11. Mae
ELEVEN
Mae
“I feel like I’ve been dropped into the middle of an episode of Friends , but I don’t know any of the characters,” I whisper to Seth as we weave through the bustling crowds in New York City with Abi and a group of Seth’s college buddies. He’s talked about them a ton, but there’s nine of them plus a slew of wives, and so I could never keep them straight. I know some stories, but I don’t really know who is who. I’ve met a few via Facetime, like Jamie and Lucas, but the others were a blur, and neither of those two is here today.
“Just go with it,” he replies with a wink. He weaves his fingers through mine, and I try not to read too much into it. He just doesn’t want me to get lost. But I relish the feeling. I never want to let go.
I feel like a lovesick teenager.
We finally enter a cramped burger joint in Times Square, and Abi practically bounces with excitement. “Isn’t this amazing?” she asks, completely unfazed by the loud noises and hectic atmosphere. Meanwhile, I’m struggling to keep up with this group of strangers who seem to know each other’s every move.
Seth pulls me toward a table meant for four because it’s the only open one in the place. He’s always so confident about things. I would’ve hunted down a host and then waited for three hours for a bigger spot to open.
We have to squeeze seven people around it. I try to sit next to him, but before I can even think about it, his friend Tristan plops down on one side of me, and David takes the other. Across from us, Hayden and Anna are sandwiched between Seth and Abi.
“Remember the last time we were in New York...” Anna begins, only to be interrupted by Tristan leaning across the table and clamping a hand over her mouth.
“No one needs to know those details,” he says. But before I can ask what happened, Tristan changes the subject.
The stories fly by as I try my best to keep up, but they already seem to know the punchlines.
Tristan nudges me. “You okay? You’re awfully quiet.”
I nod. “It’s just a lot of people.” D.C. feels like this sometimes too. I don’t know how I’m going to survive there. I just want to stay in Whisper Springs. I wish my dad could see that.
“Pretty quiet out there in West Virginia, huh?”
“Very.”
“It’s nice to finally meet the famous Mae. Seth talks about you all the time.” David leans across me and grabs the ketchup. “More now than he did before actually. So, are you two finally dating?”
I shake my head.
“Why not? I see the way you both look at each other.”
“It’s a long story.”
“Is he dragging his feet? Maybe he just needs a nudge in the right direction,” Tristan says, then looks to David. “Maybe we can supply a nudge.”
“I’m not sure I’m following.”
“You need another man to make him jealous.”
David laughs. “You mean like he did with you and Maya?”
Tristan nods. “You willing to flirt with her and make him jealous?”
David shakes his head. “No way. This is between you and him.”
“But I’m married.”
“It’s not like you’re actually going to do anything.”
“True. Let me text the wife and find out if she’s okay with it. Can we take a selfie?” he asks me. I nod, not quite understanding what I’m getting myself into, and he puts his arm around me and snaps a picture.
I glance up and catch Seth’s eyes. There’s definitely a flare of jealousy.
Oh, I get it.
A few moments later, Tristan snorts and hands me the phone. I read a series of texts between him and “Hot Mama.”
Tristan: Got Seth’s girl here. You okay if I flirt with her to make him jealous?
Hot Mama: That’s Mae?!?!?! She’s gorgeous. Seth never mentioned that. And totally. He deserves it. I want to hear all the dirty details tonight when you call.
I exit the text app and click on the photos app. “I want to see pictures of Hot Mama.”
Tristan snatches the phone away from me. “Uh, let me find one that’s appropriate.”
I laugh. Maybe New York won’t be so bad after all.
“Not that one,” Tristan mutters under his breath. “Certainly not that one.”
Then he blushes. After a few more moments, he hands me the phone. “Here, this is from the Christmas we met.”
It’s a group picture of them in Christmas pajamas. “Why do all of you look like you’re ready to star in Magic Mike?” I ask.
David rolls his eyes. “Because the women think we need to be shirtless for Christmas dinner.”
I study the picture a little more. The women are all gorgeous, and one is sitting on Seth’s lap. Insecurities well up in me again. I’m not the kind of woman he usually goes for. I wonder if he’ll get bored of our game.
“What did Seth do that you want to get back at him for?”
“When I first met my beautiful wife, I was in denial about how I felt about her, so Seth pursued her instead. He said it was just to make me jealous so I’d take the leap, but I bet if she’d been willing, he would’ve slept with her.”
I hate to admit it, but Tristan is probably right.
We finish our dinner and head out into the streets. It’s still early. Just after lunch, but the crowds are unbearable. People press in from all sides, making it hard to move.
Tristan slyly touches my arm and whispers cheeky comments in my ear whenever he thinks Seth is looking. Abi has wandered off with David and Hayden up ahead, leaving the two of us in the middle while Seth and Anna trail behind. Sometimes I lose track of Abi in the thick crowds, and panic rises in my chest, but she always reappears.
“Hey, Tristan!” Seth yells from behind us. “I need to speak to you.”
Tristan gives me a wink and falls back to talk to Seth, leaving me alone for a moment. I can still see the others up ahead, but there’s a small crowd blocking our path now.
The honking horns and blaring sirens seem to be everywhere. My chest feels tight, and I clench my fists as I walk.
I can still hear my mother’s voice filled with longing and excitement as she talked about New York before she left me behind. She would describe the towering buildings that reached for the sky, the bustling streets filled with people from all walks of life, and the endless possibilities that seemed to thrive in every corner of the city. But as I walk here now, surrounded by the gritty reality of this place, I don’t see the magic that she did.
We hit a crosswalk, and Abi and her group step out just as the countdown reaches zero.
They’re about to leave me behind.
I rush after to try to catch up. The light turns green, and cars all around me start honking. I look forward and see cars trying to push through my group of friends. With each passing second, the knot in my stomach tightens. Impatient car horns blare in my ears.
I take off in a full sprint, my heart pounding in my chest, but my foot catches on a loose rock, and I stumble forward, my limbs flailing. I crash to the ground, the rough pavement tearing at my skin. All I can see is a bumper and tires that are about to drive over me. A throbbing ache blooms in my knees, and my hands feel like they’re on fire. A bike messenger zooms by, running right over my ankle.
“Watch where you’re going!” he shouts.
Bodies surround me, and Seth reaches for me first. “Are you okay?”
The light turns red again, so the cars I’m blocking quit honking at least. I try to stand, but pain tears through my body. “I think I sprained my ankle,” I squeak.
Seth swoops me up into his arms. The scent of exhaust fumes taints the air, mixing with the unmistakable aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafting from the nearby cafes.
I wince, and my ankle throbs with a sharp, shooting pain. I clutch onto Seth’s broad shoulders, my fingers digging into the fabric of his shirt for support. The world whirls around me in a frenzy as we navigate through the bustling crowd. People blur past us, their hurried footsteps echoing in my ears, and I’m so grateful for this man who has rescued me.
He’s the only one I’ll ever need.