it.
“Maybe you should listen,” Andi said softly.
“Look, I’ll admit he sounds great, but if he’s warning you to stay
away, maybe you should.”
“But I don’t want to!” Maggie insisted.
“I’m… drawn to him. Not just because he’s handsome, but because
he’s kind. He’s good. I know he is, but I don’t think he does. He
knows that people don’t want him at the town barbeque and he just
accepts that. Like he doesn’t think he deserves to belong.”
“I told you, he has a past.”
“Everyone has a past! So what if he made
some mistakes in his life, does that mean he’s not allowed to be
happy ever again?” Maggie was angry, not at Andi, but at the
situation.
“No, it doesn’t,” Andi admitted. She thought
over everything that Maggie had said. “Okay fine, if you like him,
I’ll like him. But be careful! If he hurts you, you know I’ll have
to kill him.” Andi smiled at her friend and Maggie relaxed a
little.
“I’m going to bring him to the barbeque,”
Maggie said, suddenly determined.
“You think he’ll come?”
“I don’t know, but it’s worth a try.”
~8~
Maggie was nervous as she dialed the number.
She thought of the speech she’d rehearsed and hoped she could
remember it, but after the third ring she didn’t think he was going
to answer.
“Hello?” Aaron’s voice rang clearly through
the receiver just as she was about to hang up.
“Hi, Aaron?” she said a little breathlessly
as she scrambled to bring the phone back to her ear.
“Maggie, are you okay?” his instant concern
warmed her heart.
“Oh, yes, I’m fine,” she assured him. “I was
just wondering if you had a really big basket. Like a picnic basket
maybe, but it has to be very large,” she emphasized.
“A picnic basket?” she could hear the smile
in his voice, and was relieved that he sounded like his usual
self.
“Yes, a very large one, preferably. I have
quite a bit of food that I need to carry to town for the Fourth of
July barbeque. I’m afraid it won’t even fit in the basket on the
bicycle, I’ve already tried. So I’m going to need to walk, but I
just don’t think I can manage to carry all of this without some
sort of large basket.” She hoped that sounded natural and
unrehearsed.
“You’re walking to town?” he asked
incredulously.
“Without a car I really don’t have much of a
choice.” She gave her best impression of a damsel in distress and
waited to see if he’d take the bait.
“You don’t have any friends that might be
willing to pick you up?” he suggested. She could tell that he saw
straight through her little ploy, but she wasn’t going to let him
off that easy.
“I thought of that, but realized yours was
the only phone number I had.” She let the statement hang in the
air, smiling at her own cleverness.
“What time do you need to be there?” he
asked.
“Around five,” she said innocently. “So I
was thinking I better start walking around four to give myself
plenty of time.”
“I’ll pick you up at four thirty,” he said
dryly.
“Really? Oh that would be so sweet!” she
gushed. “It’s not too much trouble?”
He chuckled and she could just imagine him
shaking his head at her antics.
“Well, I can’t have you walking. You’ll
probably drum up another storm with your luck,” he teased.
“It is a possibility,” she laughed with him.
“Alright, if you’re sure you don’t mind. Guess I’ll see you around
four.” She tried to get off the phone before he could change his
mind.
“Maggie?” he caught her before she hung
up.
“Yes?”
“I’m not staying at the barbeque.” His tone
became serious. His moods could shift so quickly.
“Oh sure, no problem. I’m sure I’ll be able
to find a ride home,” she assured him. “See you soon.” She hung up
and immediately began forming the next part of her plan.
~∞~
“Just how much potato salad did you make?”
Aaron laughed as he helped Maggie carry the four
“Maybe you should listen,” Andi said softly.
“Look, I’ll admit he sounds great, but if he’s warning you to stay
away, maybe you should.”
“But I don’t want to!” Maggie insisted.
“I’m… drawn to him. Not just because he’s handsome, but because
he’s kind. He’s good. I know he is, but I don’t think he does. He
knows that people don’t want him at the town barbeque and he just
accepts that. Like he doesn’t think he deserves to belong.”
“I told you, he has a past.”
“Everyone has a past! So what if he made
some mistakes in his life, does that mean he’s not allowed to be
happy ever again?” Maggie was angry, not at Andi, but at the
situation.
“No, it doesn’t,” Andi admitted. She thought
over everything that Maggie had said. “Okay fine, if you like him,
I’ll like him. But be careful! If he hurts you, you know I’ll have
to kill him.” Andi smiled at her friend and Maggie relaxed a
little.
“I’m going to bring him to the barbeque,”
Maggie said, suddenly determined.
“You think he’ll come?”
“I don’t know, but it’s worth a try.”
~8~
Maggie was nervous as she dialed the number.
She thought of the speech she’d rehearsed and hoped she could
remember it, but after the third ring she didn’t think he was going
to answer.
“Hello?” Aaron’s voice rang clearly through
the receiver just as she was about to hang up.
“Hi, Aaron?” she said a little breathlessly
as she scrambled to bring the phone back to her ear.
“Maggie, are you okay?” his instant concern
warmed her heart.
“Oh, yes, I’m fine,” she assured him. “I was
just wondering if you had a really big basket. Like a picnic basket
maybe, but it has to be very large,” she emphasized.
“A picnic basket?” she could hear the smile
in his voice, and was relieved that he sounded like his usual
self.
“Yes, a very large one, preferably. I have
quite a bit of food that I need to carry to town for the Fourth of
July barbeque. I’m afraid it won’t even fit in the basket on the
bicycle, I’ve already tried. So I’m going to need to walk, but I
just don’t think I can manage to carry all of this without some
sort of large basket.” She hoped that sounded natural and
unrehearsed.
“You’re walking to town?” he asked
incredulously.
“Without a car I really don’t have much of a
choice.” She gave her best impression of a damsel in distress and
waited to see if he’d take the bait.
“You don’t have any friends that might be
willing to pick you up?” he suggested. She could tell that he saw
straight through her little ploy, but she wasn’t going to let him
off that easy.
“I thought of that, but realized yours was
the only phone number I had.” She let the statement hang in the
air, smiling at her own cleverness.
“What time do you need to be there?” he
asked.
“Around five,” she said innocently. “So I
was thinking I better start walking around four to give myself
plenty of time.”
“I’ll pick you up at four thirty,” he said
dryly.
“Really? Oh that would be so sweet!” she
gushed. “It’s not too much trouble?”
He chuckled and she could just imagine him
shaking his head at her antics.
“Well, I can’t have you walking. You’ll
probably drum up another storm with your luck,” he teased.
“It is a possibility,” she laughed with him.
“Alright, if you’re sure you don’t mind. Guess I’ll see you around
four.” She tried to get off the phone before he could change his
mind.
“Maggie?” he caught her before she hung
up.
“Yes?”
“I’m not staying at the barbeque.” His tone
became serious. His moods could shift so quickly.
“Oh sure, no problem. I’m sure I’ll be able
to find a ride home,” she assured him. “See you soon.” She hung up
and immediately began forming the next part of her plan.
~∞~
“Just how much potato salad did you make?”
Aaron laughed as he helped Maggie carry the four
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