"We're really going to miss you Ms. Hayes!" Agnes threw her arms around Maddie and let out a sob. It was at least the third time they had played this scene today. All the Wobblies looked on with forlorn faces. The paper streamers in the office that were hung up with such care in the morning had slowly started to sag by the afternoon, the flimsy scotch tape had been unable to hold their weight for more than a few hours.
David leaned in the doorway of his office, plastic party cup in hand. Something kept pulling him out of his closed door. It was almost like he needed to personally watch everyone say their so longs to Maddie or he wouldn't really believe it was happening.
Her face remained friendly but composed through every well-intentioned farewell…except one. David noted the slightest quiver in her chin and a pool forming in those beautiful blue eyes when Agnes embraced her this time. Despite his best efforts to avoid it all day, he glanced at his watch. 5:32 in the afternoon…past quitting time for the majority of those who preached the merits of 'no work and pay'. These were about to be the last goodbyes.
"I mean, this place just isn't going to be the same without you." Agnes's voice was broken as she wept loudly into Maddie's shoulder.
David sensed his soon to be former partner's discomfort with the intense public display of emotion she found herself wrapped in. "Now, now, Mrs. Viola, I know it hurts but so will the dry-cleaning bill for that French silk you're leaking on." A melancholy smile crossed his face. "Come on, let's give Ms. Hayes some breathing room," he nudged with softness in his eyes.
Maddie squeezed Agnes's arms. "How about I walk you and Bert out to your car after I finish thanking everyone for the lovely party?"
"That would be really nice, Mrs. Hayes. But then, of course you would offer to do that because you are really nice. Nicer than nice, the nicest," she wailed and Bert was at her side to takeover comforting her so Maddie could hug the rest of the staff.
Sniffles and good lucks filled the air. "Are you sure you won't stop by at Hagaan's tonight, Mrs. Hayes? We are all going there in your honor."
"That's sweet of you, Jamie, but I have an early flight tomorrow. You all have tons of fun though."
Jamie nodded dabbing a tear from the corner of her eye. "Oh, we will, Ms. Hayes. MacGilicuddy has to pay up on the bet he lost so the first round of drinks are on him and I've got his leprechaun costume in the car!" she enthused.
"Well, that does sound like a fine way to pay tribute to my time here. I'm sure the new sole owner of Blue Moon approves."
"Mr. Addison was the one who made the bet in the first place! Although, he said he wasn't going to be able to make it tonight, something about having to brush his parrot's teeth," she shrugged.
"Now wait a minute, I pride myself on knowing all the quintessential quirks of my mentor, and dare I say best friend…besides you of course, schnookums," Bert put his arm around Agnes. "I happen to know Mr. Addison is not a fan of feathered creatures in flight. In fact, I believe that although he's hiding it incredibly well behind a fortress of strength, he is far too heartbroken over Ms. Hayes's departure to—".
Agnes tugged him away by the ear.
As if by a will of their own, Maddie's eyes trailed over to David. She breathed In deeply, soaking in the sight of him chit chatting with O'Neill in the doorway of his office. It was an image she had witnessed a hundred times before…him leaning against the frame oozing with Addison charm. Only, this time, she wasn't sure when she would ever see that sight again, if she would see it again. Just one of the many seemingly minuscule things she was trying to convince herself she wasn't going to miss.
Slowly all the office workers made their way out to the garage until only Agnes and Bert were left. "Can we help you carry anything out, Ms. Hayes?"
"No, that's okay, I already packed up the car with most of my things. I'll come back up to get the last box myself. I want to make sure I'm not..leaving anything behind." The words came out slower than she intended.
Maddie gestured towards the door, briefly pausing to make sure David wasn't on his way out. Dark green eyes pierced hers as he still stood like a statue in the doorway. She nodded at him and followed behind Agnes and Bert.
It felt strange, punching 20 on the elevator to return upstairs again for the last time as active owner of Blue Moon. The doors opened and Maddie peered down the eerily quiet hallway. How many times had she made a beeline out of that elevator before? Eager to start the day, crack the mystery, keep the lights on, be the voice of responsibility for the staff…spar with her partner. Her stomach churned as she pushed through the doors. One more box to grab from her office, only one more person to leave, then this chapter in her life would be her past. Although this was all her decision, it was ironic how now she wished she could stretch out these last minutes to live in this reality a little longer.
