Room 702 (47 page)

“We didn’t choose.
 
My mother did,” Ewan answers.

“Right – well, at least she got one thing right, the Winchester is fantastic.
 
I could live here.
 
I’m pretty sure out entire apartment would fit in this thing.”

Ewan selects a piece of chicken, then asks, “Was there one thing they agreed on at all?”

“Hmm, I think they all agreed the food was ‘lovely.’”

“Considering it was the opposite…”

“Who serves Cornish game hen instead of turkey on Thanksgiving?
 
I could actually sense your mom trying to impress people by being edgy, but my parents are pretty salt of the earth people.”

“Don’t get me started.
 
She’s been pulling shit like that since I was little.”

“And why on earth was there no alcohol?
 
I was dying!”

“My mom didn’t want to appear to be a lush in front of your parents.”

“This is only the second or third time they’ve met.
 
Alcohol makes everything easier.”
 
Milena takes the banana split, two corresponding spoons and walks into the bedroom, sits down on the padded bench and pats a seat across from her.

 
Ewan follows, his hands full of plate and drinks in hand, and sets the bounty between them.
 
“We’re in trouble, aren’t we?”

“Look, I realize this is a classic case of ‘first world problems,’ but I’m not sure I want my wedding day to be the most awkward event to ever happen.
 
We deserve more.”

Ewan responds by grabbing his iPad and quickly opens Kayak.com.
 
He types in a few details and says, “Southwest can get us there tomorrow – no problem.
 
We can even drop off the car at the airport.”

“What time?”
 

“Tomorrow at noon.”

Placing her nearly finished sundae aside on top of the mini bar, Milena says, “I think I’m supposed to be trying on dresses with both of our mothers at that time tomorrow.
 
Let me consult The Schedule.”
 

 
She walks over to the tastefully decorated ‘welcome bag’ that was waiting in their room and pulls out a piece of paper.

“Dear God, I forgot about that.”

Milena recites from the page in a faux British accent, “Brunch in the lobby from 9:30-10:30, then a half hour ‘freshen up,’ then travel to the first wedding dress shop.
 
It’s one of the four I have an appointment at.
 
Kill me now.”

 
“And what am I supposed to be doing while you’re busy?”
 
“No fair!
 
You’re booked for a ‘gentleman’s grooming package’ at the spa!”
 

Ewan stands up, takes the paper from Milena’s hands and sets the document on the nightstand.
 
Taking her hands in his, he says, “When I asked you to marry me three months ago, I meant it.
 
I knew our engagement would involve both of our crazy parents and maybe some headaches down the road, but, Milena Elizabeth Cogan, would you marry me tomorrow, forsaking all others and the opinions that will rain down upon us from our combination of crazy relatives?”

She looks down at the paper, then squeezes his hands and answers, “I will.”

They bound back over to the bed, and within minutes have booked tickets to Las Vegas.
 
With confirmation passes waiting in their inboxes, Milena clasps a hand on her cheek and asks dramatically, “What am I going to wear?”

“What do you want to wear?”

“I guess it doesn’t matter, I’m sure we can find something when we get there.”

“Where do you want to stay?”

Milena closes her eyes and then says, “Paris!”

“Your wish is my command.
 
Let me check the prices.”

“So, we’re really doing this?”

“Unless you’d rather go through months of passive aggressive behavior…
 
I think, yes, we’re going to get married on Saturday.”

“I’m being serious.
 
This is not something we can undo.”

“Who says I would want to?”

“Ewan, can you be serious for two seconds?”

“Fine, look, I want to marry you.
 
End of story.
 
I don’t care if it’s on a beach, in a plane, in a cathedral or with all our friends and family.”

Milena moves closer to her fiancé on the bed and leans on his shoulder.
 
Stroking his forearm gently, she says, “I can’t wait.”

“Me either.”

“Because, you know what?
 
It’s our life.
 
Not theirs.
 
Maybe we can have a big party at Christmas and let them feel involved.
 
So, how on earth are we going to break the news to them?”

“Do we have to?”

“Yes, unfortunately.
 
I think they’ll know something’s up when you don’t show up for brunch in the morning.”

“Can you have a work emergency?”

“I don’t think they’ll believe me.”

“So, we’re adult enough to make the decision to elope, but we’re too afraid to tell our parents?”

“Something like that…”

“How about we text them from the airport?” Ewan suggests.

“Could we tell them we got sick from eating the game hens?”

 
“Wouldn’t they come check on us?
 
I don’t know about your Mom, but mine would be at the door with a bag full of ‘remedies’ from CVS.”

Ewan chews on his bottom lip before he says, “Do you not want to tell them anything?”

“What?
 
Don’t you think they would sound the alarm if they found us missing?”

 
“Well…what are we going to say?”

 
“Why not tell them the truth?” Milena asks.

 
“What if they come after us?”

 
“So what?
 
There are too many places we could be.”

 
“So, total social media black out?”

 
Milena nods and says, “Yes – well, at least until we make it official.”

Ewan stands up to consult the schedule and says, “Look right here, we could be back by Sunday’s scheduled lunch.
 
We could have some sort of ‘celebration’ with them then.”

“Could we?”
 

“I don’t see any reason why not to.
 
They’ll both be here.
 
In fact, the past half day has proven that for our sanity we need to do it.”
 
Ewan clicks and types a few more buttons on his computer and says, “And now Paris is set.”
 
“How much?”
 
“I’ll tell you when we’re married.”
 
