Smoke And Mirrors

Chapter 2 Hard To Handle

The next day, after having had lunch at the office, David busied himself with his son, obviously oblivious to everything around him. Maddie watched "her guys" for a few minutes, totally unnoticed by both, full of affection and a sensation of utter happiness she still wasn't completely used to feeling. Then, lightly, she shook her head to cast off those pleasurable spiderwebs and get back to reality.

'David,' she said, 'you should go now... they will be landing soon!'

He didn't take his eyes off the baby. 'What, invasion from outer space again?'

Maddie rolled her eyes. 'You don't have to go that far,' she replied dryly, 'just invasion from Philadelphia. Your dad and his wife.'

David snorted and tucked his son into his crib, grumbling to himself. 'Why don't I just put up a tent at the airport and sleep right there?'

She knew that he wasn't a fan of the idea of a big Hayes/Addison family get-together and decided he needed a little cheering-up. Suppressing a smile, she smoothly answered, 'Because your presence is required in our bedroom.'

David raised his head to face her. 'It is?' he asked, an amused crinkle around his eyes. How much she loved those laugh lines; and his face had plenty. She surrendered and let her smile spread slowly over her features.

'You know perfectly well it is,' she said good-humored and at ease with herself. 'You know it and I know it,' she added in a light, but meaningful tone, 'and I really wouldn't have to say anything but I said it anyway.'

He smiled his crooked grin, knowing perfectly well what she was hinting at. 'I'm impressed,' he replied and strode over to her. 'Big mistake, though. You know I won't let you forget you said that.'

She sighed and shrugged in defeat. 'I know...'

He pulled her in to his arms. 'For what it's worth, Blondie,' he remarked, tease in his voice, 'I wouldn't want to sleep anywhere else than beside you.'

She stood on the tips of her toes and kissed him lightly on the lips. 'I know, Addison,' she repeated and gave him a soft push. 'Now go!'

David sighed and released her. 'You mood-killer,' he murmured, touched two fingers to his lips and left.

Maddie chuckled softly and shook her head.

For the third time in the last five days David was at L.A. International, waiting for family members to show up; this time he was picking up his father, David Addison Sr and his new wife, Stephanie (who was about David's age and for some crazy coincidence a former one-night-stand of his). Luckily, his stepmother didn't remember that. Despite her foggy memory, the secret fact added to the slight awkwardness David usually felt when he was around his father. Although he knew the old man loved him and Richie, he always had difficulties in showing his affection to his sons. After their mother had passed away, it hadn't been too easy for the three left-behind Addisons, one big and two small ones, each grieving their loss in their own way.

David sighed when he saw the couple emerge from the crowd of arriving passengers. He had to admit that they somehow looked as if they belonged together. The age gap was clearly visible, but somehow it didn't really matter. Stephanie saw him first, when they still were about ten yards away from him. She beamed, let go of her husband's arm and waved frantically. David smiled feebly and raised his left hand for a reluctant wave back. That was when his father saw him too and nodded, smiling a lopsided half-smile for his younger son and best man.

Stephanie dashed the last few steps to meet David and practically threw herself into his arms. A waft of rose-scented perfume washed over him, but not in an unpleasant way. David, against his will, patted her back and she pulled away again, taking his face in both her hands and planting a totally unerotic smooch on his lips.

'Ah, it's always such a pleasure to see one of my boys,' she exclaimed enthusiastically and wrapped one arm around David's waist. 'Sorry if I sound goofy,' she sputtered, 'but it still blows me off my feet every time I realize that I'm really and truly part of a family with kids now!'

David couldn't help but smile. Stephanie chuckled and shrugged. 'Okay, big kids.' The honest joy and friendliness on her pretty face were simply disarming.

David put an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. 'It's good to see you too, Steph.'

His father was standing before him now, and Stephanie released him from her grip, taking half a step back, so the two men could hug which they did a little clumsily and very briefly.

