A/N: Hey! Honestly, folks, I'm not even sure what to say right now. The world is a mess and more than anything, I hope each and every one of you are safe in this crazy time.
This panic and uncertainty about what's happening in the world has really done a number on my anxiety and my creativity but I am happy to have produced this chapter. I hope this piece of writing can help you escape from the word 'pandemic' and think about the dramatics of the Upper East Side instead.
Thank you for being here and always supporting this story. Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter (geminibby, rebelspy023, Gingerandspice1 and three Guests!) and to everyone who has been reading, watching, following, visiting, favouriting. You make this even more special for me and I'm so happy you care enough about Mackenzie to continue reading.
I had a hard time ending this one but I think what I finished off with is exactly where we needed to be. If you thought Thanksgiving was the peak of this drama, you better buckle in.
As always, I would love to hear your thoughts if you wish to review! Or send me a message - my PMs are open if you wanna talk theories or GG in general. Or maybe if you want a silly snippet of how I imagine Nate-enzie in lockdown together….
Love love love love to you all.
Dedicating this one to you, B. Feel better soon!
It wasn't the first time the Humphrey family displayed such dramatics and it likely wouldn't be the last. But it had been so long since Mackenzie had let herself feel that much about her dad and as cathartic as it was to finally let everything out, all she could think about afterwards was that it had happened in front of everyone. She really felt her emotions were out of sync with her brain lately and even though her anxiety was mostly kept at bay, after this episode, she was still reeling from it.
Nate was so patient with her and she couldn't express her gratitude enough. Actually, she couldn't express her gratitude at all. All she could do was hyperventilate and sob, from the elevator to the cab to the journey upwards to Nate's apartment. She cried, cried, cried. And Nate rubbed her back, made her a tea, held her, and planted kisses on the top of her head.
She eventually passed out. It was a familiar sleep - her head only hitting the pillow because of the exhaustion winning over her anxiety.
Nate was proud of Mackenzie for being so honest but watching her crumble in his arms afterwards was not worth it for him. He racked his brain again and again for words to say to comfort her, to help her through it, but he wasn't sure anything he said would be helpful. He just laid with her and rubbed her back, cooing supportive phrases into her ears as she eventually fell asleep. He hadn't seen her fall apart in such a way in a long time. The last time he had seen such tears streaming down her face was Allison's funeral. He hated seeing her in pain.
He knew the relationship Mackenzie had with Rufus was complicated. She didn't talk about it in detail very often, probably because it was easier to just keep at bay, but there were layers to it. And during all this drama with Maya, he knew it would all come to a head eventually. Nothing really prepares a person for how to deal with unpacking years of guilt, resentment and repressed emotions. He guessed Mackenzie hadn't dealt with the situation on a surface level in a long time. So, it was like everything happened all at once.
Nate was awoken early the following morning, his phone buzzing off the side table. He slipped out of bed and walked slowly down the hall to answer it.
He was surprised to find Leo on the other end of his call.
"Hey man, what's up?"
"Sorry to wake you on a Friday off Nate, but I just got a message from Marie. She fell and smashed her knee yesterday. You know, red wine and slippery steps"
"What? Is she okay?"
"Yeah, she ended up in the ER and she's in a cast for a few weeks. I think she's gonna be off until the New Year. We may need to figure out an interim office manager and assistant for you. I just wanted to give you a heads up before you checked anything."
"Well, thanks for letting me know. Maybe we can send her a fruit basket or something on Monday? Or is that stupid?"
Leo laughed on the other end of the call. "No, I think that's a good idea. I'll get Lindsay to send something next week. Oh. And we need to be in DC next week, too. Did Marie already set us up?"
"I think it was all in my calendar but we can figure that out on Monday. Thanks dude. Enjoy the long weekend."
Nate sighed and glanced down at the clock on his phone. It was still early but he was awake. He knew the night before had taken a lot out of Mackenzie and truthfully, even he was having a hard time wrapping his head around everything that had happened. He wanted to do everything in his power to protect her but when it came to these deep rooted issues with her dad, it wasn't easy for him to understand.
What he really wanted to do was go for a run. Clear his own head. Come out on the other side of The Lake with some clarity or at least a bit less fog in his mind.
He headed back into his bedroom and watched as Mackenzie stirred under the blankets. He walked around to her side of the bed and crouched down, reaching his hand out to brush stray strands of hair off of her face.
She leaned into his hand. "Everything okay?"
"Yes, just work stuff." He kissed her forehead. "I'm gonna go for a run. Wanna join me?"
"My boyfriend, the comedian," she mumbled out with a yawn.
Nate just laughed and kissed her again. "I'll be back in a bit."
While Nate was responsible for his own busy life schedule, he was always grateful to get out by himself. He could blast a ridiculous running playlist composed of terrible 90s hip hop music and just run. It was refreshing. It was satisfying.
