Madeline applied a fresh coat of pinkish-red lipstick and tightened the belt of her floral print dress as she gazed into the ladies room
mirror. It was nearly 1 p.m. and she was scheduled to meet Ken in a few
minutes. Although she'd been overwhelmed with critical work projects,
including an e-proposal and new website content for a major cruise line, it
had been difficult to focus. Thoughts of Ken kept flooding her brain,
and-in spite of her excitement, a twinge of regret for having opened this
Pandora's Box in the first place.
Yes, she'd followed the Divine guidance that had prompted her to
write the letter. Admittedly, she'd felt a nagging burden lifted from her
shoulders once she'd mailed it away. And later when they finally
connected, her heart soared at the sound of his voice and his admission
that he'd been trying to find her, too. Ann had insisted that the energies
were indeed positive, and that he was available in every sense of the word.
So far, so good. So why did she feel as if her heart was about to explode?She brushed her long, layered hair and spritzed just a tiny bit of
Incanto, her new favorite perfume, behind her ears and onto her wrists.
After taking one long, deep breath, she was about to head for the
elevators when her cell phone rang, nearly causing her to faint from
surprise. Relief washed over her when she saw that it was not Ken calling
to cancel, but Elyse, ready to provide a last-minute pep talk.
"Hey girl! You excited?"
"Oh Elyse, I can hardly breathe!"
"C'mon, stay calm, Maddy! This is what you've been waiting for
forever; it's gonna be fantastic!"
"W-what if he's not divorced?" Maddy swallowed hard.
"Madeline! For the last time, we have enough evidence to prove he's
not married anymore-remember Erin's website and his MySpace listing?
And as you've told me many times, he'd never play with your feelings by
suggesting a get-together in the first place if he wasn't free. Besides, has
Ann ever been wrong about anything really important? For goodness
sake, this is the woman who solved your panic and anxiety problem! And
she's been spot-on with my stuff; I say we trust her!"
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Maddy admitted.
"So there it is," Elyse proclaimed. "Girl, you've paid your dues. It's
time to accept your just reward!"
"Aw, thanks Elyse!" Maddy was truly appreciative of their genuine
friendship, which had evolved into a close, sisterly bond in the wake of
Kevin's untimely and horrible demise from that monstrous brain tumor.
It was hard to believe over two years had passed since the day of her
nephew's devastating diagnosis; Maddy recalled the absolute horror and
utter helplessness the Lombard family had endured for over 10 arduous
months as they fought against the inevitable.
"So, do you have your lipstick on? Is your hair cascading down in
sexy waves? You're wearing a hot little dress, right?"
"Affirmative on all three!" Maddy cracked up. "And hey, you'll also
be happy to know I am wearing a Victoria's Secret push-up bra. Not that
there's much to push up, but-"
"I LOVE it!" Elyse mimicked her four year-old niece's favorite
expression, the ultimate seal of approval. Maddy laughed again; Elyse had
a way of helping her work through just about every problem with her
quirky sense of humor. "You worked damn hard at Christine's studio to
earn that toned body, girlfriend. And I worked damn hard on your
wardrobe makeover-not that it needed a lot of help, just a tad more, uh,
excitement. God, I wish I could be a fly on the wall today! It's gonna be
tough getting through my appointments, wondering how you and Ken are
doing!"
"Ok Leese, let me run while I'm feeling much more relaxed."
"Where are you meeting him again?"
"The Samba Room."
"Ooh, it's gonna be great, Madeline. I'm so excited for you! Call me
later!"
"Will do. Bye for now!"
Maddy floated to the elevator bank, positively glowing.