“Ava!”
Reagan’s concerned call breezes over me as her heels crash against the pave of the apartment hallway.
“I was so worried about you!” She doesn’t even seem to see Maddox, grabbing at my arm worriedly, “I haven’t heard from you lately and you weren’t at the café and you weren’t in your apartment and it’s not like you ever leave-”
Abruptly, whether it was my seething glare or Maddox’s lifted brow, Reagan suddenly got the cue to shut up.
“Ah. I mean…” She glances towards me, then Maddox, then back to me, “Except for when you, like, go out. And stuff. So much…?”
“I was just helping Ava to her apartment.” Maddox interjects uncomfortably, the arm that was around my waist sliding free.
I had a feeling that our plan for ‘coffee’ was no long so much of a plan.
“You look familiar.” Reagan frowns, tapping at her chin in that thoughtful way she always did, “Reagan Nelson.”
She sticks out her hand, going from worried friend to stern business lady in a single blink. She was amazing that way, the ease to which she transformed. I’d gone by her office once and watched all of her interns shivering in fear of her. It was crazy to think that was the same woman who passed out after two whole glasses of white wine.
“Nice to meet you, Reagan.” Maddox replies with stiff politeness, shaking her hand and releasing it quickly, “My name is Maddox Dodge.”
Immediately, Reagan’s steel blue eyes go huge as my grandmother’s pretty china saucers. She glances at me, then back to Maddox, arms stiff at her sides.
“Maddox… Dodge?” She echoes, clutching at the rail as though she’s about to pitch over it in shock. All while my internal mantra screams: please don’t say it, please don’t say it!
But then the woman sucks in a sharp breath and I knew it was coming.
“As in THE Maddox Dodge, handsome actor and movie star, stealer of hearts from women, young girls, and even men alike?!”
He clears his throat, taking his suit jacket and sliding it over his shoulders, “Yes.” He finally murmurs, “I suppose that’s me.”
Reagan, forgetting she was married to the love of her life to the sexiest man from Australia, clutches too roughly at Maddox’s arm. He grimaces, still managing a dashing smile through the discomfort.
“You have to come in!” She sputters, dragging him towards my apartment while I sigh and fumble for my key, “We have to visit for a little while!”
“It’s late…” He begins, but though he only just met Reagan, he knew a mulish stubbornness when he saw it, and he knew he was never leaving if he didn’t humor her at least a little, “Alright, I suppose I can stay for one cup of coffee.”
Reagan squeals, taking my key before I can even fully drag it from my purse and jamming it into my apartment door. She throws it open, all but pushing Maddox inside.
He stands beside the front door, surveying the pitiful messiness of my little home. Dishes and frozen food trays still sit in my sink, clothes in the hamper, and Noodle sitting still as a statue in the corner.
Maddox doesn’t notice the cat at first, but when they finally make eye contact he jumps almost a foot in the air. It’s the first time I’ve seen Maddox look even slightly disconcerted.
“That’s Noodle.” I shrug, holding out my arms as the cat trots over to jump into my arms. I nuzzle my face into his neck, listening to the rumble of his purr.
He only acts like this when other people are around. I have to take all the affection while I can.
“…Noodle?” Maddox echoes, though he doesn’t ask about the name any further.
“He hates everyone.” Reagan sighs, tossing her purse on the counter as she digs for the bottle of wine she knows I have stashed somewhere, “Don’t try and pet him. Your beautiful face can thank me later.”
She finally drags the bottle of wine free, along with three plastic cups that will have to do as wine glasses.
“Reags, I thought you and Eli were trying-”
She shoots me a death glare that could melt ice and I instantly quiet, exchanging a shrug with my fiancé as Noodle nuzzles my chin with adoration. Within seconds he’s bored of the cuddling and saunters free of my arms, leaping down to hide under the couch and swat at unsuspecting ankles.
Reagan passes by him almost immediately, wincing as he paws at her.
“How do you two know each other?” She asks, giving me another wounded glare, “Ava never mentioned it.”
“We only recently met and got engaged-” Maddox began smoothly, cutting himself off when Reagan drops the three cups on the floor. Wine spills everywhere, a sloshy, purple volcano that Noodle scampers out to inspect.
At least the glasses were made of plastic.
Instantly Maddox retreats into the kitchen, grabbing an old towel and handing it to me as I groan and try to blot up some of the mess. There goes my deposit, and so close to when I’d move out too.
Reagan doesn’t apologize. In fact, she doesn’t do much of anything at all. She stares at where Maddox had been standing minutes ago though he’d moved, her jaw slack, shoulders limp.
