Alien in the House

Airborne, would love to be involved.”
    “I don’t know that I’d go with the term ‘love’ for any of this,” Chuckie said dryly. “But I suppose they’re options. But none of them are best man material.”
    “Seriously, I’m in the room,” Jeff said, now adding annoyed onto the hurt in his tone. “I think, after all we’ve been through together, I count in the friend department.”
    Chuckie put his poker face on, but I knew him well, and I could tell he was shocked by this. I couldn’t blame him. “Dude, I realize the Martini-Reynolds Bromance only officially started during Operation Destruction, but Jeff’s right. You have more friends than you realize.”
    “You want Goodman as your best man, don’t you?” Jeff asked, and I could hear disappointment, hidden, but there.
    Chuckie shook his head. “Based on the political reactions to everything we want to do, I’m worried that if I ask Cliff to be involved in any way that I’ll then be forced to have other politicians involved. Standing up with Cliff is one thing. Having some of my worst enemies in my wedding party is another.”
    “What does Cliff think about that?”
    “He’s disappointed, but he’s clear on all the myriad political ramifications.”
    Jeff cocked his head. “Then it’s decided. You’ll have American Centaurion and Centaurion Division personnel with you. You know, the ones you can trust, even when they don’t like you right away. Right, Kitty?”
    “Um . . .” I had no idea why Jeff was tossing this one to me.
    “I mean, it would make sense for someone high up in Centaurion to be the best man. And since we can’t ask Alexander to come over from Alpha Four, one of us here will have to do.” Jeff had what I’d come to think of as his Happy Diplomat smile going strong.
    “Um . . .”
    “And, since the world is watching, perhaps one of the highest ranking A-Cs would be the right choice, right, baby?” Jeff was clearly trying to lead the witness, but I was clueless as to where he was going with this.
    Chuckie started to laugh. “Wow. I never thought I’d live to see the day. But, yeah, Jeff, if you’d be willing and it’s not against some A-C custom, it’d be great if you’d be my best man.”
    “Now see?” Jeff asked, clearly pleased beyond belief. “Was that so hard?”
    It was rare when I was rendered speechless, but, as with the Ballroom being turned into Planet Pink, this had managed it. Speechless twice in one day. Had to be a record.
    “Kitty, you okay with that?” Chuckie asked me.
    Managed to recover. “I’m still in shock and wondering when the calm, pod-people parasites landed on the two of you, but I’m happy with the outcome. So, yes, absolutely, great choice.”
    “Good. Of course, tomorrow, this could all change,” Chuckie reminded us as we left the room, heading back toward the front door.
    “No worries. We’ll just call it Musical Wedding Chairs until the actual minute the ceremony starts.”
    “Oh,” Reader said as he and the others came up from the basement level. “You’re talking about the wedding party situation. Yeah, it’s a nightmare. Paul won’t even discuss it with me, he’s so frustrated.”
    Chuckie shrugged. “It is what it is.”
    “It’s keeping people calm and focused on positives,” Cliff said. “So, all the pain will be worth it.”
    “If, you know, anyone ever lets Chuckie and Naomi actually tie the knot and consummate the marriage. Jeff, you and Chuckie get to join everyone else on the rest of the tour. I’m going to get Jamie taken care of.”
    Jeff looked like he was going to argue. Pierre cleared his throat. “We
are
looking to ensure all’s in readiness for the event tonight.”
    Jeff sighed and nodded. “Good point. If I’m not upstairs by then, call me when it’s time for her to leave for the sitter, baby.”
    I leaned up and kissed his cheek. “You got it.”
    The men headed off into the kitchen. I was about to head upstairs when there was a knock at the front door. Pierre was busy and I was right here, so saw no need to keep whoever waiting. Besides, it might be the UPS man—he’d been delivering a lot of packages, most of them for Jamie, and we were all on a first name basis with him by now. And because the doorbell was the loudest on Embassy Row, out of kindness to us and their own eardrums, our delivery folks tended to knock first and only ring the bell if the door didn’t get answered right away.
    Sure enough, a