'Dad.'

'Son.' Addison Sr. patted David's back. 'Looks as if weddings keep bringing us together.'

'Well,' Stephanie threw in firmly and linked arms with both Davids, 'you'll have to find another excuse now, as it seems we'll be running out of weddings.'

Father and son looked at each other; restrained, stunningly alike with their cheeky half-smiles that were suddenly crawling over both faces.

'Guess so...' David said, and his father kissed his wife on the cheek.

'Let's go!'

'I'd rather go to the opera,' David grumbled, obviously in bad humor, while he was fixing his tie. 'Or, to cap it all off, I'd even rather go to the... symphony!' He emphasized the last word by pursing his lips in disdain.

It was 7 pm, and David Sr. and Stephanie were about to come over to see the baby for the first time, and then there would be a parents' dinner with David, Maddie, Alex and Virginia. David wasn't very keen on this gathering a grand occasion for awkward moments. He was really very fond of Maddie's parents, but he knew that they were used to exquisite little dinner parties and people you'd meet in a country club. His father and his new wife certainly weren't the kind of people you'd meet in a country club. Just like himself, but the Hayes family already knew him by now and didn't mind. In fact, Virginia was as crazy about him as a woman could be about her future son-in-law, and Alex... well, obviously, for some obscure reason, Maddie's father had decided that he was not the worst choice his daughter could have made. But his own father was nothing like Alexander Hayes, and Stephanie... David groaned at the thought of what his future inlaws would think of his (mildly spoken) unorthodox family.

Maddie, who had been watching him sympathetically, shook her head and stepped in to her lavender colored evening pumps that matched her dress. 'Oh come on,' she brought him back from his thoughts, 'it will be great!'

'Yeah, sure, great.' David gave a disgusted snort. 'Ballet...' he murmured and fumbled with his cufflinks.

'David!' she snapped. 'Since when are you so pessimistic?'

'Maddie,' he mimicked her, 'and since when are you such an optimist? I mean, this is just so... white-bread!'

'White-bread?' she echoed.

'Or pancake. Whatever makes your breakfast.' David grabbed the jacket of his graphite grey suit and subconsciously ruffled his hair. 'What are we doing?' he sighed and added theatrically,"Meet the parents" sounds like a weird movie in which I wouldn't be happy to be the leading character.' He paused for a short moment and asked, 'Is this really necessary?'

'Necessary?' Maddie repeated and frowned. 'What do you mean?'

He threw his hands up in desperation. 'Why do we have to spend a whole evening together? I mean, your parents and my... folks don't even know each other! They'd have nothing to say!'

Maddie rolled her eyes. 'Addison, don't be ridiculous. I know they don't know each other that's just the point, that's why we take them out!' She added a little sarcasm on top. 'When are they supposed to meet at the wedding reception?' She put her hands to her hips in a menacing gesture.

David grumbled something unintelligible and busied himself with his lapels, and Maddie, perfectly understanding of why he was feeling awkward, walked over to him and soothed softly, 'Don't worry, David. It's gonna be great.' She was standing in front of him now and put her hands on his shoulders. He raised his gaze and fixed it on her face. 'Your dad is great,' she declared which raised a reluctant, crooked little smile from him. 'And Stephanie...' she added and shrugged graciously. 'Well, it might be odd, but I like her too.' She smoothed out his lapels by simply running her palms slowly downwards over them, more a caress of his chest underneath the fabric than anything else, and lowered her voice a nuance, giving it a seductive timbre. 'And besides... I love it when you dress up.'

Forgetting his lousy mood, he smirked. This was his water in the desert. 'You love it when I undress,' he purred. 'You love it when I undress you, I might add.'

Maddie's expression froze, and she took two steps back from him. 'Maybe it's indeed better if we spare us all the pleasure of David Addison's wits,' she remarked icily, 'and I'm not speaking of the Senior!'

