Jeffrey should have searched for Dušek as soon as he'd finished speaking with Tommy, but dread had gotten the better of him. Hours had passed, dinner was over, and he still hadn't exchanged a single word with Dušek.

Not that Dušek had tried speaking with him either, hadn't even spared him a glance. Jeffrey had decided that Dušek's promise to make amends with him had been a show, just for Skye, and he had no real intention of connecting with him. That left Jeffrey with quite an intimidating concern: when he did talk to Dušek, he could get accused of having the hots for his fiancée. If that happened, Jeffrey doubted he'd be able to get himself out of such a mess. Batty had proven that when faced with allegations he couldn't honestly dispute, he crumbled. The most he could do now was hope that Dušek wasn't possessive enough to confront him.

It was now or never. Rehearsal for the procession would start in about two hours, and once it did, there would be too much going on for Jeffrey to squeeze in an awkward conversation – so, he wandered the estate to hunt for Dušek. Luck was at least a little in his favor, because Dušek wasn't with Skye. He was at the lily pond with Nick and his two daughters. Funny. Maybe Jeffrey wouldn't need to drown himself. Dušek just might do it for him.

Emma Geiger, five years old, was staring up at Dušek in wonder while he imitated a dolphin for her – quite well, Jeffrey could admit.

"Impressive," he said, stopping next to Nick.

Dušek glanced at him. He spared no smile. "That's my marine biologist party trick."

"Ah. Nice," said Jeffrey. It was a weak response. He was not starting off well.

Emma attempted her own dolphin imitation, but all she managed was a squeal.

"That's a better dying whale than a dolphin, Em," Nick teased.

She folded her arms. "You try."

Nick laughed. He nodded at Dušek. "Oh no. He's the master."

"Practice, you'll get it," Dušek encouraged.

Emma tried again, but she was no better at it, so she quickly lost interest and knelt to watch the frogs hopping beside the pond.

Georgia, Nick's youngest, was a shy two year old. Jeffrey's arrival made for two strangers too many, and she clung frightfully to her father's leg.

"Oh this is interesting," said Nick. He took a step forward, heaving Georgia along with him. That earned him a big smile from his littlest girl. "I seem to have developed some sort of growth."

"Looks like a barnacle to me," said Dušek.

Nick lugged Georgia around; she shrieked with laughter and held on tighter, using both her arms and legs. "Is this a permanent situation?"

"I'm afraid so," said Dušek. "You're stuck with it until you die."

Nick continued his labored walk. Sighing, he said, "Well, what am I going to do about that?"

"Daddy, it's me!" Georgia proudly exclaimed.

Nick stopped and peered down at her. "Gigi! It is you. I never would have guessed." He pried her off his leg and swooped her into the air. "What are you hiding down there for?"

Georgia squealed. "Down!"

"Alright." Nick spun her upside down. He set her on her little hands, which now dangled under her head. "Down you go, baby girl."

"Daddy! Wrong way!"

"Is it? Looks right to me," said Nick. He swung her by the ankles, left and right, her fingers trailing through the grass.

"No!" She erupted in a fit of giggles. "It's wrong!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! I'm sure, I'm sure!"

"If you say so." Nick twisted her right side up, kissed her face, and placed her on her feet. "How's that? Better?"

Georgia hopped excitedly. "Again!"

"Again?" Nick laughed. "But you said to put you down."

"Again!"

Back in the air she went, shrieking laughter while Nick spun her through the air. Emma jumped to her feet, feeling left out.

"My turn!" she said.

Nick put Georgia on his shoulders and picked up Emma too. They were such a cheerful diversion, one Jeffrey didn't want to leave, but he sucked it up and dove right in.

"Dušek, I was hoping to talk to you, if that's alright."

"What?" Dušek had been watching Nick and his kids as intently as Jeffrey. He turned. "Oh, sure."

"Do you want to…" Jeffrey jerked his head, indicating that maybe they should talk someplace else. He wasn't trying to have this conversation in front of Nick.

"Uh… yeah, okay," said Dušek. "We'll see you later, Nick."

Nick gave them a lackluster wave, his attention still pulled to his daughters.

Jeffrey and Dušek didn't go far, just to the statue of Zeus (still affectionately dubbed the Marble Thunderbolt Man) on the other side of the gardens. They didn't speak until they reached it. Jeffrey's heart beat in his throat. He should have planned better for this. He had no outline.

