FIFTEEN
AFTER THE IMPROMPTU ROOFTOP DETOUR AND last-minute trip to the Hamptons, Hayley had buried herself in work, pretending the long hours were necessary, rather than a forced distraction to avoid thinking about Maddie.
What began as a competition for Hayley—a chance to prove New York’s superiority—had shifted into something far more personal over the course of the last few weeks.
She’d found herself sharing places that really mattered to her, pieces of a past she rarely let herself revisit.
She was shocked to realize that talking to Maddie about her mom felt strangely freeing, as if each memory she shared made her a little lighter.
Being at the beach house had brought back the last summer Hayley spent with her family in the Hamptons, memories playing out like movie reels from the moment they had arrived.
Her mom had nursed her fourteen-year-old self through her first heartbreak that year with a quiet, steadfast patience, always knowing when to offer advice and when to give space.
During those months, Hayley had watched her parents closely, trying to understand love through the jagged edges of their arguments, their tender truces, and the unspoken rule that they never left the house angry. Ever.
Yet, she learned from the bright moments too. She remembered her mom leaping onto her dad’s back as he ran into the freezing ocean, both of them laughing until a wave swallowed the sound. Her parents’ love was imperfect but unwavering. Hayley had once wanted something just as real.
The memories faded as quickly as they’d appeared, replaced by the truth that sat in front of her.
Maddie had slipped past every wall Hayley had carefully constructed.
The feeling was unlike anything she’d ever known, and that terrified her.
Each time Maddie gently asked what they were to each other, Hayley felt the words lock in her throat.
Panic drowned out all else, and she debated running before she could get hurt.
After days of hiding in her office, Hayley knew she couldn’t avoid Maddie forever. Showing up at Gemma and Caitlin’s house unannounced probably hadn’t been her best idea, but being around their friends made facing Maddie feel a little less overwhelming.
And once again, despite everything, Hayley found herself drawn into Maddie’s arms again that night.
“GOOD MORNING,” MADDIE CROONED AS SHE peppered kisses across Hayley’s face and neck.
Hayley smiled softly while her eyes adjusted to the daylight spilling into the room. Each time she woke up with Maddie, she felt rested and strangely hopeful, as if the day had already decided to be kind to her.
“It’s really not fair that you look so pretty in the morning.” Maddie looked down at her, cheeks glowing. “Is tonight too soon for our date?”
Hayley felt her nerves twist as if someone had tugged a string inside her. “A date? Was I talking in my sleep again?”
Maddie’s blue eyes sparkled, and the excitement radiating from her face was enough to make Hayley stop teasing her.
“Seven p.m. Text me the address.” She kissed Maddie’s cheek and slipped out of bed.
Hayley kept the oversized graphic T-shirt she had borrowed and tugged on her slacks from the night before. The shirt smelled like lavender and cedar, and she wasn’t ready yet to give up the comfort of Maddie’s scent.
“Morning,” Gemma and Caitlin greeted in unison from the kitchen table.
Maddie grabbed two mugs from the cabinet and made Hayley’s coffee with a splash of oat milk just the way she liked.
Hayley offered a small, grateful nod as she wrapped her fingers around the warm cup.
Turning toward the table, she asked, “Gem, would you care to join me on the terrace?”
“I thought you’d never ask,” Gemma replied, smiling knowingly.
Caitlin glanced at Maddie. “Their morning coffee dates are sacred, if you haven’t noticed. Outsiders strictly forbidden.”
Hayley rolled her eyes, mostly because she was right.
Gemma grabbed her mug and stole a quick kiss from her fiancée. “Don’t get too jealous, baby.” She looped her arm through Hayley’s and headed out the back door.
“Everything okay?” Gemma asked once they were outside, tucking herself into the couch.
Hayley mirrored her position. “No.” She took a sip of her coffee, hoping it might give her courage. “I accidentally told Maddie I would go on a date with her—a real date. And she wants to go tonight. I’m terrified, Gem.”
“Oh, Hay.” Gemma laid a sympathetic hand on top of hers. “This could be good. I think you should give it a real shot.”
“The ache in my chest when I remember she’s leaving soon tells me otherwise. I can’t be the one left here, picking up the pieces of my heart. I just can’t.” Hayley looked down and noticed that her hands were trembling.
Gemma pulled her into a hug, and Hayley let her head fall onto her best friend’s shoulder.
