Page 78 of The Boss

Blake nodded toward the entrance. “Come on, I’ll take you to your seats. Ceremony’s about to start.”

As we followed him inside, the chapel’s warmth embraced us, the murmuring guests settling into their pews. The soft strains of music played from the organ, a gentle overture to what was about to unfold.

* * *

Jeff and Danny stood at the altar, a striking contrast—one exuding strength and experience, the other radiant with youth. Jeff, rugged and broad-shouldered, carried his years with an effortless grace, his graying hair combed in a way that only made him look more distinguished. His silver beard, neatly trimmed, framed a strong jaw that gave him an aura of wisdom and reliability. He looked like an average Joe, but possessed a kind of quiet confidence that commanded attention without trying. Danny, by contrast, was all lightness—slender and radiant, his dark blond hair falling in soft strands around his face, his features still untouched by time’s weight. There was something almost ethereal about him, the way his bright eyes shone with unguarded emotion, the way his entire being seemed to vibrate with quiet exhilaration.

Their fingers were entwined, their hands clasped in a hold that felt both delicate and unbreakable. The priest spoke in soft, measured tones, but all I could focus on was the way they lookedat each other—like nothing else in the world existed beyond this moment.

When the time for vows came, the last murmurs in the church faded into silence.

Jeff cleared his throat, his eyes never straying from Danny’s. “As many of you know, I’ve been down this road once before,” he began, his voice steady despite the emotion thickening beneath it. “But it didn’t work out, because we weren’t the right match for each other. I don’t regret it—we had some wonderful years, and I got two wonderful sons—but I haven’t found love. Not real love. I thought that was something other people got to have. I told myself I didn’t need it, that I was fine on my own. And then… you happened.”

Danny’s breath hitched. His fingers tightened around Jeff’s.

Jeff exhaled, his lips twitching in something that wasn’t quite a smile, wasn’t quite a sigh. “I’ve known you for years, but you still managed to walk into my life like a storm I never saw coming,” he continued, his voice growing rougher. “And you turned everything upside down. You reminded me what it felt like to bewantedagain. To hope. To dream. You taught me that true love knows no boundaries.” His breath wavered. “Danny, you are my second chance. My best chance. And I swear to spend every day proving to you that I will love you—fiercely, unconditionally, without fear—until the very last breath leaves my body.”

Danny let out a wet laugh, swiping at his eyes. “Jesus, how am I supposed to followthat?”

Soft chuckles rippled through the church, the warmth of it cutting through the heavy emotion like sunlight through stained glass.

Danny inhaled, centering himself. When he spoke, his voice was quieter, but no less certain. “Jeff, you were never supposed to happen to me. I never believed my teenage dream wouldcome true.” A small, knowing smile touched his lips, his eyes brimming with something raw and unguarded. “But when I look back, you were always the one. You were my first crush. You were my first desire. My greatest desire. Yeah, I was a pervy kid. Sorry, Mom and Dad.” People laughed, but Danny went on. “And I realized that love doesn’t give a damn about plans. Or timelines. Or expectations. It just…is.” He swallowed hard, then lifted his chin, his gaze unwavering. “Some people might find this a bit… unconventional, to say the least. But I don’t give a damn. I always knew, from the moment I laid my eyes on you, I knew—Iknew—I was yours.”

A hush fell over the church, reverent and thick with emotion, as if even the walls were holding their breath. Beside me, Chris interlaced his fingers with mine, his touch soft yet grounding. I turned my head slightly, taking him in—the shimmer of unshed tears in his eyes, the way his lips pressed together as if holding back a smile, or maybe something too big for words.

I knew he was thinking the same thing I was.

Some day soon, this would be us.

* * *

After the ceremony, the celebration spilled into a nearby venue, the space alive with light and music. The air hummed with conversation and clinking glasses, the scent of roasted meats and sweet champagne mingling with the crispness of fresh flowers lining the tables. A long banquet stretched beneath glowing chandeliers, guests laughing between bites of rich, decadent food, while waiters weaved between them, refilling drinks, keeping the revelry flowing.

At the center of it all, Jeff and Danny sat side by side, hands still clasped, their happiness a beacon. Their love, their joy—it was infectious.

The DJ eased into the classics, and soon the dance floor filled. Tyler yanked Blake into the fray, his laughter ringing out as Blake feigned resistance before giving in, spinning him effortlessly. Matt and Finn, being without partners, found their way to each other amidst the crowd, their movements unpracticed but full of energy, bumping into each other as they laughed at their own lack of coordination.

Chris gave a mischievous smile, his eyes bright as he watched them. “I think Tyler’s trying to turn them gay.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “It’s a solid strategy.”

And then, as if on cue, the opening notes ofMurder on the Dancefloorblasted through the speakers. A collective cheer went up, bodies surging forward. Jeff and Danny took the center, hands linked, twirling, lost in their own world, the years between them dissolving into pure, boundless bliss. The lights flashed, the beat pulsed, and the entire space became a living, breathing thing—heat and movement, sweat and laughter.

Chris’s fingers slid through mine, tugging me forward. “C’mon.”

And for once, I didn’t resist. I let him pull me into the storm, let the music crash over me, let the weight of the past, the weight ofeverything, slip from my shoulders. For the first time in years—maybe in my entire life—I let go. I danced like I didn’t give a damn who was watching, like the only thing that mattered was the warmth of Chris’s body near mine, the way his grin split his face, reckless and free.

At some point, he slipped away, weaving toward the DJ booth. I barely noticed, caught in the rush, until he was back, his hands on my shoulders, his breath warm against my cheek.

Then the song changed, and the opening chords ofI Want It That Waydrifted through the air.

I froze. My head snapped toward Chris. The goofusremembered.

He was grinning, smug and pleased with himself, eyes twinkling with mischief. “I put in a request.”

A laugh burst out of me, breathless and disbelieving. “Youasshole.”

But I was already pulling him in, pressing my forehead against his as the music wrapped around us like silk. Others followed suit, bodies swaying, couples folding into each other. Jeff and Danny, lost in their own slow orbit. Tyler and Blake, moving with easy, practiced rhythm. Even Matt and Finn, still goofing off, still caught up in the energy of the moment.

No one cared about labels. No one cared about expectations. It was just love. Pure and simple.

Chris’s fingers curled in the back of my shirt, his voice barely audible over the music. “You know this means I win, right?”

Like it was even a contest. Like he hadn’t already won a long time ago. But I wouldn’t give him that. So, I just huffed, shaking my head, my lips brushing his ear as I murmured, “Shut up and dance with me.”

And we did, laughing all the while.

The End