Valentine's Day

Chapter 21

"Who buttered your muffin?"

Maddie turned to find her mother staring at her from across the breakfast table. Her eyes widened in response. "What?"

"You're humming."

A sigh of relief. "A person can't hum?" Maddie said before sipping her orange juice.

"Not unless there's something to hum about," her mother replied with a knowing smile.

Maddie bit the inside of her cheek to keep from being giddy even days later. She shouldn't have been smiling because she knew that night meant absolutely zero to Brian. After all, he rushed out of the guest house faster than you can say Avenged Sevenfold but the fact that they'd been intimate with her still made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. "I'm just in a good mood."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with Larry's client, would it?" her mother pressed.

"What? No, of course not," Maddie shook her head vehemently. "What would make you think that?"

"Oh, I don't know," her mother said in a sing song voice. "Maybe the fact that Larry said that he seems to have taken a liking to you. Larry actually thinks you like him too but won't admit it."

"He is handsome," Maddie admitted but tried not to gush. "But I know it wouldn't be good to mix business...."

"Why not?" he mom asked. "It's not like you're going to work with Larry forever."

"True but Larry probably wouldn't like it for the time being."

"It's a free country, you can date who you want."

Maddie shrugged and stabbed at her eggs with the fork. Sure she was free to date whoever she wanted. But after their night together, she was sure Brian wasn't interested in dating. And that was ok with her...or so she kept telling herself. She'd had more than a good time. And truth be told, there was freedom in a one-night stand. Freedom to be greedy and not worry about feelings or if he'd call again or any of the other things that went with building a relationship. Freedom to wake relaxed, with a smile on her face, and not wait around for a phone call. Sure she'd have to try to not walk around the office listening to voices just to hear the band walk in. She had to keep herself occupied so she didn't think about him as much as she had been...try not to make a fool of herself.

When Brian said thank you and ran out like the house was on fire, she knew he wasn't coming back for more. Oh, she knew he'd had a good time, but he hadn't asked to see her again, or even asked her for her number. She wasn't mad about it. She wasn't sad, okay maybe a little more than sad, but she couldn't be upset. She knew when he showed up on her door step that it was just about sex. He was feeling low because of his divorce and she was upset to be a bridesmaid. No strings.

She was free to do other things, as was he, but she didn't have anything to do. Being back home made it woefully clear that other than Liza, she had to start making friends in LA all over. For so long, she had let her friendships be about Mason's friends. She needed to change that. She needed to get out and make new friends. Yeah that was it. She needed to start focusing on the things she needed instead of the things she could never have...

Like Brian.
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On the last night of the Vegas trip, Brian found himself thinking about Maddie. Through a bunch of publicity and two great shows, he had managed to put her out of his mind but now that they were going back to reality, he had to face the consequences of his own stupidity.

He had clung to the idea that she wouldn't care...That she didn't mind being treated like a distraction. But now that he was going back to California and if he wanted to see her again, he had to figure out how to make amends.

Should he call? Or maybe text....yeah that was it...he'd text her. That way if she was angry, she'd either ignore him or spell out her angry words which would be less upsetting than her yelling at him.

So what should he say? Something sincere...like how much he enjoyed their evening together and maybe they should get together when he arrived back in town?

Or maybe should admit right off hand that his exit the other night wasn't his finest moment. And apologize. 

Or maybe a mixture of both.....yeah...that's what he'd do.

His long fingers typed out the words that popped into his head.  

He hit send before he lost his nerve.