Yellow light shone under David's office door, he had it open a crack, just enough to let her know he was still there. She had felt his presence anyway, it was always that way with him. Maddie walked into her office, every step taking effort. She sighed as her eyes drifted over the place she had spent so much time in the last five years. The corner of her desk caused her mouth to tug upwards in a smile despite the stab in her heart. David must have sat there hundreds of times, lopsided grin, fire in his eyes, talking a mile a minute, simultaneously making her blood boil and melting all her resolve.
But there she went again, thinking of things how they used to be and not so much how they were now. She swallowed the burning sensation in the back of her throat. In a few minutes, this would all be over. Only, she couldn't quite bring her feet to move towards the door. The ticking of the clock reverberated more loudly in her ear with each passing second. As she stood there paralyzed, a wave of uncertainty threatened to overtake her. Is this what she really wanted? What if she was just running away from something she couldn't fix yet again? Was she leaving for all the wrong reasons? She shook her head and pinched her arm hard. Snap out of it, Maddie. You've already made this decision, it's already happening, it's done. It was a perfectly reasonable decision, the best for everyone. Now walk out of here with your head held high.
Her hands didn't feel like her own when she reached out to push his door open, almost like she was watching some scene from a movie of her life. She didn't have a choice but to play the part now. "Well…I guess that's everything."
David nodded but hadn't looked up from whatever paperwork he was seemingly fixated on. "Need help?"
"Thanks, but I've got it," she gestured to the small box that was tucked under her arm. She waited for him to get up from the desk, but he remained bolted to his seat. Uncomfortable silence echoed through the walls. David had barely moved a centimeter since she stood in his doorway.
His eyes slowly lifted up to hers to reveal pools of green so dark she gripped onto the doorframe to steady herself. His voice, on the other hand, was perfectly calm and even. "Well..then I guess that's it. Been a hell of a ride, Goldilocks. Enjoy the new gig."
She quickly felt compelled to assure him they would be in contact again soon…or maybe she needed to assure herself. "I'll call the office with the number once I get settled in Milan. You know, in case anyone needs me."
He waived his hand, "Nah, we've got everything covered here. No need to worry about us."
"I know you do, but I'll still call once in a while to see how the business is doing…how you're doing."
"As long as you keep getting those monthly checks for your buyout, you'll know Blue Moon and I are both doing just fine." His attempt at a grin fell flat along with the joke.
Why was he making it seem like they weren't going to talk to each other at all anymore? Sure, they hadn't been on the best of terms lately but they weren't on the worst either. They wouldn't completely lose touch just because they weren't working together anymore. That wasn't what she wanted to happen when she made this choice, was it?Panic ran through her. "I'm not going to be in Milan forever, just until we get the consulting firm established with some designers there. We'll see each other when I come back. I mean, it's not like this is goodbye for good."
"Sure, separate businesses, separate lives. Doesn't sound anything like a goodbye to me." He shrugged nonchalantly trying to cover the fact that he was having trouble breathing.
He was making this seem so final. "David…" she wanted desperately to say something to him that would convey his importance to her but she couldn't find the words. She barely even understood their relationship herself these days. She only knew that it felt like her insides were being ripped out of her body at the thought of being apart from him for good.
His eyes searched hers for a moment, looking for any sliver of hope that she'd change her mind and stay. But he was only met with silence. If this dragged out any longer she was going to be witness to him shattering into a million gruesome pieces…and that was not an image he wanted to leave her with. "It's okay, Maddie. You better get going," he prodded.
Better get going? How could he be so dismissive at a time like this? He hadn't bothered to even stand up. The accounting assistant they hired two weeks ago gave her a hug before she left today. Yet, there sat her business partner of five years, the man who turned her personal life upside down and her insides out, the father of her child that never had a chance to be...he couldn't even bother to get up from his damn swivel chair. "So that's it then? That's all?"
"Seems to me like you're pretty settled in your decision for door number two, right? " Her eyes darted downward and David's gut clenched in familiar pain, only this time it was worse because he knew he had run out of chances to turn it around. "Take care, Blondie." He blew her a signature kiss with his fingers and looked back down at the stack of papers on his desk.
