "Gibby's started to plan my bachelor party too."

"Yeah…" Sam said. "Um, well, anyway, you know Carly…of course this party is gonna be pretty crazy…"
"Yeah I bet," Freddie chuckled. "But I'm sure you'll have a good time. So what does she have planned? Do you know yet?"

"Er, yeah that's what she was talking to me about earlier," Sam said. "She has everything pretty much ready to go. But, um, there is one thing that I wanted to, um, discuss with you first. You know, since we're gonna be married and we need to have open communication about things."
"Wow, you did read those marriage pamphlets I left for you!" Freddie said, impressed.

"The Wi-Fi was down yesterday, I had nothing better to do," Sam said. "But anyway, Carly, um, at the party she wants-she wants- she wants to bring in a stripper."

Freddie's eyes widened. "A stripper? As in-As in a guy to jump around and take off all his clothes for you?"

"Um, basically," Sam said. "But I told Carly I didn't want her to do it if it would make you uncomfortable. So if you don't want that just tell me and I'll make sure Carly doesn't bring one in."

"Well, um, Sam, I-I trust you completely," Freddie said. "I know that you wouldn't ever do anything just because Carly brings in a stripper for your party. And it is just for fun. So, if you want Carly to keep the stripper, I'm okay with that."

"Really?" Sam frowned. "The other day you freaked out because you thought the bag boy at the grocery store was flirting with me when he asked if I wanted paper or plastic."

"Well…I've grown," Freddie said lamely.

"That was three days ago!" Sam said. "Hang on…oh my God! You're only being rational and mature about this because-because Gibby's planning the same thing for your party too, isn't he! Gibby's bringing you a stripper!"

"What?" Freddie scoffed. "That's…that's…kind of true."
"I can't believe you!" Sam exclaimed. "You were gonna let some bimbo strip off her clothes for you without even checking to see how I'd feel about it?"

"No, I was gonna talk to you about it!" Freddie said quickly. "But I just found out Gibby had planned this a few days ago and I was waiting for the right time to bring it up. Honest, I wasn't going to let Gibby go through with this without checking with you first!"

Sam's expression softened slightly. "You weren't?"

"Of course not," Freddie said.

"Oh…"

"So, um, I guess this is something we really should discuss then," Freddie said, clearing his throat. "Well, I did mean what I said before about completely trusting you, Sam. I do know that even if Carly hires some stripper for your party it wouldn't mean anything. Now am I crazy about the idea of that happening…not really. I mean having some pretty boy with amazing abs dancing around for you kind of makes me want to pull my hair out, but, well, it is a bachelorette party. So if that's what you want to do, then I am fine with it. My blood pressure just might sky rocket that night from the stress."

Sam gave a small chuckle.

"But what about you?" Freddie asked.

"Me?"

"Yeah, how-how do you feel about having a stripper at my party?" Freddie asked.

Sam sighed. "Honestly…I-I'm not thrilled with the idea. I totally trust you and all too, and it's not that I think you'd do anything, but to think about some other woman around you like that…But, it is your night, so if you want it then I guess I can live with it."

"Sam, I don't want you to have to 'live with it'," Freddie smiled, putting an arm around her. "Look, if you don't want me to have a stripper at my party, I'll make sure there's no stripper. Really, I don't even want one. Gibby's the one who's been pushing the whole thing."
"I don't want a stripper either!" Sam said. "Yeah, it's Carly who wants it! I mean all I want for my party is ribs!"

"I just want to watch Galaxy Wars with the director's commentary!" Freddie said.

"Wow…" Sam said. "Is it weird that neither of us want to have some crazy party? I mean bachelor and bachelorette parties are supposed to your last night of freedom before you get married."

"Well…I don't think of my marriage to you as the end of my freedom," Freddie said slowly. "I think of it as the start of the rest of my life."

Sam smiled. "That's how I see it too…And I don't want some stranger stripping and dancing for me to celebrate that."

"Same here," Freddie said, leaning down and kissing her. "I'll talk to Gibby tomorrow and tell him he needs to cancel the stripper he booked."

"And I'll tell Carly too," Sam said, kissing him back. "She's gonna be pretty disappointed, though. When she gets married and has her own party I'll have to remember to bring in someone for her."

"Who knows, she might not even want a stripper by then," Freddie said. "Maybe she'll have found someone who makes her feel the same we do about getting married."

"Hope so," Sam said. "Because it feels pretty great…"