Your Room or Mine?

Eleven

On Tuesday evening, Maddie walked the short distance from the MARTA train station to her midtown condo, relieved that the long day was over. She couldn’t wait to peel off her suit, slip on her comfy pj’s, plop herself in front of the TV, and drown her sorrows in the half gallon of rocky road ice cream waiting in her freezer. Her common sense knew there wasn’t enough rocky road on the planet to make her forget Jack, but the misery eating at her insisted she at least try.

Jack. He hadn’t been out of her thoughts for a moment. Partly because she was completely furious with him. She still seethed at the way he’d wrongly assumed the contents of her report to Gavin. But he’d also haunted her thoughts, because as galling as it was to admit, she cared for him. A lot. Too much. She didn’t want to, had tried to talk herself out of it, but it was no use. In a shockingly short period of time he’d tattooed himself on her heart.

Last night, during a rocky-road marathon, she’d calmed down, and when she’d thought things through, realized that Jack clearly hadn’t read the report she’d written. Since Gavin had insisted he cut the department, she grudgingly had to admit that it wasn’t totally offbase for Jack to conclude that her report had recommended downsizing. Of course, she was pissed that he hadn’t asked her or given her the benefit of the doubt before letting the accusations fly. He definitely owed her an apology.

Yet, after a sleepless night and difficult day, she’d concluded that she also owed him one. She’d been enraged, deeply hurt, and mortified at the possibility that he’d slept with her to influence her report. But when she recalled his face when she’d asked him, he’d looked positively stunned, then unmistakably hurt. Looking back, she could clearly see that her question had shocked him and she knew, in her heart, without a doubt, that she’d been wrong to doubt him.

Which left her with an aching sense of loss eating at her and a need to apologize. Which was why she’d spent her lunch hour at the Hallmark store, searching for the perfect card to send him. She’d finally found it and had written him a short note and included her phone number. When she arrived home she’d look up his address, slap a stamp on the envelope, and hope for the best. Maybe he would call. She prayed he would. Because if he didn’t she’d have to check herself into rocky road rehab.

She turned the corner and her footsteps faltered-at the sight of Jack, sitting on the cement steps leading to her condo.

She halted and blinked, certain he was merely a figment of her Jack-saturated mind. But no, there he was. He caught sight of her and immediately stood.

She hesitated, then raised her chin and resumed walking, assuming an outward calm she was far from feeling. Part of her-the half that missed him-wanted to run to him and throw her arms around him. The other part-the half that was still pissed off-wanted to smack him upside his head with her purse.

As she approached the steps, she noticed he held a bouquet of lavender roses. Obviously a peace offering. Her missing-him half heaved a gushy sigh. Her pissed-off half stuck its nose in the air. He didn’t speak until she’d climbed the steps and stood next to him on the small porch. Then he cleared his throat and offered a tentative smile. “Hi. I’m Jack Walker.”

Her heart performed a rolling maneuver, one her pissed-off half steeled itself against. “Yes, I know. What do you want, Jack?”

“I was hoping we could talk. And I wanted to give you these.” He held out the flowers. “The florist told me flowers mean different things. I asked him if he had any that meant ‘I was an ass and I’m really sorry, can you forgive me?’ and he said no. Which I think is too bad and some horticulturist somewhere really should invent a flower that says exactly that.”

“No doubt it would be a big seller,” Maddie said dryly.

“No doubt. I for one would have bought out his stock. But the closest he had were these lavender roses, which he said stood for sorrow. Which I have plenty of. And why they’re for you.”

Her heart tossed a great big bucket of cold water on her pissed-off half, which melted like the Wicked Witch of the West. Before she could say anything, he moved the flowers closer to her. “Please take them. If for no other reason than they’ll have a much better life with you than they will with me. I don’t know how to take care of them. Hell, I don’t even have a container to put them in.”

“You mean a vase.”

“Right. So take pity on the poor flowers.”

Unable to resist the gorgeous blooms, she accepted the bouquet. Their fingers brushed, shooting a tingle up her arm. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Maddie, can we go somewhere and talk?”

