Chapter Text
“You have got to be kidding me,” Mariah scoffed in surprised disbelief, still clutching the doorknob.
Standing on Sharon’s front porch, in clear view of God and everybody, stood an amused Kevin Fisher. “What? Too much?” Kevin questioned in mock sincerity, gesturing to his clothing and accessory combination.
Mariah gaped incredulously as she took a detailed look at her best friend.
He was wearing a bright red t-shirt emblazoned with an image of George Washington, who was wearing 80s-style sunglasses, while the text read, “Party like it’s 1776!” Blue and white vertical stripes adorned Kevin’s board shorts, his crew socks were peppered with red stars, and his normally nondescript running shoes sported firework-themed laces.
Kevin grinned at her disbelieving expression and momentary speechlessness, shouldering his way past her with several shopping bags in his hands.
Mariah wordlessly closed the door as Kevin arranged the bags on the floral sofa.
“You look like Independence Day threw up on you,” the redhead blurted, recovering her voice.
“But wait, there’s more!” Kevin wiggled his eyebrows at her as he put on his best Billy Mays impression. Like a patriotic Mary Poppins, he pulled a star-spangled pair of sunglasses from a bag and perched them on his nose. Then he produced a glittering blue headband topped with coiled red wires that supported two sequin-covered silver stars, which he snapped unceremoniously on Mariah’s head.
Mariah blinked. “I am not wearing this,” she protested.
“It’s either that or the top hat,” Kevin countered, emerging from the depths of another shopping bag with a stunning recreation of Uncle Sam’s hat, rendered entirely in felt and sequins and plopping it on his own head.
Mariah glared at him.
_ . _
“Excuse me. Sorry,” Mariah mumbled, picking her way through the minefield of picnic blankets and lawn chairs that crowded the grassy lawn that bordered the lake near Chancellor Park. “So sorry,” she repeated for the thousandth time as she glared daggers at the back of Kevin’s head.
He was wending his way effortlessly through the crowd, dropping an occasional greeting to one of the hundred people he seemed to know in the crowd. Moving agilely between empty patches of grass, he called to her, “Come on, Mariah! Try to keep up!”
Easy for him to say. He was comfortably carrying a backpack full of snacks and a light picnic blanket. She was burdened down with the cooler full of drinks and ice. To be fair, it wasn’t a very large cooler, but making sure she avoided smacking anyone in the head while dodging small children carrying lit sprinklers was proving to be a challenge. Maybe she should smack Kevin in the head with it. The thought brought a smile to Mariah’s lips.
Up ahead, she heard Kevin announce, “This is perfect!” along with the sound of him unfurling the blanket in the breeze.
“Finally,” she groused half-heartedly, the thought of assault with a beverage-filled weapon still bolstering her spirits. “It’s about time,” she told him, closing the final few yards and dropping the cooler on the blanket beside his backpack.
Then Kevin watched as the smile slid from her mouth and the color drained from her face.
_ . _
“So that’s the infamous Tessa,” Kevin confirmed in a hushed voice as Mariah sat, arms around her knees, a plate of untouched fruit and a half-empty can of Arizona Iced Tea sweating in her hand.
“The one and only,” Mariah answered, defeat leaking into her voice.
Kevin dropped into a cross-legged position next to her, his own can of Sprite glistening with condensation in the fading light.
“So are you going to go over and talk to her or what?”
Mariah shot him a withering look. “She’s here with Noah, genius,” she deadpanned, gesturing subtly to the cozy blanket set up a mere 20 feet from their own.
Noah had clearly gone all out. There was a cushioned camping mattress stretched beneath the soft woven blanket, and plush pillows supported their backs as he and Tessa reclined on the ground. A basket filled with gourmet crackers and fancy cheese lay in front of them, as did a container of chocolate covered strawberries. Noah had no need to lug around a cooler full of drinks. He had brought an ice bucket to chill fancy champagne.
