How to Survive a Wedding Read online

  

  How to Survive a Wedding

  Justin Yang is home for Josephine's, his best friend, wedding. He's her man of honor, and he has tasks to fulfill. He's busy and frustrated at times, but he doesn't mind. He enjoys helping her out. He's more stressed out by Grayson Coleman and Mario Carvallo.

  Grayson is still in love with Justin, the one that got away all those years ago. It's all his fault. He was deep inside the closet back then. He was the one who ended their relationship. Now, he wants Justin back, but his ex-boyfriend has already moved on with someone new.

  Mario bumps into Justin at a grocery store of all places. It's an instant attraction on his part, and maybe Justin's, too. Unfortunately, Justin's ex-boyfriend is also trying to win Justin back. Mario isn't going to step aside. He will win Justin's heart and affection.

  Will the three men find a way to work things out? Or will they simply crash and burn?

  Genres: Alternative (M/M, Gay), Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre

  Length: 38,142

  HOW TO SURVIVE A WEDDING

  Casper Graham

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  How to Survive a Wedding

  Copyright © 2019 by Casper Graham

  ISBN: 978-1-64243-640-2

  First Publication: February 2019

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  All art and logo copyright © 2019 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book or print book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at [email protected]

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  DEDICATION

  Thank you, DRS, for everything. I love you, appreciate you, and enjoy you. We’ve gone through so many hurdles, worries, and heartaches in 2018, but we’re still going strong. Our dream is one step closer. Keep the faith!

  A massive thank you to all the readers for all the support and love. So grateful for those of you who are still here after more than two years since I started on this writing journey. You’re awesome!

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Casper writes because it’s a passion. He writes because he has stories to share with the world. He writes because he needs a creative outlet.

  Sometimes, his head is filled with so many competing ideas/thoughts all at once that he simply has to put them all into words. He always has his smartphone with him, including shower time, because the muse hits him at unexpected moments and he doesn’t want to lose the ideas later.

  He has been dating a wonderfully supportive and loving man since January 2013—someone who is willing to accept his shortcomings, someone who is willing to tolerate his idiosyncrasies. The journey has been long and difficult, but they have their good moments. Casper’s lover has a love/hate relationship with the fact that he sometimes includes a part of their stories, but he enjoys writing "them" into the stories anyway.

  He hopes readers will all join him in his writing journey and get a glimpse into his life through his stories.

  For all titles by Casper Graham, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/casper-graham

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  HOW TO SURVIVE A WEDDING

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  HOW TO SURVIVE A WEDDING

  CASPER GRAHAM

  Copyright © 2019

  Chapter 1

  “…all right, guys. Thank you so much for watching,” Justin Yang said while beaming at the video camera. “Give this video a thumbs-up if you like it, and don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t already. Turn on the notification button. That way, you won’t ever miss a video from yours truly. Also, the links to all my social media profiles are in the description of this video. Follow me everywhere. I post plenty of photographs and other content on all of them at least three times a week. You can check out my website if you want more details on some of the things I talk about in all of my videos. Have a wonderful day, and I’ll see you next week. I love you all so much, and I appreciate you. Bye now.”

  Justin gave his signature wink and a lopsided grin at the camera before switching it off. Then he got up off the chair he had been sitting on for the past thirty minutes or so while he recorded the video that he would have to edit and upload in a matter of hours. It was nearly two o’clock in the afternoon, and he was in his brand-new, two-story penthouse in downtown San Francisco, California, even though it was a Monday because he didn’t have a normal nine-to-five job like most people did. Instead, he was one the most successful content creators of the past five years, earning between ten and fifteen million dollars annually from advertisement revenue, sponsorship deals, a high percentage off the member-subscription fees, speaking engagements at conventions and other events, free products and vouchers from various companies in exchange for his honest reviews of their products, and a few other things along the way.

  He had started out doing simple “how to…” videos at the tender age of sixteen when he was still in high school and living in his parents’ house in San Jose. What had begun as a fun, experimental thing to do in high school and all the way through college was now his full-time career at the ripe old age of twenty-five. After saving up all his earnings, he had purchased the penthouse the previous year. Then he had moved into his penthouse less than four months ago, sometime in the beginning of January, so he was still getting used to the twenty-three-thousand-square feet of living space, which included a rectangular-shaped terrace that provided him with three-hundred-and-sixty-degree views of the bay, twenty-foot ceilings, a large kitchen, five bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, a living room, and a dining area.

