New York City Friends

Season 3, Episode 13: Running Towards The City

Starring~ Michelle McCool, Ashley Massaro, Candice Michelle, and Torrie Wilson.


After nearly two months of being away, I was back in the city.

Michelle felt the city in her veins as she walked down the streets. One thing she wasn't going to deny herself from was shopping at 5th Avenue. Her job called her in saying that they needed her for an important meeting that had to be in person, but why not shop a little before the meeting.

She jumped over a sewer hole in the street and then crossed the street with much delight. She swung her shopping bags as she carried on through the crowd, morning hours never looked more busier.

Michelle came into the JAN's headquarters all excited, the meeting took about three hours. It was still quite early and Michelle could either head back to Jersey if she wanted to or stay. Michelle didn't even have to ask herself the question- she would call Jack to tell him she would be sleeping with the city that night.

You can't break up two lovers that are reuniting. The City and I had an affair that went back a decade and it continued.

After shopping and work, Michelle went over to her little favorite bodega. She picked up a copy of this month's Vogue and she grabbed a muffin to go, along with a strong cup of coffee.

Everybody else rushed past her, but Michelle took her sweet time and she soaked it all in.


Two lovers reuniting is quite something, but it doesn't compare to friends reuniting.

Michelle walked into that same old diner, there were a thousand more chic ones in the city. But Michelle loved that one and so did her three girls.

They were all sitting there, with a menu. Michelle rushed to them, "I'm back," Michelle exclaimed.

"Ahh," they all yelled simultaneously.

All of us stepped out of our moving vehicles to run away from it all just for a moment in that diner, because unlike the real world, brunches are sacred and therapeutic.

"So how's Jersey, I know you tell me all the time through the phone... but it's different in person," Torrie asked.

Michelle shrugged, "Well, don't shoot me... but I like Jersey, it's calming and it gives me this feeling," Michelle answered. Leaving the girls all confused.

Candice gasped, "Uh... Michelle, are you still in there," Candice sarcastically asked. "But I guess I can kind of believe it... I was in love with the Hamptons and now I kind of dread the Hamptons," Candice admitted.

"Oh honey, I saw that magazine article they did on you... what a bunch of bitches," Michelle replied. "And if we're being honest here... I thought I'd love being married to Jack, well before all of those months of me fearing the idea, and I guess my instincts were correct right from the beginning... because I still fear the idea of giving up my life, I already moved to Jersey for him and he's talking about having kids now and I feel pressured to settle down," Michelle told them.

"Well, I thought I'd love throwing parties and living luxuriously... but I hate it now, I got carried away and it's no fun when people think you're a sad alcoholic," Candice added.

We all ran towards the shiny things, and now we were running away from them.

"On a positive note, Torrie and Ashley both have guys," Michelle said leaning in towards them. Torrie shook her head, "He's a Yankee and that's it... he was sweet, but it kind of seems like everything is about him, which is the reason why I broke up with Brock in the first place," Torrie told them.

Candice threw her head back, "Ugh, we're all gone doing our own things... only to find out those things aren't as fabulous, what a waste of a summer," Candice said. But Ashley shook her head, "Well, the guy I'm seeing is straight, mutually interested, and dreamy," Ashley blurted out.

All three of them raised a glass of orange juice to Ashley, "To Ashley and her new guy," Michelle exclaimed. "No offense honey, but wow, for the first time it's you with the man," Candice added and they all laughed.

Torrie hugged her and they all carried on for nearly two hours, just catching up on every little detail that was left out over the phone.


And a little hours later, in Central Park, Ashley and Enzo took a stroll through perfection.

The two knew each other on a deep level, after only a few weeks. Beliefs, fears, dreams- they both knew each other's. So it was truly movie-like perfection.

However, they did not know each other on the surface. Which was ironic, since the surface of a person is what you have to dig past in order to know that person's depths. Since Ashley and Enzo were moving quite fast, the surface was skipped.

"Thank god I don't have to work this week," he said. A question popped into her head, followed by many more. "What is it that you do again," she asked.

He laughed, "That's right, I don't think I've told you, what do you do," he asked her in return.

They were the classic case of 'emo couple'. Which is when two people get way too deep way too fast, they cut for each other, and they say 'I love you' after only a day of knowing each other.

"You know, it's funny that I've met your mother but not your friends... usually it's backwards," he joked about. She laughed and couldn't agree more.

"Well, let's start now," Ashley suggested. So the two began sharing the little simple things about each other.


Over in the Hamptons Candice was dealing with her own emo feelings- she wanted to die because she hated her life.

