Chapter 4

Surprisingly enough, Maggie�s cell phone rang a couple of hours after she and Noelle had finished with their shopping and perusing of the boulevard and Maggie had returned safely back to the hotel. Noelle had avoided the subject of South Park, Comedy Central, and especially Matt and Trey. Maggie�s thoughts were consumed with the extremely alluring man she�d met and she knew that Noelle knew, but refused to comment about it. There were several instances in which Maggie wanted to open her mouth and ask a question about Matt, his background, his life, his personality, his demeanor� it was like she desperately wanted to know everything there was to know about him and this seriously confused her to no end.

She settled into the comfortable couch in her suite and tilted her head backward. She decided in a matter of seconds that she enjoyed this very much and would continue her relaxation in a nice, hot bubble bath. However, her phone rang in her purse and her heart jumped so high into her throat that she nearly choked on it.

She edged toward the phone uneasily, not willing to admit to herself that she wanted it to be Matt calling her. She took the phone out and gazed at the caller ID. It wasn�t a number she recognized and her hands were starting to shake as she pressed the button and answered in a shaky voice, �Hello?�

�Miss Fisher?�

Maggie�s shoulders slumped considerably. It was only the realtor she�d been dealing with. Of course, this was good news. She was probably calling to tell her that everything with the house was all ready to go and she could move in. But for some reason, Maggie felt slightly disappointed and she didn�t want to confess to her own heart that she was dying to hear from Matt.

After chatting with the realtor for about five minutes, Maggie�s original guess about the house was correct, and she was informed that she could pack up and start moving in the very next day. Maggie was extremely excited when she hung up and dashed straight into the bedroom to start packing her things. She grabbed her phone on the way in to call Noelle and tell her the good news.

Maggie dialed Noelle�s cell phone number and smiled to no one in particular. If three years ago, someone had told her that she would be moving into a house in LA and calling up her best high school friend on the phone, she would have thought they were nuts. The way life intervened in your plans was certainly crazy. And by life, she meant the cancer.

�Hello?�

Noelle answered her phone happily, tons of noise in the background. Obviously Noelle was used to full, busy days and then long partying nights. Maggie was completely exhausted and only wanted to fall asleep in her hot bath� that is, right after she finished packing up all of her clothes.

�Hey there!�

�Didn�t I just talk to you about a half hour ago?� Noelle teased her.

�Yes, but I�ve got great news!�

�Oh? And what�s that?�

�My realtor just called. The house is ready and I can move in tomorrow!�

�Awesome! That is so great, babe, I�m really happy for you. So you�re settling in and staying in LA for good, then?�

If for good meant permanently, until she was eventually led to death�s door, then that was exactly how long she was staying. She shook the depressing thoughts from her head and responded, �Yeah. I guess I am.�

�I�m glad. It�s about time. I would really love to help you pack all your stuff and move it in, but unfortunately they need me at work tomorrow. I will definitely come by after to help. Is that cool?�

�No, I want you to stay away from me,� Maggie said facetiously. �I understand you have to work. I don�t have a day job yet.�

Noelle�s words were drowned out by a resounding amount of noise in the background and Maggie frowned in frustration. �What? Where are you? In the pits at Nascar?�

�Oh, ha,� Noelle said. �I�m down at Frank�s Pub. Why don�t you come by and celebrate getting your new house with us? We�ll all toast you.�

�Who is �us?� � Maggie asked suspiciously, even though she was sure she already knew the answer.

�Some people from work. Trey and Matt are down here, too. Why don�t you stop by?�

Noelle�s tone was a little bit playful, as if she was daring Maggie to make an appearance. However, Maggie knew that it was a bad idea to go to a bar with a bunch of rowdy friends and a man who made her feel like she had no physical control over herself. The idea of spending more time with Matt was quite appealing, but that was exactly why she didn�t want to go down there.

�I don�t think so, Noelle.�

�Oh come on, Mag! Live a little!�

�I don�t know��

�Just come down! I�m sure the guys would love to see you,� Noelle said, another playful hint in her voice.

The more Noelle spoke, the more Maggie was tempted to go. She had to be resolute, though. �I can�t, Noelle. I�m awfully tired. I�m not used to LA life quite yet and you had me out all day. Give me a night to recuperate.�

�You�ll sleep better if you come.�

�How so?�

�It�s too complicated to explain, just come.�

Maggie smirked. She peered into her suitcase for an outfit appropriate to go to a bar in, but then shut the top immediately to rid herself of the temptation. �Absolutely not, Noelle.�

�Maggie!�

�No!�

�Please!�

�Some other time.�

�Matt wants you to come. He just told me.�

Maggie�s breath caught. How was it that Noelle knew exactly how to push all of her buttons? Maggie did not want Matt to become a weakness to her, and so she decided not to fall for it.

