Page 104 of The Future Play

In another life,I could’ve been a city girl.

I love my small towns. I love my small-town friend group, but holy shit. Less than twenty-four hours in and the sheer volume of places to go and things to do is filling my explorative, foodie, extroverted cup.

Jamie is at the stadium for some of the day, so I’m off to meet up with a friend, because I happen to have one—and only one—in the city.

Mark Abbott is a quarterback for the New York Bandits, the best team in New York, and a rising star throughout the country. He’s also Rae, Sarah, and Dani’s cousin. He sees all of us in the friend group as additional family members, and treats all the girls like extra sisters to protect.

He greets me with a hug when I get to the table at a cute little bistro.

“Thanks for being my lunch buddy today. This place looks amazing.”

“I’m happy to have some company besides sweaty meathead football players.”

I laugh at that, perusing my menu. “I’m surprised you’re here and not in Ida.”

Mark got caught in a whirlwind romance back in February while on vacation. In a hilarious twist of fate, she lives in Ida. Since it’s his off-season, he’s been spending a lot of time there.

“I had a few meetings, plus I need more clothes. I was doing laundry twice a week.”

“Aw, that’s adorable. You’re so in looove,” I sing.

He rolls his eyes. “Okay, maybe I’ll take the sweaty meatheads.”

“Please, I’m infinitely better company and I smell good.”

“Well, I’m not going to smell you because you’re like a little sister to me, and also, I don’t want to get punched by Jamie, so I’ll have to take your word for it. How’s he doing?”

“Good. A little overwhelmed. It’s a lot for his sweet introvert soul, but he’s also extremely excited.”

“I remember that feeling, and I’m not an introvert.”

Being an extrovert runs in the Abbott genetics.

“How are you doing with it?” he asks.

“I’m fine.”

“Nope. Way too quick an answer.”

Sighing, I set my menu down. “I’m good. This isn’t my thing. I’m here to support Jamie.”

“We both know that’s not true. Your life is going to change now. To some degree, you’ll be in the public eye. And even if you weren’t, it’s still a change of location and lifestyle.”

“Admittedly, I don’t love the location—well, not the apartment they found for us. It’s horrible, but I didn’t want to push it. Jamie needs somewhere to settle, even if it’s temporary. I can survive hating it for a couple of months, then we can look for somewhere new during the off-season.”

“Just remember, you still matter. You know, Frannie and I have spent a lot of time talking about what this upcoming season will look like. She’s going to try to be at home games when she can and spend weekends here, but she’s not giving up her job or the rest of her life just to be here. It’ll suck, but we both know it’s the right call. I know you and Jamie have been together longer, but you still need to make a plan and talk about how all this is going to work. If you don’t, you’re going to be the one who ends up struggling.”

Well, damn. He didn’t have to punch me right in the gut.

“I know. But it’s different. You’re alreadyestablished in your career. Jamie is just starting. I want to support him in every possible way. It’ll be a lot to manage, but I’ll figure it out.”

“Just remember, you still matter. Don’t get so caught up in being there for him that you forget to do things for yourself.”

“I appreciate that. And I’ve still got plenty of things happening. I’m in the midst of planning a wedding that’s happening in July and another event back home as well.”

“That’s right. I forgot you’re the event queen. Now that you’re down here, would you mind if I gave your name to someone?”

“Not at all. I can plan events from a distance and as long as I don’t double book myself, I can make sure I’m where I need to be.”

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