After dinner at It's Greek to Me, Adam turned the key to his bachelor pad
and bid hello to Scooter, who was at his usual place on the couch.
After Scooter learned of Adam's infidelity, their friendship had never really been the same. Scooter had become more reserved towards Adam, like Adam had lost some of his trust. Sometimes Adam caught Scooter eyeing each of his new girlfriends warily, and others he just openly didn't like, including Adam's newest, Stacey Newland. Adam didn't blame him—Tamsin had been Scooter's good friend for a long time before Adam had met her and Adam knew that Scooter was a fiercely loyal friend.
As Stacey followed Adam through the door, she said hesitantly, "Hey, Scott." She wasn't a fool and could recognize that Scooter didn't particularly like her. Scooter didn't even let Stacey call him by his nickname.
Scooter waved his hand dismissively in response. "Adam, I picked up the mail—it's on the kitchen counter."
Adam knew something was up because Scooter never picked up the mail. Adam left Stacey in the living room with Scooter as he walked into the kitchen and noticed the mail stack was bigger than usual. He thumbed through the pile, throwing away junk mail and separating out bills that had to be paid.
The last envelope in the stack caught Adam's eye. It was an extremely high- quality envelope, made of classy linen. As Adam scanned the outside writing, he was stunned to note that it was addressed from L.A. He carefully tore it open, but as soon as Adam saw what was inside, he almost dropped it.
Tamsin's smiling face was looking up at him from the photo attached to the front of the card. It had been over two years since she and Adam had last seen each other, and there wasn't a day where Adam didn't think of her—if only for a fleeting moment. A few days after she left, Tamsin had Adam's belongings shipped over. Adam never bothered to open the package, knowing his clothes would have the faintly perfumed scent of Tamsin's apartment. It was also a distinct possibility that the ring would be in there, too, and Adam wasn't ready to see it again.
Adam's face hardened when he took the photo in as a whole. It was a simple happy-go-lucky studio photo of Tamsin with a dark-haired man who looked to be a little older than Adam, maybe close to 30. She smiled in the photo from behind the man, who looked like he was in the middle of a laugh while giving Tamsin a piggyback ride. It made Adam's heart wrench.
He didn't want to open the card, but Adam did anyway. In a muted gold script, the inside of the card read:
You are cordially invited to join us in a celebration of the nuptials of
William Beckett Maguire and Thomasin Inez Logan
Presented by Mr. and Mrs. Jackson Maguire and Mr. and Mrs. Peter Logan.
The date was set for next month, and the wedding was to be held at the Maguire estate just outside of Los Angeles. Reading the invitation made Adam sick to his stomach and he almost chucked it in the trashcan but realized that it was addressed to both 'Adam Banks and guest' and 'Scott Vanderbilt III and guest.' It wouldn't be fair to discard of the invitation before Scooter got a chance to see it—he might want to go.
At that moment Stacey joined Adam in the kitchen, unable to stand Scooter's cold disposition much longer. She spotted the card in Adam's hand and instantly squealed in delight—a wedding invitation is seemingly the equivalent to the call of the wild in the female world.
"Oh, let me see!" Stacey cooed.
Adam weakly handed the card over and watched in horror as Stacey read it and grew progressively more excited. "Oh, the bride has such great taste—look at these invitations! And the groom is so handsome! Whose friend are you—the bride or the groom's?"
Adam felt distinctly uncomfortable answering that question. "I know the bride, actually."
Stacey was oblivious to Adam's discomfort and asked, "We're going to go, right?"
"Wait, why would you want to go? You don't even know the girl." Adam was going to fight this for all it was worth.
Stacey protested. "Come on, Adam—I know the wedding will probably be boring for you, seeing as you're a guy and all...But it's a week in Los Angeles! After 5 months of dating, don't you think it'll be a good vacation for us?"
Adam wholeheartedly disagreed with this assessment, but was interrupted by Scooter, who chose this moment to walk into the kitchen. "What's this I hear about a wedding?"
Adam, unable to look Scooter in the eye, explained. "Tamsin is getting married next month."
Scooter smiled uncharacteristically in Stacey's presence. "Oh, awesome, good for her. Who's the lucky guy?"
Adam glared at Scooter, an expression that he ignored. "It says his name is William Maguire."
Scooter touched his fingers up to his chin in thought. "Maguire? That's the big wine family in California, right?" Scooter pretended to be sort of an aimless degenerate, but he still knew what was up and who was who in the high society.
Adam shrugged. "I guess."
"I guess I should take Emily." Emily Henderson was Scooter's latest, who probably would not last until next month. "Tom will kill me if I don't show. And you? Are you going to make an appearance?"
Adam shook his head. "I don't think I should. It would be awkward."
Stacey interrupted. "Why would it be awkward?"
Scooter glared at Stacey. "Stay out of this, Newland. Its none of your business." Stacey quickly shut her mouth.
"Look, Banks," Scooter said with a strained voice, "Tom wouldn't have sent you an invitation if she didn't want you to go. Maybe she just wants to make peace with you finally. I think it's worth it to find out."
Adam was silent for a moment, and then shook his head. "I can't do it." The emotions were still too raw and Adam didn't know if he could take it. Adam looked over at Stacey—he knew that she expected to stay the night, but right now Adam was not in the mood. "You should go home, Stacey."
Stacey looked like she might pout, but Scooter quickly gave her another glare. "Alright, then. Call me tomorrow."