�Whatever. I don�t believe you.�

�No? Okay.�

There was a bit of static in which Maggie was sure Noelle had been distracted and momentarily lost control of her phone. Maggie considered yelling at her friend and then hanging up until a new but also very familiar voice answered and Maggie�s blood ran cold. She nearly dropped her own phone.

�Maggie?�

�Uh� uh, yeah-yes, this is Maggie. Matt?�

�Yeah, where are you?�

�I�m at my hotel suite, where are you?� Maggie scrunched her eyes tightly together and put a hand on her forehead then, realizing how stupid the question was.

He only laughed at her. He was probably not nearly as nervous talking to her as she was to him, but he could sense it and he didn�t mind. �I�m at Frank�s. Why aren�t you?�

�I don�t know��

�You don�t? Then why don�t you just come down?�

�I don�t know� I�m really tired. I don�t think I�m up for it.�

�Oh come on, this is LA. One of the cities in America that never sleeps.�

�As opposed to where?�

�Well, for instance, I�m sure it�s lights out in Salt Lake already. After all, it is eight.�

�That�s in horrible taste, but it�s okay because I�m not Mormon.�

�Good.�

There was a pause between them, but there was certainly no silence. Far too much was going on in the background on Matt�s end for there to be any quiet whatsoever. Maggie didn�t want to hang up with him. She felt comfortable talking to him, like nothing she could ever say would offend him or sound completely stupid and juvenile. Although she knew it would come out that way, Matt wouldn�t seem to care. That was the kind of guy he was.

�Why don�t you come down?� he asked again, this time more persistent.

�Eh, I don�t know.�

�Is that all you ever say? You do know. You�re a smart woman. Come on down here and entertain me.�

Maggie was extremely flattered by his determination in getting her to come and the fact that he sounded sincere about it. But she just couldn�t, no matter how sexy his voice sounded over the phone or how badly she wanted to look into his eyes again that night.

�You have Trey and Noelle don�t you?� she asked, moving around to pack her things like she originally intended.

�They�re no fun.�

�You don�t know me, Matt. How would you know if I was fun?�

�Well, I suppose I don�t. If you come down here, you�d really help me find out. How about it?�

�I don�t think so.�

She heard a heavy sigh escape his lips. �Okay. I�m not Noelle and I�m not going to push you if you really don�t want to come.�

Maggie felt an overwhelming urge to prove him wrong, but another part of her told her not to set foot outside of the suite. She couldn�t afford it.

�I am still going to give you a call tomorrow. Is that all right?�

Maggie swallowed hard. �That�s fine.�

�Okay. I�ll give the phone back to your friend here, but can I just say something before I go?�

�Sure.�

�Congratulations on the house.�

Maggie wasn�t sure how to thank him because her words caught in her throat. Before she had a chance to say anything to him, Noelle was back on the phone.

�So, what was the chat about?�

�Mormons.�

�Excuse me?�

�Nothing. Where did you go? I assumed you were standing right there listening to the conversation.�

�Nah, I went to have a drink with Trey and I left Matt alone.�

�Oh. Trey, huh?�

�Yes,� Noelle said rather curtly. �I had a Coors Light with Trey. Is there something wrong with that?�

�Absolutely not,� Maggie said, envisioning Noelle at that very moment, flushing bright pink. If Noelle could do it to her, certainly Maggie could do it right back. �Anyway, I�m going to let you go now. I just wanted to let you know what was going on and I�ve got to get all packed up before tomorrow.�

�Okay. I�m sorry you�re not going to come down.�

�I�m sorry that you�re sorry, but I don�t feel like it.�

�Oh yeah? I think it�s something more.�

�Well, that�s your opinion.�

�I think it�s a fact.�

�That�s an opinion, too.�

�I don�t think so.�

Maggie only laughed at her friend, said goodbye and hung up. She tossed her cell phone on the bed and looked at the large trunk that was sitting open in front of her, full of clothes. She was still coming down from the amazing high she�d been on when she learned that her house was already. Not to mention the fact that all of her feelings for Matt had been reaffirmed in that one conversation. If she�d questioned anything that day, now there was absolutely no need. He wasn�t physically in front of her and that didn�t matter.

