Chapter 10
Chapter 10
I n the morning, he had regrets. Usually in the rare event one of them stayed over at the other’s house, they either took separate ends of the couch or one took the couch while whichever homeowner it was slept in his or her own bed. This morning they woke up twined together, her fully in his arms like a lover’s embrace. Ridge broke out in a cold sweat because, as he reviewed their relationship, he began to believe Maggie was in love with him and he had somehow missed it. How could she not be with all the time they’d spent together? Worse, he began to wonder if she believed he was in love with her. Did she view their friendship differently than he did? He began to feel the same choking sense of panic he always did when it came time to define his relationship with a woman. Had he been na?ve in his behavior toward Maggie, fully believing she was immune to him? She was a woman, and women were different than men. After so much time, attention, talking, and laughter, how could any woman help falling in love with him?
He was pondering how to make a quick escape when Maggie woke up, her face a mere two inches from his. “Well, this is new,” she said. She extricated herself from him and sat up. “Do you want breakfast?”
“Um,” he said, searching for a handy way to say no without hurting her feelings.
“I kind of need to talk to you about something, so if you can stay, that would be great,” she said.
“All right,” he said, a sinking feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach.
Smiling, she patted his cheek. “I need to see to Sam, and then I’ll get started.”
“’Kay,” he said, forcing a smile. No, no, no, no, no. Yesterday he thought he had ruined their friendship, and now Maggie was about to ruin it for certain. How did one handle hearing a love confession from a best friend? “I want to keep you in the friend zone,” lacked finesse as an answer.
He used her shower as she cooked, mostly as a way to avoid her. Her toiletries smelled just like her. Normally that would have made him smile. Today it made him sad. Would things change forever after this? He hoped not. He loved Maggie as he had loved few people in his life. She was too important to lose. Maybe that was what he would tell her.
“Thanks for letting me use your shower,” he said as he emerged into the kitchen.
“As long as you didn’t use my underwear, we’re golden,” she said, and he smiled. Her back was to him as she finished flipping omelets, and her hips wiggled slightly as she jostled the pan. He smiled wider, enjoying the view, as well as the fact that she was a good cook. Occasionally when neither felt like going out, they stayed in and she cooked supper. He had never told her those were the nights he liked the best because it reminded him of home. Everything about Maggie felt like home.
She plated the food and poured the juice and coffee. He sat by feeling inept compared to her usefulness. Though if he were being honest, he liked it when she took care of him. She waited to speak until he had a bite of food in his mouth.
“Cam, I need to tell you something, and it’s a little awkward. So I’m going to preface it by saying I hope it won’t change anything between us,” she said.
“If you’re afraid it will change things, maybe you shouldn’t say anything,” he said.
“I’ve struggled with it for a while, believe me. I vowed not to bring it up, but last night something changed, and now it feels like the elephant in the room.”
“Maggie,” he began, desperate to stop her confession of love, but he was too late.
“Cam, no one likes you,” she blurted.
He blinked at her, trying to make sense of her words. “What?”
“That came out more blunt than I meant because I’m nervous, but the essence is true. No one at work likes you. They think you’re an ogre.”
He waved her words away, smiling with unfathomable relief. “No one likes their boss.”
She put her hand on his. “Cam, they call you Satan. There are rumors you’re some kind of reptile because you’re there before everyone, leave after everyone, and no one has ever seen you eat or drink or use the bathroom.”
“I’m sincerely glad no one has ever seen me use the bathroom,” he said.
“This is serious. It’s affecting morale. People are looking for other jobs.”
He scowled. “Which people?”
“I’m not going to tell you so you can ream or fire them,” she said, exasperated.
“Then why are you telling me?”
“Because you’re great, and I want everyone to know it,” she yelled, tossing her hands up in exasperation. “You’re the best boss I’ve ever had, but I’m the only one in the office who thinks that. Everyone else says the opposite.”
“Maggie, honey, I don’t need to be liked,” he said, squeezing her hand.
“But you need to be effective, and I am telling you as a friend and an employee you’re not right now. People are so terrified to make a mistake that it’s stifling performance and productivity.”
He withdrew his hand, blinking.
“I don’t like telling you these things, they hurt me. They’re awkward and uncomfortable to say. But I’m doing it because I know to the essence of my core that you are capable of being an amazing leader. But your volatile, angry displays are holding you back.”
“I don’t agree with you,” Ridge said, beginning to get well and truly angry. Maggie stood and put her hands on his shoulders in a desperate attempt to preempt his anger and get her point across.
“You are one of my closest friends in the world, so please believe me that I’m saying what I’m about to say with all the love in my heart: you’re a jerk sometimes. It hurts me to see people dislike you so, and it hurts me to see you abuse my other friends at work.”
