| �WAKE UP!�
Maggie jumped in bed, rolling over to stare at the face of her best friend. She�d almost completely forgotten how obnoxious she could be. Maggie rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and rolled back over. �Go away, Noelle. I�m sleeping.� �Oh be quiet and get up!� Noelle said, pulling the covers off of the bed and throwing them onto the floor. She disappeared into the bathroom of the hotel suite. Maggie only grumbled and turned back over, now angry because she was cold. �How did you get in?� �You gave me a key, remember?� Maggie picked her head up, her hair covering her eyes. She was staring out the window. �No.� �Well, I didn�t think so, because I took it.� Maggie�s head hit the pillow again. She didn�t want to get up, but she had promised Noelle she would go with her to South Park studios and take a look at least. She was deeply regretting ever having agreed. �Come on, woman, get up!� Maggie grumbled a negative response, flailing her arm out weakly. It took her a few seconds to get up, and once she had, Noelle was back in the room, going through the dresser drawers. �How are the papers for the house? Did you hear anything yet?� �Not since last night, Noelle.� She only shrugged, throwing a few pairs of clothes onto the bed. �What are you planning on wearing?� �Do I need anything special?� Maggie asked, finally sitting up and looking at the clock sleepily. It was nine o�clock. �No.� �Are you sure?� Maggie asked, eyeing the outfit Noelle was currently donning. It looked as though she were heading out to a very professional interview or meeting. �Yes, I�m positive. No one at the studios ever dresses up. It�s a very casual place to work. If you do decide to take the position there, you won�t have to worry about buying a new wardrobe,� Noelle said, disappearing again into the bathroom. �Well, I had assumed that I was going to be working at a respectable place like Microsoft, so I already bought my fancy wardrobe.� �South Park is respectable!� �Yeah, and mornings are my favorite time of day,� Maggie said under her breath, daring to swing her feet over the edge of the bed. Noelle came back in then, tossing a hairbrush and several ties and bandanas at Maggie. �Are you awake yet?� �No.� �Good, because I�m going to order room service. On me,� Noelle said, taking a seat on the bed and picking up the phone. Maggie shook her head, standing up to stretch out. She had forgotten how much she�d truly missed Noelle�s aggressive attitude. She did things Maggie knew she never had the guts to attempt. Grabbing the first thing that caught her eye, Maggie disappeared into the bathroom with her brush and didn�t come out until she was dressed, made up, and halfway decent. It surprisingly didn�t take very long. �What did you order?� Maggie asked, folding the excess clothes Noelle had dug up. �Orange juice, milk, and some fruit. I figured we shouldn�t have too big of a breakfast anyway, I wanted to get out of here quickly.� Maggie put her stuff away and sat down next to Noelle on the bed. There was a still silence and before Maggie had a chance to say anything, Noelle looked straight at her friend and said very tenderly, �I�m glad you�re here, Mag.� Maggie smiled at Noelle then and took the initiative to give her yet another big hug. �I�m glad I�m here, too. I just can�t believe you�re going to make me work at South Park.� Noelle rolled her eyes, standing up and walking out of the bedroom. �Whatever, I�m not making you do anything. You really need to give this a shot, Mag, it could be really good for you.� �Why?� �Because you need a change of pace. It seems like if you were working somewhere �respectable,� � she said, making quotation marks around the word, �you�d end up dying of stuffiness.� The word �dying� jarred Maggie a little. �The Magpie I know used to love having a good time and really enjoyed crashing preppy parties. Where did she go?� She left when that doctor said �leukemia.� �I�m still here,� Maggie said, waving her friend off and turning away when a knock came at the door. �I just� I�ve grown up, that�s all.� �Are you insinuating that I haven�t?� Maggie opened the door and took the tray of food, tipping the boy who�d delivered and shutting the door with her foot. �Because you�d be right.� Maggie cocked an eyebrow before setting the tray down. �I wasn�t going to say anything, so I�m glad you did.� �Uh! Cock.� Maggie looked up at her friend, frowning. It wasn�t as if she�d never been called a name by Noelle before, but this was a totally different kind of insult. Noelle turned a little pink and said, �Sorry.