by Ann McMan
During a break for refreshments, Syd walked back to her small office to retrieve some funding proposals she had prepared and heard her cell phone beeping from its nest in her purse. She was surprised to see that she had a text message—from Maddie.
8:33 p.m. Text message from Stevenson, M.H.
This is killing me.
She looked around the corner of her office door to see Maddie, standing alone near a shelf of periodicals. She had her cell phone in her hand. She quickly sent a reply.
8:34 p.m. Text message from Murphy, S.
I know. I can’t even look at u.
8:35 p.m. Text message from Stevenson, M.H.
Why not?
8:35 p.m. Text message from Murphy, S.
Because I want 2 kiss u.
She looked around the corner again and saw Maddie’s eyes fixed on her doorway. Blushing, she ducked back inside and tried to compose herself. Her phone beeped again.
8:36 Text message from Stevenson, M.H.
Meet me in the restroom?
Syd’s heart began to pound again. She knew they were flirting with disaster, but she decided to risk it. Taking a deep breath, she walked out of her office and deposited her documents on the meeting table. Maddie was nowhere in sight.
As casually as she could, Syd waked toward the restroom, noting that Phoebe, the only other woman in attendance at the meeting, was standing next to the coffee pot, engaged in earnest conversation with Tom Greene. She pushed open the door to the ladies room and quickly felt a warm hand wrap itself around her wrist.
Maddie pulled her inside and backed her up against the door. She had only a split second to notice how well the dark blue silk blouse Maddie wore brought out the color of her eyes before she was rendered incapable of any rational thought. Maddie was kissing her hungrily, and Syd felt like her knees were going to give out as she stood there, tightly wedged between the door and Maddie’s warm body. She wound her arms around Maddie’s back, pulling her even closer as they continued to kiss. When she felt Maddie’s tongue graze her own, she knew they were getting out of hand, but she didn’t want to stop. There was something wonderfully illicit about this clandestine encounter, and it added to the heady excitement she was now used to feeling whenever she was this close to Maddie.
The sound of laughter from outside finally caused them to break apart. They stood with their foreheads touching, each taking deep breaths. Maddie ran her hands slowly up and down Syd’s arms, rubbing and squeezing them.
“God,” she whispered. “I can’t stand this.”
“Me either.” Syd leaned back and met her blue eyes. “Can you stay after the meeting is over?”
Maddie sighed. “No. Phoebe rode with me. I have to take her home.”
Syd raised a hand and caressed the side of her face. “Can you come back?”
Maddie kissed her palm. “I can, but I don’t think I should.”
Syd nodded. “Probably not.” She raised her other hand so she could stroke the wide planes of Maddie’s face. “I suppose we should get back out there?”
Maddie nodded. “Yeah. This would be kind of hard to explain.”
“Sooner or later, we’ll have to, won’t we?”
“That’s up to you.”
Syd leaned forward and brushed her lips against Maddie’s. “No. It’s up to us.”
Maddie pulled Syd away from the door and gave her another incendiary kiss. Then she backed away and straightened her jacket. “I’ll call you,” she whispered as she pulled the door open and walked back out into the library.
Later that night, when they talked on the phone, they agreed that it was time for them to tell David and Michael about the change in their relationship. Maddie suggested that they invite them to her place for dinner on Friday night and drop the bombshell there. Syd agreed. She was anxious to tell Michael, and to release him from his pledge of confidentiality. She hoped that once their confidence was revealed, David wouldn’t hold it against him—or her.
After they discussed possible menu options, Syd shifted gears and decided to tease Maddie. “So . . . Friday night. Should I pack my jammies?”
There was momentary silence on the other end of the line. “You’re joking, right?”
“Why would you think I’m joking?”
“Because,” Maddie’s voice dropped, “the next time you spend the night at my place, you won’t need any jammies.”
Syd’s breath caught in her throat. She decided not to tease Maddie anymore. “You don’t play fair.”
Maddie laughed. “I play to win.”
