Two men were writing out invitations. One man’s penmanship was beautiful and old-fashioned, with loops and lines. The other man wrote in calligraphy, using a flat-nibbed fountain pen. “So, Mal, I got this card here…”
Mal looked up from writing the invitations to watch Knight fish out a business card from his wallet. “This guy knows a guy who knows a guy who c’n get Five Finger Death Punch for ‘r wedding.”
Mal narrowed his eyes. “No.”
“They know Stairway to Heaven. On guitar.”
“I said, no.”
“D’y’ even know who Five Finger Death Punch is?”
“I said, NO.”
“Oh, what the fuck, Mal! What the fuck’re we gonna have, a goddamn orchestra?”
“It’s going to seem that way.” Mal turned from the invitations and went into a rolling single-drawer filing cabinet that he had beside him. Anything having to do with the wedding was in this file drawer. Knight went to look inside it once and Mal almost tore off his head.
Mal took out a piece of paper.
Musical arrangements
Entry of guests: Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring
Entry of the couple: Here Comes the Bride
First Dance: Edelweiss (Waltz)
“Waltz? A fuckin’ waltz? I don’ know how to waltz!”
“I’ll lead.”
Knight narrowed his eyes this time. “Y’re gonna teach me how to waltz.”
Mal looked at the invitations, mostly done, but they deserved a break. “All right, come on.” He got up, and they went to a section of the apartment that had a clean space, about four yards in a square. Mal took a position, holding one arm crooked from his side, the other arm up. “Step into here.”
Knight took the same position, and Mal grasped his hand with the one up, and put his arm around Knight’s waist. “I’ll guide you. Waltzes are in three steps, two little ones, and one big one that moves you across the floor. Relax.”
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to relax. “Ready.”
“We’re going to your right, ready? We lead with this arm,” he wiggled the arm in the air. “One.” He took a small step to the right. “Two.” He took another step, and Knight followed, trying not to step on Mal’s foot. “Three–” he took a larger step and Knight followed, looking down between them.
“Don’t look down. You step on my foot, I won’t break and I won’t let you fall.” He pulled on Knight with his arm around his waist. “Again?” Knight nodded. “One, two, THREE.” Knight didn’t look down. He didn’t step on Mal’s foot, either.
“Again. One, two, THREE. One, two, three. One, two, three. Good! One-two, three. One-two, three.”
“How do I do this with music?”
Mal smiled, and stepped away. “Hold that pose.”
He went and put it on via You Tube. “This version’s slower than what I want, but we can still dance to it. Ready?” He ran back to Knight, and waited for the right moment. “This starts ONE, two-three.” He moved, and Knight followed gracefully. The two twirled around the bit of dance floor, with Knight looking into Mal’s eyes, and the two getting lost in the music. Then it stopped, and Knight didn’t even realize that the song had finished.
He kissed Mal, a gentle, caring kiss. “Let’s do’t again.”