Disclaimer: Characters are owned and produced by The Disney Channel and It's A Laugh Productions. I am just borrowing them for these stories. Original characters are owned by the author of this story.
Author's Note: The title of the chapter should be obvious for those of you that fly. If you don't fly, let me briefly explain. When they close the doors on a flight, the plane backs away from the gate in order to get in line to taxi down the runway to take off. Hence the title, Backing Away From The Gate. Draw your own conclusions. Enjoy.
REQUITED
Chapter 8
Backing Away From The Gate
The conversation at the table went at a lightning pace. Everyone was so excited to see each other. Everyone was equally as excited for Barbara and C.J. They seemed to be made for each other. Barbara had been on cloud nine since the day a year earlier that C.J. proposed to her. As the wedding grew closer, Barbara's enthusiasm was infectious. In the last year even the normally "glass is 48 percent full" Max seemed to lighten up around Barbara. Their friendship grew to the point that Barbara asked Max to be her Maid of Honor, a role that Max happily accepted.
But on this evening, Barbara's thoughts had been taken over by the two women that sat across the table from her. Her curiosity was killing her. She had to know what the story was with London and Maddie. She was by no means nosy by nature, but when something stuck in her craw, she had to un-stick it. About twenty-five minutes into the dinner, in between drinks and the appetizer, an opportunity presented itself.
"Excuse me…" London said as she began to stand up. "I need to go to the powder room." Arwin stood in a sign of gentlemanly courtesy quickly followed by C.J. and Zack. This gesture earned a pleasant raised eyebrow from Carey, as both an acknowledgement of his courtesy and his ability to rub off on her boys.
"I'll join you." Barbara added as she stood. "I'll be right back." She said as she gave C.J. a quick peck. She and London walked to the restroom together.
They reached the restroom and London made a beeline for the last stall. "I'm sorry Barbara. I really do have to go." London said.
"No that's cool." Barbara said as she stood in front of the mirror to fix her makeup.
Several minutes later, London emerged and walked over to the sink next to Barbara. "You're glowing. I am so happy for you. I really mean it. Love looks good on you." London said with a smile as she washed her hands.
"That's really funny. I was gonna say the same thing to you." Barbara retorted.
"To me? Why?" London asked.
"I know you don't really know me from Adam, but I have to ask you a question, but at the same time I don't want to offend you." Barbara said.
"It sounds serious. You won't offend me. Go ahead." London said.
"I have this… I don't know… sixth sense when it comes to people. I can tell when people are in love. I've never been wrong." Barbara said.
"And you sense that in me." London said.
"Yeah I do." Barbara replied. "I also sense the same thing in Maddie."
"Uh-huh." London said.
"My question is… and I can't believe I'm asking you this but… are you two in love with each other?" Barbara asked but then immediately followed up. "I know it sounds ridiculous, it's just that I thought I saw a spark…"
London placed her hands on Barbara's shoulders to calm her. "Barbara. It's ok. I told you that you won't offend me." London looked around the bathroom to re-confirm that they were alone. "Yes. I am in love with Maddie, but she doesn't know yet."
Barbara smiled a self-satisfied smile knowing that her love record was still unblemished. "When are you gonna tell her?"
"Soon. I can't take much more of this." London admitted.
"Do you think she feels the same way?" Barbara asked.
"I want to think so, but I don't know." London said. "It's weird… but the more people I tell, the better I feel."
"Who else knows?"
"Let's see, you, Moesby and Raven Baxter."
"You mean THE Raven Baxter?" Barbara asked then realized that C.J. knows her too and invited her. "That's right! C.J. invited her!"
"Yeah. She and her wife are good friends with me and Maddie."
"Wow! I can't believe you're good friends… wait a minute!" Barbara exclaimed. "If she's friends with you and Maddie, and YOU told her…"
London's light bulb went off. "Then maybe Maddie told her too!" London bounced and squealed. "Oh, man! Raven and Chelsea are flying in day after tomorrow. I'll ask her then! But, I've got to get through tomorrow. I hope I can do it. It's getting harder to be around her. But please… don't tell anyone, not even C.J. I mean Zack knows but…"
"Not my secret to tell. Don't worry." Barbara said.
"Thank you Barbara."
"What are friends for? C.J.'s friends are my friends." Barbara said before stepping forward to embrace London. "Come on. Let's get back out there and hook Carey up with Arwin!"
"Oh my God! Did you see the heat coming off of them…" London said as they walked out of the bathroom.
Barbara and London arrived back at the table right at the beginning of a subject change.
"So Maddie…" Max began. "Who are you bringing to the wedding?"
"Well…" Maddie began speaking. She paused when she saw London sitting down out of the corner of her eye. "Nobody. I'm not seeing anyone right now and the guys on my job are just… anyway…" Barbara shot London a quick look. C.J., knowing Maddie's feelings for London decided to give her a light nudge.
