The wind was knocked out of me, while my heart beat wildly at the sight of her. She looked even more beautiful in person. And I could not help but smile like an idiot as I approached her.
Chapter Five
Maggie
Levi and Nica arrived home at the same time, and the first thing they both did was make a bee-line for Aimee, showering her with hugs and kisses. Their little girl cooed at the attention her parents gave her. Even at such a young age, Aimee seemed to understand love. Her little eyes twinkled, and the dimples on her cheeks deepened when she smiled at her loving parents.
"How was she today?" Nica asked after giving me a quick hug.
"She was great. What can I say? Your kid is perfect," I replied with a half shrug and a full-on smile.
Levi agreed and said, "She got that from me." It made Nica laugh, which Aimee picked up on and she joined her mom, showing off her little teeth.
I watched how Nica and Levi moved in the kitchen together while they prepared dinner. Levi cooked, but Nica helped with the prep. It was nice to see Nica learning a bit in the kitchen. It was like watching a tango performance. How did they do it? How could they make marriage and parenthood seem so effortless?
With my own father flying the coop, leaving Mother and me even before I could say "Da-da," I'd had no clue how happy marriages could be, until I witnessed how Levi and Nica were. A year ago, my aim was to have the same type of relationship with June once we were married. It was possible considering I'd thought June and I were deeply in love.
Yet, I sat at my sister's kitchen island, dreaming of the impossible, and trying to keep my heart from breaking even more.
At dinner, they continued this sweet, loving gooeyness with each other. Whether they noticed it or not, it began affecting me. I pushed food around the plate after taking just a couple of bites. My appetite had gotten lost together with my marbles.
Why couldn't I have that with June? The effortless love? He and I had had a much longer relationship than Levi and my sister. Then again, Delaney hadn't been a huge part of their lives.
I remembered how much Delaney had drooled over Levi the first time she had met him. I'd made sure she was never left alone in the same room with Levi. Deep in the recesses of my mind, I didn't trust her then. It made me sick to think I should have done the same thing to protect June from her slutty claws.
After the wash-up, and a whole evening of witnessing this sickly-sweet relationship my sister and her husband had, I thought I'd had enough. I was love sick but not in a good way. Somehow the feeling that they were trying to purposely make me feel stupid and alone surfaced. Without meaning to, even if I didn't truly believe in it myself, I thought they'd intended to make me jealous, and unfortunately, it worked. That envy turned into disgust. I hated that they could finish each other's sentences. I hated that they could easily laugh at each other's jokes. I hated that they were happy and I was miserable.
I needed some breathing time. I needed space. I needed to think.
Without telling Nica or Levi, I snuck out of the house, grabbing only my phone and Nica's cardigan that was left on the hallway bench. I didn't have any specific direction, but I just started walking before their world completely closed in on me and suffocated me with their endless displays of affection.
Even back home in Fresno, long walks had been my salvation.
I hugged the thick brown cardigan around me, not much for protection from the cold, but rather, from the overpowering feeling of loneliness. How could I have thought of those things about my sister and her husband? So, what if she and Levi were sweet to each other? They were married and still clearly in love.
And they were nice enough to take me in even if I hadn't asked beforehand. With the recent events that had occurred, it had also seemed like Nica was my only friend at the moment, but she would bite my head off if I told her there was a big possibility that I was pregnant. She could be a little overprotective of me sometimes, even from myself. I wanted to open up to her, but I did feel at times she thought I was dumb. Still, I could use an ear.
Trying to contact May would be a huge mistake, just as it was the other day. Delaney had an omnipresence. She sensed all. She would know if I had been in contact with May. I couldn't do that to May—subject her to Delaney's devilish ways. How had I not seen her true colors before? I couldn't help the little perk of my lips as I thought of how Delaney was probably treating June now too. I wondered if June was actually putting up with her. Delaney was a brat if she didn't get her way.
A small piece of sweet satisfaction thrilled me.
