A/N: Hey, so here's Chapter 9 as promised! I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter. I just wanted to clarify though that Andrew really didn't have a reason for getting too wasted. Filomeno let them off early and he had too much fun celebrating the "scrap of freedom" he got. He's also a lightweight, so that's definitely something to factor in.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one! I know it's weird reading about celebrating Thanksgiving while we're currently in the middle of the summer season, but I started this story, like, November of last year and I just had to make the story match the weather.

Chapter 9: A Different Kind of Thanksgiving

Adding some cranberries to his still cooking sauce in the pan, Lucas swiveled to face Maya in utter irritation. She'd been nonstop attempting to interpose with his every cooking method, scolding him about his turkey handling and his many odd kitchen etiquettes.

"All right," Lucas said. "You need to skedaddle out of my kitchen."

Maya stopped, a finger hovering above the cranberry saucepan, ready to take a swipe to taste it.

Riley strolled in the kitchen and noticed the tension intensify between her husband and her best friend, which made her conclude that nothing good could ever come out of Thanksgiving. It was fun when she was younger because none of it stressed her out, but now that she was part of the adult world, everything became too much.

"Lay it on me," Riley instructed as she plopped down on a stool. "What did Maya do?"

"Zay, Isadora, and Farkle aren't here yet—and we all know both of your parents aren't going to show up unless it's time to eat—so I thought I'd lend a hand to speed up the cooking process," Maya defended. "We'd be having Thanksgiving dinner for breakfast tomorrow if Lucas did it all by himself."

Riley gazed at Lucas while gesturing at Maya in a manner that implied the latter made perfect sense. She plucked a cranberry from the plastic pouch and popped it in her mouth.

"I wasn't complaining about Maya trying to help—I would actually appreciate it if you continue to do so, but just keep the judgments to a minimum! I don't need to hear you constantly tell me that I'm chopping the carrots incorrectly and that I need to hold the turkey this way and that way," Lucas argued. He turned and gave the cranberry sauce another stir to prevent the bottom from sticking to the pan.

Maya's shoulders sagged as she exhaled in defeat. "You're right, I'm sorry," she apologized. "I was only trying to help, really. I didn't know I was becoming too judgmental. You're the one in charge of the food, so the kitchen works the way you want it to."

Lucas nodded in accord before he wrapped Maya in an embrace. Maya, of course, took one final hit at Riley's husband by telling him that he stunk of raw turkey. Lucas didn't mind the insult because he was certain he did stink of the raw meat.

"Okay, now that we're on an agreement, you can finish up the cranberry sauce and I'll start making the stuffing," Lucas instructed, handing Maya the spatula he'd been utilizing for the sauce. He did a 360-turn in search of a new knife he could use to chop the ingredients needed for the stuffing.

"Actually," Riley interrupted, standing up from the stool, "I need to borrow Maya for a while."

"Sure," Lucas responded.

Riley turned to her best friend and asked, "Can you assist me with something? In the living room?"

"Of course."

Maya placed down the spatula on the kitchen counter and followed Riley into the living room. Riley had already arranged the space in that particular way she wanted whenever it was Thanksgiving. Their group had a tradition in which they would gather in the living room and view every single Thanksgiving episode of FRIENDS. The parents would claim the couch, while the younger adults would be on the floor, enclosed in a fort that Lucas builds beforehand.

"So, what was it that you need help with?" Maya wondered as her eyes scanned the set up of the living room. She couldn't discern anything that her best friend might need some assistance with. "It looks like the place is all done."

Riley leaned her hip against the back of a love seat and crossed her arms. "I don't actually need your help with anything, but I do need to ask you something," she admitted.

Maya motioned for her to go on.

"I stopped by Topanga's this morning to fetch the sales report folder in the office and I saw that someone had left a jacket," Riley stated. "Do you happen to know who left it since you were the one who closed the shop last night?"

"The jacket belongs to a friend of mine," Maya informed. "Andrew was so pissed drunk last night he couldn't even stand straight, so Josh and I brought him to Topanga's to sober up. Josh must've taken his jacket off and forgot to bring it home with him."

Riley's eyes widened. "You went drinking last night?" she asked incredulously.