He swept through Central Park, dodging small frozen puddles and early morning walkers. He breathed in deeply, taking in the change in scenery as fall was turning to winter. Thanksgiving was always an immediate turning point in the seasons - as if winter finally had permission to exist. Soon enough, these morning runs would transition to the fitness center in his building when the temperature got the best of him. But for the time being, he would be happy to run outside.
Just as he was slowing down to head home, his phone rang again. He was surprised to see Jenny's name flashing on his phone screen.
He pulled out his headphones and brought the phone up to his ear. "Hey Jen."
"Hey, 'morning," Jenny replied to him. "Mack's phone is going straight to voicemail. I just wanted to see if she's ignoring just me or everyone."
Nate let out a dry laugh. "Well, she's still asleep. Or she was when I left the apartment an hour ago."
Jenny sighed. "Fair, I guess. I just wanted to talk to her about last night. And see if she was still gonna come meet us at the Brooklyn Flea. Although I probably know the answer to that."
"I'll get her to call you." Nate paused as he reached the edge of the park, pulling his leg up with his free hand to stretch. "I feel like she's going to just roll her eyes at that idea now, though. I know she was looking forward to that Humphrey family tradition.."
"But.." Jenny sighed again. "I know. What a mess. Dad stormed out of Lily's not long after you guys left last night. And don't even get me started on my brother." She paused. "Well, if you can just get her to call me when she's up for it. Thanks Nate."
When Nate got back to the apartment, he found Mackenzie still laying in bed. She was awake, staring at the ceiling. Max was curled up in the crook of her arm, purring softly.
"How was your run?" Mackenzie asked, eyes remaining glued to the ceiling. Her tone was flat.
"Refreshing, I guess," he replied to her, standing at the foot of the bed. "You okay?"
Mackenzie shook her head.
"You need a distraction. Come shower with me," Nate said quietly, grabbing at one of her feet through the blanket.
Mackenzie just laughed, finally tilting her head forward to meet his eyes. "You're not going to let me just mope in bed all day, are you?"
Nate shook his head then smirked. He reached to pull off his shirt. "C'mon, Humphrey. It's just a shower"
Despite her low mood, Mackenzie couldn't resist Nate's kindness and, well, his naked torso.
"I think we both know it's not just a shower."
She hesitantly nudged Max to move off her shoulder and slid out of the bed, following Nate into his ensuite.
After he had left for his run, Mackenzie had glanced briefly at her phone. She had a missed call and half a dozen messages from her sister. And a series of preachy messages from her brother. But nothing from her dad. She wasn't sure what she expected. It wasn't in Rufus' nature to call her at all, let alone try to find a solution if she was upset. Not that they had really fought recently. But part of her really thought this time it would be different - she had laid it all on the table at least. She had been honest. She knew he was upset and embarrassed about the way it had happened, in front of their family and friends at a holiday event. Truthfully, Mackenzie was embarrassed about it, too. But she thought maybe, just maybe, this time her dad could take the initiative and try to fix it.
Instead of replying angrily to her brother or crying over the phone to her sister, Mackenzie had turned her phone off entirely.
She was allowed to give herself space from them. She knew that's what Simone would tell her.
Mackenzie also knew they would all be heading out to the Brooklyn Flea Market. It was the oldest of their silly family traditions. And considering how she and Jenny had been in London for the last few Thanksgivings, they were all looking forward to walking through the vintage stalls and brainstorming Christmas gifts for each other.
But there was just no way Mackenzie was going to join them now. At least they could go without her and try to enjoy it.
She slowly peeled off her t-shirt and stepped out of her underwear, pulling her hair out of the messy bun on the top of her head. The bathroom was already full of steam from Nate's shower. She watched him for a few moments through the glass doors, her eyes tracing over every inch of his body as the hot water seared his skin.
"The view is better in here." Nate's voice broke her away from her thoughts, as he slid one of the doors open and stuck his head out.
Mackenzie just smiled and shook out her hair. She had to give Nate credit - she knew he just wanted her to feel better, to know he was there to support her through what happened.
She followed him into the shower and slid the door closed again. The grey subway tiles were dripping with moisture and the scent of Nate's shampoo filled the air - some silly manly autumnwood scent. It captivated Mackenzie right away, closing her eyes as Nate's arms grabbed her waist, pulling her close to him underneath the waterfall showerhead.
"See? There's no need for me to come for the run when all I enjoy is the shower afterwards," Mackenzie said as he started to kiss her neck. Under normal circumstances, when her mood was feeling so heavy, her body wouldn't let her warm up to Nate like this. But, she was eager for his comfort and every inch of her was drawn to every inch of him.
"Cardio is good for you," Nate sputtered out as his lips left her neck. His hands moved down her body, slippery from the water. "It makes your heart race."
