* * *
Maddy adjusted the straps of her lacy white bra before slipping into a
crisp, forest green blouse and flared black skirt. She'd just applied her
make-up in the mirror of Ken's bathroom and brushed her hair into a
smooth, sleek ponytail. She slipped into a pair of black pumps, before
folding her matching black jacket over her arm and picking her purple and
pink duffle bag off the floor. With one final glance around his room, she
closed the door behind her, confident she'd scooped up all of her
belongings.
As she bounded down the stairs, a panicked thought came to mind:
she'd promised her mother she'd contact her before getting on the road.
And even though there was really no way for Monica to trace the origin of
the call, Maddy quickly decided against using Ken's phone. Instead, she'd
stop at a Wawa or Dunkin Donuts for coffee, where there would surely
be a pay phone available. Besides, it was only 6:30 a.m.
But before she could walk out the front door, something caught her
eye on the coffee table. As she got closer, she saw it was a white envelope
with her name on it. She smiled as she recognized the handwriting, then
opened it up to read Ken's thoughtful note:
"Sorry, I had to leave you this morning, beautiful. Sleeping with you
in my arms was heavenly. Please drive safely and have a wonderful day. I'll
be thinking of you. Call me when you get home. Love, Ken." God, he really
did have to be too good to be true.
Maddy held the note to her heart for a moment, before locking the
door behind her and leaving the key in the mailbox, as planned. She'd just
thrown her bag in the back seat of the car and was about to get behind
the wheel, when she noticed an unfamiliar vehicle pulling into the
driveway. Maddy recognized Kathy from her photos, though they'd never
met in person; what caused a shiver to run down her spine was the sight
of Ken in the back seat, with a pained look on his face.
"Oh my God, what happened?" she asked the plump blonde who'd
just gotten out of the driver's side. Uncharacteristically, she'd tossed away
formalities, too upset to think about anything but her boyfriend. A warm
person herself, Kathy understood.
"Ken just had a little accident at work, honey. Nothing to be worried
about. I'm his emergency contact, and since I was getting off work
anyway, I went to pick him up at Shore Memorial."
Maddy ran over to open his door.
"Heh-hey!" he greeted her, summoning a smile in spite of the intense
pain. That's when she noticed the brace around his leg.
"My God, Kenny, what did you do?" He was struck by the genuine
concern in her voice as he gathered his crutches and handed them to her.
"Nothing baby, it was just a dumb accident. I fell, that's all."
"Yeah, so why the leg brace?" she pressed him.
"I tore some ligaments, but the good news is nothing's broken."
"Thank God!"
"Ok, well let's see if we can help this big guy out of the car," Kathy
said, joining them. The two women carefully maneuvered him onto the
driveway as he held an arm around each of their shoulders. Maddy then
reached for the crutches, situating them into place before he quickly made
his way to the front door.
"Wow, already he's a pro!" Kathy laughed. Then turning to the young
woman who'd been occupying her roommate's every waking thought,
held out a hand.
"Hi, I'm Kathy. Nice to meet you, Madeline. I've heard so many good
things about you!"
"Likewise," Maddy smiled. "Oh, and thank you for the delicious
wedding cookies!"
"You're welcome!" Kathy's raspy voice was oddly appealing. Then,
suddenly remembering, Maddy ran up to the mailbox to get the key, as
Ken stood waiting for them.
"Sorry, baby!" She quickly unlocked the door and followed closely
behind. Upon entering, he sank into the leather couch, elevating his
injured leg as he did so.
"Can I get you anything? Water? Orange juice? Coffee?"
"No sweetheart thanks. I just want to rest for a minute. Will you stay
and keep me company for awhile?"
Maddy thought of her boss, as well as the temp who was supposed to
show up this morning for the first day of work at a new client's office.
Typically, as the account executive, she'd show up with donuts and coffee
under such circumstances, as a way of thanking the hiring manager and
the company for their business; maybe Betty wouldn't mind taking on that
honor on her behalf today.
And as she sat down on the space he carved out for her and took his
hand in hers, she suddenly didn't care. Surely the office could survive
without her for one day. And when Kathy excused herself to get some
shut-eye, it cemented Maddy's decision.
"Don't worry, Kenny, I'm not going anywhere," she promised, softly.