He called goodnight to the others as he slapped the guard outside his door on the back and entered the room. Maggie wasn’t on the couch where he expected to find her, so he figured she must be asleep. He saw the soft flicker of the TV under the door. Slowly, he turned the knob and gently pushed the door to the bedroom open. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light in the room, he saw Maggie sitting in the middle of the bed, knees hugged to her chest and a box of tissues beside her.
“Maggie?” Kevin asked as he turned on the overhead light.
She barely glanced up and waved a hand to shush him as she sniffled and reached for another tissue.
“What’s wrong, baby? Are you all right?” He asked, concern in his voice as he caught sight of her eyes, red and bloodshot from crying. He sat on the bed. “If you’re sick, I can get the hotel doc…”
Maggie put a hand over his mouth, forcing him to be quiet. She didn’t take her eyes off of the TV screen. The movie she had been watching was rolling the end credits. She wiped her eyes and blew her nose.
“Ah, I needed that,” she sniffled. “What were you saying?” She collected her tissues.
“I was wondering if you were OK. What brought this on?” He brushed her hair away from her face.
“I just needed a good cry, I guess. After you left for the show, I found ‘Pure Country’ on one of the movie channels. I love that movie.”
"Apparently you also love cookie dough,” Kevin commented, picking up the wrapper of chocolate chip cookie dough. “So, this time, I came in second not only to George Strait, but also to raw cookies. You’d rather stay, watch his movie, and eat until you get sick than to see me shake my thing?”
“Oh, no, Kevin. You know better than that. Why don’t you shake it for me now?” She asked, grinning mischievously.
“I don’t think so. I’m not in the mood for it now. The moment’s passed. It’s not like I’m some kind of toy you can turn on and off whenever you want,” he replied, his tone one of mock hurt.
Kevin stood up and began to undress. He began telling Maggie about the night’s show.
“Out of all the ones to miss, it had to be tonight. You should have seen it. We were in fine form. Then, as Nick was running across the stage, he lost his footing. I think he hit a slick spot or something. Anyway, BLAM!” Kevin exclaimed, clapping his hands together loudly in demonstration, “he busted it right there! Fell flat on his ass! He got up and took a bow, as if it was part of the choreography! Not much can distract Howie during a show, but that did. He actually had to put the microphone down for the rest of the song!”
Maggie grinned at him. She still had a touch of sadness about her. Stripped down to his boxers, Kevin sat beside her. He reached out and pulled her to him. Sighing, he stroked her hair.
“What is it, Mags? I give you a recount of the best moment on stage and you don’t howl with laughter? What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. I’m just…blue, I guess. Maybe because it’s getting so close to the holidays.”
“Do you miss your family, honey? If you’d like, I can bring them here,” he offered.
“Oh, no. Please don’t do that! I really couldn’t get away from my mama then. I mean, sure I miss them, but I also miss my dogs.”
Kevin chuckled as Maggie’s eyes puddled with tears again. He kissed her forehead. “I don’t think it would be a good idea to bring them on the road. They’d take a bus by themselves.”
Maggie began to cry.
“Oh, don’t do that. I didn’t mean it. I’ll get them here for you, baby. Just tell me when.”
“It’s not that, Kevin. I don’t know. I feel so…stifled here sometimes. It’s crazy, because I have everything I could want. I have you. You give me all the attention imaginable. Everyone is so nice to me. I’m just crazy, I guess.”
“Are you pregnant?” Kevin asked softly.
“What?” She asked, pulling away from him, eyes wide in shock.
“Because if you are, it’d be all right. You do know that, don’t you?”
“Are you insane? Hell no I’m not pregnant! That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard!”
“Calm down, Maggie. I was just asking. I just thought with you getting so emotional and what you ate tonight, it could mean only one thing.”
“Yeah, it does. It means that I cry at my favorite movie every time I see it and I was in the mood for something really naughty. Honestly, Kevin, I thought you knew me better than that. For goodness sakes, I don’t want kids. I know what they grow up into. Remember, I teach those monsters.”
Kevin leaned back on the pillows, his hands behind his head. He laughed softly at her outburst.
“What is so funny?” She demanded.
“You. If I knew it would take something like that to get you so riled, I’d have mentioned that a few weeks ago. Baby, I do know you better than that. Come here,” he said, reaching a hand out for her.
“I don’t think so,” she told him, her lips pursed in determination.
“Maggie, come here,” he repeated.
