Over the next few minutes I came clean with her about the whole situation with my grandfather’s will, the trust, all of it. If I couldn’t convince her to marry me for the sake of the goddamn kid, the only option I had left was to be upfront about everything and hope she’d see it from my perspective.
But she didn’t. Instead, she laughed at me. And it wasn’t a chuckle. She was goddamn amused.
“Grey!” Maddie said, as she clapped her hands together. “What makes you think that’s a better reason than our own child!?!”
My jaw flexed as she guffawed. Losing my patience, I started to reply, but she cut me off with a sharp demand.
“You need to leave, Grey,” she said, shaking her head.
I glared at her as she stood there closed off from me.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes,” she replied. “I don’t want to talk to you about this right now.”
As she finished speaking, she turned and walked towards the bathroom, closing the door behind her with a forceful slam.
GREY
With Maddie frustrating the living hell out of me, I decided to pay Katy an impromptu visit and see if I could get some insight from her. Things had improved between us after everything that happened with Maddie and the baby. I wouldn’t go so far as to say we were the best of goddamn friends or anything, but I think my actions demonstrated to her how much I cared for Maddie.
I could only I hope I was right.
Given the way she’d reacted to my proposal, I’d started to question whether or not Maddie and I belonged together at all. Shit, maybe I had it wrong. Sure, I had to keep my end of the bargain with my grandfather and I’d never let my child go without the proper care. But Maddie… I didn’t expect her to behave the way she had, rejecting me. Even so, I thought better of getting down and dirty with her about it instead deciding to see what Katy had to say.
Armando drove me to Katy’s office in Westlake just before she closed.
After getting out of the limousine, I walked to the front door of Katy’s office. Her travel agency took up the space at the end of the strip mall and because of its corner position, almost all of it was framed in glass. As I approached, it looked to me as if she was the only employee still there. A middle-aged woman sat in a chair directly across from Katy’s desk. A customer, I guessed. I grabbed the door handle and pulled it open and as I did, chatter from the women entered my awareness. They both stopped and looked at me as I walked inside. Katy arched a brow in my direction.
“I’ll be right with you, sir,” she said, pretending not to know me.
I nodded and took a seat. Considering all of the profane things she’d called me in recent months, ‘sir’ was a nice change of pace, even if it was for public consumption.
“Help yourself to some of coffee or soda while you wait,” she added.
Smiling as I sat, I nodded back at her. “Got any vodka?”
The woman in the chair turned her head nearly one hundred and eighty degrees as she looked towards me.
“Madam.” I nodded as her eyes locked on mine.
Katy grimaced in disgust. And before her customer could turn back in her direction she positioned her middle finger towards me in the universal symbol of disapproval.
“No, sir,” Katy deadpanned, as she glared at me with her digit fully extended. “But there is a bar at the other end of the shopping center. Perhaps they can be of some assistance?"
I chuckled as the woman turned her head back towards Katy. Maddie’s best friend lowered her non-verbal statement at the last instant.
“I’m fine, thank you,” I replied.
“Very good, then. I’ll be right with you.”
The women chatted on for another fifteen minutes or so until at last, Katy helped the woman put the finishing touches on what sounded like a cruise or some such. After seeing her customer out, Katy locked the front door to the office, drew the blinds and walked back towards me. The heels of her chunky wedges clopped along the linoleum floor as she neared.
“What are you doing here, Grey?”
With my hands in my lap, I looked up towards her.
“Guess I’m not getting that vodka after all, am I?”
She pursed her lips in displeasure. “No. Now, out with it. Why are you here?”
“What?” I replied. “Can’t I pay a visit to my good friend?"
As I spoke, Katy’s hair bounced from left-to-right as she shook her head. Glaring down at me through the short, brown strands, her freckled complexion gave her away. She’d already spoken to Maddie about what happened between us. Well, if nothing else I could save some time without getting into a whole back story with her.
“What did you expect her to say, Grey?”