“You have other friends?” he asked, sliding her onto his lap.
“Yes, I’ve been friend cheating on you,” she said, and he smiled a little.
“The thing is, I was raised to believe there should be a distinction between bosses and employees,” he said.
“I wholeheartedly agree with you,” she said.
“You know you’re saying that unironically while my hand is literally on your thigh,” he said.
“We’re non-binary, but for everyone else, yes. I’m not saying you have to have a game of catch with them. Poke your head out from your hidey-hole once in a while and mingle. Come to a birthday celebration, give a pat on the back for a job well done, stop making people sob in the bathroom. They’re leaving puddles on the floor, and it’s a hazard. And maybe, just maybe, come out with us some evening like a regular human instead of a disciplined machine.”
He rested his forehead on hers. “I will consider it.”
“That’s all I’m asking,” she said. “By the way, your hand is still very much on my thigh.”
“Is it? Fascinating,” he said, giving her thigh a squeeze.
“You’re a different kind of boss.”
“This is how I mingle,” he said.
“Blue is in for a big surprise come Monday,” she said. He laughed and her phone buzzed. “I have to take this, sorry.” She slid off his lap and answered her phone. All of her family was gathered around her sister’s phone.
“Hey, Maggie,” they called.
“Happy birthday, Dad,” she said. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there.”
“We missed you,” her older brother, Johnny said, pushing his way into the camera’s view.
“I missed you, too. I miss you always,” Maggie said.
“I love you,” Johnny said.
“I love you, too,” Maggie said, blowing him kisses. She had three siblings. Her oldest, Johnny, had Down syndrome.
“Where were you last night? We tried to call,” her mother asked.
“I had a thing,” she replied. “Sorry.”
“Did you have to work?” her dad asked.
“No, but my boss is here. Want to say hi?” she asked. Behind her, Ridge was shaking his head furiously.
“Sure,” her family agreed. Maggie turned the phone toward him. “This is Ridge.”
“Hi,” her family called, except her little sister, Amelia who practically trampled everyone in her haste to get closer to the phone.
“Holy crap,” Amelia called.
“Amelia, language,” their mother said.
“Is he for real?” Amelia asked.
“Don’t encourage him,” Maggie said. Ridge smiled and Amelia actually gasped.
“You have pretty teeth,” Johnny called.
“Thank you,” Ridge said.
“Is he single?” Amelia blurted.
“Gross, Mom, why does she say stuff like that?” their middle brother, Darren, said.
“Amelia, control yourself,” her mother said.
“Mom, look at him,” Amelia said, pointing.
“He’s single, but he has issues,” Maggie said.
“I don’t have issues,” Ridge argued.
“More issues than People magazine,” Maggie added in a loudly whispered aside.
“You are in for such a beating when you hang up that phone,” Ridge whispered, and her family laughed.
“We’ll not keep you honey, we wanted to check in and tell you we miss you,” her mom said.
“I miss you, too. I’ll call again soon.”
“Sounds good. Goodbye, and goodbye, Ridge. Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you,” Ridge echoed waving.
“I love you,” Johnny said.
“I love you,” Maggie replied.
“I love you, too,” Amelia added. “And I was talking to Ridge.”
“Mom,” Darren complained, “Make her stop.”
“Amelia, act like a lady,” her mother said before she pushed the button to disconnect. Maggie sat staring at the blank phone for a minute in silence.
“Are you going to make it?” Ridge asked.
She nodded.
“Good.” He put her in a headlock. “How could you tell your family I have issues?”
“Because you have issues,” she said, struggling free of his grasp.
“I do not have issues,” he said.
“Tell me the truth. When I told you I needed to talk to you this morning and you got that panicked look, as if you were searching for a way to gnaw off your own foot to make an escape, were you afraid I was about to confess my passionate love for you?”
“I hate when you read me like that,” he said.
She poked him. He batted her hand away.
“Fine, but only because I don’t want to lose the good thing we’ve got going here,” he said.
She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, letting her lips brush his. “But, Cam, what if the good thing we’ve got going could be even better?”
He froze. “I…”
She let him go and pulled back with a smile. “Kidding.”
“I cannot believe you did that,” he said when his tongue finally dislodged from the roof of his mouth.
“Play with fire, enjoy the burn,” she said. She licked her finger and touched it to his shoulder, making the “tss” sound of a fire being doused.
“You’re ridiculous,” he said.
“Players gonna play, baby. You want another omelet?”
“Yes.” He handed her his plate. She stood and prepared another omelet while he sat back and enjoyed the hip wiggle she had no idea she was doing. All in all, it was a perfect Saturday morning.