� Taking the orange juice and pouring herself a glass, Maggie decided not to comment about it. Instead, she took it in and tried to absorb her surroundings. The orange juice tasted great that morning and she couldn�t figure out why. For some reason, Maggie felt refreshed and renewed. The reason most likely being rediscovering Noelle and realizing their friendship had not died. But there was something a little deeper than that, something that went further than just her relationship with Noelle. Once they were finished eating and talking about the house and what Maggie was going to do with it, they packed up and got ready to leave. Maggie felt her stomach churn for the first time since she�d agreed to go through with it. The reality of this possibly being her permanent career had just sunk in. She grabbed her purse and her room key, following Noelle out. �What exactly am I looking at, here?� Maggie asked her as they walked toward the elevator. �What kind of people am I working for? I know you told me about the pay and all that, that�s not what I�m concerned with.� Noelle�s face brightened a little. �The actual people you work for� well, they�re something else. The creators of the show have most of the control but they don�t want you to know that. That�s who you�ll be working directly under; so don�t worry about having bad bosses. They�re both wonderful.� Something in Noelle�s tone made Maggie feel better. Maybe it was the sincerity or maybe it was the fact that Noelle had let out somewhat of a breathy sigh when she said the word �wonderful.� Whatever it was, it put Maggie at ease. �What are their names?� Noelle shook her head as they stepped onto the elevator. �Boy, you have been out of this world for far too long. I can�t believe you never even bothered to watch an episode of South Park!� �Well!� Maggie said, adjusting the strap of her purse on her shoulder uncomfortably. �I�m not a huge fan of Comedy Central, and whenever I saw ads for it, it didn�t look at all appealing to me. I considered checking out an episode, but I decided I had other important things to do, like clip my toenails.� Noelle�s mouth dropped open. �You are horrible! You can�t work at South Park if you�ve never seen it. I�m sure Matt and Trey will remedy that immediately.� �Who?� They stepped off the elevator then and made their way across the lobby. �Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the creators. The guys you�ll be working for. Don�t worry about them. They�re just two big kids at heart and you can pretty much do whatever you want as long as you get the job done. Trey is more the stickler and Matt is a big sweetheart. Don�t even worry about them. The person you will work directly for is JJ. No worries.� Maggie took a deep breath when they arrived at the car. She opened up the door once Noelle had unlocked it and slipped in. She felt a little faint, setting her head back against the seat. Before Noelle pulled out, she looked over at her friend and frowned in concern. �Are you okay?� �Yeah. I�m fine.� They pulled up only five minutes later outside of the building. Noelle pulled around and parked in a special employee spot and turned off the car. Maggie said nothing as she shakily stepped out, her head still feeling fuzzy. She only wished it was because of something other than the cancer. Noelle pushed open the door and led Maggie into the building. Everything was so huge. Maggie didn�t think she�d ever be able to get used to it. It was amazing, Los Angeles was, and being in California. Noelle�s guidance was definitely going to help her when it came to getting used to the city. Noelle�s insistence that Maggie get a job immediately was understandable. LA was an extremely expensive city to live in and there were plenty of available for a technical expert with a doctorate from MIT. Maggie thought it was special that her best friend was trying to push her into a career to help her but the fact that Noelle wanted her to work with her at Comedy Central was another story entirely. It seemed like such a cop out, to work for a network that was well noted for churning out such television shows as Chappelle�s Show and Reno 911. Maggie shook her head at the thought, following her friend. �You know this is really ridiculous,� she commented, and Noelle turned to look at her. �I mean, I�m a genius, for crying out loud, and you�re insisting that I work at South Park?