Instead of going back downstairs to her apartment and pulling it together before confronting Maurice, Madison knocked on the door. She was disheveled and breathing hard, but that all seemed irrelevant to her neurotic mind. After knocking for a few seconds, she began banging.
When Maurice finally opened the door, he was mystified by the sight of her. Madison was standing barefoot with her heels in one hand, shirt halfway open, coat tossed on the floor and a sweat-drenched face and chest. To say she looked beat would be an understatement. “Madison, what are you doing here?” Maurice asked with obvious guilt.
Madison was so exhausted from her stair marathon that she wasn’t sure if she had enough strength to endure the bad news that was waiting behind the door. “Can I come in?” Madison said, hoping Maurice would invite her in with open arms and the woman she saw was just a nobody.
“Can I call you later? It’s not a good time right now,” Maurice said, blocking the door entrance.
“No, you can’t. I need to speak to you now, Maurice.” Madison could tell Maurice was debating in his mind what to do.
Before he could decide, the decision was made for him. “Maurice, is there a problem?” the fair-skinned woman asked as she locked eyes with Madison. Madison swallowed hard, determined to hold back the tears that were developing.
“No. This is Madison Monroe, the woman I told you about.”
“Nice to meet you, Madison,” the woman said, extending her arm to shake Madison’s hand. “My name is Vanessa.”
“Vanessa, that’s interesting, Maurice has never mentioned you. Why is that, Maurice?” Both women stood eyeing Maurice, waiting for his reply.
“Madison, this is my ex-wife,” he admitted reluctantly.
“Actually we’re separated,” Vanessa said, interrupting Maurice.
In her gut, Madison knew the news would be bad, but never this devastating. “Maurice, you’re married?” she said, stunned.
“Madison, I can explain.”
“Well then, explain.”
“Not right now. I need to speak to Vanessa, but I promise I’ll call you later and explain everything.”
“Madison, I know this must be awkward, and I apologize,” Vanessa said in an almost mocking tone.”
Madison turned and ran away before the tears she could no longer hold back flooded her face.
“You can close the door now,” Vanessa said as Maurice stood in the hallway after Madison disappeared.
“Was that really necessary, Vanessa?”
“Which part? Introducing myself or letting your sexual fling know that you’re married?”
Maurice finally closed the door and went to the bar and poured himself a drink. The look of despair in Madison’s eyes was eating him up. “Madison isn’t a sexual fling for me. I love her very much.”
“How can you love her when you’re still in love with me?” Vanessa said confidently.
“Whether I’m in love with you or not is irrelevant. After what you did to me, our relationship can never be what it was.”
“I made a mistake. I can admit that.”
“I call what you did a little bit more than a mistake. You walked out on me almost three years ago because you said you were in love with my best friend. I lost the two people who were the closest to me in the same day. The only explanation you could give me was that things happen. I haven’t heard from you, and now you show up as if you never left my life.”
“Baby, I’m so sorry. My relationship with Kenny was wrong. I know that I hurt you, and I’ll never forgive myself. At the time, you were so focused on your career, and you had no time for me. I became lonely, and Kenny was there to comfort me, but I never stopped loving you, Maurice. You never signed the divorce papers, so I have to believe that you still love me too.” Vanessa was now face-to-face with Maurice, staring into his glassy hazel eyes. She didn’t know if the trace of tears in his eyes was because he was still in love with her and was happy to see her or because of how distraught Madison was when she left. It didn’t matter to her; Vanessa wanted her husband back.
The moment Madison stepped in her loft, she fell on the couch and continued to let the tears flow. The excruciating pain in her heart was the pain she promised herself no man would ever make her feel. She was almost thirty and had avoided it, but then Maurice Hunter came into her life and changed all that in just a matter of months. Madison felt as if she couldn’t breathe. She wanted the feeling to end and prayed that at any moment Maurice would be banging at her door, telling her she was the only woman for him and how much he loved her. That knock never came, so out of desperation and devastation, she picked up the phone and called Eric.
