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“What? About the sex thing?”
“Jesus Christ, Grey!” she yelled. “No, it’s not just about that. It, uh, never mind! You wouldn’t understand and you obviously don’t care, so forget it.”
I licked my lips, moistening my mouth for a response. But before I could get a word in, Maddie continued. Her eyes started to glaze over with a shine as she moved the tissue back to her face.
“D-Don’t you w-want me anymore?” she sputtered. Her shoulders started to rock back and forth as tears began to flow.
Oh hell.
Shaking my head, I walked over towards her. I lowered my arms, hooked them together around her upper body and tugged Maddie into me. She resisted for an instant before relenting and leaning into my thighs while I stood in front of her. After a moment or two, she wrapped her arms around my legs.
“Maddie, shhh…” I began as I tried to calm her. “You’re being silly. Of course I still want you.”
She sniffled for a few more moments before at last releasing her grip on me. Maddie looked up towards my face and as she did, I brushed her hair away from her eyes.
“You do?” she said with a whisper.
I nodded. “Yes. Absolutely.”
She leaned away from me. Maddie’s shoulders slumped as she dropped her hands in her lap and interlocked them. She remained still for a moment or two before looking up towards me once again.
“Well,” she began. “Why did you reject me in the kitchen earlier?”
I shook my head. “I didn’t reject you Maddie. That’s not it at all.”
“It’s okay,” she replied. “I know how unattractive I am right now. I just thought if I dressed up and made an effort, it would change your mind.”
“Maddie, look, the reason I’m not interested in having sex right now has nothing to do with the way you look. I’ve got something on my mind. It’s something we need to discuss. Before it’s too late.”
As I finished my thought, I looked down at her.
“Too late? For what exactly, Grey?”
I ran my fingers through my hair and sputtered an exhale. This wasn’t something I wanted to put off any longer. There was only one correct path for the two of us and it was about time I got Maddie on board. After all, it was what she wanted anyway. There was no question in my mind about it. I glanced down at her for a moment before clearing my throat.
“Maddie,” I began. “With the baby coming, I think it’s time for us to take the only logical step left.”
As I spoke, Maddie’s eyebrows drew together in confusion. “What are you trying to say, Grey?”
“I’m not trying to say anything. I’m telling you we should get married. And the sooner, the better.”
Maddie’s mouth dropped open as I finished speaking.
“What?” she replied. She looked at me as if I’d just killed a puppy. “Uh! You want to marry me? Since when, Grey? Why?”
This wasn’t exactly the reaction I expected. I’d asked exactly zero women to marry me in my life and I sure as shit didn’t picture a response like hers. Incredulous, I glared down at her.
“What do you mean why?” I asked. “What kind of question is that, Maddie?”
She shot to her feet. Waving her arms, she said, “Just like that? Out of nowhere? After all of this and now, all of a sudden, you want to marry me?”
She was starting to piss me off.
“Yeah,” I snapped. “What the hell is wrong with that?”
“Do you love me, Grey?” she fired back. Her tone had the ring of a dare to it. She crossed her arms at her chest as she completed her thought.
I grimaced at her. “Maddie, why are you acting like this? Don’t you want…”
“No!” she exclaimed, interrupting me. “Do. You. Love. Me? It’s a simple question, Grey.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. This goddamn woman. She wanted to say ‘yes’ and marry me. I knew it and she knew it. Why wouldn’t she? Funny how what you do is always more important in every situation in life except when it came to this right here. It wasn’t enough I promised to take care of her and the baby. I’m not sure how many more ways a man is supposed to show a woman what she means to him in this world.
“Maddie, it’s not that simple,” I groaned. I gestured towards her stomach. “I have an obligation here. This isn’t about you or me anymore.”
She rolled her eyes. “Ohhhh, I see. All right. So you are marrying me out of pity? Is that what you’re saying?”
“What? No! Jesus Christ, calm down would you?”
