“Don’t act desperate, Dalton. It’s unbecoming of a gentleman,” she snarks. “Raleigh is an independent creature, trust me. Whenever she’s angry she just expects distance.”
I swallow, hoping Mae doesn’t see my nerves. Is Raleigh angry at me for what happened at the car? I’d tried so hard to reel in the emotions I was feeling in the moment, but perhaps the compliments and the closeness were too much and made her uncomfortable. “That’s the thing. I’m not supposed to have space from either of you. This job demands it of me.”
Mae sits up a little straighter and the smallest grin plays at her lips. “Is it the job that demands closeness or did you get a little too cozy at the party?”
I don’t answer, instead opting to look ahead as the car in front of us lurches forward. I can practically hear her grin grow wider as she lets out a laugh.
“Don’t worry Dalton, nobody really noticed but me.”
When I elect to remain silent, Mae eases back into her seat, the leather crunching as she leans. I dare one more glance back but she’s already engrossed with her phone. My mind is going a mile a minute, having gotten no answers. I pray Raleigh doesn’t resent the time we spent together. I know I don’t.
I’m no closer to solving the puzzle when we pull up to the premiere venue. We arrive at the same time as many of the other guests. It’s a quaint farm, one used for weddings and parties. Lights are strung up to combat the dying sun, and fire pits dot the space to warm us against the early November cold.
When I scan the area and don’t detect any threats, I open Mae’s door for her and she flees the vehicle. Phone in her pocket, her sights are on Raleigh. The two meet near the big screen on the side of the barn. They embrace, and I swear it lasts a beator two longer than normal. They converse, and I see Raleigh rub her eyes. Is she crying?
I take a step forward as if I could possibly offer any comfort. Mae throws a thumb over her shoulder toward me and I’m suddenly very aware of how hard I’ve been watching them. When Raleigh notices, she pulls her coat tighter and takes her ever-confident strides toward me. She’s stopped halfway by someone in tech, so without anything to do, I shove my hands deep into the pockets of my wool coat.
A car honks behind me, and I reluctantly trace around the hood of the car and climb in to move it away from the entrance. As I round the drive, I see Trenton get out of the car behind me. With him here tonight, I have no doubt that I’ll be getting zero moments to talk to Raleigh in private. I don’t need reassurance, I just need to know that she’s okay.
There’s nothing for me to do when I return to the party but watch on. Mitch joins me near the back of the crowd and we take in the few speeches from cast and crew before finally watching the commercials cut together into a short film.
It’s hard to believe that the video shoot was already two months ago. Trenton and Mae are magic in the musical segments, though I feel myself getting uncomfortable when we get to the scene in front of the house facade. Knowing what was going on behind the scenes makes me squirm until the final note fades and the Director is met with a round of applause.
“I just want to thank everyone once more for being a part of this. We’ll have a few commercial cuts soon for social media and television usage, but other than that, I just want to let you know how proud I am of this project.” He pauses a moment as the polite applause ebbs and flows. “I’d like to invite my stars up here.” Trenton and Mae are quick to come up to the front and are, again, met with applause. Mitch and I join in on this one.
The director tries to hand Trenton the mic, but he rudely grabs it and forces it into Mae’s hands. Ever the professional, Mae catches it before it can slip and puts on a smile. “I’d like to reiterate what’s been said tonight. Thank you to the city of Nashville for inviting Trenton and I to be a part of this wonderful campaign for the city.” She pauses a moment and looks to Trenton, but he looks uninterested. Her face falls just a second before continuing on, “Being able to work so closely with a man that I love was an incredible experience, and I hope that our chemistry will add a bit of extra romance to the holiday season.” Mae carries on with her thank you’s but my eyes find and rest on a different woman.
Proudly watching from the wings, Raleigh stands with a hand on her hip, eyes on Mae and Trenton. Ever the observant one, she glances quickly over the crowd and our gazes lock. In the past, these moments have come to a quick end, but Raleigh keeps her eyes on me until a standing ovation breaks the sightline.
As the crowd disbands at the end of the program, Mitch and I take it as a sign to grab the cars. Taking one more glance, I hope to see Raleigh coming toward me, but she’s already planted at Mae’s side. Face to face with Trenton, Raleigh puts an arm between the couple. I look to Mitch to see if he’s noticed. Mae yells, pushing against Raleigh’s restraint.
Not needing another sign to get involved, Mitch and I abandon the idea of getting the cars. Both of our clients are having a verbal battle in front of a crowd. Raleigh’s taught me well; one of my first thoughts as I rush toward them is about the phone cameras that are already trained on them.
“Let’s go,” I say gently. Gathering Mae and Raleigh, I steer them toward the exit. Trenton moves to follow but Mitch is quick to step in and inquire after his boss’ well being.
“He wouldn’t listen to me,” Mae cries. My throat tightens as I swallow. Looking at Raleigh, I find that she has a concerned crease between her eyes. When she notices my gaze, she nods slightly and I swiftly move our group forward.
Raleigh and I do our best to shield both sides of Mae as we make the extra hike to the VIP lot where the car still resides. Mae does well to hold back the tears, but as soon as the car door closes, she breaks. “I’m sorry, Raleigh. Really, I wanted everything to go well.”
“It’s not your fault,” Raleigh replies softly. Her own worries about her personal life have seemingly disappeared because every ounce of focus is on the young girl crying in front of her. Mae seems nonverbal, so Raleigh continues, “Do you want to stay at my place tonight or would you like to go home?”
Mae’s eyes raise. “Take me home.”
Raleigh nods and gently closes the door.
“Is that a good idea?” I ask as Raleigh turns to me.
“I know it doesn’t look like it, but she does her best writing when she’s feeling like this.” Raleigh cringes as if she hates what she’s just said.
“Can I take you home too?” I ask, hopeful that I might get a few moments to speak to her.
She just smiles and rests her hand on my upper arm. “I appreciate it, but I drove myself and I should make sure that not too much damage is done from that argument.” She’s obviously seen the interest from the audience, as well. She seems to second guess herself a moment, but she continues on, “I’ll call you later to tell you what happened. If that’s okay with you.” I wish she was talking about what happened between us, but I know she’s only speaking on the situation between Mae and Trenton.
I clear my throat when I realize I’ve taken too long to answer. “Yeah, I would like that.”
“Thanks for being here for us,” she says softly as she makes her escape from the car. She’s gone before I can reassure her that there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.
The ride back to Mae’s condo is a quiet one. Mae sits in silence in the back seat, her phone nowhere to be seen. We’ve made it back to city limits before she makes a sound.