“Hello,” Eric’s mellow voice said.
“Hi, Eric. It’s me, Madison.”
“How are you?” he asked, surprised but happy to hear her voice. “I’m doing good. I missed you and was hoping you would come by to see me.”
“I miss you too. I would love that. Give me your address, and I’m on my way.”
Madison knew running into Eric’s arms would ease her pain only momentarily, but something was better than nothing. By the time Eric arrived, Madison had showered, slipped into something comfortable, and had two glasses of wine. She was much more relaxed, but Maurice was still heavy on her mind. Without a second thought, when Madison opened the door, she grabbed Eric and began kissing him passionately and taking off his clothes.
“Damn, baby, I missed you too, but can we at least close the door?” Eric said, feeling overwhelmed by Madison’s aggressiveness. Madison shut the door and continued without saying a word. Madison’s intensity was now making Eric even more aroused. “Which way is the bedroom?” he asked between heated kisses. Madison pointed in the direction as Eric lifted her up and carried her to her bedroom, where they made love.
Early the next morning, Madison heard a knocking at her front door. She slowly opened her eyes and was surprised to see Eric asleep next to her. She wondered what lie he would tell his wife to explain why he didn’t come home last night. Madison grabbed her bathrobe as the knocking became louder. “Just a minute!” she screamed, trying to fix her hair and tie her robe. Her eyes bulged when she saw Maurice standing there. He brushed right past her without even asking to come in. After the fiasco Maurice put her through yesterday, she didn’t owe him anything, but she still didn’t want him to know she slept with Eric last night.
Madison hoped she could get Maurice to leave without him finding out. “Maurice, it’s a little early, can we talk after I’ve pulled it together?” she said nervously.
“This can’t wait. I’m so sorry about yesterday. There were a lot of things I had to discuss with Vanessa. I didn’t feel it was appropriate for me to talk to you until I did so.”
Madison was anxious to hear what Maurice had to say, but she kept looking at her bedroom door, praying Eric would stay asleep. “So you didn’t feel it was appropriate to let me know you were married?”
“Madison, I know I should’ve, but everything between us happened so fast. I wasn’t expecting to fall so hard for you.”
“Maurice, this is all so confusing to me. We were practically living together, and I had no clue about Vanessa.”
“Vanessa is a very sensitive subject for me. I thought Vanessa was the woman I would spend the rest of my life with. But about three years ago, it all changed. She left me for my best friend, Kenny, who was also my best man at our wedding. She ripped my heart out the day she left me. That’s why I was so cold toward you in the beginning. You were the first woman that actually made me feel alive again, and it scared me. I didn’t want to give you the opportunity to hurt me the way Vanessa had.”
“Maurice, I had no idea that you’d been hurt so bad. So why is Vanessa back in your life?”
“A few months ago her relationship with Kenny ended. She claims it was because she never stopped loving me. Vanessa wants us to try again. She believes that since I never signed our divorce papers that meant I was holding on, hoping she would come b
ack to me.”
“Is that the case?” Madison asked, not sure if she wanted to hear his answer.
“Maybe subconsciously it was. No woman seemed to compare to Vanessa. I thought her absence would forever leave a void in my heart—that is, until I met you. When I saw the pain in your eyes when you saw Vanessa, it killed me. I wanted to crawl into a dark corner because I was so full of shame. You didn’t deserve that.”
“So what are you telling me, Maurice?”
“I don’t want to be with Vanessa. I want to be with you.” Maurice walked toward Madison to embrace the woman he loved.
Madison felt guilt encompassing her body. Instead of believing in the love that she shared with Maurice, she went and found refuge with Eric. Someone she felt absolutely nothing for. As Maurice held her tightly, she said, “Baby, I’m so happy you want us to be together. I have someplace I have to be in an hour. I need to get dressed, but can we continue where we left off when I get back?”
