The Truth About Fairy Tales (15 page)

             
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell us you were seeing someone? From what Serena tells me, seeing someone quite seriously. I could kick your butt for that.” This coming from the sweet Genna was almost too much to take in.

             
I faced Serena with all my anger. “What did you tell her to get her so worked up?” Serena wasn’t fazed.

             
“The truth of course. Something you’ve obviously forgotten how to come up with lately.”

             
About that time, I heard footsteps outside my door and knew the moment I’d been dreading the most was now unavoidable.

             
Jackson didn’t bother ringing the bell, because in my shock at seeing my friends I’d left the door standing wide open.

             
He stepped inside to three sets of startled eyes honing in on him.

             
“Hi,” he said to all of us. His eyes found mine and held more sympathy than I deserved. “The moment of truth, huh?”

             
I nodded and watched the shocked expression on both my friends faces at the strange person who'd replaced me.

             
Genna was the first of the two to recover. “Hi, you must be Jackson? I’m Genna, one of Maggie’s oldest friends.” She shook Jackson’s free hand and smiled in her sweet surprised little way.

             
“It’s nice to meet Maggie’s friends. I can see you all must have a lot to talk about so, why don’t I take Sidney over to my place and you can spend some time with your friends to explain everything. I’ll see you later?”

             
Again, my nod—my helpless nod. I was so unaccustomed to this meek Maggie that I was finding her skin hard to fit into. Jackson wasn’t. He came to me and took my hand.

             
“Walk me to the door, Maggie.”

             
I stood in my doorway, thanking Jackson with my eyes while my two friends stood just behind me hanging on our every word. I finally pushed them back inside, shut the door, and stepped out onto my doorstep.

             
“Thank you. I’m sorry about those two. They don’t know when to back off.”

             
“They care about you—that’s obvious. Relax will you? I’ll take Sidney over to my place and when you’re ready come over—I’ll make you lunch.”

             
Jackson was too good to be true I told myself when he kissed me good-bye. There had to be something, some flaw in him that I just hadn’t found yet. That didn’t stop me from wanting to go with him right now.

             
Instead, I steeled myself to face the inquisition that awaited me just beyond the door of my apartment.

             
I found my two oldest friends in the world quietly sipping coffee and giggling, no doubt at my expense, when I walked into my apartment blushing like a schoolgirl.

             
“Okay, Maggie, how long has this been going on and isn’t that Ben’s ‘Uncle Jackson’? The one that you’ve been poking fun at for months now?”

             
Oh gees, I’d almost forgotten that I’d told them everything—all the terrible things Ben had said about Jackson. How could I possibly explain how I’d ended up not only dating him, but by Jackson’s own words, sleeping with him? These two knew me pretty good…better than most. They knew how far out on a limb this was for me.

             
“Yes, it is, but he isn’t like that.”

             
“I’ll say. For one thing, he’s not a hundred years old like you had us believing. Or if he is, he’s a very well-preserved hundred.” This was typical Serena. “Damn, he’s gorgeous. Good for you. I always knew it would take someone like that to get you interested in all those girly things like commitment and forever.”

             
I hated she’d guessed the truth. I didn’t know if I stood a chance at any of those things with Jackson.

             
“It’s not like that, Serena.”

             
“No? Well, what is it like then? Because from where I’m sitting, I’d say you’re definitely in love with him.”

             
I froze, looked from one to the other, and then did something the old Maggie would have scorned and scoffed at. But the new Maggie? Well, she was getting far too comfortable doing it lately. I started to cry.

             
“Maggie, it’s not that bad. You know being in love can actually be a good thing? It’s certainly changed you. You’re softer. He’s taken away those hard edges of yours.” That was my sweet Genna—always the optimist.

             
“It’s not a good thing! How can it be good, when it feels this bad? I don’t even recognize myself anymore and I don’t have any idea how Jackson feels about me.”

             
“Oh Maggie, he’s crazy about you. I mean who else would put up with you and that grouchy old dog of yours, but someone just plain crazy or crazy about you?” Serena added not quite soothing my fears.

             
“Gee thanks. You make me sound like a real monster.”

             
“No, not a monster exactly, but definitely a bully at times. You’ve certainly bullied me enough.” Genna added a little too happy, in my opinion, that I was finally getting my just deserts.

             
“That’s not true. Is it?” I turned to my friend Serena who was always on my side, but she only nodded. “Gees, I’m surprised you guys can stand to be around me then.”

             
“Oh, don’t kid yourself, Mags. It’s tough at times, but we love you and we wouldn’t trade you. I have to say, though, I’m with Genna on this one. It is definitely a good thing and it’s about time. I was worried you were going to end up some old maid or something. Now, since I know Genna will never bring herself to ask the question we both want to know, I’ll do it. How is he—you know, in bed?”

             
They both saw how well that went over, but they didn’t care. My friends might have been blindsided by me, but they were having a field day with it all at my expense.

             
“I’m not answering that!” I all but yelled that at them only to have Serena laugh at my expression.

             
“That good, huh? Well that figures. You are so lucky.”

