Rena
OMG! I have to leave this wedding reception!
Rena
I just sat down and you’ll never believe whose placeholder is next to mine.
Rena
I didn’t realize he was coming to this wedding. Why is he here?!
Rena
Peter, the guy from Cheryl and Dan’s wedding!
Rena
You know, he was Dan’s groomsman and I was Cheryl’s bridesmaid…
Rena
We kinda had a thing that night.
Rena
I should swear off wedding receptions from now on.
Rena
I get tipsy and my judgement goes AWOL.
Leah
OR, you could just swear off drinking at weddings 🤔 😂
Rena
That’s probably a better idea.
Rena looks around the room.
Yet another one of her friends, Maddy, is getting married.
She’s excited for Maddy, of course…
But she feels a little lonely amidst all the celebrations.
That’s how she’d felt at Cheryl and Dan’s wedding too.
At least until Peter had swept her off her feet.
Leah
Remind me why you’re avoiding this guy?
Leah
I have this foggy memory of you guys dancing together…
Rena
Yeah, he totally pulled off that “Mysterious Stranger in a Suit” vibe…
Rena
I know. I was into it.
Leah
Didn’t you guys make out in the corner at one point?
Rena
But remember what happened the next morning?
Rena
I woke up to a dozen nasty messages.
Rena
From his GIRLFRIEND!
Leah
That was horrible 🤦♀️
Leah
How did his girlfriend even get your number?
Rena
In this town, it’s not hard to find someone’s number if you really want to.
Rena
Especially when it’s someone from the SAME WEDDING RECEPTION!
Leah
The nerve of that guy!
Leah
I can’t believe he kissed you when he had a girlfriend 😠
Leah
Why didn’t his girlfriend cuss you out right then and there?
Rena
IDK. Maybe she was too mortified.
Rena
I felt so bad when I found out the truth.
Leah
What did Peter say when you confronted him?
Rena
I didn’t give him that chance to lie.
Rena
Instead, I blocked his number.
Leah
Good for you! You deserve better!
Rena tries to take deep, calming breaths.
She really doesn’t want to face Peter.
But…a little part of her is wondering if he’ll look just as good tonight.
He really did pull off that “Mysterious Stranger in a Suit” vibe.
Rena
What am I going to do, Leah?
Rena
I can’t sit by him, but I can’t leave either.
Leah
Rena, stop. You’re not the one who did anything wrong.
Rena
OMG. What if he brought the girlfriend with him?
Leah
That would be awkward…
Leah
Why don’t you just switch the placeholders?
Leah
Why not? Just take your placeholder and move it to another table.
Leah
And switch the other one beside his.
Rena
Then I just need to avoid him for the rest of the night.
Rena looks around at the nearby tables.
She searches for the perfect place to make the switch.
As she’s looking, her gaze snags on Peter.
He’s standing across the room with a beautiful woman.
And he looks positively…delicious.
But Rena can only assume the woman is his girlfriend.
Rena knows that Peter’s girlfriend had every right to be upset with her.
But the tone of the texts had been a little over-the-top.
So much so, that Rena had ended up blocking her as well.
Leah
Have you made the seating switch yet?
Rena
No! And now he’s walking this way!
Dumbstruck, Rena ducks behind a cluster of people.
She hurries in the direction of the ladies’ room.
Rena
This is so humiliating.
Rena
I’m literally hiding in a bathroom stall.
Rena
I know, I know. I should just go.
Rena
Maybe I’ll just text my friend and tell her I’m sick.
Leah
Rena! You are NOT texting the bride right now.
Rena
Ugh, I know. I feel like garbage though.
Leah
I know, but next week, we’ll have drinks and we can commiserate about tonight.
Leah
Think about how much fun that’ll be.
Leah
Added bonus: they’ll be no worry of liars and cheaters hitting on you.
Rena
Lol, that sounds ideal right now.
Rena leaves the stall and heads to the mirror to touch up her makeup.
But then she realizes she left her purse at the table.
Rena
I seriously wish you were here right now.
Rena
But I guess I have no choice but to go back out there and face Peter.
Rena sucks in a deep breath and leaves the bathroom.
She looks over at her table, relieved to see that Peter’s seat is still empty.
She weaves through the crowd and arrives at her assigned seat.
However, her name has been crossed out on her placeholder.
Someone has written ‘The Most Beautiful Woman in the Room’ in its place.
But then from behind her, someone speaks.
Rena’s breath catches as she spins to face Peter.
He’s wearing a suit again.
And he looks like the most gorgeous man in the room.
Rena isn’t sure what to say for a moment.
Or she is, but she doesn’t want to make a scene at her friend’s wedding reception.
To validate her own self-worth.
So she takes a deep breath, promising herself she’ll keep things civil.
And in a soft voice, she asks him the question that’s been pressing on her mind.
Rena
Where’s your girlfriend?
Rena
The one who would be furious to see you talking to me right now.
Peter shakes his head silently.
It seems like he’s at a loss for words.
Probably because he’s been caught.
Rena
Come on, Peter. Don’t play games.
Rena
It really wasn’t fair for you to do that to me at Cheryl and Dan’s wedding.
Rena
I’ve been cheated on. I know how terrible it feels.
Rena
So I’d never knowingly kiss another woman’s guy.
Peter
I’m not sure what you’re talking about.
Rena pulls out her phone and shows him the text messages from the girlfriend.
Wincing, Peter sucks in an audible breath.
Peter
That was Lauren, my ex-girlfriend.
Rena
Did I hear that correctly?
Peter
Yeah. We broke up a few months before Cheryl and Dan’s wedding.
Peter
You can even ask them.
Peter
I promise it’s true.
Rena is still suspicious…
But his story is starting to gel.
It makes more sense that he and Lauren were broken up during the last wedding.
Because if they had still been together…
Lauren wouldn’t have just watched her boyfriend french another woman.
Why wouldn’t Lauren have confronted them right then and there?
Peter’s voice quietly eases into the space between.
Peter
My ex hasn’t taken the break-up well.
Peter
I think it was especially hard for her at the wedding.
Rena
Weddings can be tough when you don’t have someone special to share them with.
Peter
Anyway, I’m sorry she brought you into this.
Peter
Can I get you a drink? I feel like I need one.
Rena
I’d love one, but I decided to stick to seltzer tonight.
Rena
Last wedding, I got a little too tipsy and made out with a stranger named Peter.
Peter cracks a grin to match Rena’s facetious smile.
Peter
But it was a good kiss, yeah?
Peter
Then good!. One seltzer it is!
Rena
Just to double-check…you’re single now, right?
Rena’s guardedness melts away as she watches Peter grab their drinks at the bar.
He turns back to her and offers her a tall, delicate tumbler.
Rena
What about the woman over there?
Rena
I saw you standing with her a while ago.
She points inconspicuously.
Peter smiles and its warmth reaches his eyes.
Peter
That’s my sister Kate. Do you want to meet her?
Rena smiles, feeling foolish but also giddy at the same time.
She’d liked Peter before, even when she’d thought that he was a cheater.
Now that she knows the truth…
Her pounding heart envelops every last coherent thought.
Rena
Yeah, I’d like to meet her later.
Rena
But for now, maybe you can remind me where we left things off…
And without hesitation, Rena steps into Peter.
Going up on her tiptoes for a kiss.
