Today I was with Ted, who had cleaned himself up and left his usual habitat for a finer scene. His cousin was getting married, and he attended the wedding. I went with him, because at the forefront of Ted’s thoughts was the possibility of finding someone to spend the time with the evening after the wedding, and I wondered if there might be a match for him there. Well, I am still not certain that there was, but I certainly have a few different ways to proceed now.
The ceremony was beautiful, and Ted, who is very fond of his young cousin, was not very concerned about his own prospects until the reception. At that time, however, he had some time to look around, and he noticed someone else who was looking, too. Though they were seated at different tables, the two of them exchanged glances and smiles throughout the meal.
When the dancing began, Ted went directly across the room and leaned over her chair. “I don’t believe we’ve met,” he said, offering his hand. “I’m Ted—I’m Jennifer’s cousin.”
She gave him a quick up-and-down glance, and her smile was approving. “Elaine,” she said, giving him her hand. “Nathan is a good friend of mine.”
“Nice to meet you,” Ted said. “Would you like to dance?”
They made a fine pair on the dance floor—mostly of a height, they both had dark hair and bright eyes, and their auras blended well with one another. They did not talk much, but over the course of an hour Ted found out that she was a nurse in a town not far away from Lake Champlain.
Though Ted was coming to like her very much, I was ambivalent. Certainly she was close by and amiable, but there seemed no connection between the two of them beyond the sexual.
Then, during a moment when Elaine’s friends dragged her off to tease the groom a bit, Ted headed to the bar and bumped into someone else, spilling half his drink. “Oh, Lord, I am sorry,” he said, looking around for a towel.
The other man laughed. “Honestly, if that’s the worst that happens this evening, I am happy to take one for Jen.” He held out his hand to Ted. “But you owe me an introduction. I’m Cole.”
Ted returned Cole’s infectious smile and accepted his hand. “Ted. And hell, it’s an open bar, I owe you a drink.”
“Twist my arm,” Cole laughed, and the two of them went back to the bar. While they were waiting, Cole turned back to Ted. “So, bride’s side or groom?”
“Bride’s,” Ted answered. “She’s my little cousin.” He looked across the room, where the bride was dancing with her new husband, glowing with joy. “I’m really happy for her. Nathan’s a great guy.”
“You’re telling me,” Cole said. “But of course I would say that—I fixed them up.”
“Really?” Ted asked. “How did you pull that off?”
“Well, Jen was working for me, and Nathan’s mom was one of my clients—I’m an interior designer,” Cole explained. “So she would get Nathan to run errands for her, and the poor slob had no idea how to ask Jen out. So one night, I kept Jen late, and I called Nathan’s mom and said, hey, I’ve got some new papers for you, why don’t you send Nate over to get them? And when he got there, I was all, Nathan, I don’t feel right about letting Jen walk back to her car all by herself, why don’t you walk her?” He brushed at his shoulder, though I could not see anything there, and smiled smugly. “So you see, it’s really because of me that we’re all here.”
“Cheers, I’ll drink to that,” Ted said, and did so. “That was very clever of you.” He leaned forward. “So do you have any ideas for me, Mr. Cupid?”
Looking at the two of them, I began to get a few ideas of my own, for right there in their gazes was the same spark I had not seen between Ted and Elaine.
I could see that Elaine was still chatting with others, so I kept Ted there, learning a bit more about Cole. He lives and works in the same city where the wedding was taking place, Hartford, and has always loved it. He is a few years younger than Ted, but he has a confidence and grace that make them seem perfectly equal, as if they are both at the same stage in their lives.
“I’ve had a few long-term relationships, but never anything that I felt sure was going to last forever,” Cole said. The conversation had never strayed far from the subject of relationships—I had not allowed it to do so. “But I know the right person is out there somewhere.” He glanced down at that, though he wanted to look at Ted.
At the same time, Ted was looking over the dance floor, wondering if Cole were looking at him. How difficult it can be to persuade humans to be honest about their wishes! “I admire your faith,” he said, taking a sip of his drink. “I can’t help but wonder if I missed my chance years back.”
“Now, that’s a common misconception,” Cole said. “We see all these people falling in love in their twenties, and we never remember that they fall out of love in their thirties. There’s nothing wrong with waiting until you’re wise enough to get it right.” He set his hand on Ted’s shoulder, and Ted looked up at him. Cole smiled. “You’re never too old for love.”
Of course, that was the moment that Elaine reappeared by Ted’s side. “There you are! I’ve been looking for you. Come on, I love this song, let’s dance!”
Ted only had a moment to mouth an apology to Cole before he was dragged away to dance.
At first I was irritated at the interruption, but watching him with Elaine, I was no longer so certain. Certainly Ted was introspective for a while, but soon he turned his attention to the music and the fun of dancing in the crowd. As Elaine spun around him, Ted laughed and gave her his hands, and she pulled him close, and he went willingly.
Elaine is exuberant and cheerful, which calls to one part of Ted’s spirit. Cole is more thoughtful, and his optimistic view on love could be very good for Ted. I do not yet know him well enough to know which is the best way for him to go, so I simply watched, glad at least that he was happy.
He spent the majority of the evening with Elaine, but he was bound to be disappointed. One of Elaine’s friends got very sick, and she had to leave to take care of her. She left her number with Ted, but he had seen the friend, and he was not hopeful that Elaine could get away any time soon.
Dejected, he went out to call himself a cab and found Cole smoking a cigarette on the sidewalk. The way Ted’s spirits lifted at the sight of him told me a great deal.
“You look like you haven’t gotten what you wanted,” Cole said with a laugh.
Ted sighed and shrugged. “Well, like I was saying earlier, I’m beyond the age of happy endings.”
Cole raised his eyebrows and stubbed out his cigarette. “That’s no way to end a lovely evening like tonight,” he said, and he came to stand on the curb next to Ted. After a moment, he said, “What can I do to convince you otherwise?”
Ted heard the undertone of this question, and he glanced at Cole. Cole returned that gaze levelly, and Ted’s heart picked up speed.
“Well,” Ted said, “I’m going to need a lot of convincing.”
A cab pulled up, and Cole motioned to it. “Why don’t we share a cab?” he asked. “I’ve got a very nice hotel room, you know. Maybe you’d like to see it.”
Ted reached out and ran his knuckles down Cole’s jaw. Cole’s smile widened, and Ted felt his heart twist.
“I think I would like that,” Ted murmured, and he opened the cab door for Cole.
So it seems it was a lovely evening after all. I doubt, however, that Ted was convinced for longer than a single evening. There is the distance between him and Cole, for one thing, and from what I have seen so far, I do not think that one liaison after a wedding will lead to anything permanent.
Still, it was a beginning. I have not entirely set Elaine aside, however. Time will tell which connection will last longer in Ted’s life—but one of them will last, I am certain of that. That, after all, is why I am here.