When I woke up, I realized I was tied to a chair in Claudia's office. I started to yell, but my head wasn't having it.

"Yelling won't really help. No one's on this floor due to the recent rat infestation so everybody's three floors down. It's just you and me."

"Darren", I said as I tried to get my bearings, "why are you doing this?"

He walked out of the dark corner and began speaking. "Why? Because no one ever notices me, that's why. Claudia never noticed all the work I did here. So when I went to her to talk about a small raise, she laughed and told me to get out. I came back later and made her notice me. Then Eric stepped up and I thought he would notice; he always does. But Eric told me this wasn't the right time. ‘Not right now Darren. We have bigger things to worry about.' I thought I would try one more time, but he yelled at me. So when he had his coffee, I knew that was the right time for me to be noticed."

As he spoke, he pulled out a small black bag. He started pulling out small knives and setting them on the desk next to me. Maybe if I keep him talking, I can buy some time.

"So why me? I can't do anything for you. I can't even get myself a raise." He continued removing knives, not looking at me.

"You were always part of the plan; get the raise and get the girl." I moved my hands and realized he didn't tie the tightest knot. I tried to keep him talking while I loosened my hands.

"I don't understand."

"You always noticed me. You spoke to me, telling me jokes and stories, making me think you really liked me. I sat in the desk next to you, waiting for the perfect time to ask you out. Then Mr. tall-dark-and-handsome Chris Martinez shows up and you're all over him like a cheap suit. But I though I would try anyway because you were different from everybody else." He picked one of the knives up. "But you're not different. You're just like everyone else. I planned everything to say to you, but you cut me down before I could even try." He finally turned toward me. "You never gave me a chance. You cut me down, so now, I'm going to cut you down!"  Just as he reached out to grab me, I was able to untie my hands and stand up. I stomped down on his foot and kneed him in the balls. As he groaned, I took off running out of the office. I got to the door for the stairs when the elevator doors opened, revealing Chris and the two detectives.

"Maxie!"

"It was....it was..." Before I could get the name out, Darren appeared from nowhere with a large bowie knife and lunged for me.  Detective Green shoved me out of the way and sucker -punched Darren, knocking him out cold.

Once all the commotion died down slightly, I called my mother and told her everything that happened. She cursed, cried, consoled and yelled at me all at once. After she got it together, she said, "And when I get back in town, bring Chris over for dinner. I would like to see him again."

After some time at the police station, I was able to go home. As I walked out, Chris was standing at the bottom of the stairs waiting.

"Aren't you glad this is all over?" He asked as I hugged him.

"God yes. Besides you owe me." He let me go, looking at me oddly.

"Owe you what?"

"A second date, that's what. After everything that's happened, I think it's fair."

Chris leaned in and kissed me. "Who am I to deny a beautiful woman?"

Epilogue

It's been a few months since everything happened and things have turned around completely. I date again, although exclusively with a certain hunky reporter (I had to keep Chris around. He finds bodies with me and cooks). I am now a published, book-out-in-stores novelist. I even went on a mini book tour (mind you, it was in Chicago and only a couple days, but a tour nonetheless. Margot's good at what she does).  Okay, so I still don't talk to my best friend and mother as often as I should but I have slightly improved (I don't get bitched out as often as before).

As for work, Darren was arrested and charged with the first-degree murders of Claudia and Eric, assault, breaking and entering and kidnapping. So his ass is definitely going to be noticed now. David became the editor-in-chief (which now totally explains the tiara) and Angelo left his wife to be David's personal "bodyguard".  Monica's gotten better with her mourning. She left the paper to become a poet. All this will be explained in detail in my second book, whenever I can start it. Something else happened, which I did not expect at all.

"So what are we doing today sir?" I asked Chris as we headed out of my apartment building to the coffee shop around the corner. I reached the bottom of the stairs expecting him to be right behind me, but he was still standing at the door. I walked back up to him.

"Are you okay? What are you thinking about?" He finally looked up at me, as if for the first time.

"You."

"What? You were thinking about little ole' me?" I said as I batted my eyes.

"I was. I was thinking about you and me, doing this every Saturday. I was thinking about when we take our kids out on Saturdays like this."

"Kids? What brought all this on?" Chris pulled a box out of his pocket. Oh hell, is that what I think it is? No fucking way! Can it?

Once he got the box out, he noticed that I was standing on the step below him. So he switched places with me.

"I know we've only been dating a few months, but I fell hard for you. Actually, I fell for you years ago, but that's not the point and this is not going like I thought it would. Especially with me and all this babbling. I really had a speech planned and in my head, it sounded right. Now I can't even remember what I was going to say. I'm sorry-Chris?" I interjected.

"Yes?"

"Spit it out man." I said with a grin. He got down on one knee.

"Will you marry me?" Before I could answer (and publicly jump his bones in the street), Mrs. Stuber's voice rang out.

"Say yes hon before someone snatches him up!"

"Yes." He gave me the biggest smile I have ever seen and slipped the ring on my finger. As soon as he stood, I kissed him.

"Do you still want coffee?" I asked. He pulled me closer and started walking me back into the doorway.

"I'll take that as a no then."