Bachelor Party

The limo ride was short, and before we knew it, we were pulling up to the quaint restaurant I always loved visiting when I was home. We all climbed out of the car and headed inside for dinner.

Conner and Noah knew how much I adored this place and made it a point to dine here whenever possible. The food was simply the best I’d ever had.

The hostess led us to a secluded table, away from the other patrons, so we could enjoy our conversation without any interruptions.

A waiter approached, and my dad ordered two bottles of wine. One was a Barolo, a rich red, and the other was a Fiano di Avellino, a golden-hued white.

“I thought we should sample some of the country’s finest wines,” he explained.

My dad raised his glass of red wine first. “Here’s to my son, who’s not only achieved his dream of being a successful boss but also found the love of his life to share it with.

“I couldn’t be prouder of you, son. May life continue to bless you and grant you all your heart’s desires.”

We all raised our glasses, clinking them together and savoring the exquisite wine. Our food arrived shortly after. Conner had placed the order before we got there.

He’d asked everyone else what they wanted, but he knew me so well he didn’t need to ask. The waiter placed a succulent steak and lobster in front of me, steam wafting up and disappearing into the air.

We all dug into our meals, chatting about everyday life, the upcoming wedding, and the future with my soon-to-be-born son. Dad mentioned he’d be retiring in about five years.

Shay seemed to be settling in nicely, so I was hopeful she’d be okay with moving here when the time came.

I’d offered her parents the option to move here too, either living with us in the castle or in a house of their choosing.

They’d already started looking at houses near the castle and had found one they loved just last night. My dad beat me to the punch and bought it for them.

Our parents had hit it off incredibly well over the past couple of days, acting like they’d been friends for years. It made me so happy. My mom adored Shay’s mom, and my dad had been spending all his time with her dad.

Once we finished eating, Dad took care of the bill. As we left, I had no idea what the next stop on this adventure would be. We walked in pairs, Forest and I leading the way, followed by Conner and Noah, and our dads bringing up the rear.

A group of women at a nearby table swooned over us. We were casually dressed in jeans, T-shirts, and sneakers, but our confident postures commanded attention.

“Now that we’re all fueled up, let’s get to the fun part,” Noah announced, rubbing his hands together as we piled back into the car.

We arrived at La Citta’ Della Domenica, an amusement park. A group of men were waiting for us at the entrance.

“Your dad rented out the entire park for us for the next three hours,” Connor informed us. “We were going to do it, but he insisted.”

Noah pointed to one of the roller coasters. “Remember when we used to come here as kids?”

I laughed, touched by their thoughtfulness. My parents used to bring us here all the time, watching us enjoy the rides for hours on end.

When we got older, they’d drop us off to explore the park with bodyguards while they went shopping for Mom.

“Are you going to ride with us, Dad?” I asked.

“Absolutely! I didn’t want to leave your mom alone when you guys were kids. She wasn’t a fan of the big rides but always joined you on the smaller ones. She never did like heights much.”

We entered the park, the massive iron gates closing behind us.

“All the rides have been checked for you, and we have a team that will follow you around to operate anything you want to ride,” the manager explained, gesturing to a group of about fifteen. “They just need a few minutes to get everything ready.”

“Let’s get this party started!” Conner cheered, pumping his fist in the air as we headed to the first ride.

The staff signaled that they were ready, and as night fell, the park lit up. We spent the next three hours riding everything.

The staff also provided us with drinks as we moved from one ride to the next. I invited the bodyguards to join us if they wanted to. Most of them did, but a few opted out of the bigger coasters.

When it was time to leave, the manager handed each of us a bag full of park merchandise. The staff took our picture and printed out six large eleven-by-eighteen copies for us to hang at home.

The manager escorted us out, shaking each of our hands and thanking us for coming.

“Where to next?” I asked.

“We have one more stop before we head home,” Noah replied. “It’s only eleven, so we still have a couple of hours to enjoy the night.” He leaned back in his seat as the car sped off to our final destination.

We pulled up to one of my clubs, which we hadn’t had a chance to visit yet. Connor and Noah led the way, followed by Forest and me, and then our dads.

We headed to my private room to watch the floor for a bit, enjoying a few drinks, before heading down to the VIP area to dance.

By the time we got back to the castle, we were all exhausted. The castle was mostly dark, so the ladies must not have been back yet. We headed inside to wait for their return.