15
That familiar feeling of being trapped and alone closes in on me, making my eyes sting and reaffirming what I already know.
I’m “Monica’s girl.” I’m crazy lucky to be where I’m at. My feelings are silly, unimportant, fleeting. They don’t matter. They’ll change. The smartest thing to do is stick it out. That’s what everyone else says, so it must be true. What would I go and do if I quit, anyway? I’ve got nothing to bring to the table. But you know who does?
Monica. Monica has something to bring to the table. So, she comes first.
Lucy comes second.
I take a deep breath as I stare at my reflection in the mirror.
I went with something a little bit dressy for Scott’s party, deciding to wear a skirt and blouse as opposed to my favorite standby: jeans and a t-shirt. I want to make a good impression, after all.
The last couple of days moved slowly. The events and conversations of the past week left me with a strange mix of emotions I’ve been ignoring. Instead, I’ve been focusing on Scott’s birthday, and trying to come up with a suitable gift so last minute.
He took me out on my lunch break twice this week, and we had dinner Friday night. During each of those dates, I noticed Scott has a habit of glancing at his wrist, which is slightly paler than the rest of his skin. After getting over my mental panic that he was trying to check the time because he was bored (he was not bored; he was making sure I didn’t get back to work late), it became clear that Scott is a dude who normally wears a watch. So, his watch is either missing, or he’s crazy and has an imaginary watch.
Let’s go with: his watch is missing and my boyfriend is not crazy.
That lead to me spending an hour at the store staring at all the men’s watches until I found one I thought would look great on Scott and would match his style. To be fair, it would be hard to find a watch that wouldn't look great on him.
Satisfied with my hair and makeup, I unplug the curling iron and slap the light switch, heading into the kitchen for a glass of water while I wait for Scott. Right about now, Jessie would normally be grilling me up until the moment the doorbell rings, but both of my roommates are out tonight. They’re usually out most of the day on Saturdays, while I spend the day at home until I leave for the office.
I wonder who Monica got to pick up the catering…
Finally, there’s a knock on the door. I take a breath and grab Scott’s wrapped present as I make my way over, peeking through the small hole in the door first just to be safe. Assured that it’s only Scott at the door and not an axe murderer or my old hairdresser I ghosted and never went back to, I unlock it and pull it open.
Just the sight of him lifts my spirits immediately. I think he’s magic.
“Happy birthday!” I say, unable to hold back the warm giddiness in my insides. That familiar grin returns to Scott’s face as he pulls me into a hug.
“Thank you. You look really pretty,” he says.
I smile up at him as he releases me, then catch him eyeing the present in my hands. I whip it away and quirk an eyebrow.
“No peeking.”
There’s a playful expression in his eyes, like he’s a little boy again. “You don’t want me to open it now?”
“Why would I want you to open it now?”
“I can, if you want me to,” he says.
“No way. You can open it with all the others.”
“Dang it!” He says it dramatically, but keeps smiling. “Ready to go?”
“Mhm,” I nod.
The drive over to Scott’s parents’ house is about fifteen minutes long. He makes me laugh the entire way, chasing away the last remnants of the dark cloud that had been hanging over me all day. As he pulls into the driveway, I get a better look at the house than I did when we were here for our movie date.
The house is a comfortable size, not large, but not too small, either. It’s a little bit out in the middle of nowhere, with a decent yard space out front, and (I’m assuming) out back as well. The exterior is outdated but full of charm, and there’s an old tree house that looks to be falling apart with a tire swing beneath it, along with pretty flower boxes lining the windows.
“It’s so cute,” I say, mostly to myself.
Scott glances at me, then takes a long look at the house. “I guess it is. I grew up here, so it just looks like home to me.”
“You lived here your whole life?” I ask.
Scott nods. “Yep. My parents moved here just before I was born. Macy and Dani lived in a different house for a while, though.”
I blink, my brow furrowing. “Dani?”
“You know, Daniella? Me and Macy’s older sister?”
“Wait, you have another sister? How many siblings do you have?”
“Just those two,” he says. “I’m the youngest. Twenty-three. Or, I guess I’m twenty-four now. Macy is twenty-six; Dani is thirty. And, she’s married and has a five-year-old kid, my nephew.”
