Maggie leaned up against the door, regaining her composure when a loud knock startled her. “Who is it?” Maggie called out.
“He’s gone,” Tina shouted back.
Maggie opened the door, ready to give Tina a stern talk about the situation, but the expression on Tina’s face stopped her. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea, you didn’t want to go on that date,” she apologized profusely.
“It’s okay, Tina. It’s not your fault. I’m sure he has talked women into doing far more than letting him into an exam room for a fake appointment,” Maggie laughed.
“Yeah, I’m kinda of a sucker for sexy, dark, and handsome,” Tina acknowledged. As she turned around to walk back to the reception desk she added, “You know, I could take your place...I’m willing to make that sacrifice for you, if you want.”
Maggie laughed out loud. “I’ll let you know if I change my mind and need back up.”
The rest of the day went better than the morning. Maggie’s last appointment was at 5 p.m. and she decided to take her charts home instead of looking them over in the office. She needed a strong drink and there was nothing in her office to help with that.
When she arrived home, she warmed up a plate of leftover turkey and poured herself a large glass of red wine. She turned the gas fireplace on and sat on the couch. She started to go over things for tomorrow and gave up after a few minutes. Her thoughts kept playing back to her meeting with Brad. As much as she did not want to feel anything towards the arrogant man, she could not deny the strong sexual attraction she felt the moment she laid eyes on him. Her stomach filled with butterflies when she spoke, and she hadn’t had the feeling since she first met Isaac.
She tried to dismiss it. But every time she thought of him, the feeling would return. She told herself she was stupid, and he was a complete jerk. She had not read one good quality about the man or ever seen anything in the tabloids that would make her want to be with someone like him. Yet, her heart told her differently. She just hoped that one weekend with him would be enough to make her realize that her intuition was right, that he had some redeemable quality. Maggie was fine being alone and preferred to spend the rest of her days that way.
********
Todd sat in the car, tapping the steering wheel nervously waiting to hear how it went. Todd had planned to go in to help smooth things over, but Brad had told him he would handle it. Todd was not so sure letting Brad go in alone was such a good idea and as the minutes ticked by he felt even more afraid that Brad would mess up the situation even more. He was about to get out of the car, when he spotted Brad leaving the building.
The look on Brad’s face was not an encouraging one. When he got in the car, he was afraid to ask him how it went from the look on his face. Todd took a big gulp and opened his mouth when Brad started to talk.
“Sorry man, I thought I could charm the pants off of her, but I guess she’s a lot more prudish than the women I usually date,” Brad told him. Todd could feel himself losing control. He was not so much pissed at Brad, but at himself for letting Brad go in alone.
“What did you say to her?” Todd asked, afraid to hear what Brad said.
“You know, the usual. Like how hot her body is and how I can’t wait to be alone so I can slip it in--”
“What the fuck, man?!” Todd exclaimed. “Are you trying to sabotage your career?!”
Brad could see Todd’s face turn from red to purple. The tiny vein in his neck bulged. For a moment, Brad was concerned he would have an aneurism. “Calm down, man,” Brad laughed, slapping him on the back. “I’m only messing with you.”
Todd glared at Brad, “This isn’t the time to be messing with me, you dick. I was about two seconds away from strangling your sorry ass.”
Brad kept laughing, “Okay...I’m sorry, I’m sorry. But for real, it was rather easy, almost too easy after the things you told me. She agreed to the date and that is the end of the story. So we are good to go.”
Todd was floored. Maggie had been avoiding all his phone calls for days now, telling reporters that she was not going on the date and now Brad had walked in and she’s changed her tune. It made no sense to him. And Brad said nothing else on the subject. “So, you’re one hundred percent sure we’re good?”
“Yep. No worries here. I’m ready to get this thing done and over with so I can move on to getting back to my usual nightly entertainment,” Brad replied and looked out the window.
“Okay, then, back to the hotel?’ Todd asked.
