“Yeah, right,” I laughed. “You’ll have to beat the single ladies off you with a stick. Maybe the married ones too.”
“That’s not happening.”
“You sure about that?” I said, grinning. “Admitting you have a problem is the first step toward recovery. You’re going to look amazing in a tux, Teddy.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
I glanced at the clock. “I gotta go soon. I have my Le Chacal gig tonight.”
“You don’t sound super thrilled about it,” he said.
I smiled at his echo of my words. “I know. I’ve been more focused on recording. We finish tomorrow. The Olsens I keep telling you about? Turns out they really know their shit. They said the album might be ready by the time I get back from New York.”
“Already?”
“Not a lot of mixing and mastering to do when it’s just one voice and a guitar. Although they did talk me into letting a local violinist play background on a few tracks. I’m actually kind of excited about it.”
“That’s a good thing, then.”
I plucked the duvet again. “I think so. I’m nervous to hear it. Okay, no, I’m scared shitless to hear it. From an outsider perspective.”
“Take your time. Don’t listen until you’re ready.”
“When did you become so wise?”
“Born that way.”
I caught sight of the clock again. “Oh, shit. I really gotta run.”
“Tell Big E I said hi,” Theo said.
“I will. Text you later?”
“I’ll be here.”
“Bye, Teddy.”
“Bye, Kace.”
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN
My flight landed in Albany the afternoon before the wedding, and I just made it to the rehearsal dinner at a ritzy steakhouse. Dena had six bridesmaids, and I was thrilled to see Tania King, Jonah’s former assistant, was one of them. We hugged and cried a little—just seeing her brought back a flood of memories. She confided she was thrilled I was there for a more practical reason.
“Aside from the Fletchers, I literally know no one here,” she said.
“Hey, I’m in the same boat.”
She looped her arm through my elbow. “Oh, thank God. You’re mine.”
We stuck to each other at dinner too, and Tania told me all about working for the Chihuly Studio in Seattle.
“It’s incredible,” she said over clam chowder. “I wake up every morning thinking,Holy shit, this is my life now.Thanks, in no small part, to Jonah.” She leaned in close to me, her voice dropping. “Honestly—and I hate to even say this—but tomorrow is going to be hard without him here. The gaping hole in my life…it’s easier to ignore it in Seattle. But here, around all his old friends…” Her dark eyes trailed down the table, taking inventory of each guest. “I can’t even imagine how hard this must be for Oscar and Dena.”
My gaze trailed to the happy couple at the end of the long table. On Oscar’s left sat Theo, looking handsome in slacks and a dress shirt. No tie, his sleeves rolled up to his forearms, dark ink swirling down to his wrists.
“And how are you?” Tania asked gently. “I heard you moved out of Vegas?”
