6. Mae
SIX
Mae
Working with Seth is hard because I’m distracted by daily fantasies. Especially when we’re alone in the conference room 99% of the time. The insane draw I have to him is crazy, and every time I see him, I want to climb into his lap and kiss him. I’ve never felt this way about any other guy before, but I shouldn’t be surprised, considering the crush I’ve had on him for years.
What I am surprised about is how he behaves toward me. Our texts have gotten increasingly flirtatious, but in person, he never acts like he sees me as anything but a coworker.
He’s sitting across from me, absorbed in his computer. It’s been a good week, and now we’ve filled nearly half the spots for the hideaway weekend. I’ve spent the last hour chatting with a YouTube singing sensation. She’s very, very good at what she does, and she’s got a bazillion followers, but based on how long our conversation goes, it seems like she’s pretty lonely. She’s already booked for our hideaway weekend, and she reached out to ask a few questions about the vegan and gluten-free food accommodations. After I assured her that we would be able to work around that, she just kept talking. And now I know everything I never wanted to know about her mom and her dog, her only true friends. It makes me grateful for my own close relationships even though they are not many. Abi, Seth, and Terry. I used to be able to count my friends at SETI, but I haven’t been able to see any of them in a while because I collapse into bed every night. But one of these days, I’m going to visit them and hopefully make a regular gig out of it.
Deka lies at my feet. She seems to like me more these days than she does Seth, but that might be because I play with her when I get bored.
I slip off my sandal and reach my foot over Deka until I find Seth’s. It’s definitely the most forward I’ve been with him, but I’m getting tired of waiting for something to happen. He’s wearing laced dress shoes that supposedly cost a ridiculous amount and his avocado socks.
Seth doesn’t even know I’ve found his foot. I slide my bare foot to his ankle, and his chin jerks up. He doesn’t move his foot, so I creep my toes up his ankle until I find bare skin. His eyes don’t leave mine, and the desire there makes me want to slam that blasted door shut and let him take full advantage of me.
He reaches down and grabs my ankle, pulling my foot into his lap. I squeak. He gives me a look that says, “Quiet.”
I drop my eyes and pretend to be absorbed in my computer, but I don’t even see the screen. Instead, all I feel are his strong thumbs massaging the ball of my foot. It’s all I can do to stop from groaning. That man has magic hands. I didn’t even know I needed a foot massage.
“How are things going?”
Seth drops my foot and straightens up. Terry stands in the doorway, coffee cup in hand, a grin on her face. No one would’ve been able to see what was going on under the table, but I still feel like a kid who was caught making out with her boyfriend.
I rub my eyes. Never have I spent so much time in the summer indoors. I’m tired of staring at a screen, and I miss the sun.
“Good. We’re starting to trend on social media. The influencers we booked for the hideaway gave us a hashtag already called hidevibes.” I look at the spreadsheet on my screen with the food requests and the newly added name. “I hope the caterers are flexible. I’ve had three people asking for vegan and gluten-free.”
“That’s to be expected,” Seth says. “But I want there to be lots of options. People who aren’t vegan don’t want to eat that. If we don’t have a decent variety, we’ll turn off more than half of our customers. I’m also a little concerned that these local caterers don’t really know how to prepare vegan and other substitutions very well.”
“I agree. My roommate in college had every food allergy under the sun, and she always complained that no one bothered making sure the vegan or gluten-free options tasted good.”
Terry gracefully settles into a chair beside Seth. She usually stops in at least once a day, which is always a great break.
“Why don’t you let the caterer know what’s going on? Mae, send them some recipes that your roommate adored, along with other recipes for various kinds of diets you know your clients will request. Then you two can take a drive out there and do some taste testing. The alternative options do need to be just as good as everything else.”
Terry looks between us. I know what she’s doing. She’s been a second mom to me, and I know she loves me, but I’m certain that her motives here are purely because she’s hoping if Seth and I hook up, he’ll stay. His and my relationship seems so daunting, and I can’t exactly talk to Terry about it. I wish I had my own mom here.
“Of course. Maybe we can steal Abi as well. The more people that taste test, the better. You could come along if you want as well.”
Terry waves her hand. “I’m not sure if Mark can spare Abi, and I have things to work on here.” She stands. “Speaking of, I should get back to it.” She kisses Seth on the cheek and hurries out of the room and then pokes her head back in.
“By the way, with all these changes we’ll need to have another map made. Todd’s mom made the first one and I penciled in new additions, but this is too much.”
