Page 85 of It's Complicated

“Hold on a moment, sir.” A brief pause and then, “Yes, Denzel logged her in as a visitor on Tuesday night at seventeen past midnight. Is there a problem?”

“No, Peter, thank you. No problem at all.”

I let go of the intercom button and get back into the living room, sinking onto the couch, raking both hands through my hair.

She came back. That same night. After talking with Aiden.

Lori must’ve fallen asleep while waiting for me. But what had she come to say?

Aiden is getting married today, so it’s clear they’re not together… and if she isn’t with him… I squish the hope in my chest before it can rise.

Why did she stay the night here? Was it only to talk?

I check the time on my phone. I should be getting ready; I’m still wearing yesterday’s clothes—old sweats ransacked from my closet at the lake house.

I shift out of them and take a quick shower. Then I’m in front of the mirror, putting on my best man’s uniform: a stark white shirt and three-piece black tux.

By the time I’m done, I still have an hour before I have to be at the hotel. So I decide to walk. It’s only a mile and a half from here. It won’t take me more than half an hour.

It’s a beautiful day, not too windy, and I could use the fresh air to clear my head. All I’ve been assuming in the past week seems to have been turned on its head. Aiden is marrying Kirsten. He and Lori aren’t together. And the night she came to tell me we were over, she returned a few hours later and slept in my bed—or at least she lay down on it. Why was the mascara running down her face? Was she crying?

Now I feel so stupid for going incommunicado all this time.

As I approach the hotel from the corner of Wabash and Monroe, a yellow cab coming from the opposite direction glidesto a halt next to the sidewalk. The door opens, and Lori steps out, wrestling with a shimmering gown covered in cellophane—the one she sent me a selfie in.

I freeze in place when I spot her. A rush of adrenaline makes me flatten against the wall so as not to be spotted, but in a position from where I can still see her.

Lori looks beautiful. Breathtaking with her hair wild and not a drop of makeup on her face. I want to walk up to her, hug her, kiss her, and tell her I’m sorry. Just as she’s about to turn her head my way, I bolt instead. I hide behind the corner, still flattened against the wall, panting.

Not cool, Barlow.

I’m a fool. A coward and a fool.

I wait for a long time in the same position until I’m positive Lori must’ve left the lobby.

I walk into the hotel and ask a bellhop for directions to Aiden’s room. Across the impressive lobby, I step into an empty elevator just as the doors are about to close.

During the short upward ride, I pull myself together. I straighten my tie and get ready to face the music. Aiden is going to be kind of mad at me, too. I bailed on him the week before his wedding, dumping a load of extra work on him and even skipping the rehearsal dinner. I’m the worst best man.

But now I’m here. And if I’m doing this, I have to do it right. When the elevator pings open, I stroll down the hall, counting the numbers until I reach Aiden’s room.

When I open the door, I stop on the threshold as everyone turns to look at me. Aiden comes to me and locks my hand in a brotherly handshake, saying, “Hey, man,” with a proud smile, which makes me feel even more shameful for having doubted him.

I push the thought aside and pull him into a bro hug, smiling. “I’m happy for you, man.”

“Thanks.”

I step into the room and try to put the other disturbing thoughts out of my mind, so I can do my job and be the best man of the situation.

After I say a brief greeting to the others, Aiden takes me aside and leads us to the far corner of the room.

“How are you, bro?”

“Hey,” I say. “Shouldn’t I be the one curing your last-minute jitters?”

“No jitters here, man.” He studies me for a second. “Not sure I could say the same about you, though.”

If this is our all-cards-on-the-table moment, I need to clarify a few things. “Can I ask you a question?”

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