Chapter 11: The Big Day, Part 1

Nick pulled out his wallet, handing over a few notes to the cabbie and thanking him as he went to the trunk to grab his baggage. Closing the trunk he took a gander at the old familiar neon sign at the familiar street corner. In the early afternoon daylight it looked far more decrepit than he remembered, although it did seem to fit in with the rest of the building. Like most crappy bars, Clyde's looked far better at night and after a few cocktails. Walking through the door, Nick felt great relief from the LA sun. While he agreed with Jamie that the three-piece suit he had picked out was classically fashionable, it didn't fair to well in the SoCal heat.

After his eyes adjusted to the dank, dark barroom lighting, Nick looked anxiously to see a familiar face working. Immense relief overcame him when he saw the easily recognizable figure of Big Bob watching some television. Nick hadn't kept in touch with anyone from Clyde's, but was just happy that Shane wasn't present. As he strolled over to the bar, Bob looked down from the TV and his face broke out in a huge smile.

"Well, would you look at what the cat dragged in? Look at you! I barely recognized you in that suit!" Big Bob reached over the bar embracing Nick in a rough man-hug. Nick reciprocated Bob's smile with one of his own. Big Bob was never a close friend of Nick's, but he always liked working with him. The shifts always seemed to go by a little quicker and smoother. "So why are you all dressed up?"

"I'm in town for a wedding, thought I would hit up the old stomping grounds before checking in at the hotel," Nick explained while grabbing a bar stool.

"That's cool. Who's getting married? Anyone I know?"

"Do you remember my old roommate, Jess?"

It seemed like such a silly question to Bob. Every time his female roommate was at the bar, Nick was always a little more cheerful. The change in his demeanor was always noticeable. Bob never pried into his coworkers lives, but he was certain that there was something there other than two friends hanging out.

"Yeah, I remember her. She was a good gal." Bob tried his best to not overstep Nick's boundaries. The look in his eyes sent a clear message. He was going to her wedding, and burying something with it. "I'd say a drink is in order for an old friend. So which of one of your 'usuals' will you be enjoying today?"

"I guess a Jack and Coke, light on the Coke."

Big Bob made short work of the simple drink order, sliding it to Nick. A man asking for a drink this heavy before a wedding confirmed Bob's suspicions.

"Did you just get into town?"

"I stopped for lunch, but yeah, I arrived earlier today."

"What, you had some time to kill, and you just couldn't get help but come back to this awesome place?" Both of the men let out a small laugh.

"You know me. Ol' Nostalgic Nick Miller."

Big Bob laughed heartily. It surprised him how much he missed shooting the breeze with Nick.

"So when does this wedding start anyway?"

Nick let out an audible sigh. "In about five minutes. I kind of thought it would be best if I just showed up for the reception."

Bob didn't need another confirmation, but that about cinched it. "Well if that's the case, this one is on the house."

Nick raised his glass to Bob. "Thanks man."

Bob left Nick to his thoughts for a few minutes as Nick went to work on his drink. He had seen Nick down before, but this was something different. Making a note to try to change the subject, Bob returned to give Nick a second drink.

"So, rumor has it you work at a brewery now."

"Yeah, me, my brother, and one of his friends. We opened up the place just about ten months ago."

"Opened? Like you own it?" Bob tried to hide some of the surprise in his voice.

"Part-owner. We are still kind of small-time, but the place is on steady financial footing. If you are ever around, I insist that you stop by."

"Unfortunately I don't make it to Chicago often. I will say, if you ever get distribution out the west coast I'll make certain to keep an eye or for it an suggest we keep it in stock."

All Nick could do was shake his head. One little successful venture and everyone was dreaming big for him. "I think we better work on making it out of the Chicagoland area before we worry about either coast."

With both men smiling Nick pulled his phone out and noted the time. It was time to head over to the reception, time to make a grown-up move. Wishing Big Bob good-bye and thanking him for the drinks, he headed out the door.

After checking into the hotel, Nick started on the short walk to the reception hall nearby. When he arrived he noticed the lack of foot traffic nearby to the building, but didn't think much of it until he stepped inside. There were people, but they all seemed to be uniformed, and in clean-up mode. With panic running through his mind that he got the day screwed up, he ripped the invitation out of his pocket, double checking the date with his phone. Breathing out a sigh of relief, he realized the wedding and reception were scheduled for today as he thought. Stepping outside of the building, he verified that he was also at the correct reception hall via the name and address. All of this added to Nick's confusion. Where the hell was everybody?

With his phone still in his hand, he shot off a text to Winston to seek some clarity and answers.

Yo Winny, how's the wedding?

I guess word travels fast huh?

I don't follow

It didn't happen

WHAT?

The wedding didn't happen. We were all waiting at the church, someone came out and made an announcement. Thanked us for coming.

Everything okay? Is Jess okay?

We can only assume so. Cece is with her now. The crew and I rolled to a place called Sliders since we were all fancied up. It's a neat place. Schmidt hates it.

