30 - Foofaraw
"I just want to go on record to say that this is a terrible idea," Marty declared while hurriedly changing from his work clothes into the dark green Jack's Mannequin concert tee that his fiance had given him after her last tour, the soon-to-be married architect having just arrived from the office around five minutes earlier. "It's probably the one tradition in all this getting married stuff that I am not looking forward to actually participating in."
"You may not be looking forward to it, but I don't think that's really the point of tonight," Andy called out from the washroom, where she was preparing for the party being thrown by her friends in her honor. "I mean, these parties are more for our friends and family than for us, you know?"
"I know, I just have this bad feeling that something stupid is going to happen," he complained with a sigh. Marty joined the slim woman he'd soon be married to in front of the mirror, his arms drawn around her waist in order to pull Andy against him. "I think we should buck tradition and just spend the night in." He kissed Andy's lithe neck which brought a low moan from the gorgeous musician in his embrace, then whispered in her ear. "There's a Mythbusters marathon on Discovery."
"As tempting as that sounds, babe," Andy chuckled under her breath. "I think that Lexie would kill me if I bailed on her and the girls tonight."
"Come on, I know how you just love to openly mock Kari Byron's geek cred," he said lowly near her earlobe, hoping to entice his fiance to agree.
"Well, I really enjoy doing that," the blonde admitted with a soft chuckle. She leaned back into him and let out another soft moan, which quickly turned into a frustrated sigh when the doorbell sounded to interupted the couple. "Saved by the bell," Andy muttered. "Damned stupid bell."
"Damned stupid bell," Marty agreed, releasing her from his embrace. He smiled at his fiance's reflection. "I'll go see which one of us that's for. You just keep getting ready."
"You know, I can't wait until all this wedding foofaraw is over so things can get back to normal around here," she sighed.
The architect stopped to quirk an eyebrow at her. "Foofaraw? Really?"
"Oh, hush up and go let whoever's at the door inside," she ordered with a playful roll of her eyes, gently pushing him away. "Go, go, go."
"Yes, ma'am," he drawled before leaving the washroom. When Marty arrived at the bottom of the stairs a short moment later, he could hear two voices in an animated discussion that was muffled by the closed door. The architect immediately recognized Rory's voice as he got closer to his destination, though he still could not make out what was being said. Marty would've contemplated eavesdropping on the conversation if he hadn't simply just whipped the door open on impulse, surprising himself and the two women standing on his front step. After his brown eyes darted between Rory and her friend, Marty couldn't help but agree with Tristan on how the pair could pass as sisters. Now if he could just recall what the other girl's name was.
"Hey, Marty," an obviously awkward Rory greeted, a sheepish little smile on her lips. "Long time no see, huh?"
"Uh, hey, Rory," he returned, suddenly and inexplicibly feeling awkward as well. "What's up?"
"Um, I'm here for," she began, fumbling for words. "I mean, we're here f-"
"For strippers and booze," the other woman cut in with a wicked smirk. "And if things go the way I hope they go, maybe we'll witness somebody getting a helicopter dance tonight!"
"You're worse than my mom sometimes, Sarah," Rory groaned in embarrassment, a palm placed on her forehead.
"Anyways," a somewhat disturbed Marty segued, trying desperately to cast that vision of someone receiving 'the helicopter dance' from his mind (with distressingly limited success). "Why don't you two come inside?"
"That sounds like a honey of an idea," remarked Sarah, still wearing that smirk.
"Please be quiet now," the journalist begged her friend, then smiled up at Marty. "Thanks, Marty."
"No problem," he shrugged, allowing them to enter. Not more than a moment after guiding Rory and her friend Sarah into the living room did the doorbell go off again to announce the arrival of more people. He gave his guests a friendly smile. "Excuse me."
"Your guy has some nice digs, Gilly," he heard Sarah say as Marty entered the foyer, causing him to wonder what the new girl could possibly mean by that remark. Marty didn't have much time to dwell on that though because when he opened the door this time his older brother more or less bowled him aside. If not for the nearby railing Marty would've fallen flat on his butt.
