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Post by Amber Jacobs on Aug 29, 2015 1:21:45 GMT
Amber had sent Cassidy home for the weekend to see her parents, noting her assistant was a bit homesick she'd purchased the plane ticket herself and presented Cassidy with it on Friday evening. But with only a week before Glamour's Labor Day Weekend White Party, Amber had a lot of things to do and could use some girl time to alleviate some of her stress, so she decided to go for both and invited Maddy out to go shopping with her for the long weekend. She'd even added that Maddy should invite Riley, since she'd be inviting the redhead as a courtesy to Brandon's working relationship with her and Adam Tyler, as a courtesy to Riley. Sometimes being courteous was more for appearances, though.
She was browsing the racks of Neiman Marcus, knowing she'd need to find an outfit for the party, a few new swimsuits, and perhaps even some lingerie (since she planned to enjoy her first weekend away with Brandon as a couple).
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Riley who greeted her politely and then started browsing a rack nearby.
Riley's eyes nearly popped out of her head when she looked at the price tag on a dress in the department store. She took a sip of her coffee and, without bothering to try to make uncomfortable small talk right away with Amber, glanced around looking for a sales rack and wondering when Maddy would be joining them.
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Post by Madison Benson on Aug 29, 2015 1:52:32 GMT
Maddy frowned at the two other women as she had spotted them both browsing at a distance from each other. She knew that this had never meant to be an easy task, trying to get these women to co-mingle. Riley had been her friend for as much of her teenage and adult life as she could remember, and her friendship was of the utmost importance to her. Amber, on the other hand, while not necessarily a less important friendship, was much newer. Madison had felt a kinship with the other woman from the moment that they had first begun to try and bond, and now that she found herself in a relationship of sorts with Cooper, she knew that Amber's friendship was something that she wished to take seriously. It was so much easier for them to just all get along, really.
"Hi!" She greeted both of the women happily. "Have you found anything already?"
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Post by Amber Jacobs on Aug 29, 2015 2:09:14 GMT
Amber grinned brightly at Maddy. "I'm glad that you could make it!" she grinned, holding up a few hangers that she had in her hand. "I'm probably going overboard, I tend to do that," she admitted. She liked Madison quite a bit, she thought Maddy was a nice girl and at the end of the day Amber didn't have many friends. Even ten years ago before ever having left and cutting ties with anyone, there were people she knew well, that she spent time with, but not many that she was close to or could trust. She had Cassidy now, and she'd always had Brandon. But she enjoyed Maddy's company a lot.
Riley greeted Maddy with a wave before turning her attention back to the shopping rack, her brow furrowing. "So what's the point of a white party, anyway? I have this really bad habit of spilling things on myself. Is this all just for...fashion and photo ops?"
"Well," Amber explained, not looking up as she browsed. "White Parties actually were started as part of LGBT culture, giant dance parties. Then they started to get trendy, like most things do - celebrities and the rich donning their best white outfits and celebrating Memorial Day and the start of summer. This is Glamour's End of Summer bash, we're hosting it in honor of a charity called Red Pump Project, that supports and raises awareness about the impact of HIV and AIDS on women and us making fun of the idea that you can't wear white after Labor Day. So no, it's not all fashion and photo ops."
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Post by Madison Benson on Aug 29, 2015 2:24:17 GMT
Madison's frowned deepened at the two women seemingly beginning to battle themselves on some small level. She looked at the small bundle of hangers n Amber's hands and smiled, "Oh! That's cute," she complemented the dress she had seen first. Looking over at Riley, she tried to figure out what to say. She had just come to expect these sort of parties to come along each summer, and she had forgotten that things had always been a little different for Riely. But, the truth was, she was kind of part of this world now. As long as she remained in a relationship with Adam Tyler, which Maddy hoped that she would do for a long time, she was going to have to expect parties and events of this nature. And a large part of Maddy wished that her friend would like it, but whether or not she did, she was still there for her and respected her for her own choices more than she could ever truly express.
"I think that it sounds like a lot of fun - and for a good cause. So I'm excited for it."
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Post by Amber Jacobs on Aug 29, 2015 2:52:04 GMT
Amber nodded at Maddy, smiling at her before one of the sales associates asked her if she wanted to start a fitting room. She happily handed off her selections and went back to browsing. "I'm glad you're coming," she nodded. "It'll be a lot of fun. And besides, it's more than just the party. It's the beach and the pool and the drinks. A mini-vacation. Are you, by any chance, going with Cooper?" Amber asked with a grin. Over the years, her relationship with Cooper had been rocky, but she considered him a friend now and thought Maddy was a nice girl.
Riley made her way over to the sales rack a few feet away, browsing through with a look of concentration and wondering if perhaps coming along had been a mistake. She found a dress and pulled it off the rack, still not entirely certain about how she felt about spending the weekend in the Hamptons with everyone.
