Page 46 of Your Pace Or Mine

Ashley clears her throat. “Are you done staring at your phone, Bash? It’s too cold to stand around.”

I show her the exchange, and she beams.

“I can’t believe you’re excited,” Ashley says. “Didn’t they have to drag you kicking and screaming to be in Dan and Nina’s wedding party?”

“Yes, but that involved a choreographed dance routine, orange bow ties, and a bachelor party in Cancun that I couldn’t afford.”

Dan and Nina were old university acquaintances. We were both in their wedding, which can only be described as excessive.

She sighs. “Don’t remind me. Those tangerine dresses were hideous. We all looked like pumpkins.”

I remember all the bridesmaids hating their dresses, but Ashley looked hot in hers, enough to make me almost forget how we’d sworn not to go down that road again.

“I guess it’s different because I work with Seth all the time, and I can tell how much he loves Diana. It’s nice to be part of it.”

I expected to feel bittersweet about one of my last unmarried friends getting hitched, but I’m sincerely happy for them.

Ashley and I start running again.

“You’ll come with me, right?” I ask without thinking.

“I can’t see why they’d invite me,” she replies. “I don’t know Seth very well. Of course, I’d go if I were invited.”

“It makes sense, because of the app. That you’d be my plus one.” The excuse is flimsy, but for some reason, I can’t imagine being at the wedding without her.

She looks confused, her brow furrowed. “Don’t you want to be free to flirt with all the single women? I thought that was the only reason you went to weddings anyway. I haven’t known you to take a date before.”

Except for that one time. I wonder if she’s thinking about it too, that night after my dad’s wedding to his third wife, Marilyn. It took a while to get our friendship back to where it was, and here I am dredging up memories that shouldn’t be revisited. We’re doing it differently this time around. We have rules so no one gets hurt.

Neither of us wants to talk about that night now—or ever—so I keep my tone easy in my reply. “You’re right. I don’t know what I was thinking. I won’t rope you into some boring wedding where you barely know the groom, especially given I’ll likely be busy all day.”

She gives me what looks like a forced smile, though she could just be trying to smile and run at the same time, and we keep moving in silence.

As with our last run, we stop for coffee afterward, but Ashley doesn’t want to wait for her friends. “I saw them last night,” she says with a shrug. “Plus, your stuff is at my place, and I’m sure you don’t want to stick around to chat.”

I actually don’t mind. I will reluctantly admit to myself that I like Ashley’s friends and wouldn’t mind getting to know them better. Still, Ashley seems to have stuff to do, so I go home with her.

Despite Ash rushing us back to her place, she isn’t in a hurry to shoo me out. She asks if I want more coffee and suggests heating up some croissants while I have a quick shower. I’m not a pastry guy, but I sit with her for a light breakfast. We’re both halfway through our pastries when our phones start buzzing.

She glances down and makes a face that’s halfway between a grimace and a smile. “Ugh, can’t a girl bring the friend with benefits that she’s casually hooking up with to a group run without her friends giving the third degree?”

“You’d be in full on interrogation mode if the shoe were on the other foot.”

She tries to look slighted but can’t help laughing. “That is absolutely true.”

I reach for my own cell, expecting more wedding stuff from Seth.

“Man, the guy’s been engaged for less than a day, and my phone is exploding,” I joke. My smile falters.

Dad:

Hey son. How’s it going?

Would love to chat.

“Is something wrong?” She puts her hand on mine.

“It’s my father.”