“No doubt, just give me a long kiss good-bye.” Feeling the touch of Maurice’s lips made any doubt of how he felt about her vanish. They were meant to be.
“Excuse me, am I interrupting something?” Eric said with a devious smile on his face. Maurice and Madison both looked at him, and then Maurice untangled himself from Madison’s embrace.
“Who is he?” Maurice asked with anger brewing in his eyes.
“I’m Eric Chambers. Madison and I go way back.”
The color in Madison’s face instantly paled. “Maurice, I can explain.”
“It seems there has been an endless amount of explaining between us in less than twenty-four hours,” he said with great disdain.
“I was ravaged when I left your place yesterday. If only you would have clarified everything for me, I never would have turned to Eric to numb my pain. I prayed you would come knocking at my door, admitting your undying love for me, but it never happened. I truly believed it was over between us.”
“Well, now it is,” Maurice said, turning to walk away.
“Wait. Please don’t walk out that door. I love you.”
“You love me so much that you waited all of—what—two hours before you had sex with another man. That’s some type of love, Madison.”
The tears once again began to flow, and Madison was now sick of herself for crying more in the last day than she had in her entire life. “I do love you. But the same fear you had, well, so did 1.1 felt deceived when Vanessa said she was your wife. I was visibly shaken when I left you, but you didn’t come to comfort me. Instead you stayed with Vanessa. How do you think that affected me? Yes, it was immature to jump into bed with Eric, but I’m not perfect. Just like I’ve forgiven you, I’m asking you to do the same.” Maurice looked at Madison for a second as if he was about to respond, but then he glared at Eric and walked out the door. Madison ran to the door and pressed her body against it as if holding on to Maurice. She put her hand on the doorknob, waiting for any sort of indication he’d came back.
“He’s not coming back, Madison,” Eric said, now feeling somewhat bad for causing the blowup.
“Why did you have to come out the bedroom?” Madison screamed.
Eric put his head down and shook it before answering. “I was jealous. I stood by the door listening to your conversation, and it bothered me that you obviously had strong feelings for this man. I didn’t want there to be some happy ending and the two of you ride off in the sunset. I’m ashamed to admit that, but it’s true.”
“Why? You’re married, for heaven’s sake! We could never be together. Why wouldn’t you want me to be happy with someone who truly cares about me?”
“I care about you too. This side that you revealed to Maurice—I never knew it existed. You always seemed more driven than compassionate. It hurt that you never expressed those kind of emotions for me. What can I say, I’m greedy.”
“I hope you’re satisfied, Eric, because you just ruined the best thing that ever happened to me.”
4
Christmas finally arrived, and Madison was still depressed. She thought this holiday season would be different, but instead she fell into her normal routine, which consisted of sleeping late, having something to eat, opening the presents she received from friends who primarily consisted of her clients, then all the other gifts, which were to Madison from Madison. After trying on all the stuff she got for herself, she then ate some more, had a couple glasses of wine, and went back to sleep. It had basically become a Christmas ritual, and this Saturday morning was no different. Instead of waking up beside the love of her life and sharing Christmas with him, she was once again alone.
After downing her third mimosa, Madison was feeling relaxed. She turned on her favorite Whitney Houston Christmas CD and admired the twelve-foot Christmas tree that she and Maurice decorated before the breakup. She couldn’t help but reminisce about the beautiful Christmases she shared with her mother and father so many years ago. First thing in the morning, Madison would jump in the bed with her parents and scream, “Merry Christmas!” She would then run down the stairs and rip into her presents. Her father would always have his camcorder handy to capture the moment. Each Christmas they would look at the tape from the prior year. After having a huge dinner, they would sing Christmas carols around the fireplace. Those were the best memories in Madison’s life. She had counted on creating happier ones with Maurice, but that all seemed like wishful thinking now. As Madison pondered what could’ve been, she closed her eyes and slept the rest of her Christmas away.