David raised his hands in defense. 'Hey, don't blame me, Blondie,' he claimed. 'The line you threw asked for it, and you know it.'

'Get ready,' Maddie snapped in a sour voice, turned around on her heel and left the room. Although, as soon as she had closed the door behind her, a secret little smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. 'Of course I know it,' she murmured, rather pleased with herself.

When she passed by the nursery on her way downstairs, she popped her head in carefully; in the faint glow of the nightlight she could see that Davey was fast asleep and breathing steadily, calmly. She smiled to herself and sped downstairs when she heard the doorbell ring. She opened the door and found a smiling Agnes waiting outside.

'Agnes!' she exclaimed brightly. 'It's so great you're here. Please, come in!'

'Thanks,' Agnes replied with her typical shy-but-friendly Agnes-smile and stepped into the hall. 'Oh I'm so happy you asked me, Miss Hayes. This is such an honor.'

'Oh please,' Maddie put her off, 'we couldn't think of anybody else we'd trust with babysitting.'

Agnes beamed and looked past Maddie, searching for the baby. 'He's asleep,' Maddie explained. 'Usually he should wake up in about,' she checked her watch, 'about two hours. He'll need to be changed and fed; there's supply in the fridge, the bottle's already prepared, you just have to warm it up.'

'You can rely on me,' Agnes solemnly declared and put her hand over her heart.

Maddie patted her arm. 'I know that, Agnes. Dinner for you is in the fridge too, my mother made some...' she was interrupted by the doorbell, frowned and looked at her watch again. 'Looks like the Addisons are over-punctual...' she opened the door and, much to her surprise, found her future brother-in-law outside. 'Richard?' she exclaimed, slightly puzzled.

He grinned and shrugged, and at that moment Maddie saw David in him, just a few inches taller and without oozing that weakening effect on her knees. 'Hey,' he said in his deep voice, 'I just thought I'd drop by to spend some time with my nephew and say hi to the crowd. If you're okay with it.'

'Of course I am!' Maddie smiled, grabbed his arm and pulled him in, greeting him with a hug.

'Hi, Agnes,' he said over Maddie's shoulder, and Agnes just replied with a smile and a short wave.

'What are you doing here?' David's voice was heard from behind as he sped down the spiral staircase.

'Good to see you too, bro,' Richie replied dryly, and David snorted.

Maddie slapped him on the arm. 'What's wrong with you, Addison? Richard just came by to say hello to everybody and spend some time with Davey.' She turned to Richie again. 'He's asleep, though.'

David turned to Agnes and pointed his left index finger at her like a gun. 'You won't let him approach the kid further than five feet,' he ordered. 'In fact, you might have to babysit him too.'

'Dork,' Richie snarled and Maddie rolled her eyes. The doorbell rang again.

'More arrivals than in Grand Central,' David commented and opened the door. This time his father and Stephanie were standing outside the door. She wore only a little make-up, but this seemed to bring out even more of the inherent gleam of her naturally pretty face.

After the multilateral greetings were over, David Sr. rubbed his hands. 'So,' he said, 'where is my grandson? I'm dying to see him!'

Despite the slight pressure he still felt about the coming evening, David smiled and nodded towards the staircase. 'Upstairs. He's asleep, though.' He saw his father hesitate and added, 'C'mon, dad. Say hi to him.'

Maddie smiled as she watched father and son climb the stairs, then she asked Stephanie, 'Don't you want to join them?'

Stephanie shook her head. 'I'll see the little one tomorrow. I think our guys should take that minute alone.'

Maddie was taken aback by Stephanie's instinct, one which, oddly enough, she hadn't expected given her past with David (but then, you could hardly call it a past). She had liked her from the beginning but had always thought she was a little bit... well, simpler minded; obviously she had underestimated her. Maddie apologized quietly. It took only a few minutes for the two Davids to come downstairs again, but she noticed that both men had that positively strained look on their faces, as if they tried not to show their emotions, but inside were dying to because they were happy ones.