That was the scariest part. That meant she didn�t have sexual attraction to blame all of her thoughts on. It was something deeper than that and it truly confused her.

What confused her even more was the fact that she was really looking forward to hearing from Matt the next day. Before anything else happened, she decided to slip her phone quietly on her nightstand so she would definitely hear it if it went off. It was unlikely that he would call first thing in the morning, but just in case, she wanted to be prepared.

�Hello?�

�Is it too early to call?�

Maggie�s eyes widened and she sat bolt up in the bed. Noelle had barged in not twenty-four hours before and she did not feel nearly as awake then as she did at this exact moment. Matt was on the phone.

�Uh� of course not. Matt?�

�Yes, sorry, did I wake you?�

�To be honest, yes, but I�m glad you did. I needed to get up anyway.�

�Sorry about that,� he said, sounding genuine.

�That�s all right,� Maggie said, trying hastily to get out of the bed, and only succeeding in tripping over her blankets and falling smack on her face. �OW!� she screamed then, forgetting she was on the phone.

�Holy shit, are you okay?� Matt asked.

Maggie, remembering the phone was still on her ear, turned bright red and tried her hardest to get back upright.

�I�m fine, really,� she assured him, untangling the blankets around her feet. �I just fell off the bed.�

There was a pause. �You fell off the bed?� he repeated incredulously.

Maggie felt incredibly sheepish and even though he wasn�t sitting in front of her, watching the events and goings on, she certainly did feel like she was being scrutinized. �Yes.�

�Are you all right?�

�I�ll live. I�ve done it so many times I�ve lost count.�

�Uh� you have?�

�Shut up. What do you want?�

He chuckled a little bit and sighed. �You�re quite something, did anyone ever tell you that?�

Maggie went red again. �No, is it a compliment?�

�Yes.�

�Thank you.�

�You�re welcome.�

�Hey, aren�t you at work?�

�Yes. But don�t worry about me, I�m not busy.�

Maggie frowned, putting all of the sheets back onto the bed and collecting herself. She walked into the closet and grabbed the last outfit she�d left out and brought it into the bathroom with her. �Are you sure? You guys looked awfully busy yesterday.�

�Oh, that was just for show. We�re all slackers here,� he said jokingly, but then his voice seemed a little more frantic. �Not-not that it�s a bad place to work or anything like that. I mean we take our work seriously and everything, but��

�It�s all right,� she laughed. He seemed to be adamant about her working there.

�Anyway, what was I calling you about?�

Maggie smiled then, glad that she was not the only one who felt so completely dazed and lost when she was around him. If she had been the one calling, she probably would have forgotten, too. She sympathized.

�The interview.�

�Oh, that�s right. Sorry.�

�Quit apologizing.�

�Sorry.�

�Dammit!�

�That last one was for me. I was going to tell you what we were going to talk about in the interview, that�s right. I�ll tell you right now that you�ve got the job. The interview is just routine and we have to do it, so there�s absolutely nothing to fret over. Trey and I will be there, along with some big wigs at Comedy Central, the guys who fund our show. Don�t worry about them, they just want to know if you�re worth the investment, but because you have PHD from MIT on your resume, you are pretty much guaranteed a spot. You got it?�

Maggie smiled. The prospect of working with Matt was certainly something, and the fact that he was blunt enough to come out and tell her that she already had the job was extremely sweet of him.

�Noelle gave me a ballpark estimate on my salary. Do you know exact numbers?�

�I can only ballpark it for you. It�ll be the CCs who tell you.�

�CCs?�

�Comedy Central guys.�

�Oh.�

Another moment of comfortable silence passed between them and Maggie had a chance to start changing into her clothes before Matt spoke again.

�All right, so that�s about it.�

�It is?�

�Yeah. You have the job. Trey and I discussed it with Noelle last night.�

�You did?�

�Yes. She gave us the run down.�

Maggie felt herself panic a little. Noelle had a tendency to embellish to the point where it almost became embarrassing. Maggie could only imagine the kind of things Noelle was saying, especially with alcohol in her system.

�A run down, eh? I hope everything she said was good.�

�You could say that.�

�I�m going to kill her.�

�Don�t worry about it. Besides, even if it wasn�t good, I couldn�t tell.�

Maggie smiled and felt more connected to Matt at that moment. She suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to see him again, but she had other things to do. She needed to get off the phone.