“You’re an uncle?”
Scott nods.
I stare at him in bewilderment, then lean back against my seat in defeat. “I had no idea! Macy never talks about any of you!”
His eyebrows rise. “You know, I’m starting to wonder if she hates us all.”
I snort and Scott’s lips twitch upward into a smile.
“Ready to go in?”
I nod, chewing on my lip as a wave of nerves rushes in. I’ve never met my boyfriend’s family before. You know, since I’ve never had a boyfriend. Technically, I guess I met them at Macy’s wedding, but still, this is totally different.
“You don’t need to be nervous,” Scott says, putting his hand over mine. “Ever since you and I started dating, Macy gushes about you nonstop, and they all already like you because of your help at the wedding. My mom, especially.”
“Okay.”
We hop out of the car and I follow Scott to the door. As we step inside, we’re accosted by a jumble of voices and the overpowering smell of nacho cheese.
Scott grins. “Hope you like nachos.”
We move toward the cacophony of voices into the living room. Everyone looks over as we step inside, then they all jump up for hugs, handshakes, and greetings. His mom and dad say hi to me first, his mom pulling me into a hug followed by his dad giving me a warm handshake and cracking a few jokes. Macy walks over next with Dani, who I recognize to be one of the bridesmaids I couldn’t identify at the wedding.
Seeing a familiar face like Macy lessens my nerves a bit.
“Lucy, this is Dani,” she says, introducing us.
I smile and stick out my hand for a handshake, but Dani pulls me into a hug instead.
“I don’t think you had a chance to meet at the wedding,” Macy says, tilting her head.
“We didn’t,” Dani confirms, releasing me and smiling warmly, though I can tell she’s giving me a once over. I understand. After all, I am dating her little brother.
“Apparently, Macy never talks about any of us,” Scott says, stepping over after chatting with his dad. “Lucy didn’t even know you existed until about five minutes ago.”
Dani’s eyebrows rise as she looks at Macy, and Macy shoots me a confused look. “Um… did I really never tell you I had a sister?”
I try (unsuccessfully) to hold back a laugh. “Sure you did, right about the time you told me you had a nephew, too.”
Macy’s eyes go wide.
“What?” Dani feigns offense. “You don’t even have a picture of him on your desk?”
“Um… it’s just… I don’t really like clutter, so—”
“Now he’s clutter?”
“No! No, that’s not what I meant! I… um…”
Dani’s stony expression cracks as she watches Macy squirm, and her eyes twinkle with mirth. Scott shakes his head and clicks his tongue. “Some aunt you are,” he says.
“Shut up!”
“So, you and Scott used to work at The Roast together, right?” Dani asks, turning to me.
I nod. “Yes, we worked together for about a year before he left for North Carolina.”
“He had a major crush on you.”
“I already told her, Dani,” Scott cuts in. “No use trying to embarrass me. I’m a twenty-four year-old man, not a teen who’s embarrassed by feelings.”
Dani arches an eyebrow, her lips quirking upward. “Really? Then I guess you won’t mind me telling her about how you were so bummed out when she didn’t show up for your date that one time, you—”
“Okay! Time for nachos!” Scott shouts, his cheeks tinging red. I glance at him curiously, wanting to know what Dani was going to say. She grins up at him, then winks at me.
Everyone starts filing into the kitchen. On the way, I say hi to Jacob, shake hands with Dani’s husband, receive hugs from Scott’s grandparents, and meet his nephew, who introduces himself to me as “Batman.”
Regardless of his real name, I will forever refer to this child as “Batman.”
The conversation around dinner is lively, and though I don’t say much, I have a great time laughing and listening as I munch down on my nachos. We’re all huddled together in the living room, a cozy fire crackling in the fireplace. At one point, Scott’s nephew walks over to me and holds out what seems to be a plastic batarang.
“You want to play ‘Batman?’” he asks.
I stare at the batarang, wondering if part of playing ‘Batman’ requires it being chucked at me.
“You can be the bad guy.”
“Aidan, we can play later,” Dani says, “but right now we’re eating dinner.”
“I don’t mind,” I say, then I hesitate. “Um, how do you play ‘Batman?’”
Scott turns to me. “That’s Aidan’s version of hide and seek. I’ll play too,” he adds, smiling at Aidan.
