Look Me In The Heart - Part 2

 

This is for entertainment purposes only. The characters belong to ABC Circle Films and Picture Maker Productions. No infringement intended.  As always with love and thanks to Glen Gordon Caron, Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis for the wonderful characters they created. 

 

This tangent is mine and picks up after LOOK ME IN THE HEART.    You don’t have to read that one, but to catch you up on the haps since then:  it picked up the morning after they were trapped in the elevator.  David left town the next day for that surveillance class but never actually made it too that class.  Maddie discovered that David was the biological father of her child and shared that information with him before he left.  Several weeks later she went in search of David.  She found him.  They fought and she returned alone.  Two days later, he came back the morning that this story begins – they settled a few points – not the least of which is their status as a couple.  Please enjoy  … one could argue that this is a version of “happily every after” for David and Maddie.

 

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It was 8:15 the morning of David’s triumphant return.  They, David and Maddie, came stumbling through the double doors to her house.  They were kissing, caressing, and pulling at each other’s clothes.  They were completely absorbed with each other so much so that they didn’t close the doors behind them.  David started walking Maddie toward the stairs, their feet got caught up and they both lost their balance and wound up falling up the stairs.  Maddie let out a cry and then started laughing.  She was rubbing her elbow with her other hand.

 

“Maddie – are you OK?”  He sat up to inspect her arm.

 

“Fine, Fine.”  She laughed.  “I just banged my funny bone.”

 

“Here let me.”  He rubbed her elbow with both his hands.  She was looking into his face with an expression he could not read.  “What?”

 

“There are times when you are so tender.”  Her voice was full of emotion.

 

“Don’t let it get around.”  He smiled sweetly and leaned down to kiss her arm.

 

“You’re secret’s safe with me.” 

 

She reached out and stroked his face.  Within seconds they were kissing.  Passion and desire were getting the better of each of them; the pain in Maddie’s elbow forgotten.  They helped each other up the stairs and disappeared behind the bedroom door.

 

THE CLOCK READ11:38 AM.  The bed covers were in complete disarray. The pillows were tossed off the bed.  Maddie was lying on her stomach and David had propped his head up with one hand and was stroking her back lightly with the other.  He looked a little distracted – like he was about so say something.  Maddie turned toward him with a sly smile.  She reached up and met his lips.  Their kiss became more passionate.  PAN TO CLOCK

 

 

THE CLOCK READ 2:56 PM.  The blankets and sheets had been pulled back onto the bed and Maddie was spooned up behind David.  She had her arm wrapped completely around him and she was letting her fingertips explore every curve in his chest.  She was clearly thinking very hard about something.  David’s eyes opened and his sleepy expression broadened into a devilish grin.  He took her hand to his lips and kissed each finger.  Maddie’s smiled reflected that what ever was on her mind before had been replaced. By the time he had reached the last finger Maddie had rolled him over.  He pulled her to him.  PAN TO CLOCK

 

 

THE CLOCK READ 5:18 PM.  David walked into the bedroom with a pint of Haagen Dazs ice cream and a spoon.  Maddie was propped up in bed covered with a sheet.  David took a spoonful of the ice cream and fed it to her.  Their eyes were locked on each other.  He took another dip into the pint and allowed it to melt in his mouth.  With his tongue and lips still chilled he leaned down to kiss her neck.  Maddie gasped and giggled like a schoolgirl.  David grinned.  He offered her one more taste.  She took the offered spoonful and immediately pulled David to her.   David abandoned the container on the nightstand and did not bother to pick up the spoon that fell behind.  PAN TO CLOCK

 

THE CLOCK READ 9:36 PM.  The bed was empty.  Pillows and bedding were tossed off and the bottom sheet was pulled up from one corner.  The empty ice cream container lay on its side on the floor next to an empty bottle of champagne and a couple of glasses.  Several half eaten Chinese food containers and chopsticks can be seen tossed into the garbage by the bed.  The sound of the shower running came from the bathroom and the voices of Maddie and David can be heard but not understood.  Occasionally there are outbursts of laughter.  PAN TO CLOCK