Stephanie took her husband's arm. 'You like the little one, honey?' she asked, much softness in her voice. David Sr. just smiled and nodded.

Maddie reached for David's hand and whispered into his ear, 'What did he say?'

'Not much,' David whispered back, but she could see the hidden smile in his eyes. She squeezed his hand.

'So, Maddie,' David Sr. said, rubbing his hands. 'And where are your parents? I can't wait to meet them!'

David hung down his head in despair. 'My kind of a fun evening,' he muttered hopelessly.

Alex and Virginia came out of the guest room and just saw the backs of David and his father descend the spiral staircase. They closed the door behind them, and Alex threw a glace downstairs, catching sight of Stephanie.

'Is that David's stepmother?' he asked his wife with an indignantly raised eyebrow.

'Obviously,' Virginia replied in a hushed voice and headed for the stairs. Alex held her gently back by the wrist.

'Looks more like a sister to me,' he murmured, and Virginia threw him a very severe look.

'Alexander Hayes,' she hissed very quietly, 'I don't want to hear any odd comments on her age from you!'

He raised both hands. 'No, no,' he assured hastily, 'I was just saying. Just saying.' Virginia's eyes narrowed, and he added quickly, 'No odd comments. No comments at all.'

She drew a deep breath that could have been mistaken for a snort and straightened her back. When she finally started to descend the stairs, her husband followed a few steps behind her. David saw her coming and extended his hand with a smile. Not for the first time she thought: what an excellent pick you made, Maddie, and gladly took his hand. He lead her to where the family group were waiting to meet them.

'Virginia,' he said, 'this is my father, David Addison Sr. and his wife, Stephanie. Dad, Steph... this is Maddie's mother.'

Virginia extended her hand, and Stephanie took it with just the right amount of firmness. 'Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Hayes,' she smiled.

'Virginia, please,' she replied. 'I think we could keep this on a first name basis as we're practically almost family, right?'

Stephanie nodded. 'Sure, I'd like that.'

Virginia shook hands with David's father who briefly nodded his head. 'Virginia, what a pleasure. I can see where your daughter got her beauty from.'

'Oh, you're too sweet,' a sideways glance to David, 'and I can see where your son got his charm from.'

Alex had stepped up behind her and entered the round to greet the Addisons. Virginia kept an eye on him and was satisfied; a firm handshake with David Sr. and a few charming words to Stephanie. She was looking forward to the evening.

David was slowly relaxing. The evening wasn't going bad; in fact, it was a quite pleasurable atmosphere. Everybody got along well, and Maddie's parents didn't seem to find anything strange or debatable about his father or his wife. He smiled to himself. Well, somehow it was impossible not to like Stephanie, and he knew that Virginia was a very kind person who seemed to get along with everybody. Alex, on the other hand, was a tough nut to crack, but basically a good-hearted man and a good judge of character. Obviously, Stephanie had won him over.

'Maddie,' she was just saying, 'I've planned an assault on you.'

'An assault?' Maddie repeated with a light smile.

'Yeah,' Stephanie nodded. 'Dave told me I was stupid, but I thought hey, we're going to L.A., where else can I find a pretty dress for your wedding?' She paused momentarily, and Maddie wasn't quite sure what she was up to, but then she went on, 'Would you go shopping for a dress with me tomorrow? We could have, I don't know, lunch together and then you take me to the best place?'

Maddie was taken aback for a moment, and her mother exclaimed, 'But that would be great, dear, wouldn't it? And David could spend some time with his father and the little one, of course.'

By then, Maddie had regained her composure and said quickly, 'Well, sure... I think I know a few places where it shouldn't be a problem to find something nice.'

'Oh wonderful,' Stephanie beamed, 'thank you. I knew I could count on you.'

Maddie didn't reply but smiled down at her plate. From under her lashes, she threw a sideways glance at David who didn't seem too thrilled with the thought. Discreetly, she touched her knee against his under the table, and when he looked at her, she gave him a knowing and reassuring smile.

