Chapter ten
Arthur
I've walked into ERS in marriage mode.
There are staff strategically placed around the office, making sure everyone knows where to be and what comes next.
I arrive early.
The usual calm has been sharpened into something procedural. A polished conference space. Neutral walls. Soft overhead lighting better suited to mediation than a life-altering commitment.
A long table has been pushed aside to make room, like someone remembered this was supposed to be ceremonial about five minutes ago. A door at the far end of the room clearly functions as the threshold between single and married.
I note the door automatically, filing it as an exit, an entry point, a control variable.
Then I realize—too late—that it’s neither.
There is no returning through it as the same person.
An ERS staffer greets me by name and confirms my placement on the schedule. Second. Efficient. Predictable.
I appreciate that.
Lindsay arrives while I'm still observing the room.
What draws my eye, unavoidably, is her handbag.
Large. Full. Aggressively sparkly. Studded with what I assume are fake rhinestones. It clashes with the clean, understated aesthetic of the room.
Gaudy, probably overpriced, I think automatically.
Then I stop myself.
That judgment is reflexive. Old. The kind of assessment I've made my entire career without second thought.
She catches me looking and lifts a brow slightly, unapologetic.
The bag remains exactly where it is—looped over her arm like a refusal to blend in.
She's handed a copy of the prenup, NDA, and marriage license. She clutches them to her chest like they're textbooks on the first day of school.
We stand near each other by the back wall, not touching.
No greetings beyond a nod.
ERS calls the first couple forward.
As they stand, I recognize the man immediately.
Large frame. Familiar face. I've seen him on screens, in stadiums, in headlines. A professional football player. High profile. High value. High risk.
There's a security guy standing off to the left. Several ERS staff members act as witnesses.
So this is what today is.
Not an anomaly. Not a special accommodation.
This is ERS doing exactly what it was designed to do—pairing volatile visibility with structure and containment.