 

THE CLOCK READ 11:46 PM.  Maddie was curled into David with her head resting on his shoulder.  He had his arms wrapped tightly around her with his head tilted toward hers.  They were sound asleep.  PAN TO CLOCK

 

 

THE CLOCK READ 2:17 AM.  David was lying on his stomach with his arm dangling over the end of the bed.  The sheets were all twisted around his legs.  He stirred slightly – enough to know where he was and that he was alone in bed.

 

“Maddie?”  He called a little concerned.

 

“I’m here.”  Her voice cut through the darkened room.  He had to crane his neck to see her.  She was silhouetted in front of the French doors.  She wore only David’s shirt and held it close to her face. 

 

“You ok?”  He looked back toward the clock and needed to rub his eyes to get the numbers in focus.

 

“I’m great.”

 

“What are you doing over there?”  He sat up in bed and wrapped the loose blanket around him.

 

“Watching the moon.”

 

“Watching it do what?”  He got up and walked to where she was standing.

 

“Nothing – it’s a Blue Moon.”  David stepped up behind her and looked out the doors to see the moon from her perspective.

 

“Looks kind of off white to me.”

 

“The soul of a poet.”  She said rather snidely but with some good-natured humor.

 

“Poet?  I am very poetic.”  He gestured toward the bed.  “In fact I thought I –“ She turned to look at him.  “Well -- WE  -- were down right eloquent – at times.”

 

“Yeah - Wordsworth should turn in his quill.”  She smiled, turned back toward the window and leaned back into him.  He opened his arms and wrapped her in the blanket too.

 

“Is that all you have been thinking about?”  He asked hoping for an answer he knew he wasn’t going to get.

 

“No.”  That is the one he expected.

 

“Don’t tell me you have drafted a new pact.”

 

“Not at all.”  She shivered slightly and he tightened his hold on her.

 

“Booked airline tickets?”

 

“Well, since you brought it up …” He looked at the side of her face with an expression of amazement. 

 

“That was quick.”  She turned to face him still under the blanket.  She had her arms around him.  He was trying not to look at her – he knew that his frustration was written all over his face.

 

“I was actually thinking about TWO airline tickets – two round trip tickets.”

 

“Excuse me?”  He looked down at her.

 

“How about you and I get out of Dodge for a week or so.”

 

“What – like a vacation?”

 

“I think we deserve it.”

 

“I just got back.”

 

“What?  You don’t want to spend a week with me in Tahiti, the Bahamas, Cabo San Lucas?”

 

“I’d got to Teaneck New Jersey with you – but why.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Maddie.”

 

“David.”  She smiled at him.  “I think we have earned a little vacation – time to get to know each other again.”

 

“After the last 4 years and particularly the last 18 hours the only thing I don’t know about you is your cholesterol count.” 

 

“197.” She said off the top of her head. 

 

“Well that’s everything.”  He smiled and squeezed her.  He ran his hand down her back.

 

“So you’re bored with me?”

 

“Bored?  With you?  Not on your life.”  He kissed her quickly.  “You, dear lady, are full of surprises and even the reruns are better the four and fifth time.”

 

“So why not a vacation.  Just you and me and …”

 

“The topical breezes.”

 

“Exactly.”

 

“I have never been one to say no to a day off.  So when do you want to do this?”  He said guardedly and she recognized the tone.

 

“It sounds like you are agreeing to go to the ballet or the opera.  If you are not interested, we’ll just forget it.”  She started to pull away from him.

 

“Hey!”  She looked back at him.  “Don’t pick a fight over something like this.”

 

“I wasn’t.  I was just thinking that I wanted to spend sometime with you – alone.  No Agnes, No Burt, No clients, No crazy chases. No Sub-plots.  No Sub-text.”