"You make my heart race," she whispered as he pushed her back against the wall. She gripped onto his shoulders as he continued to kiss her. His hands continued to wander across her body and she couldn't help but gasp as parted her thighs.
"Ohhh," Mackenzie stuttered out as his fingers started to explore.
Nate pulled away from her neck and watched as she closed her eyes and bit her lip. He took smug satisfaction in knowing it wasn't just his steam shower making her so…
"Nate," she leaned her head backwards as he dove back in to kiss her collarbone. "Thank you."
He just laughed and went back to kiss her lips, his hand continuing to press between her legs. "We haven't even got to the best part yet, Mack."
"I know, but…" she paused as her breath hitched and Nate increased his speed. "Thank you. For taking care of me."
Nate and Mackenzie shared a quiet afternoon in the apartment. He worked on his laptop from the couch while she stretched out beside him, powering through old reruns of Friends. Every now and then Mackenzie's phone buzzed and she picked it up, glanced at it for a few moments then put it back down.
Sometimes she grabbed it when it didn't make any sound. Just in case maybe she missed a notification or…
"Mack," Nate closed his laptop and placed it down on the coffee table, shifting to look over at her. "You've got to stop checking your phone."
She sighed and curled her legs up to her chest. "I just thought maybe he would reach out to me." She shook her head, tilting it slightly as she stared over at Nate. "Maybe I approached this wrong."
"If I can be honest here," Nate started slowly, watching for a reaction for her. She just nodded as if to tell him to go ahead.
"Your approach probably wasn't ideal." He paused. "But, I can't see you having done it any other way. It's not like you were ever going to invite him to go for coffee and tell him how you feel. You would have sooner hired, like, a carrier pigeon to deliver him a handwritten note than tried to actually confront him about all those feelings."
Mackenzie laughed at his comment. "Do carrier pigeons even exist anymore?"
"All I'm saying is.. I'm proud of you for bringing all that up with Rufus finally. You've been holding it in for a long time and hopefully he can recognize what he needs to do now."
Mackenzie sunk down into the couch, covering her face up with her hands. "But.. what if he doesn't do anything? What if this is it?"
"Mack, c'mon," Nate leaned over and tried to pull her hands away from her eyes. "You both need some time to sort through this." He grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "Now, I know you don't want to talk about this or think of it anymore. So how about another family history lesson? Since you get to meet the Archibalds tomorrow."
Mackenzie groaned and pulled a pillow up to her face. "As long as you promise me it's not as complicated as the Vanderbilt tree."
Nate just laughed and stood up off the couch.
"I can make this whole process much easier if you want."
Mackenzie pulled the pillow away from her face and watched Nate disappear down the hallway. She sat up and stretched out her arms. She was grateful to have a lazy holiday Friday in the apartment with him. Even on a day she would usually have spent with her family members, she relished in any day she got to spend entirely with Nate.
Nate bounded back into the living room and Mackenzie immediately knew what he was about to propose. In his hand was a familiar small jar and as he popped the lid open, he revealed a small bag housing a few joints.
"Will there be a point in time where Nate Archibald, potential future Mayor of New York, can't hide weed in his apartment anymore?" Mackenzie joked as he rejoined her on the couch.
"I mean, Governor Reynolds wants to legalize marijuana anyway so who knows," Nate said with a shrug. "Although I definitely don't buy my own weed anymore. Chuck's guy has been helping me out for years so it's not like there's ever a hand off in the middle of Central Park." He turned his head and glanced over at her. "So, what do you say?"
"Yes, please," Mackenzie replied, eagerly nodding. "I feel like maybe we should have started the day this way."
"Hey, I thought everything that happened in the shower was a pretty good distraction," Nate said, pouting. He stood up and extended his hand for her to grab, leading them through the doors to his terrace.
The late afternoon sun beamed down on them as they stood outside in the cool air. Mackenzie leaned up against the railing and looked out towards the city as Nate lit up a joint for them.
When they went back inside, Mackenzie quickly scavenged the apartment for blankets and piled them onto the living room floor. Nate laughed as she pulled on his hand so he would join her in the nest of blankets. She sprawled out on her back, laying her head on his chest.
The weed was good. Understandably. She figured Chuck Bass only procured the best of the best. She remembered back to silly college nights where her friends picked up whatever they could find - some green smooth and calming, the others questionably nerve wracking. Not that she was feeling any ounce of anxiety as she laid with Nate - everything seemed to be melting away by the second as her body felt lighter and lighter.
She squeezed her eyes shut and listened to Nate's heart.
"Tell me about the first time you got high," Nate said slowly, running his hands through Mackenzie's hair.
"Oh god," Mackenzie replied to him. "If I can remember." She paused. "It was around Thanksgiving. I was in like, tenth grade I think. My mom was visiting Brooklyn but I fought with her and Rufus to let me stay up in Hudson with a friend's family. Leanne Mitchell. We were both on the lacrosse team. Her older brother Buzz let us hit his bong in the garage after dinner. I was pretty messed up for hours afterwards." Mackenzie couldn't help but laugh. "In fact, I think Jenny called me because something happened over dinner at the loft with our parents and I was just out of it. Like, I have no clue how I managed to get through that conversation."