Virginia's antennae had sensed some unexplainable touch of awkwardness, and she quickly picked up the conversation again and said to David Sr., 'Let me say that we liked David already right from the beginning, when we first met him!' She turned to her husband. 'Isn't that right, darling?'

Alex cleared his throat. 'Well... uhm... yes.'

Maddie could see that David was shifting uneasily on his seat. 'Well, I didn't,' she interjected quickly and as dryly as if there had been some tense vibes in the air, they dissolved in the laughter that followed and that all shared. David threw her a thankful look with a smile in the corners of his green eyes only she could understand. She winked at him and added, 'Obviously, I've changed my mind.' They laughed again.

'I'm happy to hear that,' said David's father, patting him on the back. 'It's good for a father to know he didn't do too bad a job raising his sons alone.'

'Oh, that must have been very hard for you,' Virginia remarked sympathetically and added with a smile in Stephanie's direction, 'It's wonderful you're not alone anymore.'

David Sr. took his young wife's hand and gave her a fond look. 'Yeah, I know I'm lucky.'

Stephanie squeezed his hand, returned the look and plainly replied, 'We both are, honey.' There was nothing special about how she had said those words, but the moment Alex and Virginia saw the expression on her face when she looked at her husband, they simply knew that she was far from being a gold digger.

Alex raised his glass. 'To three lucky and happy couples!' he toasted.

The six of them touched their glasses with a jovial clink. When they placed them back on the table, David Sr. said to Alex, 'Well, our home lacked the hand of a woman... but you were very lucky, having not only one, but two gorgeous women around!'

Virginia and Maddie exchanged delighted smiles, at the same time pleased with the compliment and satisfied that things seemed to be going really well.

'I was,' Alex confirmed, 'and although some may think it's not easy being in the male minority, I will say that it was much harder for my wife, given that my daughter and I share the same trait of... hmm, how shall I put it...'

'Stubbornness is the word you're looking for, dear,' Virginia chimed in graciously, and again, the whole bunch laughed in unison.

'Mom!' Maddie complained, blushing, and David Sr. shook his head.

'Your daughter, Alex? She always seemed very sweet to me, from the first moment I met her!' Maddie smiled at him, and he added, 'How could she ever be stubborn?'

'She can,' David blurted out, 'believe me, dad.' Maddie took a deep breath to say something, but fell silent when David shrugged and added'Wouldn't want her any other way.'

The three Hayes family members and the three Addisons laughed again, in a very hearty, conspiratorial way.

Maddie and Virginia waved when the cab with David Sr. and Stephanie pulled away. Stephanie waved back, and Maddie could see her smile. She was still feeling ambivalent about her lunch-and-shopping meeting with David's stepmother and ex-one-night-stand; especially that last thing made her feel slightly awkward but on the other hand, Stephanie really seemed to be very open, natural and simply good-hearted.

'Your father is a very nice man, David,' Virginia remarked. 'I can see now where your charm comes from.'

David smiled his half-smile. 'Thanks,' he replied in a fond, warm voice and winked at his future mother-in-law.

Maddie's father cleared his throat. 'They both seem to be quite all right,' he said in stiff but in no way unfriendly tone. He then opened the backseat door for his wife.

'See?' Maddie murmured to David as her parents climbed into the back of the car. 'Told you.'

'Yeah,' he agreed, nodding thoughtfully. 'That didn't go too badly.'

She smiled. 'I'm glad your good mood is back. I'm not used to you being grumpy.'

David snapped his fingers nonchalantly. 'I have many facets, Blondie... you've only scratched the surface!'

'That's exactly what I'm afraid of,' Maddie replied dryly and walked over to the passenger door, with David following at her heels. He put his arm around her shoulder and led her around the car while singing softly:

'Baby here I am

I'm the man on the scene...'

