Los Angeles, California — 10:06AM
Congratulations, Massie!
The banner dripping in glitter hung above her cubicle at StylingLife Inc., signed by every person in her department wishing her luck on the next step of her journey—she was finishing up her last day as an intern, ready to move on to bigger and better things. Namely in New York City as a stylist for Vogue, with high recommendation from her crew in Los Angeles. Her boyfriend James was picking her up so they could go out to breakfast at some this diner located near the Santa Monica Pier—one of her favorite places since moving to California—before their flight to New York. The bottoms of her feet tingled with anticipation just thinking about her evening with James; she cherished him so much over the last ten years since they met on an airplane—he'd been her first friend after moving to the UK during the break between semesters of her eighth grade year, eventually turned boyfriend after six months of getting to know each other. It had been a rocky relationship but worth it times ten, times ten. She didn't want to be that girlfriend who claimed she wouldn't know where she would be without him, but he definitely played an integral role in getting as far as she did—her support system.
"Hey, Massie! Good luck in the Big Apple!" Celia Ramos said, her twenty six year old "work wife", as she was coming to a stop in front of Massie's cubical—a little light blue bag stamped Tiffany Co. hooked on her wrist. "I got you a going-away present."
"You didn't have to, C!" Massie beamed, packing up the last box of her belongings and sliding the flaps closed. There were three in total—mainly full of momentous, the frames she kept on her desk, and important files she wanted to hold onto.
"I know," Celia held the bag out to her, and Massie took it excitedly.
Massie pulled out the silvery tissue paper and crumbled it up in to tossing in the waste basket next to her desk; sticking her hand into the bag Massie pulled out a small velvet box. Celia's brown eyes lit up with excitement as Massie slowly opened it, her neatly plucked eyebrows narrowing suspiciously. It slipped her attention of the penny-brown eyed boy with the cute dimples that snuck up behind Celia as Massie opened the present—and slowly getting down on one knee.
Rather, Massie was fixated on the princess cut diamond with the rose gold setting, and James took this opportunity to the fullest.
"Massie Block—I've never met anyone more courageous, beautiful and intelligent my entire life..." James had taken his girlfriend's hands, removing the box out of her grasp so he could properly present it. His British accent was just as mesmerizing as it was when she first heard him ask if she fancied his nuts—meaning if she wanted to exchange snacks. A crowd had formed outside of Massie's cubicle, seeming to have been in on the plan from the start based on the admirable looks in all of their eyes. Celia was sobbing happily by the time James had closed his awe-worthy speech with, "would you do me the greatest honour of becoming my wife?"
"Oh my g—James!" Massie was fighting back her own welling tears, not wanting to ruin her makeup. On today of all days she didn't wear waterproof mascara.
"Tell him yes, damnit!" Celia wept.
"I—yes!" Massie resembled a bobble head from how fast, excitedly, she was nodding. The dam was broken and the waterworks were coming down, slow and hot.
James was beaming, he stood up and took the ring out of the box, sliding it onto the fourth finger of her left hand and bending down to press a long, sweet kiss to her lips. The small group surrounding Massie's cubicle were applauding and cheering—they were like her Los Angeles family, she appreciated them for all they've done for her since she started there, and this moment was the sweetest. Flashes erupted as the couple continued to kiss, her arms thrown around him, allowing the photographers to catch a glimpse of the ring.
Wait until we tell your mom, James said in the car ride home from her last day at the office. He was driving his BMW convertible with one hand on the wheel, and the other holding hers captive. Massie swallowed hard at that—she knew her mother would be ecstatic for her and James, probably even throw them a party when they got to New York. It was something to celebrate, it's also something she wished she could have her dad be there for. Engagement, wedding, all of the stuff in between and after. But she hadn't spoken to her Dad in a while, hadn't bothered with anything since their family fell apart in 2015. She didn't hate him, she just strongly disliked him. James knew that better than anyone, it still ate away at her from time to time and he would catch her crying herself to sleep at night, to which he would hold her close and stroke her hair and whisper sweet nothings in her ear about how everything was going to be okay. Truly, Massie Block couldn't ask for a better boyfriend—soon to be husband.
New York City — 6.5 hours later
Massie and James exited the plane hand-in-hand, her sunglasses pushed up the bridge of her nose and chestnut hair tumbling down her back in soft waves. The sun was beginning to set on the horizon, just beyond the cityscape, painting the sky vibrant shades of pink, gold, and lavender—she forgot the time difference and matters of daylight savings during the summertime. James squeezed her hands three times and smiled shyly. They made their way through the terminal in a comfortable silence, gathered their belongings from the carousel, and when they arrived in the lobby Massie could not believe her eyes—there, standing with a sign that simply read "Block" in black sharpie, was none other than her driver from ten years ago. Her father figure, Isaac, dressed in his usual uniform complete with the cap shaded over his eyes.
"Isaac!" Massie shook free from her fiancé, and shuffled over to her driver.