“Sure. I’ve got nowhere else to go,” Brad commented. Todd started the car and headed back to the hotel for the day.
Todd had mentioned going out and checking things out in town for something to do, but Brad declined and headed straight to his room. Todd just shrugged assuming Brad needed time to process everything.
Brad went straight to his room, not sure what to think about his encounter with Maggie. He thought he had prepared himself for anything. He could handle it if he hadn’t been attracted to her. The only thing he wasn’t ready for was the feeling he caught the moment he laid eyes on her. When Maggie walked through that door his heart sank to his knees.
He did not know if it was the way her blonde hair cascaded around her face, or when she looked at him with those penetrating green eyes that seemed to reach his soul. All he knew was he wanted to get to know this woman that stood in front of him, who wanted nothing to do with him, and not just sexually. He wanted to get to know who she truly was, what made her happy, what made her sad, and what her dreams were. His whole body tingled as they talked and all he could think about was kissing those damn full lips.
It had been so long since he had met a woman, he wanted to get to know more than just physically that it scared him. He had not wanted to open that door again and now he was going to be spending the weekend with the one woman who made him want to think about trying to love again.
Chapter 7
Brad had spent the better part of the day in his hotel room. His meeting with Maggie had thrown him and all he wanted to do was go get a drink and sleep with the next hot chick he met. He needed to get Maggie out of his mind.
He grabbed the half-full bottle of scotch and filled his glass. Swirling the liquid around he proceeded to slam it back, it’s gotta be 5 o’clock somewhere. Brad refilled the glass once more, but this time he took his time savoring the sweet taste. He ran his hand through his hair and grabbed his cell phone out of his pocket. He swiped his thumb over his contact list and saw Samantha’s number. For a split second he thought about calling her up and seeing what she was doing tonight. He mentally figured he could be on a plane by noon and in Los Angles in a few hours.
Brad sat staring at the phone for an hour, trying to rationalize with himself that he was not a jerk and he just needed to satisfy an urge. He kept telling himself he could be back here by noon the next day and Todd would never know. The T.V. crew was not due to be in town for two more days and no one would be the wiser. It was the only way he knew of to get Maggie out of his brain.
Brad looked at his glass, nearly gone and then back at his phone. Slamming back the last few drops, he hit dial and Samantha picked up. “I’ve been wondering when you would call,” her sultry voice purred over the phone.
“Yeah. Sorry, I had some business to take care of. I was wondering if you were free tonight?” Brad asked, a small part of him feeling guilty.
“Well, I did have some dinner plans with girlfriends, but--”
“That’s okay. You can still do dinner. Are you free after?” Brad asked, not beating around the bush--this wasn’t a date, but a straightforward booty call.
Samantha’s voice changed for a brief moment as she responded, “I guess I am.”
Brad caught the hint of disappointment but brushed it off. He wasn’t boyfriend material and he had thought Samantha understood that. This was purely a physical connection that he thought they both needed to satisfy. “I mean, I don’t have to come over if you aren’t free. I--”
“
No... I’ll be home by ten if that is good for you,” the seductive tone returned to her voice.
“I’ll be there,” Brad replied.
“Do you remember where I live?” she asked, not sure he even had the faintest idea how to get to her place.
“Text me the address and oh...no one needs to know I’m in town. Okay?” Brad commented and hung up the phone.
Brad felt a ping of guilt as he packed his bag for the night and booked a flight out. He texted Todd informing him that he was not feeling so well and needed to rest. He stated he would call him tomorrow and that he was putting his phone on silent to not be disturbed. He knew Todd may be suspicious, but he would leave him be until tomorrow.
When he arrived in L.A. it was late afternoon and he decided to go take a drive around town, not wanting to go to his apartment in case someone spotted him. He grabbed himself a late dinner at one of the local drive-ups and parked his car by the ocean to eat. Looking down at this watch he saw it was getting close to 10 p.m. so he made his way to Samantha’s place.
