Ryder and Maya had an honest conversation about their relationship and decided to end things for the time being. Although both knew this was permanent, they still wanted to go out and see if they could return to being friends. With that side of his life settled, the boy started to take more responsibility at work, which turned into spending a considerable amount of time with Ben, who was preparing him to take over one of their new clients. Both boys would stay late at the office trying to have everything ready before the end of the year; that way, Ryder could take his first trip to visit the client in January with enough time for him to know the ins and outs before his team followed him.
Ben was trying to get out of visiting the client because he wanted to take Mal on a trip for the New Year, he knew she had already prepared everything for the group Christmas celebration, but he was hoping they could spend that day away. One night while they were working, Mal called asking him if he was going to make it for dinner; Ben was about to say no but decided to ask her if he could invite Ryder instead. The joy in the girl's voice made him smile, and after asking his friend if Ben wanted to eat with them, both boys put their things away and made their way to the apartment. On their way there, Azis called Ryder, asking him if he knew Cora was coming to Seattle before the holidays.
"Oh yeah, she told me last week, and I completely forgot." Cora was Ryder's cousin, Azis and the rest of the guys knew her because they use to take a class with her and then the girl dated a friend of the group for a while. When Azis was a TA, Cora told him about her cousin taking the class, and that's how the boy met Ryder, and their friendship started. After Cora broke up with their friend, the boys lost contact with her; however, after Azis went to New York to help Mal move and reconnected with Azis, he and Cora were back in touch. Their conversations weren't long, but they would text a couple of times a month, and Azis found himself excited to see her again.
"Does Mal know Cora is coming to dinner with all of us on the 24?" Azis's voice made it known that he doubted the girl knew, and Ryder fought the urge to facepalm himself. Ben, who was out of the car, already saw the way Ryder's face turned a little more white and signaled the guy if he was ok, just for him to nod reluctantly. Ryder told Azis that he was at Mal's place to tell her about it and that everything was ready in his apartment to welcome his cousin, so he didn't need to worry and that it was time for him to end the call.
When he came to stand next to Ben, Ryder told the boy that his cousin was coming to town and he needed to ask Mal something. Together they made their way upstairs, where Mal was waiting, so they could eat and have a good time after weeks of barely seeing Ryder and not really sharing a lot of time with Ben. After they said their hellos Mal asked them to sit so they could start eating, but Ben told her that he was going to change and she should take that time to talk with Ryder. Mal was a little confused because Ryder was looking a little uncomfortable, so she asked him if he wanted to sit on the couch while they waited for Ben, and soon the boy explained the situation, and Mal assured him that it wasn't an issue if he wanted to bring his cousin.
Ben came out of the room wearing his sweats and a hoodie and sat next to Mal, bringing her closer to him while asking them if everything was settled. Ryder nodded and told him that Cora was coming next week, and maybe they could meet her before the 24. Mal agreed that it would be a great idea, while Ben looked confused and asked Ryder if his cousin Cora used to date a guy named Jeff when she went to college. That's when the boy realized that if Azis knew her, there was a big chance Ben also did; so he said yes and told Ben a little about Cora, and the boy smiled, sharing with him how they all used to go out and how amazing he thought his cousin was. Mal turned to look at Ben while the boys shared little anecdotes with her about Cora and how they were sure she was going to make friends quickly because everybody loved her.
"Why don't I know her if she dated a friend of yours?" Mal asked Ben, slowly moving away from him so as to be able to watch him, and he didn't notice that her tone was of annoyance. The boy went on to explain that they didn't exactly spend a lot of time together in college with their different group of friends. Mal was always busy with work or dating someone and he was also busy doing the same thing; sure they always saw each other, but it was mostly with their close group of friends or alone to share their lives. Mal nodded, but she was still annoyed about the way Ben's eyes brightened at the mention of Cora's name. "So, you knew her because she was dating Jeff?"
