Maggie
The festival was already crowded when they got there later the next day, packed with people everywhere they turned. "Ever since they lowered ticket prices, the crowds have been so much worse," Eden complained, narrowly missing being plowed over by a rowdy frat boy that had obviously been pregaming before the shows.
"I think it's great," Maggie smiled, soaking in the excitement like a sponge. "It's nice that more people are able to experience this," she threw her arms open, almost hitting Henry in the process.
Eden's fiancé, Max, laughed. "I have to say, Maggie, ever since I saw that news story about the music scene in Atlanta, I've been fascinated by the logistics and behind the scenes work that goes into a festival like this. I never thought about how much time and effort it takes to plan these things, not to mention money." He turned to his brother, struck with a new idea. "Henry! Maybe we should buy a small venue, start a side business. Doesn't that sound like a great investment?"
With a roll of his eyes at Maggie, Henry smiled indulgently at his brother. "I'm afraid that would be too much work for the likes of us, Max. Besides, we don't need any more venues around here; there's no shortage of shows to choose from. Unless you wanted to get really crazy with it and brave the heat of the south. I don't know if your delicate constitution could handle the humidity. What do you think, Mags?"
Something across the field had caught her eye. "Yeah, it gets pretty humid," she said distractedly, before wandering away.
Henry looked after her retreating figure with irritation, wondering what could have caught her attention so suddenly. Eden patted his arm consolingly. "You know how she is, Henry. Don't worry, she'll come around." They lost sight of her in the crowd.
The familiar glimpse of a tall, dark head was all it took for Maggie to take off. She knew she was being ridiculous but couldn't shake the feeling that she recognized the tilt of his head, the way he carried himself. As she drew closer she could hear the deep tones of his voice, which carried easily through the din of the crowd.
John stood surrounded by reporters and other businessmen. "It's all well and good to reap the benefits of the industry," he gestured around to the huge crowd of excited festival folk. "But it took months of hard work to get here. Most people don't know the effort that goes into putting on these shows, keeping the music scene alive. We all love music and the experience, but for some reason, we're always at odds with the workers and the fans." He shrugged. "We've come so far, yet things never really change." His smooth southern accent washed over her, a sharp contrast compared to the harsher northern voices she was already growing tired of during her short visit.
She saw him startle a bit when he noticed her, though he tried to hide it. "Maggie here can tell you the truth of it, how far we've fallen. How the owners only work towards profit with no thought to anyone else." His eyes burned through her, daring her to contradict him.
"That's not what I think at all. John would know that if he pulled his head out of his ass and paid attention for once." Everyone in the small crowd looked uncomfortable as Maggie stalked away. John's long legs caught up with her quickly; he grabbed her arm and turned her towards him.
"I thought I was paying attention before, but apparently I was mistaken." His voice was low and tense with emotion barely restrained under the surface, eyes darker and stormier than she remembered.
John
Though it was a spring festival, the weather was colder than he'd anticipated. Luckily, his mother had insisted on bringing one of his heavier coats, even though he'd rolled his eyes and told her to stop treating him like a child. John made a mental note to thank his mom for her forethought later. For now, he was comfortably warm as he walked with Faith and Annie to the festival grounds to meet Williams before things got started. Once the festival was in full swing, John knew he'd see little of his friend, who would be busy fighting off fans.
Williams met them at the gate and gave them their all-access passes, something that the girls screeched about for a good five minutes. Once they calmed down and everyone regained their hearing, Williams led the group around the festival grounds to show them around and give them a rundown of the schedule, so they could plan which acts they wanted to see. Williams was playing with his band late in the evening on one of the main stages.
It didn't take long for the grounds to fill with people, the air buzzing with energy as they waited for the first band to kick things off. As expected, Williams was flooded with fans almost instantly, always with a crowd of people surrounding him. John imagined it must be exhausting to have to deal with that all the time. Surprisingly, a number of people recognized John as well, probably from the news stories about the boycott, so John had his own hands full discussing the events with curious reporters and other people in the industry. He had a lot to say on the subject and was pleased to see that these people were interested in what he had to say.
He was having a lively discussion with a fairly large group during a break between sets when he caught sight of her in the crowd, listening intently. He hadn't expected her to be here, though it wasn't entirely a surprise. John had just thought she wasn't likely to leave town with her mother so sickly, so he hadn't mentally prepared himself for the possibility of running into her here.
Her sudden appearance threw him off guard, making him lose his train of thought. "Maggie here can tell you the truth of it, how far we've fallen. How the owners only work towards profit with no thought to anyone else." It wasn't her fault at all, yet his words sounded harsh to his own ears as if he was punishing her for daring to exist. Not a good look, Thornton, he chastised himself as he chased her down, pride stinging from her equally angry retort.
