Laura S. Fox
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Tying the Knot - Ch. 5 (Sunny Hill Extra Story, Patreon Exclusive)
🕑 Added 2023-12-07 19:00:05 +0000 UTCChapter One / Chapter Two / Chapter Three / Chapter Four
Chapter Five – Doubts and Resolutions
“O. M. G.,” Zoey exclaimed the moment she stepped inside the small apartment. “It’s so cute, I love it!”
“Wait until I give you the full tour,” Matty said with a grin and took her arm right after giving Dex a short bro hug to welcome him.
Matty had already established with Rusty that Zoey wanting to have a word with him alone took precedence, which meant that Dex would be taken on a tour of the neighborhood while he did the same with his bestie, only on a smaller scale.
“See you later, babes,” Rusty said and smirked as he teased Zoey to get on her toes to reach him. “Me and my bro have some catching up to do.”
Matty saw them both out the door and then turned to face his bestie. “So, tell me everything.”
Zoey made a frightened face and pulled her bag close to her chest. “What do you mean?”
“Come on, don’t play the innocent. I could tell you wanted to do some confessing, and you just couldn’t bring yourself to do it over the phone. Out with it.”
“Ugh, you know me so well.” Zoey plopped herself down on the sofa and abandoned her shield, aka her bag. “Marriage, Matty, can you even wrap your head around it?”
“Wait, you can’t be telling me you’re getting cold feet,” Matty said as he sat by her side. He took her by the shoulders and gave her a friendly squeeze. “Look, it’s not like it’s that big a deal. I mean, I hope you’re not going to wait for your nuptial night to--” He caught himself in time. “Is there some sort of problem on that end?”
Zoey wiggled her eyebrows. “Do you mean, you’re curious if we did it?” She snickered. “Yeah, we did it, and many times. That’s not the source of my insecurity.”
“Wow, you’re even calling it your insecurity outright. I hope you’re not going to self-analyze your situation to the death.”
This time, she didn’t laugh again. “The thing is, Matty, I don’t know how much of a responsible person I can be. I mean, so far, everything’s been nothing but fun and giggles, but this next step is for real.”
“Well, if it helps in any way, I don’t think we have to give up on the fun and giggles to become responsible people. And we are responsible people already, Zoey.”
“Really?” She looked at him, hopeful and begging judging by the way she clasped her hands together. “How can you tell? Because I’ve been racking my brain for the last few weeks and have come up with nothing. I mean, we’re all getting jobs and starting our lives as adults, but, I don’t know, the whole thing scares me a little, I guess.”
“A little, or a little more,” Matty joked. “Have you talked about these things with Dex? He might be able to offer you a boatload of insight. He doesn’t look to me like he has cold feet or anything.”
“And my feet aren’t cold, either.” Zoey sighed. “The thing is, he is so straightforward, so clear about everything. I don’t think he even wonders about how we’re going to make everything work. He’s so… sturdy, if you catch my drift. He knows exactly how things are going to be. He has no doubts. And I’m by his side and smile and everything, while on the inside, I feel like a mess and completely unprepared.”
“That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t talk to him. He might tell you how he sees it all so clearly. What the heck, I think we could all use his wisdom, since you can easily imagine that we didn’t come out of the box all so well-adjusted.”
“You’re just saying that. You’re the guy who labels his pens. I bet you have everything figured out.”
“Well, let me tell you a secret, Zoey, dear friend,” Matty said and pushed his glasses up on his nose while trying to do his best impersonation of a stern professor. “Even people who seem to have everything figured out might have their doubts. It’s not easy being an adult and doing adult things, although, to be completely frank, I don’t think it’s all as complicated as some might make it out to be, either. My one and only piece of advice would be to get everything out in the open with him. I bet that he’ll appreciate your honesty and be more than happy to help you.”
“You think so?” Zoey looked at him with stars in her eyes. “But I don’t want to disappoint him. I mean, that’s my biggest worry at the moment, to be honest.”
“Give the man some credit. After all, it’s clear that he likes you a lot. Plus, you have your folks who will tell you how awesome you are three to four times a day if I remember correctly.”
“Yeah, they’ve always been so supportive of me, tolerating all my quirks… heck, cultivating them because they so like having a unique child,” Zoey said while making a funny face. “I know mom and dad love me, and I love them back, but what if they’re just so biased because I’m theirs, and actually, I’m not that good at anything--”
Matty cut her avalanche of words short by pressing a hand over her mouth. Zoey’s eyes grew wide, but then, she sighed against his palm and her shoulders slumped in defeat. He moved his hand away slowly, showing that he was ready to cut her words off if she started spouting nonsense again.
“Look, Zoey, it’s not that complicated. I mean, it is, if I put myself in your shoes, and I’m not saying that your worries are not valid. Only that,” he said, putting one index finger up in warning, “in this case, they’re really not. You’re awesome. Your parents know you’re awesome. And Dex, once he got the chance to see you, he saw the same thing. Here is what I propose. If this adulting thing ever gets too tough, I’m always here to talk to. We’ll figure it out together. What? Do you think I know how to cook anything beyond a boiled egg? We’re just going to have to learn.”