"Good lord, Massie! It's so good to see you," Isaac was bear-hugging her from the moment she entered his vicinity, clutching tightly onto the young woman he helped raise for a majority of her life.
"It's so good to see you too!" She hugged him back just as enthusiastically, holding on for a good fifteen seconds before pulling back and waving over her man. "James, this is my family's driver, Isaac—he played a huge role in my life as I was growing up. Isaac, this is my—"
"Hello there, Isaac. I'm James, Massie's fiancé. It's a pleasure to meet you." Her ever-proper fiancé was already extending his hand out and shaking Isaac's with a firm grip, maintaining eye contact and smiling.
"Good to meet you, James." Isaac said, his tone and posture approving. "Let's get you to the estate, your mother's expecting you."
The ride to Westchester was a little over an hour long, James chatted easily with Isaac in the front seat while Massie fake-napped in the back with headphones plugged into her ears. She was a little nervous about seeing her mom again, the last time they'd seen each other things hadn't gone exactly well, and were left on bad terms. However, absense does make the heart grow fonder and she assumed that Kendra was ready to move on from that little bump in their mother-daughter road. When the car pulled up in front of the gates, Massie groaned and sat up, fake-stretching her arms out—Isaac typed in the code to open the gates, and they ventured deeper, coasting up the long driveway until they were directly in front of the house. She hadn't been to the new house, her mother had recently purchased the property with the money given from the settlement in the divorce, complete with round-the-clock staffing. And she was thoroughly impressed by the striking stone manor, it looked nothing like the Old English Style they left behind ten years ago.
Surprisingly enough, by the time Massie was climbing out the back of the car, Kendra Block was standing on the stone portico with her hands clasped together and a radiant smile on her flawless face—Massie couldn't remember the last time she saw her mother look so happy.
"Hi sweetheart," Kendra trilled, hurrying down the steps to her daughter and throwing her arms around Massie in the same bear-hug as Isaac had. "It's so good to have you back."
Massie was afraid to speak, she could feel that familiar burning in her throat that usually led to a flowing of tears. One word from her and she'd be a broken dam all over again. Instead she nuzzled her face into the crook of her mother's neck and hugged her back just as hard. Massie and Kendra held onto each other for about thirty seconds before parting, then Massie stepped out of the way—the one thing Massie enjoyed was how easily her mother got along with James and how welcome he'd been into her family; Kendra hugged him as if he were her own son.
"Let's get inside, I hope you guys are hungry." Kendra said, turning on her kitten heel and matching up the stone portico steps, shoving open the embossed double doors to allow Massie and James inside, with Isaac trailing behind with their luggage.
"I'm rather starving, thank you," James said—they were led into the dining room, where they were greeted by three familiar faces: hardly aged, thin lines creasing their faces but not as noticeably as Massie would've expected. They were both impeccably dressed, another surprise to the younger woman. Jay and Judi Lyons were seated at the dinner table, with a twenty year old Todd Lyons seated at the far end of the table. He'd grown into his looks, there was no trace of the freckle, snub-nosed gangly redhead that was practically obsessed with her. In his place was a lean yet muscular young man with overgrown brown hair tinted red in the light, his face defined and scruffy. He even knew how to dress like he belonged in Westchester society, just like his parents.
"Oh, dear, Masssie, is that you?" Judi fawned, going to rise from her seat but thought better of it.
"Hey, Mrs. Lyons—Mr. Lyons—Todd," Massie smiled politely, making her way around the table to give a half-hearted hug to Jay and Judi, and thoughtfully patting Todd on the head.
"Long time no see, Massie." Todd winked playfully—she was taken aback by how deep his voice was. Puberty had definitely beaten him with a stick and he came out looking better than ever after that recovery.
"Everyone, this is my fiancé, James." Massie gestured, he was already seating himself at the table and smoothing out a napkin over his lap. "He was my first friend in London when we moved there."
Massie took her seat next to James; the chef was instructed to begin bringing out the food—grilled chicken, a leafy salad with carrots and radishes, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn on the cob, and cranberries. A carafe of sweet tea was in the middle of it all. Inez no longer worked for them, so she could only imagine what this food must taste like—hopefully just as good. For the duration of the dinner, Massie was asked a ton of questions, such as how long her and James have been together, what things were like in London, how life treated her in California, if she's happy to be back in New York, and any ideas she might have for the wedding. Jay and Todd prodded James with questions, and Massie laughed softly into her palm at how red his face got at multiple questions he stumbled over answering.
"How's school going, Todd?" Kendra asked, thankfully swooping in to direct the attention away from Massie and James.
"Pretty good, I'm excited to start my third year—the Lacrosse team is totally killing it, and music theory is honestly the shit," Todd grinned, momentarily looking like the ten year old Massie knew.
