K. Golland - Attainment

“Excuse me ladies and gentleman,” Derek announces through the microphone. “Can I ask the groom to bring his bride to the dance floor for their first dance as husband and wife?”

Alexis has her head on my shoulder while we sit at our table having a quiet moment to ourselves. As she lifts it up and hits me with yet again, another dazzling smile, I notice something change in her expression—a look I have seen many times before.

“I hope you are wearing that red G-string, Husband,” she drawls.

My eyes widen at her suggestion, and I laugh loudly as I pull her to her feet, leading her to the dance floor. “That was a one-off, Wife. I happily destroyed the uncomfortable piece of arse-floss.”

Placing her hands around my neck, she stands up on her tippy toes to kiss my lips. “You once told me that nothing was absolute.”

“Some things are,” I say with complete reaffirmation as I return her kiss and wrap my arms around her waist.

A familiar sound filters my ears when the music begins, as Derek starts to sing the song I wrote for Alexis, “Thief of My Heart.”

Pressing her head against my shoulder, she squeezes me tightly. “Loving you is absolute.”

“It better be,” I say with a smirk.

Alexis pulls away and wipes a tear which has begun to slide down her happy face. “Bryce, I just want you to know that deciding to go back to work three years ago was one of the best decisions I have ever made.”

Another tear leaves her eye, heading on a journey south.

“I can’t argue with you there,” I agree, wiping it away.

“Giving you permission to kiss me was another.”

“I married a smart woman.”

She scoffs and drops her head for a second then looks back into my eyes. “Spending that week with you and allowing myself to believe that what we had was real, well...that was another.”

I hug her tightly, thankful that she took that very leap of faith. Because when I look back on it now, that decision must’ve have been extremely difficult for her.

Derek picks up the pace, singing the lyrics to the bridge of the song. I too, mouth them to Alexis:

‘Let go and feel it.

Just let go and feel it.

You and I, we are it.

Please let go.’

The timing of those lyrics couldn’t be more perfect, emphasising what we had just been talking about. Alexis smiles and sings the chorus back to me:

‘You’re all that I want and nothing else.

I’ve fallen hard and will never get up.’

I swear that if I die in this very moment, I will die a happy man. Not that dying is an option at this particular point in time, we have a marriage to consummate, and I have some pretty good ideas about how I plan on doing that.

As visions of our honeymoon start to dance across my mind, I feel that all too familiar movement in my pants. Alexis feels it, too.

“Your feet are not the only thing dancing right now, are they?”

I laugh and press her harder to my front. “No, they are not.”

She stretches up, her face now level with my own, prompting me to lift her off the ground. I don’t hesitate, gripping her tighter and raising her like her body suggests—her feet now dangling centimetres from the floor. She kisses me hard, and during that kiss it’s as though we are the only two people in the room. We move across the floor to the music, her feet dangling, her arms wrapped around my neck, my lips and tongue still connected to hers—I’m the happiest I have ever been.

Hearing the song subside and Derek’s voice no longer singing, we both open our eyes and come back to the moment.

“Mrs. Clark?” I ask, completely transfixed by her radiant aura.

“Yes?” she answers with a giggle.

“Nothing, I just wanted to say your name.”

Alexis blushes. I fucking love it when she does that.

“Did you just blush, Mrs. Clark?”

Her blush and smile disappear. “No, I don’t blush.”

“Oh, yes you do.” I chuckle at her obvious denial.

“I do not,” she states tersely, affirmation assisting her stubborn tone.

“Do you want me to prove you wrong, right here, right now?”

She blushes. I rest my case.

Derek interrupts our moment and asks if anyone else would like to join us on the dance floor. He then hands over the microphone to the lead singer of a band that we often play gigs with, and then makes his way toward Carly.

Before I know it, we are joined by our family and friends, even Arthur and Geraldine, Arthur giving me a fatherly slap on the back and kissing Alexis on the cheek with congratulations.

Once again, swaying with Alexis still happily content in my arms, I feel a tap on my shoulder.

“Do you mind if I cut in,” Rick asks, indicating that he wishes to dance with Alexis.

I give him a nod. “Sure, I need to find that sister of mine anyway.” I lift Alexis’ chin with my finger and press a quick kiss to her lips before leaving her to dance with her ex-husband.

Moments later, I find Lucy sitting with Nik and Alexander, Al driving his toy cars on top of the table. I pick up a car and perform a high speed manoeuvrer then crash it into the one Al is holding. He laughs and yells ‘Boom’.

“Luce, come and dance with me,” I request, gesturing toward the dance floor.

“Where’s your wife? Your wife!” she squeals “How does that feel?” She stands up and gives me a quick hug.

I lean in closer. “Fucking perfect. And, she’s over there, dancing with Rick.”

Lucy looks over my shoulder. “Oh. Well, come on then, let’s go and keep an eye on them.”

“I don’t need to keep an eye on my wife,” I reassure her, knowing deep down that I will always keep an eye on my wife.

“Fine, don’t. I’ll keep my eye on her.”

I know damn well that she will.

Shaking my head at my devoted sister as we start to sway to “With or Without You” by U2, I tell her that she can finally stop looking out for me. “You can stop with the creepy research now.”

“Never,” she cackles like an evil witch.

Knowing this request is falling on deaf ears, I change the tone of the conversation and squeeze her tight. “Thank you.”

“For what?” she asks with incredulity as she tilts her head up.

“For always being there for me.”

“Bryce, it’s the other way around,” she scoffs.

I pull her back to my body and spin us both around. “That’s what you think.”

“Okay, you don’t have to convince me twice,” she answers nonchalantly but in a teasing tone. Cheeky shit.

I smile into Lucy’s hair, and just as we are about to settle in, the music changes and I hear Alexis groan.

“You did this on purpose, Rick!” she exclaims with frustration.

I’m just about to head over there and see what fuck is going on when Rick laughs.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he fires back, feigning surprise. Then, with a grin on his face he pulls Alexis to him and they both began to Jive to “Jailhouse Rock”.

My tension alleviates.

“It’s like riding a bike,” Rick teases.

“Have you ever tried ridin’ a freakin’ bike with a wedding dress and heels on?”

I laugh.

“She’s got an answer for everything, hasn’t she?” Lucy mutters with a smile while shaking her head.

“She sure has.”

“I’m so happy for the two of you. Mum and Dad would’ve loved her.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Especially Mum.”

I pull Lucy in for another tight hug, when I notice Brayden spot the wedding cake. “Shit! Gotta go.”

I take off and catch him right before Jake does.

“Jesus, he’s quick,” Jake complains, slightly breathy.