Chapter 11
A fter that, things were slightly different at work. It started with the next birthday party. Maggie did not take a piece of cake to Cam and try to lure him out. Instead he emerged from his office like a groundhog in February, tentatively, as if uncertain of his welcome. And with good reason. As soon as he entered the break room, conversation came to a standstill, except for Maggie who picked up where everyone left off.
“Hey, you made it, and you’re in time for cake. It’s LuAnn’s birthday,” she said, knowing he would have no idea who they were celebrating. “She loves chocolate, so it’s a triple fudge cake today.”
“Girl, I don’t love chocolate. I want to marry chocolate and have its baby,” LuAnn said.
Maggie cut Ridge a piece of cake and handed it over. “Happy birthday, LuAnn,” he said, smiling the megawatt smile that made everyone, including men, come to a complete standstill and ponder whether or not his teeth were real. They were, Maggie knew, making his freakishly brilliant smile even more extraordinary.
“Thanks, Mr. Ridge.” The usually outspoken LuAnn sounded tentative.
“It’s just Ridge,” Ridge said, but kindly. Conversation tried and failed to resume again, and he knew he had reached his max with the group. “I should get back. Thanks for the cake, Mags. Have a good day, y’all.” With another smile—toothless this time—he turned and went back to his office. Everyone waited until he was safely tucked away to speak .
“What was that about?” Ellen hissed in a whisper.
“Do you think he found religion?” Babs asked.
“I think he found something else, huh, Mags, ” Blue said and everyone turned to look at Maggie.
“Yeah, why did he call you that?” LuAnn asked.
“A lot of people call me that,” Maggie said.
“None of us do,” Blue said.
“That’s because I hate you all,” Maggie said. “Don’t be conspiracy theorists. I told you he’s a nice guy, and he seems to be trying to convey that. Take it for what it is.”
“And what was the ‘y’all’ about?” Ellen continued undaunted. “Is he trying to be folksy?”
“He’s southern,” Maggie said, and they all turned to look at her again.
“You’re joking,” Babs said.
“I thought southerners were supposed to be nice,” LuAnn said.
“He is nice,” Maggie told them. “In fact, I was kind of thinking of inviting him to join us at Barney’s next week.”
That suggestion was met with dead silence. “Because you have a vendetta against us or you simply want to kill all fun?” Blue asked.
“Give him a chance, pretty please. Wouldn’t it be nice to work in a place where you like your boss and everyone gets along?” Maggie said.
“Yes, but Heaven keeps rejecting my applications,” Blue said.
“Try, please. If it doesn’t work, he never has to come with us again. Please.” She clasped her hands and put them under her chin.
“Saying no to you is like kicking a bunny,” Babs said.
“I’ve kicked plenty of bunnies,” Ellen said. “I’m still a no. ”
Blue sighed. “Sorry, Ellen, you’re outvoted. Let’s have Satan try to join us for our super fun and relaxing after work outing next week. Hurray.”
“That’s the spirit,” Maggie said, and then spent another hour later that week trying to convince Ridge to show up.
“I will only go if we go together,” he said.
“You realize that’s going to notch up the awkwardness and speculation,” she said.
“Final offer,” he said.
“You are a stubborn old goat,” she said.
“And you’re fine, young nag,” he replied, pinching her waist.
“This must be how Reagan felt when he was trying to negotiate an end to the Berlin wall,” Maggie said.
“Would that make me east or west Germany?” he asked.
“What do you think, comrade?” she replied.
When the night in question arrived, she wasn’t sure who was more nervous, her or Ridge or her coworkers. “Why am I doing this? You already told me they hate me,” Ridge said.
“Because they don’t know you,” Maggie insisted. “This will give them a chance to see you outside of work.”
“Seeing your boss outside of work is like running into your teacher at the mall,” he said. “Horrendous.”
“It’s going to be fine,” Maggie said, reassuring them both.
“Maggie, do you want to walk in like this?” he asked, noting their joined hands.
“Good point,” she said, shaking free of his clasp. “How does that keep happening?”