Involuntarily, she chuckled. 'Addison, you're so modest, as always...' she murmured, feigning a little indignation.

He placed his left hand lightly on the lower end of her spine (which she markedly felt in the form of a hotspot just beneath the fabric of her light summer coat and lavender cocktail dress) when he opened the passenger door for her, and hummed on, only audible for her:

'I can give you what you want

But you gotta come home with me...'

Maddie shook her head and giggled like a girl when David shut the passenger door. His mood was way better than at the beginning of the evening. The meeting of the parents had indeed gone surprisingly well, Alex and Virginia's remarks just now had shown him that, and the woman of his dreams was indeed coming home with him. He smiled a crooked grin to himself, went over to the driver's door with spring in his step, and sang on in a low voice, for his own amusement:

'I have got some good old lovin'

And I have some mo' in store

When I get through throwin' it on you

You're gonna come back for more...'

When the four of them got home, they found a tired-looking Agnes on the couch in the living-room, reading a magazine. She got up to her feet and greeted them.

'I hope you had a wonderful evening,' she smiled, and Maddie replied:

'Yes, it was a pleasure, Agnes. Did everything go well here?'

Agnes nodded. 'He woke up like you said, I changed his diapers, fed him and laid him down again. No problems. He's the sweetest baby I know.' She smiled dreamily.

Maddie put a hand on her arm. 'And you're the best babysitter, Agnes. Thank you very much.'

'Oh, please, Miss Hayes! Any time!' she reassured and took her purse which looked more like a gripsack.

'We'll go to straight to bed,' Virginia chimed in. 'Goodnight everybody!' she took Alex' arm, who said good night too, and after everybody had wished them a good night, they climbed the stairs.

Agnes rummaged in her purse for her car keys, when David suddenly remembered that they hadn't left Agnes alone in the house. 'Where's my brother?' he asked suspiciously.

'Oh, he went upstairs to look after the baby.' She smiled. 'He's funny, Mr. Addison.'

'A licensed fool,' David grumbled and turned to the spiral staircase. 'I'd better check he doesn't teach Junior any stupid stuff.'

'You want that privilege for yourself, huh?' Maddie interjected dryly.

David just waved over his shoulder as he sped upstairs. 'Night, Agnes.'

Upstairs, he found the door of the guest bedroom had already closed behind Alex and Virginia whereas the door of the nursery wasn't; a soft light shone through the crack. While David was approaching the door, he could hear his brother's voice and frowned slightly. He pushed the door open, but quietly in case the baby was asleep, he didn't want to wake him up. The scenario he saw surprised him.

His brother was sitting beside little Davey's crib, right on the chair where David usually sat when he sang his lullaby to his son. The baby's eyes were sleepy, but half-open and fixed on his uncle's face. Richie hadn't noticed David in the doorway; he continued to talk to his little nephew in a very low voice.

'Hey buddy,' he was just telling him, 'you know, you're really lucky with that dad of yours whenever you're in trouble don't hesitate to run to him, he won't ever let you down, he'll be there for you.' David hadn't expected this, but on the other hand he was quite pleased to hear his older brother speak so appreciatively about him. After a short pause, Richie added in a thoughtful voice, 'He was always there for me when I was in trouble, and boy, your old Uncle Rich was often in trouble...' His voice trailed off.

David cleared his throat softly and entered the room; Richie's head spun around. 'Hey bro!' he said, slightly embarrassed. David pretended not to have overheard what his brother had told his little nephew.

'Hey,' David replied with a crooked little smile which was answered with a rather similar one by Richie.

The older one was rising from the chair beside the crib. 'Yo Dave, you been eavesdropping on me and the little man?'

David shrugged nonchalantly. 'Hey, I need to make sure you don't tell him any crazy stories about me yet!' Richie gave a defiant little snort.

David took a few steps forward, and for a moment the two brothers stood side by side beside the crib and were watching the baby who had already fallen asleep again. After a significant pause, Richie cleared his throat and took a step back, breaking the brotherly moment and leaving David alone by his son's side.