“I’m not upset,” she deadpanned. “I just want an answer to my question. I love you, Grey. You see? I have no problem at all admitting that to you.”
I didn’t get this grandstanding of hers. Instead of engaging it, I decided to make her understand my point, but before I could she continued.
“I’m not marrying you because you are the father of the baby, Grey. That’s not enough of a reason.”
I shook my head.
“Maddie, there’s more at play here than the baby. I’ve got obligations to my family.”
“What?” she snapped as she stepped in my direction. “What the hell does that mean? Obligations to your family? I’ve never met any of them! You aren’t even making any sense!”
Over the next few minutes I came clean with her about the whole situation with my grandfather’s will, the trust, all of it. If I couldn’t convince her to marry me for the sake of the goddamn kid, the only option I had left was to be upfront about everything and hope she’d see it from my perspective.
But she didn’t. Instead, she laughed at me. And it wasn’t a chuckle. She was goddamn amused.
“Grey!” Maddie said, as she clapped her hands together. “What makes you think that’s a better reason than our own child!?!”
My jaw flexed as she guffawed. Losing my patience, I started to reply, but she cut me off with a sharp demand.
“You need to leave, Grey,” she said, shaking her head.
I glared at her as she stood there closed off from me.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes,” she replied. “I don’t want to talk to you about this right now.”
As she finished speaking, she turned and walked towards the bathroom, closing the door behind her with a forceful slam.
GREY
With Maddie frustrating the living hell out of me, I decided to pay Katy an impromptu visit and see if I could get some insight from her. Things had improved between us after everything that happened with Maddie and the baby. I wouldn’t go so far as to say we were the best of goddamn friends or anything, but I think my actions demonstrated to her how much I cared for Maddie.
I could only I hope I was right.
Given the way she’d reacted to my proposal, I’d started to question whether or not Maddie and I belonged together at all. Shit, maybe I had it wrong. Sure, I had to keep my end of the bargain with my grandfather and I’d never let my child go without the proper care. But Maddie… I didn’t expect her to behave the way she had, rejecting me. Even so, I thought better of getting down and dirty with her about it instead deciding to see what Katy had to say.
Armando drove me to Katy’s office in Westlake just before she closed.
After getting out of the limousine, I walked to the front door of Katy’s office. Her travel agency took up the space at the end of the strip mall and because of its corner position, almost all of it was framed in glass. As I approached, it looked to me as if she was the only employee still there. A middle-aged woman sat in a chair directly across from Katy’s desk. A customer, I guessed. I grabbed the door handle and pulled it open and as I did, chatter from the women entered my awareness. They both stopped and looked at me as I walked inside. Katy arched a brow in my direction.
“I’ll be right with you, sir,” she said, pretending not to know me.
I nodded and took a seat. Considering all of the profane things she’d called me in recent months, ‘sir’ was a nice change of pace, even if it was for public consumption.
“Help yourself to some of coffee or soda while you wait,” she added.
Smiling as I sat, I nodded back at her. “Got any vodka?”
The woman in the chair turned her head nearly one hundred and eighty degrees as she looked towards me.
“Madam.” I nodded as her eyes locked on mine.
Katy grimaced in disgust. And before her customer could turn back in her direction she positioned her middle finger towards me in the universal symbol of disapproval.
“No, sir,” Katy deadpanned, as she glared at me with her digit fully extended. “But there is a bar at the other end of the shopping center. Perhaps they can be of some assistance?"
I chuckled as the woman turned her head back towards Katy. Maddie’s best friend lowered her non-verbal statement at the last instant.
“I’m fine, thank you,” I replied.
“Very good, then. I’ll be right with you.”
The women chatted on for another fifteen minutes or so until at last, Katy helped the woman put the finishing touches on what sounded like a cruise or some such. After seeing her customer out, Katy locked the front door to the office, drew the blinds and walked back towards me. The heels of her chunky wedges clopped along the linoleum floor as she neared.