"No! No, I didn't," Maya defended with a shake of her head. "The guys went to The Sixth Box and I saw them as I was closing Topanga's for the night. Andrew was a puking mess and I felt bad for Josh, so I volunteered to help sober Andrew up before Josh could take him home."

Riley paused. "Josh. Andrew. I've never heard of these guys before."

"Well . . . this is going to be a long story, so I think it's best if we sit down," Maya remarked before she led Riley to the nearest couch. "Remember that one time we were grading your math papers at Topanga's and I mentioned that I had four new clients?"

Riley nodded, having remembered the benefit concert that Maya was the Creative Art Director for. It was then she realized she never learned who the other three clients were.

"Josh is one of my other clients," Maya disclosed. "I know Katy's business doesn't take up any proposal and wedding events anymore, but I just had to make an exemption for this guy. He and his girlfriend had been together for five years, and I thought it was absolutely ridiculous that they aren't married yet. Riley, if you saw his face the first time I met him, you'd understand. He looked helpless—the guy just wanted to propose to his girlfriend and who was I to prevent that from happening, right?"

Maya delved deeper into the story, telling Riley of the bargain she made with Josh and all the meetings they'd been holding. She kept her story strictly professional, avoiding anything that she knew Josh didn't want to publicize.

"Hmm, you know how I always say 'the more the merrier'? Why don't you invite Josh and his girlfriend over for dinner tonight?" Riley suggested.

"I don't know about that," Maya commented. She ran a hand through her hair, wincing when she encountered a few tangles. "Josh told me last night that he's celebrating Thanksgiving at his girlfriend's childhood home. I don't want to intervene."

Riley didn't press any further. Maya had a solid point.

Lucas suddenly appeared in the living room. His face perspired as he bore a troubled expression on his face.

"What's wrong, honey?" Riley asked. She got up from the couch and walked over to her husband.

"I thought we had sweet potatoes," Lucas answered. "I was wrong. They were pumpkins—chopped up pumpkins—for the pumpkin pie. I called Zay to ask him if he could pick up some potatoes on his way here, but he said he was stuck in traffic. He's not sure if he could get the potatoes here on time."

Even before Lucas could speak it, Maya stood from the couch with an arm raised, volunteering herself. "I'll go get the sweet potatoes," she declared. She stalked toward the front door and grabbed her coat, shrugging it on with ease.

"Thank you." Lucas sighed in relief. "Auggie's gonna kill me if I don't have those sweet potato fries I promised him."

Shouldering her bag on her way out the door, Maya heard Riley instructing her husband to check the turkey while she took charge of the pumpkin pie.

Maya wasted a great deal of time getting to the nearest grocery store (the traffic was hellishly unforgiving), that's why the second she walked inside Faulkner Groceries, she immediately went for the sweet potatoes.

Over time, grocery shopping had become one of Maya's favorite things to do, especially in a grocery store as massive as Faulkner Groceries. The place always had mini kiosks for taste testing new food products, and numerous small restaurants lined up the main vestibule of the store. As Maya made her way to the fresh produce section, she withstood the temptation to stop and taste a new brand of Italian bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Likewise, she resisted the urge to stop at the small coffee shop to grab something hot to drink on her way back to Lucas and Riley's house.

Maya easily navigated her way around the produce section and found the root vegetables within seconds. She grabbed as many sweet potatoes as she reckoned would be enough to feed every single person in the group and headed to the self-checkout section. On her way there, she passed by the liquor aisle and spotted a familiar tall figure. His back hunched over as he examined the liquor selection situated on a lower shelf.

Unhesitatingly, Maya took a detour at the liquor aisle. Zay was already bringing over a variety of beverages to accompany the Thanksgiving feast, so purchasing yet another one was unnecessary. The sight of Josh, however, made her feel a sudden urgency to go over and talk to him.

"Small world, don't you think?" Maya greeted and Josh's head snapped in her direction.

A wide grin broke across Josh's face as he straightened up. "Maya, hey! How's it going?" he asked.

"Stressful, like how it should be on Thanksgiving," Maya replied. "As it turned out, my friend Lucas didn't buy any sweet potatoes for tonight, so being the wonderful friend that I am, I volunteered to get some for him."