The Hamptons King invited Candice to a pre-party before the real party... which Candice popularized over the summer. You know, having a party before the actual party. However, the Hamptons King took it one step further, he had an intimate pre-pre-party-party.

It was only him, his fellow associates, and Candice having a nice lunch out on the sun. It was one of those plaid-and-tie picnic lunches, and instead of on grass, it was on a yacht. They served little fruits, accompanied by fruity tropical drinks, they all wore huge sun-hats, and they all sat neatly on colorful striped towels that were set out on the yacht.

Candice excused herself to go puke, the entire display of preppy perfection made her want to vomit. She was still a little hungover from the last party she went to, thrown by another fellow Hamptons socialite.

Having a pre-party to the pre-party of the actual party after attending another party the previous night, well that was the life Candice created over just a summer and now she just wanted to run away from it.

The Hamptons Queen stood on the other side, because vomiting your guts out isn't really a pretty image for a socialite bee like her. She was in no mood to even think about parties or anything loud, or just life in general.


I had three main girl-friends and then I had one main guy-friend, which is dangerous territory I will admit, but friends are friends so I had to call Mark for a reunion.

Mark waved from down the sidewalk, Michelle smiled through the window of her apartment. She motioned for him to walk up. So he did and when she opened the door the two hugged right away.

"I've missed you," Michelle told him.

Mark put his hands on her shoulders, "Before I even start I want to apologize for leaving you and for abandoning you the way I did... the way you always feared I would and the way so many others did to you before," Mark asked for forgiveness.

He ran away from me, I ran away from him, he ran away from me, I ran away from him, and this pattern went on and on. However, some how, the universe and the city always bring us back together.

The apartment was all empty, but that old couch was still there. He sat down like old times and the two got to talking.

"I really feel happy... Victoria and I are back to the romance and whole passion thing, we aren't fighting anymore and our little girl is starting to crawl, she giggles too," Mark went on about wholeheartedly.

Michelle smiled. "Well, I'm happy for you," she told him. Shortly after she could no longer hold it in, she started crying.

I felt bad because I assumed Mark had relationship woes like I did. I realized I was using the city as my hiding place because I couldn't face the real problem in my own life, but could everything shield me... because Mark sure as hell didn't with his happiness... which I'm happy for!

Mark hugged her. "My marriage is making me feel so lost," Michelle whispered as she wiped the tears. Mark didn't know what to say.


From one crying soul to the other.

Torrie was getting ready to leave for Elle, to turn in her article for next month's issue. Seth stopped by expecting her to go with him to the Bronx for a day out and about, but Torrie's job was calling her.

"I have to go turn this in, so I can't go... sorry, but next time," Torrie promised him. "Why not," Seth asked.

Torrie grabbed a water bottle and a banana, she shoved it in her purse and started heading for the door thinking Seth would follow her out. But he stayed on the floor and began to cry a little.

"Please, please don't leave me alone," Seth cried. Torrie wasn't surprised with Seth's breakdown, it's not the first time.

Seth's emotions were getting the best of Torrie. His sweet side and him being a Yankee pulled in Torrie for the home-run, but boy was he a boy... like literally a little boy.

Torrie got on her knees next to him, "Come on, you can come with me," she insisted. "I can turn this in and then we can go out for ice-cream!"

Seth wiped his eyes and raised his head, "We can eat ice-cream while watching the recent Yankees game," he added.

Brock treated Torrie like she was his daughter and now Seth was treating Torrie like she was his mother.


Ashley and Enzo walked all around Central Park until they knew each other on the surface, but finally it had to end. Enzo had to leave, he didn't say where, he just had somewhere to be.

"Bye," he simply said. Ashley was confused, he was acting quite suspicious.

The two kissed, but it was a different type of kiss. It felt more long as if they didn't want it to end. It felt more passionate as if they didn't want to forget it.

It looks like Enzo was also running, but Ashley had no idea. Not even in her wildest dreams did she imagine this love story would end the way it was about to end.

For some reason Ashley felt emotional, more than usual. She was getting some type of feeling from his end, it's like he was saying goodbye forever without actually uttering 'goodbye'.

Enzo turned to walk away. She just stood there- a part of her wanted to chase him, but she didn't want to seem paranoid and crazy.

He turned around once more and waved goodbye. Little did Ashley know it would be the last time she'd ever see him again.

That was it, just like that. The ending to their story.


The yacht, the parties, the fancy dinners- it was all something that Candice felt was worth the chase. But now that lifestyle was chasing her.

