Hello, everyone! We're actually, genuinely getting to the end here. The next chapter will really be the end. Ah, it hurts to be this close, but it's been such a journey. If you're still reading this even now, thank you from the bottom of my heart. And even if you come back to this years after I post it, thank you for coming back.
I hope you're satisfied with how things have progressed, and I'd love to hear what you think of where this story has gone.
To I Am a Contestshipper: Thank you for your review! Here I am continuing :) I hope you like this new chapter. x
And here we go.
Leaf stepped out onto the pavement and closed the door of her taxi. Yes, the university was within walking distance, but it was a little too warm for her to walk from Gary's apartment building without breaking a sweat.
She crossed the street, her skirt fluttering slightly in the breeze as she approached a pair of double doors that she'd associated with Gary Oak and Gary Oak only.
As soon as she opened the doors to the Roark College of Paleontology, she was greeted with the rush of students milling about. Leaving here, heading there. Granted, the hallway wasn't packed, but it certainly wasn't as empty as she was used to seeing it in Gary's company.
Leaf poked her head into the office that belonged to her boyfriend only to find it empty, though his satchel was left on his desk.
"Looking for someone?"
She whipped around to come face to face with a young man with a kind face.
"Yes," Leaf trailed. "I'm looking for Gary?"
"Oh," the man nodded with understanding. "He should be in the lab right now. Do you know how to get there?"
Leaf shook her head, prompting the friendly student to guide her. She glanced into the classrooms as they passed them by, only able to get a glimpse of the instructional sessions before her view through the narrow window was disrupted.
"It's right through here," her guide directed.
"Thank you," Leaf said with a smile.
She opened the door to the lab, immediately feeling out of place as the only one not wearing a white lab coat. There were a few people in the space, each at their own workstations, and she spotted familiar spiky hair facing the back of the room. Gary was hunched over something that was placed in front of him on the table.
Leaf approached him slowly, noticing what seemed to be protective ear gear covering his head, then plastic goggles. She was close enough to see the bone he was slowly revealing with careful precision. His thumb and forefinger braced a tool that scraped away at the aged dirt encased in the bone, and she felt admiration swell in her heart. It was endearing to see Gary doing what he loved to do. Something he loved so much that he left behind his family's corporate legacy to do it.
When his hand placed his tool on the table to pick up another, Leaf brought a gentle hand to his back.
Gary jumped, clearly startled. "Holy sh–!"
He removed an earmuff from his ear and stood up slightly to greet her.
"Babe," he said, before planting a quick kiss on her lips. "My God. That was scary as hell."
Leaf laughed before taking a seat on the stool next to him.
"I didn't think you were coming. I thought I would see you when I got back home."
She shrugged, leaning an elbow against the table. "I wanted to see what you do all day."
A slow smile lifted the corners of his lips. "Well, if you're going to be in here– and I can't believe I'm going to say this because I don't think I can handle it– you're going to need to wear the proper equipment."
Leaf entirely failed to stifle her laugh, to Gary's obvious amusement. "Okay, where is everything?"
"Just wait here," Gary said. "I'll get it for you."
He removed his earmuffs and left them on the table as Leaf began to examine the specimen that was being uncovered. She saw how much work had been painstakingly done and yet how much more was left to complete.
Gary quickly returned with eyewear, earwear, and her very own lab coat, and Leaf stood up to adorn the items. She felt Gary's gaze cling to her as she lifted the white material around her shoulders and tossed her hair back before lifting it into a ponytail. She made eye contact with him as she brought the band around her hair one final time.
"What?" she asked.
Leaf reached for the clear eyewear and placed it on her face.
Gary only shook his head repeatedly, for once not speaking. His eyes roamed from her hair to the bottom of her lab coat back up to her goggles. She sat back down and his gaze fell on her lips.
Leaf couldn't help but crack a bashful smile. "Gary."
"I wasn't prepared for this."
"Sorry," she said unapologetically.
"You do realize my job requires focus, right?" he murmured.
"And that's what I'm here to help you do!" she said, hoping they weren't garnering attention. Luckily, everyone was wearing noise-canceling ear gear but her mere presence was bound to turn a few heads.
She carefully picked up his scalpel and held it out to him, her smile widening as he took it from her.
Gary shook his head again before placing his earmuffs around his neck and beginning once again to scrape away the packed dirt.
Leaf watched for a few moments before her inquisitive side kicked in. "What is this?"
