staring back
at her.
“Pardon me,” the man said, gently gripping
Maggie’s arms to steady her as she stumbled backward. She quickly
righted herself and stepped out of his grasp.
“I really need to learn to watch where I’m
walking,” Maggie apologized again. She felt very nervous under his
penetrating gaze.
“The fault is mine,” he insisted. “I’m
afraid I’m a bit lost and I was too busy looking for a street sign
that I didn’t even see the beautiful woman right in front of
me.”
“You’re not from here?” Maggie was so used
to people acting like she was some kind of anomaly that the idea of
another stranger in Sweetwater seemed nearly impossible.
“Just got to town today actually,” he
confirmed. “I’m here to visit a friend, maybe you know him? Aaron
Miles.”
“Oh yes! I’m… a friend of Aaron’s,” Maggie
faltered. “He mentioned you.”
“Did he now?” For just a moment the man
seemed genuinely surprised. Maggie assumed it was because of how
she hesitated when defining her relationship with Aaron.
“Yes, he said he had a meeting today, I’m
assuming he meant with you,” Maggie said.
“You wouldn’t happen to have his number
would you? I’d like to let him know that I’m running late, but I
seem to have the wrong number saved in my phone,” the man said.
“Of course.” Maggie retrieved her phone from
her purse and pulled up Aaron’s number. After giving him the
information he kindly thanked her and headed off down the street.
It was only a few minutes later that Maggie realized she hadn’t
even gotten his name.
~12~
Andi did end up staying for dinner. Maggie
hadn’t realized just how much she’d missed her friend until she was
in her company again. It was nice to have an evening of girl talk
and to share her concerns about her budding new relationship.
“Don’t call him tonight,” Andi advised.
“Give him a little time to miss you, honey.”
“But I told him I’d call.”
“Which is exactly why you shouldn’t. You
gotta make him work for it a little. Make him wonder if you’ve got
something better to do. Trust me on this.”
Those were Andi’s parting words before she
headed home. It was still rather early, but another storm was
predicted to blow in that evening and Andi had wanted to make it
home before the rain started.
Maggie decided to follow her friend’s
advice, but it was much easier said than done. She tried to settle
down in the library with a good book and a glass of wine. Barney
curled up at her feet, seemingly happy to be back to their old
routine. But Maggie just couldn’t concentrate on the novel in her
hands. Repeatedly she caught herself picking up her phone and
scrolling to Aaron’s number before putting it back down again. She
missed him terribly and she wondered if he was thinking of her as
well.
Finally she put the book down. She wasn’t
really reading it anyway. She picked up her phone and stared at it.
She wished Aaron would just call her, but of course he wouldn’t. As
far as he knew she was having a girl’s night and didn’t want to be
bothered. Maybe Andi was wrong, maybe she should call him. Maybe he
was sitting home alone just like she was, staring at his phone
hoping she would call.
Maggie realized that even though she had
spent hundreds of nights alone she’d never before felt this lonely.
The difference was now she knew what she was missing. She wondered
if this is what it would be like if she went back to Boston,
spending each night alone missing Aaron, wondering what he was
doing and if he was thinking of her.
Barney jumped up onto her lap, as if sensing
that she needed some affection. The cat purred and rubbed his head
against her shoulder. Maggie hugged the cat to her chest.
“Should I call him?” she asked the cat who
only butted his head against her chin in response “If you say so,”
Maggie said as she picked up her phone.
However this time when she scrolled to
Aaron’s number she realized
at her.
“Pardon me,” the man said, gently gripping
Maggie’s arms to steady her as she stumbled backward. She quickly
righted herself and stepped out of his grasp.
“I really need to learn to watch where I’m
walking,” Maggie apologized again. She felt very nervous under his
penetrating gaze.
“The fault is mine,” he insisted. “I’m
afraid I’m a bit lost and I was too busy looking for a street sign
that I didn’t even see the beautiful woman right in front of
me.”
“You’re not from here?” Maggie was so used
to people acting like she was some kind of anomaly that the idea of
another stranger in Sweetwater seemed nearly impossible.
“Just got to town today actually,” he
confirmed. “I’m here to visit a friend, maybe you know him? Aaron
Miles.”
“Oh yes! I’m… a friend of Aaron’s,” Maggie
faltered. “He mentioned you.”
“Did he now?” For just a moment the man
seemed genuinely surprised. Maggie assumed it was because of how
she hesitated when defining her relationship with Aaron.
“Yes, he said he had a meeting today, I’m
assuming he meant with you,” Maggie said.
“You wouldn’t happen to have his number
would you? I’d like to let him know that I’m running late, but I
seem to have the wrong number saved in my phone,” the man said.
“Of course.” Maggie retrieved her phone from
her purse and pulled up Aaron’s number. After giving him the
information he kindly thanked her and headed off down the street.
It was only a few minutes later that Maggie realized she hadn’t
even gotten his name.
~12~
Andi did end up staying for dinner. Maggie
hadn’t realized just how much she’d missed her friend until she was
in her company again. It was nice to have an evening of girl talk
and to share her concerns about her budding new relationship.
“Don’t call him tonight,” Andi advised.
“Give him a little time to miss you, honey.”
“But I told him I’d call.”
“Which is exactly why you shouldn’t. You
gotta make him work for it a little. Make him wonder if you’ve got
something better to do. Trust me on this.”
Those were Andi’s parting words before she
headed home. It was still rather early, but another storm was
predicted to blow in that evening and Andi had wanted to make it
home before the rain started.
Maggie decided to follow her friend’s
advice, but it was much easier said than done. She tried to settle
down in the library with a good book and a glass of wine. Barney
curled up at her feet, seemingly happy to be back to their old
routine. But Maggie just couldn’t concentrate on the novel in her
hands. Repeatedly she caught herself picking up her phone and
scrolling to Aaron’s number before putting it back down again. She
missed him terribly and she wondered if he was thinking of her as
well.
Finally she put the book down. She wasn’t
really reading it anyway. She picked up her phone and stared at it.
She wished Aaron would just call her, but of course he wouldn’t. As
far as he knew she was having a girl’s night and didn’t want to be
bothered. Maybe Andi was wrong, maybe she should call him. Maybe he
was sitting home alone just like she was, staring at his phone
hoping she would call.
Maggie realized that even though she had
spent hundreds of nights alone she’d never before felt this lonely.
The difference was now she knew what she was missing. She wondered
if this is what it would be like if she went back to Boston,
spending each night alone missing Aaron, wondering what he was
doing and if he was thinking of her.
Barney jumped up onto her lap, as if sensing
that she needed some affection. The cat purred and rubbed his head
against her shoulder. Maggie hugged the cat to her chest.
“Should I call him?” she asked the cat who
only butted his head against her chin in response “If you say so,”
Maggie said as she picked up her phone.
However this time when she scrolled to
Aaron’s number she realized
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