She remained steadfast in her spot, staring him down. Slowly he sat up and crawled to her. Kissing her neck softly, his hands rubbed her shoulders. She willed herself to remain solid against his touch.
“Oh, my. You have some serious tension, Maggie,” Kevin whispered in her ear. “Maybe I haven’t been giving you the right kind of attention. Let me help you release some of that stress.”
Maggie’s resistance faded as his hands moved lower and he eased her back on the bed. Kissing a trail across her arms, he removed her panties and tossed them to the floor.
“You know, if you’re good tonight, I might have a surprise for you tomorrow,” he breathed onto the skin of her belly.
“What about tonight? Don’t you have a big surprise for me now?” She sighed as he positioned himself between her legs.
“You get a big surprise tonight, baby. But it is only between you and me.”
“Those are the best kind,” she gasped as he began his delicious tongue torture.
*******
Kevin and Maggie joined the others for brunch the next day. She always felt awkward being around them after she and Kevin had been intimate. She wondered if they could tell. It was hard to judge, since one of them always wore a smirk about something.
“How are you this morning?” She asked, sitting next to Nick. “I heard about your spill last night. I hope you didn’t hurt your rump too badly.”
“My rump?” Nick asked, looking up from his plate.
“She means your ass,” Kevin translated, taking his place on the other side of Maggie. “I think he did more damage to the stage than to himself.”
“Very funny,” Nick said sarcastically. “Actually, I guess that extra padding comes in handy every once in a while. I’m sure, of course, that Kev told you how helpful and concerned they were about me.”
Maggie tried to keep a straight and concerned face, but was unable to as Nick’s pouty face broke into a broad grin. He could always make her smile. She smiled, shaking her head. The chatter at the table was one of good-natured ribbing. It reminded her of how she and Leah would tease each other. The thought caused her to become misty eyed again.
“Hey, I thought all of that was in the past,” Kevin whispered, leaning over to her. “Don’t make me have to do that again. I will, you know.”
She turned to him. “And you’d enjoy every minute.”
“Like you wouldn’t?” He flirted, winking at her.
Blushing profoundly, she looked down at her plate. They finished the rest of their meal and the guys headed off for an appearance at a local school. Maggie took the time to wander around town, visiting the little shops. She didn’t seem to have much time to herself lately. I guess that’s why I stayed in last night, she thought to herself as she entered a pet store.
*****
“Maggie? Hey, Maggie!” Brian yelled into the room, startling her out of the reverie she was in.
She placed her new book face down on the bed, hoping she would remember the last sentence read. What does he want, she thought. Brian was usually not the one to carry on like that. His partner in crime must have put him up to it. Scary time’s over, boys, she mused as she walked out of the bedroom.
Maggie looked and saw Brian and Nick standing in front of the couch, both grinning like the cats that swallowed the canary. Kevin was in a chair, a pseudo-innocent look on his face. She placed her hands on her hips, giving each one “the look.”
"Your surprise is here,” Kevin teased in a singsong voice, smiling.
“Really? What is it?” She asked, still not trusting them.
“Not what,” Brian started.
“But who,” Nick finished.
“I don’t understand,” Maggie said, truly confused.
Brian and Nick stepped apart allowing Maggie to see Leah sitting on the couch, smiling up at her.
“LEAH!”
“MAGNOLIA!”
They were hugging each other, laughing and crying at the same time before anyone knew what happened.
“Magnolia?” Brian asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I’ll explain later,” Kevin said over the girls’ noise. “Are you surprised or what?”
“Oh, Kevin!” Maggie exclaimed, hugging and kissing him. “I am so surprised! This is just incredible!”
“What’s incredible, Maggie, is this set-up you have. Why didn’t you tell me?” Leah asked, embracing her best friend again.
“You knew who Kevin was, so I assumed you’d know this, too.”
“Oh, please! I don’t even really care about that right now! I am just so glad to see you again! We thought you were gone for good!”
“Oh, no! Leah, I can’t believe you are really here! Kevin, you are the greatest. I really love you!” Maggie gushed, hugging him again.
Kevin disentangled himself as Maggie and Leah sat down. Both were talking at an amazing rate at the same time. He looked at his cousin and friend.
“I think this is where we leave them for a while,” he told them. “One is hard enough to understand, but two at the same time? My head is spinning already.”
They left the room unnoticed, leaving the two best friends discussing something about a new tractor. At least, that’s what it sounded like. With Maggie, who knew?