As if she had anything to be angry about. He was the one who had laid his heart at her feet, only to have her trample on it. "I thought I was paying attention before, but apparently I was mistaken." He forced himself to let go of her arm, otherwise, he might have pulled her closer and kissed her right then and there. There weren't a lot of people that would willingly stand up to him, the powerful and intimidating businessman with a dubious family history. The fact that she met his fiery disposition with one of equal strength drove him wild.
Maggie
Another familiar voice rang out in the crowd, catching both their attention. "Oh, Maggie, how nice to see you," Faith said, a strained smile on her face.
Maggie was thankful for the interruption. "Faith! I see you've finally managed to make it to Boston." She didn't mean for it to sound sarcastic, but it came out that way.
Luckily, sarcasm usually flew over Faith's head. "Mom said it was fine as long as John came along. And Annie, of course. Mom seems to think Annie and John will keep me out of trouble." Maggie felt a sharp twinge of jealousy when she noticed Annie Latimer sidling up to John, standing closer than she felt was absolutely necessary.
Another tall figure joined the group; Henry, curious about who this vaguely familiar stranger was talking with Maggie. She motioned him closer. "Henry! You haven't met John, have you? This is Henry Lennox." She didn't like the flash of satisfaction she got from the look of annoyance that crossed both men's faces when they realized who the other was.
"Ah, yes, John Thornton. I believe I saw something about you on the news some months ago. You've come all the way from Atlanta, then?" Henry said as if it were some great distance, not minding that Maggie had traveled the same distance herself. John just nodded, not saying anything in response, regarding the other man with narrowed eyes. He must have heard the rumors of Henry and Maggie's former relationship, then. She knew it was a big topic when she'd first moved down to Atlanta. For such a large city, the people sure did love their gossip.
Henry crossed his arms, eyeing John critically. "My brother was just discussing fiddling around in the music scene," he said, waving his hand dismissively.
The tension was evident in John's jaw, his already perfect posture straightening even further. "I don't think I'd be much help there, then. I'm not sure I know how to fiddle."
A small smirk twisted on Henry's lips though he didn't respond.
John looked as if he had made up his mind about something. "It's time for us to go," he said. "It's all well and fine for y'all to enjoy this festival, but I have to go home and deal with my own." He turned to walk off, not waiting for anyone to respond.
"Tell the Hales 'hello' for us," Henry said quickly, causing the other man to turn back slowly. "I'm afraid Maggie has been enjoying her time back home so much that she hasn't had time to talk with them. You should tell them how well she's doing. She seems happier here, don't you think, Thornton?"
If only the ground would open up and swallow her whole, then Maggie would be able to escape this tense and horribly awkward situation. Instead, she had to be content with staring daggers at Henry, wondering what game he was playing at. She'd never imagined a scenario where the two men would meet, but this was worse than anything her worst nightmares could have invented.
After directing a long, scorching look towards Henry, John finally turned away again with a terse "Goodbye."
Maggie felt a strange panic in her chest at the thought of his leaving. She reached out to him, grabbing his forearm. He had rolled up his sleeves as the day got warmer, and his bare skin against her palm sent tingles up her arm. "Tell mom I'll be home soon," she said, knowing that it was ridiculous to ask since she could call her mom and tell her herself. "I have so many stories to tell her." He paused briefly but didn't turn and acknowledge her request before striding away. It felt like a stab through the heart.
John
It was probably a good thing that Faith interrupted them at that moment. John could feel his control of the situation slipping; his sister's appearance forced him to step back and gather his wits. He wasn't really paying attention as they exchanged greetings but did notice that Annie scooched in close to him, their arms brushing as if she were marking her territory. Normally that would annoy him to no end, except this time he saw the quick jealous look that passed over Maggie's face. That's how it is, then, he thought with satisfaction.
That satisfaction was quickly replaced with his own jealousy at the appearance of another man. John didn't recognize him, but the way he stood too close to Maggie told him that this man was no stranger. "This is Henry Lennox," Maggie said. Right, about as far from a stranger as he could be, John thought with irritation.
Apparently, Henry knew more about John than John knew about him, a disadvantage that John felt keenly. He didn't like the man's condescending tone or his knowing smirk, or the way he stood next to Maggie as if she belonged to him. Though, maybe they were back together; why else would she be here, with him, after all? Maybe Maggie had told Henry all about how John proclaimed his feelings for her… No. The thought made him sick, and he didn't think she was the type of person to spread other people's business. That was heartening, at least.
