Here's another long one – oh, by the way; yes I know that in the show Maddie is 16 but in this story she's a year older; sooo, this takes place about a year later. Work? Ok, good. On with it...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Esteban! Just who I wanted to see..." Zack called out, getting the taller guy's attention.

"Ah! Hello Zack. Is there something I can be doing for you?"

Zack shrugged. "I just wanted to talk to you about yesterday..." He stared at him pointedly.

Esteban raised his brows. "Yesterday?"

Zack sighed. "Yeah, yesterday. You – Maddie – me walking out of the elevator and having to see that –"

"See what?" Esteban asked anxiously. "Nothing happened yesterday."

"Come with me to my office –" Zack led him to one of the hotel lobby sofas.

"You really should get a more private place for your office –" he remarked as they sat down.

"I'm just gonna cut to the chase – what's going on with you and Maddie?"

Esteban cleared his throat. "What makes you think that there is something going on?"

Zack looked at him blankly. "Oh, yeah, I always go around almost kissing my friends." He bit out sarcastically.

"It – nothing – I do believe that – what?" He stuttered in response.

"You're too old for her."

Esteban furrowed his brows but said nothing.

"I like you, Esteban. You're a cool dude. Just not the right guy for my Maddie – I mean, for Maddie."

Esteban shifted uncomfortably, staring off at the floor. "You are right. She's too smart for me..." He muttered, completely dejected.

Guilt started to gnaw at Zack, but he tried to brush it away. "Hey, man – look at the bright side. Ya got that oil hottie after you."

"Oh, yeah, sure...only she is not my little feisty blond girl friend..." His eyes widened at what he said and he clumsily added. "I mean friend that's a girl – not girlfriend." He deflated again. "I guess I am too old for her. In my country, it wouldn't matter at our ages. I am almost 24 and she's 17. They wouldn't even think about it. And Maddie – she's so smart and mature; sometimes..." he laughed lightly to himself, thinking over some of her crazy schemes. His gloomy mood resurfaced after a moment. "I am a stupid, stupid man – what would she ever see in me?"

He stood up. "Thank you, little Zack. You have helped clear things up for me." He attempted a smile, but it came out haphazardly.

"Ah – no problem." Zack answered meekly, watching the bell hop skulk away. "That was wrong, wasn't it?" he scolded to himself.

----

"Maddie!" London ran up to the candy girl excitedly. "Oh Maddie! Did you hear?"

"Your annoying yelling? Oh, yeah, I heard." Maddie said sarcastically.

"No, silly. About the dance tonight?"

"What dance?"

"The one that I'm putting on for the employees here." Maddie stared at her silently but London didn't pay attention. "I know – Yay, me!" she clapped enthusiastically for herself.

"Why are you throwing a dance for everyone? That's – uncharacteristically unselfish of you."

London leaned in, with a huge conspiratorial smile on her face. "I'm doing it –" she snapped her head in both directions quickly to make sure that no one was listening. "– for you."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know – you and Este–"

"SSHH!" Maddie quieted her worriedly. She grabbed her by the hand and led her over to the corner off to the side, where no one would overhear them.

"I have to tell you what happened yesterday," she whispered to her urgently.

"Oh! Was there a shoe sale!" London asked with a bounce.

"NO. But...well, nevermind, you probably don't really want to know," Maddie teased.

"Ooh, this is good, isn't it? Tell me."

"Oh, nothing much – only..." Maddie started coyly. "Esteban almost kissed me!" she finished in a rush with a huge grin.

"WHAT?" London's jaw was dropped.

Maddie nodded smugly. "Mmhmm."

"Where?"

"On the 5th floor –"

"Ooo, good floor..." London enthused. "Then what happened!"

Maddie's face fell. "Then Zack showed up and interrupted us!" she complained with a scowl.

"Well, have you seen him since?"

"No, that was about at the end of my shift and I haven't seen him today so far..." she trailed off, automatically looking around the lobby for any sight of him.

"So, you ask him to this dance and then he could really kiss you..." the dark haired girl said with a wink.

"I don't know – maybe yesterday was just a fluke and he's regretting it now." Maddie's words were tinted with uncertainty.

"I don't know what a 'fluke' is but I'm sure he likes you."

"You really think he likes –"

"Hello Maddie!" Esteban appeared out of nowhere. "Who likes what?"

Maddie jumped, startled. "Oh, I was...just saying...uh, oh! I was asking if he really likes – cheese! Yes, I wanted to know if he really liked cheese. Cuz, uh, well, you know – someone could just pretend to like cheese and then you find out that they're really lactose intolerant."