�Well, that�s all I really needed to let you know. I�ve got to get back to work so they don�t fire me.�

Maggie frowned. �Don�t you own the show?�

�Yes, I just like to say that.�

�You�re weird.�

�Touch�.�

�Whatever. I�ll see you tomorrow,� she said, feeling the agony of having to wait as long.

�Can I be honest with you?�

It was not an uncommon question to ask, but it was certainly weird to hear it from him when the conversation was so casual to begin with.

�Um, I suppose so�� she said cautiously.

�I want to see you before tomorrow. Is that okay?�

Maggie didn�t know what to say. She wanted to confess that she would love to see him and spend more time with him, but that nagging voice told her not to let him in. Giving in and allowing him to visit was only going to open the floodgate for something deeper and much more intense in the future. But the part of her that wanted him around won.

�I don�t know, Matt� I don�t feel much like going out.�

�Oh come on, I just want to spend time with you.�

�I�ll be kind of busy today, moving in to my house and all. Noelle is supposed to come over and help me after she gets out of work.�

�Hmm� well, I�m not doing anything tonight. What exactly do you have to move?�

�I�ve got my vitals here at the hotel and all of my furniture is in storage right around the corner from the house. I need to move that all in there and start unpacking.�

�Do you need any help?�

Tell him no, you can handle it. What if you help out and get really dizzy and have to be taken to the hospital? What are they going to say when they all find out the truth?

�Yes, actually I would really like some help.�

�Great. I think Trey will probably be willing if Noelle is going to be there.�

Maggie frowned then, stomping her foot for emphasis. �What is going on between them?�

�Oh, that�s a long sorted story that I�ll fill you in on later. So, tonight, what time do you need me?�

The question was very simple and meaningless, but Maggie heard it in a deeper way than he had intended. She wanted to tell him she needed him to come over right then, just to be near her. She refrained.

�Whenever you and Trey are available.�

�Okay. I�ll be there.�

�All right. Thanks, Matt.�

�No problem, Maggie.�

�It was nice talking to you.�

�It was even nicer talking to you.�

Maggie could barely choke out her goodbye because of this comment and she hung up, a large goofy smile on her face. She ran back into the bedroom and threw herself on the bed. She felt more relaxed than she�d been in the past few months and more in control of what was going on. She didn�t know if that had to do with Matt or just the fact that she was finally starting to regain some order, what with a house and a job all lined up. Whatever it was, it was a good thing.

If it was Matt, it was more than just a good thing. It was also scary.

After Maggie had packed everything from her hotel room up into her suitcases and had checked out, she was extremely excited about moving into her new house. All she could think about was settling down and starting a real life.

The house was airy and open, but it was still exuding a very comfortable, welcoming feeling that Maggie got used to immediately. It was a small place, but it was big enough for a single woman to live in. There were two bedrooms, a master bedroom that would be all for her, and a spare bedroom in which Maggie planned on turning into her office. The kitchen wasn�t huge and neither was the dining room, but the living room offered enough space for her to comfortably put her feet up and watch TV whenever she felt the need. There was one full bathroom that was right off of the master bedroom and one half bath that was at the other end of the house. She went through each room with a creative decorator�s eye, trying to decide what she should do in every one.

The realtor let her in, handed over the keys, and was then off. There was nothing more that she needed to do, and Maggie was ecstatic. She decided to simply haul her luggage into her barren bedroom and then wait for Noelle to come and help her take things out of storage. And somewhere, in the back of Maggie�s very complex and studious mind, she was saving all of it so Matt would have more to move and would stay around longer. Of course, this she did not say out loud or even dare to think about for very long.

It felt like her friend was at work forever, but when 5:30 rolled around, Noelle was there and ready to get her hands dirty. Of course, this was not the first thing she said upon entering the house. She set her purse down in the living room and made her way into the bedroom where Maggie was going through a decorating magazine to get ideas.