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Post by Madison Benson on Aug 29, 2015 18:52:24 GMT
Madison grinned warmly at the other woman. She hadn't realized how much she had come to appreciate Amber's friendship over the past couple of weeks but it was sometimes kind of exciting to talk about the parties and the clothes that came with this little circle. She didn't want Riley to feel like it was all shallow and vain, but she was having a hard time convincing the redheaded woman of that. Maddy was sure it was just the stress of everything that had happened lately and the new status of her relationship with Adam, but she just hoped her best friend was having a good time with it all.
She raised a shoulder in a soft shrug, "I guess so. We haven't really talked about it much, but I should probably figure out the details." She nodded, realizing that she had no idea what a mini-vacation with Cooper would be like. If that's even what it was.
"Are you looking forward to a weekend away with Brandon?" Looking over at Riley she tried to get her engaged in the conversation too. "Riley, are you excited to go away with Adam for a little trip?"
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Post by Amber Jacobs on Aug 30, 2015 2:16:29 GMT
Amber smiled at Madison. She knew that Cooper had obviously taken a liking to the brunette and while Amber had never been a fan of Parker Blye to begin with, she still thought that Cooper was a much better guy. She imagined that it wasn't exactly easy though, to get involved with someone that had a child and was so committed to them. It took her a moment to realize that she might be in the exact same situation pending the results of a paternity test. Of course, there was a chance that Brandon wasn't the father - which, as much as she hated to selfishly admit it, was preferable - and that if he was that he wouldn't want to be involved much at all. But on the very small off-change that he was the father of Alayna's child and decided that he did want to be involved, she realized now more than ever that she'd have to figure out how she would play into it. "Cooper's a great guy, and Melanie is a really wonderful little girl," she nodded, before chewing on her lip and going back to browsing."Yes, actually, I'm really looking forward to it. We've never really done anything like that. I mean there were group weekends away when we were younger, trips out East or on breaks. But we weren't really dating at the time," she admitted. "It'll be fun."
Riley took a long sip of her coffee and looked up when Maddy asked her about how she felt about going away for the weekend with Adam. "It's exciting," she admitted. "I've actually never been to the Hamptons before, so it should be fun. I like the beach." Riley glanced down at the ring on her finger for a moment and tried to get herself to relax, she knew that it was a good thing that Maddy and Amber got along so well. She had to admit that Amber was good at a lot of the things that Riley wasn't - especially socially. And she liked working with Brandon Finn enough to assume that the woman couldn't be that bad, but Riley only remembered the Amber Jacobs she'd gone to high school with. Holding up a dress, she looked at the other two. "Is this okay?"
Amber looked at Riley for a moment, pursing her lips. Frankly, she was surprised that her opinion was being asked at all. "It's nice, but you should try this one instead," she said, holding out a hanger. She pulled it back for a moment and looked at the redhead. "No looking at price tags. That's the rule."
Riley gave a slightly sheepish smile before accepting the hanger and looking at Maddy. "To be honest, when I sit back and think about things, I know that we're sort of...moving really fast, you know? But at the same time it's exciting because for years I always thought of him...i don't know, maybe it just feels to me like we're making up for lost time and catching up with where we're supposed to be."
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Post by Madison Benson on Aug 30, 2015 3:17:25 GMT
Madison smiled, nodding as she flipped through racks of dresses, trying to not only busy herself but to see if she could find anything that she liked for herself. Amber had hit on what had been her biggest hurdle thus far. She loved Melanie, she really did, but it was different when she was dating someone and spending time with children as two completely different entities, but it was another thing entirely when the two went hand in hand. She didn't know if she was ready to make the commitment to be in a relationship with someone who had much bigger responsibilities than just being with her, and she certainly didn't want to come in an awkward in between. Not to mention, if things went well, she wasn't sure that she was even the right person to be the poor little girl's step-mother, or whatever else she would be.
She nodded at both of her friends, glad that they were both excited to spend time away with their boyfriend or their fiance on this mini-vacation. "I'm glad that you're both looking forward to it - this should be a lot of fun."
Spotting a dress that she thought might suit Riley, she held it out to her, "This could be cute." She smiled at her friend, knowing that the Riley that came out with Adam was a lot different than the Riley she had been with Garrett. "I don't think it's that fast - I think you're just ridiculously in love with each other. Which is also cute."
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Post by Riley Tyler on Aug 30, 2015 3:32:56 GMT
Riley grinned at Maddy for a moment, accepting the new dress and looking it over. "I think I've loved him for a really long time," she admitted. "I've never been that romantic, you know? I had all of these plans and none of them ever really factored it that it was possible to include a real love life. And, God, this sounds so cheesy, but the first time he kissed me - everything clicked. And, at first I thought nothing would happen again after that and I realized how sad that made me - the idea of not having that again with him. So when everything fell apart and he was there I think I knew what I wanted, but I didn't know it was what he wanted." She shrugged, taking another sip of her coffee. "And when I realized it was, I knew I'd have to be an idiot to not grab what was in front of me with two hands and take a leap."