“Well, Jonathan knows how to make like ten types of pancakes,” Zoey pointed out.
“Yeah, but he was born on this earth to put food in other people’s mouths to make them his forever. Like a demon,” Matty said the first thing that crossed his mind. “A cooking demon. We can’t compare ourselves to him on that front. And we shouldn’t,” he added quickly. The less time he gave her to feel doubtful about her own skillset when it came to acting like a grownup, the better. That was how he saw it.
“You give the best pep talks, bestie,” Zoey said and nudged him playfully as she jumped to her feet. “I think I do feel better now. I just need to figure out what things Dex is not very good at, so I can compensate.”
“Is that how this works?” Matty asked.
Zoey made a circle with her hands and mouthed at him, “You complete me.”
Matty rolled his eyes. “You know what? How about we surprise our guys by ordering something delicious?”
Zoey clutched her chest. “For a moment there, I thought you were going to suggest we cook something. My whole life flashed before my eyes.”
“Drama queen,” Matty said and shook his head. “Don’t worry. When I get real about learning how to cook, I’m going to drag you along with me, and there’s going to be no escape.”
***
“So, I heard you already got a job with an opera company,” Dex said with a huge grin while grabbing him hard by the shoulder.
“It’s a temporary thing, and the pay is what it is, but I’m getting valuable experience. And the exposure.”
“That’s so great, man. My dads are glad that I want to get into coaching, even if there was plenty of pressure from both sides of the family for me to become a star.”
“Well, I thought you had it in you.”
Dex shook his head. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, man, but I’ve seen plenty of the people who go pro. There’s a lot to sacrifice, plus the risk of injury. And yeah, the money’s great, but you need to have balance in all things, right?”
“You know better than I do. Although you are making me feel a little like a bad friend because I never really asked you what your plans were. Do you think you weren’t up to the pro thing?”
“I’m a realist, Rusty, my boy,” Dex said in a sonorous tone. “If there’s one thing my parents taught me, it’s to get to that point in life where I feel happy and choose to grow around it. Not go in a totally different direction. Maybe, for some, it might look like I have no big ambitions, but my ambition is to have a happy life, and that doesn’t include pushing myself to the limit for the sake of several years of fame and money. That’s why I like Zoey so much.”
“That little monkey, she got under your skin for real. So, tell me more about that.”
Dex looked off into the distance for a bit, his lips quirking into a smile. “The chicks I fooled around with before her had one thing on their minds. I don’t say that they were all superficial or anything like that, but frankly, they were more interested in whether I wanted to go pro or not more than they were interested in me. It was like that was necessary, you know, for the relationship to work.”
“Come on, you know those cool shoulder pads brought you plenty of action,” Rusty joked.
“Yeah, but during senior year, I started thinking. Kane has always been a family man, and Maddox went down that same road the moment he set his eyes on Jonathan. And then, you. I mean, you were never serious about anyone, and then, bam.”
“I beg to differ. It took me quite a long time to start thinking clearly. And seeing clearly.”
“Well, from the outside, you looked pretty done for super fast. So, it got me thinking. If even you could get with someone who really mattered to you, why should I be the guy left out?”
“Don’t tell me it was a calculated move on your part, ‘cause I don’t believe it. I know for a fact that the little monkey is completely unpredictable.”
Dex laughed. “No, not like that. But I began searching for a girl who could be the one. Sure thing, it took me a while to find her, but only because she’s so short, and I’m not in the habit of looking down at people.”
“And now’s the moment when you start gushing on and on about her.”
“What are we? A bunch of cheerleaders?”
“And you’ve had plenty of experience in that department, so you ought to know, but it’s still not what I’m driving at. Have your dads met her yet? I know you planned a visit, but you didn’t tell me any more about it.”
“Yep, and they’re crazy about her. And also happy that we’re going to get hitched. I swear, I’m starting to suspect those two of worrying that I might fall back into my old ways and miss my chance with Zoey.”
“That’s great. And what about her folks?”
“They’re all so short, it was so awkward at first. I was like a giant in a china shop. But they made me feel at ease fast enough. And Zoey’s mom got it so much into her head that I can’t possibly eat normal-size portions, so she loaded my plate with so much food I was afraid I would burst. Also, I didn’t want to disappoint her, and I almost got to the point of having a bit of indigestion.”
“Fun times,” Rusty said. “But tell me about her. She’s good for you, isn’t she?”
“Yeah.” Dex’s face was all a smile. “From the start, she made me feel like she only had eyes for me when we were together. None of that thing that girls do, the way they like to make other chicks feel jealous or impressed or whatever because of the guy they’re with. No, Zoey’s eyes have always been on me, even though she has to tip her head back so hard I sometimes worry she might develop a spine problem.” A satisfied sigh followed. “And then, we talked so much. About everything. The craziest things. And not once did she ask me if I wanted to go pro. It was like it didn’t matter to her that I was this popular guy. And when she confessed that she actually didn’t even look at me properly before Matty began putting the moves on you, I knew she had to be the one.”
