Money Trees

13 ✮ Chichi

Mai and Apollo waltzed back to the party with clammy hands and flushed faces. Things got too... heated on the roof. It was because of the open fire. Definitely just open fire and nothing else. Not because of the way his hands tightened around her waist. Or because of the way his lips danced on her neck. Or because of how he growled her name when she pressed into him.

Just the hot, flaming fire.

Charlie met her eyes as they reentered the room. He winked at her before turning his attention back to his fiancé who had his back to them. Oliver's leaned closer to him and whispered something into his ear. Charlie laughed and kissed him slowly.

They were surrounded by love. Spencer and Madeline danced alone in the middle of the party. Nora and George ran past them and straight out the door, giggling like teenagers.

Mai looked back at the guy beside her whose fingers were currently entangled in hers. It wasn't possible was it? Not after only five days. It was insane to even think of the L-word. But still, something had changed. Mai was feeling something she never felt before.

"What are you thinking about?" He whispered to her.

She let out a soft and content sigh. "Happy things."

"Care to share?"

She leaned closer to him. "I was thinking about-"

"CHICHI!"

Only two people called her Chichi. Two people who were meant to be in London. There was no way...

"SURPRISE!"

Two giggling gals ran over to Mai and attacked her with hugs and kisses.

Mai was speechless. Why were they there? She loved her friends but she was addicted to spending time alone with Apollo. Any other time and she would have been thrilled to see them. But now? It felt wrong. All wrong.

"What.. what are you guys doing here?"

"We knew you were bummed about losing your job and having to leave London!" Ivy cheered, squeezing her tightly.

  She mentally groaned.

"So we decided to bring London here! SURPRISE!" Yasmin squealed, jumping up and down.

No, no, no...

"Yay," Mai strained. "Thank you guys so much."

"And who is this!?" Ivy asked, clapping her hands together and looking at Apollo like he was food to eat.

Mai automatically inched closer to him, just subtly enough to raise Ivy's suspicions but without seeming like a possessive creep.

"I'm Apollo. Nice to meet you!

Ivy extended a dainty manicured hand towards him which he shook politely. "Ivy St-Jude. Enchanté."

"And I'm Yasmin! Yasmin Kheir." Yasmin chimed in, interrupting Ivy's 'ocular patdown' of Apollo.

It was like mixing oil and water. Chalk and cheese. It was wrong. It all felt wrong. The issue was that Mai had subtly formed two personas that she had only become aware of at that moment. There was 'London Mai'; a confident and wild socialite whose main goal was to be loved. 'Manhattan Mai' also known as Post-Apollo Mai was new. She was growing, open to change and trying to be better. She was vulnerable and lost but slowly becoming someone she would be proud to be. One desired admiration and the other accomplishment.

Which was why she felt like she was splitting in two at that moment.

Would Apollo judge her if she reverted back to the superficial bundle of fun London had molded her into? Would Ivy and Yasmin shudder in disgust if she remained the introspective new version of her? Which version was better?