"Can you tell me more about your friend's brother Buzz?" Nate replied to her as he laughed.
"I honestly think he's a school teacher or something," Mackenzie replied, closing her eyes. "What about you?"
"Uhm," Nate wrestled with his thoughts. "Fuck. The first time I recall ever smoking weed… it was summer. Up at our house in the Hamptons. My cousin Bryant talked me into it. I was like twelve or thirteen probably. It gave me something to do, honestly." He paused. "It was always fun until Grandfather caught us and lectured us about disgracing the family or something."
Mackenzie let out an awkward laugh and scoffed. "Why am I not surprised."
"You don't like him, do you? My grandfather."
Mackenzie lifted herself off of Nate and shifted to lay beside him. She let out a long breath and turned to face him. She loved every inch of Nate's expressive face and as she laid there, looking into his eyes, she knew she couldn't lie.
"I think he's too controlling and puts too much pressure on you," Mackenzie said slowly, scrunching up her face to think.
"He means well," Nate replied, sighing. "He'll grow on you. I mean, you only met him yesterday and -
"Yeah, about that." Mackenzie reached down and grabbed onto Nate's hand, closing her eyes. "Your grandfather ambushed me at the office a few weeks ago."
"What?" Nate pushed himself up and looked over at her. "What do you mean?"
Mackenzie let out a dry laugh and shrugged. "Exactly what it sounds like? He just like, showed up at my office and made some vague empty threats about -
"Threats?"
"Nate, he knew I was getting genetic testing done and then yesterday -
"You're kidding." Nate swore under his breath and returned to laying on his back, squeezing her hand.
"Then yesterday he made some offhand comment about my anxiety medication and-
"Fuck." Nate shook his head, letting out another long breath. "Why didn't you tell me any of this?"
"Well, yesterday I was a bit too drunk to care by the time we left." Mackenzie laughed and tried to lighten the mood. Nate just stared up at the ceiling. Stoic.
"And a few weeks ago?"
"I don't know. I had already caused you to fight with your mom. I didn't want to be responsible for any other family drama for you."
"Mack," Nate sat up again, pulling his hand away from hers and running one through his hair. "My family has no right to make you feel uncomfortable or scared or I don't know, threatened. The last thing I want is for them to have you keeping these things from me, too. Fuck."
"Hey," Mackenzie sat up and faced him, grabbing onto his hands. "I'm sorry. I should have just told you -
"This isn't your fault. My grandfather has no right to speak to you like that or know any of your medical information. What a jackass."
"I still should have told you," Mackenzie said quietly, extending out one of her hands to caress Nate's cheek.
"You should have," Nate replied, the tone of his voice matching hers. "But you should have never been put in the position in the first place." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I'll deal with him on Monday. At least you do not have to worry about anything like this happening with the Archibalds tomorrow."
"Maybe we should have a safeword just in case, though," Mackenzie joked, leaning in to kiss him. "What was it before? Peaches?"
"I mean, the worst thing that could happen is my cousin Megan very well might try to convert you to veganism," Nate's sullen frown turned into a smile as he pulled away from Mackenzie's kiss. "But okay, safeword instated. Let's just hope we don't have to use it."
Both Nate and Mackenzie turned their heads to the coffee table when one of their phones made a buzzing noise. She reached to grab her phone but Nate grabbed her hand and pulled it back.
"No more phones today," Nate said, the smile growing on his face. He leaned in to kiss her again and pushed her into her back on the pile of blankets. "We haven't done this in a while."
Mackenzie just laughed as his mouth started to explore her neck. "Nate, we had sex in the shower like seven hours ago."
"Time is but a concept," Nate replied to her with a smirk as he pulled away from her neck, squeezing her hips with his hands. "What I am trying to say is I am baked and suddenly really want to fuck you in the living room of our apartment."
Mackenzie reached up and pulled him back, biting at his lips. "Nathaniel. So vulgar." She pulled away to smile. "The living room of our apartment, huh? Okay, I'm in."
On Saturday, Nate and Mackenzie drove up to Albany for dinner with the Archibald family. Considering how dramatic their Thursday had been, the Archibalds were a breath of fresh air.
Mackenzie really liked Howard's family - especially his twin sister and her husband, Nate's aunt Heather and uncle Peter. They were wholesome - classically All-American with a large colonial house, manicured lawn, oak trees, two kids. Nate's cousin and his wife had a sweet baby girl. His other cousin was just out of college, progressive, defiant and especially playful with Nate. The best part out of meeting them was Mackenzie actually felt relaxed. Like these people weren't judging or critical or looking to dig up information about each other.
