Chapter 57 George
GEORGE
We arrive in front of the Park Palace Hotel, breathless and somehow simultaneously sweaty and freezing. We have navigated street performers, food trucks, several groups of drunk twenty-somethings, and myriad other New-Year’s-Eve-in-New-York-type obstacles.
Last I checked, Robert Ryan and groomsman number two were still caught in the elevator.
Luca and Cory were still unaware that their rings were not in the building.
And Owen and I were still having a delightful if surreal time together.
I mean, realistically, I think I would enjoy spending a week in bed with the flu with Owen.
Okay, no. I think my brain has been deprived of oxygen after running the last ten blocks. I do not need to be thinking about spending a week in bed with Owen in any way, shape, or form right now.
I take in the grand entrance to the hotel. I did my damnedest to avoid having to be anywhere near this place tonight, and yet here I am. Might as well get this over with. I start to push through the revolving door, but Owen—who is still holding my hand—swoon—pulls back.
“I’m going to wait out here,” he says. He looks uneasy.
He looks… like a guy who doesn’t like to leave his little cabin in his little town.
Right. Somewhere in the middle of all the texting and talking and…
other things… I forgot. This is what he’s like with most people.
Especially, I realize, as I take in his wary look through the glass doors, maybe the kind of people who would be at an exclusive Park Palace wedding.
Only I don’t want to leave him out here. I want him with me. I just found him. I just got him back. And I don’t mind if he’s shy. Of course I don’t. But I do need him to know he’s welcome anywhere and everywhere I am.
“You can stay out here if you want to. But I’d really like it if you came in with me.”
He looks between me and the lobby again. Chews his lip. “I am kind of curious to see Robert Ryan in person. I’ve always thought he was kind of hot.”
“I’m going to forget you said that.” I grin.
Inside, we find half the wedding guests milling around the lobby, watching some maintenance guys work on the elevator like it’s a spectator sport.
The usual suspects are here, all in their black-tie optional finest: many of Luca and my mutual friends, Jonathan Alcott, an actor I recognize from the TV show where Cory first made his name, a bunch of Luca’s coworkers from 24NN.
There’s also a loudly dressed middle-aged woman pacing around in front of the elevator doors, talking into her phone at unusual volume.
In the corner, there’s that vlogger who always does the queer New York stories, filming himself in front of the whole scene as if he were the foreign correspondent, not Luca.
A few people I know wave or raise their glasses in greeting, but if I thought anyone was going to take particular notice of me and Owen slipping into the place late and underdressed, I was wrong.
“George!” I swivel around just in time to be pulled into a full-on hug by my ex-boyfriend.
Not the reception I would have anticipated.
He holds me extra tight. “I’m so glad you decided to come.
Zoe said you were in Vermont. She’s a great friend, but a terrible liar.
Anyway, you’re late, but you’re in luck because Ryan got himself stuck in the elevator, so we’ve had to delay.
I’m really glad you’re here.” He gives me another squeeze before he steps back and finally notices Owen, standing awkwardly next to us. “Oh. Hello.”
“Owen, Luca. Luca, Owen.” Owen gives Luca a little wave.
Luca nods. “Oh, right. Zoe’s cousin. From…” He looks me up and down, taking in my attire, notably Owen’s red snowflake sweater, which I am still wearing. “You were in Vermont.”
“I was. But I came back to give you these.” I place the pouches with the rings in them into his palm. He looks down at them. His eyes go wide.
Owen winces apologetically, “There was a little mix-up with…” He holds open his coat to reveal the suit jacket underneath.
Luca registers recognition.
“Right, Zoe said something about lending you the black suit.” Now he winces. “Let me guess, she put the rings in the pocket for ‘safekeeping.’”
“Don’t be too hard on her,” I say. “Sounds like she’s had her hands full. And she didn’t want to mention the ring thing because… she didn’t want you to stress.” Yeah. I hear how it sounds.
“No, she’s been invaluable. We couldn’t have done today without her. But also… Classic Zoe. You gotta love her because the alternative is…”
“Losing your freaking mind?” Owen offers.
Luca huffs out a laugh. “Yes, exactly.” And for just a moment, we are all three bonded in the unique infuriating fondness that comes with being close to Zoe.
It’s… nice, actually. I don’t hate it. I feel like maybe Luca and I might finally be able to forge something new in the future.
Some new way of co-existing that isn’t just pretending the other doesn’t exist.
It’s a possibility that wasn’t there before. But here today, whether it’s because he’s moving on in the grandest way imaginable, or because I am, in a sweet, if much quieter way—I steal a glance at Owen—maybe now it’s possible.
And though I didn’t realize it until now, for all that’s happened between us, I miss Luca. Just a little. He was important to me once. Maybe in some ways, he’ll always be a little bit important to me.
“George!” Cory is crossing the crowded lobby towards us, a big smile on his handsome, dark face. “We didn’t think you were going to make it!”
Cory and I have barely interacted, but I know enough from our few exchanges and everything Zoe and other friends have told me to know he is a truly great guy. I haven’t been sure of what to do with that before now, but in this moment, it just makes me happy for Luca.
“I didn’t. I’m not actually. We”—I gesture between me and Owen—”were just making an emergency delivery.”
Luca wordlessly holds out the rings. Cory’s eyebrows shoot to the ceiling.
“Do I want to know?”
“You do not,” Luca confirms.
“Well, all’s well that ends well.” Cory kisses Luca on the cheek, then turns to me and Owen. “But you should stay. Both of you.”
“Yes, please do,” says Luca. “I actually put you on the seating chart, just in case. And a plus one,” he adds, looking at Owen.
Owen visibly blushes, lowering his head in an adorable “aw shucks” moment I’m definitely putting somewhere in the new book.
I’m pretty certain he doesn’t want to stay. But even if he did, I don’t want to be anywhere that isn’t somewhere quiet and private with just him.
“Raincheck?” I ask Luca.
“Sure, the next time I have a lavish New Year’s Eve wedding at a 5-star hotel, you’ll be first on the list.”
I smile. “It’s good to see you, Luca.” I hold out my hand, but he pulls me into another hug.
“You too,” he says quietly, and I realize we both mean it.
“Congratulations,” I add as we let each other go.
“Thanks.” He shoots a glance at Owen. “And… you too?”
I look over at Owen. Reach out and take his arm, pulling him near. “Yeah. I think so.”
I’m debating whether we should try to find Zoe in all this chaos or just slip out quietly, when she appears just over Luca’s shoulder, miming insistently something that can only be “Did you fix the ring problem?” or something along those lines.
Before I can figure out how to navigate this, a cheer goes up from the crowd. Behind Zoe, the elevator door has opened, and there seems to be some kind of commotion.
Luca and Cory bid us a hasty goodbye and head off to deal with whatever’s going on, and this looks like our cue to leave. Just before we do, though, Zoe runs up.
“Success?”
“They have the rings,” Owen confirms.
“Perfect. Thanks.” Zoe kisses us each on the cheek and starts to dash off again. But she stops and turns back to us.
“Don’t think I didn’t notice what’s going on here. I want details later.” And just in case Owen or I might misunderstand this as innocent, she waggles her brows for us, before running off toward the elevator herself.
As we watch her go, Owen knocks his arm against mine. “Want to get out of here?”
“Yeah,” I quirk a smile. “Your place or mine?”