"Why don't you take London? You two were having a good ol' time in the car." C.J. started. Maddie gave him a deer-in-the-headlights look. Barbara gave London a nearly imperceptible look of encouragement. C.J. continued. "The two of you always make us and each other laugh, and that's what weddings should be about… having fun with the people you love not some stranger you take just for the sake of a date."
"That's a great idea!" London said. She decided to ham it up a little to break up the tension she felt and the tension that, if Barbara was right about Maddie's feelings, she knew Maddie had too. London stood up and dropped to one knee. "Madeline, will you take me to the wedding as your date?" She said in overly dramatic fashion causing chuckles at the table.
Maddie smirked as she looked down at London. "Yes. I'll take you to the wedding as my date." Maddie deadpanned.
"Yay me!" London jumped up and started clapping and bouncing. The whole table burst out in laughter.
"My God!" Carey exclaimed as she laughed. "I never thought I'd say it but I missed her doing that!"
"The more things change, the more they stay the same." Zack said.
"Speaking of dates for the wedding…" Arwin said. "You… going with anyone Carey?"
Carey looked at him intently. Maddie elbowed London several times. Max glanced over at Barbara and stretched her eyes.
"Are you asking me to go with you?" Carey said with a faint smile.
"I am." Arwin said.
"But… I haven't seen you in four… five years. How do I know it'll be worth my while?" Carey was playing the coy role perfectly. The ladies at the table sat up straighter in their seats and exchanged expressions of intrigue and surprise at the level of flirtation on display. Zack shot a text message to C.J. I know it's Mom, but if he pulls this off, he's the fucking man.
"Go to dinner with me tomorrow night and find out." Arwin said with James Bond-like smoothness.
"How can I refuse an offer like that?" Carey said.
"You can't." Arwin replied.
Just then, their food arrived and the banter between them hung in the air as the food was served. Carey leaned over to Barbara and whispered, "It's getting a little warm in here."
Barbara unexpectedly exploded in laughter. "Sorry." She said as her explosion turned into an under the breath chuckle.
Dinner continued without a hitch. Conversation flowed back and forth with Arwin and Carey overtly flirting the whole way. Maddie and London would occasionally glance out of the corner of their eye at the other. They were now each other's date for the wedding. They both felt that the horizon was now closer than before. Their time was nearing.
Maddie went to work on Tuesday leaving London on her own in the city. London took the opportunity to visit Marion at his office where she called Tipton's Chairman of the Board to make her intention to move stateside known. He told her that he sensed that this was coming and had already paved the way for the move by planning a restructuring of the Western European and North American offices.
London then followed through on another promise and went to Maddie's building and made an offer on one of the penthouse units that blew the owner and the agent away. It was happily accepted. She called Maddie around three to ask her what she had planned for the evening. Maddie told her that work was going to keep her there late but she would call her if she got a break. It was then that the heiress decided to spend the rest of the day reacquainting herself with the city that she would soon once again call home.
Wednesday morning London was greeted by a call at 6:15. She groggily rolled over in her queen-sized bed and a la Luke Wilson in Old School and Nick Nolte in just about every one of his movies, London cracked one eye open to look at the clock.
"Oh, shit." London dragged out before groping for the phone. On the third ring, fourth grope, London picked up the phone. "He-llo?" She groggily said.
"I didn't mean to wake you up." London heard the soft silky tone of Maddie's voice.
"That's okay." London's voice was groggy but in a low and sexy tone that sent a chill down Maddie's spine. "You go in early?"
"I never left." Maddie said. "I slept on my couch and changed clothes here. It's not the first time I've slept here and won't be the last." London let out a soft giggle and then stretched a stretch that sounded like a purr. "Oh my God." Maddie reacted in a whisper to the stretch without thinking.
"What's wrong?" London said, still in that half-sleepy, unwittingly sexy voice.
Fuck! Cover yourself Maddie! "Sorry… I… just glanced at the brief for this case and saw something I missed." You are too good Fitz!
"Can baby go back to sleep now?" London said in a drowsy syrup-sweet voice.
Oh my God, you've gotta stop that. "You want me to tuck you in?" Maddie said softly. London let out what sounded like a naughty giggle. "Oh, I forgot… you get horny when you're sleepy."
"No I don't." London softly replied.
"Senior year in high school, you French kissed a pillow during a sleepover." Maddie recalled.
"That pillow was hot." London giggled again. "Come be my body pillow." More giggling.
I wish. Maddie thought. "Go back to sleep. I'll call you later." Maddie said.
"Lick you later." London giggled and then settled back under the covers with a purr.
"Lick you later." Maddie said with a chuckle before hanging up the phone. "You damn right I will." She said to herself as she continued shuffling papers. Note to self… Maddie thought. Must keep London sleepy.
