Something Awkward

**A bonus for ya, thanks for being so great when I had to skip last Friday. See you next Wednesday - have a stupendous weekend. xoxo ** 

When I stepped off the train at 30th on Saturday afternoon, my heart sank realizing that this was the first time I arrived here and didn't see Dylan standing in the vast station lobby. I stopped at Jersey Mike's and grabbed a turkey hoagie to eat at Dylan's, since I knew I wouldn't be eating anything until cocktail hour in roughly 6 hours. 

I found a cab easily outside the station and slid in, reciting Dylan's address which was just a short drive into Rittenhouse. The key was exactly where he said it would be under the mat and I let myself into his house.

Since it was his roommate's wedding, no one was home and the row home was eerily quiet. I stopped in the kitchen to grab a bottle of water out of the fridge before heading up into his room. I found a note perched atop a clean towel on his bed waiting for me. 

Hey gorgeous, 

Sorry I couldn't be here to greet you, but I'll see you in a few hours. There's some leftovers from last night in the fridge if you're hungry. The venue is walkable but if you're in uncomfortable heels, just take an Uber. Ceremony is at 4. Not sure if I'll have my phone.

See you soon - 

Dylan 

I smiled at the note, aching to see him. I still had three hours until I had to leave, so I sat on the floor and watched TV while enjoying my carb-heavy lunch. When I was finished, I wrapped myself in the massive fluffy towel and padded into the shower. It felt creepy being here without him, the walls of the still unfamiliar house felt unwelcoming and I was eager for it to be time to leave.

Two hours later, I was shaved, lotioned, blow dried and powdered to perfection. I had ended up borrowing a dress from Ashley - a lacey ASOS number that was perhaps a little too tight for a wedding, but I knew Kara was going to be there so all bets were off when it came to wardrobe. It also could have been weird wearing Ashley's dress to a wedding where she had screwed the groom, but I put that thought out of my mind. 

I paired the dress with strappy nude heels, and left my hair down and curly. I still had a little while to kill before leaving, so I ventured into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of wine to calm my nerves. Walking into a wedding where I barely knew anyone wasn't going to be fun. I had tried to get Laura to go with me, but since she lived across town in Old City we had decided to meet at the venue - a fancy hotel in center city. I pulled up the address on my phone and decided that half a mile was too far in these shoes, so I ordered an Uber and texted Dylan.

Leaving soon - can't wait to see you sexy man. 


As I walked into the hotel, I scanned the swanky lobby for Laura. Luckily, I found her waiting on a low couch, texting.

"Hey you!" I yelped, overjoyed at human interaction after spending an entire day alone.

"Dani!" she said, jumping up and wrapping her arms around me. 

"You look amazing," I said, holding her at arms length and studying her dress.

"Thanks, I love your dress," she said, wrapping her arm around my waist and steering me down a hallway. "The wedding is in the courtyard."

We walked down the hall and caught up on each other's lives. Apparently Laura had just started seeing someone and it was getting serious, but she had already RSVP'd solo a few months back so she was all alone for the evening. As we choose seats on the groom's side, Laura went on about the guy (apparent name: George) and insisted that Dylan and I meet them for brunch in the morning. I nodded along, smiling, but all the while was keeping an eye out for the groomsmen. 

Finally, guys in suits started filtering in as soft music came over the outdoor speakers. I spotted Dylan immediately, my stomach twisting into itself at the sight of him in his charcoal suit. His hair was gelled back and he had a hint of scruff on his cheeks. I proudly assessed that he was definitely the cutest of all the groomsmen. 

When they were all situated at the alter, I watched as Dylan scanned the crowd for me. I beamed at him, waiting for him to catch my eye. Instead, he lingered for a while a few rows ahead of me, sending a wink at someone I couldn't see. Finally, his eyes met mine and he broke out into a large grin and mouthed something I couldn't decipher. 