"It should be some kind of skull," Gary replied quietly. He picked up a brush and swept away the loose powders that had begun to accumulate.
Leaf hummed in recognition and continued to watch him carefully extract the bone. There was something so beautiful about this. Recovering something that was long forgotten and buried by the earth, only to resurrect it and remember it with care. That's what he did for a living.
Leaf's gaze wandered to Gary's focused face. The way his jaw clenched, the way his mouth was set in a fine line. She could see his eyelashes even through the plastic eyewear, how his eyes were set on the piece in front of him.
"Leaf," he said, his mouth barely moving. "You're making me nervous."
A soft smile crossed her lips. "Ignore me."
"Not possible," he mumbled.
"Gary," came a voice from behind them. "You have a visitor."
"Yes I do," Gary droned without looking up.
"No," the voice explained. "You have another visitor."
Leaf turned around to see another male student standing next to an older man in a business suit. He had a strong brow and a friendly smile. He nodded at Leaf before Gary turned around and acknowledged him.
"Gramps?!" Gary said incredulously. He stood up to hug his grandfather, who reciprocated. "What are you doing here?"
"I've got an important meeting in the east coast office today," he explained as they separated.
"Leaf," Gary began. She stood up at the introduction. "This is my grandfather."
"Dr. Oak," she said, extending her hand in greeting. "It's nice to meet you."
"Gramps, this is my girlfriend, Leaf."
Oak's eyebrows raised in pleasant recognition. "Ahhh, this is the one you've been writing home about." He grabbed her hand in a firm shake as Leaf fought a blush from staining her cheeks. "It's nice to meet you."
"So what gives?" Gary asked, sitting back down. "I never get visitors and then both of you show up uninvited on the same day? Couldn't you have coordinated a little?" Dr. Oak broke out into hearty chuckles. "Six months apart would've been better. You know, for even distribution–"
"You've got your hands full with this one," the older man told Leaf.
"Oh, I know," she reassured him, earning another laugh. "He made that very clear when we first met."
"So do you also study paleontology?" he asked her.
Leaf shook her head, but Gary ended up answering for her. "She's a biology major."
Oak nodded in understanding, a smile still spread across his face. He seemed to be thinking something but decided not to voice it.
"Well, I don't want to keep you too long," he said. "I just wanted to stop by to see you while I was in town, Gary. I've got an early flight back this afternoon."
Gary nodded too, and Leaf could see the similarities between their mannerisms.
"But it was a nice surprise to run into you as well, Leaf. I wish you luck with your studies."
Leaf gave a polite smile. "Thank you."
"I'll see you next time, Gramps," Gary dismissed with a hug before waving his grandfather goodbye.
When the doors closed, Gary looked to the floor briefly in thought before sharing his confusion with Leaf.
"I wonder what meeting is so important that he would fly to be there in person."
Leaf recalled the stories May had been telling her about the company's strides with the Oakidex. But that wasn't big enough to warrant an in-person visit from the famed Dr. Oak, was it?
It must have been because Gary met her gaze with a quiet, yet knowing look.
"Do you think they know?" Leaf asked.
May sat in the quiet conference room next to Drew, who was in between her and Soledad. She made a conscious effort not to swivel in her chair, and she made an even more conscious effort to not be nervous. She had the upper hand, Drew had reminded her this morning. Oak Enterprises was reaching new heights in the technological stratosphere because of something May dreamed up on a whim. Oak needed her more than she needed him.
May listened as Drew typed something into his laptop and Soledad flipped through printed papers. The instant coffee maker in the front of the conference room was newly stocked with sugars and creamers, and the lengthy table they sat in front of was freshly polished.
She bit her lip, trying to stop the complete silence of the room from heightening her anxiety.
"Do we know where he is?"
Soledad answered from the other end of the table. "He should be…" she checked her high-tech watch. "...about five minutes away by now." Soledad leaned forward in an attempt to make eye contact with May past Drew. He leaned back slightly to accommodate her. "Are you guys ready?"
May nodded. "I think so."
"Yeah," Drew confirmed seriously.
He'd been laser-focused on his laptop since getting to the office early this morning. May knew that this conversation must have been unnerving for him, but he was doing best not to show it.
"Good," Soledad said with a smile. "It'll be just like we talked about. Drew will lead the discussion. May, you'll support, and I'll be here for backup. Oak may look intimidating, but he's very down to earth."