� �First of all,� Noelle said, rolling her eyes for the thousandth time since they�d discussed the subject. �You are not a genius so quit tooting your own stupid horn. Second of all, we�ve been through this already. They�re looking for someone who knows their way around a computer. It�s not like they want you to help them put the cartoon together, or even worse, write an episode,� she paused here to scoff lightly. Maggie frowned, wondering what it meant. �But just take a look around. You may find the atmosphere nice. I mean I love working at Comedy Central because of the people I work with, give or take a few. But there are certain people I absolutely love working with,� Noelle finished, a small smile that seemed shy and enigmatic crossed her face. Maggie became flushed then. Noelle was right, and that was hardly ever something Maggie liked to admit to. Regarding her circumstances, maybe it was better for her to be working in a place where she would be entertained on a daily basis. She needed to get away from the rigors and pains of reality, and entering work every day knowing she was escaping the real world was beginning to sound enticing. What was she going to do? She was quite smart and well sought after. She didn�t doubt that once Noelle told the heads of South Park that Maggie possessed a PHD from a prestigious tech school in Mass they would want her. What really worried her was becoming intimate with the people she worked with. Part of her wanted to work in a stuffy job where the people working together weren�t friendly and inviting, that way she didn�t feel bad leaving anyone behind once real life hit her full force. She felt nervous all of a sudden and she started to play with the hem of her shirt in her anxiety. Noelle didn�t seem to notice, as she too, was starting to get nervous. Maggie, confused even more at this, decided to finally ignore her friend�s quirks. She�d been away from her for far too long and knew nothing of Noelle�s modern, day-to-day life. Maggie sniffled slightly, fixing her long blonde hair by throwing it over her shoulders and pushing her bangs behind her ears. She felt like she was a seventeen-year-old girl going on a blind date. Once they reached the elevator and Noelle had pressed a button indicating she wanted to go up, she nudged her friend. �Don�t look so serious. I�m just going to show you around, let you get better acquainted with the people who work there. You have nothing to be worried about. It�s not like you�re going for an interview.� Of course Noelle had to pick up on her anxiety. Maggie suddenly felt extremely frumpy, standing next to a made up and professional looking Noelle, wearing a black skirt and a very stylish button up turquoise blouse. Noelle had always been of a darker kind of beauty, attracting the more mysterious boys in high school. With legs that went on for days, she could have any man she wanted and then some. She batted her dark lashes and beguiled men with her even darker and at the same time, sparkling eyes, flipping her shoulder length brown hair and every man she stared out became a puddle of� well, let�s just say she got any man she wanted. Maggie looked down at her outfit. A pair of Levis that she�d haphazardly tossed on after Noelle had burst into her room, and a rather old and very tight red and gray baseball shirt. She felt like she should be coaching a Little League team, not taking a tour of the potential place of business she would be working at. Before Maggie had time to get herself really worked up, Noelle turned to her frantically, slapping her in the arm. �Do I look okay?� her friend exclaimed. Maggie frowned, thinking it was an awfully odd question for her to ask. �You look great.� �Okay, now tell me the truth!� Panic was in her friend�s eyes, and this brought all of the former confusion back to Maggie�s mind. �Quit freaking out, you look gorgeous. I was just envying your beauty a second ago.� �Oh whatever, don�t lie to me.� �Seriously.� Noelle looked straight ahead when the elevator stopped and took a deep breath. �Okay.� The doors opened and Maggie was once again puzzled. They were staring straight into another wall and Noelle stepped out. Maggie followed, unsure where she was going. They turned sharply and Maggie saw ahead of her the hustle and bustle that the office seemed to be in. Everyone was moving around and no person was without a job. Maggie caught up to her brisk friend and grabbed her to slow her down, whispering in her ear harshly. �What exactly are we doing here? They look busy.� �They always look busy. It�s probably production day, plus I called ahead to tell them I was bringing in a prospective technical advisor.� �But� shouldn�t we leave? I don�t want to put anyone out or be a burden. Let�s just go!