Wait for Me / Trust in Me (20 page)

Jason walked around the car and grabbed her hand, something that felt far too natural, and led her into the lobby. “Now behave yourself,” he teased as he walked to the desk to check them in.

“Welcome to the Four Seasons, Mr. Montgomery. We have two rooms waiting for you for five nights—”

“Five nights?” Maggie interrupted. “You completely canceled the other reservation?”

Jason nodded. “This is where I really wanted to stay anyway,” he said simply.

Maggie felt like a country bumpkin. She was dressed casually, and even in her best clothes she had brought with her, she felt hyperaware of the fact that she was completely out of her element here.

Jason saw the apprehension on her face and questioned it.

“I wasn't mentally prepared for this, Jason,” she said quietly. “I don't belong here.”

“Nonsense,” was all he said as he accepted their room keys and followed the bellboy to the elevators. It was late and Jason was exhausted. He had a lot to accomplish this weekend—hopefully relaxing and maybe figuring out what was behind his assistant's apprehensiveness whenever the subject of her husband came up. Even though he had promised himself he'd stay focused strictly on business, he wouldn't be satisfied until he knew the truth about the woman who was beginning to consume all of his thoughts.

Once again they had adjoining rooms, but had agreed to sleep in on Saturday morning since they had arrived late the previous evening. Maggie was completely on board with that plan because she was totally exhausted and the bed in her room was the most comfortable one she had ever slept on.

As much as she had planned on sleeping late, she woke up at a conservative nine o'clock and ordered herself some breakfast. The thought of calling Jason and seeing if he was awake crossed her mind, but she was kind of enjoying the little bit of space and freedom she had.

Since their flight to Boston, they had gotten back on track. The kiss was seemingly forgotten. Out of sight, out of mind, she supposed. But at night? It was the highlight of all of her dreams. Sure, during the day Maggie was able to play the part of the engrossed executive assistant, but once she was alone with her thoughts? They were filled with one Jason Montgomery. Even now when she closed her eyes she could feel his lips on hers, the way his strong arms had embraced her, the smell of his cologne…

Dammit.

Taking the time to shower in the magnificent spa-quality bathroom, Maggie felt that she would be just fine spending the day in there! The knowledge that she had five days to luxuriate in this kind of atmosphere was making her giddy.

By eleven she was dressed, ready, and more than a little anxious to go outside and explore the Big Apple. She called Jason's room and was surprised when he told her he'd been up since seven waiting for her call. They agreed to meet down in the lobby and Maggie told him she was more than willing to let him play tour guide.

Dressed in jeans and sneakers, Maggie was ready to walk for however long Jason planned. “Was there any place in particular that you absolutely want to see?” he asked as he put on a pair on sunglasses and walked out the front door of the hotel.

“Everything!” Maggie said with a bright smile. “I'm just excited to have a day to do this!”

“Remember that you said that,” he said with a wicked grin, took a moment to get his bearings, and then took her hand and led her out onto the streets of New York.

Four hours later, Maggie found herself ready to drop. She collapsed on a sidewalk café bistro table and just tried to catch her breath. “Okay, I know I said that I wanted to see everything but I didn't really mean it.”

Jason sat down opposite her and ordered them each a sparkling water. “Don't quit on me now. We've barely scratched the surface!”

“Scratched the surface? Jason, I am dazzled by all that we've seen, but surely we can catch a cab for some of it.”

“It's not the same…” he said sweetly.

“We've seen Times Square, we've walked in Central Park, we've eaten pizza and hot dogs.” She stopped to breathe. “Then there was Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall… I think I am done for the day. I may need to go and soak my feet in my tub-slash-swimming pool.”

“Well, you could do that but if you do you're going to miss out on the best part,” he teased.

She glared at him. “Best part? You mean we haven't seen the best part yet? What are you holding out on me?”

“Well, I was able to make some calls this morning and I got us two tickets to the Rangers game tonight!”

“No way!” she said excitedly. “Seriously? You're not joking with me?”

“I would never joke about tickets to a sporting event. It wouldn't be right.”

“Damn straight it wouldn't.
Oh
my
gosh
! We're going to Madison Square Garden! I'm going to see the Rangers play on home ice!” Maggie began to babble, asking Jason a dozen questions in a row about the rest of their day.