"Well, what do you want?" Dušek asked, after the silence had lingered a bit too long.

"I—" Jeffrey stopped. He smiled tensely, looking out into the gardens. "I feel like we got off on the wrong foot. Can I fix that?"

Dušek watched him but said nothing. Did that mean no? No, he couldn't fix it? Jeffrey was ready to run straight to the airport. Germany had never been so enticing.

Then, Dušek exhaled, and he sat at the base of the statue.

"Fuck me," he muttered.

Jeffrey hesitated before he said, "What?"

Dušek laughed and adjusted his glasses on his nose. "Sorry. Nothing. Skye was right."

"What about?" Of course, Jeffrey knew, since he'd heard their whole discussion, but he wasn't going to own up to that.

"She really stuck up for you." With another sigh, Dušek said, "We got off on the wrong foot because I was an asshat."

"Oh." Jeffrey wasn't sure how to respond. He couldn't very well say he agreed. That wouldn't help matters. He settled on, "I think there was just some sort of misunderstanding."

Dušek nearly smiled at him. "You don't have to do that. I know I was. Skye made sure to tell me."

"There was no need." Jeffrey shook his head to dismiss it all, as if Skye advocating for him hadn't occupied the majority of his recent thoughts. "Pre-wedding nerves, right? I get it."

"Something like that," said Dušek. "And, if it's worth anything to you, I'm sorry. I'd like to start over."

"Okay." Jeffrey smiled. So he'd kept his secret another day. "It's already forgotten."

"Thank you. Really." Dušek stood up and held out his hand. "I'll shake your hand now, if the offer is still on the table."

Jeffrey shook it. Things were better, but tension was still thick between them. Hoping to ease some of it, he said, "I want to clarify, I do buy my own groceries."

Dušek laughed. "It doesn't matter. I didn't mean any of that stuff I said." He tapped his hand against his leg. "Truth is, I'm just a little intimidated by you. I'm definitely intimidated by your house." He glanced at Arundel. "I kind of want your life."

The irony there was painful.

"Trust me, it's not all fun and free stuff," he promised. "My mom only gave me the house because I've got five ex-stepfathers she is trying to forget, and every one of them was a douchebag."

"I think that makes me the douchebag," said Dušek. There was a brief silence, and then he added, "Five? Are you serious?"

Jeffrey laughed. His mother was a piece of work, and she had no taste. She'd paid the price, marrying for status, thus proving what Jeffrey had already known: it wasn't worth shit.

"Sorry if that's not the most comforting thing to hear right before your wedding," Jeffrey joked. This was getting easier.

"I'm not too worried," said Dušek. "And hey, at least you've got your dad. I really like him."

"It would have been nice if my mom did. She won't find anyone better," said Jeffrey. His mother had recently sworn off of marriage, but Jeffrey didn't believe her. No one did. "Not to say they shouldn't have gotten divorced, that was definitely the right choice. They're not suited at all, but—" He shook his head. "Her picks just got worse and worse."

"Really?" said Dušek. "I've only ever heard shit about your first stepdad."

"He's just the only one Skye ever met," said Jeffrey. "That's the sad part. Dexter is probably my favorite."

Dušek's smile was both sympathetic and amused. "Yikes."

Jeffrey shrugged. "He never cheated on her, and he didn't do anything illegal, so I guess he wins."

"That's one low bar," said Dušek.

"I know, so I just feel bad for her now. My mom."

Dušek nodded. "Skye has said that marriage isn't for everybody."

Jeffrey seized the opportunity to tell a little white lie, one that might further reassure Dušek if he had any lingering doubts about his intentions.

"I'm glad she changed her mind about it," he said. "You two will be great."

"You think so?"

Jeffrey did think so, as difficult as that was for him to accept. He had no complaints, outside of his selfish ones. Credit where credit was due – he respected Dušek for apologizing, and for sticking around to talk to him afterwards. He didn't have to, so it showed that he cared enough to put some effort in. Whether or not that was merely for the sake of Skye and her family was a moot point. It was good enough for Jeffrey. Dušek's second impression rectified his first, and Jeffrey could stand to match his effort.

"I know so," said Jeffrey. "Skye's really happy with you. I can tell."

Dušek smiled, a far off look settling into his eyes which probably meant he was thinking about Skye. It was endearing – damn it to hell.

"That means a lot, coming from you," said Dušek.

