Read Online Maggie's Five ...the first in a LOVE story by Sandra Fitzgerald - Free Book Online

his
hold and pressing his lips into my hair, he offers me an
explanation that confuses me.
    “ I’m
waiting for when fine isn’t fine anymore.”
    But isn’t being
fine a good thing? Every day I wake up and inhale and act. And I am
fine, I’m functioning. Doesn’t that mean I’m coping through all of
this mess, dealing the way everyone expects me to?
     
    THE RISE OF the
elevator leaves me feeling nauseated. I used to dread having to
travel in one when I was pregnant.
    Pregnant. Seems
like a hundred years ago. I hate that.
    It’s the part of
the ride when you reach your floor and the car rises that bit too
far, then drops with a spongy bounce, always leaving my stomach
bottoming out and my legs wanting to fold underneath me. The more
flights I have to travel up, the closer my stomach drops to the
ground floor when we stop. This afternoon, it’s eight.
    Luke walked with
me to the front entrance of Appleby, Brenner and Associates ,
the law firm Brendan worked for. He wanted to come up with me but I
wouldn’t let him, especially after he dismissed another call on his
mobile phone without looking to see who the caller was. He has a
business to run and I have to man up and do this on my own. I told
him as much and though he did protest, Luke understood. And yes I
feel like a bitch for pushing him away when he has been nothing but
nice, thanks for asking.
    The solid
stainless steel doors glide flawlessly open to reveal a smiling
Mitchel chatting to a laughing Maryanne. Both stop mid chat to take
me in as I stroll out of the lift.
    Mitchel’s hands
fly to cover his mouth as he makes his way around the cumbersome
reception desk. “Oh my God, Maggie. God woman, how are you?” he
sings, folding his long thin arms around me.
    “ Fine, Mitchel. Sorry it’s taken me so long to get here,” I
reply into his neck, hugging him. He pulls back to take me in,
flicking one of his hands in dismissal of my comment. Maryanne
leans past Mitchel to press a kiss on my cheek with her
hellos.
    He steps and
holds me at arm’s length. “We need to get you some lunch girl,
you’re losing too much weight.”
    “ Leave the woman alone, Mitch,” Maryanne chastises. “You look
great Maggie, don’t listen to him. He’s only jealous. He was just
sayin’ that he wants to lose some weight.”
    Rolling his
eyes, Mitchel turns me away from Maryanne. “Joe’s waiting for you
in his office,” he says to change the subject, glaring over his
shoulder. “And I will talk to you later, Ms Meyer. This
conversation about my waistline is so not over.”
    He threads his
arm through mine and casually walks me down the carpeted hallway to
a stained redwood door that’s struggling to support the weight of
the attached brass handle.
    “ Can
I get you anything? Sandwich maybe?” Mitchel asks, pressing into my
side. I love that he’s treating me like I’m still human.
    He raps on the
door twice before I can respond and waits for Joe to call before
turning the handle.
    Mitch flips into
lawyer mode. “Joe, Maggie Cartwright.” He leads me to a large
leather armchair facing a robust redwood desk.
    Joe rises out of
his seat and comes to the front of his desk to greet me with an
awkward hug and three pats on my back. Joe’s not comfortable with
people getting into his personal space and that’s fine, because
frankly, I’m not that comfortable with Joe being in
mine.
    He’s a stout,
bookish man with a few… quirks. I’ve always found him odd, but
Brendan insisted that he’s fantastic at his job, and that he was
glad to be working with him, not against him. Brendan said he would
lose every time, Joe’s just that good.
    Joe taps the toe
of his right shoe on the floor three times before returning to his
seat, where he taps the spotless blotter pad three times with his
right index finger before settling into his chair, which he scuffs
forward three spaces before he’s completely satisfied with its
position. He adjusts his metal framed glasses three