“Good. Tomorrow it is.” His stomach, however, didn’t like it as he typed out an acceptance. James replied with a dozen happy and party emojis.
It felt even worse the following day as they Ubered out to the Spit. Brian decided he’d like a few drinks and Andrew knew he would need them to get through it. James and Elle were there, getting the portable BBQ ready and arguing about how many sausages everyone would eat. It wasn’t the first time Andrew had seen them bickering lately, but this looked like a properly brewing fight, by the angle of Elle’s head and James’s scowl. Andrew hurried over and got between them, offering to help cook.
“Good,” Elle said, her voice still tight. With a flick of her hand, she dismissed James. “Go apologise properly to Brian.”
James stalked off, but the, “I’m truly sorry, Brian. I was wrong and should never have presumed or talked about you behind your back,” he gave Brian was as honest sounding as his expression was contrite.
“Dude,” Brian groaned and pulled him into a bro-hug. “It’s all good, okay? It was a misunderstanding. We cool.”
Andrew wondered if James could hear the slight hitch in Brian’s tone. Was it because he still wasn’t convinced on the “misunderstanding” part, or that he maybe felt more confused after Friday? By his unabashed grin and return hug, James couldn’t.
“One thing fixed, at least,” Elle muttered and turned back to the BBQ.
“Problems?” Andrew left it open ended.
Elle shook her head, then shrugged. “Wedding issues.”
“You still having problems with your family?”
Her laugh was bitter. “Always. But the people I hired the marquee through claim to have lost the booking and the one I want isn’t available now. The permit we wanted for the park space, which we were told would only take a couple of weeks, is apparently going to take at least three months and Simone missed her dress fitting.”
“How’s James handling it?”
Right then, he seemed happy enough, joking around with Brian as they unpacked an esky of salads and drinks.
“Mostly he calms me down when I need it. Other times . . .” She made a strangling motion with her hands.
Andrew gave her a one-armed hug. “Anything you need from me, just ask.”
She sighed. “Just give James a good bachelor party. He’s so worked up about what Troy’s been hinting at.”
He kissed her temple. “Done. Don’t worry, he’ll be cucumber cool on the day of the wedding.”
Carly and Troy arrived fifteen minutes later, blaming each other for being late. Troy and Brian hugged it out, then cracked beers together and everyone in Andrew’s life was back where they should be. Andrew was almost overwhelmed with love.
The day was perfect, warm with a cool breeze, the sky cerulean and the water rippling with little waves tipped in silver. Everything was so normal Andrew almost forgot his plan. They cooked lunch, ate it, drank, and joked and blew off steam.
Brian joined them for a game of touch footy but limped off early, pretending he’d pulled a muscle. Elle quickly joined him and they shouted advice from the sidelines. Andrew and Troy were soundly beaten by James and Carly and Elle announced it was time for cheesecake.
“Thanks for coming today,” Elle said as she handed out big slices of baked mango cheesecake. “We really needed this. Just us.” She smiled at Brian and Andrew. “All of us. Next weekend are the bachelor and bachelorette parties. Weekend after, wedding.” She sang the last word, much more relaxed than she had been. “I love you all and couldn’t imagine doing this without any of you.”
Andrew stood up and gave her a hug and a kiss on her temple. “We’re here for you, Ella Bella. Nothing will keep us away.”
“Hear, hear,” Brian said, joined by everyone else on the second “hear.”
“Sit down,” Andrew whispered to Elle and she did, frowning as he remained standing.
This was it. Tell them. They would accept him. If they didn’t, he had Brian, and he found nothing but support in those big blue-green eyes. Bolstered, he spoke.
“I, ah, have something to say.”
Everyone looked up from their dessert and his stomach flipped flopped. These were his people, they loved him.
“This is something I’ve known for a while. Quite a while, and I don’t want it to be a secret anymore.”
Troy’s eyes widened and he glanced, almost guiltily, at Brian, then back at Andrew. Everyone else had various curious and expectant expressions.
Andrew sucked in a deep breath. “I’m bisexual.”
Nothing, nothing, nothing. Then Elle was up and hugging him. Troy crash tackled them, wrapping his tattooed arms around both of them, grinning from ear to ear. Then Carly wormed her way in and suddenly Andrew was crying. He didn’t know how it started but his cheeks were wet and he was tipping over under the weight of his friends piling on. Then he was laughing and trying to breathe and pleading to be let up. Bodies got off him and hands helped him up.
“Thank you for telling us,” Carly said. “I’m so happy you felt you could.”
“It was easy in the end,” he admitted. “Tough deciding to do it, but easy when I knew I could trust you all.” He gaze made the rounds of smiling facing, until he found James, who was still seated, frowning into his cheesecake.
Before Andrew could say anything, James shook his head, stood and came to give Andrew a full embrace, not just a bro-hug.
“Happy for you, mate,” he said quietly. “Glad you felt you could tell us.” He squeezed, then stepped back, giving him another pat on the back.
“Brian? You knew?” Troy asked him.
“I told him a while ago,” Andrew answered. “Sorry, guys, but he is my . . . my best mate.”
“Nothing will ever change that.” Brian smiled at him.
“Oh my god, this is all so sweet I need something savoury,” Troy announced and tucked into his cheesecake, grinning around a mouthful.
“So,” Carly asked Andrew, “what do you like in a man?”
Brian snorted and Andrew threw him a withering look.
“Well?” Troy nudged him. “Tell us. Is he maybe buff and has cool hair and does jet-ski stunts?”
“Yes,” Andrew said dryly. “It’s James.”
James blinked, then chuckled and blew him a kiss.
“But seriously,” Carly said, “do you have anyone at the moment? Someone you could introduce to us now? We’ll be nice and gag Troy.” Her twin protested sulkily.
Andrew hesitated and, yeah, pretty much gave himself away.
“You do!” Troy cupped his chin in his hand and looked dreamy. “Tell us all about him, Andrew.”
“Or her,” Elle said pointedly. She batted her lashes at Andrew. “Please tell us. Please.”
Everyone took up the chorus, even Brian, who smirked the entire time.
“All right, all right.” Andrew held up his hands for silence. When he got it, he said, “There is someone. I’ve . . . liked them for a long, long time. But only when they’re ready will I tell anyone who they are.”
Across the table, Elle pressed a hand to her mouth, eyes shining with unshed tears. James threw an arm over her shoulders and kissed her temple. Her gaze flickered very briefly to Brian and Andrew’s heart clenched. She wouldn’t out Brian, especially not after the mess the other week.