The rowdy bunch.

The table the girls were at had enough room for the two men plus a couple more, but Bernice still made sure that she jumped up and was ready to offer the seat next to her to Vinny. Bernice and Gillian had met Vinny several times before and Melissa just once so it was only Astryd who hadn’t met the boxer before. He exchanged friendly hugs with Bernice and Gillian first and then Mel and Astryd afterwards, Melissa providing the introduction to Astryd when it appeared Bernice wasn’t about to. Christopher was a long-time friend of Daniel’s so had met his new girlfriend and her friends when Alexa and Daniel had just started dating. Melissa and Astryd were strangers to him. Continuing the introductions, Melissa brought Chris and Astryd together and watched as the sparkle played out in the Caribbean girl’s eyes as she said hello.

Taking their seats a waitress came over to take the new arrivals drinks orders and Bernice focused in on Vinny.

“I’m so looking forward to this wedding. I’ve been practically spending every hour in the gym leading up to it but, of course, you’d know all about that wouldn’t you?” Bernice spewed out all at once.

“It’s practically my job,” Vinny said which caused Bernice to laugh far harder than she needed to.

“I’d love to see you in action. One of your fights I mean.”

“I’m retired, unfortunately,” Vinny said holding his hands up. “But not out of the game. I’m coaching and one of my students is fighting next week if that’s something that interests you?”

“Sounds fantastic. I’d love to,” Bernice agreed instantly. It was already a date in her eyes.

“Great. It’s at the gym I used to train at. We’re hosting it so every ticket sold helps. The more the merrier if you know anyone else that wants to come.”

“I’ll come. Where is it?” Gillian shot in. She’d been listening in on their conversation.

Bernice would have kicked her friend under the table if she’d been close enough.

“It’s in Queens,” Vinny said.

“Mel, you’re in Manhattan, right? Anyone else wants to go see Vinny’s fight in Queens?” Gillian spread the invite out to everyone.

The corners of Melissa's mouth barely curled in a smile. Her mother was always telling her to not look so unapproachable all the time. It was why she was still single her mom had said. “Maybe,” the lawyer said. It was the last thing Melissa knew she wanted to do. Blood sports of all kinds were so barbaric. Melissa's idea of a nice time was seeing one of the more dramatic plays off-Broadway. Not two men beating themselves into brain damage with their bare fists.

“Bit far for both of us to go,” Christopher said to Astryd, using it as an opening to start talking to the other out-of-towner.

“Oh? You’re not from New York like the rest of them?”

“One time I was. I’m up in Canada now.”

Astryd shivered at the pure thought of it. “I don’t know how people can live that far north. I’d be frozen all the time. I’d need something or someone to keep me warm.”

It was flirtatious but unfortunately for Astryd, it missed the mark. Christopher who admittedly didn’t look the type, had come out as gay a few years ago. His career meant that he kept his sexual orientation close to his chest.

“As long as you dress in plenty of layers it’s not that bad,” Chris said.

“On my island, I’d wear as little as possible,” Astryd tried a second time.

“Oh yeah, you couldn’t do that in Ontario.”

Nothing. Astryd was a little bewildered, to say the least.

The rehearsal dinner seemed to be fulfilling its purpose as the different people got to know each other a little better. Boundaries were slowly being relaxed as the beginnings of some possible friendships started to form. The table was the noisier one out of the group, perhaps due to it having the youngest average age out of Alexa and Daniel’s guests. It soon began to draw a crowd as people started to come over and join the excitable table.

First to come was Nathan Rigby along with an eye-catching girl around his age that Vinny couldn’t help but check out. She was blonde-haired and blue-eyed, dressed in a pair of figure-hugging white leggings that matched the flow of her body completely. Vinny couldn’t see the top half of her body as the girl wore a puffer jacket, but he guessed it would be just as impressive as the lower.

“Hey Coach,” Nathan said as he took a seat next to Christopher. The girl hovered behind Nathan’s chair not sitting down. She looked about the group and briefly made eye contact with Vinny before averting her gaze coyly and looking down.

“Hey, Nathan. Good to see you. And who’s this? You bring a date to the wedding?” Chris asked in a good-natured greeting.

“Nah, this is my stepsister, Tiffany. Tiff this is Christopher, he’s coaching in one of the Canadian football leagues.

Tiffany said hello but didn’t say much more.

“How’s training going? Have you picked out a college yet? How’s your 40?” Chris asked.

“Good, just getting more work done for the next preseason. I was looking into Sutton, kind of wanted to be a Savage like my pop.”

“That’s a good school. Plenty of competition. Got to be quick to make the team there.”

“I scored 4.8 in the trails last year.”

“Ooh, that’s fast! You’d make the training squad on my team with that,” Chris talked Nathan up making him smile in gratitude.

A short while after that the Bride-to-be added herself to the group to a small cheer from her bridesmaids and some light-hearted jibbing about a 24-hour countdown to her last moment as a single lady. The reminder caused her to seek out Vinny and catch his eyes intently. Alexa even went so far as to raise her eyebrows at her secret lover.

Melissa and Astryd, who’d given up on trying to flirt with Chris once he’d got talking to Nathan, sandwiched Alexa with their chairs when she sat down so for the time being Vinny remained where he was and continued with his drinks. He was only a tiny bit surprised when he felt a foot reaching out from across the table and start to rub teasingly against his shins. The rapidly ticking clock of her marriage to someone other than Vinny had made Alexa recklessly daring as well as nearly insatiable he thought.

Where Alexa went Daniel was soon to follow as he made his way from his parents over to the bridal party, coming to rest his hands on Alexa when there was no open seat next to her.

Melissa laughed at the seemingly happy couple and said to Daniel, “Enjoying seeing Alexa for the last time before the wedding?”

Daniel looked confused for a second. “I’m sorry, come again?”

Astryd looked muddled too. “Oh, you don’t do that over here.”

“Do what?” Daniel asked.

“I’d always heard it was traditional for the bride not to be seen by the groom before the wedding.”

Melissa chimed in. “That’s true. It’s meant to be bad luck.”

Alexa bolted upright in her chair. “Did you hear that babe? We don’t want any bad luck, do we?”

“Ahh, I guess not.”

“Is there somewhere else you can sleep tonight perhaps? It’s only for one night after all.”

“I guess I could sleep in with my brother. He’s got a double so there’s a spare bed in his room.”

“Awww,” Alexa cooed at her fiancé. “One night won't matter for the rest of our lives.” Staring straight at Vinny as she said, “And I’ll be thinking about you. All night.”

Vinny had to quickly check to see if anyone had caught the implicit message sent to him just then, but all eyes were on the love birds.

Until Aaron arrived at long last.

“Sorry I’m late everyone,” the dapper older gent said to the assembled crowd.

“Aaron! You made it,” Daniel cried coming over to hug his boss and friend at his arrival.

“Traffic was a nightmare getting out of the city. I shouldn’t have left leaving so late. So, what have I missed?”

“A couple of rounds of drinks is all,” Daniel joked.

The group was almost entirely complete. The entire bridal party was there except one person.