Page 16 of The Note

LAUREN: Bossy.

KELSEY: Speaking of bossy, where are you, May? WAKE UP! We want the bee. And the BACON!

She was typing a response when her phone rang in her hand. It was Josh. Based on the pace of yesterday’s festivities, she worried she might not have another chance to talk to him today. “Hey, there.” She wondered if her voice sounded as raspy as it felt.

“You’re alive,” he said. “I was starting to wonder if the entire group thread was an elaborate catfish to lure you out to Long Island to your demise.”

“You were not actually wondering that,” she said. “That’s how my brain works, not yours.”

“True. But I did wonder if you were having way too much fun without me.”

“Trust me, it would not have been your scene.”

“A scene, huh?”

“Just … a lot.”

“Are you okay though?” he asked. His concern was palpable. “If you want to bail, you can blameit on me. Say something came up here and you have to leave because of my schedule.”

“What about your schedule would require me to leave in the middle of a vacation weekend with my friends?” She realized how icy she sounded and wondered if the comments about Boring Josh and him telling her what to do had gotten to her.

“Okay, not my schedule. Appendicitis or something.”

“I’m not going to lie to my friends and, really, I don’t want to leave. We’re having fun. It’s just a lot more activity than I’ve been used to.” May had long ago mastered the science of online delivery orders, but upped her game that life-changing second week of March when the rumors began that the governor was going to shut down the city. Thank god Josh’s apartment had that terrace. Other than the hours they would spend there for fresh air, she literally did not leave the apartment for a month after the move-in, until Josh convinced her it was safe to at least join him for a walk outside with Gomez.

She eventually started to appreciate the permission she gave herself to stay at home in a T-shirt and joggers, the first time in her life when she wasn’t working to reach for some new goal. The only challenge was to make it through the day without crying. More than three years later, she was no longer worried about getting a disease she was once certain would kill her, but that didn’tmean she was back to normal. “We were on the go almost all day yesterday.”

“If you need to wind down, just tell them it’s too much. They’re your friends. You’re still adjusting. I’m sure they’ll understand.” How many times over the past three years had Josh needed to understand? She had abandoned the first indoor party they attended after twenty minutes. Walking up the steps of the Museum of Natural History for his college roommate’s wedding, she’d had a panic attack, turning around while he attended solo. Just last month, she had made them leave Balthazar even though it was her favorite restaurant and they were almost to the top of the waiting list. And, of course, no incident came close to what had happened on the subway platform.

“Actually, being out in the restaurants and everything was fine. To be honest, I’m just a wee bit hungover.” She pressed her free palm against her temple, hoping that might relieve the tension in her head.

“Ah, in that case, well done. I’m proud of you. You deserve a break.”

She felt an odd sense of relief that he wasn’t resentful that she was having such a good time away from him, and then immediately wondered why she had even been worried. It had been a very long time since she did something that wasn’t for work and wasn’t with him, it occurred to her.

They talked a few more minutes, and Maystarted to yearn for the comfort of their routine in their own apartment. It would only be another two days. “Go have fun with your friends,” Josh said.

“I don’t think they’ll give me any other choice.”

She used one of the towels folded on top of her dresser to sop up the spilled water beneath her nightstand before leaving her room. The smell of bacon struck her halfway down the stairs.

Lauren and Kelsey were sitting at the round dining table on the pool deck, already up and dressed in beach clothes.

“Sorry I stayed in bed so late,” May said as she slid open the back door.

“Hey, sleepyhead,” Lauren said, rising to give her a quick hug. “You feel okay?”

Lauren had on a brightly colored kimono-style cover-up, open to reveal a sunflower-yellow one-piece. Kelsey was wearing a royal blue bikini, also with a matching cover-up. May was still in her pajamas, but her only swimming suit was a black tank-style one-piece, and her “cover-up” would be a T-shirt and shorts.

“Yeah, if okay feels like I got hit by a bus.”

“We’ll fix you up in no time,” Kelsey said. “I’ve got bacon in the oven, a pitcher of bloodies, and the scrambled eggs are all set to go whenever we’re ready.”

“Oof. Bloodies already?”

“Sorry, but it’s the only cure for what you’ve got. Hair of the dog.”

“We’ll see,” she said. “We need to go out to Montauk for Josh’s car.”

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