Guests crowded the back entrance to the church, forming a large line to congratulate the happy couple and then enter the reception hall. Jim and Pam were very gracious, and made sure to thank every guest they saw for being there. The cameras found them standing right outside the back doors, with Michael and the rest of their bridal party standing close by. As the cameras approached, the couple was being wished well by Andy and Angela.
“Mr. and Mrs. Big Tuna,” Andy grinned slyly. He wrapped his arms around both of them and engaged them in a three-person hug. They began to look slightly uncomfortable when the hug went on for longer than socially acceptable.
“Glad you could make it Andy,” Jim told him after he released them from his grasp. “And you too, Angela,” he added, acknowledging the small blonde woman lingering to Andy’s side who was closely watching Dwight stride into the reception hall.
“Thank you,” she turned back and responded politely before commenting, “Pam, I think you made a good decision picking ivory for your dress color. You could never pass in a pure white gown.”
Pam gave Angela an irritated glare before brushing off her remark and moving on, “Hi Phyllis, Bob. Glad you guys could come.”
“It was really beautiful,” Phyllis told her. “It reminded us of our wedding. Except, how did you get Michael to behave so well?”
Jim shrugged, “Never underestimate the power of the American legal system.”
xxx
The cameras went inside the reception hall to find Kevin and Stacy already sitting at a table with drinks in their hands. “This, is, awesome,” Kevin told the cameras as he ate some jellybeans off the table. The camera panned around the reception hall and found there were jellybeans everywhere. Instead of flowers, the centerpieces were vases of all different shapes and sizes, each filled with different color combinations of jellybeans. In addition, there were jellybeans sprinkled out on each table like confetti for guests to munch on. The cameras then panned over to Creed, who was at a table with small bags of jellybeans for guests to take home; he was stuffing three or four bags into his pockets. Then finally the camera rested on the table with the cake, which was decorated with bright, jellybean-inspired colors of frosting in a piped, swirling design. Next to it sat the large jar of jellybeans that guests were supposed to guess how many were in the jar. There were already several guests at the table, including Oscar and Gil, examining the jar and writing down their guesses on slips of paper.
xxx
Darryl and Kelly were some of the last to make it out of the church, Kelly still slightly crying and wiping her nose. She took one look at the newlyweds and began bawling, throwing her arms around Darryl. He held her up with one hand and shook Jim and Pam’s hands with the other. “Congrats, you guys. It was a real nice ceremony.”
“Thanks Darryl,” Jim said, silently motioning to Kelly.
“Aw, she’ll be alright. Watch: hey girl, you gonna mess up your makeup.”
Kelly immediately stood up and wiped away her tears frantically, “Oh no, is it all smeared?! I need a mirror—“ she then ran for the nearest bathroom, leaving Darryl to enter the reception hall by himself, unfazed by his girlfriend’s behaviors. The last in the line was Jan, who gave her best to the couple and then gave Michael a long embrace.
“What was that for?” he asked her, somewhat perplexed by her expressive affection.
She smiled at him, “Well you just did such a good job, and I was very impressed… And, I couldn’t help but think of you during the pastor’s lovely speeches.”
“Oh really?” he asked in a playful voice.
She blushed, “Yes…” and then she remembered the cameras and her expression turned austere, “But don’t get any ideas.” The bridal party was then approached by the photographer, who told them it was time for pictures, so Jan told Michael she’d see him inside the reception hall. They all filed back into the church and posed on the steps to the altar in several variations of groups. Michael looked very proud as he posed alongside Jim, and did obey when the photographer told him to get out of the picture.
xxx
“I am very pleased with myself,” Michael told the camera as he sat backwards in a pew, photos being taken at the altar in the background of the shot. “Even though they were reluctant, Jim and Pam let me be the best man, and now, I’m immortalized in their lives forever. I’ll be in the photos, and they’ll remember that I supplied them with their rings… and wait until they hear my speech! It is going to blow them away.” Michael failed miserably at hiding the coy smile on his face, and was then called back up to that altar for more pictures.
xxx
“Hello?” Jim answered his phone as he and Pam waited outside the reception hall to make their entrance. “Hey man, how’s my little niece doing?... Oh good!... Well I’m glad to hear it… Yeah the ceremony went really well.” He smiled at his bride and continued his conversation, “It sucks you couldn’t be here. You think you can make it to the reception at least?... Ah, well that’s understandable. Okay, well give her a hug for us. Okay, later.”
Pam looked at him with hopeful eyes, “How’s she doing?”