�So, I hear that Matt and Trey are helping you move, too?�

Maggie looked up at Noelle. �Well hello to you too, dear. How was your day?�

�Don�t avoid the subject,� her friend demanded, coming over and sliding the magazine away with her foot. �You talked to Matt today?�

�He called me this morning.�

�He woke you up, eh? I figured.�

Maggie frowned. �What are you talking about?�

Noelle rolled her eyes and extended her left hand down for Maggie to take. As Maggie stood up, Noelle said, �Oh please, he was all over that phone last night, acting like the most important thing in the whole world was talking to you. I�m surprised he made it until morning. He wanted to see you really badly.�

Maggie felt herself turn slightly pink. �Really?�

�You weren�t there. You had to have seen him to really believe me. The second he got off the phone with you this morning he was in my office, flaunting the fact that you�d invited him to help you move.�

�Whoa!� Maggie cried, turning to Noelle. �First of all, I invited him and Trey, so it�s not like I was trying to start anything. Second of all, he kind of invited himself.�

�Did you object heavily?�

�Well, no��

�Then that�s not the point.�

Maggie sighed heavily and shook her head. �I told him to bring Trey and he made some kind of comment, that if you were going to be here, Trey would come.� Noelle looked at her then, the look in her eyes warning her to stop. �See? I can do it, too, so don�t even give me this crap about Matt.�

�Fine, you win. So, what do we have to move?�

�Well, when are the guys getting here?�

Noelle gave her friend a knowing look but answered her. �They�re in a meeting and should be about ten minutes behind me.�

�HEY! We�re here, where do you need us?�

Noelle and Maggie exchanged very discreet glances. Trey had just burst into the house, smiling a mile wide and followed by a much quieter Matt. Maggie hadn�t had enough time to prepare herself for their visit. They were supposed to have been ten minutes away and Maggie knew she would have had plenty of time to psyche herself up and get in the right frame of mind. This took her utterly by surprise and she wasn�t sure if she could handle it.

Matt was standing at the door, staring right past Trey and Noelle and looking straight at Maggie. She met his eyes and was amazed to discover that he felt just as unprepared as she did, and a little bit nervous. He made up for it by smiling warmly at her and nodding his head toward the door. Maggie decided to grab her keys so she could lead everyone to the storage place to start moving. She stepped around Trey and Noelle, as they were in a deep discussion about something, and stepped outside with Matt.

�Thanks for coming,� she said to him, trying to start some kind of conversation that wasn�t awkward and forced. So far, that was going to prove faulty.

�No problem,� he responded. �I had nothing better to do tonight anyway.�

Maggie stopped walking then and turned to him. She frowned a little and his expression changed. �Oh, no, I didn�t mean it like that! I�m sorry!�

�Calm down,� she said, smiling at him and turning to walk again. �It�s okay, I understand.�

They walked in silence until they reached Maggie�s car and she stood by the driver�s side. �Are you coming with me or are you riding with Trey?� she asked, hoping that he would decide to go with her instead.

�I think Trey is going with Noelle,� he said, looking at the front door as the two stepped out and started walking toward them, still deep in conversation. �I�ll go with you,� Matt answered, opening the door and slipping inside.

Maggie drew in a breath and gathered herself together before opening her door and getting in next to him. She knew that his presence was going to take up the entire car and would distract her in more ways than she knew. Noelle was paying them no attention as she and Trey jumped into her car, still talking. Maggie couldn�t imagine what in the world they would ever talk about that was so important to distract them from the world around them. But then again, she saw the way they looked at each other and she knew they could have been talking about the most meaningless subject in the entire world, but it would not have mattered.

�Maggie?�

Matt�s timing was impeccable. She jumped up and saw that he was staring at her expectantly, a wide smile crossing his face. �Are you all right?�

�I�m fine. Are you ready?�

�Yes. Are you?�

�I�m grand. Let�s go,� she said, turning the car on and backing out of the driveway. She had been right in her assumption. Matt�s company was not making it easier for her to focus on the subject at hand. They were simply trying to transport her things from point A to point B, but it honestly couldn�t have been more complicated. She was spending time with someone she did not want to get involved with, for fear of losing herself. Yet there he was, sitting not a foot away from her, playing with his hair in her passenger seat.

The silence was a little uncomfortable and Maggie didn�t know how long she was going to be able to stand it. Finally, Matt jumped in to save them both.

�What all exactly do you have to move?�

She breathed a sigh of relief and flicked her blinker on to make a right turn. �Well, I�ve got living room stuff. You know, a couch and a couple of chairs, plus my entertainment center and my TV, VCR and DVD player. And then I�ve got my dining room table and chairs, all my appliances for the kitchen, the dresser and nightstands for my bedroom, my bed, my desk for my office, my computer, my fax, my?�

�Wow. That�s quite a thorough list.�

�You asked.�

�I know, I�m just saying� I�m quite impressed that you gave a full answer and didn�t just sum it up with, �Eh, stuff.� �

�Well, there�s a lot of shit. I can�t help it.�

�None of us can.�

They looked at each other and smiled then. Maggie was so distracted she almost missed the storage center driveway. She pulled in, followed by Noelle�s car, and the four of them stepped out, proceeding to where Maggie�s things were. They started to load as much as they could into each car, the men carrying the heavier things and the women following with Maggie�s boxes.

