Chapter 12 #2
"Because he was scared what else you'd make disappear," Maggie said, and as they reached the bottom step, she burst out laughing. "Pity though, as if he had gotten you another hat, he could've blamed Linda's turtle, Shelley, dying on you, making that disappear too."
"Funny," Michael drawled, his heart doing flips in his chest, seeing Maggie laughing and teasing him so relaxed without the tension that had been building between them since they'd literally bumped into each other the other night.
"He did try and get me to buy her another one that looked exactly like Shelley before she realized the turtle was dead. "
They walked into the kitchen and Maggie turned on the light. "I want to wait up for Linda," she told him, changing the subject from his magic tricks. "I'm going to make some cocoa. Would you like a cup?"
"Yes, please," Michael accepted. "While you're making it, I'm just going to slip upstairs and have a quick shower."
"Sure," Maggie nodded. "Would you like something to eat? I'm going to make some popcorn. The kids ate the last two bowls I made."
"Don't tell Linda that," Michael warned.
"I wasn't planning on it," Maggie told him with a conspiratorial grin. "If you want to wait up with me..." She suddenly looked a little shy for a few seconds, and a soft pink flush heated her cheeks. "We could finish watching the movie."
"Yeah, that sounds good," Michael said without hesitation, and his heart skipped a beat. "Let me go shower, I won't be long."
He turned to go, but Maggie stopped him.
"Oh... Michael..." Maggie's soft voice made him turn.
His eyes locked onto hers, and they just stared at each other for a few moments.
Michael felt the pull towards her so strong that he had to force himself not to take a few steps forward.
Her eyes were dark with emotions, and then she spoke.
"What did happen to Salty? Uncle George would never tell us.
He's stuck to his story about the hat all these years. "
For a few seconds, Michael felt like he'd been physically slapped as the intense connection between them got broken by Maggie's mischievous question, and then a smile broke out on his lips.
That was Maggie. She could lull a person into a false sense of safety, then hit them with a tough question to get them off guard.
Michael had often told her she'd missed her calling as an attorney.
"I was sworn to secrecy by Uncle George," Michael answered with a smug smile. "All the torture in the world wouldn't make me answer that question."
"Huh!" Maggie said with a few slow nods, folding her arms, and her eyes narrowing. "I'll get it out of you."
"You're more than welcome to try," Michael's voice dipped as the challenge became something else entirely. The teasing had slipped sideways into something deeper, and neither of them quite stepped back from it.
Maggie raised one eyebrow and held her ground. A slow, sultry smile curved her lips.
"Challenge accepted."
Michael came down the stairs twenty minutes later feeling refreshed. He’d changed into an old T-shirt and sweat pants. He found Maggie still making the cocoa and pulling the popcorn from the stove.
“Oh, you’re making the real kind,” Michael noted, his mouth watering at the aroma of the treat.
“Yes,” Maggie nodded, pouring the fluffy popped corn into a large bowl then putting the popcorn salt on it. “I don’t really like the microwave or bagged popcorn.”
“Unless it’s caramel corn,” Michael said, smiling as he remembered how much Maggie loved the stuff.
“Yeah, I do have a weakness for that kind,” Maggie admitted as she took the saucepan of cocoa from the stove and started pouring it into two big mugs. She walked to one of the cupboards and pulled out a bag of mini marshmallows. “Marshmallows?”
“Sure,” Michael accepted with a nod and when she was done, he took the bowl of popcorn while Maggie put their mugs onto a small tray.
They walked into the family room where the movie had been paused and took a seat on the sofa, close together with the bowl of popcorn between them. Maggie put the tray on the coffee table. She leaned over and took a cup before sitting back.
“I hope you like family comedies,” Maggie said.
“You know I do,” Michael answered with a smile.
They sat back and the conversation fell away as they watched the movie, sipping cocoa, and eating popcorn, both careful not to reach for the treat at the same time while their flirtatious challenge still hung in the air between them.
An hour later they had changed the movie.
The popcorn and cocoa was finished as they sat close together beneath a light blanket when he felt Maggie drift toward him and her head touched his shoulder.
He glanced down and found she was asleep.