"I know what you mean! Every year, my village has a giant cheese celebration! And if you're lucky, you get chosen to play the cheese king – my cousin always puts in for it. One year it was finally his turn. Then, at the last minute when he was supposed to start the cheese eating contest he just started yelling and admitting that he really was lactose intolerant and he's just been hiding it for all these years! Well, you can imagine – no one could ever look at him the same!"

Both girls gawked at him wordlessly. After a moment London spoke up.

"So, Esteban. Did you hear about the dance tonight?"

"No. Does it involve cheese?" he asked, causing Maddie to snort.

"Well – we'll have cheese and wine there!" London piped up.

"Oh good. Sounds like a good party. You will have fun."

"You're invited, too. It's for all the hotel employees."

"Oh, thank you, Miss London. That is nice of you."

"So, are you going to take someone with you?"

"Oh! Are chickens allowed?"

Annoyance flitted across London's face. "No. I meant a date."

"Oh."

"London, don't you have something you need to be doing right now?" Maddie not so subtly remarked.

"No, I don't think so."

"Oh, yeah you do. Remember? That thing? That you had to do?" Maddie gently pushed her toward the elevators.

"I don't remember – oh! You mean Ivanah's hair appointment! You're right!" She scurried away, leaving Esteban and Maddie standing alone.

"So –" Maddie started.

"So..."

"Are you going?" she asked hopefully.

"Oh, yes, I think so. I wouldn't want to hurt Miss London's feelings. Are you going?"

"Yeah, I think so." There was a heavy pause. "Are you taking anyone?"

Esteban shrugged. "Are you?"

Maddie shrugged. "No one's asked me yet," she hoped he would take the hint.

He didn't. "Oh, well, there is still time," he remarked distractedly.

She frowned. "Are you taking Rebecca?"

"I didn't think about it."

"Well, do you think that maybe – I only mean since I don't have a date; anyone to go with, that is. And you don't have anyone to go with – maybe we could go together?"

"I would love to take you –" Maddie's spirits shot right up, "but I can't," and then they crashed right back down. She felt like she was on a roller coaster.

"Why not?" she asked in a small voice.

"I don 't think –" he struggled for the right words. "I am too old for you," he finished sadly.

"You don't think that you're too old for me?"

"No, I mean I am too old for you, Maddie."

"What? No, you're not. There is an age difference, but not too wide of one. You're barely over 6 years older. That's not that big of a difference!" she protested.

"It's not just that. We are very different –"

"That's one of the reasons I like you! You're so different than everyone else! That's a good thing."

Esteban's features softened. "Ah, Maddie. I like you, too."

"Then why can't we go out together? Just try it, see if we even work?"

He found himself about to relent when Zack's words came echoing back to him...you're not the right guy for Maddie...

"I do not know if that would be a good idea."

"But...you almost kissed me yesterday."

"I...I'm sorry," he replied softly.

"You're sorry?" she choked out, blinking away the tears. "Are you saying that it would have been a mistake?"

"I'm saying that – I'm not the right guy for you, Miss Maddie." Esteban gave her an apologetic look and turned around, walking away.

Maddie stood there, staring at the carpet, her face worn with creases.

"Maddie, are you alright?" Mr. Moseby walked up, concern etched on his face.

She snapped her head up. "I'm fine, Mr. Moseby. I just feel a little foolish, is all."

He was silent, not knowing what to say.

"Maddie!"

She turned her attention toward the voice floating over.

"Maddie! How are you?" It was Trevor, his face beaming at the sight of her. She hadn't seen him since the Merit Scholar fiasco that had produced their unexpected kiss. It had ended well, though, with both of them promising to keep in touch.

"Hi! This is a surprise!" She forced a smile, urging herself to break out of her lousy mood.

Mr. Moseby looked at the two and excused himself silently, hoping that this boy could help lighten her apparent misery. For as much of a tough exterior that he portrayed, he really did hate to see his employees – and friends – unhappy.

"Trevor, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, thanks a lot!" he laughed.

"You know I didn't mean it like that." Maddie soothed.

"I have some family that I'm visiting that don't live too far from here. So, I thought that I would come by and say hello."

She smiled at him. "Oh, that's neat. Welcome back."

"Thanks. I have one more question for you, though."

"What's that?"

"What are you doing tonight?"

A slight pang returned to her at the thought of the dance and not being able to attend with the one she wanted. "Oh, London's throwing a dance night for the staff."

"Oh, yeah? Do you have a date?"

"No, I sure don't." Maddie pouted.

"Well, in that case – would you mind going with me?" Trevor flashed her a wide grin.

She laughed. "I would love to."

London joined them. "Trevor? What are you doing here?"

"Wow, it's so great to see how much I've been missed," he replied sardonically.

London ignored his cheeky comment. "Do you wanna come to my dance party tonight?"

"Yeah, I'm actually attending with Maddie," he bragged, giving Maddie a flirtatious smile.

