Author's Note: This story takes place sometime after The Color of Maddie. I do not own David (though I wish I did, lol), Maddie or Moonlighting, but I am certainly having fun with them ;) Thank you for reading. Enjoy!
Couples Retreat
Maddie sat staring at the door, which David had just exited through, feeling melancholy. They both seemed so different nowadays. What had happened to them? How had they gotten here? Of course, a few things came to Maddie's mind when she thought back on their almost four years of working together. The most recent event being them losing their baby. Sometimes, a tragedy could bring people together. Not them, apparently. They seemed to have drifted apart further than they had ever been. For a moment there, after being stuck in the elevator together, it had seemed like they would make some tentative steps towards each other. It wasn't meant to be, though. David was so blasé and distant nowadays that it scared her; he was changing before her very eyes and she didn't know what to do about it.
She buried her head in her hands and sighed. At this point, it would take a miracle for them to return to somewhat of a normalcy between them. Too much had transpired. Maddie even started to wonder if it wasn't better for both of them to just pull the plug on this place so they could go their separate ways.
A shrill buzz pulled her out of her harrowing thoughts, and with a heavy heart she picked up the phone.
"Yes?"
"Miss Hayes? There's a woman here to see you. Can I send her in?" their quirky receptionist questioned.
"Sure, Miss DiPesto. You can escort her to my office."
Maddie sat up straight, ready for business.
The door opened, revealing a lanky brunette. David was in tow behind the client and they all made quick introductions.
"Mr. Addison. Miss Hayes, there's an issue I'd like for you to investigate. You see, my husband started a couples retreat on Sunlit Isle, an island located in the Caribbean, a while back. It's sort of a thing for married couples who seem to have lost their way and want to reconnect. It brings in great money, but… I don't know… There's just something off about the whole thing," the brunette told them.
"Off? In what way?" Maddie asked, intrigued.
"Well, it brings in too much money."
"Yeah, I see how that could be a problem," David interjected.
Maddie shot him a death glare and urged the client to continue.
"I'm not an idiot here, I'm a business woman and I know how the world works. This kind of cash usually comes with underground stuff. He's also been acting suspicious, as in late night calls that he doesn't want me to hear about and his home office is suddenly locked 24/7. It all doesn't add up."
"You think that your husband is involved in something criminal?" Maddie wanted to know.
"Drugs, guns… who knows what it is. I just know that this couples retreat thing would be a perfect cover up."
"And what exactly do you want us to do here? Don't you think this is a matter for the police?"
The brunette sighed and shook her head.
"I don't have any evidence and that's where you come in. I need you to catch him red-handed: take pictures, maybe some audio tapes… Look, I'll pay you 8000 dollars if you go there and expose him."
"So you want us to go to this resort on a luxurious island? Where can I sign up?" David piped up.
"David, can we speak for a moment?"
Maddie gave him a calm, but pleading look. David rolled his eyes at her and followed reluctantly.
"I don't think that we should take this case, David," Maddie said, once they were outside her office.
"Are you nuts? This woman is basically asking us to go on a vacation and is paying us to do so!"
"You're aware of what she wants us to do, right? She wants us to sign up as a married couple and pretend that we want to salvage our relationship."
"Yeah, that one might be a little tough to do," David quipped.
Maddie almost bared her teeth at him.
"It's dangerous! Besides, are we just supposed to take off and leave our other cases? We have a business to run, David!"
"Look, we have two cheating cases going on right now. Bert can do those. This one could be big, Maddie. This one could bring our faces back in the newspaper or something."
"And what about the Anselmo case?"
David sagged against the door behind him.
"I've had about enough of the Anselmo case; it's been going on for months now without a conclusion. I need a change."
"Mr. Addison? Miss Hayes?" Herbert Viola was tentatively approaching them, wary of either one of them biting his head off for interrupting. "If you're worried about the agency, I can handle it. We can all handle it here, don't you worry about it."
Maddie looked at David, who had raised his eyebrows in a questioning way. Finally, she relented.
"Fine!" she huffed.
She blew back into her office and put a smile on her face.
"Well, it looks like we'll be taking your case."
"Oh, thank you! That's great."
"So how do we sign up for this retreat?" Maddie wanted to know. "We don't want to draw any suspicion to ourselves."