It was a nice break and a perfect finish to their tumultuous holiday weekend.
But Monday came soon enough. Thanksgiving was over and life was returning to normal for a few weeks before Christmas and New Years would approach.
They managed to avoid talking about Rufus for the rest of the weekend. Although, from the sounds of Mackenzie's sighs and the frustrated phone calls Nate overheard, it was clear Dan was siding with their dad and Jenny was supporting her sister.
Nate hated to admit it but he was looking forward to a few days in Washington, just to get away from life in Manhattan. Especially after his early Monday morning phone call with William Vanderbilt himself. His grandfather vehemently denied sourcing out any information about Mackenzie and did his best to spin the situation into worry and concern about Nate's future. The phone call didn't end well and he knew that wasn't going to be the end of William's meddling.
He had to worry about work instead. Or try to.
Truthfully, he didn't like leaving Mackenzie in the city when she was feeling so lost and alone.
"So," Leo leaned forward in his chair across from Nate's desk and held out a few sheets of paper. "We have a plan for helping cover Marie." He glanced over the papers and pointed to the first page. "Lindsay said she would take over the interim office administration things, supply orders, invoicing, etc. She will spearhead the rest of the holiday party planning, too. That's next Saturday, as a reminder."
Nate nodded along as Leo spoke. "Right. Washington this week until Friday. Awards dinner on Wednesday night next week and Holiday Party next Saturday. Got it."
"No, the awards dinner is Thursday. See? This is why you need Marie," Leo said with a sigh.
"So, what's the solution there?"
"Well, we have two options. We hire you a temp from outside or ask someone internally to help. Someone who has been working alongside you lately and knows what's going on anyway. My suggestion would be Wheeler or Ross."
Nate sighed. He hated to admit that Marie was his right-hand woman at work, even if it was just keeping him aware of his own schedule.
"Definitely not Ross. He's hardly proved his worth since the election," Nate replied, grabbing the sheets of paper from Leo. He ran a hand through his hair. "I guess Taylor could do it for a few weeks. I mean, she wants to be a reporter though. I'm not sure this is something that would interest her."
"Honestly, she sort of volunteered. She heard me and Lindsay discussing it when she came in this morning. She said she did a summer internship as an executive assistant in the federal parks department a few years ago and she enjoyed it." Leo just shrugged. "I think it's the best option. You have a lot of shit going on this month and you need someone to keep you on track. And it can't be me."
"C'mon man, don't you miss getting me coffees every morning?" Nate said with a laugh. He looked around his desk at the piles of paperwork and folders already piling up. Usually Marie helped him out with filing but he was feeling lost, and it was only Monday afternoon. "Okay. Well, if Wheeler is on board, she can be my assistant for the month."
Thursday night, after a long frustrating weekend, Mackenzie headed downtown to meet up with Viv at The Oak Room.
Her week at work had been completely fine. It was peak outreach season - meaning the entire Bass Foundation team was working hard to coordinate Christmas season donations to food banks, toy drives and charitable holiday events. But outside of work, things were still messy.
On top of her leftover anger from her blowout with Rufus, her and Nate had gotten into a stupid argument before he left for Washington on Wednesday morning. She had started it - maybe she was projecting her feelings onto Nate, maybe in some way she didn't want him to leave her, even just for a few days.
But things were still uncomfortable and she was disappointed in herself because of it. During a time when she was already feeling isolated and lost with her family, she needed Nate. She had apologized and they seemed to be back on track, at least his tone over the phone indicated he understood where she was coming from, but she kept replaying the situation in her head over and over again.
Mackenzie was laying on Nate's bed Tuesday night, leaning up against the headboard. She had been spending all her time there since the weekend - even though she knew Rufus was back in Los Angeles. She didn't see the point of being all the way in Brooklyn at the loft when she could be at Nate's. It was her future home, afterall.
He was packing up his suitcase to head out to Washington for the rest of the week.
"Which ties?" Nate stepped out of the closet and held his arm out, where a multitude of ties were draped.
"Uhm, the red one, the striped one and the green one. Oh, and that one with the yellow stripe just in case you're feeling expressive," Mackenzie said with a smile. Nate just nodded and smiled back at her before turning back to the closet.
"So, how's Marie?" Mackenzie asked.
"In a lot of pain apparently. She may need surgery on her knee after all this is done," Nate replied as he came back towards the bed. "Taylor has been filling in this week though and she's off to a good start."
Mackenzie pursed her lips. She really didn't want to be bothered by the fact that the young, eager wannabe report in Nate's office was playing assistant to him while Marie was gone.
"That's good."
Nate glanced up at her as he zipped up his bag. "Tell me how you really feel, Mack."
Mackenzie crossed her arms at his comment. "What does that mean?"
"Your forehead kind of creases whenever I mention Taylor. It's subtle but don't think I haven't picked up on it."