“I love that map,” I say. It was done as a watercolor and so adorable. “Let me do the next one. I want it to have the same vibe.”
Terry grins at me. “That sounds perfect.” Then she disappears out the door.
“Your mom is the best. My life would’ve been so different if mine had been like that.”
Seth’s face twists a little bit. “I wish you knew more about why she left. Then maybe it wouldn’t be so hard.”
I shrug. “It was a long time ago. I don’t know if I miss her as much as I miss the idea of her.” I hesitate for a minute before changing the subject. If it’s okay for him to ask me about my mom, then I can ask him his big question. “Why didn’t you come back sooner? If I had a family like yours, I would never run away.”
He sighs and runs a hand along his face. “It’s not my family. I love them a lot, but I don’t like it in West Virginia. I had a rough time growing up here. School was hard, and I constantly felt trapped. After I left, I tried to get my family to come visit me, but Dad and my brothers refused. Then I got upset because I felt they weren’t being understanding, and it escalated to sixteen years of estrangement. I still can’t explain that it’s the place, not them.”
I don’t fully understand because I love this place. “That must’ve been hard. I’m glad you’re back now and mending those relationships.”
Seth’s lips twitch into a small, tight smile. “Me too. I hope it’s enough.” His eyes flicker with uncertainty.
A chat bubble pops onto my screen—an Instagram influencer asking what kind of materials we use in our sheets and pillows.
Seth and I both get absorbed back into our work. Neither one of us mentions the foot massage. Once I put out a few more fires, I check the style of videos Abi has uploaded, and then I post a couple on our socials.
Seth’s voice breaks the silence. “The caterer says we can come on Thursday. He sent me the menu and said he’d try to add in some of our suggestions. You want to see it?”
I nod and move over to his side. The urge to touch him again overwhelms me, so instead of taking the chair, I stand behind him and press up against his back.
I expect him to make a comment, but he doesn’t, so I quickly read through the menu options. Every single dish makes my mouth water, though that could just be Seth’s head pressed into my breasts.
“They also said they can mix and match. So if someone is pescatarian and gluten free, they would get the salmon instead of stuffed butternut squash.”
“It sounds like they already know how to deal with picky customers.”
“They also know if they pull this off, they’ll make a killing. What we’re paying them for this weekend is more than they usually make in a month. And this is just the beginning.”
“That’s what will set us apart from the other options. Seth, you’re really good at this. You’ve thought of things that I never even dreamed would make a difference. And yet every time you open your mouth and tell me something else that needs to be done, I think, ‘genius.’ What you’re about to offer here is something that is found nowhere else.”
He shakes his head. “The problem with revolutionary is that it’s risky. This could all fail.”
“But it won’t. You know why?”
“Why?”
“Because of you. You know what you’re doing, and you’ve sacrificed a lot to make this happen. It won’t fail.”
He grabs my hand. “Thanks, Mae. For everything. You’re amazing, you know that?”
I take a long step back because I’m seconds away from falling right onto his lips. “I’m going to find Abi and see if she’s got any more videos of Levi the Lumberjack.”
“He’s going to kill you both when he finds out what you’ve done.”
“He’s got ten thousand followers on TikTok already. Even if he does kill us, it’ll be worth it.”
* * *
Seth: So did she have any videos?
Mae: Videos of what?
Seth: Levi. Unless you just used that as an excuse to sneak out of work early to see your secret boyfriend.
Mae: Oh. That was hours ago and I’m practically asleep now.
Seth: The temptation to ask what you’re wearing….
Mae: Careful. You might make my secret boyfriend jealous.
Seth: I hear he gives killer foot massages.
Mae: That he does. Makes me want to sneak into his room and demand to know where he was.
Seth: I expect if you did, his world would never be the same.
Mae: Good thing I have self-control.
Seth: Before I say anything else that might make your secret boyfriend jealous, I should let you get some sleep.
Mae: Come on. One more thing.
Seth: One more what?
Mae: Thing that will make my secret boyfriend jealous.
Seth: You will star in all my dreams. Good night, Mae.
Mae: Love you.
Seth: Love you too.
We’ve said that we love each other thousands of times, and we always do it before we go to sleep at night. It’s always been in a friendly brother-and-sister kind of way. But something feels different about it now. I glance out the little window next to my bunk and stare at the stars. I think of Cassiopeia, Perseus, and Andromeda. They’re my favorite constellations, and I love their stories. I just hope my story has a happy ending as well.