The brunette fumbled around in her purse for a moment and pulled out a brochure, giving it to Maddie. Her eyes practically bulged when she saw how beautiful this retreat really was. She heard David whistle next to her.
"You can send your application to this address at the bottom," the brunette explained.
"All right, then. We'll be sure to do that. We'll be in touch when our application follows through."
"That's fine. Thank you both again. We'll speak soon."
Maddie watched the woman retreating and felt a moment of blind panic hit her; this retreat was very romantic, very secluded, it worked on couples getting back together and she was going there with David Addison… Couldn't she just drag Herbert Viola along for the ride here? That would be a hell of a lot safer! Of course, Agnes would never agree to that. Maddie hung her head and accepted her fate. This case was going to cause trouble...
"My God! David!" Maddie yelped when Sunlit Isle revealed itself into her plane window.
It definitely looked like paradise; tropical vegetation covered most of the island and she could see white, sandy beaches.
"This is going to be a great vacation," David grinned.
Even as Maddie stepped off the plane, she thought that the sky looked bluer than she had ever seen it in either Chicago or Los Angeles.
"My, my, my.. this could be exactly what I need."
Maddie shook her head at David's attitude about this being a paid vacation.
"Do I really have to remind you that you're here to work and to put pleasure in the backseat?"
"You don't. I know that with you around, there's no pleasure to be had," David shot at her.
She watched as he casually flung a bag over his shoulder and headed towards their already waiting Jeep.
"Are you coming?!" he yelled out at her.
Maddie quickly hurried towards him and placed herself in the vehicle, looking up at the mountains. She had never been to the Caribbean before and it really did look like it was beautiful here. Too bad that with the case and with David around, she couldn't have a moment to relax and take it all in. As their Jeep began to move, she put on her sunglasses and turned away from the man who had been sitting next to her on the plane for the past eight hours. She couldn't wait to have a moment alone in just a few.
The ride didn't take long; within minutes, they had arrived at a large, breathtaking property. As they pulled up to the front entrance, staff appeared next to the each Jeep, retrieving baggage and ticking their names off a list.
"Welcome to Sunlit Isle," a man told them as they exited the vehicles. "Your luggage is being taken to your room as I speak."
Maddie's heart missed a beat.
"Room? Did he say 'room?' As in singular? I thought I had called in about two rooms?"
David simply shrugged and followed the staff inside.
Surely, it wasn't happening that she had to share a room with her partner? The idea of going through couples therapy with him to cover up for the real reason that they were here was already bad enough, but now, she had to sleep in the same room as him as well? Her fears were founded, as the receptionist handed them only one key.
"This is not right," Maddie objected.
"Pardon?" the receptionist asked politely.
"I called about two rooms. Why is there only one?"
"Ma'am, you signed up for couples therapy here. Nobody gets separate rooms. Besides, we're fully booked right now."
Maddie wanted to reach across the counter and grab the receptionist by the perfectly positioned bow that was tied around her neck, but that just wouldn't do. She couldn't draw any attention here. David didn't seem happy, but he said nothing and quietly took the key.
They were escorted to their room by one of the staff members.
"Here's the program for the next two weeks, plus some forms to fill out. Tomorrow, the activities will start. Tonight is for rest and relaxation. I hope you'll enjoy your stay."
Maddie looked on as the staff member left, wanting to almost run out with him.
The room itself was okay; the walls had been painted a light shade of blue, matching the ocean just outside the double glass doors that led out to the balcony. Inside the room there, was a King size bed, a dresser, and a wardrobe to pack their clothes away. There was also a couch, but Maddie noted there was not much else. A door led to an adjoining bathroom.
"So," David said to her. "Do you want to share the bed?"
Maddie's head shot up and she was shocked when she saw a flash of heat in his green eyes. She quickly looked at her suitcase and began unpacking her clothes, not knowing what to say. Surely she had imagined that. She looked at him again, but whatever she had seen, if she had seen anything at all, was gone.
"Probably best if you sleep on the couch," she quietly told him.
He nodded and began to unpack his own belongings.
"You know, we still have a couple of hours before dinner. How about we explore the premises and see where we can eventually set up surveillance?"
"I'm kind of tired. I might try and get some sleep."
