Clemens and Jenny quietly enjoyed their dinner with a great deal of calm. It was calm and they had had the time to talk over their plans for their honeymoon. Both enjoyed the list which all had their tourist attraction type sites. Clemens had some concerns on some. Yellowstone had great sights and it would be a good place to visit, but as fall began to settle into those northern areas, Clemens knew the temperature would begin dropping there soon. It might not be quite freezing and in waist deep snow, but it would still be cooler than it was in Florida. He made a mental note to remember some warmer articles of clothing and good blankets for his tail in case he needed it.
Having these things at the front of his mind was a good thing for him. Clemens knew that he and Jenny, along with any other Animal Person and their loved ones were in the midst of a whole new "civil rights" era in America. In many ways it was different from what happened in the 1950s and 1960s, as the US government had announced that Animal People would be protected under the 1964 Civil Rights Act very quickly after Eugene Changes had been caught and arrested. This had meant no outright segregation, no "legal" murders, and no legal voter restriction measures based on species. On some level, this made things easier, but Clemens was not naive enough to think that this meant that things would be easy with regard to the big picture. There were random groups that didn't like Animal People and were quite willing to make it obvious. And they came from across the political spectrum. Many were commonly ultra-conservatives politically, but Clemens did remember seeing one footnote online where a union in Pittsburgh had voiced opposition to Animal People after the owner of the factory had jokingly considered either firing off the plant's workers and hiring Animal People who had become some large animal species that had been used as beasts of burden or showed similar strengths, or requiring his workers to become Animal People based on those species in question. The union didn't like it and voiced a borderline racist opinion in the name of "worker's rights." But, for the most part, all of that was in the background at the moment.
For the moment, the wedding was the thing to think over and plan for was the wedding and what went along with it. This included plans before and after it.
"So, do you have any plans for before the wedding?" Jenny asked to Clemens as she checked what they had cooking for dinner. It looked and smelled like it was done.
"Hmm?" Clemens answered while he was at a different set of cabinets and was pulling out plates to set the table.
"Do you have any plans for before the wedding?" Jenny asked, "You know... something to take Joseph on when he arrives?"
"You mean like a bachelor party?" Clemens asked back.
"Precisely," Jenny nodded.
Clemens didn't answer right away. Jacob Pertwee had put together a bachelor party that Clemens knew off, but that was scheduled to be the Wednesday before his cousin came down from Montana. And even if Joseph Patten arrived in time, he wasn't sure his cousin would really spring for the idea. Now, Clemens knew that Joseph Patten had nothing in common with those that had backed Prohibition in the late 1800s to early 1900s, in that he did have the occasional glass of wine or beer with his dinner, depending on where he was, but neither was he one to go out drinking for no reason other than to get drunk.
"Well... there isss something planned for the Wednesssday before the wedding," Clemens answered, "but even if he were here, I don't think Joseph would go for it."
"Too much wine, women, and song?" Jenny actually gave a giggle at his answer.
Clemens nodded.
"So what do you want to do when Joseph arrives?" Jenny asked.
"I suppossed we'd go out to eat ssomewhere," Clemens shrugged, "and some of those steak houssess are ssstarting to serve 100% carnivorousss menus for Animal People that are carnivores jusst ass a couple of family ressstaurantss are coming out with all vegetarian, fruit, and nut basssed menuss for those that became herbivoresss."
Jenny nodded and began placing their servings on the plates.
"So, who's planning your party?" Jenny asked him.
"One of the keepers, Jacob Pertwee," Clemens answered, "likely bringing what you ssaid... wine, women, and ssssong."
"Maybe he'll have another snake person hired to be your stripper," Jenny teased.
"Very funny," Clemens retorted, "You know my eyesss are only for you."
"I know," Jenny nodded, "But I also know what goes on at bachelor parties. So you are free to be a wild man on that night."
Clemens took the plates and moved to set them on the table while Jenny was getting a glass of water ready for him as well as a drink for herself. Her curiosity at what his coworkers had planned for him now raised his own curiosity to see if her coworkers had done anything similar.
"So... what about you?" Clemens asked, "Have your friendsss planned anything?" He then paused to think over one of the male friends at her job that had been rather friendly and supportive of her marrying Clemens. Once he got his name, Clemens decided for a little tease of his own, "Are you having Kevin jump out of a cake in a ssspeedo?"
Jenny came to a dead stop where she was and blinked. Kevin wasn't necessarily an ugly man, but the image of a man, who had essentially called her a "kid sister" earlier in the day, in a speedo was not the image she wanted. But then, she also knew that Helen Lwow had informed her about plans for a bacholorette party that was being planned, and given Helen's shyness, Jenny wasn't quite sure on what was being planned.
"Well a coworker has planned something... but I hope it isn't Kevin in a speedo," Jenny answered.
"Do you know what it is?" Clemens wondered.
"Not really," Jenny commented, "It was Helen Lwow who made the invitation... and she's actually been painfully shy at times... I really have no idea on what she'd have planned or if she even planned it at all, but was simply the messenger."
"Well... hopefully it'sss something fun for you," Clemens managed a smile, "I ssuppossse, I'll have to let you be free for your party."
"Hope so," Jenny gave a chuckle, "We'd want to have something interesting to tell Joseph when he arrives..."
Clemens only chuckled and shook his head.