“You’ve already won.”
More silence. “Now who’s not playing fair?”
Syd sighed. “We’re hopeless, aren’t we?”
“Pretty much.”
“Well, then, I guess I should drag my hopeless butt off to bed. See you on Friday?”
“If not before. Come early.”
“And often?” Syd drawled.
Maddie chuckled. “That goes without saying.”
“It sure does now.”
Maddie groaned. “You really need to behave.”
“But it’s so much more fun to be bad.”
“One day, I’ll find out what you mean by that.”
“Yes, you will.” Syd sighed. “I guess this is good night, then?”
Maddie exhaled. “Yeah. Good night, honey.”
Syd felt a thrill race up and down her body. “Sweet talker. Good night.”
She hung up and went to bed, musing about all the possible ways David might react to the news. However it went, it was sure to be one for the record books.
SYD ARRIVED AT Maddie’s farm half an hour before the men were due. They decided to keep the meal simple—grilled pork tenderloin, salad, and a curried cold rice concoction with nuts and currants that Syd swore was exotic enough to please Michael.
Pete met her in the driveway and happily danced around her legs as she made her way to the porch. Maddie leaned against one of the massive support posts, watching her approach. She was casually dressed in faded blue jeans and an oversized man’s black sweater that probably had belonged to her father. Syd thought she looked amazing. But, then, Syd always thought she looked amazing—even when she wore rumpled blue hospital scrubs.
When she reached the porch, Maddie extended her hands to take the large, stoneware bowl from her, then smiled as she leaned forward to kiss her. Syd felt an immediate surge of adrenalin at the contact. Yep. Zero to turned on in one point two seconds. That’s gotta be some kind of record.
“Do me a favor?” she asked, after Maddie pulled back.
“Okaaaayy.” Maddie narrowed her eyes.
“Put that down on the table and come stand right here.” She pointed to one of the lower steps that led up to the porch.
Maddie complied and dutifully set the bowl down on the large pine table near the door. Then she turned and walked back to stand on the step Syd had indicated. She turned around and held her hands out to the sides as if to suggest, “Now what?”
Syd walked over and draped her arms around Maddie’s shoulders. Their eyes were now on the same level.
“Perfect,” she muttered as she leaned in and kissed her again—longer this time.
Maddie wrapped her arms around her waist and tugged her closer. When they finally broke apart to breathe, she grinned at her. “Trying to level the playing field?”
“I learned a long time ago that when life doesn’t fit, you make adjustments.”
“Hmmmm. You should go far with that philosophy.”
Syd kissed her on the tip of her nose. “Oh, I plan to.”
Maddie pulled her into a full body hug. “God, I missed you.”
“Me, too.” Syd relaxed into the embrace, kissed her on the ear, and smiled when she heard Maddie moan.
She pulled back, took Maddie’s hand, and tugged her toward the door. “We’d better take this inside, or we’ll get busted right here in the yard.”
“About that,” Maddie said as they walked
toward the door. “I had some thoughts about how we might share these developments with David.”
“Oh?” Syd said, picking up the bowl. “Do tell.”
Maddie held the door open, and they entered the house and walked down the hallway toward the kitchen. “Yeah. If we’re the way we are now when they get here, David will take all of two seconds to figure everything out.”
“So?”
“So, I was thinking that this might be a golden opportunity to have some fun at his expense. That’s if you’re game.”
Syd gave her an appraising look. “This is something new. I never realized you had such a devious streak.”
“Paybacks, honey. Paybacks.”
Syd set the bowl down on the center island and leaned into her. “God, I just melt when you call me that.”
Maddie wrapped her long arms around her and kissed her on the head. “Well, then, I’ll have to refrain from calling you that until later on.”
Syd gave her a squeeze and then stood back. “What’s the plan?”
“Just try to behave normally and take your cues from me. If I know David, it shouldn’t take too long.”
THE MEN ARRIVED shortly after six, and the four of them relaxed around Maddie’s large kitchen table with glasses of wine while they got caught up on events of the last week.