Abruptly she blinks and shakes her head.
“I’m sorry.” She mumbles blurrily, “I think, I think I blacked out. When did you say the two of you met?”
Before Maddox can continue his story, I grab Reagan’s arms and pull her onto the couch, wrapping a blanket around her shoulders like she’d contracted the flu or something.
“Reagan, what we’re going to tell you is insane. But we’re engaged.” I say softly, “I know it’s crazy, but it only just happened.”
“How did that happen?” She cries out, covering her face with the blanket, “How did you engaged to THE Maddox Dodge, handsome actor and movie star, stealer of hearts from women, young girls, and even men alike?!”
“I have to say that the title is growing on me.” Maddox nods from across the room, head cocking to the side, “I think I may title my memoir with that…”
I silence him with a glare over my shoulder, squeezing Reagan’s arms comfortingly, “I know it’s a shock.” I continue soothingly, as though Maddox and I were parents consoling their teen child during a tumultuous divorce.
We’ll still be a family! I wanted to add, but bit back the playful jab. Reagan was not in the mood for it.
A soft meow from behind Maddox turns all three of our heads towards the kitchen counter, where the old striped cat has perched with one tiny paw extended towards the billionaire movie star – as though he wanted to shake hands.
Maddox swallows, his Adam’s apple dipping in his throat as he exchanges an uncertain glance with Reagan, her warning still fresh on his mind.
When Noodle meows again, a little more forcefully this time, Maddox gives a sharp nod as though he’s listening to a command and tentatively reaches out his own hand. Noodle stares at his fingers, a coin tossing in his head between ravaging Maddox’s soft flesh or asking for a nice scratch. In the end, Noodle leaps headlong onto Maddox’s shoulder with perfect precision, sitting like a parrot upon the man’s broad arm.
Noodle doesn’t nuzzle him, or even seem to acknowledge him in any way. Instead, he just sits there, calm and content while Maddox stares at Reagan and I with confused, wide eyes.
“I think… I think he likes you?” I say, accidentally ending on a questioning lilt of my voice.
Reagan nods in agreement, “At the very least, he doesn’t hate you.”
“I suppose that’s a good thing. Since he’ll be moving in with us.” Maddox sighs, watching Noodle wearily from the corner of his eye.
“Really?” I gasp, sitting up straight. I hadn’t gotten the chance to ask about Noodle. I couldn’t bear to give him away, I might have had to call off the whole thing if Maddox didn’t like the poor cat.
Noodle and I had been through too much together to abandon him now.
“Wait you two are moving in together?” Reagan whispers hoarsely, flopping back against the couch once more, “Oh my god, I am so out of the loop!”
“This loop has not taken long.” I laugh, shaking my head, “Maddox and I are both about as out of the loop as you are!”
Reagan glances at me, questions in her eyes that she won’t ask while Maddox is still here. I’m grateful for that.
“When are you two moving in together?” She settles on asking, eyes shifting between the two of us, analyzing the twitches of our mouths and the emotions that I am not so good at concealing in my eyes.
“Actually, I was hoping that we could discuss that tomorrow.” Maddox clears his throat, glancing at his watch.
He hadn’t bothered to sit down since the second he’d entered my apartment. It was clear he wanted to leave, and to be honest, I’d never felt more drained in my life. I was ready for my apartment to be empty and my bed to be fluffed and ready.
Noodle seemed to know his intent, hopping off his shoulder and back onto the kitchen counter. Reagan nods, sighing as she pushes off the blanket and leans to wrap her arms around me. She squeezes me tight, and when she pulls away her eyes are veiled.
We’re going to have a long talk later, her furrowed brow says.
“It was good to see you.” She murmurs softly “I’m sorry I’ve been so busy-”
“We’ve both been busy.” I laugh, holding up my left hand, “Obviously.”
She smirks and nods, climbing to her feet and gazing levelly at Maddox, “I suppose we should be leaving now.” She announces.
Maddox nods, giving a slight wave before he exits the apartment without a word. Had I not been so exhausted, I would’ve worried about his stoic silence and stiff shoulders.
After he’s gone, Reagan swings her purse over her shoulder and follows towards the door. She lingers there, gazing at me.
“You look lovely, Ava.” She offers with a slight smile, then vanishes out the door, locking it before she steps outside, like she’s worried that Maddox would try and sneak back in.
Too tired to even move, I collapse sideways on the touch, letting sleep steal me almost instantly.
The only time I’m roused even slightly before daybreak is when Noodle climbs to a cozy position atop my chest, his tail lightly swishing against my cheek.