She buried her nose in the gorgeous flowers. She’d wanted an apology and she’d gotten one. A really nice and sweet one, and an obviously sincere one. Her heart heaved out another gushy sigh.

“You can come in,” she said, pulling out her key. As they walked down the hallway she asked, “How did you know where I lived?”

“A very useful device called the phone book. You should try it. Look me up. I’m listed under Doofus Who Jumps to Conclusions.”

She bit the insides of her cheeks to hide the smile tugging at her lips. After they entered her condo, she led him into the kitchen. While she filled a crystal vase with water then arranged the flowers, she noted him looking around with interest.

“Nice place. Very homey.”

“Thanks. I bought it last year.” She dried her hands then leaned against the counter. “So what do you want to talk about?”

“Yesterday. In case you haven’t gotten it yet, I’m really sorry. I hadn’t seen your report, but my conversation with Gavin led me to believe you’d recommended not only that the department be downsized by twenty-five percent, but that you’d suggested who should be cut. I didn’t find out until this morning that you’d actually recommended no cuts be made.”

“I tried to tell you yesterday, but-”

“But I wasn’t listening. I was angry and hurt and I spoke without thinking.” He studied her for several seconds, then said quietly, “Thank you for taking my side.”

“You need to know that I wouldn’t have if I didn’t believe you were right. My report was in no way swayed by us sleeping together.”

“Speaking of which…” His gaze searched hers. “Do you honestly believe I slept with you to influence that report?”

She shook her head. “No, I don’t, and I owe you an apology.” She reached into her purse and pulled out the card she’d bought. “I was going to mail this to you, but since you’re here…”

Without a word he took the card from her. On the front was a picture of a map and a compass. He opened it and she watched him read the short note she’d penned on the blank inside. I don’t need a map and a compass to figure out I was wrong. I’m sorry-I know you didn’t sleep with me to influence the report. She’d added her phone number and signed it. There was much more she’d wanted to say, but in the end had decided to keep it short and sweet. However, based on the silence swelling between them, that might not have been the wisest choice.

She cleared her throat. “I’m, ah, a woman of few words.”

He finally looked up from the note. “That’s okay. they’re the right words.”

Relief filled her and she pulled one of the lavender roses from the vase and held out the bloom to him. “Just to be totally clear-this means ‘I was an ass and I’m really sorry, can you forgive me?’ ”

He smiled and took the flower. “Forgiven.”

And with that single word, the fog of hurt and angst engulfing her lifted.

“Did Gavin asking for a replacement cause any problems for you at Lazer Consulting?” he asked.

“No. It’s not unusual for consultants and executives to clash. I’ve already started on a new project. What about you-did you really give your two weeks’ notice?”

“Yes. But then after discovering you’d left and that Gavin had led me down the garden path about your report I changed my mind and resigned effective immediately.”

Maddie blinked. “Immediately?”

“I am no longer Java Heaven’s CFO.”

“So downsizing your department really was a deal breaker for you. You stood by your convictions, and it cost you your job.”

“Well, I don’t intend to remain unemployed for long. I’ve been thinking since I walked out Java Heaven’s door and I’ve come up with a plan. Maybe you’d like to hear about it?” He set his rose on the counter then reached for her hands. “Maybe over dinner?”

Her heart sped up, both by the invitation and the warmth of his hands engulfing hers. “Are you asking me for a date?”

“Yes. Are you accepting?”

To her mortification, her throat slammed shut and hot tears pushed behind her eyes. Unable to speak, she nodded.

There was no missing the profound relief that filled his gaze. He cupped her face between his hands and lowered his head. Their kiss felt like a homecoming after a long, long trip. When he raised his head, she said, “I’ve been absolutely miserable since you walked out of my office yesterday.”

“Me, too.” He brushed his thumbs over her cheeks and looked at her through very serious eyes. “I think we have something special here, Maddie. I’d like to see where it goes. What do you think?”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled. “Nice to meet you, Jack Walker. I’m Maddie Price. And I’d very much like to see where it goes.”