I say a quick prayer, asking God for that happy ending, and fall into a deep sleep.
* * *
“Would you calm down? He’ll be here,” Abi says.
I’m bouncing from foot to foot at the Friday night party in the lodge. I’ve already turned down three offers from various guys to dance. I can think of only one man I’m planning to dance with tonight. I told Abi about my feelings this morning, and she’s very excited but isn’t as surprised as I expected her to be.
Abi grabs my wrist. “Seriously, girl. He’ll be here, and you guys will dance until midnight, and then you’ll go back to his cabin and make pretty babies.”
My face flushes. “Abi! We haven’t even kissed yet.”
“Yeah, well. It won’t be long. I don’t know why you’re nervous.”
Mark and Levi saunter up to Abi’s other side, their smirks evident with the mischievous glint in their eyes. They’ve obviously been up to something again. Probably still tormenting Seth.
“What have you two troublemakers been up to now?” Abi eyes them suspiciously.
“Nothing,” Mark says. But seconds later, Seth barges into the lodge, his face livid. He spots us, but I’m not even sure he sees me. Which is a blow to my ego.
He marches toward them, his fancy shoes thudding against the wooden floor. “Would you two mind staying the hell out of my cabin?” he growls, pointing a finger accusingly at them.
Mark crosses his arms. “No. We rather like it there.”
“What did they do?” Abi asks, and I can tell she’s trying to keep a straight face.
“They stole all my bedding. Duvet, pillows, and sheets.”
“See, and that’s why we do this. What the hell is a duvet anyway?” Levi asks.
Seth pinches his nose. “Where are they?”
“Aw, Sethy, we didn’t steal them. We got you better ones. Don’t you love them?” Mark asks in a singsong voice.
Abi claps her hands. “What did they do? I wanna know.”
Seth glances my way for a second, and his face goes red.
“Yeah, tell her what we got for you.”
Seth shakes his head and grabs my hand, pulling me onto the dance floor. A few women glare at me. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one wanting a dance from him.
Mark yells after us. “Boobs. All of his bedding has boobs on it.”
I have to hand it to Seth. He doesn’t miss a beat. He pulls me into him, one hand on my back and the other leading me around the dance floor. His face is still tense.
“Is it really?” I ask, trying to keep a smile off my face.
He gives a tight nod. “The pillows are even shaped like them. I forgot how hard it is living with them. With my friends, I’m the one pulling the pranks, and I’m mild compared to my brothers.”
Mark and Levi are really good pranksters. Most of the time, it’s garden-variety camp-type pranks. More than once, the girls’ bunk has been raided and our underwear strung up the flagpole, but with Seth they’re getting really creative. It’s crude humor, but I find it hilarious. “Okay, I gotta see this.”
Seth’s eyes meet mine, and his face brightens. “Mei mei, are you trying to get into my bedroom?”
I don’t look away. “I didn’t think that was a secret.”
Seth opens and closes his mouth. I like that I’ve rendered him speechless. I bring my hand to the back of his neck and play with his hair. I rest my head on his chest and listen to his racing heart. His hand slips lower down my back, and his fingers find the bare skin between my shirt and skirt.
The song ends, and another one begins, but we don’t let go of each other. Words aren’t spoken. They don’t have to be. The song after that is a fast one, and Seth finally pulls away from me. “We need to talk about this.”
“What about it?”
He holds my gaze. “If we cross this line, there’s no going back.”
Every time I’m near him, I can’t help but think of the things I want to do with him that are not of the friendship variety. I don’t know how to turn those urges off. It’s nice to know that he’s thinking the same way.
“There’s already no going back.”
He swallows. “Mae, I’m not staying here in West Virginia.”
I nod. “I’m okay with that. I mean, as long as you take me with you.”
He raises his eyebrows. I didn’t mean to say something that might scare him off, but he needs to know I’m serious. He told me that he’s heading to India in six months. It’s a place I’ve never wanted to visit because it’s way too crowded there. But Seth never stays anywhere very long. Being with him means it’d be harder to get established with a career, but I don’t really care much about that. I’m good at what I do, but I don’t love it.
“You would move to India with me?”
I hesitate and take a long breath. “Yeah.”
