Gosh Golly Gee, Maddie

Maddie Hayes walked through Blue Moon’s door five minutes earlier than usual on Friday morning. She stopped and watched her employees work for a moment. As if they felt her eyes on them, one by one they picked their heads up and stared back at her. Not wanting to walk away and let them ‘win’, but feeling decidedly uncomfortable with eight pairs of eyes on her, she awkwardly stood at Agnes’ desk.

There was a sudden crash in the hall and everyone turned to stare at the door. David opened the door, not coming all the way. “Look, I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you. Really.” He walked in, closing the door behind him, and looked at Maddie, “Angry psychiatric patient. Spilled his coffee.” he looked her up and down, “My, we’re looking...happy today. Get lucky last night?” she glared at him, “No, of course you didn’t. Mean, homely woman like you, couldn’t be.” David smiled at Agnes, “Good morning, Ms. DiPesto.”

She smiled in return, “Good morning, Mr. Addison.” she handed him two phone messages, “Your dentist called. It’s time for another appointment.”

David grimaced, “I hate having other people’s hands in my mouth.” he looked at Maddie and smirked, “Let me rephrase that--”

Maddie rolled her eyes and looked at Agnes, “Any messages, Ms. DiPesto?” Agnes nodded and handed her a single piece of paper. Maddie looked at it and made a face. She sighed, “All right, thanks, Ms. DiPesto.” she turned and walked into her office.

David smiled at her and started off towards Maddie’s office. Just as he was raising a hand to knock, the door opened and Maddie stuck her head out, jumping when she saw him, “David, you scared me. Can I see you for a moment, please?”

“See me what?” he said as he walked into the office and shut the door. He walked over to the chair in front of her desk and plopped down in it. Maddie took a deep breath and sat down at her desk.

“You mean the one we’ve been avoiding by sending Agnes and Burt the last few years? That one? Yeah, I remember it. Why?”

“All four of us? Together? This’ll be more fun than a barrel of fish. When should I pick you up?” he asked with a grin.

Maddie looked at him with wariness, “You seem awfully compliant about this. Why are you being so agreeable, you hate these things.”

“Have you ever been to one of these things?” David shook his head, “They’re one of the most boring things on earth, with nothing to do but dance or stand around looking stupid.”

“There, I’m good at that. It’s only one night, and anyway, you’ll be there. It won’t be that bad. Might be interesting...might have fun.”

“Better make it seven. Pack a bag...and don’t forget your toothbrush this time, you are not using mine.” Maddie got up from her desk and picked up a stack of papers.

“Yes, I forgot to tell you, I figured it would be easier to just stay at the hotel until Sunday than to drive back late Saturday night.”

“Didn’t you read the script? This is a filler episode, just filling in the spot between Dana’s episode and Diane’s.” Maddie said nonchalantly.

“You mean we aren’t going to get into our usual knock down drag out fight scenes that have us talking at the same time and a lot of pent up sexual energy?” David said, a little disappointed.

“You are?” Maddie said with surprise, she had expected him to be a little disappointed, a little regretful, a little more in tune of what she was feeling.

“Yeah, those scenes leave me feeling inadequate. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the writers are doing a fabulous job, but all this fighting and sexual tension has got my guts tied in knots. It will be a relief just to settle it down to flirting and knowing nothing’s going to happen.” he said simply, getting up from the chair and walking towards the door, turning back to say, “I have to go pick up a penguin suit now if--”

Maddie nodded and waved him out of the office, closing and leaning into the door. She shook her head and sat back down at her desk.

Maddie was in the bathroom brushing her hair when the doorbell rang. Glaring at her reflection in the mirror and the puffy blonde hair that refused to do anything but puff, she pulled it up into a knot and shoved a clip in it. The doorbell rang again and she glanced at herself in the full length mirror. Clad in an ankle length black satin dress, she smiled at herself, then glared again at the unruly mop of hair and, uttering an oath, she hurried down the stairs as the doorbell sounded one more time.