� Noelle stopped, turning to Maggie and smiling encouragingly. �There is no reason for you to get worked up about this. I am just taking you around to meet some people, get to know the place, and talk to the guys. I�m sure you�ll be fine, and don�t worry about them looking busy. First of all, a lot of it�s for show. Second of all, it�s just a busy time. They�re in pre-production, getting the storyboard onto the computer. Everyone has their job and all you need to worry about is not tripping over your big clunky shoes in the carpet snags.� Maggie looked down and laughed then. Not only was Noelle her voice of reason, she was really speaking hypocritically. Maggie could tell that her friend was feeling anxious, and she couldn�t figure out why yet. For Noelle to tell Maggie not to worry was a contradiction and also kind of comical. They continued on, passing by several people who looked up and smiled at Noelle, but were too busy to stop and talk. Once they made it to an office, Noelle let herself in. Maggie smirked and couldn�t help but notice that Noelle�s obnoxious and sometimes rude habits didn�t apply to just her closest friends. �Maggie Fisher, this is Andy Kemler,� she said, and an attractive man with dark hair turned toward her. He smiled amiably. �He�s the post production coordinator. Andy, this is Maggie. She might be another technical director here soon.� Andy reached over and shook Maggie�s hand. �It�s nice to meet you,� he said. �It�s certainly� interesting� working here.� Maggie only smiled nervously and Noelle waved to Andy, thanking him for his time. Just before they hit the door, Andy called out, �Oh, Trey is in storyboard if you�re looking for him.� Maggie looked back over her shoulder and saw that Noelle was shaking her head very curtly. Andy was smiling quite mischievously. They closed the door to his office and Maggie frowned at her friend. �What was that all about?� �Oh, nothing. He knows I want you to meet the main boys. Why don�t I take you to meet the tech people?� Maggie felt as though she�d never smiled so much in her entire life. She shook more hands than she could count and was completely exhausted by the time Noelle pulled her out of another office and smiled widely at her. �So, is there anyone you can�t stand yet?� Maggie looked at Noelle for a few seconds and processed the question seriously. For some reason, she had not found one person that rubbed her the wrong way. It was definitely a friendly place and everyone seemed genuinely interested in meeting her. �No. But can I ask you a very personal question?� �Um�� �Can we get a drink of water?� �No, I want you to dry out. Yes, we can get some freaking water,� Noelle said, rolling her eyes at Maggie and turning around to lead her to the break room. Maggie followed, feeling as though she were dragging on the floor and about to die. The dizziness hadn�t gone away at all and she desperately needed a water break. �So where exactly are these Matt and Trey people?� Maggie asked, fanning herself. �Oh, Trey is in a meeting and will be out in a matter of minutes. Then I can corner him and get him to come over and meet you because he probably won�t have too much going on. He usually makes time for me, anyway. I visit up here a lot. Trey�s a great guy to work for. Not only is he extremely smart, but he�s also friendly and fair. He can be firm when it comes to the rules, but that only makes sense, right? After all, it is his show.� Noelle was rambling, which confused Maggie even more. �Well, what about Matt?� �Oh it�s his show, too. But you know what I mean.� �No, I meant, where is he?� Maggie asked, expecting another explanation. �Oh,� Noelle paused a second to collect her thoughts. �I have no clue.� Maggie only shrugged, deciding that she didn�t care if Noelle didn�t and followed her friend to the break room. She opened the door with her backside and allowed Maggie to step in and take a look around. It was empty at the moment, but the couch that was set up looked comfortable and inviting. Maggie took a seat tentatively and relaxed into it. She felt a lot better and was especially refreshed when Noelle handed over her bottled water. �What do you think of the place?� Noelle asked excitedly, standing next to her. Maggie took another huge swig of her water and nodded. �I really like the atmosphere. Everyone seems to like each other.� �So� are you leaning more toward a yes, then?� Maggie set her head back against the wall. She didn�t know what to think now. She really liked the people and though it wasn�t nearly as prominent a company as Microsoft, it was still a respectable work place. And what did it really matter how prominent the company was? Who did she honestly have to impress at this point? Why was it necessary to work somewhere stuffy and high class, where she wouldn�t enjoy coming to work each day? She needed all the fun and laughter she could get. Her last few years didn�t need to be grim. �I suppose it�s more toward a yes now. I�d really like to meet Trey and Matt, though.