She rolled her eyes. "I don't understand why Taylor is accompanying you to Washington. Marie never did that as your assistant."
"Because Marie has a husband and kids in the city, Mackenzie. And Taylor asked to come and shadow me for the week to make sure she knew what to do as my assistant. Plus, she knows the Washington team."
Mackenzie opened her mouth to reply then closed it.
"Mackenzie. What's the issue?"
"Forgive me for playing the crazy girlfriend right now but I don't like this. I'm sorry. You can see where I'm coming from, right? This girl not only asked to be your personal assistant to cover Marie's job indefinitely, but she also asked to travel closely with you? Travel on the private jet and stay in a hotel room down the hall from you? None of that seems unusual?"
"No. It doesn't." Nate gave her an irritated look and stood at the end of the bed, crossing his arms. "What do you think is going to happen?"
"I don't know, Nate! But you're incredibly handsome and some girls will do -
"Hey, remember when you started working for Bass Industries and you travelled with Mitch Watson and got mad at me for having these exact same thoughts?"
"And look what happened in my situation. If you need me to remind you, that guy ended up hitting on me and assaulting me."
"Mackenzie, are you listening to yourself? Where is this coming from all of a sudden? Do you not trust me?"
"It's not about you. It's about her."
"We're not talking about this any further." Nate climbed into the bed beside her and shut off his lamp. "I have given you no reason to not trust me and Taylor has given no sign that she is interested in anything more than just a working relationship and job experience. It would be different if you saw me flirting with her or something ridiculous. Like you and Mitch Watson. At least my hesitation before was based on something instead of just unwarranted paranoia."
Mackenzie's mouth dropped open as he finished his sentence. "Are you serious?"
"Yeah, and it wasn't about you, Mack. It was about him."
"What the fuck, Nate."
She stormed out of Nate's bedroom after his attempt at ending their argument. She knew both of them had said regrettable things and she needed some space. Despite her desire to leave, she knew that was irrational and there was no way Nate would let her travel home to Brooklyn at midnight. So she stormed directly into the second bedroom, now Nate's home office, and tried to sleep on the daybed in there.
It wasn't long before there was a soft knocking on the door.
"Come back to bed, please."
She ignored his pleas and hugged the pillow beside her.
"Mack. Don't make me bust down this door."
Next she heard a meow.
"You're breaking Max's heart, babe."
Mackenzie sighed and finally got up to unlock the door. There stood Nate with a worried look on his face.
"I'm sorry. Can we start this entire discussion again? Can we go back to picking out ties?"
She gave him a half smile and took his hand in hers. He led her back down the hall to his bedroom and they crawled into bed. Mackenzie rested her head on his chest and Nate held her tightly.
"I shouldn't have brought up that Australian demon," Nate started, slowly running his hands over her back. "That wasn't fair."
"And I'm sorry for going on about Taylor. I don't really know where that's coming from. I guess I just don't want you to leave me, even just for a few days."
Nate held her throughout the night and kissed her countless times before leaving on Wednesday morning. Things still didn't feel completely solved but Mackenzie was doing her best to work through her anxiety and worry about the situation.
Nate loves you, Mackenzie. You have nothing to worry about.
It didn't take many drinks at The Oak Room to escalate into both Viv and Mackenzie complaining about their romantic lives. Viv was still having a lot of doubts about Drew and how they ended things. And Mackenzie was nervous about her last discussion with Nate. Not to mention how things felt with her father.
"From my perspective Mack, Nate could be approached by the most beautiful person in the world, like Gisele Bundchen, and he wouldn't even be phased. I hardly know the guy but I know he's head over heels in love with you." Viv paused to finish off her martini. "If you weren't my friend, I would tell you how nauseating it is."
"You tell me that all the time anyway," Mackenzie replied with a laugh, taking a sip of her own cocktail. She ran a hand through her hair and pushed it over to the side, feeling her face flush as she thought about Nate. As much as she liked catching up with Viv, she missed having Nate as an excuse to stay home on his weeks away.
"All I'm saying is there is going to be more Taylor Wheelers in your lifetime so you've gotta pick your battles."
"That is a valid point," Mackenzie said. She felt her phone buzzing in her jeans pockets and pulled it out.
She had a new message from Carter.
"Viv," Mackenzie said slowly. "Why does Carter know we're out for drinks tonight? And why is he letting me know his ETA."
Viv pursed her lips for a moment then let out a quiet groan. She leaned down onto the table, her hair spilling over her arms.
"Because I told him we'd be here and I tried to convince him to bring Drew so I could… run into him. Please don't be mad."
"Viv! You were literally just telling me how you were moving on and ready to experience someone new."
"Well, I lied." She flagged down the waitress as she walked by. "Another round, please."