May nodded and ran a finger over the mousepad of her laptop to keep it awake.
She reviewed the document she'd prepared detailing the efforts she'd made towards advancing their project. Data and statistics speak more than anecdotes, Soledad had advised.
You're going to do fine, she thought to herself. And when this is all over, you'll finally be able to breathe again.
May felt Drew's foot softly tap against hers, and she stole a glance his way. He was leaning against the table with his right elbow, his eyes fixed on the sight of the office through the transparent glass wall of the room. May surreptitiously let her right hand fall from her chair's armrest to brush against the back of Drew's left hand. With a light flutter of her heart, she let her fingers wrap loosely around his and he reciprocated with an exhale.
Soledad continued flipping through her papers as May's fingers interlocked with Drew's. She ran her thumb along the backs of his fingers in an attempt to reassure him. This meeting seemed to worry him more than he'd previously let on.
The white noise on the other side of the glass seemed to amplify, and Soledad checked her watch again.
"He's here," she said. "Walking in now."
Just then, Dr. Oak came into view, being led by the office's receptionist to the conference room. When he rounded the corner, May and Drew disconnected hands as Soledad stood up to open the door for him.
"Dr. Oak," Soledad greeted with a smile. "Welcome back."
"It's good to be back," he said as he shook her hand. "It's been a while."
"Dr. Oak," Drew greeted as he stood.
Oak shook his hand from across the table. "Drew. It's good to see you. Doing well I hope?"
"Yeah," Drew confirmed, reclaiming his seat. "Real well."
May stood up and extended her hand to him. Apparently, she needed no introduction.
"And you must be May Maple," Dr. Oak said, taking her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Thank you," she said. "Same to you."
Dr. Oak took the seat across from Drew at the conference table. "Well," he said pointedly. "I'm sure you know what brings me here today."
Drew folded his hands on top of the table in front of him. "Yes."
"Of course, I've been in close contact with Soledad over these past couple of months," Oak continued. "A lot has changed in the company in a short amount of time, and I owe you three my thanks for that." He made brief eye contact with each of them. "There's no doubt that there's a lot of talent in this room."
The trio echoed a chorus of various professional thank-yous.
"With that, of course, comes opportunity for growth." Oak folded his hands together as well. "But to my understanding, it's not that simple."
"I'm afraid not," Drew said calmly. "I'm honored by your offer to lead the marketing department in the main office. Truly, I am. My acceptance of that offer is conditional, however."
Oak nodded slowly. "With that condition being Miss Maple."
Drew took a brief moment to think, as if determining if there were any other conditions. "Yes, that's correct."
May's heart was hammering away in her chest, but her hands were neatly composed in her lap. She was supposed to take a supporting role in this conversation, but when was that supposed to be? Now? Was now the time to support?
Oak took a few moments to digest Drew's direct affirmation. "I understand that this is a very personal matter. And I can't pretend that your friendship with my family doesn't add additional weight to your request, because it does. But from a professional standpoint, I'm unable to see how this would be the best course of action for the company."
"With all due respect, Dr. Oak," Drew said, his voice incredibly level. "That's what I'm prepared to show you."
A smile spread across Oak's face. "Very well."
Drew awakened his laptop, and swiftly casted his presentation to the conference room's screen. An empty chart was on display for the entire room to see. The only information visible were two years, one at the top of each column of data.
"Under Soledad's guidance, the team that spearheaded the genesis as well as the implementation of Oakidex's newest technology consisted of just five people, including myself. The east coast branch's previous undertaking was the development of the device for the scientific community. This was a team of twelve, also including myself."
Drew tapped on his keyboard, and the missing data in the table began to fill in.
"This is in no way an attempt to undermine our branch's ability or Soledad's leadership, as my group's project was just an expansion upon what we've already established as a company, but I wanted to show you the efficiency of the team we have here. With just five people, we were able to triple the investment into our technology, double our brand recognition, and quadruple our intended audience in about half the time."
May had rarely seen Drew in action, but she was astonished at how fluid his words were, how flawless his presentation was. How calm he seemed despite what he may have been feeling before the meeting began. He was incredible, and an incredible leader as well.
"Sure, talent has a very large part to play in the results we've gotten so far, as you've stated. And mind you, we're still in the beginning stages of this process, and we do intend to see it through to the end. However, I strongly believe the relationship between the members of my team lent greatly to our success." Drew clicked to the next slide. "We've developed a kind of efficiency that would be difficult to replicate, or to substitute. And because we're so sure of our roles and the expectations we have for one another, we're able to keep our internal meetings to a minimum while simultaneously maintaining our focus."
