Chapter 17

Most of her days in the villa, Maggie spent in her room, and she went out only when she was hungry. She was enjoying the time she spent alone just resting, reading books she had found downstairs on one of the shelves in the living room. They were there for decoration and were obviously never touched.

 She talked with her mother every day, and each day she lied to her about how she lived here. They were both looking forward to the transfer and the day they will be able to see each other again.

Weird phone calls stopped for a couple of days, long enough for Maggie to brush it off as someone's mistake, but on Tuesday they started again, and it was becoming disturbing since now there was not just silence on the other side but the sound of someone's loud and heavy breathing. She decided to report it if they continue to happen.

But after a couple of days, she was starting to get bored. She wasn't the person to sit around and do nothing; she needed something to keep her occupied. So she started to spend time in the kitchen, at first just spending time with Mary and talking with her, but later she started to help her around and cook with her. Mary was one beautiful soul; she loved Jack and Eric so much and cared for their well-being even though they were not blood-related. She reminded her of Rebecca, with all the unconditional love she had in her heart.

Once Mary would start to talk about Jack and the time when he was a kid, she couldn't stop. Maggie learned a lot of things about him through Mary's stories, and she enjoyed listening to them. The picture that Mary painted with her stories about Jack, she couldn't connect to the Jack she met two weeks ago. It just didn't add up… it was like she was talking about a different Jack.

Two times a week, a woman from the cleaning service came by and cleaned the house, did laundry, so except for a lot of relaxing and some cooking, Maggie was left with nothing to do.

On the other hand, Jack was losing his patience. Maggie kept avoiding him, and whenever he was home, she was in her room. He hasn't seen her in days, and he was craving her presence. Every night, he would come to stand in front of her room, wanting to knock on the door and invite her to have a drink with him, to sit and talk for a while, to get to know each other better… but every time he would stop himself.

Jack knew that Maggie had a hard time accepting his terms and adapting to life here, and he wanted to give her enough time to settle, but he missed her. It was still unexplainable to him how fast and hard he fell for her, how much she liked her, and wanted her.

Yes, he had decided to give her some time and to take it slow with her, but she never gave him a chance to do that. So he will have to change his tactics now.

It was Wednesday noon when Jack closed on a deal with a Korean company. The contract that they signed was important and worth millions of dollars, and he wanted to celebrate it properly. Three months ago, if he had a reason for a celebration, he would call Robert and the rest of his friends from college, and they would go to a club or something like that. But today, after the lunch he had in a prestigious restaurant downtown with his new business partners, he had only one thing in mind, to celebrate with Maggie. So as soon as he was done with the business lunch, he went straight home. He got there a bit earlier than he usually did, and he was surprised to hear giggling from the kitchen.

Jack quietly opened the door that was in his way and was surprised to see Maggie at the counter, flour on her cheeks and a whisk in her hand. Mary was on the other side of the kitchen, near the oven. He stood there by the door for a whole minute before Maggie noticed him. In the meanwhile, she was listening to Mary that told one of the most embarrassing stories from his childhood. Mary's narrative was so colorful and lively that even Jack, who hated to remember his childhood in general, couldn't stay serious. When he started to laugh, Maggie's head snapped in his direction, and her facial expression changed drastically. She looked like a thief caught in the act, and it made Jack laugh even more.

"Oh, son, when have you arrived? We didn't hear you come in!" Mary said.

"I can see that. What are you making?" He asked Maggie while taking a seat on the stool in front of her.

"Chocolate cake," she answered, continuing to whisk.

"My favorite," Jack whispered. He already knew that it was probably Mary's idea, but either way, he is going to enjoy eating his favorite dessert made by Maggie. "Is Edit with Erick?" he asked louder so that Mary could hear.

"Yeah. She's good with him." Mary confirmed.

Edit was the new nanny they hired to take care of Eric's needs. She was in her fifties, had two grown-up children, so there was nothing she didn't know about babies.

True to his word, Jack never insisted that Maggie even steps a foot in the nursery. He didn't want her to feel burdened, and Maggie had another reason. She didn't want to get close to the kid because she was afraid that she is going to hurt them both when the time comes for her to leave. She knew that she could easily become attached to him, she was like that… and if she does, leaving him behind will be hard. But every time she heard him cry in the middle of the night or giggle when she passed by his door, the need to be near him was growing stronger.

Jack went upstairs to check on his son and to shower and change. He planned to take Maggie on a date tonight. He had enough of her avoidance. He needed to put an end to it and that as soon as possible.

He wondered these past days, what would have happened to him and Maggie if there was not Jennifer who brought them together… would destiny find a way to bring them together, or they would live their lives as they used to, not even knowing that the other one exists. And would Maggie have an easier time accepting him for who he was if there wasn't for Eric? Not that he would wish for that outcome, but he couldn't help but wonder.

After Jack was done changing, he went back to the kitchen hoping to talk with Maggie again, but she wasn't there.

"She finished the cake and went back upstairs," Mary said as soon as she saw him enter, "You like her, don't you?"

"Yes, I do." Jack sighed. "What are you doing here anyway? Weren't you supposed to be at your daughter's today and tomorrow?"

"I'm going there later, I felt like I'm needed here. And I like her too, just so you know," Marry winked at him, and it warmed his heart to know that his choice has been approved by the woman he considered his mother.

Jack left the kitchen and went upstairs, stood in front of her door, and knocked. For a few seconds, there was no answer, but then he heard shuffling from the other side. Maggie opened the door wearing only a bathrobe, her hair wet. She was fresh out of the shower.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" she sounded confused by his sudden appearance in front of her. 'There must be something he needs,' she thought.

"Would you have dinner with me tonight?" he decided to be straightforward.

"Dinner? Like, out?"

"Yes, like out in the restaurant," Jack smirked.

"Like a date?" Maggie questioned further, raising her brows.

"Like a date." He confirmed. "We have some things to talk about, and we don't have to go to my office every time?"

Maggie was silent for a few moments staring at him, and he was sure she would refuse, turn around and slam the door in his face, and just when all of his ships were about to sink, he heard her ask: "What should I wear?"

"What would you like to eat?" he managed to say, but his heart was drumming in his ears so hard he could barely hear his thoughts. 'She accepted,' Why was he feeling like a schoolboy again?

"Can we go for pizza? I heard good things about deep-dish one from Chicago?"

"I know just the place," Jack smiled before Maggie closed the door and rested her back against it.

What was she doing? Going on a date with a man who dragged her here against her will, instead of keeping the contact between them to the minimum, until she can be free! 'Oh, Maggie, you are such a lost cause!' she was mad at herself but still went inside the closet to find a dress for tonight.