Madison was sitting at the receptionist desk, chewing on her pin top, when Robert, the company’s regular computer technician, arrived to repair the computer. 

“It seems like you spend an awful lot of time here,” she said with a smile, adding, “Maybe you need an on-site office?”  He grinned, and pointed to the terminal in front of her, to ask, “is this the one on the blink?”  “No, I‘ll show you,” she motioned for him to follow her through the door behind the desk. 

            When she returned to the desk she found that the receptionist had returned from lunch.  So Madison took her purse and headed out to meet her fiancé, James, for a late lunch. 

            On her arrival at the Java Spot she noticed James, an average height brunette with dimples, was seated at a table with several men in suits.  She checked her watch, maybe I am late, but she realized she is not.  After ordering a sandwich and a latte she took a seat facing James.  When he finally looked up to see her, he tapped his watch and shook his head.

            A half hour later, having finished her lunch; she was ready to leave.  She waited for a chance to signal to James and departed.

            Later that evening after dinner at her best friend, Rene’s, house she finally arrived home.  As she entered the door she heard the phone ringing but before she could reach it the recorder picked up.  She listened for a moment, then, “Madison, are you there?” James said impatiently into the recorder. 

            She picked up the phone and with the other hand she took the shoe off her aching foot. 

“Hey, I am here”, she replied after grabbing the phone.

“Sorry about lunch“, he apologized, then added” those were investors for the coffee shop I thought that we would be done earlier.” 

“No problem, I only had a few minutes for lunch today, anyway,” she said quietly.  What investors? Why didn’t he mention that to me, before now?  After a few more minutes of chit chat they hung up.

            Soaking in a nice bubble bath, that night, Madison finally relaxed from her day.  She wondered about James, here he is my fiancé of two years and he is totally disconnected from my life and me.  He didn’t even ask where I was this evening.  Well, maybe he just knows me well enough to assume I was with Rene.   She woke up and realized she was still sitting in the frigid tub water.  She looked like a living prune, she stretched her long legs out, flexing out the stiffness before she dragged herself out of the tub.  After rinsing off with warm water in the shower she finally went to bed properly at 2 a.m.

            Work the next day was hectic.  She was out all morning putting up for sale signs, taking down sold signs and measuring homes.  Having dealt with vicious dogs and rude people all morning she was in no mood for any company for lunch.  So she drove thru at a “burger joint” and went to the park to eat.

            Taking a deep breath as she prayed over her food she attempted to relax.  While eating her burger she was entertained by the squirrels and eventually they ended up with part of her lunch.  They deserve it for taking my mind off my “issues” for a while.  

            She smiled while she walked back toward her car, a 1998 Toyota Seleca, only to run into Robert, Rene’s brother, who stood in front of her dressed casual and looking sexy with his Tiger Woods smile.  He was tall and lean with broad shoulders; he and Rene were multiracial so his coloring was tan but it contrasted with his hazel eyes nicely.

“Hey you”, she said grinning at him as she absentminded put a piece of her long wavy hair behind her ear.

“We missed you at dinner last night.”

“I had planned on coming,” he said, walking beside her, “but I got paged late and had to work overtime, that’s why I’m off today.”

“To bad”, she said turning to look in his eyes, uh hum, my heart doesn’t do this when I look at James, be careful.

  “To bad, you missed Rene’s killer lasagna,” she replied playfully.  They walked the rest of the way in companionable silence.   

“Never seen you here before,” he said quietly. 

“Never been here, but I will return,” she teased.

He waved as she left him standing there smiling.     

            Jennifer Colburn, Madison’s boss and owner of Colburn and Associates Realty, met her at her desk after lunch.  Jenny, as all the employees called her behind her back, held a stack of listings two inches thick.  Madison groaned inwardly at the sight of them.

“I hope you had a nice lunch, this is your afternoon,” Jenny said while she motioned toward the papers.   “Rene has volunteered to assist you,”  she added.  She set them on the desk and walked off with a smirk, at least that’s the way Madison viewed Jenny’s smiles. 

            After they had sorted the stack by location and job it is almost 2:00.  Rene volunteered to drive since her Jeep has room for the abundance of signs.  Once they are inside, “fine with me to be on the road, better than being inside on a nice day”, Rene said backing out of her parking spot.  Madison nodded in unspoken agreement.

            At seven o’clock that evening they rolled back into the parking garage, Rene’s cell phone rang as she was parking beside Madison’s car.  Hello is all Madison heard before she got out of the Jeep and went to her car with a wave toward Rene.

            With aching feet and an aching head, Madison entered her townhouse ready for a bath and a long sleep.  When she opened the door she was surprised to see James there and dinner on the table.

