Guardian Angel

"Are you crazy?" I asked Mark as I clutched my hands in front of my stomach. I felt sick at the whole accusation. "I did not fuck Greg in a bathroom. Why would you even think that?"

Mark let out a heavy sigh. "That's just what he said and then I saw you two walking back in together. I mean, where would that crazy rumor even come from if somebody hadn't seen something?"

I couldn't believe I was standing with a guy I barely knew outside his friend's wedding reception arguing over whether I fucked a bridesmaid's boyfriend in the bathroom. I could only imagine the other conversations going on.

"Mark, I don't know what to tell you," I began. Then, I remembered something. "Oh, Sara saw me!" Sara was my friend from the shuttle that I ran into while fixing my shoe. "Go ask her."

Mark pressed his palm against his forehead. "I'm pretty sure she's the one who told Brandon."

I felt the anger rising through my body. "Okay, she saw us outside the bathroom. He was helping me with my shoe. Nothing, I mean nothing, happened. He has a girlfriend!"

"Yeah," Mark laughed. "Well, I heard that doesn't really matter too much to him."

"Okay, but it matters to me! And I came here with you." Then, I thought of something else and was feeling so angry that I felt the need to go somewhat off topic. "We wouldn't even have been talking if you hadn't left me alone all dinner."

"That really bothered you?" Mark asked, looking at me like I was crazy. "I was gone for two minutes."

"It wasn't two minutes. I finished eating before you got back." I shook my head and realized that this argument didn't matter. "Whatever, Mark. I'll go find Greg and we can work this all out now."

Mark shrugged. "If you want to go back in there, I won't stop you."

My emotions took a sharp turn and I felt the waterworks coming. "You want me to go?"

Mark didn't say anything. He just looked at the ground. "I figured you'd be uncomfortable."

I blinked back tears. "Yeah, I'll find a way home or to another hotel or something. Hey, maybe I'll stay with Greg!" Okay, my anger still wasn't gone.

Mark chuckled. "Real mature, Caroline."

Real mature? I couldn't even look at Mark anymore. I turned around and didn't look back at all.

I ordered an Uber and waited outside the hotel. I realized that I had to go back to the hotel to get my stuff and then I had to decide between getting another room or taking an Uber back home. I couldn't just go home, though, because I left my car at Mark's house. Plus, I'd have to get my car in the morning because I'd been drinking. I sat on a bench, put my face in my hands, and let the tears come.

"Are you okay?" I heard a voice ask me. I was so not in the mood to talk to anybody, but I looked up anyway. It was Kat, Mark's female, vegan friend.

I shrugged. "Everyone thinks I'm a big whore in there, don't they?"

Kat picked up her dress and came to sit next to me. "They'll get over it," she responded. She had a really soothing voice that made me sure she'd be an excellent mother one day. "Listen, I'll talk to Mark. I know he can be a handful, but he's a really great guy and I think you two would be good together. Tomorrow morning, everybody's going to realize that this story is nonsense."

"Thanks," I replied as I wiped away a couple tears. "It's fine, though. It's too much drama too soon."

Kat sighed. "Yeah, I get that."

I began to cry again. "Ugh, I'm sorry," I said before the tears could really start. Then I proceeded to tell her about my dilemma with the room, my stuff, and my car.

Kat opened up her crystal clutch. "Here," she passed me a hotel key. "My cousin and her husband were supposed to come, but their baby got sick so they left early. She gave me her room key in case I wanted to get away from everybody. I'll get your stuff and bring it to you. We can figure out the car tomorrow, but I'll help you stay away from Mark. I'll help you stay away from everybody."

I thanked her and then, just when I thought she couldn't be any nicer, she pulled me in for a hug.

My tears had subsided and I decided to ask her exactly what was on my mind. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate this. Can I just ask, though, why are you doing this all for me?"

Kat sighed. "Let's just say, I've been in a similar position. People can be so gossipy even when they don't know what the fuck they're talking about. This night will pass."

Kat was a few years older than me. I think Mark said 29, but I felt like she had years of wisdom on me. "Well, I owe you big time."

"Don't mention it," Kat said with the wave of her wrist. With that, she rubbed my back with one more soothing touch and stood up. "I'll call your room tomorrow when I have your stuff."

A few minutes later, my Uber was there and I felt comfortable going back to the hotel. I got to the room and collapsed on the bed.

Kat delivered my stuff the next morning as promised before letting me know that she'd drive me back to Mark's house to get my car. We talked the whole car ride and I was surprised at how comfortable I felt after such a horrible ending to the previous night. We even exchanged phone numbers and I couldn't believe that I might have a new friend after all of this. At least one person still liked me.