At that moment, Ryder started to wonder if Mal was jealous; however, Ben still didn't seem to realize anything because he went on to share that they actually knew her when a couple of his friends and him decided to take a couple of extracurriculars courses. "She was the best student in our class and also the prettiest. Many guys in that class had a crush on your cousin Azis, and that only intensifies when we get to know her."
"Oh, so you had a crush on her." Ben noticed then that Mal looked annoyed, and he looked at her, confused.
"Are you mad?" He fought the smile that was threatening to come. Mal rolled her eyes at him and announced that she was going to heat the food because she was sure it was cold then, without giving them a chance to say anything, she stood and made her way to the kitchen. The boys exchanged a knowing look, and Ben stood making his way to the kitchen and talking the girl's hand he asked her why she was mad.
"I'm not mad, just annoyed. I know we are together, and you never dated her, but you should see how excited you got when Ryder mentioned her." Ben nodded and shared with Mal that he actually did go on a couple of dates with Cora before she started dating Jeff. That did little to brighten the girl's mood, but Ben told her that it was silly to think about that now, especially after she knew how he always felt about her. Mal nodded and told him that he was right and that she was just feeling a little more sensitive lately, but was looking forward to meeting Ryder's cousin. "I need to tell Alyssa that we are going to need one more space at the table when I go to see them tomorrow. The food is not going to be an issue, so as long as we have enough chairs, everything should go fine."
Ben nodded and leaned in, kissing Mal and then telling her that he was going to heat up the food so she could rest while talking to Ryder. The rest of the night went on with the trio talking about their plans for the next week when Ben's parents were going to arrive in Seattle making sure that they were going to spend the holidays with the couple. After, Ryder went away, Mal share with the boy that his parents had called her earlier that day and told her that they found an apartment to rent on Airbnb that was in their building. "They told me that they rented it and wanted me to pick up the keys on Saturday so when they arrive on Monday, they didn't need to do it. Also, they sent me a list of groceries so we can pick something for them to have in the refrigerator waiting for them."
"Well, at least they are not staying here. I didn't mind when it was only me, but now that we are here, I think it would uncomfortable." Mal nodded and continued to share with the boys her day until they went to sleep. The next morning the girl's phone woke them up with its constant ringing; when Mal saw who it was, she answered quickly, and Evie told Mal that Doug had asked her to go to his parents this Christmas and she was sure he was going to propose.
Ben looked at Mal, and after giving her a quick kiss on the forehead, he went into the bathroom to take a shower and start his day. By the time he finished getting ready the girls were still talking, and he waved goodbye to Mal, leaving a note next to her breakfast bowl. Mal ended the call when it was obvious she was going to be late for work if they continued to talk, but she promised to call her friend as soon as she made her way back home. That day she had a meeting with Oliver and his team for a special campaign they were doing for the holidays, and she was almost done with most of the pictures and videos they had asked her, still Mal was ready for the inevitable reshoots that always ended up happening.
That day they gave a list that needed to be completed by the end of the week, and Mal realized that this was not going to be an easy job like her usual reshoots were, but she was up for the challenge. At the end of the meeting, Oliver asked Mal if she was sure that everything would be ready for their holiday special; they talked for a while making sure the girl was going to have the right approach for the photos and quick videos that the agency expected. By the time Mal made her way to the James's house, she felt exhausted, there she talked to the couple about the last-minute changes for the holidays and the addition of Cora to the celebration.
They assured her everything was going to be perfect, so she didn't need to worry about anything, then they asked her about her day, and Mal told them about her reshoots. The couple listened and made some suggestions to her, time flew by, and again her phone interrupted the moment this time it was Ben asking her if she was ok. It was close to midnight, and he was worried. Mal told him where she was, and the boy asked her if she wanted him to go pick her up right now or later. Alyssa intervened then telling the girl that she was welcome to spend the night there, the next morning, Sean and she could go with her to help her take the reshoots in the places they talked.