“Slow down there, slugger,” he joked. “We'll head back to the hotel so you can rest for a little while and then we can grab dinner someplace and then…”

“Dinner someplace? Are you crazy?” Maggie looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. “We are going to have the full game experience, and that includes eating from the concession stands in the Garden.”

He wanted to laugh and tease her some more about the whole thing, but honestly he found her reaction to such a simple thing as a hockey game refreshing. Some women would fish for a nice dinner out before the game or want to avoid the game altogether, and yet here was Maggie, completely over the moon because they were going to eat hot dogs at Madison Square Garden so she could cheer on her team.

Yet another reason he was finding it hard to not be drawn to her.

“I cannot believe that you got us tickets,” she said as she sipped her water. “This is the best day ever!” Taking a quick swallow, Maggie placed the glass down and looked at Jason. “Thank you. In case I forget to thank you later, I just want you to know right now how much this means to me.”

If her words didn't say it, her eyes certainly conveyed it. “You are more than welcome, Maggie. I have to admit, I've never been to a game at the Garden, so you'll have to play tour guide this evening.”

“Deal,” she agreed readily. “Now, let's agree to take a cab back to the hotel so we can rest up for later.”

Jason stood and then playfully pulled Maggie to her feet. “Deal.”

* * *

The transformation was remarkable, and Jason found that in a crowd of eighteen thousand screaming hockey fans, he was speechless.

Somehow between the time he had dropped Maggie off at her room and the time they met to leave for the game, she had gone from mild-mannered assistant to rabid hockey fan! Her hair was loose and she wore a New York Rangers sweatshirt with jeans and sneakers, and if he listened closely enough, he could almost swear that she had suddenly picked up a New York accent.

“Off sides!
Off
sides!
” she yelled at the top of her lungs as she jumped to her feet and Jason sat back and smiled. “Dammit,” she muttered as the play was stopped and the crowd settled a bit. Without taking her eyes from the ice, Maggie reached for her beverage and then sat down on the edge of her seat.

While Jason had the urge to say something, anything, that would allow him to interact with Maggie, for all intents and purposes, she didn't even realize he was there. Talk about an ego buster.

In between periods, they trolled the Garden to purchase more snacks and beer and Maggie was content to take it all in. When she did talk to Jason, it was about the game, the players, the building itself and although it wasn't a topic that he felt overly informed about, he was happy to watch Maggie enjoying herself.

By the third period he could tell that her voice was raw from all of the yelling, but when the final buzzer rang out and she turned and jumped into his arms in celebration, Jason knew that he was in serious trouble.

* * *

It had been a perfect night for Rangers fans, with a 4–1 victory over Philadelphia. As the final buzzer sounded out, Maggie jumped up along with the thousands of other fans to cheer and then jumped into Jason's arms. He caught her easily and found her excitement and enthusiasm to be contagious. “We won!” she cried. When she realized what she had done, she disentangled herself from Jason and joined the throngs of people walking from their seats. Maggie was simply glowing with victory as they exited their row. “That was amazing,” she gushed. “Wasn't that a great game, Jace?”

He agreed. “I have to admit, there is definitely a vibe here in the Garden I can't imagine feeling anyplace else. New York fans are something else.”

“You know it.” Making their way through the mass exodus was time-consuming, and finally Maggie just stopped and dropped into a vacant seat. Jason stood for a moment in confusion.

“Are you okay?”

Maggie looked up at him. “What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. It's going to take a while for the crowd to thin out, so I figured what's the rush?” She sighed and looked around the grand arena. “Think of the history of this place,” she said in a near whisper. “How many games, events, and concerts has it seen? The number of people who've been here…it's amazing.”

Jason sat down in the row in front of her and looked around. He'd never even given a thought to where he watched his sports, but the look of wonder on Maggie's face had him contemplating her words.

“I know it sounds silly and a bit clichéd, but it would be amazing if these walls could talk,” she said softly, more to herself than to Jason. With a quiet sigh, Maggie stood and stretched. “Ready to fight the crowds once again?”

Jason stood. “I think we'll be okay; it's pretty empty in here already.” Wordlessly, they walked up the steps to the nearest exit and he noticed how Maggie took one more wistful look over her shoulder before walking through the doors. He wished there was something he could say, something insightful, but decided just to let her have her moment.

They were outside finally and Maggie was a bit chilled but the thought of finding a cab seemed daunting. Jason read the indecision on her face. “It's not as hard as it seems. The trick is to walk a couple of blocks and then hail one.”