She left the yacht in a rush after she found out that Brooklyn was back from summer camp.

No matter what, Candice would never stop running for her son. Whether it was running after or running next to Brooklyn.

Candice took two cabs just to get to him. The mother didn't even care that there'd be a chance she'd end up running into Wade and his girlfriend, she just wanted to see her son after months of being apart.

By the time Candice did get to Wade's place she was out of breath. Sweating, panting, but still excited.

The door to Wade's place was open, so Candice peeked her head in and there she saw her worst nightmare. By Brooklyn's suitcases was the Hamptons magazine that did a feature on her.

Candice's nightmare kidnapped her son, the nightmare ran with him and Candice had no one to blame but herself.

"Oh no," Candice said under her breath, "Oh fucking no!" From behind her came Brooklyn, he nodded as to tell her that he had already read it.

He didn't look mad, so Candice thought he was okay with it, but when she went over to hug him and explain to him the entire summer he turned his back on her to walk away. He was disappointed.

Candice's entire summer came back in a flashback. How one single party turned into a hurricane, she will never know. She didn't want to make a scene, so she ran off crying underneath her dark sunglasses.

She couldn't run anywhere because she was running away from herself. Her demons were destructive, but she created them and now only she could defeat them.


Torrie and Seth were walking back to Torrie's place after their day out eating ice-cream and watching another Yankees game, oh and after a fifteen minute trip to Elle. A few people stopped Seth for a picture before they finally got to Torrie's place, by then Torrie was exhausted.

"Hey, wanna go down to this bar... they are throwing a Yankees-themed drinking night," Seth asked.

Torrie turned to him, she was tired of hearing the word 'Yankees' and she was tired of Seth taking over her every day. "No, No! I'm sorry, I am tired and I just need some alone time," Torrie turned him down.

Seth put his hands over his face, as if he were crying... yet again. Torrie rolled her eyes, "Bye Seth," Torrie said as she headed for her apartment door.

Torrie was always running towards men, but she knew the difference between 'right' and 'wrong' now... however breaking up with a 'wrong' one was still difficult for her. So who knows where she was running with this Yankee?

After kissing him she closed the door on him. He looked up, "Oh, I thought she'd feel bad and come with me," he said to himself. And as if nothing happened, he just went off to the bar.

Torrie ate some peanut butter with a bare spoon while writing material for her new book.


Ashley couldn't stop feeling like she had just lost Enzo, so she went to his place to check and see if her paranoia was right.

It was empty, unlike her heart and mind, that apartment was empty of any hints this man ever existed. She couldn't believe it, he never even mentioned moving. Ashley didn't know if she were to feel angry or sad, but she definitely felt lost.

"What, I don't understand," she started crying out as she desperately searched through the whole apartment to look for a sign or something that could at least tell her where he went. On a wall full of graffiti was the sign, in dark black letters it read- I definitely would have loved you, but we just weren't meant to be.

Ashley started to cry as she stared at the wall that blocked her from getting to him. To think she crumbled her wall for this man, only for him to build his higher behind her back.

They started off as lovers and ended as strangers. Just as mysteriously and strange as they started, they also ended in a mysterious way that Ashley will never understand.

The man was never her's, yet Ashley still felt a huge loss. Everything she thought was real and raw was just imaginary and in her head, because it was never real to him.

Ashley ran off crying, she got in a cab and went over to her art studio. She spent the night there, all alone on the floor.

She let go and he ran off, the planet they were on collapsed into a black hole.


I always thought I'd end up running away from New York City, but it looks I was running towards it the same way I ran towards it seventeen years ago in search of hope and a dream.

Michelle sat on the fire escape balcony, watching the city as it twinkled magically. She could hear the honking of the cars from blocks away, the summer winds swooshing through, and most importantly she could hear herself.

She picked up her phone and called Jack. "Hey, I just wanted to call to let you know that I'll be spending the night in the city, but I'll be back tomorrow," Michelle told her husband through the phone.

Michelle took a pause, then uttered, "I love you."

I also never thought the man I'd love would be the same man that I would end up running away from. I always thought the man I'd love would run along with me.

Michelle put her phone away. She looked up into the city and it winked back at her with such a spark. Michelle got up and went back inside through her window.

That night the city tucked me under its pretty lights. I slept with no man, just me and my dreams and that is why I will always find myself running towards this city.


Special Guest Stars~ Enzo Amore, The Hamptons King, Mark Calaway, Seth Rollins, and Brooklyn Barrett.

Published On July 21, 2016