Mackenzie sighed and finished off her own drink. Why was it so hard to hope for a night out with just a girlfriend? Her life was complicated enough without having to worry about her friendship, or lack thereof, with Carter Baizen. If Drew showed up, it was absolutely inevitable Viv would pull him off to talk and leave her with Carter.
And that is exactly what happened. The moment the boys showed up, Viv convinced Mackenzie to wave them over, as if she was unaware they were going to be in the same place. It felt juvenile. It didn't take long before Drew initiated an exit with Viv, hoping to talk privately in the lobby. Mackenzie knew that was code for getting undressed in The Oak Room bathroom.
That left Carter and Mackenzie face to face in the booth. She wanted to leave but in case things somehow went south, she didn't want to leave Viv vulnerable and alone. She figured she could wait it out for a bit.
"So Baizen, how's your love life?"
Carter just laughed and cocked his head to the side. "I don't have one." He raised an eyebrow at Mackenzie. "How's yours?"
"It's going well, actually." Mackenzie narrowed her eyes to counter his dominant glance. "Nate's in Washington for a few days but we had a nice Thanksgiving." She wasn't sure what she was trying to prove to Carter but she rambled on about their dinners and how wonderful things were.
"You know, the more you try to prove how great things are, the more cracks start to appear in your tone, Mackenzie."
She rolled her eyes and took a sip of her drink. She glanced at her phone, hopeful for a message from Viv but nothing arrived.
She leaned back in the booth and crossed her arms. "So, do you and Drew ever talk about your feelings? Does he actually care about Viv or is it just sex for him?"
Carter laughed and tilted his head again to consider her question. "Honestly? I have no clue. I didn't think he was actually interested in her. I thought it was one sided. Like she caught feelings and he didn't. But I also know things have not been great for him and Miss Strone."
"Well, I don't think it's fair if he is just stringing Viv along."
"Oh come on, Mackenzie. You don't know if that's what's going on. Sex can be complicated if you let it. He may have drawn a line before and she just decided to suffer through her feelings to still be close to him." Carter shrugged. "Shocking, really. Drew is a bit dull overall."
"Yeah, well, the way I see it - Drew got his and hurt Viv along the way. She's in pain and he still goes home to his girlfriend. Then he just indulges her in times like this. And you help!"
"They're both adults, sweetheart." Carter shifted in his seat, edging his hands across the table with his drink. "Sometimes things don't work out. Not everyone has chemistry inside and outside the bedroom."
Mackenzie let out a sigh, holding back the urge to roll her eyes. She glanced down at her phone to check the time. It was getting late. Mackenzie was desperate for her head to meet a pillow.
"I think this has been enough for me," she replied to Carter simply, reaching down and grabbing her glass. She tipped it into her mouth, letting the last cold sips of watered down whiskey cross her lips. She paused and looked at Carter. He was staring at her, his eyes shining with curiosity.
"You know, our night together still crosses my mind," Carter said as he leaned across the table, his voice low. She opened her mouth to reply but wasn't sure how to respond. "I haven't even been able to bring anyone home since that night."
Mackenzie couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I find that hard to believe. You, Carter Baizen, have gone three months without sex?"
He shook his head with a smirk. "Of course not. But honestly no one has compared or been worthy enough to grace my bedsheets."
"Am I supposed to be impressed by that? Don't tell me girls actually believe that kind of bullshit line." Mackenzie looked up at him. Carter was handsome. And alluring. But she didn't like where their conversation was going. "I need to go."
"I was hoping that you'd stay," Carter said in his low sensual voice. She watched as he took another sip and licked his lips. He reached his hand out to hers as it laid on the table. "You haven't had a late night these past few months where I crossed your mind after a few? I think we could be the lucky ones here - chemistry inside and outside the bedroom, sweetheart."
"Carter," she started.
"Mackenzie, please. Just indulge me for a moment."
"I am in a very happy committed relationship." Mackenzie pulled her hand off the table and crossed her arms. "I'm not sure what you're getting at here."
"What I'm getting at is," Carter tipped his own drink in one gulp, stretching his neck then leaning back in towards her. "We've seen this firsthand with our friends Drew and Viv. Every time they're alone together, we wind up together too. So, why not give in. People cheat all the time. It's very likely your politician boyfriend has a side piece in Washington anyway."
"Okay, that's enough. I don't know why you are saying all this but I am absolutely not interested in cheating on Nate with you. And it's incredibly immature of you to plant doubts about our relationship to try and entice me into it." Mackenzie slid down the booth to plan her exit.
"Oh, take a breath, Mackenzie." Carter slid down his side of the booth across from her, standing up and adjusting his tie. "You can't tell me you didn't enjoy what happened between us."
"Carter, that was months ago. You can't possibly think I've been pining over you and wishing for more." She stood up and pulled on her coat. "I can't believe I've given you any kind of impression of anything otherwise."
