Chapter 20 - Maren
Maren
Polished floors reflected the warm glow of dozens of glittering chandeliers overhead, the tall windows stretching along the walls framing the harbor like a living painting.
Around us, the air hummed with quiet conversation and the clink of silverware, a refined backdrop to the laughter and footsteps moving through the space.
And me, of course, looking painfully out of place in it all.
“You trying to make me blush in front of the mayor?” Ethan’s eyes drifted over my curves. His usually piercing gaze was softer, but edged with veiled hunger.
I smoothed my dress, the bottle-green silk cool under my clammy and over-stressed touch. “You’re shameless.”
“What?” He was all innocence and boyish charm. As if I wasn’t intimately familiar with his other, more primal, side. “It’s not like the mayor can hear us.”
“Say ‘mayor’ one more time. I dare you.” He laughed, and I crossed my arms over my chest and gave him a glare.
I spared a quick glance over his shoulder to check on the kids. Miles and Adrian had them occupied with bright red cranberry mocktails. For now, anyway. I could already tell by the look on Emma’s face that she was bored out of her mind.
“I told you,” Ethan said, “one glass of sparkling wine and you’ll feel a lot better about this. It’s just a lunch.”
I glared at him again. “And I told you. No alcohol while I’m working, and this is not just any lunch. We’re at the Boston Hotel, everyone here is a millionaire several times over. If I were to throw my shoe over there right now, it’ll hit the mayor. That’s how close he is.”
“Let the record show it was you who used the ‘m’ word this time,” he said with a smirk.
“Bite me.”
He leaned in close and my breathing stalled, tripping over itself. “Tempting, but there’s something to be said for workplace professionalism.”
“Exactly.” I didn’t mean to complain, but we were by ourselves and I needed to find a way through this overwhelming feeling. “This Thanksgiving luncheon is meant for high-profile corporates. People are going to wonder what the hell a nanny is doing traipsing around in a dress she can’t afford.”
The playfulness left his eyes as he fixed them on me. “As the event organizers, we get free spots on the guestlist to use as we please. You belong here, whatever your designation.”
My designation. I wasn’t sure where I landed on that one anymore. In fact, the longer I stayed in Back Bay, the less certain I became about a lot of things.
We moved along the edges of the crowd. The room buzzed with low conversations as guests mingled between tables gleaming with gold-rimmed china and tiny pumpkin centerpieces.
Somewhere near the back, a jazz trio filled the space with soft holiday tunes, their music threading through the chatter.
Through it all, the mouthwatering smell of roasted turkey and spiced cider reminded me there’d be an empty seat at Liv’s parent’s house tomorrow, for the first time since we became friends as freshmen in college.
I adopted the expected nod-and-smile whenever we passed someone Ethan knew, and he waved and greeted. A few times, the looks lingered as the strangers tried to figure out whether I was with him or not. As Emma had put it, in a girlfriend-boyfriend kind of way.
But where it tightened the knot of nerves in my stomach, Ethan seemed to enjoy the attention.
“You’re quiet.” His gaze locked on me as if we were the only people in the room.
We’d stopped just short of the donation table that groaned under non-perishable food, blankets, and mystery gifts for the pups at the local animal shelter.
My skin grew hot from the inside out, and I dropped my eyes to hide the warmth spreading on my face. “I…”
“You didn’t take the job,” he said plainly. “It was perfect, but you didn’t take it.”
There was no joke that would soften the bare truth of it, and I found myself flailing inwardly. I’d walked away from the one thing I’d quite vocally been pining for since my old school closed down, and given the most recent developments between the four of us, he was right to call me on it.
His timing sucked, though.
Our eyes met, and the queasy feeling that had been following me all day strangely subsided.
Every reason I came up with, every justification sounded like total bullshit, even in my head.
Because it was more than the job, my career, or the stability I’d craved since I was a kid.
It was everything I didn’t yet have words for.
I opened my mouth, ready to give him some kind of response I felt he deserved, when a hand came to rest on the small of my back.
“I’ve had a word with the mayor, and we have his express permission to take you out to the car before lunch is served.” Miles’ voice made my skin prickle with goosebumps.
“Miles.” I shot him a warning look, which he returned with a grin that made my heart flip. Thankfully, the kids hadn’t picked up on anything.
Especially Emma, who had concerns more pressing than whatever was going on with the grown-ups around her.