I didn't know San Francisco all that well, and with my head somewhere else, I'd gotten a bit lost. I paused a second to reacquaint myself with my surroundings. Turning right at a corner, I spotted a few men milling about who I had seen earlier—some leaning against cars, some smoking, a few chattering, all carrying cameras. Paparazzi, I thought. I glanced at the establishments that faced them. A bar, a restaurant, and another bar.
From what I'd seen a few times on TV, they would always be waiting for celebrities to pop out at some point during the night. Hmmm, I wondered which celebrity it could be. I didn't think there were a lot of famous people who lived in San Francisco. I thought they were all in LA. Maybe I should stick around to find out? That would be a nice little touch to my gray life, meeting or even just spotting a real-life celebrity.
A group of people walked out of one of the bars and woke the photographers from their slump, and the flashes from cameras illuminated the night. They had to be famous people then. I stopped mid-stride before I got trampled and checked out who had caused the sudden chaos.
There were a few guys and a bunch of girls hanging off the guys' arms. I didn't recognize anyone, not that it was a surprise. Okay, I was probably the only nineteen-year old who didn't follow celeb gossip all that much. Unless they were celebrity chefs, I wouldn't know them. It was stupid of me to think I'd be able to meet someone famous when I probably couldn't even pick one out of a lineup.
I walked around the huddle, keeping my head down and trying not to get blinded by the harsh flashes from several cameras. How could anyone go through this kind of assault? I heard a few names shouted out, followed by questions.
"Why did you break up with Rhonda?"
"Who's the new girl?"
"Are you intimidated by Crash?"
What kind of questions were those? And how could anyone even answer the barrage of inquiries thrown at them in quick successions?
I sped up my walk, careful not to trip over anything. Last thing I wanted was a photo of me, butt-up in front of some celebrity. I could see the headlines now—Strange Woman Faints at Sight of Idol. No, scratch that, it would read—Jilted Bride Threw Herself at Hollywood Star. Okay, it was hardly front-page quality, but still, it was best to take precaution. I snorted at my own thoughts.
That was when I heard my name.
"Margaret! Maggie! Margaret Stewart!"
I halted, almost tripping on my own stupid uncoordinated feet. And I twirled around to see who’d called me. Did I ever get the shock my life!
A tall, toned, incredibly hot guy broke off from the celeb pack and headed my way. I shrugged the thick sweater closer to my body like it was my armor, albeit useless. The guy's hair was cropped short, and under the street lights, I couldn't tell what color it really was. But I was mesmerized by his eyes. They twinkled when he smiled. Whoa, that smile. It was sexy, confident, yet so warm, enough to melt the ice caps. It made my knees weak, caused a knot in my stomach, and a stammer in my heart. He knew me, but there was still no recognition on my part.
I didn't return his smile. Instead, I took one step back and readied to flee the scene if I must. I shot a glance at his friends getting into a stretch limo. The paparazzi were still around, which made me feel a bit better. I was sure Superman here wouldn't do anything stupid that could end up in the tabloids.
"Maggie, oh my god, it is you!" His smile stretched even wider as he stood before me.
<
br /> I lifted a brow at him, wary of his proximity. He smelled good. "Do I know you?"
"It's me..." His hands spread out in front of him, sweeping over his form.
I stepped back again. I didn't know anyone in the city. Therefore, no one should know me. He noticed my hesitation and matched my steps.
"C'mon, Beanie. It's me, Zach."
Only one person had ever called me "Beanie," and I'd known one Zach in my entire life. Last time I'd seen him, he had just turned eleven, too small for his age, skinny as hell, with hair that had often been too long and matted.
I squinted to get a better look. Goosebumps crawled on my skin. I was a bundle of mixed emotions. I was terrified and in awe, elated and sad. Hormones. Must be these dreaded pregnancy hormones playing havoc in my mind. I took another quick check over his features—a little over six feet tall, his shirt fitted him like it was a second skin, showing off strong, broad shoulders, hard planes on his chest and if I had to guess, six-pack abs. If this was the Zach I’d known, ten years had certainly changed him for the better.