"Listen, I'm sorry," Carter took a step in and grabbed her forearm and she paused in front of him. "But you need to know this isn't uncommon in the Upper East Side. People blur the lines every day. Or just cross the lines entirely. Happy committed relationships only mean so much." He paused, pointing a finger at her. "Hell, you found out even your mom slept around, considering that whole sister mess."
Mackenzie's eyes flew open as he words came out of Carter's mouth. She wasn't even thinking but her arm reached up and slapped him as he looked down at her. Her chest started to move up and down quickly as she breathed in.
"What the fuck is wrong with you!?" Mackenzie wanted to scream at him but she managed to control her volume.
Carter raised his hand up and grabbed his cheek, continuing to smirk at Mackenzie. "Doll, the angry bitch thing works for me."
"You're so obscene. I'm done with whatever this friendship was, Carter."
"You think this was a friendship, Humphrey? All you did was argue with me and complain about your life and secrets for the past weeks. If I didn't finally make a move tonight, I would just be wasting even more time here."
"What? Were you just waiting for me to sleep with you again? God, you disgust me." She hurried away from him, not even bothering to give him any more attention.
She heard him calling out behind her as she walked away. "Have fun talking to your therapist about me, Mackenzie!"
The trip to Washington had been busy. It was likely Nate's last trip before the New Year and he tried his best to capitalize on every meeting he could, especially with a few of his political mentors leading up to the spring campaign launch.
Some days he was still in utter shock he was going to be running to be Mayor of New York City. Even with a team encouraging him and all the statistics on his side, it was something that made him incredibly nervous. His life could look very differently in only a years time and sometimes it scared the shit out of him.
"You kept up pretty well this week," Nate said to Taylor as the plane started to take off. She was seated across from him, typing away on her laptop. He was telling the truth - Taylor had quickly picked up on Nate's schedule and did a great job keeping him on track for the week. She truly could give Marie a run for her money.
"Well, thanks," Taylor replied to him with a smile. "I mean, if only you knew how to set your own alarm on your phone to wake up on time."
Nate just laughed and rolled his eyes. "In my defense, that was a one time thing." He thought back to Thursday morning when he woke up to Taylor banging on his hotel room door.
He watched as Taylor closed her laptop and pulled her glasses off, a coy smile appearing on her face. She opened her mouth to say something then closed it quickly.
Nate shot her a confused glance. "What?"
"Nothing. I just.. The Spectator pays for an entire two bedroom apartment suite rental when you're in Washington. I could just stay in the second bedroom next time. I mean, it would save a bit of money and I would always ensure you don't run late." She let out a breath and shook her head after. "Sorry. Maybe that's a dumb idea."
Nate wasn't sure how to reply to her. Admittedly, all week his mind kept racing back to Mackenzie's comments and their argument the night before he left. He thought maybe she was just being overdramatic but there were some instances, though subtle, that he picked up on during the week that indicated maybe she wasn't entirely wrong.
Not that he ever consciously projected any unwarranted feelings towards Taylor. But Nate knew he was friendly with his staff.
"I'm just gonna go to the washroom," Taylor said, interrupting his thoughts as she stood up and headed down the length of the plane.
'Hey folks. Just want to remind you to have your seat belts on. We're about to hit a weird system before Philadelphia...'
Nate glanced out the window at the grey clouds and put his seat belt on. The plane started to shake a bit and he grabbed onto his bottle of water before it fell off the table.
"Woah," Taylor's voice returning made Nate turn his head. She grabbed onto the seat as the plane shook and she fell into the seat beside Nate. "Sorry, I'll just.." She tried to stand again to move across from him then immediately fell back into her chair.
"Just get that seat belt on," Nate said to her, grabbing onto the armrest. She nodded and quickly buckled in, leaning back on the chair.
Turbulence on small planes wasn't uncommon but as the plane shook and fell in small instances, Nate's stomach churned. This was more than he was used to on this normal route.
He turned his head over to Taylor who was squeezing her eyes shut. "You okay?"
"I don't love flying. I should have told you that before. Usually I just pop an Ativan and hope for the best when I travel, that's what I did when we left Wednesday morning. But I ran out this week. So. I'm just trying to not cry." She let out a small yelp then laughed. "Sorry."
"Yeah, you definitely should have mentioned that." He laughed and shook his head. "You're gonna be okay."
"I know, I know," she said quietly.
'Nate, we're going to have to make an emergency landing in Philly.'
The plane shook and they dropped again.
Taylor let out another low scream and gripped her hand onto Nate's knee.
'...the masks are about to fall as a precaution and we recommend you strapping them on...'
The plane shook again as the oxygen masks fell from the ceiling. They both scrambled to secure them on and leaned back in their chairs.
Taylor's hand landed on Nate's knee again as the plane started to descend, continuing to shake as it slowly fell.
Nate grabbed onto her hand and squeezed it tight as he shut his eyes.
'...this might be bumpy landing, folks…'