When he arrived, he saw her car out front and the light in her bedroom was on. Brad got out and made his way up to her door. He knocked once and she answered immediately. She was wearing a silk bathrobe and three-inch high red stilettos heels. With the heels on, she was almost as tall as he was. Samantha grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him into her house. She took him by the hand and led him straight up to her room.
They both knew why he was there and there was no need to engage in small talk. Brad had already stripped off his shirt and started to work his way out of his jeans by the time they got to the bed. Samantha let her robe slip open and he saw she was wearing nothing underneath. She laid down on the bed and Brad climbed on top. Kissing her neck and shoulders, he reached out and grabbed the condom she had placed on the nightstand. He slipped it on with one hand, while the other fondled her breast.
Samantha moaned as he kissed her shoulders and then made his way down to her breasts and nipples. Her moans of pleasure turned to squeals of delight as she called out his name, “Brad, yes baby, I like it.”
Brad tried to drone her out. He was not one for theatrics in bed and Samantha tended to be rather vocal. While he continued to suck and pull on her nipples, he found his mind wandering to images of Maggie. He wondered what her breasts looked like under her tight knit dress she wore today. It was hard to make out the shape of her body with the long-oversized lab coat she wore, but he could tell from the opening that she had nice high breasts. Not too big, but not too small either. The knit dress clung to her hips and small waist.
Brad pulled back, trying to shake the image of Maggie from his mind. “What’s wrong, baby?” Samantha asked, concerned that she had said something to turn him off.
“Nothing,” Brad replied. He sat up, trying to get himself back into the mood.
Samantha got up on her knees behind him. “Let me help you,” she purred. She laid Brad down on bed and climbed on top of him. She took his thick rod in her hand and started to stroke it up and down. “See, baby, I can tell he likes me,” she meowed.
Brad lay back, trying to focus on the feeling of her hands on his prick. It was going well until she placed her mouth on the tip of him and started to take him in her mouth, licking and sucking. The moment he felt her lips encircle him, he could not stop thinking of Maggie’s full lips and what it would feel like to have her lips on him. Brad lost himself in the moment and thought of Maggie and before he could stop himself, he cried out, “Yes, Maggie--that feels so good!”
Samantha whipped her head up, screaming at him, “Who the fuck is Maggie, you asshole!?” She grabbed the pillow next to his head and threw it at him. Scrambling off the bed, she grabbed her robe off the floor and threw it on. “Get the fuck out, you piece of shit!”
Brad fumbled around for a moment, trying to gather his things. He attempted to apologize and then decided it wasn’t worth it. He knew he should care, but he didn’t. He had only been using Samantha tonight as a replacement for someone else he couldn’t have. He knew, she was right. He was a complete asshole, and he deserved her wrath. Brad left without a word.
It was still warm outside, and he plunked himself into his car, not sure where to go. It was still hours until daylight and his flight wasn’t set to fly out until 10 a.m., so he figured he’d drive around for a bit to clear his thoughts. He found himself back at the beach again. As he watched the waves crashing into the shore, he wondered how he had gotten to this place in his life.
********
Brad made it back to Chesterville by noon the next day and he was sure Todd had been none the wiser, until he heard a loud bang on his door.
“Brad, open up! I know you’re in there. I checked with the front desk and they saw you come in an hour ago,” Todd yelled.
Brad reluctantly opened the door, knowing Todd had somehow found out by the tone in his voice. “Hey, man...how ya do--”
Todd shoved his cell phone into Brad’s face, showing him the pictures that were plastered all over the news. “What the hell is this? I thought you were so sick last night,” Todd exclaimed. “Seriously?! You snuck off back to L.A. to get laid?! While I’m back here doing everything to save your career, you keep doing everything to wreck it.”
Brad looked down at his shoes. He knew Todd was right. He had come to that realization as he sat in his car last night by himself, downing a fifth of vodka. “I’m sorry. I… I have no excuse, but I promise that I’m done. From here on out, I’ll make sure that this week goes well and no more sleeping around. Well, at least until the contest is over and things are in a better place with my career,” Brad responded, his tone sincere.