 

“It sounds great!”

 

“Yeah, right - ranking right up there with sitting through the opening night of La Traviota – I heard you.”  He got frustrated and pulled her back to him.

 

“It sounds great!”  He said again slowly.  “Just you and me – alone in some exotic location – you’re kidding aren’t you.  I would be a fool not to leap at this chance.”

 

“Fool huh?  The jury is still out on who the bigger one is.”

 

“Maddie.”  He was looking into her face and she was avoiding eye contact.  She turned her back to him and he wrapped his arms around her tightly.  “Maddie.”

 

“David.”  He kissed her cheek and nuzzled her neck.  The tension in her body was released and she leaned back into him.  “It is never going to be easy with us, is it?”  She said softly with an almost defeated tone.

 

“Easy?  No – but worth every hurdle, hassle and misunderstanding set right.”  He kissed her cheek again.  She brushed some stray hairs away from her face. “Hey – I like you like this – “ He messed her hair a little.

 

“What this?”

 

“Not all ‘put together,’ not ‘perfect.’  Not like you are ready for a magazine cover.  Seeing you like this makes me feel …  I don’t know – entitled.”

 

“Entitled to what?”

 

“To see the Maddie Hayes that no one else gets to see.  The B Side.  Do you know that you are more beautiful here, now at 2:30 in the morning with no make up, hair that looks like it hasn’t seen a brush in days - no sleep – to speak of -  in my shirt – and nothing else – than I have ever seen you before.”  She gave him a very unbelieving look.  “I’m serious.” 

 

She smiled and looked a little sad.  “I love you too, David.”  Her tone was defeated.

 

“Wanna try that one more time -- with feeling?”

 

“I have been fighting it for so long – to finally admit it and resign to it – it feels like I have lost … I don’t know something.”

 

“Lost?  What have you lost?”

 

“You don’t expect me to answer that do you?”

 

“I can see where this conversation is going.”

 

“Oh you can – can you?”

 

“I can – and you have never been more right.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“And never been more wrong –“

 

“I knew that was coming.”  Her sarcastic tone was egging David on.

 

“Where you are wrong is that - It – this – us – was never about winning or losing – it is about playing the game.”

 

“Thanks Coach.”

 

“Where you are right is that we don’t have to pretend or deny anymore.  ---  We can use that energy for something else.” He grinned.

 

“David!”

 

“Look Maddie - I love you too.  I have since pretty close to the day you walked into my life.  It took me a while to recognize it, it took me longer to accept it and it wasn’t until you asked that life altering question ‘Where is the relationship going?’ that I had to actually think about what it all meant.”

 

“And what does it all mean - to you?”

 

“I don’t know exactly.”

 

“There’s a surprise.”

 

“I do know that all of that crap – that melodrama is over.  Now it’s just you and me – partners, friends, lovers.  Nobody won – nobody lost – it’s a simple fact.”

 

“A fact maybe – simple never.” 

 

She looked up at him and wrapped her arm around him under the blanket.  She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed a little.  Perfectly in sync they tilted their heads back and kissed.  Maddie caressed his back and let her hand stray down his leg. 

 

“Again Maddie?  My god, I’ve created a monster?” 

 

“What’s the matter David, can’t keep up?”  He smiled. 

 

“Don’t you worry your pretty blonde head about me, Goldilocks.“  He kissed her again.

 

“So what about the trip?”

 

“I’m there.”  He smiled.  “Where exactly?”

 

“Puerto Vallarta.  Sun, fun and plenty to do.”

 

“I’m planning on enjoying the indoor activities.”  He smiled.

 

 “A week or two of this and we will need to get back to work just so we can get some sleep.”

 

“Sleep is over rated.” 

 

The blanket fell away and they folded into each other on the bed.

 

PAN TO CLOCK.