Her gaze lingered on him before she reluctantly accepted that he wasn't planning on looking up again. She took a few steps backwards to keep his outline in her view for a minute longer before turning on her heels to walk away. With every click of her pumps, the fear that he would continue to have a vice grip on her heart for a long time to come threatened to overwhelm her…and she hated herself for it.
Maddie's own breaths were pounding in her ears so loudly that she didn't hear the items from David's desk crash to the floor as she closed the door at Blue Moon for the final time.
The obnoxious buzz of the alarm clock jolted David awake in a confused haze. It shrieked unbearably before he ripped the offending item from the wall socket. There, silence. He peaked his eyes open ever so slowly. Bad idea. Sunlight roared into his view causing his head to scream in protest of being conscious. What happened? What day is it? When did my bedroom turn into the Tilt-O-Whirl from hell?
Slowly, the regrettable memories of the past 48 hours pieced together. It started out innocently enough, a few vodka shots at bar A, a few tequila shots at bar B, a dozen glasses of half price hooch at bar C, a friendly game of cards here, a black eye there, a whole lotta that brunette everywhere. He winced in pain and recalled breaking his fall into a wooden table with his head…it's ok, he wasn't using it anyway. It was a weekend of debauchery at its finest. He hadn't been on a bender like that in quite some time. Maddie would be so disgusted at him. Good, she was halfway around the world and it was none of her damn business anymore anyway. He had waited for her in his apartment all night Friday, he had waited like a First Class Chump. Just in case she changed her mind, just in case she showed up and wanted to talk, just in case she needed to see him-he was there. It wasn't until noon on Saturday that he swallowed the fact she had gotten on that plane and was on her way to a new life, far away from him.
His head thudded into his hands. It didn't matter if they were friends or enemies, he always found himself holding his breath until he saw her again. It was going to be a long day…hell, a long life without her. One foot in front of the other, Dave. He needed to pull his shit together for the sake of the agency. As tempting as it was to fall into the black hole of excess that was calling him like novocaine, he knew he would be dragging everyone else with him. He had looked Agnes in the eyes and told her he wouldn't let Blue Moon fall apart. Everyone was counting on him. Plus, he didn't want to prove Maddie's worst opinions of him right. No, he wasn't going to give her a reason to hear about how dumb, irresponsible Dave sunk the business. The agency was going to be just fine without her hovering over him like he couldn't function in the real world without adult supervision. Although, this weekend wasn't a great representation of that. He peeled himself out of bed and stumbled to the shower. The big blonde may have left a hell of a sting, but he was not about to give her the satisfaction of knocking him down for the count.
"You can't always get what you want, you can't always get what you want…" The doors to Blue Moon flew open right on beat. "You can't always get what you want. But if you try sometimes," David drummed on Agnes's desk ledge, "you just might find, you get what you need." His head swung back and forth in rhythm.
"Oh, Mr. Addison, I'm so glad you're here!"
"Well, I'm glad I'm here too. Sure beats being there…wherever that is." He shuddered in jest.
"We tried to tell them we didn't call for a donation pick-up but they just started clearing the place out."
Bert popped out Maddie's office wielding a floor lamp. "Unhand that desk, you mutilators of memories, you nemeses of nostalgia! You are not fit to lay a finger on the furniture of our beloved former benefactor."
"Yo, Bertie boy, lay off the nice moving men. I set it up for them to come get this stuff."
"You asked for this, sir?"
"Yeah, we're going to do a little remodeling."
Agnes scrunched her face, "But, those are all of Ms. Hayes's things."
"And she won't be needing them anymore." He continued quickly, "So, I thought we'd turn this big ole office into a conference space, uh, you know for conferencing and things like that. Plus, our new Lead Detective could use his own work area off the main floor, so we'll squeeze in an office for Bert on this side of the hallway too while we're at it."
Bert's eyes lit up and he wobbled the lamp back to the ground. "My own office! Sir, I'm honored, I'm humbled, I'm…"
"You're standing in the way," one of the moving men grumbled. "Now can we finish getting this stuff out of here? It ain't light as a feather, ya know."