Todd ran his hand through his thick black hair. He was not sure if he could believe Brad, but he had no other choice. “One last chance is all you get, or I’m done, man. I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep caring more about you, than you do,” Todd replied.
Brad nodded, “The T.V. crew is here tomorrow to film my first meeting with Maggie. So, what do we need to do to prepare?”
Todd let out a deep sigh. “Well, the plan is for it to be filmed outside. I met with the town’s mayor yesterday and he’s so excited to have a local win the contest. Plus, it will be great publicity for them. He wants to do it all in the middle of town at a park; he thought it would be great for the town to be able to view the whole thing live.”
Brad rolled his eyes. “Okay. Well, then let’s go walk around town today and meet the locals.”
An hour later, Brad was ready to head out to see the town and greet many of the townspeople. The first stop was to a local diner to get a bite to eat. It didn’t take long for a crowd to gather once they heard Bradley Thomas was out walking the main street. He and Todd had just sat down to order food when the restaurant began to fill quickly. He looked around and noticed that many of the people in there weren’t there to get food.
A few tables over, there was a group of college-age girls giggling and laughing with each other as they openingly stared at him. Brad nodded his head in their direction, and they all blushed and went back to giggling, obviously starstruck. Brad turned back to Todd. “How am I doing?”
Todd winked, “Keep it up.” As they waited for their food to arrive, one brave woman stopped by the table and asked for an autograph. This led to a flood gate of requests for signatures and photographs. Brad played his part and graciously smiled and greeted everyone who stopped at their table. Two hours later, they were able to manage to make their way out and back onto the streets.
The moment they walked outside, they looked around and the street was now packed with people--all there to see the celebrity that was in town to ask Maggie, the contest winner, out on a date. The afternoon flew by as they walked from store to store checking out the local shops. The last store they walked into was a bookstore. Todd and Brad browsed around, when a voice called out, “Can I help you find anything in particular?”
“No, just looking. Thanks,” Brad replied back.
It took a second for Jim to place who he was looking at when it all clicked. “Aren’t you Bradley Thomas?” he nearly squealed.
Brad gave him his big, handsome smile, “Well, yes I am. I’m here to--”
“Oh, I know why you’re here! I’m actually best friends with Maggie,” Jim stated as he walked over to greet Brad. “Wait...does Maggie know you’re here?” he asked, concern in his voice. Jim was not sure if Brad had any idea what he was in for, or if he even knew that Maggie had never entered herself into the contest.
Brad was surprised that Jim didn’t know he had met Maggie already, especially if they were such close friends. “She does actually. I met her yesterday at her office. She didn’t tell you?” Brad asked, not sure if that was a good sign or not. He had figured most women would have been going out of their minds to have met him and get the chance to date him. He had thought that maybe Maggie’s cold demeanor had been her trying to play it cool. Now he was second-guessing himself.
He had been so used to having to ward women off, that it never occurred to him that there was a woman on this earth that was not into him. Brad quickly shrugged off this thought, thinking there was no way that that could be true. And he figured the first night together he would see that Maggie was like every other woman he had met, and he would have to pry her off of him.
“No she didn’t, but she’s rather busy...and, you know, sometimes we don’t chat for a few days,” Jim stated. None of this was true, but he didn’t want to let Brad know anymore then he needed to about the situation.
It was already going to be a rough date for him as Maggie wanted nothing to do with the date or Bradley Thomas. He knew Brad was going to have his work cut out for him with her. Jim knew the world was waiting to view a magical fairy-tale romance. Two strangers meet, a handsome famous movie star and a sweet hometown girl, they go on a romantic weekend together and fall in love. Or at least that is what the T.V. producers would want everyone to think. The problem was Maggie didn’t believe in romantic fairy tales and wanted nothing to do with love.
A Date for Christmas Page 6
