Anecdote From A Wedding

When one of my best friends got married, she invited me to come up to Seattle. It was the first time I’d ever actually taken a trip and took effort into going to a wedding. She originally wanted me to be “best man” for her. Which, I think there’s a technical term for that. But since I was nowhere in town, I couldn’t make any type of arrangements for her. I loved the trip. Took the ferry across the sound. Seattle is beautiful my Dad wants to retire there for some odd reason. I think he’s only been there twice. Clean air, lotsa’ trees. I love the rain. I recall driving down the coast to the place where she was getting married. By the waterfront. It was spectacular with a view of Mt. Rainer. My ass was fogged with boozy brain, so I stayed further away. I didn’t earn much and didn’t have much money, so it was a little embarrassing to have to drive 30 miles to the outskirts of where everyone else was staying. But, whatever…had to make it.

At the reception, I recall being sat at a “singles table.” This is a place where the people who don’t have mates sat. I’d had stomach issues and was sat next to a girl. Not exactly the hottest girl there but still attractive. I attempted to strike up a conversation with her. To which she shot me down hard. This is at a full table which became uncomfortable. Not to sound harsh, but it seemed this girl seemed to hate men in general. My friend hung out with women like this. Feminist who don’t realize they’re lesbians yet. That’s my ego talking.

Shaking off that uncomfortable exchange, I started in on the other girls there. I didn’t hook up. A total bummer. But some dude piped up “Hey Thom.” I looked at him, couldn’t place the face or the name. “How’s it going? Holy shit, you made it.” I did that thing that most people do. I played along. “Oh hey! Good to see you. How’s it going?” People sense this and adjust.

“Yeah, made it out all the way from Bowling Green.”

Said two things to me, we went to college together, he is from the hometown of the groom. “Great man, great” I continued. “Good to be at this wedding, wouldn’ta’ missed it.”  I could tell he was getting annoyed at this transparent fishing tactic. To which he finally told me his name (to which I still forget to this day). He did say we were in the art department program together and that we knew the same people.

It got really uncomfortable. And I was getting both light headed and a little nauseous. I needed booze. It was bad that I was going through withdrawals at my friend’s wedding. “Oh right, I hung out with Matt, Erina, Debbie, Rebecca, all those people”

“Rebecca Davis?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“Oh yeah, I knew her” he said.

This really perked me up…she was the girl in college I was going to marry.

“Yeah real pretty girl” he seemed to have fond memories of her. He knew her from around school.

“I dated her for a while.”

“You did?” he seemed…almost…embarrassed.

“yeah, for over three years. Off and on for seven. It didn’t work out.”

“Holy shit. Really?” No I’m fucking lying.

He then dropped the subject. I didn’t see him again throughout the rest of the wedding. Which was odd, considering it wasn’t that big.

To this day, I’m not sure if I imagined this exchange. There were others there that remembered me from college. But my boozed up brain couldn’t put any of it together.

I spent the next few hours outside of the hotel next to the fire nursing a Bud Light as the rest of the guests started to tap into their rooms. I knew I had a 30 mile drive ahead of me. And was around complete strangers by that outdoor fireplace. I love my friend so much. She’s been such a presence in my life from afar. And been sweet to me even through TERRIBLE behavior. And I showed up…mental.

Years later, as I was in our office in Hollywood, California, a girl in scheduling and I were talking in the kitchen. She was new to the town and mentioned she was from Seattle. To which I told her about this wedding. I told her the name of the hotel. To which she said…she worked her entire high school at the same hotel and off and on during the summer.  Recalled that wedding.