Josh chuckled. "Yeah, I can't say I relate to the stress part."

Maya's head cocked to the side. "Why not? Shouldn't you be at Sophie's, perhaps helping someone cook tonight's dinner?" she inquired.

"My dad couldn't make it at the last minute. He's a physician and he got called in at the hospital tonight. Then, George, Sophie's dad, got held up with work at the NYPD and won't be home until later. The same thing with Donnie—he's spending the 'first half' of dinner at his girlfriend's house. Sophie is still in Los Angeles, and Maria doesn't really want me in the kitchen while she cooks," Josh explained, followed by the heaviest sigh he'd ever mustered.

"Well, aren't you a thrilling bunch," Maya noted.

Josh laughed. "Yeah, I don't really know where to put myself exactly. I can't sit around the house knowing I could be doing something productive with my time—"

"So you decided to buy some wine," Maya finished.

"Mm-hmm."

After a moment of silence, Maya had an idea. "If you . . ." she hesitated. "If you don't have anything else to do, you can come over at Lucas and Riley's house for a bit and hang out with me and my friends. Maybe you could pull a Donnie and spend the 'first half' of dinner with us, and then you can eat to your heart's content with the Millers after—but that's just an offer. You don't have to go if you don't want to."

Josh's smile broadened. "Are you kidding? I'd love to hang around, but . . . are you sure your friends won't mind?"

"Lucas's currently cooking up a storm for tonight, and Farkle and Isadora are bringing some more food even though we told them not to. Something's telling me that we won't mind having another mouth to feed," Maya reassured.

"All right, I'll be there."

Maya grinned. "I'll text you the address," she said as she backed away from the liquor aisle. "Dinner starts in half an hour. Don't be late."

After parting ways, Maya brought out her phone and messaged Riley regarding the new addition to the dining table. The latter, of course, felt thrilled to have Josh over for dinner.

Zay opened the front door and felt utterly surprised to find his colleague on the other side.

"Matthews?"

From the dining area, Maya jolted upon hearing Josh's name. She abandoned her task at hand and sprinted toward the front door, jostling Zay off to the side unintentionally.

"Hey, you made it!" Maya greeted with an exuberant tone. She was sure she yelled the greeting rather than vocalize it in an even tone. "Oh, and you're not late—for the first time!"

"Hold on," Zay uttered as he reappeared on the threshold. "Josh, what are you doing here?"

Josh and Maya shared a glance as though they were consulting one another on what to say to Zay. They both shook on an agreement where they would keep the marriage proposal project as hidden as possible. The fewer people that knew of it, the less likely Sophie would find out.

Josh gave Maya a subtle nod, giving her the signal she needed to start talking.

"Josh stumbled across Tan House Events online. His cousin is, uh, turning eighteen and he hired me to organize the biggest birthday celebration ever!" Maya elucidated. She sighed in relief when Zay's eyebrows relaxed as Josh's newfound association with Maya gradually made sense.

"She'll only turn eighteen once, so I figured she deserves it," Josh supplied.

A look of gratitude passed between Josh and Maya.

"Since Katy's on an indefinite leave, you got Maya instead," Zay summarized to himself. "That makes perfect sense."

Riley and Isadora suddenly popped up behind Zay and Maya. They both had bright smiles on their faces.

"Oh, who's the dreamboat?" Isadora questioned, beaming as she eyed the stranger from head to toe.

"This is Josh," Maya introduced. "Josh, these are two of my best friends, Riley and Isadora. And, of course, you already know Zay."

"Hey, I recognize you!" Riley exclaimed while pointing a wooden serving spoon at Josh. "You're one of the guys I bumped into on the street last week!"

Josh's eyes squinted in thought, but they widened when recognition dawned on him. "Yeah! And you're the girl who's stressing about babies and hosting Thanksgiving!" he declared, a smile on his face.

Maya's eyes flicked back and forth between Josh and Riley. Alongside her, Zay and Isadora did the same.

"Why don't you come in? You've been standing out in the cold since you got here," Riley said as she ushered Josh into her home and into the dining area.

Zay and Isadora trailed after Josh and Riley.

