"Felix King, sometimes you're an idiot," he muttered to himself as he adjusted his uniform for the last time before going down to meet his parents. He hoped that his mother would be too overwhelmed with the excitement of Gus and Felicity's wedding for her to be upset about his decision. Or at least that there wouldn't be time for her to lecture him.
When he'd told Izzy about his plan, he'd rather expected a lecture from her, too. She had simply rolled her eyes. "You're putting me in a bit of a spot, aren't you? Do I pretend I'm as surprised as everybody else, or do I let your parents figure out you didn't trust them with the information in advance?"
"Oh," he said. "I hadn't thought of that."
"I didn't suppose you had."
"Maybe you'll be surprised anyway," he said. "I expect I'm going to look very handsome in my uniform."
"I'll be wearing a bridesmaid dress," she countered. "I wager I'll look better than you will."
"What's the bet?"
"First dance," she offered.
He looked aggrieved. "I wasn't already going to get the first dance?"
"It might have gone to my father."
"All the dances. Except for the ones you dance with your father."
She smiled and shook his hand. "Done."
As expected, when he made it downstairs his parents were in such a hurry to get to the church that they didn't make a fuss about his uniform, other than his mother's muttered comment that he might have told them instead of springing it on them like that.
When they reached the church, everybody he talked to admired his uniform, and he was inundated with questions about when he joined, when he'd be leaving, how long he'd be away, where he'd be sailing. He barely knew most of the answers himself.
While fielding questions, he was craning his neck for a glimpse of Izzy. She was nowhere to be seen. He supposed she was hiding away somewhere with Felicity and the other bridesmaids. Stupid wedding traditions. He never understood why people weren't allowed to see the girls before the wedding. What was the big deal, anyway?
It wasn't until he was standing at the front of the church and she entered that he understood. They were right. It was a big deal. His eyebrows quirked, admitting she had thoroughly won the bet. He didn't mind losing. Except....
"I lost," he said, coming up beside her as the music started and Felicity led Gus to the area that had been cleared for dancing. "Who's getting the first dance now?"
"You are, goose."
"Oh," he said, pleased.
"All of them," she added. "Except for the ones I dance with my father."
He smiled broadly. "I thought those were the terms if you lost."
"It wasn't a fair bet," she said. "I knew you always think I'm beautiful."
"You always are." He looked down into her laughing face and found it very hard not to kiss her, right there in the crowd of wedding guests.
She took his hand. "Care for a dance, sailor?"
"All of them," he replied.