“I’d prefer to pay,” Jack said. “It’s only fair.”

“Hogwash,” Paul said. He reached over and shook Jack’s and Lou’s hand. “I’ve really enjoyed meeting Laurie’s two closest friends. I can’t tell you how highly she talks of you two and how often. It’s enough to make a guy jealous.” He laughed.

“See you tomorrow at the office,” Laurie said. She turned and started across the crowded dining room. Paul gave a final wave and hurried after her.

Jack looked at Lou. “What do you want to do?”

“Go home and shoot myself,” Lou said.

“You want company?” Jack asked.

The two men sank into their chairs. Jack felt shell-shocked. Laurie’s getting married was worse than her going away. Instead of moving to the West Coast, it was more like her going to Venus. The episode startled him into realizing how much he’d been avoiding thoughts about the future. Guilt about his family still made it difficult for him to justify future happiness. That’s why he found making a commitment so difficult.

Lou cradled his head in his hands. He was the picture of dejection. “I’ve worried about Laurie getting married,” he said. “Especially to you.”

“To me?” Jack questioned with surprise. “I actually worried she’d get married to you. I know you two dated before I came on the scene.”

“You shouldn’t have worried,” Lou said. “It wasn’t to be. It never would have worked. During the brief time we went out on a regular basis, I screwed it up. Every time there was the slightest blip, I thought she was breaking up with me, and I acted like an ass. It drove both of us batty, and we ended up having a long talk about it. Tonight when she mentioned about ‘confidence’being an important personality characteristic for her, she was referring to me.”

“The part about the ability to make a commitment was directed at me,” Jack said.

“Was that the problem between you two?” Lou asked. “I never could figure out what happened. You guys seemed natural for each other. You know, similar backgrounds, fancy schools, and all the rest of that bullshit.”

“It was part of it,” Jack said. “But I’m so screwed up I don’t even know all the reasons.”

“It’s a tragedy!” Lou complained. “For you and for me. At least if she tied the knot with you, I could stay friends with both of you. When she marries this twerp, I’m out the door. I mean, I fantasized about Laurie and me staying friends even when she married. But tonight when I saw that rock on her finger, I instantly knew staying the kind of friends I envisioned was out of the question.”

“I guess I was unrealistically hoping the present would never change,” Jack said.

Lou nodded and thought for a moment before asking, “What did you think of this guy?”