More money conscious than her fiancé, Milena asks, “Will I be mad?”
 

Rather than give an exact number, Ewan says, “It’s our wedding!
 
We can afford it.
 
Plus, then we’ll be able to say silly things like, ‘We’ll always have Paris.’”

“Point taken.”

  
“Should I arrange for a limo to pick us up?”

 
“Ewan – enough!
 
So, what are we going to do about rings?”

“What do you mean?”

“We’re going to need wedding rings!”

Ewan snaps his fingers and says, “But a moment, my bride to be.”
 
He rushes over to the trolley the food was brought in on and pulls the high gloss napkin ring (an appropriately bejeweled object) and rushing back to Milena’s side, offer the object on one knee.

 
She slides the ‘ring’ onto her left finger and while, of course it is too big, she is touched by the gesture.
 
Helping Ewan up, she says, I’m sure we’ll find some when we get there.”

Kissing her temple gently, he tucks an arm around her and says, “Everything is going to be fine – just you wait.”

Ewan walks into the suite, alone.
 
All of the plans and hopes he and Milena had laid out in this room now seem silly and immature.
 
His mother follows behind him and sits on the small sofa.
 
Placing her designer bag down, she asks, “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not particularly.”

Hannah MacManus sits, immaculately dressed in her Chanel suit and finally says, “I know you don’t want to hear this, but I hope you know what’s happening is for the best.”

“How?
 
How is it possibly for the best?
 
Milena left me.
 
We went to get married and she couldn’t go through with our plans.”

“Aren’t you glad you know this now instead of closer to the actual wedding?”

“No.
 
Anyway, it’s my fault – I pushed her into this whole crazy adventure.”

Hannah chooses not to respond.

“Why didn’t you and Dad work out?”

 
“I’ve told you…”

“No, I think you’ve given me the sanitized version.
 
I’ve just had my heart completely broken, so how about you give me the real story?”

“Fine, but you needn’t be so demanding.”

“Mother…” Ewan finishes desperately, “Please.”

“We were married too young.”

“How old were you?”

“You already know the answer to this.”

“Indulge me.
 
In case you missed it, I’m kind of having a crisis over here.”

“Quit being so melodramatic.
 
You’re in your twenties – this is one of your first long term girlfriends – I think you’ll survive.
 
Anyway, as you are well aware, your father and I met in college.
 
Things were a bit different back then.
 
Although we would have come to the logical conclusion anyway, realizing you were coming along did speed up our own wedding plans.”

“If you could, would you do it differently?”

“Absolutely not.
 
My point is something else entirely.
 
My point is that the person you are in your early twenties may become someone else completely different than your thirties or forties.
 
Do I regret marrying your father?
 
No.
 
We created you, and for that I am eternally thankful.”

“But you’re saying Milena and I might have ended up like you and Dad.”

“Yes, and I don’t want you to experience that pain.”
 
“Thanks, Mom.”
 
“However, it’s not entirely impossible, but maybe she’ll come back.”

“You can’t honestly mean that.
 
You never liked her!”

“That’s not true at all.
 
Furthermore, if you love her, then there must be many good things about her.
 
I simply don’t know her that well.
 
I think you just scared her.
 
If she doesn’t come back, then it wasn’t meant to be.”

“You think she might come back?”

“Would you want her to?”

“I’m not sure.”

“What exactly happened while you were there?
 
You haven’t given me a lot of details.”

“It started when we went to go get the license, she started worrying about all of the details – that she didn’t have a dress, or flowers, or her friends…
 
I think she got overwhelmed.”

Although she’s hiding it well, Hannah cannot help but be devastated for her son.
 
Trying to keep her tone neutral, she asks, “Have you tried contacting her yet?”

“I sent her a text when I landed.”

“She might still be in Vegas?”

“I’m not sure.”

“We could ask her parents.
 
Maybe they’ve heard from her.”

“I don’t know.”

 
“What do you feel like doing today?”
 
“I don’t know.”
 
“Let’s go to the beach.”

 
“You hate the beach.”
 
“But there’s something liberating about being there.
 
What do you say?”
 
Ewan considers his possibilities and although he feels like doing nothing more than drinking himself into a coma, it’s been a long time since his mother showed affection like this.
 
He senses how hard she’s trying, knows emotion doesn’t come easily to her and answers, “Let’s go.”

Ken Thomas cannot sleep.
 
Upon receiving the letter from Brendan months ago, he’s made and canceled a reservation at the Winchester numerous times.
 
When he finally committed to today, he felt silly requesting the room where his former client passed away, but is glad he followed his instinct.
 
In this room, he can hopefully connect with closure surrounding his feelings towards Brendan Sullivan.
 
When Ken first heard the news so many months ago about Brendan’s death, he was surprised that his initial feeling was guilt.
 
Although it had been Brendan who had left him, who had dropped him when the big agents came knocking, Ken still felt remorse for the actor.
 
Brendan’s death had further motivated Ken to look after and seek help for some of his own troubled clients.
 

 
If Ken had looked past his own feelings of hurt and frustration, would he have been able to get through to his former client?

 
He lies awake in the bed, wondering what is supposed to happen next.
 
Feeling silly, Ken asks, “Brendan, are you there?”

Ever since receiving the letter, he’s not been sleeping well.
 
The letter, postmarked August, was an unexpected surprise.
 
Since then, no matter what Ken tries, he cannot stop thinking of the note from beyond the grave.