Page 5 of The Wedding Season
He’s probably dreading seeing me as much as I am him.“Oh, is he heretoday?”
“He’s so good-looking. If I didn’t have a boyfriend I would be all over him. Oh look!” She cranes her neck, looking beyond me. “There’s Adam now. You should go say ‘hi’ to him. I have to go take my seat. My BF’s stuck talking to Laurie’s grandmother. She keeps putting her hand on his thigh. It’s veryawkward.”
I turn and spot my favorite producer, Adam Gold, who’s having one last cigarette before the ceremony while reading emails on his phone. I shuffle on over to him before anyone elsedoes.
“Still haven’t quit,huh?”
He looks up and smiles, putting his phone in his pocket. “Erin Duffy! This is my last cigarette, I swear. How are you,stranger?”
We do the Hollywood hug. It’s a semi-embrace. He’s married with a little baby girl, and I always feel comfortable with him. “Hi. I’ve been in my writer’s cave, youknow.”
“Yeah? When do I get to read your nextscript?”
“Oh, I don’t know, I still have to do a rewrite, it’s kind of a mess.”I haven’t finished any of the scripts I’ve started in the past six months because I’m suffering from celibacy-induced romantic comedy braindeath.
“Well it soundsgreat.”
I suck at selling myself. I force a laugh and try to think up a quick two-sentence pitch for the script I’ve been working on, but before I can get another word out of my mouth, a shadow looms and darkens my view ofAdam.
“AdamGold!”
“ScottBraddock!”
Fucker.
Adam and Scott shake hands and pat each other on the shoulder. Adam puts out his cigarette with hisshoe.
“Hey man, great to seeyou!”
“Dude. I looked out my office window the other day and saw you walking by. You should always stop by when you’re on thelot.”
“Oh man I wish I had, I figured you’d bebusy.”
“You know the lovely and talented ErinDuffy?”
“Hey Duffy, good to see you.” His voice is deep and sexy. I always forget how sexy his voice is—one of my many defense mechanisms. It’s guttural, like I’d imagine how he’d sound when he’s about to come, or what he’d sound like if I’d just kneed him in theballs.
“Braddock.”
He pulls me in for a friendly hug. I endure it, stiffly. It may be my imagination, but he’s a tad stiffhimself.
“Hey, I gotta find my wife and get a seat. See you guyslater?”
You will not see us guys togetherlater.
“Bye Adam! Great to see you!” I smile at him warmly, and then give Scott my iciest glare. He seems genuinely oblivious to the fact that he just professionally cock-blocked me. He looks me up anddown.
“Nicedress.”
“Nice of you to sayso.”
“I think I’ve seen you in that before. At that grad dinner inBoston.”
Yes. Dick.“Oh, were you atthat?”
“What I mean is—you haven’t aged at all, haveyou?”
“I wouldn’t say that. My resentment towards you has aged like a finewine.”