Maddie pulled open the door to reveal David leaning against the frame, one hand braced on his hip, the other behind his back. She glanced appreciatively up and down his body. He always did look good in a tuxedo. David gave a whistle and walked into the house, circling Maddie, his eyes running up and down her form.

“Lady, dressed like that, I’ll be anything you want me to be.” David quipped, pulling out a single white rose and tucking it behind her ear. Maddie gasped and took it down.

“I want you to be able to give me five more minutes.” Maddie said with a smile as she walked back to the stairs, lifting her dress away from her feet. David could see she was barefoot. Maddie turned back to him, “Thank you, David. And I’ll be just five minutes, I promise.”

“Nice try, Addison. I’m sure I can handle it.” she went the rest of the way up the stairs and leaned back over the landing, looking at him and smiling provocatively, “Maybe I’ll take a rain check...” she let the door slam on her way into the bedroom.

Five minutes later, Maddie came down the stairs, carrying black pumps and a black purse, the white flower tucked into her hair, which was pulled away from her face and wrapped into a loose bun at the back of her head. David looked up from his place on the couch and stared at Maddie. She twirled around, causing the satin fabric to billow slightly and then flatten against her legs. There was a slit up to mid thigh and a single diamond lay on the hollow of her throat.

David whistled again, once more wishing for more than they had, and held out his hand to her. Maddie grasped it and spun around one more time, “Do I look ok?”

“Ok? OK?” David scoffed, “Honey, if you looked any more ‘Ok’, we’d never get to the ball.” he looked her over once again and Maddie laughed softly.

“David, close your mouth, you’re catching flies.” she tapped him on the arm with her purse and pulled him towards the door, “Are we meeting Mr. Viola and Agnes there?”

“They’re following us. You sure you want to do this tonight?” Maddie looked back at him and gave him what she hoped was a stern look, “Behave, David.”

“Let’s go, Addison. You’re driving.” she walked out the front door, throwing the keys on the end table to David, “Lock it on your way out, ok?”

“Turn here. The hotel should be just up ahead.” Maddie told him, looking again at the sheet of paper she held in her hands.

David turned the car and pulled into the parking lot of The Sea Turtle Hotel, he jumped out of the car and threw the keys to the valet that opened Maddie’s door. Another came around and got out David’s small bag and Maddie’s larger one. David looked at the bag, “You sure we’re just staying one night?”

Maddie ignored his comment and started towards the door of the hotel, David hurried to open it for her, “In a sort of rush, aren’t we, Ms. Hayes?”

“I just want to get our rooms and get this whole ‘ball’ over with.” Maddie replied, walking up to the desk, “I have room reservations?”

“Right, rooms 1098 and 1099. Here are the keys.” the girl handed Maddie two keys and widened her smile, “Have a nice stay.”

“Thank you.” Maddie nodded to David and followed him over to the elevator, “We have adjoining rooms.” she observed.

He smiled at her and raised his eyebrows. Maddie gave him a reproaching look, “Behave, David.” before he could reply, the elevator doors opened and Maddie stepped on.

They got off at the tenth floor and David followed Maddie into her room, putting her bag on the bed. “Wow, this is a nice place. I’m almost afraid to touch anything.” he looked around the room, “How are we affording this place?”

Maddie laughed, “We’re not. They are. The sponsors pay for everything. We just sit back and enjoy it.” David whistled, “Well, I’m impressed.”

Maddie sighed, “I’m sorry, I just want to touch up a few things before we go back downstairs. Can you come back in about ten minutes?”

David nodded and blew her a kiss as he walked out the door, “Anything for you, partner.” Maddie reached into the air and ‘caught’ the kiss, David grinned as the door shut.

Exactly ten minutes later, David knocked on the door of Maddie’s room, a muffled, “Come in” sounded from inside and David opened the door, “Maddie?”

“No!” she peeked around the corner, “I’m just finishing my hair, I’ll be ready in a second.” she disappeared around the corner again and David sat on the bed. Maddie came out a minute later, her hair slightly curled (Think first season) and brushing her shoulders. “I’m ready, let’s go.” She picked up her coat and walked out the door David was holding open.