"Oh, yes, yes of course." Bert moved to the side and cleared the path for them to continue out the door. "My sincerest apologies, gentlemen."
The movers maneuvered the desk out the agency doors with effort as David looked on. When they were gone he turned to see Agnes staring at him like he had outlawed rhymes.
"I just thought you would want to keep things the same, for a little while at least."
"Things aren't the same. Better we accept that sooner than later."
"Can I keep the chair?"
"Huh?"
"Ms. Hayes's chair, would you mind if I kept it? I could put it right over here in the corner. I've been meaning to get one anyway so people have a place to sit if they need to talk to me. And Bert probably wouldn't want that color chair for his office anyhow. So, if it's all the same to you…"
"Sure, Agnes," he said with softness. He tried not to notice the sadness in her eyes but it was too big to miss. "I'll tell the movers to leave it when they come back. Keep the chair."
She nodded with mournful resolve, "Thanks, Mr. Addison."
He shuffled his way into his office and gently shut the door behind him. The whole in his belly widened at the thought that it wasn't likely anyone would get him worked up enough to slam it today.
10 months later
David cradled a giant wicker gift basket given to him by the pair of happy clients in his doorway.
"We are forever grateful to you! Mr. Addison, you changed our lives. We would have never found each other after all these years without your help."
Ian Bennett squeezed his long lost love with vigor and gratitude oozing out of every pore. Lily looked just as happy, her brown eyes beaming up at her new fiancé's face.
"Call me cupid, I guess," David shrugged. "As long as I still get to wear pants…although they have been known to go missing on occasion."
Lily's brow furled in confusion. "Umm, anyway, ditto to what Ian said. I just couldn't imagine spending the rest of my life without him," she placed a smack on Ian's lips. "I mean, that would have been terrible, horrible, unthinkable!"
"I would have been miserable without you too, sweetie. But, we would have never given up on each other. That's how I know it's true love. We just couldn't live without each other." Ian grasped her hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss.
David mustered a hearty congratulations. It wasn't every day someone got proposed to right there in the office. The exuberant couple had just come by to thank him for bringing them back together when Ian stopped mid-sentence and asked Lily to be his wife. He explained he had waited five long years to be reunited and looking into her eyes he couldn't wait another second to spend forever with her. Although David was glad to see true love triumph, the sugary scene was giving him a toothache.
"Well, I certainly appreciate the gift basket you dropped off as an accompaniment to that check, which I assure you Blue Moon appreciates, but I really should be getting back to work." He ushered them out of the office. "You crazy kids have fun making up for lost time now."
"We'll think of you the whole time, Mr. Addison!" Ian waived emphatically as he held the door open for his future bride.
David opted out of the witty comeback that sat on the tip of his tongue. Why ruin a beautiful moment for them? They really did look happy.
"Want me to bring that into the conference room for our 11am team case review?" Agnes gestured to the giant basket blocking half his desk.
"Sure, tell everyone to enjoy the sugar rush. I'm going to let Bert lead this one. I've got some stuff to take care of." Agnes shuffled her way down the hall basket in hand.
David hated those team meetings. They were Bert's idea, probably a reasonable one at that but they were mind-numbingly boring to sit through. 'We need paperwork here, this case is due in court on this day, let's talk about where we need funds for the month…' If there's ever a shortage of sleeping pills they could supplement them with team meetings.
Truthfully, he hated sitting in that stupid conference room even more. Regret seeped in the minute he saw Maddie's office gutted for the remodel. He had thought changing the room would make it easier to forget the former inhabitant, but it only served as a reminder that she was never coming back. It still felt weird even though ten months had gone by since he last laid eyes on her.
He would have never admitted it to anyone, but those first few months were like walking through a fog. It completely knocked him off balance not having her around. He had kept his promise to Agnes though and focused on the business. Turns out ole immature David Addison was actually quite successful at heading up the agency himself. The staff stepped up as well and he was especially grateful for their help with keeping the finances in line. Not one bill collector had to darken the Blue Moon door, which meant David could focus on the cases. His instincts, along with the positive word of mouth the agency had built up over the years, led to plenty of new clients. All the late nights on cases helped him make it from one day to the next without ending up in a septic tank…well, most of the time.