Mariah sank her head onto her forearms, the sparkling stars on her headband bouncing obnoxiously.
The right side of Kevin’s mouth rose in empathy. “Come on, buck up!” he prodded, trying to brighten her mood. “The fireworks are about to start.”
“I need to pee,” was Mariah’s crass response as she pushed off the blanket and headed up the hill toward the public bathrooms.
_ . _
“Well, you look festive.”
The cheerful, almost flirtatious voice launched Mariah’s stomach into her throat. The wet paper towel she had pressed against her face in an attempt to cool both her body and her racing thoughts fell from her hand. The damp paper’s feeble progress was completely undone by the smiling brunette standing before her.
Tessa, understatedly radiant in a simple white blouse and light denim shorts, tilted her head in amusement as her eyes traveled along the redhead’s appearance.
Mariah’s face flamed in humiliation as she caught sight of her own reflection in the mirror. The royal blue shirt Kevin had chosen for her was packed with humorous patriotism, sporting a portrait of Thomas Jefferson, wearing striped aviator sunglasses and a bandana covered in stars. The text read, “Too cool for British rule.” Red and white striped shorts, sewn with metallic thread poked out from beneath the shirt. American flag-inspired slides cradled her bare feet. Glow-in-the-dark red, white, and blue bracelets wrapped around her wrist. And the cherry on top was that ridiculous headband, its stars swaying merrily atop her head. Humiliation complete.
Mariah plastered a polite smile on her face. “Hi, Tessa. I didn’t expect to see you here,” she greeted the other woman. “I thought you’d be with Noah on the GCAC rooftop tonight.”
Tessa grinned in that self-deprecating way of hers. “Hanging with all those corporate bigwigs really isn’t my scene,” she admitted. “So Noah brought me here instead.”
“Oh.” Mariah was unjustifiably annoyed at her brother’s thoughtfulness. “Are you having a good time?”
“Oh, yeah, of course,” Tessa said, shaking her head slightly. “Noah went all out.” She grinned that rueful grin again, her discomfort obvious to the observant redhead. “I would have been just as happy on the tailgate of a pickup in a grocery store parking lot.”
Mariah laughed in understanding. She and Tessa were alike in their preference for simplicity.
“Well, you know,” Mariah teased, “if you’re going to date a Newman, you’d better get used to the high life.”
Tessa pulled the corners of her mouth down in an exaggerated grimace. “That’s what I’m afraid of!” She winked at Mariah and then headed into an empty stall.
Mariah left the bathroom and melted into the gathering twilight.
_ . _
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Mariah grumbled, plopping back down on the blanket next to Kevin.
“I didn’t –”
“Not a word,” Mariah hissed.
“Okay, okay!” Kevin relented, palms out in surrender. “Forgive me for trying to get you out of your own head and into a festive spirit.”
Mariah hung her head. “I’m sorry, Kev,” she offered, defeatedly.
He scooted closer and put his arm around her shoulders.
“I appreciate your efforts.”
He scoffed.
“Hey, I wore the clothes!” She tugged at her shirt. “I even wore the crazy headgear!”
He grimaced in empathy. “Still can’t get your mind off Tessa?”
Mariah’s gaze involuntarily fell on the brunette, who had returned to snuggle into her brother’s arms.
“Nope.”
“Have you talked to her yet? Told her how you feel?”
“No,” Mariah sighed. “I’m not sure I should. She seems happy with Noah.”
“You’ll never know until you try,” Kevin advised.
A thundering boom and bright light shattered the darkened sky, interrupting their conversation. The fireworks had begun.
Mariah tilted her head back to watch. The sky was bursting with color. Red, green, amber, blue, white, purple… every color, shape, and combination thereof filled the clear expanse above the lake, painting the landscape in color.
Mariah’s eyes strayed to Tessa once again. Each burst of color washed the musician’s features in radiance. Each illuminating light spotlighted her beauty.
Mariah rested her head on her knees with a sigh. Unrequited love simply sucked.