Best Men

ONE

When They First Met, Love Was Afoot." That was the New York Times wedding announcement headline my best friend Paige had jokingly imagined for Greg, my ex-boyfriend, the podiatrist, and me even though we were never engaged nor had we even remotely discussed getting married one day. Our actual wedding, in my head, wasn't exactly planned out because I don't really have that gay-wedding-planning gene, but it probably would've been a super-casual affair for three hundred and fifty of our closest friends and family on Pier Sixty overlooking the Hudson River, with Greg and me wearing tuxes while we had our first dance together as husbands to "This Charming Man" by the Smiths. Okay, maybe I thought about it a tiny bit.

This increasingly distant memory pops into my mind right now because, like a tourist, I'm standing in the middle of a busy sidewalk on Twenty-Third and Eighth on a hot summer Thursday evening, grinning at a text from Greg. I feel a tiny warm tingle in my undercarriage as I reply, Yep.

Oh, I didn't tell you? I'm still seeing my ex for sex. Wait-is that a Rascal Flatts song? Right before entering the subway on my way home from work, Greg texted, Free before dinner? which is code for "hook up," so maybe after we do the sex, we'll grab a bite at Pepe Giallo, our once favorite Italian restaurant in West Chelsea that we'd been going to since we first met eight years ago. (In fact, it's where we had our first date.) Then, over a bottle of red wine and plates of deliciously gooey chicken Parm, he'll admit he misses us and say he desperately wants to get back together.

Greg asks to meet at six thirty, in forty-five minutes, which means I'm early, so I slip into a diner called the Rail Line. It used to be called Moonstruck Diner, and I imagine they wanted to name it the High Line Diner, after the nearby High Line elevated park, but couldn't get legal clearance, so they ended up with this weird, off-brand name.

I take a seat at the counter and order

Sidney Karger

"Bursting with laughs and so much love, Sidney Karger's debut novel delivers a truly refreshing spin on the romantic comedy. It's full of funny, flawed and poignant characters, set in the dreamy, sharply-observed New York City that we love. Best Men is a big-hearted, feel-good summer escape." Anderson Cooper, #1 New York Times bestselling author and journalist

Sid s debut novel made me laugh out loud and feel alive." Amy Schumer, #1 New York Times bestselling author, comedian, and actress

"There's so much to love about Sid's brilliantly hilarious debut book. With sharp-witted dialogue, charming, smart characters and tons of heart, Best Men is such a funny, clever, fresh take on modern romance. From start to finish, you won't stop laughing! I just loved it!!!!" Molly Shannon, New York Times bestselling author, comedian, and actress

Best Men takes the reins of the rom com and reinvents the genre in a thoroughly modern way. Karger s debut is inventive, hilarious, and satisfying; it s also a keenly-observed portrayal of love and friendship. This is a hilarious, heartfelt, charmer of a book. Grant Ginder, author of Let's Not Do That Again and The People We Hate at the Wedding

With an unforgettable voice, Best Men is all at once funny, tender, and wise. A sexy, swoony, summer love story to get lost in! Ashley Herring Blake, USA Today bestselling author of Astrid Parker Doesn t Fail

"This appealing debut...offers plenty to enjoy." Publishers Weekly

"Karger s debut is laugh-out-loud funny, and Max is the epitome of millennial dry humor...Max and Paige s friendship is ultimately the star of the show, and readers will find their banter reminiscent of fan favorites like Amy Poehler and Tina Fey or Dan Levy and Annie Murphy." Kirkus

"With a spot-on gift for writing dryly witty banter and a deliciously acerbic sense of humor in the Nora Ephron mode, Karger makes his fiction debut. A fun and flirty rom-com that is the perfect addition to beach bags