May snuck a peak at Dr. Oak, whose folded hands had migrated underneath his chin. He listened intently to Drew's speech, his gaze alternating between the screen and Drew's face.
"I'd be remiss if I failed to mention how instrumental May has been in this process." Drew continued. "I am not exaggerating when I say that this entire idea generated in her mind within a few minutes of even understanding our company's latest venture. My personal relationship with her aside, I can truly say that she's an irreplaceable asset to Oak Enterprises, and to my team. It is my personal desire that we not be separated, yes, but it's my professional recommendation as well."
Oak absorbed this information, deeply analyzing the information Drew shared. "Thank you, Drew. These numbers are impressive. And I'm sure you have more."
"I do," Drew stated, earning a smile from their boss.
"I have no doubt that your team is incredible. My doubt lies purely in lack of experience. May, I understand that this is a very new field to you." Oak made eye contact with her for the first time in minutes, and May's nervousness hit a peak. "And though you admittedly have a knack for it, my biggest fear is that the tutoring it will take for you to stand on your own would require more attention one in a management role would be able to give."
"I understand that concern," May said firmly.
Time to support.
"If I may," she continued. "I believe that our small team's success is evidence of Drew's ability to lead a team of mixed experience without compromising on the quality of output." Oak nodded at her, which encouraged her to continue speaking. "It also speaks to my ability to gain knowledge on my own and depend on a group of people, rather than a singular source."
Oak exhaled. "I understand that I'm asking for a lot, but I want you both to understand that you are also asking for a lot, for yourselves." May clenched her teeth as her heart tightened in her chest. "Moving across the country is difficult. The climate is different. The traffic is different. The expenses, the culture. On top of potentially elevating your position within the company, which can be a stressor for many, you'd be at the center of the technology world. It isn't an easy feat, and I fear that it will put more of a strain on you than you realize."
May swallowed and contemplated his warning. This was a side of the issue she admittedly didn't consider. Of course, it would be difficult for them to be in a long distance relationship, but would it be easier to move across the country, live together, work together, and adapt to an entirely new environment together? May wasn't so sure. She also didn't like the idea of working apart from Dawn, Paul, and Ash, whom she'd quickly grown to love. Oak suddenly seemed less like a businessman and more like a grandfatherly figure.
"I'm weighing all of the risks of this possibility," Oak continued. "And I want to ensure that you both are doing the same."
May stayed quiet in an effort to allow Drew the space to chime in. He didn't immediately, but just as he was about to speak, Soledad responded.
"I wonder," she began. "And I apologize. I truly am not suggesting this out of a selfish motive. But I wonder if we're approaching this situation the right way."
Drew turned to acknowledge Soledad and May leaned forward slightly to do the same.
"Drew and May are incredible employees," Soledad continued. "And I've seen May grow into her role faster than what I've seen in most people. Again, I truly do not want to suggest this, as I do not want to rob Drew of an opportunity I believe he deserves–"
"You're wondering if it would be better for you to take the position instead," Drew stated.
Soledad nodded. "And you would take mine here."
The room fell silent, as the four of them considered this alternative. The look in Soledad's eyes was truly genuine, almost apologetic. May could tell that she meant what she said– that her suggestion wasn't out of selfish gain. In fact, it may have been selfless instead.
Dr. Oak straightened in his seat. "What do you think, Drew?"
Drew turned to look at May for the first time during the meeting. His eyes mirrored Oak's question.
May pondered both of the directions of the crossroads that was suddenly at their feet. One way was an incredible opportunity at this trailblazing company where Drew could do what he loved and be good at it. The two of them would be in a different city, exploring a different part of the country together, while they made new friends and adapted to the challenges at hand. The other was a similar promotion but somewhere that was close to home. Easier and surrounded by people that supported the both of them, but separated from someone who took a chance with May's career and was a best friend to Drew. It was a difficult decision to make, and one that she thought didn't truly belong to her.
"I think," May began, "that this may be the compromise we've been looking for."
Drew nodded and turned to lock eyes with Oak. "I agree. I believe this would be the best course of action."
Oak nodded in agreement as well. "Then it's decided. Soledad, I'd be happy for you to join us on the west coast if that's what you'd really like to do."
"I'd be happy to," she confirmed.