“Okay. I’m Batman. You can be Catwoman,” Aidan says, pointing at me, then he points to Scott. “And, you can be Bob.”
“Bob?” Scott blinks in confusion. “Aidan, I don’t think there’s a villain named ‘Bob’ in—”
Aidan isn’t listening. Instead, he covers his face with his hands and starts to count.“One, two…”
Scott jumps up, grabbing my hand and shushing me as he pulls me into the hall. His parents laugh as we hurry off, and Dani shakes her head, but she’s smiling.
“Little cheater only counts to ten and starts counting before we’re even standing,” Scott says.
“Where are we going?” I whisper.
“Trust me.”
From a short distance, I hear Aidan shout “Ready or not, here I come!” Just as he does, Scott pulls me into a plain bedroom at the end of the hall, then guides me to a closet. It’s placed in a terrible spot in the room, right behind the door; so, if the door to the room is open, the closet is totally blocked.
A genius hiding spot when your opponent is a five-year-old.
Scott steps into the closet after me, pulling the door to the room as far towards us as possible, then clicking the closet door shut behind it. It’s nearly pitch black inside, except for a small nightlight plugged into an outlet in the wall. It’s cramped, and we wait in silence with baited breath. Soon enough, tiny footsteps tromp around just outside the door, then fade off in another direction.
I let out a breath, then turn to face Scott. My eyes widen as I realize how close we are.
That’s when he kisses me.
As his lips meet mine, he encircles me in his arms, pulling me close. My hands land against his chest, then slip up around the back of his neck and into his hair as I kiss him in turn. Everything about him makes me feel safe and solid, and everything about him is already so comfortable—his touch, his cologne, his warmth. He’s like fireworks and sunshine and a million other beautiful things, and I never want this to end.
He leans back, resting his forehead against mine. I smile up at him and run my hand through his hair again. He gazes back at me, his eyes sparkling as they reflect the nightlight.
“Happy birthday, Scott,” I whisper.
He raises a hand to my face, his thumb trailing down my cheek. “You’ve made it the best one.”
Aidan’s frustrated shouts reach us from somewhere in the hall. We both glance at the door, then Scott turns to me and grins. “Think we should help him out?”
Reluctant as I am to let this moment go, I smile and nod.
Scott clears his throat, then states dramatically, “He’ll never catch us in here!”
The hallway falls silent, then we hear hurried footsteps rushing into the room followed by the telltale jiggle of the closet doorknob. Finally, the door bursts open, the lamps in the bedroom nearly blinding us.
“Found you!” Aidan yells. “I win!”
“I can’t believe you got us!” Scott says, scratching his head.
Aidan grins and runs off back to the living room, shouting about how he won.
Scott turns to me and smiles, taking my hand in his. I glance up at his hair, which is a bit messed up (my fault).
“Let me just…” I push up on my tiptoes and fix his hair as best I can, wrinkling my nose at a particular tuft that won’t stay in place. Scott watches me warmly, then gives my hand a squeeze.
We make our way back to the living room, where Scott declares he’s ready to open his presents. Both of us take our seats in front of the fireplace again, and I watch happily as he unwraps gifts from his family members, which includes one of Aidan’s batarangs. This is promptly chucked at Macy, who shoots Scott the most murderous look I’ve ever seen in response. Jacob starts to laugh, but quickly bites down on his amusement when Macy gives him a look as well.
“Is that everything?” Scott’s mom asks, looking over the mess of wrapping paper on the floor.
“Nope,” Scott shakes his head, lifting my present. “I saved the best for last.”
My cheeks heat at his comment. “Um, don’t get your hopes up too much…”
“Are you kidding? I already know I’m going to love it.”
I squeeze my hands together and watch nervously as he tears off the paper and opens the box. To my relief, his eyes light up when he sees what’s inside.
“A watch…” He turns to me. “How did you know?”
“Lucky guess?”
He stares at me for a moment, then smiles as he looks at the watch. “I lost mine about a month ago and keep forgetting to buy a new one. Thanks, Lucy.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Now every time you see your watch, you’ll think of her,” Macy grins.
My cheeks grow even warmer, but Scott nods happily. “That’s true.”
