Chapter 10: Everything But

Fifty heads turned, and I read every one of them without meaning to.

It was a habit.

A married couple from Rafferty's gym had strings to each other and nobody else. Good for them.

A groomsman had a fresh one that went to a girl at the bar who wasn't his date. Not my problem tonight.

Rafferty's mother stood by the bar in pale pink with a glass of white wine.

She had one string, old and dark, to Rafferty's father beside her. She looked at me like I'd tracked something in on my shoe.

Rafferty's father didn't look at me at all.

Cal's arm tightened under my hand.

"You okay?" he said, low.

"Ask me in an hour."

Kelsey saw us and grabbed Rafferty's sleeve.

She had on a white dress. Of course she did.

Rafferty turned, and his smile froze for a second before he fixed it.

"Lainey," he called across the deck, cheerful. "You came!"

"You invited me," I said. "And you still haven't signed."

A few people laughed uncertainly. They didn't know what that meant. Rafferty did.

Cal got us two drinks. Rafferty's mother came over before he could hand me mine.

"Cal," she said. "We need to talk about who you bring to family events."

"I'm guessing you won't like the answer, Mom."

She turned to me. Her voice was very sweet.

"We're celebrating Rafferty's happiness tonight. This family has been a punchline for a week. I'd ask you not to make a scene."

"I didn't make the last one," I said. "Your son did. On a screen."

Her smile didn't move. She walked away.

At eight, the jazz trio stopped, and Rafferty tapped a microphone by the bar.

"Thanks, everybody, for coming," he said. "It's been a weird week."

Laughter.

"Some of you saw the internet. Some of you were there." He grinned. "I want to say, I'm fine. We're fine. Kels and I are better than fine."

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