Welcome to New York

“Woody! Over here!”

Kadie and I waved our arms in the air. We were standing on the red stair case in the center of Times Square.

Our friends from back home, Woody, Lacey, Mark,and Rebecca decided to make a trip up to the city. The six of us, including some others back home, grew up together. We went to the same elementary, middle, and high school, and eventually we broke off to attend different colleges. But, even when life pulled us apart, we always found a way to come back together. Truth be told, you know you have a true friend when you survive puberty together. It was a sweet reminder that no matter how much life changed, and the familiar became unfamiliar, we always had a small piece of home within each other. Our collective insanity brought a calming sanity that blanketed us in cold times. We were “The Neighborhood Kids”.

Lacey spotted Kadie and I before Woody could. “Look!” She shouted to the rest of the group. “They're up there!” Mark and Rebecca turned around, smiles devouring their faces, and began waving.

“Welcome to New York!” We shouted, throwing our arms up in the air. The girls and Mark wooed in response.

Woody, on the other hand, was too busy checking out a girl who, in the middle of this cold weather, walked past in a tight little dress and high heels. “Welcome to New York, indeed!” He cheered with a twang.

We ran down the stairs and pushed our way through the crowds to reunite with our friends. We hadn't seen each other since Lacey and Mark's wedding in Texas earlier this year, so our conversations were fast and our hugs were long.

“Okay, this is all great and everything, so happy to see you two, but seriously can we go somewhere where I'm not going to freeze my balls off?” Woody crossed his arms across his chest and buried his hands under his arms. “Mark lost his when he got married to Lacey, so no need to worry about him.” Every laughed except for Lacey who punched Woody in the arm instead. “Ow!” He cried. “I can see why you're afraid of her” Even though he was talking to Mark his eyes were on Lacey.

“Oh, come on Wood, she ain't that bad!” Mark stood behind Lacey, with both his hands on her shoulders and jokingly shook his head.

“Jeremy Marcus Sanders, if you for one minute think I don't know that you're standing behind me shaking your head....”

I leaned my shoulder against Mark's and whispered “Honeymoon's over huh?”

“Oh it was over before it started.” He smiled and winked.

“Alright guys!” I shouted to get everyone's attention. “Let's jump in a cab and get this day on the road!” I gestured for everyone to follow after me but stopped briefly “Oh, by the way, this is Times Square. Center of the universe.”

“It looks bigger on T.V....” Rebecca mumbled as we lined up to signal a taxi.

We spent most of the day showing the gang around New York. Most of the sightseeing was done from the cab with occasional stops to shop around. We didn't want to tire out our guests since Kadie and I had planned a big dinner later that night. We invited all of our new City friends so both our worlds could finally meet.

It was early in the evening when we dropped them off at their hotel to rest up and headed back to Kadie's apartment to get ready.

“Isn't it so weird to see Mark and Lacey together as a married couple?” Kadie asked as she concentrated on putting her eyeshadow on.

I shook my head. I was moving my hair from side to side trying to figure out how I wanted to style it. “Not really, they've been together forever. I honestly can't imagine one without the other.”

“I know that” Kadie rolled her eyes. “things between them just seem so different now.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “They seem like the old Mark and Lacey to me.”

Reservations were set at one of our favorite Italian restaurants. It was very old world and classy.

We had gotten a private room for our party. Sarah and Henry were the first to get there. Then Jebrone rolled in a few minutes later. Jonah and Adam were working late, so they weren't able to join us until later. Shortly after Mark, Lacey, Woody, and Rebecca arrived Jaime came prancing in.

“Jaime! My man!” Woody shouted across the table.

“Woody!” Jaime shouted back, they dramatically called out for one another as they pushed everyone out of their way to hug.

The two boys were almost identical. Sarcastic cynics with soft chewy centers. Despite one being a Southerner and the other being a Yankee, they still ended up hitting it off in Texas and becoming good friends.

“Has Lynn taken you to Central Park yet?” Jaime asked.