� �Oh, don�t worry. They�re around here somewhere. I�ll track �em down,� Noelle said, standing up straight. �Are you ready? I�m sure Trey�s out of his meeting by now.� Maggie took another drink and nodded, standing up from the couch. She didn�t feel nearly as light headed, but she still felt a little off. The sooner they got out of there, the better. Noelle opened the door and Melanie, another tech person, walked in and greeted them both cheerfully. �Hey, Mel,� Noelle said, �is Trey out of that meeting yet?� �Yeah. He heard you were here and he�s looking for you,� Mel responded with the same playful smirk that Andy had. Noelle�s face turned a very subtle shade of pink and she muttered a, �Thank you,� and slammed the door shut behind her. Realization began to dawn on Maggie. �But where�s the other one?� Maggie said, using her newly found information for torturing purposes. �You seem to know where Trey is, but what about Matt?� Noelle�s ears turned bright red and she didn�t respond to her friend�s teasing. She continued to walk forward steadily. Maggie had another chance to observe the new surroundings. The colors were bright and vibrant, making it look like anything but an ordinary workplace. She was very impressed with the fun look they had given the place. Another crew member was walking toward the girls and Noelle stopped him immediately by calling out, �Yo, Greg!� Maggie tuned out of the conversation then and let her eyes scan the general vicinity. The door they had paused in front of was wide open, and a man was leaning over his computer, clicking away like crazy. He was very involved and didn�t seem to notice that the door to his office was hanging wide open for anyone to peer into. She studied him for a moment and watched the man turn his face toward her just as she began to look away. It was as if he knew she was watching, because at the same second their eyes met, Maggie had to do a double take. Whoever he was, he was hot. She felt eighteen all over again. It seemed like it had been so long since she�d done a double take with anyone. It was something she�d done quite frequently in high school. What was slightly weirder was the fact that the good-looking man in the office had performed the same kind of double take when looking at her. Maggie couldn�t help but stare at him and it wasn�t just because he was looking straight back at her. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of glasses but that didn�t bar the enchanting power they had over her. She was almost tempted to step away from Noelle and talk to this charming stranger. �Are you ready?� Maggie pulled her gaze away, regretting losing the moment. Now more than ever she wanted to return to the hotel to lie down. There was someone who was going to unnerve her here, and she knew she did not want to deal with it at this point. The last thing she wanted was romantic involvement with someone new. Having Noelle back in her life was going to be hard enough. To include a romantic interest was just foolish. �Yeah, but I�m getting a little sick, Noelle. Let�s just meet these two clowns and get out of here.� �Which clowns are you referring to? Matt and Trey?� Noelle asked, a large smile on her face. Maggie could tell that Noelle was looking over her head at someone else. Maggie�s shoulders sagged. �One of them is standing behind me, right?� Noelle nodded. Maggie turned around and nearly lost it when she saw the man she�d been staring at standing there, a very roguish smirk on his face. He was even more gorgeous up close and Maggie prayed to every deity she knew of that this wasn�t Trey. Noelle stepped up to her friend and placed her hands on her shoulders. �Don�t look so freaked out, he doesn�t bite.� �Not really hard, anyway. Matt Stone,� he said, reaching his hand out to shake hers. Maggie breathed a sigh of relief and dared to smile back. She took his hand in hers and shook it very politely. His hand was soft and his gaze was fixed directly on her. He seemed to be reading her, trying to figure her out and who she was with just the gentle gleam of his twinkling hazel eyes. The lenses of his glasses only enhanced it. �Maggie Fisher,� she responded, letting go of his hand, again, quite regrettably. Her eyes never left his. She couldn�t help it, but it felt like magic. �Maggie Fisher� I take it you�re friends with Noelle, here?