"Okay, I need some air. I'll be back before six, so we can go to dinner together."
"Sure."
When he shut the door behind him, she sighed with relief. She already felt exhausted trying to hold on to somewhat of a decorum around him and she still had two weeks to get through! Once she finished unpacking, she lay down on the bed, hoping to sleep. A question kept playing on her mind, though: would she ever really get over David Addison? Up until recently, she really thought that she had. Turns out she was wrong. That man could still get to her like nobody else. He was crass, unkempt and he seemed like he was always putting up a Broadway show, yet he would always remain right underneath her skin. He had weaseled his way into every aspect of her life and she could not get him out
She tossed and turned on the bed, before finally giving up. Sleep wouldn't come, so she might as well check out what the program had in store for these couples who came here voluntarily.
Tuesday
Introductions and sit-in session
Maddie frowned. What on earth was a sit-in session? Well, she would find out tomorrow.
Wednesday
One on one couples therapy with Dr. Bennett
Ah, they would get to have an intimate gathering with the suspicious husband himself. Now they were getting somewhere!
Thursday
Pause day! These days are for relaxation and exploring of the island.
Friday
Group session
Saturday
Homework discussion
Homework? Really? What kind of homework did one get when in couples therapy?
Sunday
Pause day!
Monday
Sit-in session
Tuesday
One on one couples therapy with Dr. Bennett
Wednesday
Pause day!
Thursday
Group session
Friday
Conclusion
Well, this all looked decent enough. Nothing unprofessional about it. Maddie sighed and threw the program on her nightstand, when another set of papers fell out. Frowning, she picked them up, her eyes scanning over them to see that they were actually a questionnaire for them to fill out about their relationship. Oh, lord. Really? From the looks of it, they were very personal questions. One part was even about their sex life! Well, damn… Whatever tricks dear ole' Dr. Bennett had up his sleeve here, she was beginning to think that it was her who would not come out of this unscathed. Avoiding each other and not talking was what she and David did best. Now, they were going to be forced to be in each other's presence and communicate. How would this end?
David arrived back at their room about an hour later, belting out a doowop without a care in the world.
"How did you sleep?" he asked, but not really appearing as if he really needed to know the answer. He was busy rummaging around in his suitcase, dragging some clothes out and throwing them onto the couch for dinner later that evening.
"I didn't sleep… You could simply hang your stuff up in the closet, you know."
"I could," David shrugged, obviously not going to do it.
"So how was your exploration of the grounds? Did you find anything interesting?"
"Oh, I found plenty to be very interesting. The bar at the pool area for starters. What an assortment they had!"
Maddie crossed her arms, glaring at him.
"So they only thing you did the entire time that you were gone was drinking?"
"Very convincing, Maddie. You really are starting to sound like the ole' ball and chain," David retorted, walking past her to look for the remote control of their tv.
"Speaking of wedded misery, I found this survey that we have to fill out."
"Oh really?"
"Yes, the questions are quite personal. We need to go over them together so we have a plausible story."
"Let me see."
Maddie handed him the questionnaire at looked on as his eyebrows shot up.
"Very personal, indeed. Tell me, Maddie. What is your favorite position?"
He wriggled his eyebrows suggestively at her while she squirmed.
"This is going to be a problem," she gritted her teeth.
"No, it's not. Let's fill those out right now. I actually remember a few things that used to float your boat. And I do know your favorite position."
"Could you not be so uncouth!"
David flopped down on the bed with the papers, having forgotten his initial intention to watch tv. Maddie remained safely at a distance, pushing David's clothing off the couch before sitting down.
"All right, how long have we been married?" he read out loud.
"Hm, maybe we should say close to four years? Use the date of our introduction as the date of our wedding?" Maddie suggested.
"Okay, so our anniversary is March 4th, 1985," David scribbled down.
Maddie was surprised and a bit impressed that he actually remembered the exact date when they first saw each other, but she chose not to address it.
"Next question: what was it that first drew you in to your spouse? Okay, I can answer that one; killer legs, nice caboose.."
"I think Dr. Bennett means on a more emotional basis, David!"
"I actually got pretty emotional over those assets, baby," David winked at her.
Maddie almost growled at him and picked up a cushion from the couch to fling in his direction.
