Valentine's Day

Chapter 6

Brian tried hard to focus on the meeting occurring in front of him after he returned to the conference room but it was hard. His glance kept coming back to Maddie who was trying her best to avoid him. Even now as Larry had her taking some meeting notes right across from him, she kept her gaze on her notepad or to the left of him where Matt was steadily explaining the terms that he and Brooks had come up with. Brian should probably be interested but he wasn't. Not that he didn't like Brooks. Brooks was a kick ass musician and a genuinely nice guy but he wasn't Jimmy. Jimmy was irreplaceable and Brian missed him like hell. It had actually been after his death that Brian had gone on tear...drinking more he needed to...sleeping with a girl or girls in every city. Fighting Michelle at every turn as she tried to help him with his grief. Eventually she'd gotten tired and moved on with some advertising exec she met in Los Angeles. It was only then that Brian realized he needed to swear off all his vices and get his head out of his ass. 

He shook his head to clear the thoughts and return his focus to the people in front of him. But when he looked up, he found Maddie staring at him with a curious expression on her face. She blushed a little at getting caught and quickly looked back down at her notebook. It was so cute that Brian couldn't help but chuckle a little. He grabbed his plate of uneaten food and moved to throw it away.

He smiled automatically at the cute little intern who reached out to take his trash. "I'll get that Mr. Haner."

"Brian," he said quickly "Please call me Brian. And you're...Tess...right?"

Her blue eyes beamed and a blush reached her cheeks at his recognition. "Yes it is. Wow, I just have to say..you are...amazing."

It was Brian's turn to blush but it was short lived as he was distracted by Maddie rising from her seat to join Liza. "Thanks...really...I appreciate it especially coming from someone as pretty as you are." 

She seemed excited but then a frown took over her face. "I'm just so surprised you noticed. I mean you've never...."

What did she mean? "Of course...I did," he said "I just never had the chance to say anything." And Maddie was never around to get  reaction from, he added in his mind. 

Zacky shook his head as he walked by them to grab another soda from the table. 

"Wow, I have to admit, I hoped you'd want to talk to me but I didn't think you ever would...you know...you being gay and all."

A thud hit the table as Zacky dropped his can. Brian's dark eyebrows crashed together. "Gay? Where did you hear that? That's not fucking true."  Where did that rumour come from?

Zacky was having trouble containing his laughter.

Tess seemed to realize her error. She looked frightened as everyone at the table focused their attention on the commotion. "Well..I never actually thought you were  gay, I was just repeating what Maddie said.."

Maddie looked up in horror at her name being mentioned. "Me? Wait...What? What did I do?"  

"You're the one who spread the rumour that Brian is gay?" Zacky asked

"Me? I did not!" Maddie replied glaring at Tess angrily.

"That's not what she said, Tess," Liza began to offer as Maddie remembered the conversation she'd had with Tess and Liza about the band member she was interested in. Fuck.

"Wait a minute. I didn't know who Tess was talking about. I'd never even met Brian." Maddie gaze immediately turned to Brian and the lift of his eyebrow called her a liar. "I swear. I didn't know she was talking about you. She was talking about one of the Avenged Sevenfold band members who was single that didn't give her the time of day, so yes, I may have suggested but I swear to GOD, I didn't even know who you were then.."
The look in his brown eyes repeated that he didn't believe her.
"That's not right, Madison," Larry chastised "You shouldn't start rumours about people you don't know."

"Oh my God, seriously?" she asked as the rest of the guys looked like they wanted to bust out laughing. 

"I'm so sorry, Bri," Larry offered.

Matt shook his head. "No need for apologies, Larry. It's an honest mistake."

"Exactly," Johnny chimed in. "I myself have suspected this all along. I mean look at how pretty he is."

Zacky resumed his seat next to Brooks and both men shook their head laughing.

"Still," Larry continued. "We didn't raise her to talk about people..let alone people she doesn't know."

"Oh my God," Maddie said as calmly as she could manage "I literally just explained..." she trailed off as all eyes focused on her. "You know what...okay...whatever. I didn't mean to. I didn't know she was talking about Brian but ok...I'm sorry."
This was crazy. She was being chastised for a rumour Tess had started. She wanted to slap Tess upside the head. Her gaze slowly moved back to Brian who was looking at her like he wanted to strangle her.

She didn't blame him.