There was that one night that was a particularly close call. It was exactly five months to the day that she had left, and for some reason he couldn't find a way to swallow that this was the longest they had been apart since the day they met. Maybe part of him had held on to the dumb idea that she couldn't stay away longer than that. Like once they past 4 ½ months, she'd realize this is where she belonged after all. But it came and went.
Instead of her showing up that day, she had called the office to tell Agnes how wonderful life was in Milan. David heard the 'Oh, how exciting, Ms. Hayes' and 'I'm glad things are going so well' comments from the Blue Moon end of the line. When Agnes caught his eye she waived him over, mouthing that Maddie wanted to talk to him. The idea of having a conversation where she gushed about how good life was 6000 miles away from him sucked all the air out his lungs. He couldn't do it, especially not that day. So he made up a quick excuse and bolted the hell out of there.
Most of the night was a blur. He downed shot after shot until the red head sitting on top of him morphed into triplets. Unfortunately for him, her sumo wrestler of a boyfriend wasn't pleased with their position. When David protested that he was 'only interested in the ugly one' he found himself flung through the bar back, a hundred tiny shards of top shelf bottles piercing through his skin. Even he had to admit, he had that one coming. It wasn't until the cab driver complained about him bleeding all over the back seat that he realized how deep one of the cuts on his face was. The driver insisted on dumping him off at the ER despite his pleas that he was fine.
Apparently the ER was a popular choice for the LA scene that night. David had plenty of time to begin to sober up during the wait. The irony of it all was hard to deny, Maddie was no doubt celebrating her success by wining and dining In impeccable fashion while he was holding a feminine hygiene product to the gaping wound near the corner of his left eye. At least she wasn't there to turn her nose down at his wild night. Somehow it all seemed fitting. He supposed they were both back to where they were meant to be.
But when he looked around the sorry lot in the waiting room at 3am, they didn't quite feel like the group he wanted to be lumped in with. For the most part it was full of people who had clearly made bad decisions that led them there…and almost every one of them was totally alone. He wasn't getting any younger. As much as he didn't want to cop to it, he just couldn't look at the world the same way he did five years ago. He wanted something more out of his personal life than too much booze and the occasional one night stand. Who knew excessive blood loss paired with fluorescent lights and a four hour wait would lead to a moment of such enlightenment?
The rest of his hospital visit wasn't a total loss either. He put some of his time to good use, comforting a woman whose elderly mother was brought in after a fall. Even in his messy state, David's willingness to listen to her fears accompanied by his humor were exactly what she needed. It felt good for him to know he was helping someone too. He walked out of the ER early that morning with six stitches and a new phone number in his pocket.
Olivia was successful, pretty, and fun to be around. They started out just as friends, both agreeing early on they didn't feel that spark of anything else. Slowly though they became each other's plus one for nearly every event. One evening about a month ago, seemingly out of nowhere, Olivia planted a champagne laced kiss on him. David wasn't sure about starting something, but Olivia was amazing. When he really thought about it, he would be an idiot not to give it a shot, especially because she seemed perfectly content to just see where it went with zero pressure. So, they'd give it a chance and see if enjoying spending time with each other led to something more serious, and if not-no biggie for either of them. It was a win, win. And David appreciated having a woman he cared about on some level in his bed from time to time. It didn't make him feel as hollow as waking up to someone whose name he barely knew. They said they would give this thing a fair try and he intended to make good on his part.
David spent the afternoon following up on a lead nearby. On his walk back to the office, he passed by a man pedaling fresh flowers. No time to step it up like the present. He happened to be meeting Olivia out for dinner tonight to celebrate her birthday. These roses would be a nice touch. He returned to the office and trudged through the paperwork he had been procrastinating on as quickly as possible. Luck was on his side and he finished shortly before 4pm. This was going to give him plenty of time to spruce up before his date tonight. David grabbed the flowers off his desk and whistled his way out of his office with a pep in his step, feeling cheerful and light. When he stepped foot into the Blue Moon lobby, gently curled honey blonde hair and an unmistakably recognizable stance stopped him cold in his tracks..
Thank you for reading! To be continued in Chapter 2...