put your records on

c. xi

ethan noticed the upset look on maggie's face when she walked into his office and instantly got back to organizing files, something she had been doing the previous days.

"what you said to trinity was really hot." ethan smirked.

maggie tilted her head. "who's that?"

"the woman who told you to call me 'mr. dolan.'" he said.

"how did you know that happened?"

ethan turned his computer monitor around and maggie saw a security camera of the lobby. "you were stalking me?"

he nodded. "had to make sure the princess arrived safely."

"but what i wanted to tell you was i know you have a bachelor's degree in law and public safety." he opened up a manila folder. "and i want you to work for me."

maggie's heart dropped. "oh n-no, i only assist people who do that stuff."

"princess.. you assist people who have much less education than you do."

"i- i don't know, e." she frowned.

ethan wrapped his arms around the girls waist. "please think about it."

maggie nodded her head and ethan kissed her forehead.

sometime in the evening
maggie's bedroom

duke laid on maggie's lap, sniffing the old vinyl's every once in a while.

maggie couldn't find the record she was looking for: k-12.

the baby pink album looked really cute atop the green victrola.

"hi mags." ethan said, resting on the doorframe of the girl's bedroom.

she looked over at him. "hi e."

"do you want to go on a drive?" he asked her.

she shrugged. "right now?"

the cat jumped out of her lap and rubbed against ethan's leg. "or we could cuddle."

maggie laughed. "a drive it is!"

she slid on her pink 1460's and ran for the door. "mean!" ethan called after her.

ethan said the drive would be aimless, but when he pulled into the diner on the corner, maggie groaned.

"we could of walked here!"

they took a booth in the back. the diner was pretty full but still quiet. "if you would of told me we were going on a date i would've dressed nicer."

"who said this was a date?" maggie's cheeks turned pink and she looked down. "i was joking, princess."

they each ordered milkshakes and fries as neither really had an appetite.

"did you think about it?"

maggie was brought out of lala land. "not really. i just don't think it's for me, i like assisting better than taking the lead-"

"-and i understand that, maggie, but this would be really good for you. i've read your papers-"

"you've read my papers?!" she shrieked. "which ones?"

"like.. all of them. my favorite was the one you sent to yale-"

"ethan!" she yelled.

the girl had written her heart out in that letter. it would be sent to her dream college, after all.

many serious topics in her life would be discussed in the letter. her brother leaving for college, being sent away when her mother was diagnosed with cancer, and the one maggie dreaded writing about most: her eating disorder.

"how did you even find that letter, ethan?" it was evident she was upset.

"i'm a businessman, i have my ways."

maggie's eyes filled with tears. "i didn't want you to know about any of that stuff yet."

ethan slid into the booth with maggie and held her as she cried. "i'm so sorry, mags. i didn't know."

"please move. i want to be alone right now."

and even though it was pouring rain, maggie pushed ethan out of the way and rushed out into the night.