"And Drew," he said. "You'll oversee marketing operations here. I trust you and Soledad to discuss pay at a later date."
Relief seeped into Drew's voice for the first time that morning. "That's fine by me, sir."
"And May," Oak said, turning his attention to her. "Continue doing what you're doing. There's a lot of opportunity here for you in the future if you stick it out for a bit."
May smiled in response. "I will, thank you."
Dr. Oak stood up, causing the other three to follow suit. "Well, this was quite productive. Thank you."
He shook Drew's hand firmly, then May's, then Soledad's.
"Thank you," Soledad said.
"I wish I could stay longer," Oak continued. "But I'll have to start making my way to the airport."
"Totally understandable," Drew dismissed. "Have you seen Gary yet? He should still be at work right now."
The group made their way around the conference table and towards the door.
"I have!" Oak confirmed. "I stopped by the university this morning on my way here. He seemed to already have a visitor, though."
May and Drew exchanged knowing glances and said at the same time, "Leaf."
"Oh, you know her?" the older man wondered as the group walked through the office.
"She's my best friend," May explained. "We grew up together."
Oak looked backwards at her, clearly amused by the fact. "Really? I'm sure the story of the four of you is quite interesting."
"It is," Drew confirmed with a slight laugh.
"Congratulations, by the way," Dr. Oak said as they approached the elevators near the reception desk. "You too seem like a good match. And it's nice to see you happy, Drew."
"Thank you," Drew said with a smile.
The group said their final goodbyes and watched as their company's CEO stepped into the elevator and descended to the building's lobby.
May, Drew, and Soledad stood silently together, unsure of whether this was a celebratory moment. The office behind them was eerily quiet, as if everyone on the floor was holding their breath. May felt very conflicted herself, but mostly happy that an agreement was reached. Still, she was sure there was confusion stirring in the two people beside her.
"Do you guys want to grab some coffee?" Soledad suggested. "My treat."
"That was intense," Soledad said with a chuckle as she gripped her coffee cup with both hands. She sat across from them at the table of a coffee shop that was a few blocks away from the office.
May'd opted for iced coffee, given the weather outside, which inspired Drew to venture outside of his normal black, hot coffee and order a cold brew.
"Yeah, it was," he agreed.
"Look," Soledad said seriously, changing the tone of their discussion. "I want to apologize to you both. I truly want the best for you, but I think my suggestion was something I should've discussed with both of you beforehand. As soon as I said it, I–"
"Soledad, it's okay," Drew clarified. "I understand why you did it."
"I just want to be clear that I wasn't planning to," she elaborated. "In the middle of the meeting I realized that I don't really have many ties to this city. Sure, I love my job, but I can love my job anywhere. You both have friendships, and a new relationship, and those aren't things that are keeping me here."
Drew exhaled and shook his head, sifting through the emotions spiraling in the pit of his stomach. This was likely the longest morning of his life. "Honestly, I'm not upset about that." A light chuckle. "Hell, my only other plan was to just turn down his offer completely and stay here with May if Oak wasn't convinced." He locked eyes with the Salmon-haired woman across the table. "I'm just really going to miss you, Soledad."
A somber frown developed on Sol's face, something Drew didn't see her do very often. "I'm going to miss you, too."
A realization popped into Drew's mind, causing him to chuckle again. "I guess I would've missed you either way. But it's just not us who would be leaving."
Soledad's demeanor changed, a slight smiling gracing her cheeks. She shook her head and took a drink from her cup. "Us. Music to my ears."
Drew's cheeks threatened to heat at the sudden change in the conversational topic.
"May," Sol said, directing her attention to the brunette. "How does it feel to be an 'us' with Drew? I've gotta know."
Drew glanced suddenly at his girlfriend sitting next to him, his eyes beckoning her to not give into the temptation to indulge her. May clearly didn't get the memo.
"It's great!" May exclaimed, her cheeks pleasantly rosy. "I love it. I'm still getting used to the sound of that."
"Yeah, I bet," Sol agreed.
"But I love it," May said again. "It's the easiest thing I've ever done."
Soledad's grip on her coffee cup tightened with an emotion he'd never seen her express. Was that … glee?
And hearing May talk about him like this. The thought that being with him was easy. It was almost too much for his emotionally exhausted heart to bear. He pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to regain some semblance of composure.
"That makes me so happy," Soledad stated. "Did you know I was gunning for you guys from day one?"