London drifted back into sleep after hanging up the phone. She drifted into a dream. Her dreams over the last couple of weeks have involved one person and one person only.
(London's dream)
London just stepped out of the shower. She wrapped a towel around her moist skin. She walked into her bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed. She removed her towel and began to apply lotion to her legs. Out of the corner of her eye, Maddie appeared. Maddie didn't speak. She took the lotion bottle out of London's hand and sank to her knees. She placed her hands on the inside of London's knees slowly pushed them apart. London arched her back as Maddie lowered her head. London cried out. Her head fell back. Maddie reached up and massaged her taut nipples. She cried out again…
(telephone ringing)
"Huh?" London growled. She picked up the phone. "Maddie?"
"No sweetie, I'm a little darker and a little thicker."
"Mmmm… Raven." London purred.
"I'll be damned, Chels!" Raven said to Chelsea in the background. "London is an early morning horn dog!"
"Before both of us get in trouble because of your voice, I think you need to wake up."
"I'm awake." London purred again.
"Doesn't sound like it but anyway… We're about to leave LaGuardia. We'll be in Boston in about an hour and a half."
"I'll pick you up from the airport." London said as she began to stretch.
"You had a dream about Maddie didn't you?"
"And I just talked to her."
"I have a plan, guaranteed to bring the truth out. I'll tell you when I see you. I'll text you with our flight info."
"Will Chelsea let me borrow you?" London purred again. "Pregnant women are hot."
"So are Asian chicks, but you're not gettin' any… from me anyway. Maddie's your target."
"Awwww. You're no fun."
"Wake your horny ass up and pick us up." Raven said with a chuckle.
"Okay. Bye Rae Rae."
Raven laughed again. "Bye."
London finished stretching and slid out of bed. She turned to start making it until she realized that she was in a hotel. The staff would take care of it for her. She wiped her eyes as she headed for the bathroom and a nice warm shower.
London stepped out of the shower. She wrapped a towel around her moist skin. She walked into her bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed. She removed her towel and began to apply lotion to her legs. Out of the corner of her eye… nothing. Damned dream.
She finished dressing and headed out into the crisp April morning. The temperature was supposed to hit 72 for the day, but at seven in the morning, it was in the mid fifties.
She sipped her cup of coffee from the candy counter in the lobby and hopped in her car to head to Logan. Raven and Chelsea's flight was due in forty-five minutes. She pulled into the parking garage with a few minutes to spare. After checking the arrivals board and determining which baggage claim carousel they were assigned, she headed to baggage claim. As she walked, she decided to play a hunch. She pulled out her phone and dialed.
"Collier, Beckett. Madeline Fitzpatrick."
"I was hoping you hadn't gone out for coffee."
"I just got back. I see you're fully awake and not horny as hell."
"Yeah. I'm awake."
"And…"
"I'm awake." London's tone of voice was loaded.
"You are… So what are you doing right now?"
"I'm at the airport picking up Raven and Chelsea."
"Don't make any plans. They want to go to dinner with us."
"They are great aren't they?"
"They make a beautiful couple."
"Yeah they do. They really love each other. They started out as best friends and just let their love mature." Hook…
"Being in love is so much sweeter when you are best friends first. That's the only way I'll play the game."
…Line and sinker. "I'm not gonna wish you the best because I guarantee you're gonna get it."
Maddie took a deep breath. "You really think so?"
"I've never been more sure of anything in all my life."
This is it. Tell her. I know she's not in front of you, but fuck it. It feels right. "London? I have to…" There was a knock on her office door.
(In the background) "Maddie, can I see you in my office for a minute. And bring London Fletcher's file with you." James Collier, the other senior partner in the firm, said.
"Sure, Jim. I'll be right there." Thanks a lot, Jim. She thought. "I've got to run. Jim is a little impatient."
"What were you gonna tell me?" London's heart skipped a beat. It sounded like what she was about to say was going to be something big and given their topic of conversation, she was hoping it was what she waited seven years to hear.
"It'll keep for now. It's best to say it in person anyway. Not anything bad, just… personal. But I'd better go before I get summoned again. I'll call you later."
"Okay."
"Give Rae and Chels my love. And take some for yourself too."
"I will. Love you Blondie."
"Love you too Londie."
London hung up the phone on cloud six and rapidly ascending. In that moment that Maddie said her name, she felt like an admission of love was coming. She was sure of it. It was time to seal the deal. But how? When? Where? I need some advice, encouragement, a kick in the ass. I need…
"LONDON!" "LONDON TIPTON!" Two familiar voices boomed down the concourse level.
London smiled a smile that was a mile wide. "RAVEN! CHELSEA!" They… are what I need.
Closer and closer still. It's just a matter of time. Please join me for chapter nine. PLEASE REVIEW!