This became a routine for the next hour. Like Maggie had indicated beforehand, there was quite a bit to move. Trey continued to ride with Noelle, and there were no complaints on either end at the fact that Matt rode with Maggie each time. And each time, there was more conversing, but it was mostly small talk, the kind of thing two strangers would say to one another. Both of them knew the last thing either of them really were to one another were strangers, but in actuality, they knew nothing about the other person. They talked about the house and what Maggie would do with it. Matt used his own house as an example for her and she appreciated all of his advice. He even offered to help out when she started to decorate, but Maggie got the distinct impression that decorating her house was going to be a complete waste of time and money. Every single time she looked over at Matt, this assumption was reaffirmed more and more.

Finally, once everything was completely moved and there was nothing left in the storage shed, the four got out and prepared to move things into the right rooms and Noelle was more than happy to help her friend unpack.

�The unpacking is not necessary right now, Noelle,� Maggie insisted, carrying a few boxes into the house.

�Sure it is! You think you�re going to be able to do all of this by yourself? I don�t think so, especially when you have an interview to prepare for tomorrow.�

�Do you honestly think we�re going to have all of this unpacked and set up by the end of the night? It�s almost eight as it is.�

�I think we can do it. We�re four smart, capable, people. Well�� Noelle paused, glancing over at Matt and Trey. �Capable anyway.�

�Hey! I�m gonna kick your ass,� Trey told her, pointing at her angrily with his left hand.

�Oh whatever,� Noelle said, waving him off.

�Then you can go and kick Matt�s �sweet� ass.�

This did not deter Matt at all. �Don�t blame me for having the nice ass, buddy. You�ve got the brains, I�ve got the looks. Can�t help it.�

�Looks my ass, you shit head.�

Maggie quickly glanced at the two of them. She didn�t understand why they were all involved in another discussion about Matt�s ass. What was the deal? Noelle came to the rescue before she had much more time to think about it.

�Anyway, I believe we�ll have all of it done by tonight. Everything that�s in boxes anyway. We should just move all of the furniture in and then go room to room.�

�We�ll be here until midnight, you do realize that?� Matt, who had been standing at the door, waiting for an order, observed as he stepped forward.

Maggie looked up at Matt then and their eyes met briefly. She didn�t seem to have an objection to the fact that he was going to be there all night. Neither did he. This only meant they would have more time to spend together, whether they were working or not. Trey and Noelle exchanged a quick glance before Trey shrugged and said, �Whatever. I�ve got nothing better to do.�

Maggie stifled a laugh as she turned around and walked out to retrieve more boxes. Matt followed her closely and shut the door on his way out.

�What is going on with them? I�ve been meaning to ask that,� Maggie said, jabbing her thumb over her shoulder.

�Oh you don�t want to know.�

�Sure I do, I�ve known Noelle practically my whole life. I�d like to know what�s going on between the two of them. Every time I bring him up she gets quiet and snippy.�

�That�s kind of what Trey does. Trey only shrugs off my questions and gives me half assed answers. They like each other, they just won�t admit it.�

Maggie stooped over to grab a box she�d anticipated to be a great deal lighter than it was. She staggered a bit and Matt reached out quickly to help her out, offering to carry the box for her. She thanked him and passed the box over. Their fingers brushed and the electricity of the moment caused them both to look up at the same time. Maggie heart pattered in her chest and her breathing became shortened. Matt�s jagged and clean face was handsome, attractive, and drawing her in with every breath he took through his slightly open mouth. Beneath his upper lip she could see the tiniest hint of that gap in his front teeth, something she found not only incredibly sweet and endearing, but also very arousing.

�When do you think they�ll actually admit something?�

Matt took the box out of her hands and held it closely to him, his face turning a soft shade of crimson.

