Grand Passion

“Where'd you learn to do this?”
    “Jason taught me.”
    Old memories swept through Max as he finished the bow and adjusted the points of Ben's collar. Twelve years ago he had been as dubious about the whole process of wearing a tux as Ben was today. Jason had tied the tie for him and had even had to show him how to wear the cuff links.
    There was something satisfying about handing on the manly art of dressing for a formal occasion to another young man who was just as rough and unsophisticated as he had once been, Max thought.
    “There, that does it. Let's take a look.” He stepped back to survey his work. “Perfect. You look like you've been wearing tuxes for years.”
    Ben studied himself in the mirror. A pleased expression gleamed in his eyes. He straightened his shoulders. “I look older or something, don't I?”
    “Cool,” Sammy proclaimed. “You look cool, Ben.”
    “Yeah, I do, don't I?” Ben tugged on the jacket of the tuxedo.
    “Just like Max,” Sammy said. He picked up Lucky Ducky and tucked the plastic duck under his arm.
    “So, I guess we're ready, huh?” Ben turned away from the mirror. There was a slight but definite swagger in his step.
    Sammy was instantly alarmed. “We can't go anywhere until O'Reilly gets here.”
    “We'll wait for O'Reilly,” Max assured him. “Go to the window and keep an eye out for him, Sammy.”
    “Okay.” Sammy raced for the window.
    Max looked at Ben. “There's one more thing we've got to take care of before we leave for Cosmic Harmony.” Max reached into the pocket of his jacket and drew out an airline ticket folder.
    “What's that?” Ben asked, momentarily distracted.
    “Your honeymoon trip.” Max opened the lapel of Ben's jacket and stuffed the ticket folder into the inside pocket. “You're going to Hawaii for a week. It's a gift from the family.”
    Ben's jaw dropped. “ Hawaii . I thought me and Trisha were going to Seattle.”
    “There's been a change in plans. You're driving to Seattle this afternoon, but instead of checking into a hotel downtown, you're going to the airport.” Max's mouth curved. “You'll stay the night at a hotel there. Your plane leaves at seven tomorrow morning.”
    “ Hawaii .” Ben looked dazed. “But we can't afford to go to Hawaii.”
    “Like I said, it's a gift from the family.” Max briefly checked his own reflection in the mirror and tweaked the bow of his tie. “Now pay attention, Ben. When you reach Honolulu, there will be a limo waiting. The driver will have a card that has your name on it.”
    “A limo. Holy shit. Trisha won't believe this.”
    “It's all been paid for in advance. You don't even tip the driver, got that?”
    “Yeah, sure. No tip.”
    “The limo will take you to the Curzon Paradise. It's right on the beach. You'll have one of the honeymoon suites.”
    “A honeymoon suite?” Ben was clearly over-whelmed. “But that must cost a bundle.”
    It did, Max reflected, but he had no intention of telling Ben that. “The manager of the hotel is a friend of mine,” he said easily. “He owes me a favor.” What he owed Max was his job, but that was not important. In any event, Max was paying full price for the suite. Now that he was no longer working for Curzon, he wanted no favors from the corporation. “You sign for everything, got that?”
    “Everything?”
    “The hotel bill, the meals you eat in the hotel, the snorkeling equipment, and the Hawaiian dress you're going to buy for Trisha. Everything.”
    “Damn, I can't hardly believe this,” Ben said. “Does Trisha know?”
    Max smiled and slowly shook his head. “No. You'll get to tell her all about it on the way to the airport this afternoon.”
    “She's gonna freak,” Ben said. “She's gonna be so happy.”
    “That's the whole point,” Max said.
    “Shit, Max. This is something else.” Ben stared at him. “I don't know how to thank you.”
    “I told you this was a gift from the family, not just me. And if you want to thank us you can do it by taking good care of Trisha and the baby.”
    “I will,” Ben vowed.
    “And by getting back here as soon as the honeymoon's over, so that you can rescue me from whatever home repair disaster I happen to be involved in at the time.”
    Ben grinned. “Don't worry, I'm not gonna abandon you to the plumbing. Hot damn, this is too much. Hawaii . Man, I hope I don't screw up at the airport or make a fool out of myself in that fancy hotel.”
    Max put a hand on his shoulder.