The wedding was beautiful. Erica looked absolutely gorgeous in a strapless Enzoani gown, her hair tumbling down in soft waves. They stuck to the standard vows and the ceremony was over in under 30 minutes - which, who doesn't appreciate a short ceremony? Knowing that Dylan would have to go take photos during cocktail hour, Laura and I filed out into the adjacent room. As we made our way down the aisle, I noticed Kara had been sitting just a few rows ahead of us. 

"Laura," I said, my heart sinking as I realized she was most likely who Dylan had sent that first wink at.

"Hmm?" Laura said, navigating the crowd that was all trying to shuffle out of the courtyard at the same time. 

"Is there still something going on with Kara and Dylan?" I asked bluntly. She looked up at me confused.

"I don't think so, why? I mean I don't go out with them all that much, but I haven't heard anything." 

This didn't reassure me at all, not that I expected her to say anything to make me feel better. 

"I don't know.. I just think I saw him wink at her before the ceremony."

Laura rolled her eyes, which made me question whether or not I was overreacting. "No way. But even if he did, they're just friends. I wouldn't think too much into it."

I nodded, trying to let her words comfort me. We headed towards the bar to grab drinks.

The next hour was a blur of finger foods and introductions, until finally I felt a warm hand on my lower back. 

"You here with anyone?" I heard Dylan's deep voice whisper in my ear, sending shivers down my sides. I turned around and flung my arms around him, overdramatizing the hello due to the combination of wine and blatant amount of love in the air. Do weddings do this to everyone, or just me?

"Hi babe," I said into his neck. I loved that even in heels, I barely came up to his shoulder. "You looked so hot up there," I said, pulling away and grinning up at him. 

He smiled and kissed me, and I allowed myself to melt into the kiss even though we were in a crowd of hundreds. "You look pretty good yourself," he said. "Now lets go find our seats, I have to sneak back for the introductions, but I'll come right to you when it's over." 

He intertwined my hand in his and gave me one more kiss on the cheek. We were at table 3, and he sat me down before retreating back into the hidden rooms of the hotel. I pulled out my phone to have something to do while I waited for the other guests to filter in. Laura already knew she was at table 12, so I prayed I had someone else to talk to while Dylan was off doing his manly duties. 

I had more than 20 texts, which I knew meant that I had probably been wrangled into one group text or another. I opened my messages to find a slew of names, mostly girls I had gone to college with. Spence and Haley were among them. As I skimmed the thread, it appeared that they were all freaking out about the Nick/TV show thing - apparently he had been featured in a snippet on E! News. Since last week, I had been trying to ignore all questions that came my way about my now semi-famous ex. I threw the girls a few bones when they found out via Ashley's Instagram that I had gone to the premiere, but mostly I tried to avoid any and all talk of it. 

I tucked my phone back into my clutch without answering any of the texts. Finally, two girls sat down at the table.

"Hi," I greeted them both with an over-eager smile. They looked about my age and pulled out chairs close to me.

"Hey," the blonde one said, extending her hand. "I'm Susann, this is Jules," she gestured to the shorter girl with black hair.

"Danielle," I said, shaking both of their hands. 

"So who are you here with?" Susann asked as they settled into their seats.

"Um one of the groomsman, Dylan?" I said. 

They exchanged a glance that gave me all sorts of worried feelings. "Ohh you're that Danielle," Susann said, ending the sentence with a sip of wine.

"Um.. I guess so," I replied, shifting in my seat uncomfortably. "You know Dylan then?"

"Yeah, we're tight with Erica," Susann said, referencing the bride.

I nodded, about to ask how she knew Erica and keep on digging but the DJ cut me off as he started to introduce the bridal party. 

I watched patiently, waiting for Dylan to come out. I was racking my brain, trying to remember which order he had been standing at the alter when I felt the chair next to me pull out. I looked up and saw Kara looking down at me with a malicious grin. She sat down wordlessly, her skinny arm reaching for the champagne glass - Dylan's champagne glass - that was reserved for the toasts, and take a long sip. Her gaze never broke from mine.

She set the glass down gingerly and folded her hands in her lap. 

"Well, Danielle, fancy seeing you here." she said, her voice dripping with phony kindness.