�I�m not sure. I guess they will when they decide it�s time,� and with that, he turned around walked away from her toward the house. She couldn�t help but watch as he walked away, just to confirm what she had been hearing. She�d always been someone who liked a nice ass on a good man, and it was obvious that everything they said about Matt�s sweet ass held up. He was no exception to this little rule of hers, in fact, Maggie was pretty sure Matt ranked right up there are the top. He was probably above Brad, who she�d thought had the best ever, no matter how much of a dickhead he was.

Maggie felt herself turn beet red then and she knew it wasn�t because of embarrassment or humiliation. Turning toward another cardboard box, she lifted it high in the air and practically ran into the house. Once she was inside, she ignored Noelle and Trey�s questioning looks as she threw it down and ran to the bathroom. She immediately turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on her face several times.

�Get a hold of yourself, Margaret,� she whispered. �This is not right, you can�t afford to feel attracted like this to someone, not in your condition.�

There was a knock at the door. It was Noelle�s voice.

�Hey, Maggie, what�s going on? Are you all right?�

�Yes, I�m fine,� she called in a hoarse voice. She turned off the water and shut off the light. She knew if Matt were in the house with her all night it would not be the first time she had to splash herself in the face to gather her thoughts.

She opened the door and Noelle frowned at her. �Are you sure you�re okay?�

�Positive,� Maggie answered, wiping a few droplets of excess water off of her chin. She cleared her throat and fixed her hair.

Noelle obviously didn�t believe her. �Okay, then tell me why only about two minutes after you and Matt left the house, he came running in looking like he�d dropped something on his toe and dashed to your bedroom?�

�I have no clue. The guy�s kind of out there,� Maggie covered and glanced away from Noelle.

�Level with me,� Noelle said, stopping and turning to Maggie. �What were you two talking about out there?�

�Do you really want to know?� Maggie asked, a glimmer of mischief playing on her face. She had Noelle in a grip once again with the information she was about to unleash.

�Yes, I really would like to know.�

�We were talking about you and Trey,� Maggie said, raising an eyebrow slightly to emphasize her point.

Noelle�s face went white. �You were talking about me, and then Trey, separately, or me and Trey collectively?�

�You decide,� Maggie said, flashing another look at Noelle and then turning to walk away from her.

Noelle grabbed her arm. �Wait a minute, wait a minute,� she said with a sigh. �We�ve got to get on some kind of level about this. Matt and Trey have become important to us,� Maggie opened her mouth to protest, �whether you want to admit it or not. I see it in the way you look at him, Mag, I�m not blind or stupid. Trey said something, too. Don�t you think it�s a little funny that they showed up here about fifteen minutes earlier than they said they were going to be here? Trey mentioned that Matt was in a rush all day today so he could finish his work early.�

Maggie couldn�t help but feel a little bit flattered and at the same time, flustered because of this news. Of course, she could not let Noelle see this, so she turned it around on her again. �So why is Trey here then? If Matt was done early he could have come by himself and waited for Trey. Admit it. There is something between you two that you aren�t talking about, and it�s aggravating me. I�ve got to hear this kind of stuff from a man I�ve barely known for two days instead of a friend I�ve known for eighteen years?�

Noelle sighed and brushed her face with her left hand. �Okay, okay. Let�s reach a compromise. I won�t badger you about what�s going on with you and Matt because you know there is something there?�

�Ah!�

�And you stop bugging me about Trey and I�ll maybe tell you that there could possibly be some kind of faint spark of attraction between us. That�s it. Do we have a deal?� Noelle stuck out her hand to solidify the accord.

Maggie thought for a second and then took her friend�s hand. �Deal.�

They walked out into the living room area and found Matt and Trey talking about something as they entered. The two men looked up at the same time with blank expressions on their face. Trey frowned as he surveyed Maggie. �Are you all right?�

�Yeah, just� got a little flushed is all,� she said, averting her eyes.

�Oh. Okay. So what are we doing?� he asked, looking straight at Noelle for direction.

�Let�s start moving shit. I call the chair!� Noelle yelled, running out the front door eagerly.

�God dammit, I told her she wasn�t lifting any furniture!� Trey said, turning around and running after her.

Maggie and Matt looked at each other and there was a moment of silence. Their eyes communicated a great deal and before Maggie could say anything, Matt took the initiative and stepped toward the screen door. He opened it with his right arm and gestured with his left while saying in a calm, gentle voice, �After you.�

Maggie was enormously impressed, to say the least. Not even Brad had been so gentleman like, even when they first started dating. But she decided not to try and compare Matt to him. After all, they were completely different people.