Jeffrey tried not to read into that too much. His instinct was to be wary. 'Coming from you', as in, since you're the one who would remove me from the picture in a second, if it was up to you? Not that Jeffrey actually would remove him, if he could – not while Skye was happy with him. But was that what Dušek meant?

No. It wasn't. There was nothing accusatory in his words, simply honesty. He probably meant that Jeffrey's opinion mattered because it mattered so much to everyone else. Jeffrey beat himself over the head with that truth. He was doing his job well. Skye was still the unfortunate object of his affection, but Batty was the only one to know. He'd hid it from Skye, and he'd hid it from Dušek – the two people it was most vital that he fool. A few more days and he'd be in the clear. Once he was home in Europe, he would not return to the States, and he would not allow himself to see Skye – even a member of her family – until he no longer wanted her. Maybe not until he had a fiancée of his own.

"Well, it's true," said Jeffrey.

After that, he blanked on conversation topics. This was an unusual problem for him. Normally, he found it easy to talk. If he excused himself, that might be simpler, but he couldn't figure out the best way to do that either.

With a throat-clearing cough, Dušek eventually said, "So…not a fan of Jeff, huh?"

Jeffrey was glad Dušek wasn't desperate to see him off, but bummed the conversation lived on. He wanted to go. He'd stick it out until Dušek did. "I hate Jeff."

Dušek smiled, still embarrassed. "That, I did not know."

Jeffrey had figured Dušek hadn't done that bit on purpose. Nobody ever did, but he got called Jeff a lot. That was probably why he hated it. He had one of those names people automatically cut short.

"You're not the only one," he said. "Trust me."

That was the second time he'd said that: trust me. Both as a casual, meaningless phrase, but he hoped Dušek would trust him in the deeper sense too. If Dušek could read his mind, he might not like much of what he saw, but he would see that he could trust him – trust him to keep his mouth shut. He had for a long time.

"Sorry. Now I know," said Dušek. "How long are you in town for?"

The conversation flowed much more naturally after that. Jeffrey told him that he would stay for another week, Dušek asked why he'd decided to move to Germany. Jeffrey said that his father had taken him there to tour jazz clubs, and he'd fallen in love with it enough to move there after college. He confirmed that Dušek had come to America for graduate school, and Dušek said that he missed Europe, and he hoped to move back one day, if Skye would be willing. Jeffrey told him that he would travel to Prague the next month for work, Dušek told him that he'd grown up in a city about two hours from it, called Český Krumlov, and that Prague was his favorite place to visit. He offered to give Jeffrey a list of things to see while he was there, and Jeffrey readily accepted. He handed his phone to Dušek, who enthusiastically typed out a list of suggestions for him, rambling about each as he did. He was still typing when Tommy appeared out of nowhere, scaring Jeffrey out of his wits with a light-hearted shove in the back.

Jeffrey cursed and demanded, "What was that for?"

"Too good to pass up," said Tommy. "So. I see no bloodshed. Am I blind, or is everything cool?"

Dušek finished with Jeffrey's phone and handed it back to him. Jeffrey quickly scanned the list he'd provided, which was extensive and itemized.

"It's cool. We're good," said Dušek. "Jeffrey's a forgiving guy, and I am a dolt."

"I told you that, didn't I?" Tommy hit Jeffrey's arm. "I told him that. I've got your back."

"You and everybody else," said Dušek.

"Did Skye lay into you? I knew she would," said Tommy.

Dušek laughed. "It could have been worse. I think the wedding is what saved me – just because it's so soon."

"Lend me some of those privileges, why don't you?" said Tommy. "I can't catch a break with Rosalind right now."

"That's a lost cause, I think," Dušek said apologetically. "You've already got the old married couple thing down."

"Yeah, but when we're all old and senile, I bet you and Skye will have us beat."

Dušek grinned. "Maybe."

As the only one who was not fast approaching his wedding, Jeffrey felt out of place. He wasn't even slowly approaching it. There was no wedding in sight for him. No date in sight, though he was determined to change that when he got home. Even a casual dinner would be better than nothing. Anything to set his sights on a woman who wouldn't be out of his reach.

"I can't really picture Skye as a wife," Tommy admitted. "I thought she'd never want to get married."

Jeffrey nodded but said nothing. He was overwhelmingly exhausted from pretending to be as pleased by her change of heart as the rest of the group. He smiled just the same. At least he was well practiced at lying about it.

"I thought that," said Dušek. "I do wish I would have gotten the chance to really propose to her, but I'll take the marriage however I can get it."