"Zachary Faustino?"
"Yeah, baby!" Zach swooped in, picked me up off the ground, and swung me around. "This is unbelievable."
My stomach heaved as he did another revolution with my feet off the ground. I was never good with speed and height. He should have known this. He'd spent at least a couple of years trying to get me to swing faster and higher on playground swings to no avail. I wasn’t a daredevil then, ten years did not change that.
"If you don't put me down, I am going to throw up on you!" I warned him.
He laughed, but he steadied me back on my feet. "Still not a fan, huh, Beanie?"
I squeezed my stomach, trying to get my bearings back. "What gave it away?"
"Zach, c'mon, man!" One of the guys from his group called from the limo. Flashes continued around us. So much for anonymity. Was this going to be on the front-page news?
Zach smiled at me. "We're heading to a private party. Come with us, Beanie."
I shook my head. I was in no mood to party, but a part of me wanted to go and be with Zach, catch up, and ask him questions that had niggled my mind for at least a decade. "I'm not really dressed for it," I said remembering how the women in their group were dressed. "Maybe we can just get together sometime."
But it was too late. Zach clasped my hand in his larger one, already dragging me to the waiting car. "You'll be fine. It's gonna be great."
I sputtered a few complaints but he was much stronger than I, and before I knew it, he had me stepping into the black limo.
"Hey guys, this is Maggie." Zach squeezed in beside me. I sat between him and a much larger guy, with arms the size of Aimee's head. "Stone." He waved to the boulder on my left then to the guys seated with the girls. "Travis, and Rick." He didn't mention any of the girls' names. I wondered if he actually knew them.
All I could muster was a little wave. The guys were friendly, offering a smile my way, a nod or a handshake from Rick. The women were entirely a different story. Three of them glared at me, and instantly dismissed me as their equal. One girl, the only one not wearing a short black dress, stretched both her hands and pulled mine.
I was vaulted into her arms. "Hi!" Her pitch was too high, and her voice rang in my ear. "I'm Bailey. It's so nice to meet you."
"Hey, Bai, take it easy. Maggie is fragile." Zach peeled her arms from around me, leaning me against the back of the seat and tucking me under his arm. It was too comfortable for the moment, but at the same time, it was familiar.
Bailey gave him a little smile before returning to her seat.
"I'm not that fragile. Zach has always been a little protective of me." I patted his leg gently. "I like your dress." And I meant it. She was wearing a pink tutu style dress. It was as sweet as she seemed.
"Thank you," she delighted.
"Where are we going?" I murmured at Zach.
"We're not sure," Travis answered. "It's at some hot shot pop star's penthouse."
A penthouse. A hot shot pop star. I looked down at my tattered jeans, plain white tee, chunky cardi, and sandals. At least my sandals had jewels on them. The rest of me wasn't pop star party material.
"It'll be great." Zach squeezed my shoulder. "We'll have a chance to catch up."
"How did you even recognize me?" Like Zach, I had changed a lot through the years. When I was younger, I was taller than Zach, but not as skinny as he was. Although my legs had always been long and thin, and that was why he’d started calling me Beanie. I'd kept my hair short because my mother never had time to fix it up for me. But a little under ten years and puberty had given me some sort of shape, and since going out with June, I'd kept my hair long. He liked it that way. There was a pinch in my chest when I thought of him.
But Zach's voice pulled me away from that thought. "I saw your sister's wedding in some magazine. You were a bridesmaid, right? I've been meaning to contact you guys. You've done well for yourselves. It's been one hell of a year for me too."
I wanted to tell him that only my sister had done great the past year. I'd had no such luck. But the car stopped, and the girls screamed.
"We're here." Bailey bounced on her seat, looking out the windows.
We got out one by one. Zach held my hand the entire way into a tall building. Everyone ignored the looks we received from the doorman and security at the desk. I hid behind Zach's massive form.
"Penthouse," Travis, told the men in uniform. He got a nod and pointed a thumb to the direction of the elevators.
