Winston wisely chose to let Nick sleep it off awhile longer, and didn't tap on Nick's door again until almost 6:00.

"Hey man, I know what you're gonna say, but Jess wants me to ask: You up for Chinese?"

Nick groaned. "Seriously, maybe if it was just you and me, but I don't think I can handle Jess right now."

The lady in question popped her head in under Winston's arm and whispered brightly, "Ok, just so you know, I'm standing right here. Just thought you should know that. Right here. As in, I can hear everything you're saying. Ok...carry on." And her head disappeared again.

Winston shook his head at Nick with a rueful smile, and said, "So, you're sure then?"

"Ooooh, I'm sure!" said Nick, more confidently than ever, as he threw an arm over his eyes.

DEFINITELY not in the mood for Jess.

...

So it was around 8:00 when Winston knocked on Nick's door again, and this time he just walked in, said, "Watch your eyes,", flicked on the floor lamp, quietly handed Nick a huge glass of water, and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Dude, how many times have we done this."

"Way too many times dude."

They let the silence sit on them awhile, in the way that dudes are comfortable doing, until Nick finally said, "Ok. I'm ready. Hit me with it."

"I don't know Nick," Winston said, "I mean...there's a LOT. I'm not sure I even know where to start."

"Just tell me quick...did I kick the groom in the crotch?"

"It was just a cardboard cut-out."

"Did I tell the bride she had a big butt?"

"Well, yes, but just on video, and I'm sure it will never make it to the final cut."

Nick sighed in relief, sat up straighter, and took a long drink of water. "Ok then, seriously, hit me with it. I can handle anything else."

Winston raised his eyebrows as if he wasn't so sure, but handed Nick his phone. "Here, let's just ease into it with some pictures, and see if any of these jog some of your memory cells."

Nick started scrolling though. "WOW...big..fancy...everything was so big and fancy."

Winston nodded.

"HEY, there we are, the three amigos! That's a good-looking group of guys right there. Well, I might look a little like Columbo, but other than that..."

...he scrolled...

"Dang! Who's the hot...HOLY HECK, is that Jess? Ewwww, I'm going to need a shower, now! I feel like I just lusted after my own sister!"

"Yeah, well, you really need a shower anyway," Winston said with a grimace.

Nick cocked the phone at a different angle, and said, "Wow, I remembered she had on purple, and looked great, but...GEEZ..."

"Yeah, it's a good picture...just keeping clicking..."

"Who the hell is that bratty looking kid?"

"Another story for another time, man..."

"He's a snappy dresser, though..."

"KEEP CLICKING..."

"Geez, Jess was all over me. OH NO, DEAR GOD, PLEASE TELL ME nothing happened between me and Jess!"

"NAW man, she was just playing up that fake girlfriend role..."

"OH, THANK GOD MAN. Damn, my heart is in my throat. Seriously, I don't care how drunk I ever get, you better stop me before I ever do anything that stupid. Like seriously...find a ball bat, and knock me out, man."

Winston just snorted softly, and shook his head, while Nick fell silent for a few thoughtful seconds before asking, "Did they serve yams at that reception?"

"What?"

"Because I have a distinct memory of yams...something about yams...WAIT! Is that Caroline? In the background?" Nick sat straight up in bed and began tilting the phone at all angles, trying to find the best light.

"Here," Winston sighed in resignation, and he showed Nick how to expand that part of the screen.

"WOW, that's a thing? You can do that? That's amaz..." and then he was lost for several beats, while he drank in the image of his old girlfriend.

"She looked really nice."

"Yes, she did."

"I remember that now...I remember her smelling really nice too...and we spent a lot of time together, talking...and laughing." Nick sat in deep thought for a few seconds before asking wistfully, "Did that really happen, or did I just dream it?"

"Yeeeeeah, it happened..." Winston drawled out cautiously.

"Crap, that doesn't sound good."

"Look Nick...here's the thing," Winston said, taking back his phone, and cutting to the chase. "She led you on, you found out she has a boyfriend, and you got really drunk."

"That's it."

"Oh nooo, that's not IT. But that summarizes 'it'."

Nick pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut tight, before asking in a quiet, embarrassed voice, "Dude, I'm going to have to have more than that, you know that. Who did I punch this time? How much money did I lose? Did I end up getting kicked out? What is the likelihood that I'm going to be sued by someone?"

"Dude you realize the fact that you even have to ask these questions means there's a problem."

"Just...give me the hard facts," Nick said grimly, closing the door on the "there's a bigger issue here that we really need to talk about" conversation.

"Well, you spent a little time being drunk and disorderly, 'crazy uncle' style. Then you sobered up long enough to have what looked like a reasonably mature conversation with Caroline during which we can only hope you put COMPLETE closure on that relationship. And then you drank some more and proceeded to have a really great time, the rest of the night."

"Without Caroline?"

"Without Caroline."

Nick was quiet for a minute. "Any pictures of that portion of the evening?"

"Dude, I was too busy getting my party on. But I'll tell you this...you really need to be nicer to Jess. You don't realize it, but she's a really good friend to you."

"I know, Winston."

"No, I don't think you do. She really cares about you. You're lucky to have her around."

"Geez, did you fall in love with her last night, or what?"

"I might have," Winston smiled, "just a little bit!" And he got up and moved towards the door. "You ok man?"

"Yeah, I'm ok. You sure that's all I need to know?"

"Oh I have a feeling there's a lot more stuff you need to remember, but that's all I can really help you with. The rest is just going to have to come to you on your own."

Winston turned off the light and left him in the dark again. Nick took another deep drink of water, considered that he really ought to get up and take a shower, and then laid back down.

He shut his eyes really tightly again, and did his best to remember what had happened with Caroline. He wanted to remember more of the talking...and the laughing...and her sitting really close to him, smelling really good, and smiling like old times. Later would be soon enough to process the fact that apparently she had another boyfriend now. Right now, all he wanted to do was sink into a fantasy world where he and Caroline lock eyes across a crowd of wedding-goers, and know that they are destined to reunite.

Trouble was, there was a girl in a purple dress hovering at the edge of all his fantasies, looming around the edges of his consciousness and occasionally zooming in and interrupting at all the worst moments, like a pesky mosquito. He kept trying to slap the thought of her away, but it was hard. And besides, she really did look beautiful.

Even with...WHAT THE HECK?...where was this image of Jess with crazy Bubba teeth coming from?

This time, Nick thought, maybe his friends were right...maybe he DID need to start drinking less. Because the flashbacks were just becoming bizarre.