"Proposals are overrated," said Tommy. "Rosalind ruined mine."

That wasn't how Jeffrey had heard the story. "I thought your proposal went great."

"You say that," Tommy laughed. "You don't know what really happened."

"Tell it, then," said Dušek.

"She got mad at me," said Tommy. "I planned it out for a week. I took her to the spot in Quigley Woods where I kissed her the first time, put a whole picnic together, and I was just waiting for the right moment. I wanted to catch her off guard. I guess I did that too well, because I'd barely started my speech about how perfect I think she is, and she started railing on me for always making her think that I might finally propose and then disappointing her when I don't. I didn't have a chance to interrupt. She was spouting off about how we've dated forever, so if I'm too scared to commit, she'd like to know that. I gave up trying to cut in and just stuck the ring in her lap."

It felt so good for Jeffrey to laugh, to feel completely at ease, if only for the moment. He definitely hadn't heard the full story. Rosalind had relayed the part about Quigley Woods, but strategically left out her outburst.

"What did she say?" he asked.

"I'm sorry. Well – first she stared at the ring for a long time, and she got this great, embarrassed look on her face and hid under the picnic blanket, but then she said she was sorry. And that her answer was obviously yes, but mostly she was worried about apologizing."

"Why? That's a much better story," said Dušek.

"I know," Tommy agreed. "But I acted a little put out, just to make her work for it."

"Asshole," said Jeffrey.

"She yelled at me!"

"You did take forever to ask her," said Dušek.

Jeffrey pointed at him, signally that he was on his side. He liked that. He didn't want to feel at war with Dušek anymore. Agreeing on little things was a good start.

"Oh cut it out," Tommy laughed. "Rosy fucked it up. End of story. The end."

"You two are always the same," Jeffrey laughed.

While he was in the middle of agreeing, Dušek's phone rang. He stepped away to take the call.

Quietly, Tommy told Jeffrey, "I'm glad you worked it out with him."

"Me too."

It was already easier to be around Dušek. The real test would be when Jeffrey found himself conversing with both him and Skye together. Jeffrey didn't think he was ready for that yet, but he was running out of time to prepare. By the time the night ended, he'd probably get thrown into that situation.

Dušek returned, announcing, "My sister-in-law brought a friend. Nobody gave her a plus one, but she still brought a friend."

"I think we'll manage," Tommy chuckled.

"You don't understand." Dušek was grave. "I didn't give her one on purpose, because I really didn't want her to bring Albínka. I don't like her, Skye doesn't like her, and she always starts drama. Jeffrey, you didn't bring a date, did you?"

Jeffrey shook his head, wishing (not for the first time) that his most recent relationship had lasted long enough for him to have a girlfriend to bring to this wedding. Probably, it was better that he didn't– it would've been bad form to pine after the bride with a woman on his arm – but he would have felt just a tad better attending if he weren't single. Oh well. Sigrid had been right: they had been wasting their time in their relationship, they'd both known it, and they were getting too old to simply mess around for the fun of it. So, single he was. Again. What a shame.

"Heads up, then," said Dušek. "She's coming for you."

"Thanks for the warning."

"Could be fun," Tommy said, throwing Jeffrey a wink. "What's wrong with a little wedding rendezvous?"

Jeffrey coughed out a laugh, not planning on rendezvousing with anyone in that manner.

"Can one of you tell Skye that she's coming?" Dušek asked. "I've got to run to the airport. They all just landed."

"Sure. I can," said Jeffrey, on instinct. He was always quick to offer to help people out, and he'd forgotten that maybe he didn't want to help with this particular task.

"Great, thanks. Catch you later," said Dušek.

Jeffrey decided that he must not like himself very much. Just as easily, he could have left the job to Tommy. Also just as easily, Dušek could have simply shot Skye a text – though Jeffrey did know that she had a habit of leaving her phone lying around, often missing messages for hours, if not entirely. He liked that about her, when he wasn't the one trying to reach her.

He would have to face Skye eventually, so this was as good a time as any. He'd kept his distance when he could (had even used soccer to sidestep her long-time-no-see hug), but too much avoidance would be suspicious. Based on the conversation he'd overheard earlier, Skye wanted to talk to him about Dušek anyway. At least now he could tell her that she didn't have a thing to worry about, and he'd be able to largely avoid listening to her make excuses on behalf of her fiancé. That conversation would have been unbearably awkward, so what was this one?

No big deal.