I would hate it. Every second, but I’d be with him, and that’s all I want at this point. It’s strange how one man can make me want only one thing. I guess I’d been willing to move to D.C. with Rick. This isn’t that different. Most of Great-Grandfather’s property is probably going to rot to the ground anyway because my dad doesn’t care.
Seth pulls me into a bone-crushing hug and drops his lips to my ears. “You completely undo me, you know that? Now, let me find out what my brothers did with my Bespoke sheets, and then we’re getting out of here to talk more about you moving to India with me.”
He gives me a quick kiss on the forehead and then disappears into the crowd.
* * *
Seth
“Son, we need to talk.” Keith intercepts me on my way to hunt down Mark and Levi. He stands eye to eye with me, a serious look on his face. Keith is very protective of Mae. She talked about how annoyed she was with how he treated the guys she dated in high school. And he’s adamant that she’s going to D.C. He’s not going to be happy about the moving-to-India idea.
“Sure,” I say and follow him outside and away from the lodge. I’m not used to dealing with fathers. In fact, in all my years, I haven’t met a single one. But I’ve known Keith since before I could walk. He and Dad have been friends since high school, and they’re practically inseparable now. I’m sure he’s seen the way things have been between Mae and me. We literally spend every second of every day together, and Keith is here all the time.
The crisp scent of pine and woodsmoke fills the air, mingling with the faint hint of flowers and greenery from the surrounding forest. With Mae, this would’ve been romantic. With Keith, it’s a little scary.
I’m not easily intimidated by other men. I can’t be with the career path I’ve chosen. But Keith. He was a second dad to me growing up. And while my own dad was kind and caring, Keith was more of the “School of Hard Knocks” type. My brothers and I worked harder for him than we ever did for Dad. He scared us. Though, thinking back now, I’m not sure why. He never laid a hand on us, but he was good at yelling and intimidation.
He doesn’t say anything for a moment. His fists clench and unclench. His nostrils flare. This isn’t good. All Mae and I did was dance, but even I know that’s not all we really did. We pretty much decided our futures were together, but there’s no way Keith could know that.
I don’t say anything. Perhaps he’s angry about something else, and I shouldn’t escalate whatever it is.
“You stay away from Mae.” His voice is low and angry but controlled. I understand that he doesn’t want us together, but at this point, there’s not much he can do about it. I don’t want to completely alienate him though.
“Sir, Mae and I have been friends for a long time, and we work together. I don’t understand.”
He snorts. “Don’t lie. I saw the way you looked at her. The way you held her.” He pauses. “Every Friday night, Mae dances with dozens of boys. She always holds them at arm’s length. But not you.” He jabs toward me. “You stay the hell away from her.”
No way in hell will anyone dictate my life like that. Or Mae’s, for that matter. She deserves to make her own choices.
“I have a lot of respect for you, but you can’t tell me what to do. Both Mae and I are adults.”
His nostrils flare, and he takes two steps closer to me, getting in my face. “I don’t care that you’re adults. Mae is still my baby girl, and you will respect me. You will not pursue her.”
“Yes, I will. I’m not some little boy you can push around. I will respect whatever boundaries Mae puts up, but this is between me and her, not you.” When I was younger, I did everything he told me to. A lot of life has passed since then.
He steps back and shakes his head. “I thought you might say that. Keep in mind that I don’t make empty threats. Green Bank wants to buy my land. They’ve been trying for years to put another dish up on that hill.” He points behind me to where Whisper Springs sits. “But I held out because I respect your dad. That satellite dish would ruin this place, and I know it. I’m tired, and I’m ready to retire. So, if I sold out now, your dad would be upset, but he’d understand. I know you’re trying to resurrect this place for your family, but if you don’t keep your hands off Mae, I’ll sign on that dotted line.”
My heart stutters. If he signs that contract, my father’s livelihood will be destroyed, and all my hard work will crumble to ashes. That hill is less than a mile from the main house. They would shut down the little wifi we have. That also means no cars unless they run on diesel. We’d be ruined. The rules on what is allowed and what isn’t are strictly based on distance from the big dish. If they are planning on building a second one, this would be too close.
“You wouldn’t do that to Dad.”
“I’d do anything to protect my daughter. She has a career that she needs to pursue in D.C. She’s a smart girl, and she deserves to get what she wants.”
“Do you threaten all of Mae’s boyfriends? Do you not want Mae to be happy?”
He creases his eyebrows, and his face relaxes a little. “What? No. I liked Rick. He’s a good guy. I was kinda hoping she’d come home with an engagement ring.”
