36. Noah
36
NOAH
“ W hat the hell are you doing here?”
I didn’t know Nia well, but her greeting felt very on-brand. After all, I’d shown up on her doorstep unannounced, right after my flight from seeing the Garrisons in Pittsburgh. June had gotten into my head, and I was about to take a chance to make things right. But first I needed some support.
“Hi, Nia. I was hoping we could talk.”
She stared at me as she yelled over her shoulder. “Hope, you’ll never guess who’s here.”
Hope joined her, and the pair stared at me like I was a bug they were too afraid to squash.
“We should invite him in,” she muttered to Nia out of the corner of her mouth.
Nia took a step backward and threw open the door. “Enter.”
I walked in and saw bags of groceries spread over the small table. I was just in time.
“Speak,” Nia demanded. “Maddy hasn’t wanted to talk about you, so maybe you can fill in the details. Because she’s friggin’ miserable, and we want to know what the hell you did to our friend.”
How could I be happy to hear that Maddy was miserable? Because I was. Maybe she was miserable without me ? It gave me hope so I pushed on.
“I’ve made some mistakes. With Maddy. Big ones. I want the chance to make things right with her because… well, the truth is it’s because I’ve learned I can’t live without her.”
They watched me for a beat, their faces blank until Hope broke first.
“Ohhhh, my heart,” she exhaled, fanning her watery eyes. “Are you serious?”
“I am. And I’d like to get your input, if possible. Do you think you could help me figure out the right way to approach her? That is, if you think it’s a good idea.”
I held my breath knowing the two women scanning me had an enormous amount of influence in Maddy’s life. If they didn’t believe in my quest, winning Maddy back was going to be much more challenging. But I wasn’t going to stop either way. First I’d make Maddy mine, and if I had to, I’d play the long game with her friends and eventually win them over too.
“Stay for dinner,” Nia said. “It’s Thursday. She’s going to be here in two hours.”
Would they feel manipulated if I admitted I’d timed my visit deliberately in the hopes of getting that invitation? Best not to risk it. “That’s right, it’s Family Dinner Night,” I said, playing innocent. “You’re sure you don’t mind if I stay?”
“You have to,” Hope said, grabbing my arm and dragging me toward the kitchen. “We’re behind and we need help. We’re making oven-roasted chicken with carrots and crispy potatoes. Put an apron on and get to work.”
I hadn’t cooked in years, but Nia and Hope were great bosses as we worked together to prep the meal. I did the dirty work handling the raw chicken while they chopped vegetables. I could see why Maddy loved them so much. Nia was the tough big-sister type with a heart of gold beneath her rough exterior, and Hope was a nurturer and cheerleader. I wished I could get to know Cassie better as well, but James had told me she was busy with new mom duties. I made a mental note to set up an appointment with my private massage therapist for her.
“You know this isn’t going to be easy,” Nia said as she swept the carrots on her cutting board into the pan. “She doesn’t want to talk about what happened between you two with us, which means it’s a huge deal. She’s usually an open book when we get together.”
“I know it’s going to be hard,” I agreed. “But I have no choice. I have to try to fix things.”
“What do you like about her, Noah?” Hope asked. “Tell us what makes her special to you.”
It was such a direct, personal question. I knew exactly what I appreciated about Maddy, but I’d never spoken the words out loud. It felt right, though, to explain to them exactly why I’d fallen for their best friend.
I leaned against the counter and crossed my arms as I considered how to put my overwhelming feelings into words. “There’s so much to appreciate about Maddy, aside from the obvious. I mean, she’s absolutely stunning. But that’s not what matters most to me. She’s got this… effervescent happiness around her. Like her own personal bubble of joy that spreads to everyone who gets near her. I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve actually watched grumpy as hell football players turn into puppy dogs around her. And the woman knows how to check me. Not many people are brave enough to do that. Like, if she thinks I’m heading in the wrong direction during a client meeting she gives me this look, and I immediately understand I need to reconsider my pitch. That takes guts.”
“That’s our girl,” Nia said proudly. “She’s not afraid of anything.”
“Exactly,” I agreed. “Her approach to life is devouring it with a smile. Everything is an adventure. She made me feel like a kid again, you know? I hadn’t realized how stagnant my life was until she burst into it with all of her chatter and laughter.”
“Maddy is sunshine,” Hope said, and I knew exactly what she meant.
Nia’s mouth finally twisted into a smile. “Okay, you pass. We’ll help you get her back.”
I didn’t realize I’d been waiting for some vote of confidence from them, but now that Nia had granted it, I felt like the first major hurdle had been cleared.
“Set the table,” she continued, pointing at a stack of plates and silverware.
I think they both liked bossing me around. Maybe it was a little payback for all the times I’d stolen their friend away. I got to work while they plotted their approach.
“Wine, Noah?” Hope called from the kitchen.
“Yeah, I could use some liquid courage.”
She brought out an overfull glass of red as I finished up. “Can you take care of the music too? I’m sick of our playlists.”
It was perfect. Maddy had compiled a playlist of all the songs we’d encountered during our Europe trip, from sexy bossa novas to quaint French waltzes. There was no better soundtrack to have playing in the background as I tried to win her back.
