Man Hunt

“This place is wicked!”

Sarah snapped her head back giving me a smile of approval. “You're slowly turning into a New Yorker. I'm so proud!” She walked up behind me and squeezed my shoulders.

“There's no other way to describe it.” Kadie, Sarah, and I stood in an empty apartment twirling around in our dresses.

It was Sunday morning and the three of us decided to go apartment hunting. Adam had a last minute meeting with a client so he wasn't able to come.

“This floor is perfect for ballet!” Kadie tippy toed on the dark wooded floors.

“Do you know how to ballet dance?” Sarah stopped in mid twirl and looked at Kadie.

Kadie shrugged, “No, but if I wanted to learn...”

“Good point” We laughed as we continued to jump around and dance.

Just then there was a knock at the door. We readjusted ourselves to look prim and proper and unamused.

“Ladies, did you get a chance to talk?” Kadie's real estate agent walked back into the apartment. She was a middle aged woman who looked to be nicely put together for her age. “What do your friends think?”

“They love it!” Kadie sprawled out her arms in excitement. “I just need to show Adam.”

Kadie's agent whisked her away to discuss the fine print, leaving Sarah and I in the living room staring out of the floor to ceiling windows. We watched as snow softly fell onto the unusually idle streets.

Sarah's phone began ringing and she wrestled to pull it out of her coat pocket.

“Ello?” She chirped in a heavier British accent than her own. “Poppy? Oh my God!” She spun around and walked towards the kitchen for some privacy.

I continued to stare out the window before Kadie came back into the room.

“Hey, are you guys ready to go?” She asked as she tightened the belt on her trench coat. Her eyes diverted to Sarah when she heard her talking on the phone.

“Yeah” I said, pointing towards Sarah “Just as soon as she's done.”

A few minutes passed before Sarah came waltzing back with a grin plastered to her face.

“Oh, Henry's going to be so excited!” She squealed, gripping her phone tighter. “ My cousin, Poppy, is coming into town. It's been ages since she's been here!”

“Poppy?” Kadie dropped her head in disbelief. “Poppy Leroux, is coming here?”

I shriveled my face and shot a look at Kadie “Am I missing something?”

Kadie ignored me and continued to fan girl, “Oh my God! Eva told me Poppy was her niece, but I never thought I'd get a chance to meet her!”

I stood between Sarah and Kadie and shouted, “Who's Poppy?”

“Lynn, how are we friends?” Kadie sarcastically questioned “Poppy Leroux is a huge model turned fashion blogger in Europe.”

“Leroux” I tapped my fingers on my chin “That's French isn't it?”

“My dad's sister married a Frenchman, so she isn't a Darlington. Although she did use my mum's platform to become what she is.”

“What do you mean?” I asked. Before Sarah could answer, Kadie's agent walked back into the room. She waited at the door for us to leave. We walked out of the apartment and took the elevator down to the lobby.

“Once my mum's company came to it's pivotal, Poppy would work the parties Darlington hosted and pimp herself out to all the designers and celebrities. Until finally one day a designer liked her look, and booked her. And a few short years later, she's the talk of the town!”

“She's walked in so many runways, Lynn” Kadie chimed in “Marc Jacobs, Chanel, Givenchy...”

“What's with everyone in your family being popular?” I turned towards Sarah before we crossed the street. There was an empty cab waiting on the other side.

“I guess it comes with the territory” She shrugged as she slide inside. I didn't know what she was referring too, but before I could ask she shut the door, waved goodbye, and drove off.

“Well” Kadie looked over at me. “We better get going. Those boxes aren't going to pack themselves!” She locked her arm around mine and we took the subway back to our apartment.

We spent the rest of our Sunday going through Kadie's things with frequent TV breaks.

Monday rolled by without any notice. I'm at the point in my semester where I just want it to be over with already. I'm already in a vacation state of mind.

“Kadie” I called out as I walked into our apartment. Kadie always gets home a few minutes before me.

“What's up” She answered from her room.

“Do you think I should bring a date with me to the wedding?” I stood in the entry way mindlessly staring into her room. I watched Kadie as she stood up from her bed and walk over. She leaned onto her door frame and thought quietly about how to respond.

“I think the situation might be a little tricky. But, if you need someone there then, why not?”

“Are you bringing Adam?”

“Yeah, I figured I might as well. We're getting more serious and it's a chance for him to meet my mom and friends.”

“Who could I possibly take with me?” I asked as I folded my arms. Everyone I knew was either busy or someone I wouldn't want to spend a weekend with.

“How bout Connor, you two are on good terms right?” Kadie suggested.

“Really, Kadie? You would really ask me to bring Connor?” I raised my eyebrow at her.

“Well he wouldn't be my first pick, but I would think he'd be the most readily available.” She stood up straight. “How bout Jonah. Do you think he'd be able to come to Texas for a couple days?”

“Probably not. He seems too busy” I shook my head.

“Jaime?” We both stared at each other thinking of the possibility. “He knows your parents so it won't be awkward.”

I thought about it for a few seconds before we changed the subject to dinner.

“I have to grab some groceries, so dinner might be a little late.” Kadie grabbed her coat from her bed and began to pull it on before I stopped her.

“It's okay. You have a lot to do. I'll grab the groceries.” I grabbed my purse off the kitchen counter and proceeded for the door.

“Are you sure?” Kadie walked into the kitchen to pull the grocery list off the refrigerator.

“Positive!” I smiled and snatched the post-it from her hands.

There was a small grocery shop at the end of our block that I headed over to. Once I got inside I kept thinking about my trip back home. I knew it would be hard and Kadie, my support system, would be busy with Adam. I had to have a back up in case I really needed someone. And the only person I could think of, that completely understood everything going on, was Jonah.

As I dropped my things onto the check out counter I pulled out my phone and texted Jonah,

Free in a couple week to be my wedding date?