Maggie was hungry. In spite of only four hours’ sleep, she was happy and relieved. Derek had arrived at Susan’s shortly after nine p.m. and attempted to get Maggie, the kids, and Paul headed back to the hotel. He was outmaneuvered by Maureen, who was determined to keep the odd ensemble together and had reset the table. After introductions, she herded the adults back into the dining room, while the younger children were put to bed. Great tactical maneuver. Can’t leave without the kids, Maggie reminded herself. In all the confusion of the evening, Maureen even managed to find her camera and take pictures.
Tom, Kyle, and Derek talked football incessantly and planned a fishing trip for the next summer. Betsy, however, sounding more like a lawyer than a physician, lost no time in asking questions, some subtle, some not. It was obvious Betsy would get information one way or another.
It was midnight before they got settled back in the hotel suite. Paul excused himself and left them to talk.
“I’ve got to admit,” Derek stretched out on one of the chairs in the living area, “this is certainly one of the strangest situations you have ever gotten yourself into.” He paused to look at Maggie, sitting silently across from him. “What’s going on?”
“God, I’ve never had to really behave before. I really like her, Derek.”
“What do you want from her?”
She thought about Derek’s question and wondered what she could offer someone like Susan. Susan was probably a woman who wanted commitment and stability. Maggie remembered the jokes she used to make. Monogamy—isn’t that some type of hardwood? In the past she’d closely associated sex with drugs, drinking, and instant gratification. At some point in her life, things had changed. She couldn’t really remember why or when. Now she wondered if she could be the kind of person Susan wanted.
“Susan is the nicest person you’ve been involved with in a long time. I’m not trying to sound mean, but are you ready to make that type of commitment? She seems very, well, I guess, traditional.”
Maggie hated hearing her own thoughts put into words. She feared the changes she saw happening around her. Derek was slowly moving away from her as his life with Paul grew. “I don’t know. A couple of days ago I was remembering Paula. You know, I thought we would be together forever. I really loved her. What went wrong?” Tears threatened.
“If you remember, you were more interested in your career. The travel, the music, and the groupies.” He leaned over and put his arms around her and let her cry. “She was staying home studying, being faithful. She was making plans for a future. You were out doing…well, I think your comment was ‘too many women and too little time.’ She finally decided she didn’t like waiting up wondering if you were coming home. She may have stopped trusting you, but it was a long time before she stopped loving you. I love you, Mags. There have been times I haven’t approved of what, or whom, you did. I certainly wouldn’t have met Paul except for your rather unconventional behavior.” Maggie groaned and tried to refrain from smiling. “If you want to explore a relationship with Susan, go ahead. But, and this is a big one, she’s not like the other women in your life. Be honest with her. And respect her. I think she genuinely cares about you.”
Maggie sat back. She put her near empty bottle down. Does Susan really care? “I do care about her.”
“I know you do, Mags. See what she’s feeling. Don’t be afraid to talk to her.” Maggie smile and promised. After saying good night, she paced her room for an hour before falling into a dream-filled sleep.
*
Maggie’s thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of breakfast, followed quickly by Maya, her assistant, and finally Paul. Paul briefed her on information he gained from the background check on Susan. He provided detailed information about Susan, her family, and her employer. As usual, he had been thorough in his investigation. Susan sounded like a Girl Scout. Her boss, Ed, however, sounded interesting. A plan began to emerge.