� Matt asked, breaking the gaze to look over Maggie�s shoulder at Noelle. He flashed her a mischievous leer that reminded Maggie a lot of the way a brother would look at a sister. There was already a relationship between them that Noelle hadn�t expressed. Maggie could only imagine what Noelle�s relationship with Trey was like. �Yes. Since high school.� �Oh, is that so? I�m so sorry,� he said, and jumped away when Noelle went to give him a swift kick with her black pump. �Oh yeah, right into your so-called �sweet� ass!� Maggie frowned in confusion. She had missed the discussion about Matt Stone�s ass. Noelle was glaring at Matt and his jaw dropped open and he appeared to be offended by something. �Don�t you dare disrespect the ass! My ass is so fucking sweet� you have no idea,� he said, placing his hand protectively over it. �Whatever. If your ass is so sweet, how come you aren�t?� �Aw!� �Like I was saying,� Noelle began, turning to Maggie again. She was cut off when Matt turned his back toward them and walked to Noelle. He reached for her hand cautiously. �Touch it, Noelle. You know you want to. Don�t worry, it won�t hurt.� �GOD DAMMIT, MATT!� Maggie only laughed at their antics and kept quiet. She stepped aside and let them bicker for a couple of seconds before Matt looked over at her, smiled teasingly, and became serious once again. Noelle calmed herself as well. �Like I was saying� I was just bringing Maggie around to observe the working conditions of this little operation. She may be taking a job as a technical director, but if you�re going to be like that, maybe she should work somewhere else.� �No!� The three of them stopped for a second to consider what had just been said, but before Maggie had time to do much thinking about it, Matt interrupted by scratching his short curly hair and shaking his head. �So are you looking for Trey, Noelle?� Her face went pink again and she crossed her arms. �Yes, and before you say anything, don�t call me that horrible name. I only wanted my friend here to meet you guys and then we�re out of here.� �You�re leaving so soon? It�s early in the day!� Matt said, a smile on his face as he peered once again at Maggie. Maggie wasn�t sure what she was feeling at that point. This man was extremely handsome and everything about him screamed that not only was he single, but that he was also interested in her. She wasn�t sure how to take that, but she knew not to question anything until she knew it for sure. �Are you going to interview here, then?� Matt asked her. She broke out of her thoughts and looked up at him. His eyes were soft and curious, asking her more than just a simple question like that. She knew he wanted to ask something different. �I don�t know, I�m still considering it.� �Well, can I do anything to sway you?� Maggie felt her cold, frigid heart melt. She�d kept a glaze of frost coating it so it couldn�t be broken or hurt by anyone else, and she certainly didn�t want to hand over her heart to someone who was going to be disappointed later when he found out the truth. Looking at this man, with his energetic demeanor, his gentle but probing eyes, and the youthful gap in his teeth that made his smile ten times more captivating, how could she subject him to something like that? It was only a matter of time before everyone had to cry about it. He certainly didn�t deserve it. But her heart was screaming for her to accept whatever he had to offer. Her head said absolutely not. �I don�t know� I have to come to the decision on my own.� �She�s being modest,� Noelle butted in, causing Matt�s gaze to once again be torn from Maggie�s. �She�s a tech wiz. She has a doctorate from MIT in computer junk. She originally wanted a job at Microsoft, but I think I may have talked her into South Park.� His eyes widened considerably, and Maggie felt a very deep thrill at having impressed him. �Wow,� was all he said at first and Maggie almost wanted to flip her hair back in a confident and cocky way. �Why don�t you go work at Microsoft then?� The tone of his voice was sincere and a little bit let down. She couldn�t help but take the comment straight to heart. He understood the value and importance of working somewhere as esteemed as Microsoft, and that meant something to her. Especially since it was his show he was turning her away from. Maggie knew, in that very instant, where she wanted to work. �Well I like the atmosphere here, and I like the people,� Maggie said in barely a whisper, but she knew Matt could understand the validity of her words. His hardened look was immediately changed by her remark. All she found herself wanting to do at that moment was forget the fact that they barely knew each other and pull him into the nearest empty room. �Well, I guess I can understand that,� he said, reaching his right hand up and twisting the curls in his hair around his finger. For some reason, she found this little habit of his very erotic. �I have a degree from the University of Colorado for mathematics. I don�t do much with that now.