“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 that her phone had lost all signal. Suddenly a blinding light flashed outside and almost simultaneously a clap of thunder as loud as a bomb exploding erupted over the house. Maggie instinctively ducked for cover just as the lights went out.
Barney cried irritably and Maggie realized that she’d thrown herself to the floor and was now lying on top of the cat. She quickly rolled off of him.
“Sorry, Barney,” Maggie said as she stroked the cats head, still clutching him in her arms. The room was nearly pitch black, but was intermittently lit up by the flashing lightening outside. The roar of the rain sounded like a freight train and thunder continued to boom overhead.
Maggie felt around on the floor until she located her phone. She had no signal. The storm must be interfering. The illumination from the screen gave her enough light to find her way from the library to the base of the stairs. She was still carrying the cat and decided that tonight she’d allow him to sleep with her. She reasoned with herself that he’d probably be scared from the storm and it would be cruel to leave him downstairs alone.
She began to ascend the stairs and Barney, who up until that point had seemed rather unaffected by the storm, began to shift and squirm in her arms.