David grabbed another handful of Cheetos from the large bowl in the center of the table. “Not that I’m complaining or anything, but what’s with the pre-teen treats? Are you still suffering from terminal sexual frustration?”
Maddie smiled sweetly at him. “No. I’ve just been craving them lately.”
Across the table from her, Syd choked on her wine.
David looked back and forth between them. “What gives? You two seem frightfully plucky. Did something happen in Richmond that you need to share with our studio audience?”
“Drop it, David.” Michael’s voice was cautionary.
“No way.” David sat forward in his chair and stared into Maddie’s eyes. “She’s hiding something. I can tell.”
Maddie looked back at him impassively. “It’s comforting to see that you’re as delusional as ever.”
“I’m delusional?”
“In a word—yes.”
He sat back. “I simply cannot believe that the two of you spent three whole nights together in the same hotel room and nothing happened.” He shook his head in disbelief. “You really ought to consider donating your libido to science.”
Maddie chewed the inside of her cheek, but didn’t reply.
“David, I thought we agreed that you were going to drop this ridiculous pipe dream of yours.” Michael shot Syd a sympathetic look. “Can’t you see that you’re just embarrassing Syd?”
“I never agreed to drop anything . . . well . . . except for that trial subscription to Butt magazine,” David said. “I was appalled by all the Photoshop work on those models. It was totally lacking in journalistic integrity.”
Michael stared at him in disgust, then turned to Maddie. “I give up. You’re on your own with this one.”
Maddie sighed deeply and leaned forward, resting both of her hands flat against the top of the table. Her face was less than a foot away from David’s. “You’re never going to drop this, are you?” Her tone was menacing, and her eyes were fixed on him like twin laser beams.
He was unmoved. “Nuh uh.” He casually extended a hand toward the snack bowl, popped another couple of Cheetos into his mouth, and dramatically crunched them in her face.
“Fine.” Her voice was hard. “Have it your way.” She shoved her chair back roughly and got to her feet. David looked up at her in surprise as she walked around the table and stood next to Syd. She grabbed Syd by the arm, hauled her to her feet, and turned her around so they were facing each other. “Sorry about this, Syd. It’s bigger than both of us.” Without ceremony, she dipped her dramatically and kissed her—hard and full on the mouth. After a few seconds, Syd raised her arms to grasp Maddie by the shoulders, and energetically kissed her back—both of them moaning into the embrace.
Michael began to chuckle as David coughed and sprayed half-eaten Cheetos across the table. Maddie and Syd started laughing as they playfully continued to nip and peck at each other, before standing upright and facing David with their arms still tightly wrapped around each other.
David dabbed at his mouth and the front of his polo shirt with a napkin. He was incredulous. “You have got to be kidding me with this. You two totally suck. You know that?”
Maddie raised an eyebrow. “Well, technically, we haven’t started any sucking yet, but it probably won’t be long.”
“You got that right,” Syd chimed in and kissed her soundly on the cheek.
David shook his head in stunned disbelief. “I can’t believe I fell for that. Jesus.” He sighed as he stared back at them. “How long has this been going on?”
Syd looked dreamily up at Maddie. “Only since Monday.”
“Monday?” David climbed to his feet in agitation. “You’ve been doing—this,” he waved his hands to encompass their intertwined bodies, “since Monday, and this is the first I hear about it?”
Maddie pretended to consider his question. “Monday? Um, yeah. That’s right. Since Monday.”
He raised a hand to his forehead. “I need a drink.”
“You already have a drink,” Michael said, indicating his glass of wine.
“Well, then, I need another drink.” He looked back at Maddie and Syd, who were now sweetly staring at each other. He smiled and shook his head. “You know, I totally saw this coming.”
Syd looked at him. “You did?”
“Hell yes, I did.” He shifted his brown eyes to Maddie. “Didn’t I, Sawbones?” He looked back at Syd and tipped his head to indicate Maddie. “She’s been hopelessly in love with you for months now.”