I leaned against the shiny elevator wall when we piled in. Zach faced me, still holding my hand, and regarded me. It felt like he was searching for something. I stared back at him with a quirked brow.
"I shouldn't be here. Look at me," I told him.
"I am looking at you." When he said the words, it felt like he was staring right into my soul. My cheeks reddened, and an odd warmth spread throughout my body.
I glanced at the other girls checking their hair and makeup or fixing up their dresses to show off their boobs on the mirrored walls. "I'm not dressed for this, Zach. It's embarrassing."
"You're fine, Maggie," Zach argued.
"No, I'm not." He had never won an argument with me, and he knew it. I could tell by the way he rubbed his chin. He was trying to figure out how to get me to stay.
"Bai, can you help me out?" he said and wrapped an arm around my waist.
Bailey straightened to attention. I had a feeling she had a bit of a crush on Zach, which could only mean trouble for me. But she seemed like a nice girl, and ready to comply.
"Leave it to me." She punched a floor number on the elevator pad. The car stopped, and the door opened.
"Hey, what'd you do that for?" Travis complained.
Bailey pushed, or tried to push the guys out of the elevator. "Take the stairs, goons, I have some magic to do." Yeah, she would need magic to fix me up.
The guys groaned, but Zach shrugged and stepped out of the car, followed by the rest of the men. The door closed as Zach waved at me.
I was left with the girls, three of them hated my guts for some unknown reason. But Bailey was excited, and she tugged at my cardigan. "Take this off. Becky, can you stop the elevator?"
Becky, who stood closest to the buttons rolled her eyes but pushed the red button.
"I'm just wearing a white shirt," I pointed out the obvious to Bailey.
"That's fine." She dropped my cardigan on the floor. I made a motion to pick it up, but she pulled me back up. "You won't need that. Let's do your hair." When I didn't make a move, she pulled on my head. I was at least four inches taller than her, even with her five-inch heels on. She ran her hands through my hair and let it tumble down my back.
"Wow, you've got nice hair. Healthy. I would know. I used to be a hairdresser." She combed through my hair again, then out of nowhere, she produced a can of hairspray. A cloud of perfumed air swooped down on me, making me cough. "Oops, sorry, forgot to say cover your eyes. You're so tall. Can
you bend down so I can do your makeup? And quickly, we can't keep the elevator stopped for a long time."
This time, I complied. I bent down, placed my hands on my knees, and leveled my face with hers. She worked on my appearance in quick speed. I barely had time to breathe before she told me to straighten. She grabbed a fistful of my shirt and ordered me to turn around. I heard a rip, then felt a tug. My long tee shirt turned into a cropped shirt, and showed off a little more skin than I was used to. I pulled the hem down and covered my belly button, but Bailey knew what I was up to and swatted lightly at my hands, and then pushed the waistline of my jeans even lower.
"There," she said and nodded at Becky. The elevator continued its ascent. "What do you think, ladies?"
I was met with indifference. The ding announced that we made it to the penthouse and the doors swooshed open. Before walking out of the car, I scooped up my cardigan and got a chance to glance at the mirrored walls. My own reflection shocked me. I did look different. I didn't know how Bailey did it, but my hair looked glamorous, and my makeup was perfect. I must remember to ask her for tips later on.
As I stepped out of the elevator car, I received a few questioning glances from people. They all looked fabulous. They were all stylish in many different ways, yet not one had that unique quality.
Bailey stood out even more in her cupcake pink dress, but her attitude proved that she still belonged. She waited for me to start walking with her. "Come on, Maggie. The guys are already at the bar." She gave me a slight push forward with a hand on my back, but I let her get ahead of me.
"How did they make it here before us?" I asked, but I doubted she heard me. I followed her through the thick crowd. Someone shouted her name, and another of the little black dress girls appeared from the right. They air kissed each other.
"This is my friend, Maggie." My heart warmed as Bailey introduced me. She didn't know me at all yet, she sounded sincere as she called me her friend. "Maggie, this is Chanterelle."
When He Falls Page 5
