"Your wife?" Luke asked, confused.
"Yes," Beth said, smiling and holding out her hand. Luke shook her hand.
"I have to go," Reid said, awkward and uncomfortable with the situation in which he had landed himself and glad for the excuse to leave. "The hospital needs me." He kissed Luke on the cheek briefly, glared at Noah for a moment, and then stalked away.
"Why don't we go inside?" Beth asked, indicating Java. "It's silly to stand out here and catch up." She opened the door and Noah and Luke reluctantly followed.
The three made their way to the far side of the coffee shop and found a table near the back at which they all sat down, Noah beside Beth with Luke awkwardly across from them.
"So how do you know Noah?" Beth asked innocently. "I don't think Noah's mentioned you."
My God, he hasn't told her, Luke thought to himself as he glared at Noah. How awful.
Knowing that it was not his place to say anything, Luke said, "Noah and I met the summer before freshman year of college." He saw Noah breathe a sigh of relief. "He had come from Missouri to do an internship here before going to Northwestern."
Just then Beth's cell phone rang. "Please excuse me, I have to take this. I'll only be five minutes." And she walked outside to take the call.
Noah and Luke sat in uncomfortable and painful silence for a couple minutes. Noah broke it first.
"I see you're still with Dr. Oliver."
"Yes. We got married three years ago," Luke responded tersely. "What kind of game are you playing, Noah?"
"What do you mean?"
"You know perfectly well what I mean! The same kind of game you were playing with Maddie! What have you told her about your time in Oakdale?"
"Just that I went to college here."
"Why are you here then?" Luke asked coldly.
"A film festival," Noah said as Beth was walking back towards them. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah. Mom just wanted to know if we landed alright and checked into the hotel."
"Where are you staying?" Luke asked Beth, but he already knew the answer.
"The Lakeview," Beth answered. "Do you know it?"
"Intimately," Luke said, giving Noah a how-dare-you-stay-in-my-mother's-hotel look.
"Oh. Well, I'd love to see more of Oakdale. And I'd love to get to know more about you, Luke. It's great to meet one of Noah's friends outside of film school. Would you do me the honor of showing me around town?"
Poor Beth, Luke thought. He felt sorry for her.
"Sure." Beth beamed in delight.
"Wonderful! Noah, do you want to come along?"
"Why not?" Noah answered.
"Great," Luke said, thought the situation was incredibly awkward.
The three of them stood up and Luke offered Beth his arm.
"Why, thank you! What a gentleman! Just like from a Jane Austen novel," Beth exclaimed, taking Luke's arm. Noah followed behind, teeth clenched and staring blankly ahead.
Together, they made their way through Olde Towne, Luke pointing out various places of importance. Finally, they came to a stop in front of the WOAK building.
"This is the TV station where Noah and I interned the summer we met, along with our friend Maddie," Luke said, leading Beth and Noah inside.
"Maddie? You're freshman year girlfriend?" Beth asked her husband.
Noah nodded.
So he had told her about Maddie, had he?, Luke thought angrily as they walked toward the back of the studio.
"This is the room where Noah and I first –" He was about to say kissed, but caught himself. "– came up with the idea for our movie and spent most of that summer," Luke completed.
"This is cool," Beth said, looking around.
She had not seemed to notice Luke's pause.
"That's pretty much it. You've seen the Lakeview, Al's, Java, Olde Towne, and Oakdale University. There's not much else here except the hospital. As Reid would say, this town is a dump and a disaster, so not much to see," Luke said smiling.
"Aww. I like it here in Oakdale. It's cozy. Like a town from a soap opera."
They made their way back out to Olde Towne. As they walked down the street Beth said, "I hope this isn't too forward or personal, Luke, but you're gay?"
Luke and Noah both stopped dead in their tracks.
"Yes," Luke answered. "I'm gay. And I'm not ashamed of it." The last statement he directed at Noah whose whole body tensed.
"I think that's wonderful. You should be proud of who you are. And anyone who tells you otherwise is a fool," Beth said, squeezing Luke's arm. "Don't you think so, Noah?"
"Yeah. I've always told Luke that," Noah said, moving closer to his wife. "It's getting late, Beth. We have the festival in a few hours and I need to prepare."
"Okay. You're right. And Luke probably wants to get back to his doctor." Beth smiled her sweet smile. She reminded Luke of Maddie. How ironic. Or how appropriate. "It was great to meet you, Luke. And thanks for the tour. I look forward to seeing you again soon."
"Yeah. Bye, Luke," Noah said, walking away, his arm around Beth.\
Luke stared after them and stalked off to find Reid.