That's Amore! - Janelle Denison [12]
"Ohhh, yeah," Paulo added with a sly grin.
Jason couldn't help but wonder what the duo had planned for him, and suspected it was going to be a wild, raucous night. He didn't really want a bachelor party, but Leila's brothers had insisted, and he didn't have the heart to refuse what they perceived as the ultimate male tradition.
"I can't wait," he muttered.
Paulo and Mani just laughed.
Leila glanced from Jason, to her brothers sitting across the table, giving them a pointed look. "On a more important note, you boys and dad have an appointment to get fitted for your tuxes tomorrow afternoon, before the fun begins."
"We'll be there," Paulo promised, obviously taking his duties as a groomsman very seriously.
"How many guests have R.S.V.P.'d so far?" Jason asked. They'd opted for a small, intimate wedding, with just close friends and family in attendance, instead of a huge affair.
"About fifty, which is pretty close to everyone we invited." Finished with her dinner, Leila put her fork and napkin on her plate. "The luau menu has been confirmed with the caterer, along with the wedding cake. The flowers for the ceremony and gazebo are ordered, but Nana insists on making our Hawaiian wedding leis."
He smiled warmly at the older woman. "Thank you, Nana. That means a lot to us."
She nodded. "It's a Malekala custom, and my gift to the both of you. I will make the Maile lei for you to wear," she said to him.
He tipped his head curiously. "What's a Maile lei?"
Before Nana had a chance to answer, Mani piped in. "It's sort of equivalent to having a noose around your neck that signals the end of your bachelor days."
Paulo nodded in agreement and added to the explanation. "Hawaiian custom has it, that as the bride walks down the aisle toward where you're standing, the noose, or in this case, the Maile lei, gets tighter and tighter around your neck. If she makes it all the way to you without you passing out, then your marriage was meant to be."
With a dead-pan expression, Mani finished the tale. "However, if you pass out before she gets there, that's it, Bro," he said with a sad shake of his head. "It means you're not man enough to marry your bride, and there's no second chances."
Jason stared at Leila's brothers in horror. He knew the Hawaiians had some strange and different customs, but this one was just plain bizarre. And scarey. "Uh, maybe we should skip the Maile leis," he suggested, resisting the urge to tug at the collar of his shirt.
Mani leaned forward and grinned. "Feeling the pressure already, huh?"
Jason glanced at Leila, who was looking at him with wide, guileless eyes. "How important is this Maile lei to you?" he asked her.
"Very. And I have all the confidence in the world that you won't pass out before I make it to your side." She shot her brothers a look that said the gig was up.
Mani and Paulo burst out laughing, and that's when Jason knew that the joke was on him.
"Man, you are so gullible," Mani said, hooting with laughter. "It's just so much fun pulling your leg."
Obviously, the rest of the family had enjoyed the charade, as well. Keneke had a smirk on his face, and Nyla seemed to be holding back a grin, but laughter glimmered in her eyes. Even his own fiancée appeared amused at his expense.
Jason was just damn grateful that the story wasn't true.
Nana patted his arm consolingly. "Now that the boys have had their fun with you, I'll tell you what a Maile lei really is. It is a traditional wedding lei, which was used by our Hawaiian ancestors during the marriage ceremony to bind the hands of the bride and groom to symbolize their sacred union."
Relief poured through Jason. "I like that custom." And he especially liked that Nana had come to accept his marriage to Leila as the sacred union it was. He held out the same hope for Nyla.
"So, there hasn't been any normal wedding glitches?" he asked Leila, surprised that everything had gone so smoothly.
"Well, just a minor one. Those candy leis I ordered as our wedding favors aren't here yet. When I called