"Hey, watch it!"
"Grab your jacket, pussy," Dan ordered with a grin, completely unaffected by his younger brother's withering glare. "There are strip clubs to visit and lap dances to be had, so hurry the hell up and let's get this show on the road!"
"I told you I wasn't interested in strip clubs, Dan," Marty reminded, recalling the conversation he'd had with Dan when the older Harrison brother had arrived in Chicago two days earlier. "What part of that did you not understand?"
"Too bad because everybody's already waiting in the limo," he declared, his grin widening. "Now get your shit together and let's go. Don't want to keep the boys waiting, do you?"
"Fine," relented Marty with a sigh. "Just let me grab my wallet and stuff from upstairs first, okay?"
"Sure thing, Marty Bones," Dan nodded, the older Harrison's attention now drawn to the boots at his feet. "And who do these belong to?"
"Rory and a friend of hers," the younger Harrison answered without thinking, only to stop halfway up the stairs when he realized what he just revealed. He turned to give his brother a warning glare, but found himself too late. Damn it.
"Ladies, ladies, ladies," he heard Dan greet before deciding that the best course of action now would be to head upstairs and retrieve his things as quickly as possible. Hopefully his elder brother wouldn't scare Rory and her new friend away while he was doing so.
"Hey, did you know there's a limo waiting outside the house?" Andy asked when he rejoined his fiance in the bedroom. She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Rob?"
"Dan," he corrected.
"Really? Well, that's a surprise," she remarked. "What exactly does he do again?"
"I...don't actually know," Marty admitted, now disturbed at the realization. "I never got around to asking him, but it must be something pretty steady if he can afford to come here as much as he does."
"Let's hope it's nothing illegal," the blonde said.
"I rather doubt it's anything like that," the younger Harrison said in defense his brother, although Marty remained skeptical himself. But thanks for the worrying thought, babe.
"Anyway, who else is here?" Andy segued. "I heard the doorbell go off twice."
"Rory and her friend," he answered while walking past his fiance to grab his wallet, keys and cellphone from the nightstand. "They're here for your bachlorette party."
"I prefer the term 'staggette', thank you very much," she corrected with a grin before tossing her arms around his waist when Marty turned to face her, their lips meeting for a gentle kiss. Andy smiled up at him after they seperated. "Now remember not to steal Mike Tyson's tiger, pull your own tooth out on a dare, or accidently marry Heather Graham, okay?"
"No 'Hangover' re-enactments. Got it," he said with an amusement little smile. "Anything else?"
"Just one last thing, dear," Andy smiled back.
"And what would that be, babe?"
"Have fun tonight, Martin."
"Same goes for you, Andrea."
"Tell Rory that I'll be right down," she said, gently pushing him towards the door. "I love you."
"I love you, too," he replied, then headed back downstairs to discover that yet another visitor had arrived while he was upstairs. "Oh, hey, Lex-"
The band manager held a finger up to her lips, which was the universal signal to be quiet. Curious as to what Lexie was doing, Marty walked over to join her in the foyer. He followed her gaze towards the newcomer, who was overtly flirting with Dan as an amused Rory watched on from a different angle.
"Who's the new girl?" Lexie asked in a curiously low tone.
"I think her name is Sarah," he answered.
"Well, she and your brother seem to be getting along."
Marty shrugged. "I guess."
Lexie turned to him with a queer expression on her face, but before he could inquire the band manager about it she motioned towards the stairway. "Andy upstairs?"
"Yeah, head on up," he nodded.
"Thanks," she said, slipping past him.
What that was all about? Marty wondered for a moment, then shrugged it off and continued on his way into the living room. His brother looked up when he entered, an almost manic grin on his face.
"All set to go, my brother from another father?" Dan inquired, illiciting soft chuckles from Rory and her friend.
"Lead the way," Marty sighed in resignation.
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