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Maggie’s eyes still brimmed with tears, but she tried to listen. “You really believe that?”
“I don’t just believe it. I know it. Like I said, I remember the whole sordid affair and I definitely recognized her once I got a good look at her.”
Her shoulders slumped. “I don’t know, Dani. Maybe it’s just as well...”
“It is not!” Dani exclaimed. “You promised you’d try, Mags. Give him a chance to explain it all himself.”
One rogue tear escaped Maggie’s eye, but she straightened her shoulders. “OK, fine. I’ll talk to him.”
Dani breathed out a sigh of relief. “He’s waiting for you in his office. I told him I’d come talk to you then send you in. Open mind, right?”
“Yeah, ok. Let me just clean up a bit.” After dabbing her eyes and reapplying some lipstick, Maggie slowly walked back to Zane’s office gripping her ubiquitous pink bag like a lifeline. She promised Dani she would try, but even if everything was exactly what her friend had told her, she still felt like there was no way she could measure up to the type of woman Zane clearly preferred.
Zane jumped when he heard the light knock on the door frame. He looked like he’d been wearing a hole in the carpet unable to sit still worrying about how Dani was doing with Maggie. He strode toward her quickly when he saw her but stopped short of touching her when he saw her face and posture. He could tell she’d been crying and was holding onto her bag so tightly her knuckles were white.
“Maggie,” he said, his hands held out in supplication. This seemed to be the only word he could push from his lips.
Her chocolate brown eyes still shone with pain as she surveyed him. She cleared her throat before she spoke. “I promised Dani I’d listen to your explanation. Is what Dani said true?”
Zane ran his hands over his jaw. “If she said Shawna was a girl I dated a couple of times that turned into a stalker, then yes. I swear Maggie, she showed up not five minutes before you got here. I still don’t even know what she wanted.” He took a chance and laid a hand on her shoulder. “And I really don’t care. I only care about you. Please, believe me.”
Maggie dropped her arms to her side and looked down. “I want to, Zane, I really do but...”
“What can I do, baby, to convince you? I’m not gonna lie. I dated a lot of girls like that before I met you but none of them meant anything to me. You’re the one I want, Maggie. Just you.”
Zane slowly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. He was relieved to feel her soften against him and her arms moved around his back, he let out a breath.
“I’m so sorry, Maggie. Sorry you were upset. I don’t ever want to do anything to upset you. You have to believe that.”
Maggie nodded against his chest. “I do. I’m, I’m sorry I overreacted.”
He pushed her back to look into her eyes. “No, I get it. It probably looked pretty bad. Shawna is good at setting things up to look bad. I know from experience.” He tipped her chin up with two fingers. “But, baby, you are the only one I want, I promise.” He lowered his mouth to brush hers, trying to put all his feelings for her into one kiss.
“Well, thank fuck!” They both jumped when they heard the exclamation from Dani in the doorway, then had to laugh at their friend’s indelicate exclamation.
“Dani! Mouth!” Maggie exclaimed but with a shy grin on her face.
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” her friend responded. “But I think it’s appropriate this time, don’t you?”
Maggie just buried her head in Zane’s chest again and held on tight.