Maya remained stood in the foyer, a hand on the doorknob. "Yep, this world is definitely small," she muttered as she shut the front door closed.

When Maya walked into the dining area, Riley announced that she'd double-check if they got everything on the menu ready for the Thanksgiving dinner.

"Lucas, why don't you go and introduce Josh to everyone else?" Riley commanded, a certain glint in her eyes as she sauntered toward Maya and hooked an arm around hers.

"Oh, I can do that. I invited Josh after all," Maya argued. She tore away from Riley's grasp, but the latter drew her back to her side. Maya turned to ask Riley what was going on, but she still had that glint in her eyes. Her best friend was up to something and Maya wanted to know what it was.

"Josh, go and make yourself at home," Riley stated. She tugged on Maya's arm and guided her into the kitchen. The second they were out of earshot, she uttered, "I'm sorry I had to do that."

"Yeah, what was that all about?" Maya wondered.

Riley's lips twitched into a smile. "Josh is here," she asserted.

"Last time I checked, yes, he is here."

"I thought you said he had plans with his girlfriend's family?"

Maya pursed her lips. "I saw him at Faulkner Groceries. Apparently, the people he's supposed to be spending Thanksgiving with each had different things going on at the same time, so they're kind of everywhere right now. Josh wanted something to do for the meantime, so I shot him an invite. I figured you wouldn't mind since you had the idea to invite him first."

"Oh, I don't mind at all," Riley responded with a knowing smile. "Besides, I want to see the man my best friend had been spending so much of her time with."

Maya pointed a warning finger at Riley. "A man that has a girlfriend, whom he's planning to propose to."

"And where is this girlfriend you speak of?"

"Riley!"

Riley caved in, eyes wide. "I'm sorry! I tried to hold my tongue back—I really did—but there were just some things I needed to get out of my system. And if I don't let them out, I'll explode."

Lucas appeared in the kitchen with Josh still lingering behind him. He looked as though Lucas was his only friend at the party, thus he stuck by his side all throughout.

"Are you guys done with whatever it is the two of you are doing here?" Lucas questioned, pointing a finger back and forth between Riley and Maya. "Everybody's already seated, and they're all very hungry—Snickers commercial hungry."

"Not everybody, honey," Riley teased as she looped an arm around her husband's, leading him toward the dining area.

"Of course, because you took a bite out of everything I was cooking!"

"Somebody had to be in charge of quality control."

As soon as the married couple's lovely banter faded away, Maya gestured at Josh to follow her. Together, they made their way over to where the rest of the party was. Josh went for the chair next to Maya, but Zay beat him to it. The former ended up claiming the empty seat diagonally across from Maya, which was the one between Farkle and Riley's younger brother, Auggie.

After Riley's father, Cory, made sure that everyone had claimed a seat, he began the celebration by saying grace. Once executed, everyone helped themselves with the food.

Throughout the dinner, Maya kept sneaking glances at Josh. She was cognizant of him choosing the seat alongside her at the table, but Zay had spent all his Thanksgivings sat next to Maya that it became his habit. Josh ended up settling next to Farkle, whom he got well-acquainted with. Farkle didn't fail to make Josh feel like he'd been part of the group for years.

Often times, Maya found herself smiling every time she caught Josh grinning genuinely, the kind that made his eyes scrunch at the sides. He was engaging himself in every conversation, and he seemed captivated by whatever it was anyone asked of him. It was as though he was meant to belong within the group because of how quick he got along with everyone.

"Hey," Isadora whispered, pulling Maya out of her stupor. "Cory was asking if you could pass the roasted potatoes to him."

Maya nodded and grabbed the bowl of roasted potatoes. She passed it over to Topanga's awaiting hands, who served her still hungry husband a generous helping.

After dinner, everyone gathered in the living room to watch all the Thanksgiving episode of FRIENDS.

Maya caught Josh stepping out on the deck of Lucas and Riley's house, his phone pressed to his ear. She knew Josh needed some privacy, but she couldn't suppress the urge to check on him. Turning to Riley, who was adjusting the size of the fort to create room for Josh, Maya informed her that she'd be back.