“Because you can’t keep your hands off me,” he said .
“Like chicken pox,” she said and then pointed a finger at him. “Don’t touch me tonight. They’ll notice, and they’ll think it’s weird.”
“Which of us is the queen of affectionate gestures? You’re the one who’s touchy-feely. I keep my hands to myself like a normal, emotionally repressed man.”
She shook her head. “You touch me first every single time, all the time. I’m beginning to wonder if it’s some kind of OCD obsession for you to have your hands on my person.”
“And then you wake up and realize you’re the one who touches me,” he said.
“Compulsive liar says what?” Maggie muttered.
“I don’t know, you tell me, Touchy McFeelington.” He poked her arm.
“You just did it, right there,” she said, pointing to the place he had poked her.
“Video or it didn’t happen,” he said.
“I swear sometimes it’s like being with my little brother,” she said.
He frowned, not liking the comparison. It was bad luck the frown landed as they reached the table of coworkers. “Hey, guys,” Maggie said with forced calmness and good cheer.
The table looked up collectively and froze in uncertainty. “Hey,” Blue said at last. “Welcome.”
“Thanks,” Maggie said. She sat. Ridge sat beside her. He was being quiet, which she knew meant he was assessing the mood while also scanning the room for danger and making note of the exits. But to the waiting crowd of coworkers it looked a whole lot like grumpy disapproval. “What were you guys talking about?”
“Eagles.”
“Did someone see an eagle?” Maggie asked, excited .
Blue put his hand on hers and gave it a pat. “Babycakes, not eagles, the Eagles, as in Philadelphia.”
“Who likes the Eagles?” Ridge said, tuning in at the mention of football. He leaned forward and rested his hands on the table beside Maggie’s forcing Blue to withdraw his hand or risk touching fingers with his boss.
“The guy from Philadelphia,” Blue said. “Don’t tell me you like the Redskins.”
“Pfft,” Ridge said. “I like the only team in America, the Cowboys.”
“And you’re willing to admit that?” Blue said.
“I haven’t hit a man in a while, but I’m not opposed to it, Blue,” Ridge said, and everyone “ooohed.”
“And I haven’t hacked anyone’s credit report in a while, but I’m not opposed to it, Ridge,” Blue said.
“And I haven’t had anything to eat since lunch, and I’m starving,” Maggie said.
“Where’s the waitress?” Ridge asked, looking around.
“You order at the bar,” Babs said.
“Did you guys already order?” Maggie asked.
“We’re starving, too,” Blue said, nodding.
Maggie started to stand, but Ridge put a hand to her shoulder. “I’ll get it.” She watched him walk away. When she turned back around, everyone was staring at her.
“What?” she asked.
“We get it now,” Blue said.
“Get what?” she asked.
“You guys are a thang ,” LuAnn said.
“We are not a thang. We’re not even a thing. We’re pals.”
“You came together,” Babs said.
“We live five minutes from each other,” Maggie said .
“See, that’s another thing. None of us has any idea where he lives, or that he’s from the south, or if he sleeps or blinks or makes blood sacrifices in his office, or anything else about him. But you seem to be a fount of information,” Blue said.
“I’m a research librarian. I research,” Maggie said.
“Before, I would have bought that because we all assumed you had a one-sided crush going on. But it’s not one-sided, is it?” Blue insisted.
“There’s no side because there’s no crush. We’re friends, that’s all.”
“No, no, no,” Babs said. She pointed between herself and Blue. “We’re friends. You and Ridge are a whole other level.”
“Guys, come on. Have you seen him?” Maggie said.
“Have you seen you?” LuAnn said.
“Don’t tell me we’re going to have to give you a self-esteem intervention,” Blue said. “That’s so sad.”
“I don’t have low self-esteem, I simply see reality. He dates supermodel types. Besides, it doesn’t matter anyway because he and I are friends, and that’s all. I solemnly swear.” She held up her right hand.
“Are you saying the pledge?” Ridge asked as he returned with drinks. He set hers in front of her. “I got you regular Coke because they use grenadine to make their cherry, and I know you don’t like that.”