Amber smiled softly at Riley before turning to Maddy. "Can I ask you something a bit personal?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. "How do you feel about dating Cooper - knowing that he's been divorced and that he has Melanie? I mean, does it bother you?" After a beat she looked at the brunette. "I mean, I'm just curious. What actually goes on with you and Cooper is between the two of you."
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Post by Madison Benson on Aug 30, 2015 16:05:48 GMT
She was so happy for her friend as she hadn't ever seen her this excited over any relationship before. It really was like a fairy tale romance, Maddy had to admit. And Riley deserved every minute of it, including planning the wedding of her dreams and following through with the marriage she deserved. She knew that Riley wasn't the type to get too into the stereotypical over-the-top aspects of wedding planning, but Maddy hoped that Riley at least tried to enjoy the moment. "I can't say it enough," she admitted, "I am so ridiculously happy for you."
Amber's question momentarily shook herself out of her daydreams of weddings and parties, "No, it's... It's just. I don't know," she admitted. It had been one of her biggest hesitations with the entire thing. It wasn't that she didn't adore Melanie, nor was it that she wasn't loving every minute of dating Cooper, but she found it a lot more difficult to not jump to conclusions of what could happen if they carried along the way that they were. "It's different. I just feel more pressure, I guess. I just don't want to mess up anything for either of them."
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Post by Riley Tyler on Aug 30, 2015 19:47:25 GMT
Riley grinned at Madison. The fact was that she'd been in love with Adam for a while now, and while she'd never really thought it was possible - things were working out and it was almost like a fairy tale. She'd been raised too practically to believe in those, worried slightly if she let herself get carried away it might all slip away. But Maddy's support and enthusiasm meant everything to her as well. At the mention of Cooper, Riley eyed both women for a moment. Granted, she had a feeling she knew why Amber was so curious and it had nothing to do with her being protective of Cooper. "Cooper's a big boy who seems to know what he's doing with his life, if it worries you - you should talk to him about it. Nothing gets solved without discussion, that's what I believe. And if you like him, it's a conversation worth having."
Amber looked at Madison. "It's a lot to think about, but Riley's right. Cooper knows what he's doing. You should talk to him about it. But in the meantime, I could use a couple of new swimsuits," she admitted. "How about we browse over there, finish up at the store and grab some lunch?"
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Post by Madison Benson on Aug 30, 2015 20:28:16 GMT
Madison nodded her agreement, "I know - and I will. I just wouldn't say that I'm worried, I think I just over-think everything sometimes. There's just a lot of 'what if' situations that I keep playing through my head. What if Melanie decides she doesn't like me? Does that mean that our relationship is doomed because of the opinion of a four-year-old? What if she ends up really liking me and then we break up, what happens then? What if everything goes perfectly fine and everyone likes everyone - then does everything carry on as normal? Just like it was any other relationship?" She sighed and brushed her hair out of her face. "Sorry," she apologized to the other two women, "I have a tendency to get a little paranoid sometimes. But you're both right - I should force him to listen to me ramble on these questions and not you guys."
And the truth was, she had tried so hard to be calm and collected and let things come as they may during the course of her short relationship with Parker, she had started second guessing that tactic. Not that she felt that it had necessarily been the wrong choice, but she just didn't have a lot of experience in knowing the right way to act or the right way to handle situations. Grateful for the opportunity to change the subject, she smiled at Amber. "Sounds like a plan to me."
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Post by Riley Tyler on Aug 30, 2015 23:41:10 GMT
Riley tried to give a comforting smile to Madison. "I think that, maybe, you should talk to him, they're all valid questions and you're not rambling. But I think everything will be okay," she nodded, smiling at her friend as the blonde led them over to the racks full of swimsuits and she began browsing, realizing that she actually did need a new one. She lifted up a hanger to examine one.
Amber smiled warmly at Maddy, "I didn't mean to pry," she said apologetically. "It was really more...my own curiosity, I shouldn't have brought it up here." She looked at the hanger in Riley's hand and scrunched her nose and the one piece the girl had selected. "You should get a bikini," she reached into the rack and pulled one out that wasn't entirely scandalous and handed it to her. "Adam can write me a thank you note later," she joked.
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Post by Madison Benson on Aug 31, 2015 0:20:58 GMT
Maddy shook her head, "You're not prying, it's really okay." She flipped through the rack and surveyed several swimsuits for herself, unable to stop thinking about the entire conversation they had just had. It was true, she probably just needed to talk to Cooper about everything that she was feeling but she was worried that if she brought it up that she would pop the little bubble that they were happily existing inside of at the moment.
She looked up at the swimsuit that Amber had handed Riley and smiled, "I like that one for you. This is going to be fun."
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