� Maggie pulled her eyes away from his rapidly twisting fingers and looked back into his gentle eyes. �It�s still very impressive�� she said. A moment once again spanned between the two of them, allowing Maggie some freedom to think all kinds of things about him. She wanted to get to know him deeper and more intimate than she had ever known anyone, but she also felt barred from him in a very frustrating way. Surprisingly enough, Noelle remained silent through this span of time, but it was only once Maggie finally found her footing again that she realized Noelle had actually walked away from them to find Trey. �Noelle left,� Matt whispered. �I-I know.� �You two have known each other since high school?� �Yes.� �So you�re from Michigan, too?� �Uh, yeah.� Matt was very curious and extremely inquisitive. Maggie was uncomfortable talking in the open, where plenty of people could walk by and see the way they were gazing at one another. The moment felt so private and yet the setting was so public. Matt sensed that Maggie felt closed off about it. �I�m sorry, do you want me to stop asking you questions?� �Well, yes, but no, that�s not it�� Matt smiled at her, giving her reassurance that she found was exactly what she�d been searching for. In another sweep of emotions, she wanted to grab the neck of his t-shirt and pull him into a more private area. His finger was still going wild in his hair and she was fixated on it. �It�s all right,� he said, taking his finger from his hair and placing his warm palm on her arm. A shock went through her body at the contact. �I understand.� �I finally found him!� Noelle announced. Maggie and Matt looked up instantly to see that Trey was indeed, following Noelle. Maggie smirked. She couldn�t help but think he looked kind of like a puppy eagerly pursuing his master. �Trey Parker, this is my good friend Maggie Fisher.� �Maggie,� he said, extending his hand out for her to take. She did, and noticed that there was no spark of anything remotely like what there had been with Matt. It spoke volumes to her. �I�ve heard so much about you and I�m glad I finally get to put a face with a name.� She smiled back at him, dropping his hand and taking a few seconds to analyze him. Trey was a very attractive man. His features were soft and his dazzling blue eyes were very intense. She could tell that they were easy to get lost in. He had a large, bright smile that exposed all of his teeth and could definitely be described as infectious. He was someone that Maggie really found herself connecting to, but it was definitely in a different way than it was with Matt. �I see you�ve already met my arch nemesis,� Trey said, nodding his head toward Matt. Matt only saluted back to Trey. She looked back and forth between them and shrugged absently. �I�ve set up an interview time for you already, Maggie,� Noelle said then. Maggie�s eyes widened and she looked straight at her best friend. �What? Already?� �Yes.� Maggie could tell by the look in Noelle�s eyes that her best friend knew the truth. She always had a way of doing that. It could be really annoying but it didn�t matter at that time, because Maggie needed Noelle�s help more than ever. She suddenly felt lost and confused, looking back up at Matt. He was giving her a very tender smile, encouraging her and yet also offering her a sort of guidance and compassion. Her entire body melted and she became even more light-headed than she had been a few minutes beforehand. �That�s fine, Noelle, but can we go? I think I need to lay down.� �Is something wrong?� came Matt�s soft tone. His voice was like a melody of beautiful music in Maggie�s ears. She almost felt the need to sigh whenever he opened his mouth. Not to mention the fact that he was showing concern. That made the symphony twice as wonderful. �I�m just a little sick is all,� Maggie told him. �Don�t worry about me. Go back to work, boys,� she jokingly ordered. Noelle turned to Trey then and shrugged. �I guess this means we�re leaving. So we�ll see you in a couple of days for the interview?