Across from them, Blue snickered into his hand while Babs faked a cough. “What’s up?” Ridge asked, looking at them askance.
“They think we’re a couple,” Maggie blurted.
“I can’t believe you tattled to Dad,” Blue hissed.
“Friends,” Ridge said, pointing between himself and Maggie. “Don’t you guys have friends of the opposite sex? ”
“We’re friends,” Blue said, pointing between himself, Babs, and LuAnn. “But watch this, hey, guys, what do I want to drink tonight?”
“No earthly idea,” Babs said.
“Couldn’t tell you if you paid me,” LuAnn agreed.
“Hmm,” Blue said. Maggie winced, waiting for Ridge to blow up, but he surprised everyone by laughing.
“We’re good friends,” he said.
“How come none of us knew that?” Blue asked.
“Because you’re woefully unobservant and self-absorbed?” Ridge guessed.
“He’s got us there,” Blue agreed, taking a sip of his drink. “How long have you been good friends?”
“Hmm,” Ridge said, eyeing Maggie. “Forever, maybe.”
“Did you know each other before?” Babs asked.
“Before what? The earth began?” Ridge asked.
“Before we all started working together,” LuAnn clarified.
“Some,” Maggie said. There was no need to tell them she had only met Ridge when he recruited her, and that they had formed an almost immediate connection. They might find it weird. She found it weird.
“So, you’re like friends outside of work,” Blue said.
“Why is this so shocking to everyone?” Ridge said. He hugged Maggie, pressing his cheek to hers. “Best friends, yes. Do stuff outside of work, yes. Romance, no. Love her to pieces, yes. In love with her, no.” He kissed her cheek and let her go.
Babs poked Blue. “Why don’t you do cute stuff like that with me?”
“Because if I tried to touch you like that you would rip my cheek off with your bare teeth,” Blue said .
“Do you have a girlfriend?” LuAnn asked tentatively. It was clear they were testing the limits, trying to figure out how casual and comfortable they could be with Ridge.
Ridge paused before answering, as if wondering the same thing. “No,” he said at last.
“And we know Maggie’s not dating anyone,” Blue said.
“What’s that supposed to mean? I could be dating someone,” she said.
“Are you?” he asked.
“No, but I could.”
“Have you gone on one date since you’ve been here?” Babs asked.
“I…shut up,” Maggie said. “Dating is hard. Where am I going to meet someone? On the train? The only eligible man on my commute picks his nose and eats it.”
“Can you get his number for me?” Babs asked.
The food arrived and conversation paused while everyone began to eat. Maggie picked the olives off her pizza and gave them to Ridge while he gave her his breadstick and dipping sauce. When they looked up, everyone was watching them.
“What now?” Maggie snapped.
“Nothing, it’s cute,” Babs said.
“My parents do that same thing. Of course they’ve been married for forty years, but whatever,” Blue said.
“One more observation about our relationship, and you’re all fired,” Ridge said. Everyone laughed and resumed eating, but the look Blue gave Maggie told her the ridicule was far from over.
The remainder of the night was upbeat and fun. Eventually everyone left until only Ridge and Maggie remained. They had purposely waited so they wouldn’t be observed walking to his car together .
“How do you feel? It went well, don’t you think? I think this evening humanized you, in their view,” Maggie said.
“Maybe,” he agreed.
“You maintained your bossness while letting the stench of the little people touch you,” she said.
“Some people stunk more than others. What was their obsession with us? How many times did we tell them we’re not a thing?” he asked. His arm was around her chair, his fingers skimming her back.
“I know, right?” She was turned toward him, resting both hands on his thigh. “It was so annoying. I told you we should have come separately.”
“Who cares? It’s over now and I’m sure eventually they’ll let it go. Your place or mine?”
“Mine, I need to be with the dog,” she said.
“You love your dog more than me,” he pouted.
“In his defense, I knew him first,” she said. She squeezed his leg. “Let’s go, I’m exhausted.”