Maddie widened her eyes before she closed them in mortification.
Syd turned to her. “You have?” she asked, in a small voice.
“Jesus, David,” Michael hissed.
Before Maddie could speak, her phone rang. Eager for any distraction, she turned to Michael. “Grab that for me, will you?”
“Sure,” he said, fixing David with a look of disgust before walking over to the wall phone next to the fridge. “Dr. Stevenson’s residence.” He stood there for a moment, and then turned to Maddie with a concerned expression. “Hang on, she’s right here.” He held the phone out to her. “You need to take this, sweetie. It’s a Dr. Kramer from UCLA.”
Maddie gently disengaged herself from Syd, walked to him, and took the receiver. “This is Dr. Stevenson.” They all watched as she listened to the voice on the other end of the line. The color slowly drained from her face. “When did this happen?” Maddie raised her free hand to her forehead. “Where is she now?” she asked, as she sagged against the kitchen counter. “How are her vitals?” She nodded slowly. “Who is her attending?” She looked at her watch. “I’ll be on the first flight I can get, but it’s probably going to take me at least ten or twelve hours to get there. I’ll text you all my contact information.” She listened intently for another minute. “Thanks, Dr. Kramer. I’ll do that. I’ll call you with my flight details.”
She hung up and turned toward them. Her face was ashen.
“That was Laszlow Kramer—a colleague of my mother’s. There was an explosion in Celine’s laboratory about an hour ago—a centrifuge.” She looked dazed. “Her lab assistant was killed . . . and she was badly injured.” She paused. “She’s in surgery now. It . . . it’s pretty serious. She lost a lot of blood.” She looked at Syd. “I have to go, now. I need . . . I need . . .”
Syd crossed the room and wrapped her arms around her. “Oh, my god. Oh, honey . . .”
Michael already had his cell phone out. “Charlotte to LAX?” he asked. Maddie nodded. “Let’s see what we can do. You go get packed.”
Maddie dumbly gestured toward the back porch, where her purse hung on a hook by the door. “My credit car
d . . .”
“Got it,” David said. “Go get packed. We’ll have the car ready.”
She nodded and looked down at Syd, who was still clinging to her. “Help me get ready?”
“Of course.” Syd bit her lower lip. “Let’s go. I’ll help you.”
“Okay.” Maddie steered her toward the back stairs. “I don’t know what to pack.” Her voice was vacant.
Syd kept an arm securely wrapped around her waist. “You let me worry about that. Just show me where things are.”
They slowly ascended the stairs together. Michael and David eyed each other from opposite sides of the room. Then Michael perked up. “Yes, hello. I need to know what flights you have from Charlotte to LAX that leave tonight—it’s an emergency.”
ON THE LONG ride to Charlotte-Douglas Airport, Maddie asked Syd if she would consider staying at the farm while she was away so she could look after Pete. Syd consented immediately. They sat close together on the back seat of Michael’s Range Rover, holding hands. David and Michael insisted on driving her to the airport, and Maddie didn’t refuse. She knew she was in no position to drive herself, and she didn’t want Syd making the trip back to Jericho alone. She had already called Lizzy Mayes and Peggy Hawkes to let them know what had happened, and to relay instructions about how they should manage the clinic and her hospitalized patients during her absence.
Michael succeeded at booking Maddie the last available seat on an American Airlines flight that left Charlotte at 8:55 p.m. They were able to check her straight through to her gate, so she could avoid the obligatory one-hour-before-departure arrival. Her flight was nonstop, but she wouldn’t land in L.A. until 1:52 a.m. Pacific time. Dr. Kramer was adamant about meeting her at the airport, insisting that he would be waiting at the hospital all night, anyway. He told Maddie that he would keep her apprised of her mother’s condition via text messages as soon as details became available. She knew now that Celine had suffered a penetrating neck injury, a broken arm, and a ruptured spleen. Her condition was listed as critical.