“You’re from Scotland?” Josie asked, focusing exclusively on Erin and shifting her weight, making her earrings sparkle in the change of light.
Erin nodded. “I met Max at university there.” She put her hand on Max’s arm lightly, gave a little squeeze, so though she didn’t actually say she was his girlfriend, it was heavily implied. Max saw Josie’s eyes flicker toward Erin’s hand, and knew she’d clocked it. He felt his body stiffen. He couldn’t move away in case that offended Erin, but he wanted to, so that Josie knew it wasn’t like that. Or at least, it wasn’t when he’d met her, anyway. He forced himself to let out a slow, silent breath. Fuck.
Josie nodded. “That’s nice.”
Erin let her hand drop from Max’s arm but shifted a little, so the side of her body brushed against his. “And how did you two meet?”
Josie glanced up at Oliver, but though his arm was around her he was now doing a quick scan of the room. Clearly, whatever threat Max posed had been assessed and dismissed. Maybe he was just so confident in his and Josie’s relationship that bumping into him was no big deal, a funny story they’d tell the grandkids. Prick. “At work,” Josie supplied.
“Seriously, are there no snacks coming out?” Chloe blurted out. She gave Max a look as if to say let’s move, clearly sensing the awkwardness. And she was the only one on his side of the circle that would understand why. He didn’t want to move away yet though—what if Josie disappeared immediately after and he didn’t get the chance to speak to her again?
He looked at Josie instead. “So, how are you?” He took a sip of his drink, tried to make it casual. Tried not to let on that he’d been thinking about her since he left, wishing he’d said more in his note to explain. Or that he hadn’t realized how much he’d regret it until he was on the plane and it was too damn late to change it.
She gave a little shrug of her bare shoulders. “I’m good, thanks.”
“Still into your photography?” He was thinking of the photo she’d taken of him, the one on the beach that she’d given him for Christmas.
“Yep.” She let her arm slip from Oliver and curled a strand of her hair back into her bun. She paused, glanced at Oliver again. “Actually,” she began again, her voice firmer now, “I’ve started up an Instagram account for it, now that I’ve got the time.”
Oliver squeezed her shoulder, bringing his attention back to the group. “She’s taking the world by storm, my girl.” Max tried hard not to grit his teeth.
“Well, I’d love to see,” Erin said graciously—though whether she meant it or not, Max couldn’t be sure. Josie hesitated, doing that lip-bitey thing again. Then she seemed to relent and got out her phone, showing it around to general compliments. The top photo was one in Central Park, posted yesterday, and it looked more beautiful on her phone screen than it had done in real life. So, it could have been her he saw, then. Not that he could ask—it would raise too many alarm bells for almost everyone in their little circle.
“Honestly, you don’t have to keep looking, it’s really not that exciting,” Josie said quickly, reminding him of when she’d shown him her photos on the beach, how reluctant she’d been to do so. But Erin kept scrolling down, with Max and Chloe looking over her shoulder and Liam clearly trying to look interested. Josie shifted her weight a little awkwardly and he wished he could cross to her, squeeze her hand reassuringly, or just run a hand down her arm.
“The photos are incredible,” Max said, causing Josie to glance at him. “You know, I’ve got a friend who’s a photographer—I could introduce you if you like?” Chloe’s eyebrows shot up and Max shrugged as if to say what? He was just being friendly, that was all.
“No thanks,” Josie said, a little too quickly. “It’s just a hobby really, I’ve got my freelance work in the meantime.”
“Well, they’re cool anyway,” said Chloe, taking the phone from Erin and handing it back to Josie. “How long have you been doing it?”
Josie seemed visibly relieved to have her phone back. “Well, I started this account when I got to New York.”
“So you live here now?” Max asked, before he could help himself.
She nodded, and that same weird smile was back. “That’s right. Oliver and I moved out here in January.”
There was a beat where everyone seemed to be waiting for Max to respond, resulting in a slightly awkward silence when he didn’t. “That’s cool,” said Liam, stepping up. “Are you loving it?”