Dragged to the Wedding(67)

James sat next to her, holding Holly’s hand while she cried.

“There is another option,” Daniel said softly. “But...it’s a little unorthodox.” He hadn’t brought this up because before yesterday it hadn’t been a possibility. But with them both being outed...

“What is it?” James asked.

Daniel sighed. “Holly.” He sat on the other side of her. “This has to be your and Howard’s decision, not your mother’s or anyone else’s. James has seen me onstage in full drag, and my professional name is Lala Traviata. The thing is, Lala has been doing Pride weddings for years, all over the country, and I did a fly-in wedding three years ago at a Pride event in Helena.”

Holly sniffed. “So you can perform the ceremony?” She blinked, and Daniel met James’s gaze.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” James asked. “This solves everything.”

“Not exactly. Lala is the one who performs the weddings. Not Daniel. When I sign the license, it will be as Lala.”

“But that’s okay. I don’t care how the license is signed,” Holly explained as she perked up.

James patted her hand. “You don’t understand. Lala only performs in full drag. That means that Lala can perform the wedding, but it will be in theatrical drag. Granted, from what I’ve seen it will be gorgeous, but it will also be Lala.” Damn it all. Daniel had been trying to keep his distance so he could think, but James got it. He understood, and Daniel’s heart rejoiced at that. Daniel had thought that James might have been giving his mother lip service earlier, but he was wrong. James got it.

Holly turned to Daniel, and then looked back to James before her gaze shifted to Daniel once again. “Okay. I’ll call Howard and we’ll talk and decide. You two need to stop eye fucking each other, because this place is starting to smell like a locker room.” Holly skittered out of the room, shutting the door after her.

“Oh god,” James groaned.

“Look, if this is going to cause even more problems, then you can forget it.” He didn’t want to cause trouble. “I can do the wedding as Daniel and then sign the certificate and...”

James whirled around. “Don’t you dare. Lala does weddings, and if Holly and Howard agree, then Lala is doing it, and they are going to get all her fabulousness and over-the-topness. This will be a wedding that everyone is going to be talking about for years.”

“But your mother...” Daniel said, swallowing.

“I know. She’s going to blow the top of her head off and steam is going to come out of her ears if Holly and Howard go forward with this idea.” James grinned devilishly. “Wanna watch when I tell her?”

“Is that what you were choking up over? I thought you were upset.” Daniel put his hands on his hips, and James took a step back. God, he loved that reaction. “You are one evil son. Of course I want to watch.” Daniel lowered his hands. “But you need to give your mom a break too. Yeah, she can be pushy.”

“More like dictatorial.”

Daniel rolled his eyes. “Let’s go with pushy—it sounds better, and I like your mom, I really do. She’s fierce. I bet she stood up for you in school when shit happened, and nobody hurt any of her kids without paying the price.” Daniel could respect that a great deal.

“Yup!” James agreed.

“I understand fierce. It takes a good dose of that to do what I do. I stand onstage in all my finery and put part of myself out there each and every night. Yes, I’m a performer. But it’s still me under all the glitz. So give your mom a break.”

“And how do I do that?” James asked, his hands on his hips.

Daniel shook his head. “You’re doing it wrong. If you want to do the hip thing effectively, put your one foot forward, cock your hip slightly, and project attitude. It isn’t just the stance, but the whole picture.” James tried, bless his heart, but he couldn’t quite get there. “Maybe you have to picture your balls pushed up into your body, your dick taped back, multiple layers of underthings, layers of padding, and a gown worthy of Cher on Oscar night to be able to do it right.”

James quivered and put his hands up in surrender. “Fine, oh sage one. What do you suggest?”

“Have Holly there, to start with. It’s her wedding, and this is her and Howard’s choice. Lead off with the fact that you found a minister and that the service is going to go on as planned. Then ease into how Lala is going to officiate. Don’t start with ‘Mom, Holly is going to have a drag wedding.’ She’ll probably go running from the house looking for the men in their clean white coats to take all of us away.”

James hooted, laughing so hard he had tears running down his cheeks. “I suppose we need to wait for Holly’s answer.”

Daniel leaned closer. “Yes...and what do you want to do until we hear from her?” He leaned close enough that James’s heady scent filled his nose. Daniel closed his eyes, his nose riding the olfactory amazingness like a surfer rides a wave.

“I know I’d like to take you back to bed and spend a few hours reviewing what I learned last night. But we have a wedding to attend, so we’d better shower and be ready for whatever this afternoon will bring. Rain check?”

Daniel smiled. “You better believe it.”