Ready-Made Family

Chapter Twenty-One

        

Madison sat in her now cold car in front of the Haywood estate. She lost track of how long she had been sitting there in the mid afternoon glow but if she had her choice she would have continued to sit there all day. But it wasn't her choice. This meeting had been set up and against her will she was forced to be.

Of course, she supposed she could have stayed in her car all day but what good would that does her? If she wasn't at the meeting then the blackmailing would continue and she would still live in fear that her secret with Brandon would be discovered.

No, she had to go into that house.

She lifted down the sun visor to look in the mirror. If she was going to face that she believed she would then she was going to look like she ruled the world. She dabbed on a thin layer of red lipstick and gave her hair a little fluffing. She grabbed hold of her handbag and then with her head held high she exited the car and marched towards the house.

Without even knocking she entered and headed straight towards the kitchen. The confidence she held was nearly dripping off of her. She found Rebecca right where she expected to by the kettle making tea. If there was one place you can expect Rebecca to be it was making tea – especially with a guest coming.

"There you are Madison" Rebecca said looking up from the kettle when she heard the young woman's heels. "We started to get worried that you weren't going to come".

"I wouldn't miss this for the world" Madison forced out in a strong voice. Even through she felt as small as a bumblebee she need to hold on to whatever strength she had. She refused to let anyone see that she actually felt like crawling under a rock to hide – no she would show him with her head held high. She would show them that a bumblebee might be small but it sure can sting.

"Good" Rebecca handed her a tray with several different cookies and desserts on it "take this to the dinning room. I'll follow with the tea".

Madison did as she asked even through she was a little confused "we are serving him cookies and tea?" she asked the older woman who followed behind her.

"We find that it's easier to get our way when we butter somebody up" Rebecca answered setting her tray down and quickly bussing her with setting the table.

"And it's a great distraction" John said from behind as he sauntered into the room "the moment they bite into that deliciously distracting cookie we hit them with the hard stuff". He lifted a brief case onto the table; with his sharply pressed suit he looked as though he was ready for business "we have everything under control Madison. So don't you worry"?

"What is going to happen here exactly?" she asked nervously looking around the table.

"Well I don't like to pussy foot around anything – especially nothing like this" John said taking a seat at the head of the table "so we get right down to it. Demand that it stops. He'll give his demands and then we will counter with ours."

"It cant be that easy," Madison said sitting down on one side of the table.

"It wont is. But that's the basics of it. There is bound to be yelling and arguments, but we will get where we want to" John ensures her just in time for the doorbell to ring.

"I'll get it dear" Rebecca said in an overly cheerful voice. A pleasant but wicked smile was plastered on her lips as she sauntered towards the door.

Madison took several deep breaths but she couldn't relax. Her ears were on high alert. She heard the door opening and Rebecca's greeting. But she couldn't make out the deep male's answer. She listened to the footsteps down the hallway. The silence as even chatterbox Rebecca didn't say anything.