"My brother was just discussing fiddling around in the music scene," Henry said, the words adding fuel to the angry fire that was already blazing in John's chest.
Williams was standing nearby, signing autographs and chatting with the group of fans that seemed to hand around him like a swarm of flies. He caught sight of John and the small group he was with, recognizing Maggie and noticing the way his best friend straightened in anger. This wasn't good. Williams tried to quickly extricate himself from the crowd and put a stop to whatever fire was about to be unleashed. Not quick enough; even from the short distance, Williams could hear the familiar angry tone in John's voice. "I don't think I'd be much help there, then. I'm not sure I know how to fiddle."
It took every ounce of self-control John had to not knock that smirk off Henry's face. He needed to get out of here- not just the conversation, or the festival, but this city, this state. He didn't belong here with these people, barely able to contain his volatile temper in civilized society. Coming here was a mistake.
"It's time for us to go," he said to Faith and Annie. "It's all well and fine for y'all to enjoy this festival, but I have to go home and deal with my own," this was directed at the rest of the group. He didn't stop to see what effect his words had on anyone; in all likelihood, no one even cared.
That smarmy voice forced him to turn around. "Tell the Hales 'hello' for us," Henry called out, needing to have the last word. "I'm afraid Maggie has been enjoying her time back home so much that she hasn't had time to talk with them. You should tell them how well she's doing. She seems happier here, don't you think, Thornton?" He wasn't looking at John, but rather at the object of his statement.
John couldn't bring himself to see Maggie's reaction. She certainly didn't deny Henry's statement, gave no words to contradict him. It was like the knife he carried in his heart was twisted. The look of satisfaction in Henry's eyes when he finally met his angry gaze was the final straw. "Goodbye," he said, trying again to make his escape.
"Tell mom I'll be home soon," Maggie's soft voice made him stop again, but he couldn't look at her. If he did, she would see every emotion written on his face. "I have so many stories to tell her," she said, sounding slightly frantic.
Williams had finally made his way to the group as John was leaving. He instantly recognized the thunderous expression on his friend's face when Maggie made her strange request. The look worried him; it wasn't often that the stoic, hardened soldier was overcome with emotion, but now John looked like he was losing his grip. A subtle shake of his head in response to Williams' concerned expression and John stalked into the crowd.
Maggie
Everyone watched as John disappeared into the crowd, each person with a different thought. Maggie noted that Annie's face held concern and disappointment, though she wasn't sure what the other girl had to be disappointed about. She was the one who would be flying home with him tonight.
"John is such a party pooper!" Faith stomped her foot in frustration before waltzing away, pulling Annie with her.
Shaking his head a little, Williams stepped next to Maggie, giving her a small, sad smile in greeting. "Poor John," he said with a sigh, "it's my fault. I convinced him to come up here thinking it would be good for him, help clear his head, listen to some good music, and scout some talent in the process. But instead, everyone just wants to talk about the boycott- nobody understands what it's like back home, how hard he works." Maggie could see the concern in Andy's expression; he seemed truly worried about his friend.
Henry just couldn't let that slide without voicing his opinion. "From what I've heard, most of the venue owners don't really care about the music. It's all about the money for them. So, I'm not surprised that Thornton isn't appreciating the festival."
His tone grated on Maggie's nerves, forcing her to say something before Andy could respond to Henry's jab. "No, you're wrong," she said, trying to keep her irritation from showing too clearly. The last thing she needed was for Henry to pick up on her feelings where John was concerned. "John takes piano lessons with my father. He loves any and all kinds of music. I've heard them talk about it during their lessons," she finished lamely, trying to downplay just how much time John had spent with her family.
Williams watched this exchange with interest, noting how quickly Maggie stood up for John. He smiled to himself, pleased, thinking that maybe she wasn't so indifferent as his old friend seemed to think she was. That was a thought he would keep to himself for now, though. No need to get John's hopes up before he knew for sure. It was definitely something he would keep an eye on.
Looking at her watch, Maggie suddenly realized how late it was getting. "Don't you have somewhere important to be, Andy?" She said, raising her eyebrows at the musician.
"Oh shit," he said, glancing at his own watch. "Jesus, you're right. Thanks, Mags!" He called out over his shoulder, giving her a quick salute as he took off at a jog towards the main stage. She smiled, watching the crowd that gathered near the stage in anticipation for the next band to come out. Maggie was looking forward to seeing Williams band play. It was a shame that John had decided to leave before his best friend's set. She had the distinct feeling that it was at least partly her fault, too.