Chapter 11

"Miss? Miss?" the flight attendant was trying to get Maggie's attention. After she called her a couple of times, she gave up and reached for Maggie's shoulder, which seemed to do the trick because Maggie snapped out from her deep thoughts and looked at the girl standing next to her.

"Miss, are you ok?" Maggie heard the girl's question and quickly nodded her head. "Would you like something to drink?" the girl asked again.

"Coffee, please." and she smiled a little. The flight attendant served her a cup of coffee and moved to the next passenger.

Up until a second ago, Maggie was lost in her thoughts. No wonder that poor girl thought something was wrong because she knew she looked like hell.

No matter the bottle of cheap wine she drank last night and how tired she was, Maggie didn't get much sleep, an hour maybe… She went to bed around midnight and tossed and turned until the break of dawn. When the sun was starting to show its first signs, restless sleep crept upon her, but it didn't last. She woke up in sweat soon after and finally gave up on trying to get some rest. She got up and went to take a shower after which she prepared her suitcase, placing it by the front door. After that, she made a round around the house to check if every window was closed, and she sat on the couch to wait for the time to call the taxi.

Maggie arrived at the airport two hours earlier. With every second she spent in the house she only became more nervous, so she decided to wait for the flight at the airport. At one moment, she went to the restroom since all the waiting was making her bladder nervous. One look in the mirror while she washed her hands could make her cry if she had it in her to care. She stopped caring some time ago about her appearance. She had to, because if she didn't… from a girl with beautiful, curly blond hair and shiny, healthy skin, she turned into a girl who always wears her hair in a tight bun and whose skin has no color. The bags under her eyes were also very noticeable. All of this made her look much older than she was, and adding to it all the weight that she has lost… she looked like a skeleton. All of her curves were almost gone.

Once she heard the passengers for her flight being summoned, she felt some kind of relief. She didn't know what was waiting for her in Chicago, or what to expect, but everything was better than waiting.

Maggie decided to keep her guards up at all times, just in case, towards everyone. And to try to find some job while she's in the big city… she had to make some money for the future, for the times when she is free of this agreement, and she can return to her life. She will need something to start her life with.

Three hours long flight passed quicker than Maggie expected. She had a first-class ticket and all the benefits of it, out of which she only drank one coffee. She refused everything else. Maggie has never flown in the first class before. When she and her mother were visiting their family in Canada, they always flew in economy class.

When the plane touched down the ground of the Chicago airport, Maggie felt her insides churned. She got off the plane last and claimed her luggage.

She didn't know what to do or where to go, Jackson didn't leave an address or any other instructions. She turned around looking through the crowd, but it was pointless. This airport was huge, the flow of people was enormous. She could only hope to find Jackson's face amongst everyone here.

Maggie stood there, contemplating with herself what to do next when she noticed his tall figure coming towards her. She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat before he arrived.

"You're here." were the first words he said to her. It sounded like he was surprised to see her... as if he thought she wouldn't come at all. But his face showed no emotion at all, and Maggie didn't know what to think.

"It's not like I had a choice," she mumbled when Jack reached for her suitcase. His brows furrowed at her comment but said nothing about it. "You travel lightly…" he had to say when he noticed a single suitcase that wasn't even that big, but Maggie didn't reply.

They headed towards the exit, Jack pulling her luggage and Maggie trying to match his long strides. They were out on the parking in no time, and he stopped in front of the black SUV. While Jack put her suitcase in the back of the car, Maggie sat in the passenger seat. A second later, Jack sat behind the wheel and started the car.

He drove in silence for a while, and Maggie didn't know what to say. She remembered him being pretty rude and sarcastic the last time she saw him, so now she decided it was best to just keep quiet and mind her own business. It will probably be better if their lives collide with each other as little as possible.

Jack, too didn't know how to start a conversation. Earlier today, he planned to send a company driver to pick her up from the airport and to take her to his villa, but he decided against it when he realized that he could not wait to see her again. He wrapped up the meeting with the company from LA that he was in a little too fast and left the office to go for her. Now that she was here, in the same car with him, sitting just a couple of inches away, he could not figure out what to say to her for the love of his life. He always knew what to say. Always. That's what made things worse in his eyes.

His irrational behavior was about to drive him crazy, and he squeezed the steering wheel with both his hands as much as he could. This didn't go unnoticed by Maggie, and she pulled herself more towards the door, trying to make as much distance between them as possible.

Jack sighed. He realized what this looked like, and he didn't want her to be scared of him. But before he had a chance to say anything, they arrived at their destination. The gate opened automatically, and Jack parked the car in front of the villa.

He hurried to the back to get Maggie's things while she got out and starred at the beautiful one-story building in front of her. What she could see from she was standing she liked very much.

"Come," Jacked said, heading towards the entrance. Maggie followed behind.

The interior of the villa was obviously designed by the professional since there was no feeling of coziness and warmth. Everything was in dull colors, clean to perfection, and cold. Maggie shuddered at the sight but followed after Jack when he headed upstairs.

Jack stopped in front of one door in the corridor and turned towards her.

"This will be your room. I have to return to the office, but we'll have to talk later." His gaze sent chills down her spine. "You rest till then." with that, he turned around and left, and Maggie entered the room he showed her.

It was a very spacious room with a queen-size bed taking a central place. It looked so soft and comfortable, and Maggie couldn't wait to lay down. There were two other doors in the room, and she went ahead to open both of them. The first was a walk-in closet. She didn't expect that, but hey, who was she to complain. And behind the other door, there was a spacious bathroom with both shower and bathtub inside.

'Shoot' Maggie thought before she pulled her suitcase into the closet and found her PJ's. The bathroom was fully stocked with a variety of products, and she used a random one for her quick shower.

With the speed of lightning, she was in bed. Everything was as soft as she thought it would be, and it smelled so nice and fresh. She typed one short message to her mother saying that she arrived and that everything is fine so far, so Rebecca wouldn't worry and let the oblivion take over her.