  On the terrace itself, he had a swimming pool installed, and there were two other buildings on either side of it. One contained his fully equipped, private gym while the other was a garage that could house three cars with ease. There was a special elevator at the back of the building that permitted him to drive his car into it, and it would ascend all the way up from the first floor right into his private garage. The building only had fifty other apartments below his penthouse, but he didn’t have to worry about waiting for and sharing elevators with any of the other residents. After all, there was one private elevator from the lobby all the way up to either the residential swimming pool and gym on the second floor or the first level of his penthouse. Not that he ever bothered with any of the amenities on the second floor. He treasured his privacy too much, and that was the main and most important reason for him to have his own swimming pool and gym.

  He stared at the unedited video and decided he needed a little break before tackling the task at hand. He made his way down to the lobby and headed straight toward the mail room. As per usual, his mailbox was fi
lled with a ton of useless junk and a few bills. Then he noticed the long-awaited letter from Josephine Lim, his childhood best friend who still lived in San Jose. The last time they met, it had been during Thanksgiving the previous year. He had been disappointed when Josephine informed him about missing out on their annual Christmas get-together because she had to spend the holiday with Sean Wong, her boyfriend at that time, and his family in Los Angeles. They chatted a lot, either on the phone, through text messages, or via video calls. He knew Sean had proposed to her on the first day of the new year, so he had been waiting for her to send him an invitation card. Not that he would ever miss Josephine’s wedding for anything in the world. She was the one who had insisted on sending him a formal wedding invitation card.

  “Good afternoon, Mr. Yang.”

  Justin raised his head and turned toward the receptionist desk before smiling at Frankie. Frankie was freshly out of college. Justin kept telling Frankie to simply address him by his first name, but the receptionist refused to do so.

  “Hey, Frank. Good afternoon. How are you?”

  “Can’t complain. Any plans for the evening?”

  Justin nodded. “Lots of editing to do. Are you almost done with your shift?”

  “Another hour to go.”

  “Cool. Wish I could stay and chat, but I have a deadline.”

  Frank grinned at Justin. “All right then. I’ll catch you another time. Have a wonderful rest of your day.”

  “You, too. Later.”

  Frankie waved at Justin, who returned it before walking toward the elevator. Once he entered, he leaned against one of the walls and pressed the button for the penthouse. It rose up steadily. He ignored the bills and chose to read Josephine and Sean’s wedding invitation first. It was a beautiful, rose-scented card, and it was naturally bright red in color, adhering to the Chinese tradition of using that particular color to symbolize auspiciousness for such a joyful event. The color of the words was gold, which was another traditional aspect. The card had the usual stuff, such as the time and venue for the wedding, which he was already aware of. Josephine was being extra by sending him the invitation card. He snickered under his breath as he tried to insert the card back into its envelope. That was the moment he noticed a folded piece of paper. He frowned in confusion as he pulled the paper out.

  Hey, Justy,

  Please, please, please don’t be mad at me. I’d been wondering how to talk to you about something really important, but I couldn’t find the right words. Hence, I’ve decided to write you this letter instead. I’m a chicken, okay? Anyway, I’m taking a really deep breath right now, and I want you to do the same thing.

  Okay! I’m ready now. Have you done it? Don’t be furious at me, and if you do, try not to stay angry for too long. I really don’t want to lose my best friend in the whole wide world. Anyway, here goes nothing.

  As I’m sure you know, Sean is best friends with Grayson…

  Justin had to stop reading for a few seconds. He exited from the elevator as he inhaled and exhaled deeply to regain control of himself. He wasn’t enraged. He was just slightly pissed off at Josephine because he had a horrible feeling about what would be coming up next. Grayson Coleman was a gorgeous blue-eyed blond, and Justin had been flattered when the man, who was two years older than him, had asked him out on a date five years ago. The two of them had dated for slightly more than a year. Everything had been going great. Or so he had assumed. Then Grayson had informed him about that one tiny fact about him still hiding in the proverbial closet right before breaking up with him and then proceeding to fuck as many women as possible. Justin had been blindsided and more than a little heartbroken. It had taken him a while to move on from that relationship, which happened to be his first romantic relationship. That was one of the reasons why he had moved to San Francisco all those years ago. He sighed and continued to read the remainder of the letter.

  …Sean is best friends with Grayson. Grayson will be Sean’s best man at the wedding, and you will be my man of honor. No backing out now. You’d agreed to it back in January.

  Anyway, my and Sean’s wedding may be on the first day of June, and our wedding isn’t complicated at all, but we have so many things to do still. I’m wondering if you can come back to San Jose as soon as possible to help me out.

  I’ll be waiting to hear from you.

