My fingers fumble with the black silk as I stand in front of the in the mirror trying to fix my bow tie.
“Here, let me get that for you,” a deep laugh rumbles in my ear.
His eyes catch mine in the reflection. Damn, am I glad to see him. Turning around, I come face to face with my oldest and closest friend, and the man who’s about to become my father-in-law in less than twenty minutes time.
“I’ve never seen you looking so goddamn nervous, amigo,” Alejandro chuckles.
“Well, I’ve never been married before,” I remind him, twisting my neck as he fastens my tie.
“Keep still,” he orders.
“I’m too fucking hot,” I complain. “Have you purposely turned the AC off in here to make me sweat?”
He laughs again. I’m glad he finds the whole thing so funny, particularly as he almost killed me when he found out I was dating his daughter. I suppose hooking up with the only daughter of the head of the Spanish Mafia wasn’t the smartest move I ever made, although it’s damn sure been the best one. I figure he’s earned his amusement at my expense.
“No,” he shakes his head. “Why would I want my beautiful daughter to have to kiss you like this? You need to chill.”
I nod at him. “I know. Is she okay?”
“She’s fucking perfect,” he says with a wink.
“She’s still going to walk down that aisle and marry me then?”
He narrows his eyes at me. “Is that what you’re worried about? That she’s gonna ditch you at the altar?”
Yes. “No!”
He turns and looks at the only other person in the room, his five year old grandson, Matthias. “You know this is all kind of the best man’s job?” he says with a grin.
“I can’t fix bow ties, Papa,” Matthias replies with a frown that makes his face look so cute that it almost makes me forget about my nerves.
“You leave my best man alone,” I say, scowling and making Matthias laugh.
Alejandro finishes my tie and pats me on the back. “I’d better go check on Lucia,” he says, “and make sure she isn’t about to run away with that new concierge.”
He winks at me but I don’t find his joke the slightest bit funny. We’re getting married at his hotel, and his newest hire is a definite hit with the ladies.
It makes him laugh though and he wraps his arms around me. “Relax amigo, she fucking adores you.”
“Yeah,” I breathe as I hug him back.
He pulls back from me and turns around to Matthias. “You make sure this guy makes it to the altar and doesn’t get drunk on the way, okay?” He holds out his hand for a fist bump.
“Okay, Papa.” Matthias grins at him, showing his one missing front tooth as he connects his little fist on Alejandro’s. God, the kid is fucking adorable.
“I’ll see you on the other side,” Alejandro says with a wink before he walks out of the door, leaving Matthias and me alone.
“What does nervous mean?” he asks, looking up at me with his huge brown eyes. “Papa said you’re nervous.”
I take a seat on the sofa beside him, picking him up so he can sit on my lap. “It means that I love your mom so much, and I’m so excited to marry her, that I feel a little bit scared.”
His eyes widen. “Scared? You? Why?”
“Sometimes when we want something so bad and we’re so close to getting it, it can make you feel a little bit scared in case you mess up.”
He blinks at me.
“Like when you were chosen to paint the poster in kindergarten for Memorial Day, remember? You wanted it to be perfect and you were worried when your paint got a little smudged that your teacher wouldn’t want to use it?”
“Yeah,” he says with a nod.
“That’s nervous, buddy.”
He stares at me, his face so full of innocence and happiness that he calms my nerves completely. He is the finest best man I could have ever asked for.
And as if I wasn’t already enough of a trembling mess today, he wraps his little arms around my neck, presses his lips to my ear and whispers. “Don’t worry, Dad. I got you.”