They got into the elevator and David pushed the lobby button, “You look amazing.” he said to Maddie as the doors closed.

They got off the elevator and entered the ballroom, the man took their coats and Maddie and David started heading towards the table Agnes and Burt had reserved. As they approached, both Agnes and Burt stood, “Ms. Hayes, Mr. Addison. You guys look...wow.”

Maddie and David exchanged looks, “We think you two look pretty wow, too, Agnes.” David replied. Just as he started to pull out Maddie’s chair, the first strings of a song floated through the speakers at the doorway. Maddie glanced at David and smiled. David returned it, “We’ll be back, kids.” he winked at Maddie and held out his hand, she took it and they walked out onto the dance floor.

“Hard to believe it’s been almost six years since we first danced to this.” David whispered in her ear as the instrumental version of ‘Since I Fell For You’ went on.

Maddie laughed softly, “Yes, and this time we’re not in a bar.” they both laughed again, enjoying each other’s company, “Maybe tonight won’t be so bad after all.” she said, smiling up at him. The sound of Billy Joel began right as the instrumental went of. They didn’t return to the table for the next few hours, except to grab a sip of water in between songs.

“My feet are killing me.” Maddie whispered to David as they were dancing to an Eagles song, “I’m afraid we’re going to have to stop before too much longer.”

“I’m ready.” Maddie said, wincing at the pain in her feet. David smiled and nodded. They got back to the table just as Burt and Agnes did. Maddie turned to David, “I’m going to go get our coats.”

They started off towards the coat closet. Maddie and Burt stepped inside, Maddie had just found her coat when the door banged shut, causing her to jump. She threw a glance at Burt, who just shrugged and went on looking.

“Don’t wait on me, Mr. Viola. Go ahead.” Maddie volunteered, not raising her head from the rack of coats. A few minutes later, she looked up in surprise, finding Burt still there, staring at the door. “Mr. Viola, I thought you were leaving?”

Maddie sighed and walked over to the door, she turned the knob, the door stayed shut. Perplexed, she tried it again with the same results. “Mr. Viola, the door is stuck.”

Burt nodded and leaned against the wall, “I’m not too happy about it either, Ms. Hayes. Poor Agnes, she’s going to think I abandoned her. Woe is me.”

“How long does it take to get four coats?” David sat down at the bar and stared off into oblivion, Agnes looked at him and shrugged.

David nodded and turned back to the bartender, “Get me a double of anything in the tequila family, will ya?” the bartender gave him a look and complied.

The silence in the room was getting to Maddie. She wasn’t used to all the quiet, being with David had made her appreciate noise, and now she found herself gritting her teeth, trying to find something to talk about. Burt finally broke the silence.

Maddie sighed and looked at her watch, “It’s ten-thirty, Mr. Viola.” she dropped her hand back into her lap and, leaning her head against the wall, closed her eyes, “How long have we been in here?”

“Thirty minutes, Ms. Hayes.” he replied, rolling a pen back and forth between his hands, “Seems longer, doesn’t it?”

Maddie nodded, “I wonder what David and Agnes are thinking?” she raised her head and looked at Burt, simultaneously they said, “Probably don’t want to know.”

“Mr. Addison? I think something’s wrong. I can’t find Burt or Ms. Hayes anywhere. It’s been thirty minutes. I’m worried.” Agnes said as she walked up to David, who was sitting at the bar, downing what seemed to be his sixth shot of tequila.

David raised his head from the bar, seemingly oblivious to the napkin stuck to his forehead, and uttered something that sounded like, “Argle bargle snurfle durp.” and then his head dropped back to the bar counter. Agnes stared at him, then patted his head in understanding.

Maddie was almost to the point of tearing her hair out. Three hours later and here they were, still sitting in a closet. She had paced, tried to initiate conversation, and banged on the door for a solid thirty minutes. To no avail, her feet now hurt, she had a headache, and her hand throbbed. Trying to sleep had proved to be an impossible feat, and had somehow made her head ache all the more.