After a couple of minutes of making sure they were sure, Mal agreed and told Ben not to worry. Still, the boy came half an hour later with a bag with her pj's and a change of clothes for the next day, knowing that she liked to be extra comfortable whenever she needed to do reshoots. He texted her when got there, and Mal came out telling him that the couple was already in their room, and thanking him for bringing her stuff. Ben opened his arms, and Mal smiled coming to hug him, and they shared a kiss. "Is going to be weird sleeping at home without you."
"I know, but this is a great chance for me to pick their brain. I'm sure they know the best views from the places with all the years they've lived here." Ben agreed, and after giving her another kiss, he said his goodbye wishing the girl a good night and a great shoot the next day. Mal ended up staying there until Thursday night, she went home to bring the clothes so Ben didn't have to, and they would text and talk on the phone before going to sleep. The number of photos and knowledge she got from sharing her days with the couple was priceless, and she not only finished her assignment before time, but she presented two extra projects for approval that would be perfect for two campaigns that were in talks for the next year.
On Friday, she was making her way back to the apartment, eager to show Ben everything, when she opened the door though she was surprised to see the boy with Ryder and a beautiful blonde girl laughing in the living room. Ben stood and came to her side to greet her while the couple stood and turned to look at her.
"Mal, I'm so happy you are home. Ryder brought Cora so that she could meet you and we could all go out to eat something. Azis, Jay, and Lonnie are going to meet us at the restaurant in an hour." Ben said after he finished hugging the girl; then he took her backpack and moved so the girl could get into the apartment and greet their guests. Mal saw Cora, and she felt selfconscious in front of the girl that was not only beautiful but was wearing a dress with a long coat that made her look like a model.
She made her way towards Ryder, who introduced Cora again; the girl hugged Mal and told her how happy she was to finally meet her and how highly both boys spoke of her. Mal smiled and excused herself, telling the group that she was going to take a quick shower and change so they could go out to meet the rest of their friends. Ben tried to follow her, but she went inside the bathroom and turned on the shower making it clear that there was no chance for them to talk.
After Mal finished showering, she put on her makeup and made her way to the bedroom, and stood in front of the closet trying to decide was she was going to wear. Ben knocked on the door, but she told him that she was finishing getting ready and was going to be out in a couple of minutes. After getting dressed, she made her way to the living room and announced to the group that she was ready and they should make their way to the restaurant; Cora came to her side and, linking their arms, started to ask Mal about her job and how was she liking Seattle.
Cora ended up being amazing, which was a little annoying for Mal, who was hoping to find at least a flaw in the girl. The group talked and shared anecdotes from their time in college and decided to walk to a near bar after dinner. The boys started goofing around while the girls walked behind them, laughing at their antics at a certain point; Cora came to walk next to Mal and told her how happy she was for Ben. "I don't know if he told you, but we went on a few dates. I, like most girls in the class, thought he was hot, and such a kind soul, so when he asked me out, I was over the moon."
Mal felt uneasy hearing her and wondered why Cora was telling her this. "However, he mentioned how he had known his best friend since they were kids and how amazing she was. I'm not going to lie; I found it a little annoying that he seemed so infatuated with you. So, I asked his friends, and they assured me you two were really friends and nothing else. That made me feel better until one day, I saw you two eating together under a tree while making my way to class, and I just knew. There was nothing weird or flirty about your interaction, but then he said something, and you laughed, and the way he looked at you, I knew that even if he didn't know then, Ben felt more than friendship towards you."
Mal blushed, and Cora smiled at the girl. "I never told him why I declined his next invitation, and he didn't seem heartbroken about it. Then I met Jeff, and I was happy with him, at least for a while, but I always hoped that you would give Ben a chance. His eyes still have that sparkle when he mentions you, especially when he talks about you moving to be with him"
"I'm glad I gave us a chance too. Moving here has been great, and being with Ben makes me happy; he has opened my eyes to a future I never thought could exist for me, and now I can't wait to share it with him." Both girls smiled and turned to look at the boys that were giving each other piggy rides and laughing. Mal smiled again, she hoped that things continued to be this effortlessly happy for them.