Riley didn't get the chance to reply as Maya fled her side the second she finished her sentence.

Before she stepped out on the deck, Maya made a quick stop at the kitchen. She opened two bottles of apple ales and waited for a whole minute. Although she wanted to check on Josh, she didn't want to intervene on something that might be important.

When her one minute was up, Maya grabbed the two bottles of apple ales and headed out to the deck. She arrived at the same time Josh finished his call.

Josh turned at the sound of her heels clicking against the hardwood floor. A smile emerged on his face at the sight of her.

Maya stood next to him and passed him a bottle. "Who was that?" she asked.

"Sophie," Josh answered, accepting the apple ale from Maya. "She called to tell me to have a happy Thanksgiving and that she's really sorry she missed this year's dinner."

"You mentioned earlier that she's still in Los Angeles."

Josh took a quick sip of his apple ale, then nodded. "Apparently, Valentina Mendez has taken quite a liking to her and invited her over to her Thanksgiving party at her penthouse. Sophie said there would be a lot of investors attending, so she grabbed the opportunity."

Maya waited for Josh to say more, thus she kept her mouth shut. She took a sip of her apple ale while she watched Josh's seemingly smiling eyes lose their shimmer. They stood alongside one another for a while, neither spoke as they gazed at the flickering lights of New York City.

"Sophie has always been hard-working," Josh piped up, breaking the two's silence. "When she sets her mind to a certain goal, she doesn't stop until she's successful—and she's very good at it. It's like she knows which foot to put in front first to avoid any mistakes that could hinder her success. I used to travel a lot, too, for PV. Sophie used to say that it didn't bother her, but I've been with her for so long that I can tell when she's not really okay with something. So for the sake of not ruining what I have with her, I limited my work around New York. And that definitely . . . that definitely affected my position in Filomeno's company."

Maya opened her mouth to comment but had to shut it closed when Josh continued.

"Then, the tables turned. Sophie took over the boutique and it flourished under her management. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that it did because it made Sophie happy. It was what she wanted and she got it. But she knew she could do more, so she started tailoring and designing clothes for her customers. Since then, she's always on the move, hunting for investors that would buy into her clothing line. She wants to expand her business, maybe even open shops in different cities. I did stop traveling, but now she's the one who's always gone," Josh narrated. He took his eyes off the horizon and looked at Maya. "I'm proud of Sophie—I genuinely am—but sometimes . . . sometimes I just want her to be here for me."

Maya nodded in understanding.

"But," Josh added with a loud exhale, "I also don't want to hold her back from being successful."

"Then, tell her," Maya advised. "Tell her all of what you just told me. Let her know how you feel about the situation. Look, if you are to be married to Sophie, the two of you are eventually going to become a team. You can't keep your team member in the dark, you should know that already. Talk it out with her and find a solution that works for the both of you."

Josh nodded. "You're right," he agreed.

Maya smiled and Josh returned it. He took another sip of his apple ale.

"By the way," Maya began, "you left your jacket at Topanga's."

Josh's head hung low. "Oh, god. I'm sorry about that."

"It's no big deal, really. Riley found it, though, so you're gonna have to ask her for it," Maya informed, taking a quick glance inside the house. She saw through the glass doors that everyone was busy watching the first Thanksgiving episode of FRIENDS.

Just when Maya was about to suggest that they better head back inside, Josh received a text message from Maria, asking him for his help.

"Now she wants my help. Can you believe this woman?" Josh told Maya, sarcasm tinting his tone of voice, as he flipped his phone so that the screen faced her.

Maya read the message and immediately hustled Josh inside the house, reminding him to retrieve his jacket from Riley before he takes off. Maria needed Josh's help and who was Maya to stop him from saving the poor woman from the monster that was the Thanksgiving feast?

I'm not sure if I told you guys that everything that happens in my story happens for a reason. When Josh and Riley bumped into each other back in Chapter 4, I wanted that to foreshadow the moment that Josh and Maya's group of friends are gonna merge into one. They wouldn't merge immediately, but definitely, as time goes on, they'll turn into one massive group. Just wait, guys. I promise, we're getting there - slowly but surely.

Anyway, thanks for reading and let me hear what you think!