 “Hi,” he said all smiles.  He took her purse, led her to the couch and took off her shoes.  Madison, who was more than a little surprised, just stared at him.

“Thanks,” she mumbled as he began to massage her aching feet.

After the dinner of steaks, green beans and mash potatoes, and a dessert of apple pie, all courtesy of a local restaurant, Madison was relaxed and ready to ask lots of questions. 

            “Hold on, “ James said, when he noticed that look in her eyes.  He put his finger to his lips to stop her from speaking.

“I have an announcement,” he paused,” the Java Spot is officially mine and we will be expanding it into a full fletched restaurant.”  Madison smiled wanly and he noticed.

“Isn’t that fantastic?”  “Oh it’ wonderful for you, honey, it’s just that shouldn’t I have been involved somehow?”  “I mean I have been in the dark since you had the idea, I haven’t felt part of your life for months and months, despite the fact I too am an investor in your business” she finished. 

            James paced the room, “So what are you saying that you’re not happy for me?”

“Well, if we are getting married next year, shouldn’t you be saying, us?” she asked.

“Semantics, Madison we or us it’s all the same, are you having second thoughts?” he added.  After a few minutes of silence, he left in a huff. 

            Madison wandered the room. What is wrong with me? I have known Robert forever why is he suddenly so attractive to me and is that what’s causing problem?.  Oh God, help me know what to do?  If I am attracted to Robert, do I really love James?  Then she sat on her sofa and cried.

            Early Saturday morning, Madison phoned Rene. 

“Are up yet?” she said into the answering machine.

Rene grabbed the phone, “I am now, what’s up?”

“We have to talk,” Madison emphasized.  Rene’s husband, Neal, turned over to ask her who is on the phone and went back to sleep. 

“I can meet you in an hour,” Rene replied, “ at your house?”

            When Rene arrived at Madison’s she revealed all to her between tears of confusion, frustration but was relieved that she has someone to talk to about her problem. 

“Well, I know my brother would love to date you” Rene said hesitantly, “but are you sure about this?”

”Very sure.”

 After further discussion they decided that it would be best for Madison to break off her engagement. 

            That night she invited James over to end their relationship.   She told him that she has felt she had been selfish by not being honest with him. 

“Are you sure?” he questioned with sincerity.

 “I love you, Madison, but maybe I am just to use to being alone; I have a hard time reporting to anyone, including you,” he said looking into her eyes.

 “I am sorry James, there is no future for us because I do not love you, you can pay me back the money I loaned you in payments or I could be your silent partner, you decide,” she said with finality. 

            On Monday, Rene and Madison had a late lunch together at the Italian eatery in their building.  They eat with very little conversation since they had spent all morning together finishing their assignment from the previous Thursday.

“I didn’t think we would ever get done,” Rene commented, while twirling her pasta on a fork. 

“At least you don’t have to do the same thing all the time,” Madison complained.

“You won’t for much longer, just until you pass your exams in two weeks.”. 

Madison smiled, “I can’t wait”.

They giggled. 

            “What’s up?” Robert said as he leaned over their table.  They hadn’t noticed him as he came into the restaurant and looked around for them.  He grabbed the extra chair and took a seat.

“Hey you,” Rene said to her brother.

Madison smiled nervously, and Rene nudged her with her foot under the table. 

“How did you know we were here?” Madison asked.

“I asked upstairs where Rene was eating today, someone mentioned that often you two come here, “ he answered after ordering a pasta salad.

            Madison nodded with satisfaction at his answer, good thing Rene didn’t set this up.

Rene had the same thought; glad I didn’t tell him Madison would have been angry.

After eating they all went their separate ways; Madison to her desk, Rene to her office and Robert on a call at another building. 

            By the end of the week, Rene was on pins and needles wondering when Madison would make her move with Robert.  She called her on Thursday night to find out if they had made a date yet.

“No, Rene, how do I tell Robert I broke it off with James?”

“Don’t tell him just flirt, I think he’ll figure it out,” Rene advised.

            Friday at the park, Madison saw Robert feeding the seagulls and went over to speak with him.

“Nice day,” she started off, I have to go slow.

“Yes, it is beautiful,” he replied as he dropped the empty bag in the trash container.

Before she could say anything else, he interrupted her thoughts, “I saw James yesterday at his new building, and he said you guys called off your engagement.”

            Madison affirmed what James has told him and then they spoke of other things as she ate her sandwich.  Later when she is finished and she needed to return to work Robert asked a question,” Is it too soon for you to consider a date with me?”

She smiled, “No, not too soon at all.”

The End.