***
Now it was time for Leif and Lynne to be the object of teasing that someone was inflicting. Not just in private between the two of them with hushed whispers.
"Now it's time for a little entertainment," said his brother Lyle.
Leif was shocked to see Matthew and Janelle come up to the stage. Janelle donned a long brown silky wig, an exaggerated version of one of the hairstyles Lynne wore with her natural hair, while Matthew donned a blonde dreadlock wig with a built in dreadlock cap.
"You fucker!" said Leif with a shocked chuckle, in Matthew's earshot, and Matthew promised-
"Just wait'll you see this skit,"
"Oh god, what are they going to do? Hell no, that doesn't look like me, does it," cried Lynne chuckling with wide eyes behind her hands.
It didn't take Leif long to figure out that they were doing a roast of he and Lynne.
They reenacted parts of their courtship in pantomime.
Leif watching Lynne onstage.
Lynne brushing off Leif after the set.
Sipping coffee and playing footsies.
Horsing around playing videogames.
Matthew tried to kiss Janelle several times in imitation of Leif trying to kiss Lynne while Janelle backed away shyly.
Finally, a fake kiss, Janelle made sure it was fake by backing up slightly.
Everyone giggled. Finally he chased her around in hot pursuit to offer her an engagement ring.
Everyone chucked while Janelle pretending to be Lynne rubbed her eyelids with her thumbs as though she was crying.
Everyone howled with laughter.
Matthew made a few remarks.
"Since we've watched this whole romance play out, and we are their best friends, we thought there was no one better to put on this little skit. One thing we forgot though, the wedding," said Matthew.
He playfully grabbed Janelle and innocently pecked her on the lips.
Leif chuckled uproariously. Ever since Lynne and her girls and put on that wet t-shirt contest, he could tell that Matthew thought Janelle was physically hot, but he also knew that Matthew didn't like Janelle's bossy ways, her loud bossy spirit made her really difficult to love, at least for a guy like Matthew, it seemed.
And, true to form, Janelle backed up and wiped off her mouth.
"Damn it you, carrying shit too far! We didn't agree to that!" spat Janelle.
"Hey I know you didn't, but I'm taking my part seriously, I just want to make it realistic," said Matthew.
"Hey, I'm not Lynne, and you aren't going to Leif me, just club me over the head and carry me off into the sunset," huffed Janelle.
"Hey, we are sitting right here!" said Leif.
"I know right, and I resent that! Leif didn't club me and drag me off into the sunset. He clubbed me and I followed willingly," said Lynne with a smirk.
Everyone who could hear the four of them arguing started laughing.
"I did not club you, I shot you in the ass with a love dipped arrow, like cupid young lady, just for the record, and you came swooning right behind me, rubbing your ass, grinning at me, following me all around, and didn't know what hit you," said Leif playfully.
"A love dipped arrow, Leif, you are nuts Mr. Cupid," said his mother at the table next to them, chuckling hard.
Lynne and Janelle laughed and laughed, shrieking and giggling like hens.
His brother interrupted them-
"Give them all around of applause for that roast. And, get them off the stage before they get tackled by the newlyweds. Next up, we have a special surprise for Lynne, and it's from Leif," said Lyle.
Leif's palms were sweaty. He'd wanted to surprise Lynne. Couldn't believe he was going through with this shit. On paper it had seemed like such a good idea but now his throat felt chalky and his chest felt tight. His eyes got big and reflected an even deeper blue than usual.
"Leif, what's...what's wrong," murmured Lynne with that maternal way she got when his eyes went wide. She could tell he was nervous.
She rubbed and patted his back and it just made him even more determined.
"I...I...I gotta get you your surprise. Hell, it's the only way I can show you how I feel about you so you can understand it. Only way I can express what's in my heart. You've worked with me Lynney, got my confidence up so much, and every damn note I sing out there is for you little mama," he added dotingly caressing her cheek.
Lynne looked at him with a confused expression, exactly what he expected.
He softly pecked her lips, then turned, to get up on the stage. Matthew went behind a partition on stage and handed Leif the shiny, black, electric guitar that Lynne had given him and plugged it into the amp.
"Lynne gave me this for Christmas. I lost it, she got it back for me. But when I got it back I knew more than ever I'd be lost without her. I don't...those of you that know me, know how hard it is for me, to play guitar before a crowd. I just get nervous. And that's why I want my queen, my Lynney to come up here on stage with me, and sit right in front of me so I can look at her, as I play this song for her," he said, softly.
He'd barely gotten the words out of his mouth when Lynne picked up one of the folding chairs at the kid's table, which was empty, and brought it on stage before any of the ushers had a chance to get it for her.
His heart felt warm with wonder and amusement. She was sweet, tender, obedient to his loving wishes and lovely, and that was why he was making such an effort, something that was difficult for him, but he needed to express the depth of his love for her, and the only way he knew how to do it was his guitar.
Lynne sat down in front of him at an angle so the audience could still see him.
He needed to see Lynne's face though and was nervous with fifty five or actually one-hundred and ten eyeballs staring at him, so he placed both hands around her delicate waist and pulled her so that she was directly in front of him, the guitar and the mic stand, a vision of caramel loveliness with confused, overwhelmed exotic doe eyes staring back at him, hell yes, this was why he was doing it.
"I'm gonna...not just gonna play but I'm gonna sing. Sing a song that describes how I felt when I first looked at Lynne. Now, don't anybody laugh, I'm not the singer. Lynne is. But I wanna express how I feel. If you all laugh at me...I'll...I'll..."
"Nobody here will laugh at you my Leify. This is so damn beautiful. Anyone laughs I'll tear them limb for limb," said Lynne protectively.
His father quipped loudly
"Now this, I believe," and everyone laughed.
Their laughter at Lynne's maternal surge of pride and his father's certainty that she would indeed tear anyone who laughed to bits made Leif smile.
He started strumming his electric guitar, a disguised intro. He loved to do that for Lynne surprise her so that she had no idea what was coming, so she'd get that big, curious look in those pretty, doe almond shaped eyes.
"This isn't my composition baby, but it's a song that I love and describes how I felt when I first lay eyes on you darling, it's...the song is by Jeff Buckley. I know you know your music. Probably heard it before Lynney but not like this. Lynne your so beautiful to me, inside and out. When...when I first lay eyes on you, I was so aware, so many others would find you rare and true, and beautiful inside and out, and from the moment I saw you, I needed you to belong to me. And no matter what happens for the rest of your lives, you are mine, and I am yours, and I will protect you and love you to the ends of the earth. And you're free to be a woman with me sweetheart, all the woman that you are, and I won't never let nothing hurt you Lynney! So...this is for you my sweet, Jeff Buckely's, Everybody Here wants you...few of the words changed around to make it appropriate for how I feel about our love," murmured Leif.