“Not yet” Woody shook his head.

“Oh, bro” Jaime clutched his chest. “It's a minefield of hot women! And if you have a dog with you, forget about it!”

“No way” Woody stared in disbelief. “Do you have a dog we can take with us?”

“No, but I know a guy...” Jaime threw his arm around Woody's shoulder and the two of them walked away as they continued to chat.

“Oh my gosh that ring is so gorgeous!” Rebecca grabbed Kadie's hand as she just noticed her engagement ring.

Kadie pulled her hand away and rested it on her opposite shoulder, as if she were posing, and smirked “Of course it is. Would you expect anything less?”

I laughed at how ridiculous Kadie sounded even though I was unsure of how serious she was being.

Sarah chimed in to the conversation. “You know it was actually Jebrone and I who set the two up” She smiled at Kadie.

“I'm surprised she agreed.” Lacey nudged Kadie's shoulder. “Our little K here has always played hard to get.”

“Well we all have to let go of our past and settle down eventually, right Lace?” Kadie shot her a glance to which Lacey responded with a confused look.

“I guess so?” She quietly responded. Lacey and Mark shrugged their shoulders at one another and turned away to join Jaime and Woody's conversation.

Half an hour had passed before Jonah arrived. I had filled everyone in on my dating situation since the last time they'd seen me I was with Connor. Even though I made an effort to let everyone know, the room still grew quiet as he walked it.

Jonah slowed down at the awkward silence. I jumped out of my chair and met Jonah where he stopped. “Everyone this is...”

“The man of the hour!” Kadie shouted from across the room. Jonah and I both turned to look at her. “Isn't that what Entertainment Weekly is calling you?”

“Is it?” Jonah furrowed his brows. I could tell just by the brief few seconds of his interaction with Kadie he was already annoyed. “I don't tend to read reviews.”

“How modest” Kadie said in a quieter tone.

Jonah looked at me with widened eyes, as if to ask me if Kadie was being serious with her behavior.

I held onto his hand and gave him a look of 'just let it go'. He sighed and I tried to change the subject. “Everyone, this is my boyfriend Jonah. Jonah this is” I pointed to each person individually. “Mark, Lacey, Rebecca, and Woody.”

The four of them stood up and walked over to shake Jonah's hand.

“I know this is going to sound weird” Rebecca blurted “But I watch you every night!” She giggled as she spoke to Jonah.

“Come on, Becca, we just barely met the guy. Don't scare him away already.” Woody joked

Jonah blushed “Oh, no, that's not weird at all. I'm so glad there's at least one person who enjoys watching me” Jonah turned to give me a look.

“Lynn?” Lacey gasped. “You don't watch your boyfriend's show?”

“Lynn Lee!” Rebecca nudged my shoulder in disappointment.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” I tried to settle every one down. “I'm a college student, I can't stay up late enough to watch the show. Besides I go to most of the tapings.”

“Hey!” Jonah said in realization. “That's actually a great idea. Why don't you guys come by tomorrow to watch us tape the show.”

“Really?” Mark excitedly asked.

“You can't be serious?” Rebecca cried.

“I'll just let my people know. Lynn can bring you guys by tomorrow afternoon. I'm sure it won't be a problem.” He shrugged his shoulders.

Everyone started chatting with one another in excitement. Kadie was the only one sitting at the table. Even Jebrone, Henry, and Sarah had gotten up to mingle. 

"It's so cute how excited you Country folks get about show business." Kadie called out from her seat.

Woody shot me a look of confusion. "If I remember correctly you're 'Country folk' too, K" 

Rebecca had noticed Kadie's off behavior and pulled me aside. “Is everything okay with K?” she wiggled her eyebrows and I looked over at Kadie who had her arms crossed watching the crowd.

“So you noticed it too” I whispered back and shook my head.

“If I hadn't been with her all day I would've thought she were drunk. She seems so bitter” She covered her mouth and whispered even quieter, “Are things between her and Adam okay?