'Hey,' he whispered, and David turned his head halfway around. Richie slapped him on the back. 'Good job, man. Well done.'

David opened his mouth, but before he could answer anything, Richie quietly slipped out of the room. David slightly shook his head and smiled.

Ten minutes later, after she had checked on little Davey, Maddie softly closed the bedroom door behind her. She was smiling to herself when she stepped out of her pumps.

'That was sweet,' she remarked.

David, who had been fumbling to remove his cufflinks, looked up and frowned slightly. 'What was sweet?' he asked.

'Richard,' she explained. 'Wasn't it sweet that he came over to help babysit?'

'Oh, just an excuse to spend an evening in a million-dollar-house,' he shrugged, and Maddie laughed at him.

'Don't bother, Addison,' she told him, 'I know you love him.'

David grumbled something unintelligible and became impatient with his stubborn cufflinks. Maddie shook her head and walked over to him. 'Stop this!' she told him firmly and started to remove them with expert fingers. David was watching her serious concentration with a smile on his face. Maddie had gotten rid of the little things in no time and put them on the bedside table, then she turned around to David again and put both hands on his chest, leaning slightly into him.

'So, man on the scene - I came home with you,' she stated in an unexpectedly flirtatious voice, 'now what have you got for me?' In her blue eyes David was pleased to see a mischievous twinkle.

He put his hands around her waist and allowed them to lightly rest there, he then bent his head slightly towards her as if leaning in for a kiss, and, almost automatically, she half-closed her eyes. Instead of kissing her, however, David brought his mouth near her left ear and started to sing in a very low voice:

'I have got some good old lovin'

And I have some mo' in store

When I get through throwin' it on you

You're gonna come back for more...'

Maddie tried rather unsuccessfully to suppress a smile and a shiver and slapped him on the shoulder. 'Don't be too sure of yourself!'

David pulled an innocent face. 'Why, you always came back for more!'

She pointed a severe finger at him. 'Yeah, so do you, soul man!'

'Soul man?' David repeated, bewildered. 'Gee, you're losing your grip, Blondie... is that what you consider name calling? Seriously?'

'I admit, I'm distracted,' Maddie replied. 'Aren't we getting off the point?'

David revealed an amused glint in his eyes. 'And the point was...?' his voice had a clearly mocking melody and his eyes, playfully, looked downwards at what he knew she wanted and then back to her.

'You were about to throw something at me,' she reminded him, with the faintest tinge of impatience in her voice now.

David couldn't resist. 'Ah yes... do you notice the irony by the way?'

Maddie gave an annoyed snort. 'Honestly, I'm not in the mood for an analysis of rhetorical devices,' she snapped and turned around briskly, starting to walk away.

'Me neither!' David smoothly agreed, reached out quickly to grab her by the elbow and whirled her around again. When she almost stumbled, he caught her firmly in his arms and, despite her half-hearted grumbling, he started to sing huskily:

'Pretty little thing, let me light your candle

'cause mama I'm sure hard to handle...'

His face approached hers again, and this time he didn't tilt his head. Before their lips finally touched, Maddie smiled saucily and whispered, 'I'll be the judge of that...'

Later, Maddie and David were wrapped up in each other's arms, listening to their slowly downshifting heartbeats; they were feeling totally at home in this time and place; almost drifting off. Just before succumbing to sleep, Maddie opened her eyes with enormous effort, a smile playing around the corners of her mouth. When she finally found the energy to speak, her voice sounded thick with both sleepiness and the rush of emotions she just had experienced.

'Hard to handle, huh?' she asked in an amused voice.

David didn't bother to open his eyes; he laughed a big, warm, throaty laugh, bubbling up from deep within. 'I know,' he purred, 'nothing but putty in your hands, Blondie.'

Song:

Hard To Handle Otis Redding