Adam didn't bother to say goodbye, but instead turned quickly to the bathroom because he felt that he might throw up.
After Scooter learned of Adam's infidelity, their friendship had never really been the same. Scooter had become more reserved towards Adam, like Adam had lost some of his trust. Sometimes Adam caught Scooter eyeing each of his new girlfriends warily, and others he just openly didn't like, including Adam's newest, Stacey Newland. Adam didn't blame him—Tamsin had been Scooter's good friend for a long time before Adam had met her and Adam knew that Scooter was a fiercely loyal friend.
As Stacey followed Adam through the door, she said hesitantly, "Hey, Scott." She wasn't a fool and could recognize that Scooter didn't particularly like her. Scooter didn't even let Stacey call him by his nickname.
Scooter waved his hand dismissively in response. "Adam, I picked up the mail—it's on the kitchen counter."
Adam knew something was up because Scooter never picked up the mail. Adam left Stacey in the living room with Scooter as he walked into the kitchen and noticed the mail stack was bigger than usual. He thumbed through the pile, throwing away junk mail and separating out bills that had to be paid.
The last envelope in the stack caught Adam's eye. It was an extremely high- quality envelope, made of classy linen. As Adam scanned the outside writing, he was stunned to note that it was addressed from L.A. He carefully tore it open, but as soon as Adam saw what was inside, he almost dropped it.
Tamsin's smiling face was looking up at him from the photo attached to the front of the card. It had been over two years since she and Adam had last seen each other, and there wasn't a day where Adam didn't think of her—if only for a fleeting moment. A few days after she left, Tamsin had Adam's belongings shipped over. Adam never bothered to open the package, knowing his clothes would have the faintly perfumed scent of Tamsin's apartment. It was also a distinct possibility that the ring would be in there, too, and Adam wasn't ready to see it again.
Adam's face hardened when he took the photo in as a whole. It was a simple happy-go-lucky studio photo of Tamsin with a dark-haired man who looked to be a little older than Adam, maybe close to 30. She smiled in the photo from behind the man, who looked like he was in the middle of a laugh while giving Tamsin a piggyback ride. It made Adam's heart wrench.
He didn't want to open the card, but Adam did anyway. In a muted gold script, the inside of the card read:
You are cordially invited to join us in a celebration of the nuptials of
William Beckett Maguire and Thomasin Inez Logan
Presented by Mr. and Mrs. Jackson Maguire and Mr. and Mrs. Peter Logan.
The date was set for next month, and the wedding was to be held at the Maguire estate just outside of Los Angeles. Reading the invitation made Adam sick to his stomach and he almost chucked it in the trashcan but realized that it was addressed to both 'Adam Banks and guest' and 'Scott Vanderbilt III and guest.' It wouldn't be fair to discard of the invitation before Scooter got a chance to see it—he might want to go.
At that moment Stacey joined Adam in the kitchen, unable to stand Scooter's cold disposition much longer. She spotted the card in Adam's hand and instantly squealed in delight—a wedding invitation is seemingly the equivalent to the call of the wild in the female world.
"Oh, let me see!" Stacey cooed.
Adam weakly handed the card over and watched in horror as Stacey read it and grew progressively more excited. "Oh, the bride has such great taste—look at these invitations! And the groom is so handsome! Whose friend are you—the bride or the groom's?"
Adam felt distinctly uncomfortable answering that question. "I know the bride, actually."
Stacey was oblivious to Adam's discomfort and asked, "We're going to go, right?"
"Wait, why would you want to go? You don't even know the girl." Adam was going to fight this for all it was worth.
Stacey protested. "Come on, Adam—I know the wedding will probably be boring for you, seeing as you're a guy and all...But it's a week in Los Angeles! After 5 months of dating, don't you think it'll be a good vacation for us?"
Adam wholeheartedly disagreed with this assessment, but was interrupted by Scooter, who chose this moment to walk into the kitchen. "What's this I hear about a wedding?"
Adam, unable to look Scooter in the eye, explained. "Tamsin is getting married next month."
Scooter smiled uncharacteristically in Stacey's presence. "Oh, awesome, good for her. Who's the lucky guy?"
Adam glared at Scooter, an expression that he ignored. "It says his name is William Maguire."
Scooter touched his fingers up to his chin in thought. "Maguire? That's the big wine family in California, right?" Scooter pretended to be sort of an aimless degenerate, but he still knew what was up and who was who in the high society.
Adam shrugged. "I guess."
"I guess I should take Emily." Emily Henderson was Scooter's latest, who probably would not last until next month. "Tom will kill me if I don't show. And you? Are you going to make an appearance?"
Adam shook his head. "I don't think I should. It would be awkward."
Stacey interrupted. "Why would it be awkward?"
Scooter glared at Stacey. "Stay out of this, Newland. Its none of your business." Stacey quickly shut her mouth.
"Look, Banks," Scooter said with a strained voice, "Tom wouldn't have sent you an invitation if she didn't want you to go. Maybe she just wants to make peace with you finally. I think it's worth it to find out."
Adam was silent for a moment, and then shook his head. "I can't do it." The emotions were still too raw and Adam didn't know if he could take it. Adam looked over at Stacey—he knew that she expected to stay the night, but right now Adam was not in the mood. "You should go home, Stacey."
Stacey looked like she might pout, but Scooter quickly gave her another glare. "Alright, then. Call me tomorrow."
Adam didn't bother to say goodbye, but instead turned quickly to the bathroom because he felt that he might throw up.