“Better. Her fever’s going down, but since she’s so small they’re keeping her overnight.”
“Probably for the best.”
“Yep.” He smiled lopsidedly at her, “Ready to make our grand entrance?”
She smirked back at him, “Absolutely I am.”
xxx
The bridal party took their seats at the head table in the reception hall and the lights dimmed for the couple’s grand entrance. The DJ flipped a switch and The Verve Pipe’s “Never Let You Down” blasted through the sound system. After the final lines of the opening chorus concluded with, “I'm getting to love the thought of having you around, and I will never let you down…” the DJ introduced the bride and groom and the newly-wedded couple made their entrance, somewhat embarrassed by all the attention.
xxx
“We were very careful picking out the songs for the reception,” Pam explained to the camera. “For our entrance music, we picked it because shortly after we started dating, we were driving in Jim’s car and this song came on the radio. We both hadn’t heard it in forever and we were both singing along and laughing… it’s a nice reminder of those early months in our relationship.”
xxx
The music faded out after the applause ended, and the DJ handed Jim a microphone. They took their seats at the head table facing their guests and he addressed them, “Okay, thank you all for being able to make it. I know it was a long way from the church—“ The guests chuckled and he continued, “We have a great meal waiting for us, full of our personal favorites, so let’s dig in, and we will catch up with you in a little bit.” Soon, waiters were bustling about serving the food to guests: the main dish consisted of smoked ham and gruyere cheese paninis served between two slices of ciabatta bread, and on the side one could find thin slices of potato seasoned with onion. The waiters also served small yogurt parfaits with an assortment of berries inside. Angela was served a panini without the smoked ham.
xxx
“Even at their wedding, they have ham and cheese sandwiches for dinner—“ Ryan jeered. “Those two really are creatures of habit… It’s a good thing they found each other.”
xxx
Throughout the meal, guests tapped on glasses to signal the couple to kiss, and after the first few times, Michael decided to take advantage of this tradition. He began banging on his glass at every opportunity he got, including while they were clearly in the middle of chewing.
“Come on, you know the drill! Let’s see it! Let’s see a kiss!” he teased as Jim swallowed the food in his mouth. He glared at Michael and then grabbed the knife from his hands.
“Glass tapping rights revoked,” he ordered sternly. Michael looked to Pam for understanding, but she simply shook her head in disappointment.
Michael sighed, “Alright. I went overboard a little with that. But I think you guys are going to enjoy my speech.” He snatched the microphone off the table and stood, “Hi everyone, I’m Michael Scott, the best man, and the happy couple’s boss, and I would like to take this opportunity to make a small toast…” The camera panned around to the guests, all of the Dunder Mifflin employees bracing themselves for a typical Michael Scott speech.
xxx
“With Michael as their best man, I’m surprised they’re not drinking more,” Meredith commented to the camera. “That’s how I was planning to get through the wedding… Stupid ushers.”
xxx
Stanley gave the camera an annoyed look, “If I knew I was going to be listening to some long-winded speech given by my boss, I would’ve brought my crossword puzzle.”
xxx
“I was planning on making a speech anyway,” Michael told the camera. “But after being promoted to best man—and having all those rules thrown at me—I had to tweak it a little. It works though, and I think it has a lot of humor and a lot of heart. Perfect combination, just like…” He thought for a moment, “Okay, what’s two things that go really well together?”
xxx
“So, when I first met little Pammy, I thought it would take me less than a week to sleep with her—“ Michael waited for laughter that never came as Pam buried her face in her napkin. “But I soon learned that she was meant for another—Roy. At least, at the time, that’s who she was supposed to…” He glanced down at the newlyweds, who were shooting daggers with their eyes at him, and so he decided to skip that part.
He flipped through his notecards, consciously trying to avoid anything that might be inappropriate, “Um, and then Jim told me he was in love with her, and so it became my mission to get these two crazy kids together. And believe me, it wasn’t easy! I had fiancées and transfers and new girlfriends to deal with, but in the end, I motivated them to go after what they wanted. And they did! And now they are happy, and I couldn’t be happier for them… And I’m very grateful that they had enough faith in me to make me their best man, because who would be better at managing the groom than a regional manager?” He looked back down at Jim and Pam, who were now smiling curiously up at him. “So here’s to the happy couple! May your love for each other be as everlasting as your love for your boss, which is me. Cheers!” Everyone clinked glasses and drank up.
xxx
Jim smiled at the camera thoughtfully, “Michael’s speech was very… Michael. You can tell he meant well… And I think we made a good choice for a replacement best man.”
Chapter End Notes:
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