Madeline entered the atrium of the modern five-story office buildingat the corner of Palmetto Park and Jog Roads, where cascading
fountains, lush greenery and glass-enclosed elevators welcomed her into a
relaxing, tropical ambiance. Wearing a beige and white sleeveless dress
with a matching bolero jacket, her hair pulled back at the crown with a
coordinating barrette, she looked especially lovely-and much younger
than her chronological age. And as she came through the revolving doors,
she caught the eye of a few well-dressed gentlemen, though as usual,
Maddy was completely oblivious to their appreciative stares.
It was nearly 12:30 p.m. and she had two objectives for stopping by-
lunch with Isabella and show ticket delivery to Mark. She looked forward
to the former, having had several promising communications with the
owner of Superlative Staffing. A self-made businesswoman with a good
heart and a keen instinct, Isabella definitely wielded influence in the Boca
Raton community; as far as mentors were concerned, Madeline couldn't
ask for any finer. That is, if she were lucky enough to get the job.
But when it came to live performances onstage, Maddy preferred an
auditorium full of strangers. The other night when Mark surprised her by
asking for a ticket, she'd impulsively agreed to his request, only to have
second thoughts the moment she drove away in her car. Of all the dances,
tango was her least favorite and this routine was by far the most
challenging she'd ever taken part in. Throw in a taxing, though admittedly
beautiful ballad from Les Misérables-her favorite musical-and it all
added up to a heap of stress. The Coconut Palm Theater this Thursday
night was no place for a new suitor. What if she screwed up, or worse, fell
onstage? What the hell was she thinking, anyway?As much as she loved Kenny, even he had to settle for private
serenades, though by the time she'd met him she'd given up on dance
showcases and talent shows. It took every ounce of courage just to belt
out Lori and Vince's wedding song in front of a friendly crowd at their
Dupont Hotel wedding reception. Now here she was about to perform
for a guy she barely knew-one who just a short time ago had landed on
her scumbag list by standing her up for SunFest.
True, he'd sincerely apologized, ushering in the most passionate and
enjoyable date she'd had since losing Kenny; but could she trust Mark
enough to allow him into this very personal and private aspect of her life?
Kisses and caresses in the heat of pleasure were one thing- potentially
embarrassing herself in public with him as a witness was quite another.
And it didn't help that she was still battling the same old female problems
with their accompanying cramps, bloating and headaches. Miraculously,
none of those weird episodes she'd been having for the last few years had
taken place recently, despite her horrid work situation and lingering
heartache over Kenny's decision to marry someone else.
"Well, things are about to change for the better," she promised
herself silently as she slipped through the double glass doors of
Superlative Staffing.
"Hi Madeline!" Genie, the friendly placement coordinator who was
around Maddy's age greeted her warmly. "Isabella wanted me to ask you
to take a seat. She's dealing with an unforeseen client emergency in her
office at the moment. It shouldn't be too long, if you don't mind waiting
for a bit."
"Sure, thank you," Maddy replied, settling into a comfortable leather
chair in the reception area. Beyond the glass double-doors, she watched
the endless parade of office workers and high-powered businesspeople
rushing in and out of the building.
They were presumably on their way out to lunch or back from a quick
stop for take-out, judging from the white paper bags and Styrofoam
holders some of them were carrying. Knowing Mark had a meeting in
Hallandale with a prospective client, she breathed a sigh of relief as she
picked up an architectural magazine and began to flip through its colorful
pages. She was slightly embarrassed about the other night, and the ease
with which she'd succumbed to their intense physical attraction, enjoyable
as it had been.
After all, Mark was ten years older. Though it had not been her
intention to blurt out her virginal status while they were making out on
the fishing pier, it had been the only way to put the brakes on a passionate
interlude that was quickly spiraling out of control. With Ken, there'd been
no apprehensions in spite of their overpowering chemistry: he'd fully
accepted and admired her determination to wait until marriage, even
though he'd been with other women.
All of those unforgettable times they'd snuggled up together in his
waterbed or on the couch in her parents' home, he'd never once pushed
her to give in. On the contrary, he spoke of their future wedding night in
glowing terms, eagerly anticipating the honor of being her first and
forever. For Ken, her innocence had been an unexpected gift, a treasure
beyond worth; it was still unclear how Mark felt about it, though he'd
demonstrated a certain level of understanding during their hours spent
together on the pier and at his villa.
But Maddy was still reeling over how far they did end up going that
night on the chaise lounge on his screen-porch; she'd never once allowed
Ken to see her that way after months of steady courting. How could she let
Mark nearly seduce her so easily on their second date? Was it a byproduct of loneliness
or a reaction to heartbreak? Or was she simply wearing down after all these years of
trying to be a good girl? While she grappled with these formidable questions,
Maddy tried her best to forgive herself.
She remembered back to the prior week in this very office, when
during the course of conversation about potentially working for
Superlative Staffing, Isabella had thrown her off-guard with an
unexpected and personal question-made even trickier by the events of
the preceding weekend.
"So, Madeline, what did you think of Mark?" Isabella's dark eyes
sparkled with excitement, remembering the business card exchange and
how her colleague had expressed an immediate attraction to the pretty
young woman with the sweet smile, silky auburn hair and noticeably toned
legs.
"Mark Donnelly?" Maddy momentarily debated the wisdom of
coming clean regarding what had just happened, but quickly decided to
confess all to Isabella. She certainly didn't owe him any loyalty or
consideration, not in the wake of what he'd deliberately done to hurt her.
"Yes silly, Mark Donnelly. Believe me, he noticed you right away at the
luncheon!"
"Well, he has a strange way of expressing his interest," Maddy
retorted, before sharing the story of their meeting at Baci and his
subsequent cancellation of their SunFest date the next morning.
"Gosh, I'm really surprised!" Isabella replied honestly. "That's not
like him at all. I think he just got freaked out because you are exactly his
type-a cute little Italian girl from the northeast. You know, his Mom's
Italian, I don't know if he told you that. And I'll tell you, he's a great
catch! A nice guy from a nice family and every one of them is good
looking. All the girls swoon over Mark at these business events, though I
have to say I think his brother Matt is even better looking. He's married,
though."
"Well you know, Isabella, as nice as it is to hear I'm his type, any man
who stands up a woman at the last minute like that is a jerk in my book,
whatever his ethnic background. Maybe he was truly conflicted over
taking me out so soon after his engagement, but if that were true, he
never should have initiated a date in the first place!"
"Pfft! That girl from Connecticut?" Isabella swatted her hand in the
air dismissively. "She's never going to move here, Madeline! Believe me;
that is over! Of course, he does have kids. That's the only drawback."
"I don't mind the kids," Maddy stated emphatically. "What I do mind
is being led on and then dumped at the last second. I don't think much of
Mark Donnelly, sorry to say."
"Well, I guess I can't blame you. But don't give up on him just yet; he
just might redeem himself still."