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Jesus, the small talk was the worst. It was even harder for two friends who had, despite a twenty-year friendship, barely spoken over the phone before Max even went to rehab. It was very new for both of them and it was awkward as shit. Over the past couple of weeks, Carter had learned that safe topics of conversation were the body shop, their friends, and life as a CEO. The no-go areas Carter was still learning but, so far, therapy and all that that entailed, and Max’s medication were definitely out.
    “So, look,” Carter said, kicking at the snowy sidewalk beneath his boots. “I have some news.”
    Max’s voice was immediately more animated. “Thank fuck. I need some news here, man. I’m bored shitless. Hit me.”
    Carter took a deep breath and glanced toward the gray New York sky. “I didn’t want to tell you on the phone, which isn’t ideal, but it’ll have to do because I don’t know when I’ll be able to come and visit you and I wanted to be—”
    “Shit, son, you’re rambling!” Max exclaimed, worried. “What the hell’s up?”
    Carter laughed nervously. “Nothing. Nothing, it’s just . . . Kat and I . . . I asked her to marry me. We got engaged.”
    The silence at the other end of the line was thunderous. Carter slumped against the nearest wall and dropped his chin to his chest. If he knew his best friend at all, he knew that he had to give him time to digest the news. Carter was all too knowledgeable of Max’s pain in regard to his fucked-up relationship with Lizzie, but Carter had no idea how news of his own impending nuptials was going to go down.
    The silence continued, punctuated only by the occasional fizz of white noise on Carter’s cell phone. “Max?”
    “That’s . . . the last thing I thought you were going to say,” Max said eventually. His words were slow, careful and, without seeing his face, Carter couldn’t get a read on him. “It’s that serious, huh?”
    Carter nodded toward the ground. “Yeah, man. It’s that serious. I saw the ring one day in Tiffany’s window and I just thought, Fuck it. Why the hell am I wasting my life not being married to this woman?”
    Max sniffed. “Yeah,” he replied softly. “I, um, I remember the feeling.”
    Carter closed his eyes at the pain in his friend’s voice. “Look, Max, I—”
    “No,” Max interrupted, causing Carter’s heart to thump hard, “I’m . . . that’s great news, brother. Great news.”
    Carter blinked. “It is?”
    A resounding snort echoed down the phone. “Well, I hope so, dude, you’re marrying her!”
    Carter laughed in relief, leaning his head back against the bare brick of the building and sighed. “No, it is. It’s awesome news, although, why the hell she wants to be with me for the rest of her life, is beyond me.”
    “No doubt. She may need her head examined, for real, man.”
    Both men laughed and Carter was momentarily crippled with the sudden need to hug his best friend. “I’m so glad you’re . . . thanks for being cool about it, Max.”
    “Hey, Carter, I get it. I do.” There was a heavy pause. “I can’t resent you for wanting to be happy just because my life fucked up. And if anyone deserves this, it’s you.”
    Carter cleared his throat a few times before he spoke again. “Thank you.” He wiped at his unexpectedly wet eyes and smiled. “Hey, you’d better hurry up and come home so you can be here for the celebrations, brother. Riley’s already planning the bachelor party.”
    “Were lap dancers mentioned?”
    “Yeah.”
    “I’ll be there.”

chapter four

    Carter growled again at the black silk bow tie that hung uncooperatively around his neck.
    “Tell me again why the fuck we’re dressing up like this,” he yelled to Kat who’d been barricaded in the en suite bathroom for the past hour and a half. Carter could only assume that she was creating nuclear fusion, with the amount of potions and lotions and shit she disappeared in there with.
    “Because dressing up for