  Love,

  Josie

  P.S.: Don’t be mad at me, please!

  P.P.S.: By the way, I’m sorry I have yet to visit you at your new penthouse. Everything has been crazy hectic lately.

  Justin folded the letter and made his way toward one of the outdoor couches on the terrace. He should be editing his latest video, but he was no longer in the mood. He required a little bit of time to digest the content of Josephine’s letter. Not that there was much to ponder about. He wouldn’t change his mind about being Josephine’s man of honor. The only thing he was uncertain about was how he was supposed to work together with Grayson. Granted, the two of them would have different duties, but they would be in close proximity most of the time. Or at least fifty percent of the time. That was inevitable.

  Regardless, he wouldn’t miss Josephine’s wedding. That wasn’t up for discussion. Josephine was his childhood best friend. They were as close as siblings. In fact, he got along better with Josephine than he did with Jonathan and Jonas, his older brothers. He stared out in the distance for a moment longer before tugging his smartphone out from the pocket of his jeans and typing out a short text message to Josephine.

  I’ll be there by the end of the month.

  The response from Josephine came a few minutes later.

  Thanks, Justy. You’re the best!

  I hate you.

  LOL. Liar. I love you, too.

  Justin put his phone away and made his way into his home office on the first level of the penthouse. It used to be one of the bedrooms, but he had converted it into an office. Ever since he moved into the penthouse, most of his recent videos were actually recorded in his office. However, there were times when he chose to do that either by the pool or in the living room. It really depended on his mood.

  For the next couple of hours, he was glued to his chair behind the massive and sturdy oakwood desk, cutting out scenes and adding things to the video. Once he was done, he uploaded it. He snorted under his breath as he added the title. It was a video on how to get over a failed relationship. He was proud of the video because he had done plenty of reading and research on the topic before talking about the subject. However, the irony wasn’t lost on him. He should probably take his own advice because, judging by the slight pang of hurt that coursed through his entire being at the moment, he wasn’t over Grayson yet. At least not completely.

  * * * *

  Grayson sighed as he made his way inside his rented, one-bedroom apartment. As a firefighter in San Jose, he made a decent income. Granted, he wouldn’t mind making a little bit more, but he loved his job, and he wouldn’t trade that satisfaction with anything else. He hung his keys on the hook right next to the door before heading toward the bathroom. It was located right next to his bedroom, but he was glad it had a shelf on the wall next to the shower stall where he could stash his towels. He didn’t want to enter the bedroom before he could wash away the grime and sweat of his twenty-four-hour shift.

  He could have cleaned up at the station before returning to his apartment. However, he was in a hurry to leave. As much as he loved his job, the single bed at the station wasn’t the most comfortable to sleep on. He might not be the tallest man or the one with the bulkiest, most muscular build in the entire world, but at six feet tall and weighing two hundred pounds, he still found it difficult to squeeze himself into the small bunk bed. He missed the enormous bed in his apartment. It was the only luxurious item he allowed himself. Everywhere else in his apartment was sparsely decorated. He didn’t need much anyway. He had just finished showering when he received a text message from Sean.

  Hey, G. Dinner at seven tonight? br />
  Grayson checked the time and groaned when he discovered it was almost half past four in the afternoon. He couldn’t miss dinner, though. Sean would be getting married to Josephine soon, and as his best friend and best man, Grayson had an obligation to make sure the wedding would run as smoothly as possible.

  Sure, man. The usual burger and fries?

  Absolutely. Later, dude.

  Later.

  After that, Grayson put his phone away and strode into his bedroom before toppling face-down gracelessly onto his bed. He certainly didn’t expect to fall asleep immediately. The next time he opened his eyes, it was already rather dark outside. He was taken aback when he noted the time on his smartphone and realized he had less than twenty minutes to make it to dinner with Sean. He rushed into the bathroom, rinsing his mouth with the mouthwash and splashing his face with plenty of water. Then he grabbed his wallet, smartphone, and keys before dashing out from his apartment. He was in such a hurry, he almost bent his key when he attempted to lock the door behind him.

  By the time he reached the diner, it was one minute before seven o’clock. Sean was already seated at one of the tables. Grayson walked toward Sean and pulled the man into a tight, brief hug before plopping down onto the chair across the table from his best friend. He was a little sweaty and breathless now, but he was on time. He wasn’t a stickler for punctuality, but he did his best not to be tardy. It was a terrible habit to get into, and he didn’t want to be late if he could help it. Sean snickered at him as he browsed through the menu.

  “You okay, dude?”

  Grayson glanced up briefly at Sean. “Yeah. Have you ordered?”