"You have the maturity of a child! When does the question come where we can answer what we don't like about each other?"
"It doesn't. All right, I will have to think that one over. Next question.. Ah, now we're getting to my favorite topic! 'How is your sex life?' Hmm, as of late, I would have to say 'pretty damn disappointing.'"
"Do you actually want to use the fact that we don't have sex anymore? Dr. Bennett is for sure going to want to analyze that," Maddie asked a bit worriedly.
"Hey, we have to give up some reason as to why our so-called marriage isn't working. We might as well say it has to do with our sex life, or the lack thereof. Besides, I would like to analyze that question as well. Why don't we have sex anymore?"
"You're impossible."
David carried on without acknowledging her.
"'How would you rate your sex life?' Let's see, a ten in the past, a one in the present. 'Are your needs being met?' That would be a 'no.'"
"I don't want to do this anymore," Maddie sighed, standing up to pace the room. "How did I let you drag me into this? I only wanted to solve a case, I don't want to have to talk about sex with you!"
David's expression as he looked at her was unreadable. Why was he being so indifferent about this whole thing? Didn't he realize that they needed to tread very carefully here? Not only about gathering evidence concerning Mr. Bennett, but also about what this couple's retreat would do to them?
"Right, I'm going to hop into the shower," David suddenly announced, tossing the query onto the bed next to him. "I need to wash 8 hours-worth of travel off me before I make my appearance at the restaurant downstairs."
Before Maddie could carry on any conversation, he had already stalked over towards the bathroom and closed the door behind him with a resolute click. Well, that had gone well… She sighed and wrapped her arms around herself, trying not to think about David stripping down naked just a few feet away from her. Turning around, she opened the door to their small balcony and stepped outside.
The balcony overlooked the pool area, and she could spot the ocean in the distance. The view was pretty fantastic and yes, it suddenly felt a bit like a vacation. The soft, tropical winds blew into her hair, pushing the strands back from her face. It felt wonderful to be away from Los Angeles for a few days, even if it was to work on a case. Too bad that things couldn't stay this relaxing. She dreaded the therapy part in all this. She didn't want to have to talk or dredge up the past. How soon would it be before Dr. Bennett delved a bit too deep and found all the skeletons in their closet? A shiver ran through her and she gripped the railing tightly, squeezing her eyes shut. They needed to be stronger than some shady psychiatrist. Come on, she was Maddie Hayes! She could hold her own.
When she heard that the shower was no longer running, she turned around to head back inside. Steam blew into the room when David flung the bathroom door open.
"Hey, I was thinking that….."
Maddie stopped just short of finishing her sentence when she took notice of the way that her partner was dressed, or rather undressed. He hadn't bothered with putting any clothes on yet. Instead, his entire body was still damp while a barely there towel clung to his narrow hips.
"What are you doing?!" she yelled out, turning slightly away from him.
"What? I needed my clothes."
"And you didn't think of taking them into the bathroom with you?!"
"Putting clothes on when it's still damp in the room is one hell of a challenge, Blondie. So no, I didn't think to take them into the bathroom with me," David answered, clearly not seeing the problem.
"So you're just going to get dressed out here?"
He stopped what he was doing and padded over towards her.
"I don't understand what the big deal is. It's nothing you haven't seen before," he taunted.
"And I have no desire to see it again."
David shook his head.
"Sheesh, if this is how you respond to me walking around in a towel, just wait until it's time for bed. You remember how I like to sleep, don't you?"
Maddie's entire face turned ashen. She did remember. Her gaze nervously flitted over towards the couch, before settling back onto his face. He was staring at her with an amused expression and she wanted to punch him for it!
"You're not going to do that here, David! You're not going to sleep in the nude!"
David shrugged.
"Fine. However, this is a private hotel room, Maddie. I'm not going to hide in the bathroom to change clothes just because it might strike a nerve with you to see me somewhat naked."
Without waiting for her answer, he grabbed some toiletries and disappeared into the other room again. Maddie shook her head. This was going to be a long, intense trip indeed…
That's it for chapter one, folks! This one will be multi-chaptered, so it's going to be a ride. Please let me know your thoughts on it, since it's actually the first time I involved a case for them. Hence, I'm nervous about the reactions *hides*