Scott’s mom stands up and exits the room. Everyone continues chatting happily, and Aidan, who now seems to be my best friend, sits next to me and starts showing me some of his favorite toys. This kid is absolutely adorable, and I love him.
Just as Aidan starts to ask me what action figures I have at my house, Scott’s mom returns with a birthday cake, singing happy birthday loudly (and very off key). We all join in, and soon enough we’re all stuffed, the conversation much less lively than before, but still fun. Aidan is zonked out on the floor surrounded by batarangs.
“Lucy, you work with Macy in Monica Harper’s office, right?” Dani asks.
“Mhm,” I nod. “And, I wouldn’t make it without Macy there.”
Macy smiles contentedly. “Lucy is Monica’s personal assistant.”
Thinking about work conjures a familiar, unpleasant feeling in the pit of my stomach, but I plaster a smile on my face and ignore it. I’ve gotten really good at that.
“I don’t think I’ve ever actually known a real personal assistant,” Dani says. “How do you even get a job like that?”
I shrug. “I have no idea. I didn’t apply or anything. Monica was a regular at the coffee shop where Scott and I used to work. She just offered me a job one day.”
“Do you like it?”
“It’s a really good job,” I say, nodding. I feel Scott watching me.
“What do you do?”
“A little bit of everything.”
“Lucy is amazing,” Macy says, cutting in. “I have no idea how she can be so on top of everything and figure out so many things, but she always does. And she makes it look so easy.”
You wouldn’t think that from looking at my personal life.
I just smile, not wanting to expand on any part of this conversation. This evening has been too perfect to spoil with thoughts of work.
Too late, though. The nagging question of who took care of catering tonight rises in my mind, followed by other worries. Realizing how long it’s been since I checked, I pull out my phone and scroll through my texts, then look over my emails, searching for whatever Monica sent over the course of the evening.
Nothing. Why is there nothing? There’s always something over the weekends.
“Is that your career, or is there something else you’re working towards?” Dani asks.
My heart sinks. It’s another question I’m constantly on the run from. I lock my phone and turn it over on my lap, focusing back on the conversation at hand. “I’m… not really sure,” I say, my voice coming out a bit strained.
“Seems like working for Monica Harper directly like that would be an amazing opportunity and learning experience,” Scott’s dad says.
The words are a familiar force hitting my chest.
“Seriously,” Macy agrees. “You should have seen how crazy things were when Monica’s last assistant quit. So many people who applied kept coming in and making calls. They really wanted the job. Finally, Monica just hired someone off the street. I mean, not carelessly. She hired Lucy, who turned out to be the perfect personal assistant.”
I smile along, but with each passing moment I’m feeling worse, that same sense of being trapped tightening my chest.
Suddenly, Scott stands up.
“Hey, Ma, I’m gonna go show Lucy your gazebo.”
Everyone stops talking, staring at Scott in surprise. This includes me.
“Oh, um… of course,” his mom says, smiling. “It’s beautiful at night. We just finished putting up the lights yesterday!”
He looks down at me and holds out his hand. “Come on, Lucy.”
“Um…” I stare at him in bewilderment, then place my hand in his and stand. “Okay…”
Macy furrows her brow, staring at us in confusion.
Dani snickers. “Have fun in the gazebo,” she calls. My face flames and reddens, but Scott ignores her.
Once we’re outside, I stop in my tracks. “Scott, is something wrong?”
He turns to me, his expression somber. “That’s what I was going to ask you.”
“What?”
“You totally shut down back there,” he says, stepping closer. “Anytime someone brings up your job or what you want to do in your future, you shut down like that. Maybe you don’t wanna talk about it, but I’m here to listen, if you want to.”
A wall I didn’t realize was standing in my heart begins to crack, and, after several moments, I slowly nod. “Okay.”
We sit in the gazebo, which is actually very beautiful. The whole thing is filled with hanging flowers and plant pots, the ground is covered in rugs, and there’s an outdoor love seat, as well as cushioned chairs, surrounding a low table in the middle. Café lights hang from the top, making the space feel warm despite the chill of the autumn evening.
I shiver as a breeze blows through. Scott grabs a blanket from a plastic outdoor chest and drapes it over me before sitting down.
“So,” he says, “what’s up?”