“I know opening up feels terrifying, Hay, but you can’t go into tonight already convinced that it won’t work. What if it does? What if it turns into something really amazing?”
Hayley sighed. Then she lifted her head and met Gemma’s eyes. “What should I wear?”
“What about that short, sexy black dress that’s been collecting dust in the back of your closet for years?” Gemma fanned herself dramatically.
Hayley laughed. Please never leave me, she thought, not for the first time. Sometimes Gemma was the only person who could make Hayley feel a little more sane.
The rest of the day vanished into an anxious haze as the date loomed ahead. Hayley toured a few open houses with clients before lunch, then checked in with her team at the office. Still, her mind kept drifting back to Maddie, no matter how hard she tried to distract herself.
She left work early, needing time to pull herself together. At thirty-one years old, she felt ridiculous for being this nervous, yet there she was, doing breathing exercises in her bathroom mirror.
——
At six fifty-five, the car rolled to a stop in front of an unassuming building. There was no sign and the windows were entirely blacked out. Only the number above the door confirmed she was in the right place.
Hayley stepped out into the humid evening air and smoothed her outfit.
She did a quick check in the reflection of the car window.
She was wearing the outfit Gemma had suggested—a black, sleeveless Michael Castello dress with a sweetheart neckline.
It highlighted her curves and landed high enough on her thigh to show off her long, smooth legs.
She wanted to see Maddie’s eyes gleam with the same heat from this morning.
Hayley drew in one last sharp inhale, let it out slowly, and walked toward the entrance.
An attendant pulled the door open as she approached.
She gave Maddie’s name to the hostess and was promptly ushered into the dining room.
As they wound through the tables, Hayley grew more confused.
They were passing by every single one, and she still hadn’t spotted Maddie.
Instead, Hayley followed the hostess through a set of double doors in the back—toward the kitchen?
They rounded a corner, and the metallic clatter and roar of the staff behind her simply dropped away.
In a small, dim alcove sat a table for two.
White linen, perfectly pressed. Two flickering candles cast dancing shadows across the surface.
A bottle of red wine was already breathing beside two long-stemmed glasses.
She felt as if she were being invited into a fantasy.
It all dissolved the moment Hayley saw her.
Maddie rose from her chair with a smile so heartfelt, so genuinely delighted to see her, that it knocked Hayley breathless.
Maddie looked lethal. She was wearing a striking short black skirt and a sheer top that practically dared anyone to look away.
The hairstyle was new, one Hayley hadn’t seen on her before.
Maddie’s blonde hair was slicked back into a tight bun, and Hayley’s pulse thundered with all the subtlety of a Tommy Lee solo.
Maddie was, in short, flawless.
“You look gorgeous.” She leaned in to kiss Hayley’s cheek.
“You…” The words got stuck in Hayley’s throat. “You’re stunning.”
Maddie pulled out the chair for Hayley before settling into her own seat across the small round table. Neither of them seemed capable of looking away from the other.
“The chef’s table at a Michelin-star restaurant in New York City. Last minute, nonetheless. I’m impressed.” Hayley fought to steady her thoughts and willed her heartbeat to behave. If she didn’t pull herself together, she’d never make it through the night alive.
A soft blush rose to Maddie’s cheeks, and Hayley wanted to pull her into her lap right then and there.
“I wanted it to be perfect,” Maddie whispered. “You deserve nothing less.”
Now it was Hayley’s turn to warm with color. A wave of emotion swept through her as she imagined the effort Maddie must have put into arranging it all. For her.
Maddie lifted her wine glass. “To you, Hayley Maddox. The most breathtaking woman I have ever seen. You are truly one of a kind. Thank you for being here with me tonight.”
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” Hayley raised her own glass, her voice gentle. “Truly. Thank you.”
Their meal began with the first of what would become seven courses.
Two bite-sized appetizers opened the evening, followed by scallops baked in a silky, elegant sauce that melted on Hayley’s tongue.
A bright palate cleanser arrived next, then came a procession of oyster, lobster, and steak dishes, each prepared in ways she had never dreamed of.
By the time the cheesecake appeared for dessert, Hayley had deemed the chef to be a true artist.
Their conversation flowed easily between the courses. Hayley noticed how intentional Maddie was about keeping things light, steering them toward stories and laughter rather than anything heavy. It felt thoughtful, protective even, and Hayley appreciated it more than she could express.