“See? It’s all because of me, so be grateful,” Rusty joked.
Dex squeezed the back of his neck until he had to beg for mercy. “I guess that is true. Since she had to keep an eye on you to report to Matty, she started looking at me, too. And the more she looked, the more she liked what she saw. It was my lucky day. Also, she confessed to how hard she tried to draw my attention away from her unfair height. Other girls never told me that they worked to get my attention. Actually, they tended to behave like I should be grateful they looked at me, even though, not so secretly, it had been their plan all along to bag me. You know how it is.”
“Yeah, totally, man. Can you and Zoey spend the night? We have a sofa bed, and Matty is pretty confident it can hold both of us. We’re leaving the real bed to the two of you. I just want to have you guys with me tomorrow when I practice.”
“We’re going to get to see where you work? Count us in. I want to see you put through the wringer for real.”
Rusty narrowed his eyes. “Just how much does Zoey tell you? That should have been a secret… well, not exactly, but I wanted to preserve my wunderkind image for a little longer. Not a word about how much I have to work for it and all that.”
“No chance of that,” Dex assured him. “Also, the fact that you work hard only does you credit, I’m sure. It always did you credit.”
“Is that how it was?” Rusty shrugged. “I’ve never paid attention, and it sure doesn’t feel like work to me. But the people at the opera company do want my first performance to shine, and I don’t want to let them down.”
“In other words, you’ll work your butt off not to let them down,” Dex concluded for him. “Hey, how about we get back? I’m starting to feel hungry.”
“No problem. Let me just call Matty to see what we should order for takeout.”
Rusty smiled as he exchanged a few words with Matty. “They have already ordered. All your favorites, according to Zoey.”
Dex rubbed his belly. “She might tend to spoil me. But I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”
“Not at all. Getting spoiled by your future spouse is a great thing.”
***
They were full to the brim and a pleasant laziness had already descended, making them lounge around, looking sleepy. Zoey was in Dex’s arms, and they were sharing something only they could hear. Rusty watched them amused, since that side of his friend was not familiar to him. It was real about love changing you and all that.
“I’m so glad they’re talking about it,” Matty mused while snuggling against him to find the best spot for cuddling.
“About what?”
“Zoey having a case of too much doubt regarding her own ability to be an adult. She thinks Dex has it all figured out, while she doesn’t, so I advised the direct approach. By how happy she looks, I believe she’s cleared the air, and now it’s going to be smooth sailing.”
Rusty turned his face to him and kissed the crown of Matty’s head. “Do you ever have that sort of doubts?”
“I may sound conceited, but I don’t. I think we’re going to make everything work, no matter how difficult. Since we’re together, the sky’s the limit, right?”
“Excellent answer, Matty. I’m the ditzy one in the relationship, so I should have expected that answer from you. How about you keep me grounded from now on?”
“I already do that, but it’s nice a thing to have firmly resolved.”
Rusty laughed and pulled Matty close, hugging him tightly. “I knew I could count on you. You’re okay with me inviting them to spend the night, right? I didn’t ask you for your opinion first, and now I feel bad.”
“You know my answer already. It’s good to have friends close by, for as often as we can manage. And Zoey is over the moon that she’s going to see you on a real stage, you know?”
“I think I’m starting to get a bit nervous.”
“You don’t mean that. When you’re up there, it’s like you’re in the world you were made for. That’s how I feel when I look at you.”
“And you don’t get jealous?”
“Nope.”
“Not even a tiny bit?”
“Not even,” Matty assured him. “What’s with the long face? I can share you with your passion, Rusty.”
“Just pulling your leg here a bit. I’m seriously so glad that you’re okay with it. Not everyone would like it, even if they said they did. I mean, I think that’s what happens with some couples. I can’t say that I know for sure.”
“All that it matters to me is that I’m happy you have such amazing passion in your life. I love you for it, too.”
Rusty gasped for show. “Not for my amazing bod and excellent love making skills?”
“Well, they’re also important, but not that important. I love you for you, Rusty.”
“Wow, what a confession,” they heard Dex commenting.
“Hey, no eavesdropping,” Rusty protested.
“You two were too loud to ignore. Are you ready to get to sleep?”
“Yep. After all, Rusty has to impress us tomorrow,” Matty joked and earned a playful smack upside the head for it.
“I’m so ready to see it,” Zoey said while she climbed on Dex’s back. “I have my phone ready, too.”
“To catch my blunders?” Rusty asked.
“Those too, why not?” Zoey said brightly, making them all laugh.
TBC
Comments
Laura S. Fox
Yep, I like Zoey and Dex together and wanted to have them around for a bit. Thank you for your comment, Jayce!
Jayce
Presenting Zoey’s vulnerabilities and uncertainty was refreshing. It provided dimension and realism toward her character. Likewise, Dex’s character appeared more relatable. The pairing between Dex and Zoey was ideal. It was a great juxtaposition between shy yet bombastic personality and athleticism/directness. This chapter helped crystallize aspects of relationships after college graduation, and it was quite revealing seeing the varying degrees of preparedness from the various couples. Great presentation!