             
“Oh…I can’t wait to see what Grandma Sarah and Lee have to say about all of this?” Genna was so excited I think she was actually starting to plan my wedding.

             
“They’ve already met him.” I offered only to see just how well that little revelation went over.

             
“They’ve what?” Serena asked. “When?” She was on her feet and pacing around my small living room. “Okay, Mags, details, and now.”

             
“He came home with me a couple of weeks ago. Lee and Gran met him then.” I looked from one to the other before adding, “What’s the big deal?”

             
“Are you kidding? Maggie, this is huge! I bet Lee was shocked to death. Poor guy will have to be looking for another partner.”

             
“What are you talking about? I’m still planning to go back to Santa Anna in December. Nothing has changed.”

             
That stopped both their little pacing routines and had them staring at me as if I’d lost my mind.

             
“Are you crazy? You’re going to let that one get away?” Serena, again, of course.

             
“There’s no letting him get away because there’s no….whatever. It’s just something, oh, I don’t know what it is, but I’m not giving up my future for him. I’ve worked too hard to make this happen. It’s not going to happen, Serena,” I insisted with a little more determined this time when I spotted her, ‘you’ve finally crossed over,’ look.

             
“Okay, okay you two let’s not argue. Maggie, what about Ben? Does he know?”

             
Now, how to answer that one exactly? Could I tell my dear friends here that Ben had actually caught Jackson and I in bed together? I decided to gloss over that one.

             
“Yes, he knows and he wasn’t very happy about it.”

             
“Why is that?” They both asked at the same time.

             
“Well, I don’t know? I guess Ben kind of had it in his head that there was more to our relationship then there really was. I don’t know why? I mean, I couldn’t have been clearer with him could I?”

             
The both nodded. That was one thing they were certain of. I’d always made it clear to Ben where we were, or more to the point, were not heading.

             
“I felt so bad for him, guys. I mean he was so hurt. He wouldn’t even talk to me—still won’t. He called the other night when Jackson was looking for me and I could tell he was still so angry. I really blew that one didn’t I?”

             
“Maggie, that’s not your fault. You tried to tell him. He just didn’t want to hear the truth. He’ll get over it in time. Don’t worry about Ben. He’s probably out partying every single night in Paris.”

             
We spent the rest of the morning talking our girl talk and I-- the new Maggie, was trying to be as honest as I could with them while still keeping some things to myself about my relationship with Jackson. I just couldn’t tell them everything.

             
I waited exactly five minutes after I’d said good-bye to my friends before I left the apartment. I’d been away from Jackson for hours now and I was missing him like crazy. The old Maggie would have cringed.

Chapter Nine

              Two weeks before Thanksgiving, when I still didn’t have any idea how Jackson felt about me other than he didn’t want me to date other men, he dropped a surprise in my lap that just about floored me.

             
I was at Jackson’s house, where I was spending most of my time lately. I was helping him make dinner on my night off. As much as I enjoyed making love with Jackson, this time we spent doing simple things together was quickly becoming my second favorite thing to do with him.

             
“Honey, I haven’t wanted to tell you this until I was certain, but it’s looking like I’m going to have to be in Paris the week of Thanksgiving. There’s a…problem with some negotiations there that Ben can’t seem to get resolved. I’m pretty sure I’ll have to go.”

             
I was tossing the salad, which was about all he trusted me to do. In spite of all of Grandma Sarah’s training in the kitchen, it just didn’t quite take with me. Jackson was by far the better cook.

             
I looked up, my heart in my eyes, to meet those intense blue ones of his watching me closely.

             
“I know, I know. Its terrible timing, but I’m afraid it’s unavoidable, little bit.” His blue eyes searched mine, seeing things that I couldn’t even begin to hide from him. I wanted to cry.

             
It wasn’t as if we’d actually made plans for the holiday. A fact that had me postponing committing to my grandmother because as bad as it sounds, I didn’t want to leave town if there was even the slightest chance I could spend the holiday with Jackson. Now I knew the truth.

             
The week after Thanksgiving was the beginning of two weeks of finals and I’d told myself I needed to spend as much time as possible cramming, so it was good that Jackson was going away. But my heart reminded me it would be our first and last holiday together.

             
I turned away, pretending to focus on dear old Sidney frolicking in the backyard. I didn’t want Jackson to see how hard I was taking that little piece of news. I wanted to beg him to take me with him.

             
It was hard to get through the meal that night. Afterwards, Jackson took a call from Ben while I pretended to study. It was impossible to think about school when I was this sad. My thoughts were racing. Could I actually go home to Santa Anna and enjoy the holiday without him?

             
I knew then I was headed for trouble. Jackson had become too important to me. He’d asked me to be exclusive and I knew that was new to him as well, but did that really mean anything? After all, he never told me that he loved me. Was I really expecting to hear that from him? Did I even want to hear those words from him?

             
After all, I’d made it more than clear to him what my plans were. I’d been unwavering, but was I really willing to walk away from him no matter what? I knew the answer. I was only fooling myself. Serena and Genna had been right. I was a fool if I thought I could just walk away from Jackson Riley untouched.

             
Somehow, through all my worrying, I must have fallen asleep on the floor of his living room. Books still open and glasses on.