The rest of the night went smoothly, Massie and James were able to sneak away when the dessert was brought out. James was a smoker, Massie was not. They stood out on the back patio while he lit a cigarette, she stared around the perfectly manicured lawn with its infinity pool, tennis court, wrought iron table and chairs, stone storage shed, guesthouse, and the twinkly lights strung around the trees and shrubs. There was a deluxe grill, brick oven, and fire pit with lush chairs surrounding it. The patio was made up of smooth stone that shimmered under the dim lighting. Massie was impressed, then again she always was when it came to her moms keen eye.
"This has been exciting, huh?" James smiled behind his cigarette, blowing the smoke out in the opposite direction so it didn't hit Massie's face.
"Extremely," she half-lied. It wasn't a total bust and things were definitely more normal than she expected.
"Where is the Lyons' daughter, er, Claire, right? The one I met a while back? The blonde one you said used to live with you?" James tapped out his ash, careful not to get it on anything but his own shoes to protect the lush surroundings.
"No clue," Massie folded her arms across her chest and tipped her head up, looking at the starry sky above. She hadn't realized how late it got since arriving at the house.
"Did you guys ever talk things out?"
"No." The clipped tone of Massie's voice told James that he shouldn't try pressing the conversation any further, and he respected that. After a couple minutes, James stubbed out his cigarette and tucked the clip into the pack, sliding it into his back pocket—right as Kendra's voice floated out, announcing that the Lyons' were leaving. Massie and James strides inside and said their goodbyes to Jay, Judi, and Todd with promises of keeping in touch and giving them updates about the wedding once they started getting into gear.
The Next Day — 11:20AM
Massie woke up to the sound of somebody knocking on the door—loud, obnoxious, and determined. A loud groan escaped her lips, she stretched her arms over her head as she sat up to swing her legs out; her and James had fallen asleep in the grand living room, catching up on the episodes of Riverdale that she missed from the previous week. Kendra didn't seem to be awake, or she'd already left for the day—either way it was up to Massie to answer the door. Throwing a light silk robe on over her pajamas, she knot the belt around her waist and unlocked the front door, throwing it open.
"Can I help you?" She asked, sounding just as bored and tired as she felt.
"Sorry, I'm just looking for Kendra, is she home?" The person standing in the doorway had something extremely familiar about them—from the wavy buttery blonde hair that fell around her face in ringlets, her wide navy blue eyes, and heart shaped face. She was dressed in a crisp floral dress that came to just above her knees and crushed velvet ballet flats; a binder was being clutched to her chest almost protectively.
"I actually don't know if she's home, I just woke up... and... who may I ask is looking for her?" Massie glances over her shoulder toward James' snoring form in the living room, then back at the blonde in front of her.
"Hi, sorry, I didn't mean to be rude, I'm—"
And that's when it hit her.
"Oh shit, Olivia Ryan?" Massie gaped.
"I thought I recognized you, Massie Block." Olivia grinned cheerfully, as if Massie didn't hate her guts in middle school—this older version of Olivia didn't seem like an airhead, she had a mature and intelligently collective aura about her.
"Why are you looking for my mom?" Massie asked.
"I'm helping Kendra with her interior design business." She announced proudly, gathering her hair to pile it haphazardly into a bouncy bun on top of her head. "Mind if I come in?"
"Oh, sure. Sorry." Massie side-stepped out of Olivia's way, who entered the house graciously. Her eyes immediately darted to James and Massie blushed, deciphering the expression that settled over Olivia's delicate features. "That's my fiancé, James. We just got in yesterday—do you want some coffee or anything?"
"I'd love some, thanks." Olivia smiled.
The two of them sat around the island counter sipping coffee while breakfast was being prepared, neither able to think of something to break the awkward silence. Massie and Olivia both feigned interest in the cooking, as if they'd never seen somebody make breakfast before—she got a vague sense of deja vû when Claire first came to Westchester and they were going to the first day of seventh grade, both of them staring intently at Isaac as he pulled out of the driveway to pick up the other girls. God how much things can change over time, Massie thought to herself—she Etch A Sketched them out of her brain, and sighed heavily.
"Welcome back, by the way," Olivia finally said, clearing her throat. "And... sorry about, you know.. I guess, well, a lot."
"... thanks," she mumbled into her mug.
Not even five minutes later, the girls could finally relax when Kendra finally joined them in the kitchen. Olivia shifted right into businessmode when Massie's mom entered the room, and Massie took that as her cue to leave, plopping right down on the couch she previously claimed and wrapped herself in the lavender fleece blanket. It may have been summer but she still loved the infinite comfort, especially with the air conditioning on full blast.
authors note: it's a slow start but I've had a busy weekend — my daughter's first birthday was the 8th and the 10th is her party. I'll try to update as much as I can, again sorry if it's boring, but I promise things will be a little exciting because we'll have the Pretty Committee all together again—whether it ends good or bad remains a mystery until my next update. xoxo.
in case you are wondering this is definitely a Massington story, because they are my OTP but i just get this vibe that Massie and James could make it this far—until, well, you know.
