Chapter 58

As the guests rose to greet and congratulate the bride and groom, Tom stood next to AJ in the reception line and leaned over to demand to know the joke he and Miranda had gone so hysterical over during the ceremony. AJ just grinned at him shaking his head and refusing to reveal what had been so funny. "Come on old buddy, you can tell me. I can keep a secret," whispered Tom.

"Yeah when hell freezes over! Now mind your own business, Miranda and I have guests to greet," grinned AJ as he put his arm around his bride.

"You know he'll be bugging me about it later," she told him with a teasing glance.

"And will you confess, my love?"

"Nope, it's our secret," Miranda promised. She was correct though, as the last guest had greeted her, Tom took her arm and pulled her aside to ask her what the joke had been. He left her side still frustrated.

After the cake was served and everyone was sitting down to eat, Tom stood and raised his glass, waiting for silence before he began to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen, nothing could give me more pleasure than to have my two dearest friends married today. To commit their lives together, rather than to continue living alone and end up being committed. They are perfectly suited, Miranda a judge and AJ a lawyer, Miranda a woman, and AJ a man, she's as lovely as can be, and he's as homely as sin! She has the patience of Job and he will try it on many occasions. They say opposites attract, and this is true in this case because no two people could be more opposite and yet so well suited. So please raise your glasses with me," he waited while they did and then continued, "To AJ and Miranda," and after a pause, just long enough for everyone to have taken a sip of their drinks, he added, "And to safe harbors!"

AJ spewed his drink across the table as he glared at Tom, then patted Miranda on the back to help her stop the coughing that Tom's toast had caused. "I'll get you for that later, old buddy!" AJ warned Tom.

"Well I wouldn't have done it if you had told me the joke," his old buddy claimed.

Later when the dancing began on the patio, AJ and Miranda took their traditional first spin around the floor. Tom turned to Nora and invited her to dance so the best man and maid of honor could join the bride and groom. Then as the only other attendants, Francesca and Josh took to the floor. A few moments later the DJ invited anyone that wanted to dance to join the happy couple on the floor.

When the first dance ended, and the floor cleared, Francesca headed right over to Tom to ask him to dance with her. His eyes flew to where AJ and Miranda were talking to Bud and Harriett and he worried what AJ would say about this, but he was too much of a gentleman to turn down a lady, and if the truth were known he wanted to have her in his arms.

They stepped onto the dance floor together and as the song began, they were swept away with the music. Staring into each other's eyes, they forgot that anyone else was present. Tom tried to keep himself under control, but it was so difficult when a beautiful woman was in his arms and pressing her body into his. He could feel himself beginning to react to her nearness. The scent of her perfume was filling his head and he wanted to sweep her up into his arms and carry her to the nearest bed and have his way with her.

That was how he knew that he would have to avoid her for the rest of the night! Tom was glad to see AJ approaching the two of them, with the intent of cutting in. Quickly spinning her into her father's arms, Tom left the dance floor with the hope that his oldest friend hadn't noticed his hard-on!

To Be Continued….