“This thing itches.” Her cheeks bore red splotches of frustration, as she tugged at the collar of her deep burgundy velvet dress.
Unable to help himself, Will poked the poof of one of the sleeves repeatedly. “It would be so cool if they made a sound when we did this.”
She slapped his hand away. “Stop! Leave me alone. Maren, tell Will to stop.”
But Sadie had already picked up on his teasing and was booping Emma’s other sleeve with sound effects to go along with it.
“The man’s not wrong,” Adrian chuckled, that third glass of sparkling wine already shining in his eyes. “Interactive formal wear is exactly what the world’s missing.”
Emma groaned loudly, and stomped her foot, the beginnings of a tantrum that I quickly snuffed by pulling her to my side, arm around her shoulders.
“Don’t listen to them,” I whispered to her. “We just have to get through lunch, and then we’ll go home and change into something more comfortable, okay?”
She pouted, arms folded tightly. “I wanna go home now. This party is boring.”
This last part drew curious looks from those closest to us, and Ethan let out a long exhale through his nose. “It’ll be an hour, tops. You don’t have to stay for dessert.”
“I said I wanna go home!”
Will skulked behind Adrian, muttering something about embarrassing moments, and in that moment, I related pretty hard. Even the mayor was looking over to see what the fuss was about.
A light, tinkling bell sounded, and guests moved to find their seats. Ethan gave me a look that expressed everything he couldn’t say out loud, and I gave him a reassuring wave to tell him to go on, I had this.
Our table was in the back, since we weren’t exactly part of the mayor’s esteemed invitees, and Emma and I were the last to sit down. Mostly because it took some high-level coaxing to get her there.
She sat between Adrian and me, and honestly, I was relieved. He had a way with them that made things easier. Or feel that way, at least.
He leaned over to her now, whispering with a conspiratorial air, “Don’t tell anyone, but I’m gonna put a frog in Will’s bed tonight.”
Her head snapped round to look at him, eyes wide. “You don’t have a frog.”
“I do so.” He winked at her, but the wry smile, that was meant for me. “I’m gonna pay him back for teasing you about your beautiful dress.”
She went from suspicious to relaxed really quickly, almost relieved to finally have someone in her corner. With a hand cupped around her mouth, she said, “He’s gonna scream like a girl.”
“What are you two conspiring about over there?” Ethan asked, and Emma sat bolt upright in her chair, hands in her lap.
“Nothing.”
“None of your business.” Adrian settled back in his chair and gave me a thumbs up.
‘Thank you,’ I mouthed the words and Adrian being Adrian, mouthed back, ‘You owe me’.
Boats drifted lazily across the blue-gray water outside. Inside, the music from the band faded into the background as waiters floated out pushing carts laden with scrumptious food.
It should’ve felt like work — one of those social obligations the guys had to endure with polite smiles and firm handshakes — but instead, there was something easy about it.
Normal. Ethan talked Will through the most impressive resumes around us, Adrian entertained Sadie with magic tricks that revolved exclusively around a spoon, and Emma occupied herself with an origami napkin practice session while we waited for the food to arrive.
I caught Miles’ eye, allowing myself some freedom to hold his gaze while everyone else was distracted. He sat next to me, and even though we were separated by significant elbow room, the pull toward him was challenging. Obviously fueled by yesterday’s lunch break back at Lumen HQ.
“I can’t stop thinking about you,” he murmured, and my skin flushed hot.
“Same.”
Which was true. But it was also true that I couldn’t stop thinking about everything else at the very same time.
He was in my head, along with Ethan and Adrian.
So was Mrs. Alcott and the teaching job.
Liv, and how seasonally sad she got over the holidays.
Will’s crush. The way Sadie was creeping into my heart one random wild creature at a time. Emma, finding her place in it all.
Everything. All the time.
“Oh, good, I’m starving.” Adrian rubbed his hands together as plates made their way to the tables.
Lunch was served. Turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet yams… The table devolved into easy conversation amidst the clink of cutlery. It was just the right amount of noise, warmth, and people who were beginning to feel like family.
Until Emma’s voice cut through the laughter.
“No!”
Heads turned. She sat back in her chair, arms crossed, face puffed up with anger. Adrian touched her arm and whispered something, but she pulled back, eyes flashing.
“Hey, sweetie, what’s wrong?” I didn’t care about everyone looking; my first concern was Emma. But I felt my cheeks warm up all the same.