Burt, on the other hand, was sitting in the corner with his eyes closed, sleeping peacefully. Maddie shook her head, disgusted, and got up to pace again.

It didn’t take three hours to get four coats. Neither Maddie nor Herbert were in their rooms, and she had actually gone so far as to check the registration at the hotel counter for another room reserved for Herbert. She was still ashamed of that.

She sat down next to David at the bar and sipped her third glass of wine. David had passed out about thirty minutes ago and was sleeping with his head on the counter, pillowed by his arms. Agnes patted her sleeping boss on the back and finished the rest of her wine.

Maddie stifled another burst of laughter and nodded, “It’s just ironic, that’s all. They’re out there, we’re in here...” she let her sentence trail off and laughed again.

“It does have a certain ring of irony to it, doesn’t it?” he looked at his watch, “We’ve been in here an awfully long time, Ms. Hayes. You don’t suppose everyone has left, do you?”

Maddie glanced again at her watch and sighed, “I don’t know. I doubt Agnes would have left while you were missing. David, on the other hand...”

Burt smiled and shook his head, “They’re probably worried sick about us. When I think of Agnes, sitting out there, all by her lonesome--”

Maddie interrupted him, “She has David. I’m sure they’re both just fine.” She sank back down to the floor, looking at the man across the small stuffy room.

She sighed, “I was just contemplating my suicide, wondering if your belt is long enough to hang from the light up there.”

“Not now, Agnes.” David said, slurring the words a little. He raised his hand in the air, inadvertently hitting a waiter in the face, “You know, I’ve played this scene with her a million times. We’re having a great time, and suddenly, she’s gone.” he looked down at the seventeen empty shot glasses sitting in front of him, “Much like this tequila. You been sneaking sips, Agnes?”

David grinned and nodded, “It’s like I always say, Life is like a box of chocolates,” David’s head hit the counter, “You never know which one is going to make you sick.”

“Forgive me, Ms. Hayes, but it doesn’t seem that way. You’re not together, though, and you’re not apart.” he sighed, “I just don’t understand.”

They smiled at each other. A few moments passed and Maddie finally resigned herself to the inevitable conversation. “I’m beginning to believe relationships in general are a bad idea. The last few have been hell.”

Maddie glanced up, surprised. Burt hastily went on, “Not that Agnes isn’t wonderful, but I did have a life before Blue Moon.”

“Mr. Addison? I think we’d better get you up to your room.” Agnes said, looking down on her drunk and depressed boss.

David picked up his head from the bar counter and looked back at Agnes, worry and a deeper emotion that she couldn’t place in his eyes, “You don’t think she ran off to Chicago, do you?” his eyes widened, “God, I hope she’s not pregnant. Chicago and pregnant woman don’t mix. What if she took the train? Chicago, pregnant women, and trains don’t mix. Let me rephrase that. Chicago, pregnancy, trains, and MADDIE don’t mix.” his head dropped back down to the counter and once again Agnes patted his head.

“What is a relationship anyway? Just two people who stay together while waiting for something better to come along.” Maddie paused, “Who said that? It sounds familiar.”

Lloyd Burns had worked at the Sea Turtle for the last fifteen years. Janitor work wasn’t ideal, but it gets you money. In all of his fifteen years at the hotel, never had he heard of ghosts.

But now as he passed the coat closet, soft voices floated out. He stopped and tried the knob, it was locked. Pulling out a ring of keys, Lloyd put one into the key hole and twisted it. The closet door opened with a click and Maddie and Burt stared out at him.

Maddie and Burt exchanged glances, “We were getting our coats when someone pushed the door shut. We’ve been locked in here for about three hours now.”

Lloyd pursed his lips and ushered them out of the closet, “Well, you two go back to the party, I don’t have time for stories.” he threw their coats at Burt and locked the door again, he looked back at Maddie and Burt, “Locked in a closet...ha!”

Maddie shrugged at the little man and watched him amble off, “We’d better go see what David and Agnes are doing.” Burt nodded and they started off towards the ballroom, “You know, Burt, it would have been worse if I had been alone in that closet.”

