Chapter 21
The reception dinner was being held at Emily's parents' estate—a beautiful, ivy-covered mansion that looked like it belonged in a movie. The kind of place that made you instinctively check your shoes for mud before walking in.
As we arrived, I spotted them—five of them. Ross, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Rachel. Standing just in from the bathroom door, looking collectively awkward. I couldn't help but think, Man, it's a shame Phoebe isn't here to complete the infamous six.
They looked like they'd stepped off a TV screen. It was surreal.
Inside, guests milled about, wine glasses clinking and polite conversations floating through the air. Ross tried to keep smiling as people approached him with forced congratulations.
Mr. Geller clapped Ross on the back as they reached the hall. "Boy, bad time to say the wrong name, huh Ross?"
Ross said, incredulous, "That's true. Thanks, Dad."
Then, in a burst of nervous energy, he turned to the room. "People should be dancing! Huh? Hey, this is a party! Come on! Joey, dance!"
Joey started to dance awkwardly but stopped when no one else joined him.
Evelyn took a sip of her champagne and said dryly, "There isn't even a proper chair to sit on," her tone disapproving.
Charlie walked by, eyeing Ross's retreat. "Well, at least it'll make for a memorable wedding video. Or a cautionary tale."
"Well, at least he already has a divorce lawyer," I added.
Alan winced. "Can't you all be supportive for once?"
I shrugged and nodded toward gramma. "She's right, though. How are we supposed to cut into steak without a table?"
Just then, Joey passed by gnawing on a piece of meat with his hands.
Charlie raised an eyebrow and said, "Maybe we're supposed to eat like monkeys. That would explain the vibe."
———
After another thirty minutes of half-standing, half-balancing awkward conversations and lukewarm food, we decided to call it a night.
As we made our way toward the front entrance, just as Evelyn was complaining about the lack of valet service, I spotted movement from the side window.
Emily—still in her wedding dress—was climbing out of the window.
Charlie halted, raised both eyebrows, and opened his mouth to say something.
Alan immediately cut in, grabbing Charlie's arm. "No."
Charlie turned to him. "What? I wasn't going to say anything."
Alan gave him a look.
Charlie grinned. "Okay, but I was just thinking it."
Evelyn, without even looking up, muttered, "If the bride's escaping through a window, I'd say the evening has peaked."
I just shook my head.
———
Back at the hotel, Alan was still grumbling. "We didn't need to switch hotels. This one is just fine."
Evelyn rolled her eyes. "If I wanted to sleep somewhere that smelled like mildew and compromise, I'd move back in with your dead father."
Charlie smirked. "Can't argue with that."
After settling in and organizing our luggage, I offered to go check out the reservation.
As I stepped into the hallway and turned the corner, I stopped.
There they were: Monica and Chandler.
They quickly stepped apart when they noticed me, before realizing it was just me—a kid.
Monica gave a sheepish smile and tried to recover. "Hey... nice hotel, huh?"
I didn't say a word. Instead, I slowly lifted my fist and opened it, revealing a room key resting on my palm.
"A king-sized bed. No interruptions," I said casually.
They both blinked.
Chandler asked, "How much?"
I motioned for him to lean in, then handed over the key and murmured, "If you two get serious... maybe invite me to the wedding."
Chandler stood there speechless as Monica turned to him.
"What did he say?" she asked.
Still holding the key, Chandler replied flatly, "Nothing."
As I walked away down the hallway, I muttered to myself, "There. Good deed of the day done." Then smirked under my breath. "No blue balls tonight... well, except for Ross."
———
We reunited a few minutes later in our new suite, and yeah—it was definitely worth the upgrade. The Harper family was now lounging in soft, plush robes, scattered around a spacious, luxury hotel room that smelled faintly of lavender and new furniture. The view overlooked the Thames, the lights twinkling like some kind of postcard.
Charlie had already made himself comfortable on the sofa, sipping something expensive. "Now this is more like it," he said, stretching his legs. "No brides escaping out windows here."
Evelyn, sitting near the fireplace flipping through a magazine, muttered, "Finally, a room that doesn't look like it was decorated by a blind accountant."
Alan came out of the bathroom, eyes wide. "The towels are heated! Why don't we always stay in places like this?"
Charlie looked at him, deadpan. "Because you usually book the rooms, Alan."
"I'm just trying to be financially responsible," Alan said defensively.
"Than you should start paying too, Alan" said Charlie
"Responsible's great," I said, settling into an armchair with a huge pillow behind my back. "But this? This is how you recover from a chaotic wedding."
Gramma nodded. "Even a Harper deserves comfort once in a while."
Charlie raised his glass toward me. "Cheers to that."
———
Later, we ended up sprawled across the room like royalty in exile. Charlie had found the minibar and was narrating the menu like it was poetry.
"Imported chocolates, champagne, macadamia nuts... this place knows how to treat emotionally damaged guests."
Alan flipped through the hotel's welcome binder like it was a novel. "They have twenty-four-hour room service. You know what that means?"
Charlie raised an eyebrow. "That you'll order soup at three a.m.?"
"I was thinking tea," Alan muttered, clearly undeterred.
Evelyn sighed. "Men with money don't excite me. Men who know when to shut up? Now that impresses me."
We all look to her, not buying the first phase
I chuckled and reached for the remote. "Let's see if British TV is as weird as they say."