"Really?" May exclaimed.
"Oh yeah."
Maybe the embarrassment wouldn't be so embarrassing if he just took part in it.
"Yeah, Soledad saw this happening from a mile away," Drew confirmed. "Which was very annoying."
"Oh, stop," Sol said, her hand dismissing him from across the table. "I couldn't not say something. You don't trust easy, you know?"
"Yeah, I know," Drew confirmed dryly.
"So, when you showed up with someone you very obviously trusted, the math just did itself."
May laughed at that, the sound coaxing a smile from Drew's lips.
"Okay," he said with finality. "About these changes. Do we have any idea of the timeline yet?"
Soledad drummed her fingers against the cup as she shifted back into managerial mode. "I'm not sure. But I imagine it'll take some time to train you to take over. And then I'll have to physically make that move. Maybe a month?"
Drew nodded, as that fit the timeline he had in mind. "Thank you," he said.
"For what?"
"For uprooting your life here. For us."
Soledad smiled before taking another sip. "Don't worry about it. It's really the least I can do."
Drew felt the turmoil within him relax a bit. He knew he'd be able to lead the entire marketing department without Soledad, but friends like her really did come around once in a lifetime. That made him positive that they'd be able to continue remaining friends, even at a greater distance.
May watched as her closest friends all sat around a long dinner table on the rooftop of the restaurant Drew and Soledad had chosen to host their celebration. The soft glow of bulb string lights hung around them as the cool night air whispered against May's arms. The sun had dipped fairly low in the sky, coloring the sky a dark fuchsia, and the table was littered with small plates, broken bread, salads, and glasses with varying amounts of wine.
To her right was Drew, who sat at one end of the table. To May's left sat Leaf, then Gary, then Soledad at the other end of the table. Across from Gary and next to Soledad was Ash, who was engaged in a fiery debate with his former sales rival. Dawn sat to Ash's left, and she leaned on her elbow as she listened intently to something Paul was mumbling to her. And the circle closed once again with Drew.
Leaf elbowed May slightly, and the brunette glanced at her friend. Leaf's smile was slightly devious, and she inconspicuously pointed across the table to Dawn. May glanced slyly at her friend and then nodded excitedly to Leaf. She'd noticed something brewing between them too.
Wanting to involve Drew in the observation, May glanced to her right, only to find that her boyfriend was already looking in her direction. He lifted his eyebrows, gave a slightly guilty smile, and pushed around some salad on his plate.
He knew something.
"So, Leaf," Drew said to fill the air, and to likely steer the girls' attention from the budding couple sitting across from them. "Fall in love with the city yet?"
"Um…" she thought out loud, tearing off a piece of bread. "I'm getting there."
"Yeah?" Drew asked. He leaned forward slightly in surprise.
"Yeah," Leaf confirmed succinctly. She popped the piece of bread into her mouth with a smile.
A brief pause on Drew's part. "I'm not talking about Gary," he clarified.
"I know."
May made eye contact with him before addressing her friend.
"Are you…" she began, her eyes wide as she focused on Leaf. "Thinking about it? Really?"
Leaf shrugged and averted her eyes, ripping off another bite-sized piece of bread as she thought.
"Leeeaf," May pressed, her tone rising as if her friend were in trouble.
Leaf looked up at her friend, as she couldn't deny her for too long. "I've been thinking about it."
May's wrist came into contact with the edge of the table in complete shock. Her lips pursed together in excitement at the thought of her best friend living in the same city once again. They'd go on so many adventures together. With their boyfriends. With Dawn and Ash. May almost couldn't believe it.
"But," Leaf said, her voice low. "You can't say anything."
Drew shook his head slightly. "You got it."
"Since when?" May asked quietly.
"Well, since today," she explained. "Gary showed me more of the campus and took me all over the city. There are so many museums here." May couldn't help but smile. "So I… kind of looked into what it would take to transfer my credits. But again–"
Leaf pointed at the two of them in warning, and she didn't need to finish her sentence. Drew held up his hands slightly in surrender.
May reached for her drink. "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that so I can be normal tonight."
"Say what?" came Dawn's voice from across the table.
May inwardly panicked but outwardly took a calm sip of her wine.
"Leaf said she doesn't like the bread," Drew chimed in smoothly.
Paul's stony gaze focused on Leaf as Dawn interjected.
"What?" their blue-haired friend exclaimed.
"I mean if she's from the country," Paul advocated, "she probably knows what good bread is."
