Page 48 of The Deal Maker

Hope shakes her head. “No, she said she was heading out to get breakfast.”

“How did she seem?” I do my best mental gymnastics to go over anything I might’ve said yesterday to upset her. “She was planning to do the usual today?”

Do I know what her usual is? No. But Hope has to know after living with her for several months.

“I didn’t notice anything off about her. If you still have time to work on the project before work, I’d check the Coffee Bean or Witty’s Diner.”

I nod, glancing down at my watch. I’ll need to be back here in about thirty minutes to get things ready for the day, but I can already cross off the Coffee Bean, since that’s where I went to get the hot chocolates.

“Thanks. I'll see if I can find her.”

I have to look away from Hope’s knowing smile. What she thinks she knows is definitely not the truth of the matter. It’s just a person who’s in love trying to make sure all the rest of the single people around her aren’t suffering the single life.

After draining the rest of my cup, I’m surprised how refreshing the cool chocolate is in this summer heat. Dumping the empty cup into the nearest trash can while still holding the other one. Maybe she’ll still want it. To be honest, I feel like it would be a good start to a conversation. If Maggie didn’t show up for the contest this morning, something tells me she’s going through something.

I walk over a few streets along the boardwalk to the diner. Champ finds me and I make a mental note to get a leash and collar to at least get this high-energy pup to the vet for a checkup. Maggie was surprised I would do that for a dog, but it’s been a few years since my childhood dog passed, and I think I’m ready to jump in again.

Maggie doesn’t seem like the type of person who would eat at a diner. She’s so refined in many aspects, that to walk intosomewhere that isn’t perfectly clean seems like it would kill her or something. Her aversion to stickiness comes to mind.

“Stay here, boy,” I say before I walk through the door. I wave to Janet behind the counter.

“What can I get for you today, Duke?” she asks with her notepad ready.

“Give me a minute to decide. I’m just looking for someone.”

Janet nods and turns to grab an order from the kitchen window. I do a quick scan of the diner, trying to see over some of the booths without having to move too far in. I don’t want to get pulled into any conversations today, because I’ve got things to do, and finding Maggie is at the top of that list.

I’m ready to admit defeat, when a light blonde head of hair moves near the back corner. I take several steps in that direction, spotting Maggie there with her head bowed over a plate of pancakes. I like a lot of syrup, but those pieces of cooked dough are absolutely swimming in it. Maybe it’s a sort of spiritual experience for her?

“Maggie, are you all right?” I ask. My voice jarred her from whatever she was doing, causing her to bang her knee against the post of the table.

“I’m fine, Duke. I thought you’d just leave me be.”

There’s the ping of the phones and I realize we must be close enough to unlock the next task. I’m itching to know what it will be, but Maggie needs to be the priority right now.

I walk over and sit across from her in the booth. “I was worried about you.”

“Well, it sounds like you’ve got the next task. Go for it. Just come back and check-in when you need the next one.”

I frown, irritated that she’s being so standoffish today after all that we’ve been through this week. It’s then that I catch a glimpse of her face, her eyes red and puffy.

What could’ve made Maggie get to this point?

“Talk to me Maggie. What happened?”

She shakes her head and says, “Nothing. Just go.”

I fold my arms over my chest. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me how to help you. Was it your parents?”

“This isn’t something that you can fix.”

“How do you know? I’ll be the first to tell you that talking can make a great difference in how you feel. And that I can usually come up with some way to chase those blues away.”

She uses the paper napkin to dab at her eyes, which are filling with tears again. “This isn’t one of those times it can all magically go away with candy and unicorns.”

“I’m not sure where to find a unicorn, but I could give you a makeshift one using Prince Harry and a headband.”

There’s a hint of a smile there, and at least she's distracted.

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