Maggie nodded. “That makes sense.” They walked silently up Seventh Avenue toward Times Square. The city was so alive, there was something so magical about it at night. How had she lived so long without experiencing so much? The way she lived had never really bothered Maggie before, but now? Traveling with Jason? She realized there was an entire world out there that she was missing out on.

Before she knew it, Jason had stopped and a cab was pulling up beside them. She climbed in and listened as he told the driver where to take them and then sat back, watching the city streets speed by. She didn't realize that she'd let out a sigh until Jason spoke.

“Did you want to walk some more?”

“Oh, no, it's just that there's so much to see. My feet are a bit sore and I know taking a cab is the right choice…”

“But…” he prompted.

She smiled, “But, I like to think that I'm superhuman and could handle walking the mile and a half back to the hotel.”

Jason chuckled. “Well, if we hadn't walked so much today I might have considered it but I'm not as superhuman as I'd like to be either. I think tomorrow my body is going to be cursing me.”

Maggie laughed out loud and Jason joined her. When they arrived back at the hotel, they commiserated like an elderly couple about all of their aches and pains, and Maggie was having a fit of the giggles by the time the elevator stopped at their floor.

Outside of her door, she took a deep breath and turned to face Jason. “Thank you so much for such an incredible night. It was absolutely the best.”

He arched a dark brow at her. “Seriously? It was hot dogs and fistfights!”

“Are you crazy?” she laughed. “It was a chance to do something that I've always wanted to do! It wasn't about the food, per se, it was about the entire experience. I finally got to experience a night at the Garden as an adult who got to scream and yell and watch her team win!” Maggie caught herself before she flung herself at Jason and hugged him again. She was starting to like doing that too much.

With a steadying breath, she opened her door. “Anyway, it was a fabulous night, Jason. Thank you for making the time for us to do this.” Her tone was serious, as was the expression in her eyes. She stood there staring at him for a long moment and almost caved and leaned toward him, something that he seemed about to do himself, when she took a step back. “Good night,” she whispered and went into her room and closed the door.

* * *

Jason stood in the hallway staring at Maggie's door for far longer than he should have. He was confused and disappointed and didn't know why. It was the sound of voices coming off of the elevator that finally had him moving to his own room, and once inside he was too keyed up to go to sleep.

Glancing at the bedside clock, he noticed that it was barely eleven. It was late, but not too late to call the one person who could possibly shed a little light on who exactly Maggie Barrett was.

Kicking off his shoes, Jason pulled out his cell phone and scrolled through his contacts until he found who he wanted, then relaxed on the bed and waited.

“Jason?” his father said by way of greeting. “Is everything okay?”

“Hey, Dad,” he said easily, the sound of his father's voice bringing a smile to his face. “I'm fine. I just wanted to check in and see how you were doing.”

“At eleven at night? Lucky for you I'm in the study and your mother is upstairs reading, otherwise she'd think there was some sort of terrible emergency that had you calling so late at night.”

“Stop with the theatrics, Dad,” Jason chided softly. “I know it's a bit late but…”

“Are you sure everything is okay? Is it the meetings? Are they going all right? I haven't seen any red flags in what you've been sending in.”

“No, no…it's not the meetings; everything is fine there.”

William was silent for a moment. “So where are you now? Still in Boston? You're due in New York on Monday, right?”

“Actually, we're in New York now. We drove down late last night after our last meeting and decided to relax this weekend.” Jason couldn't hide the smile in his voice. “I took Maggie to a hockey game tonight.”

“Hockey?” William said with disbelief. “Why on earth would you take Maggie to a hockey game?”

Jason laughed. “Believe it or not, she's a fan. For a woman who is quiet and unassuming during the day, she is a rabid hockey fan when she's watching her team play. It was quite an eye-opening experience.”

Something in his son's tone caught William's attention. “So she's a hockey fan? Who would've guessed? I can't imagine her sitting there in one of her conservative outfits, hair all pulled back, yelling and cheering for her team.”

“There was no conservative outfit, Dad. She wore her hair all loose and wavy and a pair of jeans and a New York Rangers sweatshirt… She fit right in. She was like a kid in a candy shop. We ate hot dogs and pretzels and drank beer and Maggie said it was the best night.” Jason sighed. “I never met a woman who was content just to eat hot dogs and drink beer.”