I walk to the door, glad I didn't have to explain "Rounds" to Sam.
"Hi, I'm Lee Burke. I live down the street next to the Littles. Rick said you were having a little meeting-and-greet party?"
"Hello, Lee. Come right in. Rick is over there on one of the recliners."
Lee shakes my hand and walks straight through the door to the living room to meet up with Rick.
"Hey, did you invite anyone else?" Pete joins me as I shut the front door.
"Not really. You guys are the only ones from school that I'm still in touch with. Remember, we were are own little 'geek squad' back then."
"Yeah, we were all kind of insular loners back then," Pete replies as we walk back to the others.
"I tried to reach out to a few more, but they respectfully declined. Don't think they'll be coming to the wedding either."
"Anyone from UK? We had quite a big group going by then." Will gets up to join us, away from Rick and Lee. Jim stays behind, odd.
"Unfortunately, everyone pretty much has left the state. One or two said they might come to the wedding, but they were non-committed. Same goes with my gaming buddies since then."
"What about you friends from New York? Any coming down tonight?" Pete asks.
"Nope. Too busy, but I think some of them will be throwing me a bachelor/going away party closer to the actual wedding day. Only my rep will be coming to the wedding though, and he is only coming to make sure there's 'proper media attention.' Although, I'm sure he's happy for me as well."
"How about work? Anyone from there coming?" Will this time.
"Nope. Why should they?"
The doorbell rings at the same time as my phone goes off.
"Sorry, I think the delivery is here. Maybe more guests. Keep yourselves company while I get that."
I rush off to the door and answer my phone. I was right. Not only was the delivery here, but so were more guests.
I guess Will was just trying to be kind, but honestly, I don't even remember most of my former co-workers names. Funny how I can still remember people I haven't seen in over five, ten, gong on twenty years, but I wouldn't be able to point out many of the people I worked with just a few years ago.
There was Tim Davidson, the former head editor. I was barely able to return to Lexington the first time to attend his second wedding. He left Blue Homestead a few months later to take an assistant editor post at a small regional publisher in Chicago, but with a higher salary. Less work, more money. It is a rival to my publisher, so we don't really keep in touch anymore. I invited him to the wedding, but he won't be able to attend.
Then there was Bennie Rogers, the human resources director. He helped me out a few times just before I left. His daughter died a year or two ago. A tree fell on her. It had been damaged in a storm, but it hadn't been taken down yet. It was on the schedule for the following week. Bennie was so devastated that he and his family moved back to Texas. He works in the aerospace industry now. Lexington has too many bad memories for him, so he won't be returning either.
The only other 'friend' I have there would've been Judge Aaron Hemphill, founder of Blue Homestead publishing. I kind of got along with his adult children while they were working there, but I had too many run-ins with his wife, Anita, who actually handled the day-to-day business, to have ever felt welcomed there. The Judge had a mini-stroke back in March, and he hasn't appeared back in court since. Officially, he is only 'semi-retired' and will be on the bench this summer. However, Rick has heard rumors that he will never hear another case and he is only waiting until a few last cases he was hearing finish before he makes an official statement.
I barely notice the inflow of unfamiliar men as I keep answering the door between mindless conversations with neighbors both new and old. Rick managed to invite over a dozen men, one from two streets over. How he managed that, I don't know. None seem to miss the alcohol, but I can sense an unease starting to spread. Pete is joining in easy, but Will is mostly by himself. I don't know where Jim ran off to. Then, I hear Rick making an announcement as I'm getting another drink from the kitchen.
"Men, it's time for the entertainment to start!"
Please don't involve any naked women. Or nudity of any kind.
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