“I know what you mean. Ms.--” Burt stopped in mid sentence, staring at the corner of the room where Agnes and David were sleeping, Agnes with her head on David’s shoulder. Burt quickly walked over and picked Agnes up, waking her in the process, “Herbert? Where have you been? Mr. Addison and I were worried sick.” she closed her eyes and fell asleep before he could reply.

“Thank you Ms. Hayes.” he nodded and walked off towards the elevator. Maddie sighed and put hers and David’s coats on a nearby chair, she leaned down and gently shook him, David came awake with a start, “Not the grenade!!” he looked up at Maddie with a dazed look on his face.

Maddie frowned and looked over at the bar. Twenty empty shot glasses and three empty wine glasses stood lined up on the counter. Maddie sighed and pulled David to his feet, “You’re a mess. Where’s your tie?” David pointed to the chair that was holding the coats and Maddie grabbed it, flinging it around his neck, “Come on...let’s get you upstairs.”

Maddie managed to make it to the elevator without falling over from David’s weight, although she had to take her shoes off to do so. She leaned him against the wall and waited for the elevator doors to open. In too short a time they did and, panting, Maddie got him onto the elevator, sitting him on the bench that was mounted to the wall. She sat beside him and pushed the number 10. Resting her head against the wall, she closed her eyes and relaxed, saving what energy she could for what it was going to take to get him into his room and into bed.

The bell sounded and Maddie took a deep breath and pulled David to his feet, putting his arm around her neck. They stumbled to the adjoining rooms and Maddie unlocked hers, pulling them both inside and flinging David down on her bed. She threw off her coat and walked into the bathroom, emerging minutes later wearing a pair of sweat pants and a sweater. She contemplated leaving him in his clothes and decided she’d just take his shirt and belt off.

Maddie rolled David over onto his back and started undoing the buttons off his shirt, feeling a bit awkward because of her advantage over him, but working diligently nevertheless. She pulled his shirt free from his body and undid his belt. Yanking that, too, free of his body, she hung the shirt up and put the belt with his tie over the chair. She stood over David’s sleeping form for a few moments, pondering her predicament. David was in her bed, she didn’t have a key to his room.

Maddie sat on the side of the bed and carefully reached into David’s pocket, finding no wallet there, she remembered him leaving it on the night table in his room. Muttering to herself, she walked over to the adjoining door and tried the knob. Locked. She sighed and grabbed a pillow from the bed, resigning herself to a long night in a hard chair.

David rolled over onto his back and threw an arm across his eyes, blocking the ray of sun that had filtered through the slit in the drapes. Groaning softly at the ache in his head, he carefully rolled back over and removed the shield his arm created. The previous night came rushing back to him and he sat up quickly, wincing at the feeling of nausea. He glanced around the room and was relieved to find Maddie sleeping about five or six feet from the bed, clad n sweat pants and a sweater, a blanket wrapped around her body. He slowly got out of the bed, grimacing and throwing a glare in the direction of the window.

He stood over Maddie, watching her sleep. Happy for the silence when he could watch her without that icy shield coming up and blocking him out. David brushed a strand of hair out of her face and carefully tucked it behind her ear. He brought two of his fingers to his lips and kissed them, pressing them gently to hers, then walked toward the adjoining door, pulling the key from his shirt pocket.

“You might want to see someone for that.” she interrupted, smiling up at him, “I’m sorry, what were you thinking?”

David grinned and brushed a lock of hair from her forehead, “What say you and me go out tonight? Get something to eat, maybe some dancing, a little wine, and then home. What do you think?”

Maddie laughed, “School night, David. I’m afraid you’re going to have to contain yourself until then.” David frowned and stuck his lower lip out, Maddie laughed again, “I’m sure you’ll survive.”

“I don’t know...the doctor was mentioning something like that...withdrawal, I think he called it.” he leaned in and kissed her hard on the lips, “But I think you’re right, I’ll survive.” he got up from the desk and walked towards the door.