It’s the third wedding they’ve played.

Third.  Three.  One two three.  Looking out over the happy crowd, he can’t help but think that he did that, the music did that.  Everyone knows that the dancing is what matters at a wedding.  First dance.  Last dance.  Dances…in the middle. 

Stacey looks kind of proud as she sits in the corner talking to Toby’s date that-might-also-be-a-prostitute.  It feels good, and he twirls his drumsticks as he catches her eye.  Three.  Stacey is the third girl he’s asked to marry him.  One two three yes.  They’ve set the wedding date three times.  She’s changed her mind three times. 

But she hasn’t changed her original answer to no yet, so he’s doing pretty good.

He’s on a roll, but Dave has been complaining about his fingers hurting for the past two songs, so he announces that they’re taking a break.  Taking five.  It’s their third break, actually, and as he eases from behind his drum set he decides it’s time for his ritual.  Ignoring Stacey’s glare from across the room, he grabs his jacket and walks outside, bypassing Dwight with a high five on his way out. 

It’s cold, and he lifts his hat, feeling the air hit his head, cooling it immediately.  Pushing the hat back down, he slides around the wall and settles behind some bushes, pulling the bag from out of his pocket.

Just in case.  If Stacey finds him out here, he’s toast.  She told him he couldn’t bring any snacks.  She just doesn’t understand.  M&Ms are not “snacks”.  They are an important part of band life.  When he told her how important they were to the gig, she just looked through him and closed the car door. 

She knows that he keeps extra bags in his glove compartment.  They’ve been together for three years.  She just doesn’t understand.

Ripping the corner off, he shakes a couple into his hand and thinks for a moment, shifting against the wall and pushing a branch away from his arm.

There are three ways he eats M&Ms:

Pour as many as he can into his mouth and try to play catch up, swallowing without really tasting.  He mainly does that when he’s bored or wants to make Angela mad.  Or, more mad than she already is. 

Take a manageable handful and chew; relish the crunch of the candy shell against his teeth and the thick taste of chocolate sweeping over his tongue.  It’s the normal way.  Pop them in, swallow them down, and repeat until gone.  It’s the best way to watch football. 

The third way isn’t one he does very often, because it takes time, but that is what he does now, putting a couple in his mouth and letting them melt, until the sugar and everything dissolves.  Everything melts eventually, and then it all tastes the same.

It’s the way to eat M&Ms when you want to think.

“Hey, Kev.” 

It’s hard to think when someone else is there, stopping you from thinking.

“Jim.”

“Is there a reason that you’re hiding in the bushes?”

He holds up the bag. “Stacey.”

“She’s against M&Ms?”

“She’s against the band.”

“Oh.  Right.”  Jim shoves his hands in his pockets, looking at the ground. “Mind if I join you?  I…needed a break.”

“Sure.”  He steps to the side, letting Jim settle next to him.

“Wow.  We’re really in the bushes.”

“They’ll never find us.”

“I don’t know Kev; I found you.”

“Oh, shoot.”

Jim laughs. “It’s okay, I always look around every corner in case Dwight’s there.”

“Oh, right.”  He looks over at Jim, who has his head leaned back against the wall, eyes closed.

“You look like you need an M&M, my friend.”  He holds out the bag.

“Maybe I do.”  Jim takes a couple and places them in his mouth. 

Kevin can tell he’s not chewing. “You’re thinking about something, Jim, I can tell.”

“You are a wise man, Kevin.”

“Is it Karen?  Because she is hot.” 

“Something like that.”

“Do you know if she’s like, really busy on Thursdays?  We have band practice then.”

“You want to be upstaged?  I thought that song was a one time thing.”

“With someone as hot as her fronting the band, we could play anywhere.”

“You’ll have to ask her if she would be interested.”

“Trouble in paradise, huh?”

“No.”  Jim shifts, pressing his shoulder against Kevin’s.  “Things are going good with Karen.”

“Oh, man.  It’s Pam again, isn’t it?  She’s still totally hot.”

“Kevin, I-“

“I still have your back against Roy.”

“Wow.”

“Except, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, he has been working out or something.”

“Has he?”

“He has.  And he looked serious when he paid me to play their song.”

Jim looks over at him again, and Kevin feels like he may have said too much.  Or not enough. 

“He did what?”

“Yeah. $20.”

“Anything for money, right?”

“If I had known that you were still…” He holds up the bag to Jim again.  “M&M?”

“Not right now, Kev.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay.”  Jim shrugs, “I should have guessed.  She left with him.”

“Wait, Pam left with Roy?”

“Yep.”

“I miss all the good stuff!”

“Uh-huh”

“I mean, does this mean you are going to try to get with Pam now?  What about Karen?  Two hot girls.  Jim…”

Jim’s shaking his head, mouth set in a firm line. “No.  I’m with Karen.  It’s…going to work with Karen.  If Pam wants to be with Roy again, I can’t stop her.”

Kevin can’t think of anything to say, so he hands the bag to Jim.  They stand there and let the sugar dissolve as everything melts around them.

“Stacey wasn’t my first choice, either.”

Jim takes a moment to answer. “Oh?”

“Nope.  She’s my third.”

“Third time’s a charm.”

“I’m hoping.  I’m not sure what they say about fourth time, but it can’t be good.”

“It’ll work out for you.”

“You too.”

“You think?”

“Yeah.”

“How do you know?”

“Well, my second choice was the one I really wanted to say yes.”

Jim claps a hand on his shoulder. “It’s never the right ones that say yes, huh?”

Kevin shrugs. “I guess all that matters is that someone says it.”

“Maybe.”

“What if this is the way it’s supposed to be?  This could work out well.  For both of us.”

“I wish I could believe that, I really do.”

“Maybe soon?”

“Sure.  Soon.”  Jim straightens, causing the bush to move, a branch snapping somewhere in the darkness. “I should get back inside, Karen’s probably wondering where I am.”

“Hey, Jim?”

“Yeah?”

“Take this.”  He holds out a crumpled bill, pushes it into Jim’s half closed fist.  “Buy something for Karen with it.”  He snorts, trying to hold in his laughter.

“Is this what I think it is?”

“Phyllis is paying us anyway, we don’t need the extra $20.”

Jim stands there for a moment, staring at him.  Stepping forward, he grabs Kevin’s shoulders and pulls him in, wrapping his arms around him.  Awkwardly, Kevin pats Jim’s back, scraping his knuckle against the wall in the process. 

“Uhhh…It’s okay Jim.  Don’t cry.  Or, you can cry, if you want.”

He can feel the rumble of Jim’s laughter move through him.

“I’m not crying.”  His voice is right by Kevin’s ear, and as he pulls away, he kisses him, right next to his mouth.  It’s quick, and before he can back away Jim is already sliding out from behind the bushes, calling out over his shoulder, “I’ll mention that band thing to Karen.”

Looking at his watch, he decides that he can make his break a little longer.  He rearranges himself behind the bush, making sure he’s well hidden.  Unclenching his first from around the bag in his hand, he pops a couple M&Ms in his mouth and leans back against the wall.