� �If not before,� Trey said in a jocular tone. There was a lot of tension and attraction between Noelle and Trey, and now that Maggie had seen it first hand, she understood all of the nervous behavior Noelle had exhibited just before hitting the floor. They were looking at each other like they were the only two people in the entire world. It was so obvious to a third party and when Maggie turned to say goodbye to Matt, she saw that he was watching Trey and Noelle�s farewell with a distant and somewhat remorseful expression on his face. Maggie watched them, too. She was almost surprised to see that there was no goodbye kiss exchanged as Trey waved and walked away. Noelle looked at Maggie expectantly then, happier than ever. �You ready?� �Uh� yes,� she said. She desperately wanted to find a way to stick around and stay with Matt even longer, but she knew it was impossible for more than one reason. She looked back up to him and decided to end it very indifferently, even though both of them knew that was the last thing this was. She extended her hand again and he took it almost instantly. This time, he put both hands on hers and the feel of both of his hands cupping her own was something she really enjoyed. It felt almost natural to touch him this way. �It was really nice meeting you, Matt,� she said in a breathy tone. No matter how nonchalant she tried to act, her voice was a dead give away that she observed this as anything but casual. �It was nice meeting you, Maggie.� They let go and broke their gaze for what felt like the hundredth time and as Maggie stepped to walk away with Noelle, Matt called her name again. A shiver ran up her spine. �Can I call you?� Cold fear shot through her and her large green eyes went wide. �Why?� �Oh, well,� he said, fumbling on his words then. �Well, to, uh� give you interview protocol. Yeah, that�s it. I just want to let you know how we�ll be conducting the interview and get you up to speed on what goes on around here. That�s-that�s all.� �Oh,� Maggie said, looking away. They both knew it was more than that, but what difference did it make? He was going to take a step and call her. �Well, I�m staying at a hotel right now�� �Do you have a cell phone?� Noelle put her hand on Maggie�s shoulder. �Yes she does, and I�ll call and give you the number tomorrow. Okay, Matt?� He nodded and Maggie couldn�t help but look over at him one last time before walking away. She felt like she was going to cry, having to be pulled away from him so soon. He was slowly making his way back to his office, not taking his eyes off her. Once he was out of sight, Maggie pulled her eyes away and focused them on the floor. �Why did you tell him you�d give him my number?� she suddenly demanded once everyone was out of earshot. Noelle gave her friend a Look. �Please, Maggie, he was going to find a way no matter who gave it to him. The way he was looking at you, there was no question. When Matt sees something he likes, he goes after it full force.� �Something he likes? I just met the man, Noelle.� �I know, but that doesn�t mean anything. Not to Matt Stone.� �Well, I don�t know him well enough for anything other than a simple friendship to come of this.� �Whatever, don�t lie to me. You were into him. I could tell you wanted to jump his bones.� �Oh, very eloquent, Noelle,� Maggie said with a nervous laugh. She was right, after all. �I�m right, though and you know it.� Damn, how does she always know? �Yes. He�s very attractive. But he�s also my boss. Relationships in the workplace never work out.� �Don�t give me that. Matt is a great guy, what are you afraid of?� Maggie chose not to answer. She knew exactly what she was afraid of and no one but her needed to know. There was nothing she could do about it now, and she didn�t want to bring more people in it. Maggie wanted to hurt as few people as possible. She remembered coming in not thirty minutes beforehand, thinking that her biggest concern was going to be working with friendly people she�d eventually have to leave. She hadn�t counted on meeting someone like Matt Stone, a man that could make her reevaluate everything and consider making changes to the many promises she�d made herself. She also hadn�t counted on meeting Trey Parker, and feeling an instant kinship with him. Two more people she had to hurt and then leave. Noelle pushed the button on the elevator and only said one more thing before they got on. �I knew the moment Matt told you to go Microsoft you wanted to work with him at South Park. That�s why I set up the interview and that�s why I promised him your number.� Maggie felt chills run up her back again. Noelle knew her far too well when she barely even knew herself. |
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