Temptress

Chapter 4

Ned called Maggie twice, and both times received message bank. He was worried she always answered on the first few rings, every time he called. Ned skipped leaving  a voice message, he already felt awkward enough with stringing together sentences, and phone messages were the worst.  One-person conversations, how narcissistic, he thought.So without further calling, or attempting a voice message Ned settled for a text message.

Hey where have you been Maggie, Miss you – Ned

 Too clingy, what’s the matter with me? He deleted all the text and started over.

Hey, message me when you get a chance – Neddy

 That’ll do, he pressed send on his small touch screen phone. An hour later a message came and his heart raced with excitement, he opened it and all of a sudden felt the excitement slowly fade away as he read the text response from Maggie.

Was at band practice and I’m feeling sick I told you I have lupus remember

That was all it said, great I knew I shouldn’t have been so persistent today. 

Ned didn’t respond, he couldn’t think of a decent enough message to send, and he had made her mad.  Work was tough pushing those stupid shopping trolleys in rows of ten up the steep ramps of the shopping centre. Why can’t people just carry their groceries like me? No concern for the little people. Ned bitterly slammed a trolley in to the bay. 

He checked his phone, and was happy there was only five minutes left, but no more text messages either.

“Finished.” Ned said, to himself exhausted. At last there was a text message waiting on his phone. From his mother informing him a bank statement had arrived at the family home. Damn it, what is Maggie doing? Ned didn’t respond, instead he made his way home he would see Maggie on the bus hopefully.  The bus was packed out, and to his disappointment Maggie was nowhere to be seen.

He kicked off his shoes upon entering the lonely one bedroom apartment, and switched his computer on. Immediately scanning through emails there it was a message from Maggie. “Sorry I ran out of credit, I didn’t mean to be snappy today I’ve just been sick, hope you don’t mind but I already invited myself over to your place tonight I’ll be there around sevenish.” And, I worried for nothing as usual. Ned thought, place is a mess, shit.  He quickly raced around the apartment throwing loose clothes into a basket, fixing up the mismatched pillows on the couch, and throwing new sheets on the bed.

At seven there was no knock at the door, Ned waited impatiently. He took a peek at the time it was seven thirty, and still no knock. Where are you? Ned looked around the apartment now clean and decided to make a cup of tea, as the jug boiled there was a knock at the door at last. He dropped the mug he was holding carelessly and it shattered into pieces all over the kitchen floor. “Shit.” Ned shouted, as he raced to the door, he opened it and there she was. Maggie was standing there with a cheeky grin spreading right across her face.

“Hello, Neddy,” she said, throwing her arms around him and kissing him on the cheek, “did I hear breakage?” 

“Ah, hello, and yeah just dropped a mug is all.” Ned returned the kiss on the cheek.

Maggie followed Ned to the kitchen where he was removing a small dustpan and brush in the cabinet beneath the sink, which were both barely useable. He got down on his hands and knees like a slave, and began to sweep the fragments of glass into the handless pan.  Maggie motioned Ned to stand, “Ned, I need to tell you something, she said, in a very serious tone.

Ned froze he knew what was coming, everything was spinning and he felt weak in the stomach. I think we should just be friends, this isn’t working out, I don’t have feelings for you anymore, lets take a break, and I hate you. He thought of all the possible ways she was about to shatter his heart like the mug that lay in pieces huddled together in the dustpan.  The jug stopped boiling, and the steam rose to the ceiling.

“I love you,” She held her stomach, as she laughed hysterically. 

Ned placed his hand over his heart as he tried to catch his breath, “You are the worst!” he playfully picked her up into the air, and kissed her on the lips as he carried her toward the couch where he gently placed her down on her back.

She was still laughing and pointing at Ned, he put on a frown. “You are sick, you had me worried there," he exhaled.

“Oh, I was kidding, are you alright baby Neddy?” Maggie asked, teasing him as she held his hand.  “Did you think, you were about to get the lets just be friends speech,” she said, poking her tongue out.

“That’s it,” Ned said, grinning as he pounced on top of Maggie, they wrestled playfully into the night.

Maggie checked her phone as they lay on the couch wrapped up in a blanket it was three o’clock in the morning. Their eyes locked together, and they shared a smile. “I need a smoke,” Maggie said, once again rolling over digging through her bag for a pre rolled joint. She found it, and sighed as she noticed one of the ends was slightly bent. “Great.”

“So, how was you're jamming session?” Ned asked, the same time Maggie inhaled and began coughing.

“It was, okay. I guess,” Maggie responded, emotionlessly.