He smiled, tucked the blanket around her and sat enjoying the feel of her leaning against him while he tried his best to concentrate on the movie.
It wasn’t long before the long day caught up with Michael and his head tilted touching Maggie’s as he too drifted off to sleep.
He was woken by the sound of a car pulling up the drive as the headlights lit up the room and dragged him from his dreams. He heard footsteps on the front stairs and realized his sister must be home.
He yawned and it was not until he was about to stretch did he realize his arm was around someone and a head was pressed against his chest. Michael didn’t move at first. His breath caught in his throat when he realized somewhere in the past hour they had moved in their sleep curling into each other.
Voices near the front door had Maggie stirring as she mumbled. “Linda’s home.”
She went to stretch. Her hand sliding along his chest and he felt the moment she realized where she was as she froze.
His head tilted down and hers up towards him.
Their shocked eyes met and they looked at each other in the soft, dim light of the family room.
Before he could stop himself he felt his head move towards hers.
Maggie tilted her head back slightly, moving towards him.
Maggie's breath caught. "Michael," she whispered, throatily.
"Maggie," Michael said, just as softly, answering her call as he leaned in closer.
The voices on the porch faded into the dim light of the family room as their lips touched.
Michael's arm reached out to pull her closer as the front door snapped open. The sound wasn’t loud but to them it sounded like a gunshot that brought them to their senses and they sprang apart like guilty teenagers getting caught by their parents.
They jumped up off the sofa then nearly collided as they headed toward the door to greet Linda.
Buddy, who had been sleeping by Michael’s feet gave them a weird doggy look before sprinting around the two weird acting humans to go greet Linda.
“Hello, boy,” Linda’s voice echoed softly down the hallway.
Maggie and Michael stood looking at each other at the family room door. Still both dazed by what had just happened.
Michael cleared his throat and stepped back for Maggie to move out the door ahead of him.
"Hello?" Linda stopped when she saw her. "Are you still up?"
"I… uh…” Maggie cleared her throat.
Michael stepped out of the living room just then.
“Oh, hi, big brother. You’re up too?” Linda greeted him with a big smile.
“Yes, we were waiting for you and watching a movie,” Michael explained. The words poured out his mouth at a high speed. “Then we fell asleep and woke up now when we heard the car pulling into the driveway.”
“Yes, we were watching some Karate movie,” Maggie’s words came out just as fast as she started to over-explain. “I think all the popcorn and mugs of cocoa made me doze off.”
“Okay!” Linda said, frowning as she looked from Michael to Maggie. “Are you okay?” Her frown deepened. “You both look a little flushed.”
“It’s from sleep,” Michael replied a little too quickly. “We’re sleep flust… flushed.”
Linda just looked at both of them nodding but Michael could tell his sister was not convinced by their explanation.
“How… uh,” Maggie started to ask, her voice a little hoarse still. She cleared her throat. “How was your date?”
Maggie moved the subject away from their flushed and flustered demeanors. There was the smallest pause. Linda's whole face went soft.
"It was lovely," Linda answered quietly. "I had a really great time."
“Well, I’m glad,” Michael said honestly. His sister needed to be taken out and dined by a decent man after that idiot Richard.
His eyes moved from his sister to Maggie wondering how these two wonderful women had ended up with the terrible husbands they had. Husbands that had not appreciated them at all. The thought sparked a spurt of anger that shot through him.
"I should get to bed," Michael said. "I have an early morning tomorrow.”
“I should get to bed too,” Maggie said. “I have an early fitting in the morning.”
“Me too,” Linda said and glanced at Maggie. “We can catch up tomorrow.”
“Good,” Maggie said.
“Good night little sister,” Michael said, stepping forward and kissing her cheek. “I’m glad you had a good time.”
“Good night Michael,” Linda hugged him back.
"Good night, Maggie," Michael said hesitating for a moment wondering if he should give her a kiss on the cheek then decided against it.
“Good night, Michael,” Maggie replied, her eyes meeting his and for a second they held. He gave her a small smile before turning to leave.
He climbed the stairs with a mind full of their soft kiss and as he climbed between the cool sheets closing his eyes Maggie’s face drifted into his dreams.