Husband With Benefits

The air was thick with anticipation as Demetri stood at the end of the aisle, his heart pounding. For the first time in his life, he was nervous, though he had no idea why. His eyes kept going to the closed doors, wondering how long it would be till he would be able to see her walking towards him. Only then would his heart calm down.

Behind Demetri, his groomsmen—Ian, Erasmi, Seb, Lucien, and Gabe—huddled together, engaged in a spirited discussion. Their topic of choice: contingency plans for his potential escape or, more humorously, what they’d do if Nora decided to make a break for it. Demetri fought the urge to roll his eyes at their antics. As if Nora, would ever consider such a thing.

Impatiently he alternated glances between his watch and the church clock. Time seemed to stretch, each half-minute dragging on as if determined to savor every moment. Demetri couldn’t help but wonder if his mischievous brothers had tampered with the timepieces to intensify his anticipation. Before he could cast them a suspicious look, soft romantic music started to play and the doors slowly opened.

Dora was the first to appear, adorned in a charming pink gown. With infectious excitement, she waved eagerly at him, her enthusiasm almost causing her to fumble the basket of flowers she held. A swift blush painted her cheeks, but she recovered gracefully, offering a friendly wave to the cheering crowd. Without missing a beat, she proceeded down the aisle, dropping rose petals with each step.

The romantic melody swelled again, signaling the entrance of the next bridesmaid. Evana, radiant in a lavender gown, stepped into view. Her graceful strides matched the rhythm of the music, and she carried herself with an air of elegance. She gave a quick smile to Demetri before her gaze shot to Lucien, who was being elbowed by Ian as he stared at her with shining eyes, maybe imaging her as she walked down the aisle to him, she hoped.

Following Evana, Olivia emerged, draped in a stunning shade of azure. Her eyes met Demetri’s, and a warm smile passed between them before her gaze too, moved to the man behind Demetri. However, Seb wasn’t even looking at her, his gaze fixed somewhere behind her.

Finally, as Isabella emerged, Demetri sighed. The previous time, his Nora had a wedding, she’d had only one bridesmaid. And now there were so many of them... He should have simply replaced Antonio the last time instead of waiting all this while. They were already married so why did he have to be subjected through this torture.

However, he did not show his thoughts to Isabella, who had yet to look at him and was busy winking at Ian. And then she took her place.

Now it was time for his Nora to walk out... As his eyes remained glued to the door, Demetri of course had no idea of what was going on behind his back, where Ian had just winked to someone in the crowd.

As the doors slowly swung open, the audience collectively held its breath, eager to catch the first glimpse of the bride. The soft notes of the music guided the entrance, adding a touch of magic to the moment.

The crowd’s initial gasps turned into a mix of laughter and surprise, as two little dogs walked down the aisle eagerly, dancing down the aisle, yipping and yapping, as they made their way eagerly towards Demetri and then sitting at his feet, as if awaiting a treat.