The Wedding

an only hope we’ll be here so lo

ay off, just enough to reli

. No, remember Olivia? Her sister? Right, Olivia, okay, yes, Olivia. Time to ask him another question so she’

de a

ddi

a face ba

like it’s a pr

d against

nd, this one would qualify. Okay, fine,

nd at the dim,

ow. What’s so terribl

is hands i

eld up one finger. “One: it’s

xes’ weddings were always a trial

s marrying one of my best

eyes. Okay, he m

they

. . . let’s just say I wasn’t particularly

, I underst

a third fin

t up s

ther one? A

air. “As a matter of fact, this is the wor

and faced him,

me? A groomsman

g weekend started. What and why indeed. What could have possibly inspired him to ask me to be a groomsman? Why would he do that? Why w

s almost enough for me

t his hand linger there for a few more seconds,

. And then”—he waved another fi

Are your divorced parents coming to the we

lau

rmer best friend, but I am a dateless groomsman in the wedding of my ex-girlfriend and former best friend. My date bailed on me at the la

t off with a wa

t people. It’s better that you’re without a date. As my frie

a bark of

he food poisoning in the buffet. I’m going to get so many pitying looks, you have no idea. And the worst part is that I RSVP’d with a plus-one, so there’s going to be an empty seat at the head table. And lots of

and and tried not

s a necessary security blanket. I’

wn into her

op talking about sandwiches if you

urse and moved it

s farther away. I

e, back at her. She smiled an

happened to yo

yes at her, and s

sn’t my girlfriend. We were

s thirties like her. Hadn’t people stopped “ju

something more serious, I ended it. I was nice about it! I don’t do girlfriends. I haven’t had a girlfr

fourth finger that he

exactly, is that your

the finge

er dad’s having surgery tomorrow, so she couldn’t come.” Those ab muscles moved in a lovely way when he sighed. “And, of course, I’m sorry about

was just an extra benefit. Hey, it’s not like she was in danger of becoming this guy’s not-girlfriend. S

did something

ound her and gr

a date and all of the terrible things that will happen to me because of that, and when you hear my

ated for a second and raised his ey

some for Olivia. And no tearing it off with your fingers. What ki

rous smile. She looked away and found the but

den cracker when the overhead lights came

tually moving?”

.” Drew got to his feet and reached out a hand to help her up

gination. It helped to make up for

th floor. Alexa was treated to one more gli

are on the same floor,” he s

him for a second before she had