Wells Whitaker Character Analysis

Overview

Wells Whitaker is a professional golfer and the devoted fiancé (later husband) of Josephine. As a close friend and teammate of Burgess Abraham, he appears in The Au Pair Affair as a steady, humorous presence who helps anchor the story’s emotional stakes. While the novel focuses on Burgess and Tallulah, Wells provides both comic relief and sincere relationship advice, embodying the themes of commitment, trust, and second chances.

Plot Role

Wells serves as a secondary character whose primary function is to support Burgess’s journey. He is the one who calls Burgess late at night to ask him to be best man at his Costa Rica wedding—a moment that interrupts Burgess and Tallulah’s near-kiss but also solidifies the bond between the two men. Later, Wells offers blunt, practical counsel when Burgess is uncertain about how to pursue Tallulah. He also appears at the wedding rehearsal, visibly smitten with Josephine, serving as a mirror for the kind of lasting love Burgess hopes to achieve.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Wells is motivated by love for Josephine and loyalty to Burgess. His actions reveal several core traits:

Directness: When Burgess calls for advice, Wells doesn’t sugarcoat. He says, “I fired her. Don’t do that.” This blunt honesty shows he values clear communication over politeness.
Romantic Devotion: He is completely enamored with Josephine. At the rehearsal, he stares at her “visibly mesmerized,” and during the dinner toast he buries his face in her neck when her father welcomes him to the family. His willingness to plan surprises (a harp or choir) for the ceremony underscores his desire to make their love public and celebratory.
Playfulness: He teases Burgess about Tallulah (“Does her name rhyme with awooga?”) and fist-bumps Josephine when they discover the couple together at 2:30 a.m. This lightheartedness balances his more serious moments.
Supportive Friend: He accepts Burgess’s role as best man and later helps orchestrate the intervention of sorts—encouraging Burgess to open up and take risks in love. Though the intervention is not explicitly shown in the chapters provided, his consistent presence at key moments suggests his willingness to guide his friend.

Chronological Arc

Wells’s arc within the novel is concise but meaningful:

Chapter 10: He and Josephine call Burgess and Tallulah late at night to announce their wedding venue (Costa Rica) and ask them to be maid of honor and best man. The call reveals the couple’s excited, unified front.
Chapter 13: Burgess calls Wells for advice on how to make Tallulah his girlfriend. Wells offers his own experience (firing Josephine) and encourages Burgess to look for signs of mutual interest.
Chapter 30: At the wedding rehearsal, Wells is lost in adoration of Josephine, and Burgess notices his own longing. Wells later accepts Josephine’s father’s toast, showing his integration into her family.

His arc moves from marriage planning to the day before the wedding, emphasizing that he has already achieved the commitment and vulnerability that Burgess is still struggling to reach.

Relationships

Burgess Abraham

Wells and Burgess share a friendship built on mutual respect and shared professional worlds (sports). Wells is one of the few people Burgess feels comfortable calling for relationship advice. Their banter is easy—Wells teases Burgess about his romantic confusion, but he also listens carefully and offers insight. Burgess trusts Wells enough to ask about something as personal as winning over Tallulah.

Josephine

Wells’s relationship with Josephine is portrayed as deeply affectionate and playful. He calls her late at night to share wedding plans, fist-bumps her when they discover the timing of Burgess and Tallulah together, and cannot take his eyes off her during the rehearsal. Their love is presented as a model of healthy partnership—communicative, devoted, and joyful.

Tallulah Aydin

Wells has no direct interaction with Tallulah beyond the wedding call and rehearsal, but he is aware of her importance to Burgess. By including her as maid of honor, Josephine and Wells ensure that Tallulah remains part of the story’s social fabric, even as her relationship with Burgess becomes strained.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Wells’s decision to ask Burgess to be best man has unintended consequences: it forces Burgess to confront his feelings for Tallulah when they must walk down the aisle together during rehearsal. The proximity reignites Burgess’s pain and his fear of losing her. Wells likely did not anticipate the emotional weight this duty would carry for his friend, but his choice ultimately pushes Burgess toward the self-reflection needed to fight for the relationship.

Another key decision is his choice to marry Josephine in Costa Rica in December—a setting that becomes the backdrop for the novel’s climactic reconciliation. By choosing a tropical destination, Wells creates a symbolic space of warmth and new beginnings, which influences the emotional tone of Burgess and Tallulah’s resolution.

Theme and Symbol Connections

Commitment and Fear

Wells embodies the theme of commitment as a positive, desired state. He does not fear marriage; he actively plans for it with enthusiasm. This contrasts with Tallulah’s fear of being tied down and Burgess’s initial reluctance to be anything other than “Sir Savage.” Wells shows that commitment can be a source of strength rather than a trap.

Family and Co-Parenting

Though not a parent himself, Wells’s integration into Josephine’s family (welcomed by her father) mirrors the kind of family Burgess is trying to build with Lissa and Tallulah. The wedding rehearsal dinner toast explicitly frames Wells as “the only one for her,” suggesting that love can create chosen family.

Transformation and Second Chances

Wells’s own past (firing Josephine) implies he had to learn from mistakes to earn her love. His advice to Burgess (“I fired her. Don’t do that.”) carries the weight of experience. He is living proof that a relationship can survive a rocky start if both partners are willing to grow. This underlines the novel’s message that second chances are possible.

The Wedding as Symbol

Wells and Josephine’s wedding symbolizes hope and union. It is the event that forces Burgess to assess his own desires and ultimately decide to pursue Tallulah without reservation. The harp suggestion, the white trellis, and the Caribbean sunset all create a romantic atmosphere that highlights the value of committing fully.

Questions and Answers

Why does Wells call Burgess at 2:30 a.m. in Chapter 10?
Wells and Josephine have just finalized their wedding venue in Costa Rica and are so excited that they call Burgess and Tallulah to ask them to be best man and maid of honor. Wells intends to record the moment for humor, but the call also deepens the bond between the couples.
What advice does Wells give Burgess about winning Tallulah?
Wells advises Burgess to look for signs of mutual interest, noting that Tallulah gave him a massage in the kitchen. He warns Burgess not to fire her (as Wells did with Josephine), emphasizing that each situation is unique. His advice is practical and based on his own mistakes.
How does Wells feel about Josephine during the wedding rehearsal?
He is completely captivated. He stares at her “visibly mesmerized” in the moonlight, and when her father gives a toast welcoming him to the family, Wells pulls Josephine onto his lap and buries his face in her neck, overcome with emotion.
What does Wells’s offer to hire a harpist reveal about his character?
It shows his willingness to go the extra mile to make the ceremony special for Josephine. He considers surprising her with something “fucking romantic,” indicating that he values thoughtful gestures and wants their wedding to reflect his deep love.
Does Wells help with the intervention for Burgess?
While the evidence does not explicitly show Wells orchestrating an intervention, his role as a friend who offers relationship advice and supports Burgess’s emotional growth aligns with the idea that he helps push Burgess toward vulnerability. By being a happily committed man, Wells indirectly models the outcome Burgess might achieve if he takes similar risks.