The lifting, towing, and maneuvering of all of the greater pieces of furniture was what took the longest. Maggie found that after a while, Matt was intent on listening to every single word she said and was becoming extremely flexible according to her needs. Whenever she made a small comment about taking a certain box to her room and maybe unpacking it there, Matt was all over it, lifting the box and hauling it halfway to her room by the time she�d actually made the decision to do it. Trey and Noelle were having a problem when it came to moving the heavier stuff. Trey told her there was no way he was going to let her help move something that awkward and heavy, and she kept insisting that he was being sexist and insinuating that women weren�t supposed to carry furniture. However, Maggie was more than happy to stick Trey and Matt with couches and desks and they were more than happy to help her move them.

It took about two hours for everything to be moved in and put in the correct rooms. In one instance, they had to take a desk apart to fit it through the door, and before Maggie could say, �I�ll fix it later,� Matt was on his knees, putting the entire thing together. She felt a little guilty because she couldn�t help, but whenever she would offer, he waved her away and told her she shouldn�t concern herself with it.

The bed frame was no different, and Maggie could tell that Matt was a tad uncomfortable about hauling her mattress in. Then again, Maggie was uncomfortable about it, too, because she was sure Matt was having the same thoughts. She couldn�t help but picture him on her bed and what they could be doing in the future.

You can�t think that! You hardly even know the man!

Maggie finally had all of the boxes inside of the house and in the correct rooms around ten. She strongly recommended that everyone leave because it was really late and it would take her a long time to unpack everything. Trey and Noelle both agreed because they had to work in the morning and Maggie had an interview to go to. Matt wasn�t nearly as adamant about getting home, but he didn�t strongly object to leaving either. Maggie felt somewhat disappointed that he was eventually going to leave, but she didn�t dare voice her distress or even try to think about it.

�All right, so I guess I�ll see you all tomorrow,� she said, smiling at them as they all opened the door and stepped out. �Thanks for all of your help, I really appreciated it.�

�Oh, don�t thank me,� Noelle said, giving her friend a hug. �You know I would have come no matter what. You can�t do all of this by yourself. These two fags took time out of their schedule, you should thank them more than me.�

�I know,� Trey said, puffing up his chest a little. �I fucking rock.�

�You�re a dumb ass,� Matt interjected.

�Fuck you,� Trey retaliated.

�Ooh, that was genius, Parker,� Matt antagonized.

�Damn straight,� he retorted. Trey turned to Maggie and smiled widely. �Thanks for having us. I actually didn�t have too bad of a time. I�ll see you tomorrow!�

�Bye, Trey, thanks a lot for coming!� Maggie said, waving and watching very suspiciously as Noelle walked him to his car. She couldn�t help but notice that Matt had lingered for a minute longer. She looked over at him and a soft smile spread across her face. �You�ve been great, Matt. Thank you so much for offering to come over.�

�It was no trouble. I enjoyed myself, too,� he told her, and his look was extremely genuine and sincere. She almost opened her big mouth and asked him to stay, but she knew it was a very foolish idea. He was standing right there after all.

�Matt?�

�Maggie?�

They stopped and laughed a little bit. Maggie felt like she was in high school, the way she and Matt were acting. It was foolish and they were certainly not children anymore. She looked up, her green eyes sparkling happily at him. She nodded, indicating that she wanted him to speak instead of her. He only shook his head and reached out for her hand. When he took it, a cold chill ran up her back that felt completely and utterly perfect. He covered her hand with both of his and she felt, very faintly, his thumb stroking the back of her hand in an affectionate way.

�I�m really looking forward to working with you,� he whispered.

�So am I,� she answered, and she knew that in all of her heart, she was being honest.

�I�ll see you tomorrow, Maggie.�

�Goodnight, Matt.�

Quite regretfully, Matt pulled his hands away and kept his eyes on her as he walked off. She watched him as he flashed her one last smile, shoved his hands into his pockets, and hung his head as he walked off into the distance, rounded the corner of her house, and went straight out of view.

Maggie felt a very cold, eerie wind pass by her and she covered herself up with her arms. There was something about that man that made her feel warm and protected and she couldn�t decide what it was. She wasn�t sure she wanted to at this point.

She stepped inside of the house, closed the door, and locked it. She couldn�t pull herself away for the longest time, thinking that in some way, Matt was standing on the other side, doing the same exact thing. She came to a conclusion then, something that almost caused her to stay home the next morning.

Matt Stone was lethal.