With his earlier questions answered, a slew of new ones entered Nick's mind, with most of them revolving around Jess' well-being. What the heck happened? Why had the wedding not happened? Was she really okay? Additional worries entered Nick's head about how he was supposed to handle his current situation. What was the etiquette for contacting the bride of a non-wedding? Would Jess want to hear from him? Nick had yet to tell anyone that he was even coming. He tried to convince himself it was so he could surprise his old friends, but he couldn't kid himself. He wanted an easy way out if he started to feel like a coward. He could hop back on a plane and act like he was never in LA if need be.

It took Nick a few seconds to realize that Jess did not marry Sam today. When he boarded his flight back in Chicago, he didn't truthfully entertain that scenario as a remote possibility, but it in fact had come to pass.

Jess didn't marry Sam.

Nick still had no idea what would be going through Jess' head now, or why the wedding fell through. All he knew was he was selfishly in a far greater mood. Allowing a small smile to form on his lips, he decided he would first go pay a visit to the fellas. With a little clarity, he knew he couldn't come all this way and not at least see his oldest friends. He would have to work out a plan for how to approach Jess later. A few drinks with the guys would be his starting point for tonight.

"Babe, stop apologizing."

"I'm sorry Cece. I just can't help it," said Jess with a forlorn look plastered to her face. "I'm drinking all of your wine, and now I feel like I'm kicking you out of your place."

"I asked what you needed as we were driving away from the church, and you said to get out of your dress, some solitude, some wine, and time alone to get your mind right. I am just continuing my duties as best friend and maid-of-honor in providing those things at my humble abode."

"I could just go somewhere else…"

"Where exactly? Back to your apartment, the one you shared with Sam? Perhaps maybe your old loft would provide peace and quiet? Jess, I love those guys, and I know they would do almost anything for you, but they aren't going to be helpful right now."

Jess agreed completely with Cece, but she still felt bad about the situation. "Seriously though, you can stick around and drink wine with me," said Jess, hoping to ease her guilt.

"Don't worry about me, I will go find our friends, make sure everyone knows you are just fine, hang out for a while, and by the time I get back you will be in the mood for sappy movies and ice cream."

Jess and Cece's conversation was interrupted by Jess' phone ringing for what seemed like the hundredth time that evening. Since they had left the ceremony all sorts of people, from shirt-tail relatives to coworkers, were trying to reach her. She knew they were just concerned for her, but the constant notifications coming from her phone were more than annoying. Jess hit the ignore button, and realized her best friend was right as usual. Jess said it herself, she needed some time alone. Cece would deflect concerns and inquiries from the group of friends that had gathered at a bar near the hotel. Jess had already given her mom and dad the assurance that she was okay, yet Joan specifically insisted on being with her, to which Jess had to decline. She didn't want people sitting around feeling sorry for her, because part of her felt surprisingly good. Maybe that was the wine talking. She was certain that she had more clarity in the moment she decided to end things with Sam than she had in a long time. That could not be blamed on the wine.

Standing up and walking over to Cece, Jess gave her friend a rather un-Jess like hug. "Cece, I'm sorry I made you…go through all of this…wedding stuff."

Cece pulled back from the hug and gave her friend a bemused look. "You owe me no apologies. You really have a short-term memory, don't you? Do you not recall how I went through nearly the exact situation last year?"

Jess let out a somewhat sincere laugh. "We sure know how to pick 'em, don't we?"

Another text notification from Jess' phone drew their attention away from the moment. After a disgruntled sigh, Jess shut her ringer off. Cece grabbed her purse and keys and stepped towards the door. "You know I'm only a text or call away, but otherwise I suspect I will be back in a few hours. Let me know if you need anything babe."

"Thanks again, Cees."

After Cece shut the door, Jess made her way back to the couch and wine bottle. It felt good to just be alone with her thoughts for the first time that day. No phone interruptions, no parents, just peace and quiet. The quiet helped her reinforce the point that she had made the right decision today. She was mad at herself for not being honest enough with herself to figure this all out sooner. She felt terrible for wasting everyone's time, and for leaving Sam the day they were supposed to get married. It obviously surprised him when she told him she wasn't going to marry him, but among all the emotions she felt today, there was an overwhelming sense of relief.

Only two people had asked her if she was happy during the whole wedding planning process, and it was a question that kept bugging her the closer it got to the wedding day. It ate away at her to think that she had actually buried her own feelings and doubts about the engagement and pending nuptials rather than addressing them. She could only blame one scruffy former roommate for rubbing off on her. Stupid Nick Miller. She had also buried the feelings she had when she received his RSVP card that confirmed he wouldn't be coming. She couldn't help but feel disappointed at his response, even though she told him directly that she wouldn't hold it against him. Stupid, stupid Nick Miller.

Thinking about Nick and how stupid he was, Jess walked over the kitchen and uncorked another bottle of wine. Predictably, this was going to be a long night.

A/N: Thank you as always for the positive support, and patience with this update. I promise the second part of this is not far behind.