Madison’s phone rang early the next morning, waking her from yet another dream about Maurice. “Hello.”
“Girl, I know you not still sleep. Wake up—you know we always meet the day after Christmas for brunch and to exchange gifts,” Kristen said.
“I didn’t forget our same place, same time.”
“Okay, so I’ll see you soon.”
Madison hung up the phone and was looking forward to seeing Kristen. Her friend’s bubbly personality always cheered her up. After taking a shower and getting dressed, Madison picked up Kristen’s Christmas present and headed out the door.
When the elevator door opened, she was greeted by the beaming Vanessa. “Good morning, Madison. It’s so nice to see you.” It was clear why Maurice hadn’t bothered to call her. He was too busy being comforted by his wife.
“Excuse me, Vanessa. I’m in a hurry.”
Vanessa gestured to the stranger getting on the elevator that he could go up without her. Her priority was having a conversation with Madison. “Wait a minute. I think we need to talk,” Vanessa said as Madison was walking away.
“I don’t think we have anything to talk about.”
“Well then, I’ll talk, you listen. I want to thank you for running into the arms of another man. Your indiscretion made Maurice realize that I’m the only woman for him.”
“I doubt a woman that would leave her husband for his best friend is suitable for anybody.”
“That was a mistake, which Maurice has forgiven me for. He obviously doesn’t love you enough to forgive your mistake. We’re now extremely happy together.”
“Well then, I guess he ended up with the right woman. Congratulations, I hope you and Maurice live happily ever after.” Madison hurried off, not seeing Maurice step off the elevator.
“Was that Madison who just walked off?” Maurice asked.
“Yes. She was in a hurry.”
“Did you talk to her?”
“Briefly.”
“What did she say?” he asked, secretly hoping that she asked about him.
“She just said that we belonged together, and hoped we would continue to make each other happy.”
Maurice thought that he made a mistake not forgiving Madison, because he knew her actions were done out of pain not because she had feelings for the other man. But since she hadn’t reached out to him, he rationalized it was now too late for them.
I KNOW I’M running late, but I’ll be right there,” Madison said after Kr
isten called for the third time.
“Girl, you need to hurry up, you know I be on a schedule,” Kristen barked.
“Give me ten minutes,” Madison said, knowing it would take her twenty. The cab stopped in front of the Cafeteria, and she knew Kristin would be pissed. She was actually thirty minutes late, but Madison hoped she would love her Christmas gift so much, she would forgive her. Madison spotted Kristen at the bar in the art deco restaurant. “Hi, can you seat us? My girlfriend is at the bar,” she told the host.
“No problem. Follow me, and I’ll tell your friend where you’re seated.”
“Thanks so much. By the way, can you bring me a Malibu and pineapple?”
“Will do,” he replied. Madison took Kristen’s present out her shopping bags so she could shove it in her face before she started bitching.
“If it wasn’t for the fact that I have a buzz from drinking these chocolate martinis, I would be ready to cuss you out,” Kristin spat.
“Well, maybe this will cheer you up,” she said, handing Kristen her present. Kristen then handed Madison her present. “I’ll open it when I get home,” Madison said putting the box in her shopping bag.
“That’s your prerogative, but I’m opening my present now.” Kristen tore off the paper to the neatly wrapped present. “Bitch, I know you didn’t give me a motherfucking Chopard watch? No you didn’t. Girl, I saw this watch in one of my magazines. It’s from the Happy Snowflake collection.” Kristen salivated over the steel and eighteen karat white gold bezel watch. There were sprinkling snowflakes drawn on the white dial around three mobile diamonds.
“I knew you would love it,” Madison said, happy to bring a smile to her best friend’s face.
“Who wouldn’t love it? I feel terrible though, because my little gift cost less than the strap on this watch.”
“It doesn’t matter. I wasn’t even expecting anything. Besides, not only am I a trust fund baby, but I also have a pretty successful business.”
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