“So it’s just me then. What’s wrong with me?”
Keith shakes his head. “Mae’s heart broke when her mother left. She left two days after you did, actually. That was the year I saw your father’s heart break as well.”
His words hit like a gut punch. I know I hurt my dad, but I had my own demons to deal with. “I left for college .”
He sneers. “And you never came back. Not even for Christmas. You will hurt Mae the same way her mother did. The same way you hurt your father. I won’t let that happen. Am I signing the land over to Green Bank or not? Your call.”
My chest is tight, and I have the sudden urge to punch something. I know I left, but do I deserve this? No.
I’m used to getting what I want, and Mae is someone I didn’t even realize I wanted.
Now, I want her even more.
I need time to think about this. “Can Mae and I still work together? If we’re not, I’ll have to explain to everyone why I fired her.”
I’m not giving in. But this is a curveball I didn’t see coming, and I need to do my research before I can fix it. This is actually what makes me different from other corporate fixers and pirates and what makes me better than most. I always let people think they are getting what they want. Especially when they back me into a corner. Then I find a way to fix the problem anyway. So for now, Keith needs to think he’s won.
“She can work for you, and you can be friends, but if I catch even a whiff of anything more, it’s over. I’m not playing around.”
“That’s fair, sir.”
It’s not. Nothing about this is fair, but I can’t have him making any impulsive decisions. I will not let him hurt Dad because of me. He’s right. I did break my father’s heart. But I’m here now, and I’m hoping to fix that, and I’m not the same kid I was sixteen years ago.
I have to figure this out first. Mae is willing to move to India with me—that’s a huge deal—and by the time I’m done here, Whisper Springs will be thriving, and Mae and I will be together. I like challenges, and this might just be my biggest one yet.
“This job that she has with you. It’s only good until just after Labor Day, right? She needs to go to her internship in D.C.”
“Don’t worry. She will. I just need her help getting this first event taken care of.” I have no idea how I’ll explain this all to Mae. We were seconds away from committing our lives to each other, and now we have to turn it all off. At least for now.
Keith stands there for a moment. “I’ll be keeping a close eye on you. No funny business.”
“I assure you, sir, my loyalty to this place is greater than any feelings I have. We’ll be fine.”
“Everything okay over there?”
We both jerk our heads up and see Dad walking toward us. Keith gives me a look. He knows I won’t say anything because that would mean hurting Dad. I grind my teeth and plaster on a smile.
“Yeah, Keith and I were just talking about Whisper Springs and how his place might help ours recover.”
Keith gives me a look but doesn’t argue. That’s right. Two can play this game. If he’s going to be an ass about Mae, I’m going to make sure he’s involved in our recovery instead of just signing a few papers and letting us do everything. Mae’s dream is to restore Whisper Springs, and right now all I want to do is make her happy. Plus, it will make it harder for Keith to sell out if he has some skin in the game.
Dad claps Keith on the shoulder. “Look at us growing together. I’ve no doubt Seth will save us, but it’ll probably be painful. You up for it, old man?”
Keith grumbles, shoves his hands into his pockets, and stalks away. Dad gives me a wink and chases after him.
I take one last look up at the stars and then head inside. I find Mark, Levi, and Noah sitting at a table and plunk myself in between them.
“I take it the dance didn’t go well.” Noah smirks at me. “Because somehow you ended up here with us instead of taking her back to your cabin.”
I shrug, not sure how to play this. I could make something up, but I’m trying to re-establish our relationships, and I want them to trust me again. Besides, if they feel bad for me, they might give me my bedding back.
“Oooh, Sethy’s not used to getting rejected,” Mark says in a singsong voice.
I reach over and punch his arm. “Shut up. I didn’t get rejected, but Keith told me to stay away from her.”
“Keith loves us,” Mark says.
“Not me, apparently. I guess I left at the same time Susan did, and that makes us the same.”
“Come on, you know that’s not true,” Noah says, and I’m glad they don’t see me that way anymore.
Mae and Abi are dancing together to a fast song, and Mae looks stunning as she lets go. This is going to be impossible. I don’t know if I should tell her everything or lie to her. Her dad is the only family she’s got, and this will infuriate her.
“I gotta go. Will you tell Abi and Mae that I need to deal with something and will see them in the morning?”
“Chicken,” Levi mutters.
He’s not wrong, but I leave anyway. I don’t want to be the one to break apart Mae’s world. At least not right now.