"I know where Leaf lives," Dawn defended, helping herself to a slice. "I don't think they have better bread." She held up her hand briefly in apology. "No offense."
Leaf shrugged, fighting back a smile. "None taken."
May shook her head in amusement. Drew really had a talent for causing diversions when necessary.
"Maybe she makes her own," Paul continued with a shrug. His voice was just loud enough to be heard over the clamor of the restaurant. "I'd try it."
Dawn pondered for a second. "Actually, me too. Can you bake better bread than this, Leaf?"
"Of course she can," came Gary's voice, reaching slightly for Leaf's drink. "She's a genius."
Leaf covered her face with her hand in pure embarrassment, and May stole a glance at Drew, who was trying not to laugh next to her. He simply watched as his one-sentence decoy continued to unravel their table. Soledad was smirking softly as she watched the chaos unfold, and May could tell that Ash was trying to catch himself up to speed.
"I'm not a genius," Leaf countered. "I'm a biologist."
"That's the same thing," Ash decided.
"Yeah, that's the same thing," May agreed.
"Guys," Leaf said firmly. "Baking isn't even biological–"
"Yeast is biological," Gary reminded her.
"Yeast is biological," Drew supported.
Leaf laughed in slight frustration before giving up. "Fine. I'll bake you guys bread."
The group erupted into slightly muted cheers, and Ash celebrated privately with a subdued fist pump. May grinned to herself, her heart truly content. Throwing Leaf in the mix just seemed right, and if she really was serious about making that cross-country move, this would be just a glimpse of what her life would be like from now on. And she really, really liked it.
To her right, Drew cleared his throat. His knife rang gently against his wine glass as he stood.
"I know we're celebrating a number of things tonight–" he ran a hand through his hair. "–and this is normally not my thing. But I wanted to give a thank-you to Soledad."
Soledad smiled from across the table as Drew began a light clap. The rest of the group followed with a soft applause, including Paul. Soledad shook her head at the gesture and mouthed a thank-you back to the group.
"You've done a lot for us and our company. And even though we…" Drew trailed slightly. "... don't even all work there–" A few giggles bubbled amongst the group. "We're proud of you, and what you've accomplished, and we know you'll continue to do great things."
Drew lifted his glass, and everyone at the table mimicked the sentiment, whether their glasses were empty or running low. Swigs of wine were taken, and as Drew took his seat, Soledad stood from hers.
"Thank you," she said again, lifting her glass. "And this is for Drew. I couldn't think of someone more capable of being a department head. You've earned it."
"Thank you."
"Cheers," May said with a bright smile as she clinked her glass against Drew's.
He reciprocated with a chuckle before lifting the drink to his lips. His hand moved to cover May's on top of the table, and she smiled at him with the sweetest smile she could muster.
She was absolutely bursting with pride for him, enamored with the strength of his character. Today, she'd seen him wake up before the sun rose, lead the most intimidating meeting she'd been in with elegance and little preparation, and move into a new role within their company. And now they were celebrating with some of their closest friends in the world.
Drew returned her smile, his contented gaze landing on her lips.
"What?" he barely whispered.
"I'm proud of you," she said softly.
He nodded with a grin and leaned forward to plant a singular kiss on her lips.
"Wow," Ash said. "We've come a long way, guys." The group turned to listen to him speak. "Soledad's moving up, Drew is moving up. Leaf is actually here and is a real person."
May, Leaf, and Dawn laughed together at that. She'd been on speakerphone so many times during their conversations. It was nice for Leaf to actually meet Ash and Dawn in the flesh.
"Paul's here, too," Ash continued, earning a few more chuckles from the group.
Paul rubbed at his brow, his elbow leaning against the table.
Ash laughed out loud at Paul's reaction. "Yeah," he said. "We've come a long way. You know what?" He lifted his glass. "Cheers to us."
The group happily lifted their glasses in a toast once more, celebrating their growth throughout the year.
Paul took a sip and placed his glass back on the table. "Are we done with the toasts now?"
"Yeah, until Leaves bakes that bread," Gary interjected again.
More laughter broke out within the group as Ash supported Gary's request for baked goods. Their voices tangled together, all of them collectively ignoring Leaf's explanation that she didn't actually know how to bake bread.
Something about this just felt right. Though May was initially excited at the idea of living somewhere new with Drew, moving in together, it felt just right to stay right here. And see how much more they could all continue to grow.