“Can you come check this bird?” Nia demanded. “I always get nervous that it’s not done.”
I wandered in and took over for her, slicing into the chicken right as someone pounded on the door.
“Maddy’s here,” Hope laughed. “Everyone on our floor can tell when she arrives.”
My heartbeat sped up. This was the moment. Would Maddy stay to share a meal with us? With me ?
“I’m going to keep slicing,” I said, happy to have a chore. “I’ll be out in a minute.”
Hope gave me an understanding nod. “We’ll soften her up for you, don’t worry.”
The window between the kitchen and the rest of the apartment allowed me to hear what was being said without being seen. It wasn’t like I wanted to eavesdrop, but I did want to give Maddy the opportunity to decide if she wanted to stay without me being in her face.
“What song is this?” I heard her ask.
It was one of the slow, moody songs from our night on the boat.
“New playlist,” I heard Nia say. “I think you’re going to like it.”
I stayed out of sight as she unpacked her bag. “Who set the table? It looks weird.”
I laughed quietly. Okay, so I wasn’t used to doing it. I usually had staff to take care of it for me. I couldn’t remember which side of the plate the knife was supposed to go on, so I’d decided to get creative by crossing the forks and knives on the plates instead of putting them alongside where they belonged.
Nia and Hope made noncommittal noises.
“What’s going on? You two are acting weird.” She paused when I accidentally hit the lid from the pot and made it clatter. “And who’s in the kitchen? Cassie’s still recovering, it can’t be her.”
Hope started to explain as Maddy burst into the kitchen. She froze when she saw me standing there in a frilly apron with an oversized knife in my hand.
“ You .”
My beautiful, broken, perfect Maddy looked even more gorgeous than I thought possible. She could make a simple white t-shirt and jean shorts look better than a ballgown. I swallowed the lump in my throat to find the words I hoped would get her to stay.
“Hi Maddy. I hope you don’t mind. Your friends invited me for dinner, but I can leave if you prefer. Or you can. But I really hope we can talk.”
She stood there, silent, eyes saucer-sized, like she couldn’t believe it was really me.
“What…” she turned to glance between Nia and Hope. “Did you guys do this?”
Hope shook her head. “He did.”
The room went quiet as we waited for Maddy to make the call.
“That’s fine,” she finally answered, wearing a half-frown. “It’s dinner time, you need to eat.”
It wasn’t exactly a resounding welcome, but it was a start. She hadn’t kicked me out. I’d take it.
“Why don’t you guys take the potatoes and veg to the table, and I’ll bring out the chicken once I finish slicing?”
Maddy continued staring at me as she reached over and grabbed the bottle of wine and a glass. I could hear the bottle glugging rapidly as she walked out of the room filling her glass.
Thankfully, the meal was delicious, so we focused on that to ease the tension in the room. I told them about the time a famous French chef had given me a cooking lesson, and how I’d used some of his techniques to make the chicken. Maddy didn’t say much as we ate, and it became obvious I’d have to be the one to drag some conversation out of her.
“Maddy, Nia and Hope told me that you’ve been doing some writing. They said it’s quite good.”
She blushed as she glanced at her friends. “They’re just being nice.”
“I am not nice, you should know that by now,” Nia protested. “I love you but I’m not afraid of being your first reality check, got it? And the fact is, your stories are incredible. You made me cry!”
Nia didn’t seem like the crying type. I was intrigued.
“May I ask what you’re writing about?”
Maddy had been avoiding looking at me during the meal, but she flicked her eyes up at me. “It’s just some sports stories.”
“Please go on.”
“She wrote about Jan and Jakub Mingazow, and it’s so tender,” Hope said. “It’s like a love story about brothers.”
I knew a little about the pair, but I was sure Maddy had uncovered a treasure trove of intel on them. It was what she did. And to hear she could also translate it to the page was a revelation that didn’t exactly surprise me.
“What are you going to do with your stories?” I asked. I had tons of connections in publishing. I could snap my fingers and get her a six-figure book deal, but it wasn’t my place to interfere.
“I’m not sure. I have a few more leads I’m chasing down, but the book is nearly done. I’ll make a decision once I type the words ‘the end.’”
“Does it have a title?” I asked, leaning forward so she would feel my eyes on her. It was like she couldn’t bear to look at me.
“Yes. I’m calling it The Game of Life: Stories from the Sidelines ,” she said shyly.
“Ooh, I love that,”’ Hope exclaimed.
“It’s perfect,” Nia agreed. “And when you’re done, the rest of the world will get to read your magic.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” she answered as she fiddled with her utensils. “Anyway, enough about me. Anyone have any new Cole pictures to share?”
The discussion quickly shifted to baby news, so I took it upon myself to start clearing away the dishes.
“Noah, you don’t have to do that,” Hope said, catching my arm. “You already helped cook—you don’t need to clean up, too.”
I shook my head. “You guys catch up; I’ll get the dishes started.”
I saw the three of them shoot each other looks as I left the room. Did I know how to load a dishwasher? No. Was I worried about accidentally breaking something? Yes.
But I was going to do everything I could to prove to Maddy that I was a man on a mission, even if it meant washing every dish in the place.