London gave her a confused look. "But I thought you were going with E–"

"Nope!" Maddie quickly covered, giving London a stern look.

"Okaaay; but don't you think that Esteban is gonna be sad?"

Maddie groaned at London's complete lack of observation – she clearly wanted her to drop the subject but it simply flew right over the heiress' somewhat empty head.

"Why would be he be sad?" Trevor asked.

"He wouldn't. He doesn't care who I go with," Maddie answered flatly.

"Ok – I'm confused..." Trevor looked at her.

"It's nothing, only..." she trailed off as Esteban walked by carrying a guest's bags. He spotted Maddie standing next to Trevor and London. He recognized the other guy as the scholar that the two girls had gone out with. He had only met him briefly, on the day that he was checking out, but he didn't like him. The way that he had been smiling and said goodbye to Maddie had really irked him. Seeing him now didn't help improve his already low mood. He was still staring at the three as he walked past to the elevators and started to trip over the seat in the lobby.

Maddie gasped as Esteban fell over the large suitcases that he had been lugging. He quickly jumped back to his feet. He glance back instantly, relieved to see that the hotel guest was still at the front desk checking in and wasn't behind him.

"Are you alright?"

"Oh, yes, thank you."

She stiffened and plastered a giant smile on. "Esteban, do you remember Trevor?"

"Hey, man, yeah I think I met you right before I left last time..." Trevor leaned in, shaking Esteban's hand firmly.

"He's taking me to the dance tonight," Maddie added forcefully. "So, I guess we'll see you there." She tried her hardest to sound nonchalant about the whole thing, not wanting him to know how much his rejection crushed her.

Trevor slung his arm around her casually, having no idea of the negative wave of feelings zooming off of Esteban toward him. "Cool, so you're coming, too?"

Esteban stood up fully, liking the fact that he towered over Trevor. "Oh, yes. I am bringing my date, Rebecca." He gazed at Maddie when he said this.

"Oh good! Maybe we can double date later." Her mouth was beginning to hurt with the force of her faux cheeriness.

"Yes, I would like that. Excuse me now, I have work to do. I'll see yous later." Esteban put off an air of aloofness as he picked the bags back up and went on his way. He sent a filthy look towards the boy with Maddie as he turned back for a brief second, but Trevor didn't notice. London did, however.

"Ok, Maddie – I really need to talk to you. Bye – bye, Trevor." She excused him carelessly.

"Well, I guess I'm going," he said amusedly. "What time shall I pick you up?"

"Six?" He agreed and said his farewells.

"I can't wait til six..." he called back as he exited the hotel.

"Maddie, what are you doing! I set this whole thing up for you and Este-ban! Not so you could go off with the smart guy!"

Maddie scoffed. "He didn't want to take me, ok?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I talked to him and he knew that I wanted to go with him and he said that it wouldn't be a good idea. He said that he's too old for me," she sulked.

"Well, he is kinda old."

"London! This is isn't funny! I made a fool of myself telling him I liked him and he just turned me down!"

"So, you'll go tonight and look really smashing –" her nose wrinkled as if there was a kettle of decomposing fish near by. "Or as good as you can get. And you'll have Sir Cutie with you and it will drive him nuts!"

"You mean just try to make him jealous?"

"Exactly. Did you see how mad he was getting just now?"

Maddie ran her fingers through her hair nervously. "Really? Do you think that he was really getting jealous?"

"Duh! And they say I'm the dumb one!"

Maddie laughed a moment before she frowned. "But I can't do that to Trevor. That wouldn't be fair to him."

"All's fair in love and big hate..."

Maddie glared at her. "You mean 'All's fair in love and war'... and since when do you go around bungling Shakespeare quotes?"

"Oh, my daddy sent me a book to help my speaking. It's that pear guy!"

Maddie shook her head. "That's great, London." She paused thinking. "I suppose it would be alright to go out tonight with Trevor. I mean it's just one date, and it's not like he's been calling me all of the time or anything. So I don't think that he really has this huge thing for me. You think it would be ok?" She asked, seeking more reassurance that this was not a cruel thing to do.

"Of course it's ok! He's cute."

Maddie sighed, irritated. Her tetchiness merely intensified when Rebecca sauntered over to them.

"London!" She oozed. "Esteban just told me about your little get together tonight! I think it's a darling idea!"

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" London remarked pompously.

"Are you going with someone?" She asked, looking at Maddie as if it was laughable.

"Yes, actually I am. We'll see you two there. That is, if you can pull yourself away from your little rich bitch world long enough..." Maddie threw at her, walking away pleased with herself.

Rebecca huffed and London merely laughed.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, hopefully you liked it! Next up – partaay time! Review and let me know if you liked it: )