 

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 TWO WEEKS LATER – SUNDAY MORNING

 

David was stretched out on Maddie’s couch reading the newspaper.  One leg was propped up with pillows and he had a cast from mid-calf to foot.  Maddie walked into the room with two coffee mugs.  She handed one to David who took it without looking.  Maddie sat down on the floor in front of the couch and picked up the calendar section of the Times.  David took a long drink from the mug and then set it down on the table and let his hand rest on Maddie’s shoulder.  Absent-mindedly he started running his fingers through her hair.  Maddie became distracted and closed her eyes.  She smiled and pulled his hand to her lips; she turned back toward her reading.

 

Several minutes passed without words being spoken, until the phone rang.  Maddie reached over to the cordless and answered it.

 

“Hello … Yes Miss DiPesto, we made it back.  At least one of us is in one piece. … I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow. …We had a very nice time.” 

 

She turned to David who was continuing to read but responded to her statement.  “I’d say it was better than average.”

 

“We will be in bright and early tomorrow.  How did the last two weeks go? … Fine, Fine.  I knew I was leaving the place in capable hands. … Mr. Viola did what?”  Again she looked toward David.  They shook their heads and smiled.  “Can we talk about this tomorrow?  Fine … See you then.  Good-bye, Miss DiPesto. … I will.  Bye-Bye.”

 

They each went back to their reading.  They were holding hands.  David finished his article and turned toward her.  He watched her for several minutes.

 

“Can I ask you something?” He said.  His voice startled her.  She turned toward him quickly and nodded.  “Remember that night a long time ago?”

 

“You’ll need to be a little more specific.”

 

“In the laundry mat – when you said that you didn’t know what it was like to go into a coffee shop with me at noon and order cheeseburgers.”

 

“I remember.”

 

“You weren’t talking about actual cheeseburgers were you?”  She smiled and shook her head.

 

“No flies on you.” 

 

“I am serious.”  He looked a little disappointed.

 

“I’m sorry – no I was not referring to literal cheeseburgers.”

 

“This is what you were talking about – us being … I don’t know...”

 

“…comfortable, easy, uncomplicated with each other - yes.”  She paused.  “Like right now.”

 

“This is what you want?”  His question had a note of disappointment in it.

 

“Not ALL the time.”

 

“But occasionally?”

 

“Occasionally. This is nice – isn’t it?”

 

“Sure Sure, real stimulating.”  He was unconvincing.  “Of course it is about all I can do since.”  He pointed to his foot.

 

“You seemed to manage pretty well last night –“

 

“And most of the morning.”

 

“- And most of the morning.  It’ll take more than a sprained ankle to keep you down.”

 

“Sprained?  The doctor said it was the worse fracture he’d ever seen, Maddie.”

 

“That may be, but how are you going to tell people that you broke your ankle tripping over a Chihuahua?”

 

“I’m not – I am going to tell them that we were attacked by a gang of bandits and I was defending your honor.”

 

“David.”

 

“Or that I was skydiving…”

 

“David.”

 

“Water skiing?”

 

“David.”

 

“Bull Fighting?”

 

“It’s bull alright.”

 

“You are going to have to back me up on this you know.”

 

“You want me to lie?  You want me to tell our employees and clients that you were on some testosterone generating, ego enhancing, macho exploit and broke your ankle like a real man?”

 

“It’s either that or I will make up some really graphic SEXPLOIT and we’ll see who they believe.”

 

“There must have been five ‘bandits’ don’t you think?”  He laughed and she smiled.  They kissed quickly.

 

“She’s catching on.”  He paused for a moment.  “So what do you want to do today?”

 

“I was planning on unpacking, doing some laundry and taking a nap.”

 

“A NAP – we just got up.”

 

“Hence the reason I need a nap.”  She smiled at him.  “We’ll need to unpack your stuff too.  Burt and MacGillicudy brought the boxes over from the office.   So I have got to clean a closet out for you.” 

 

His expression changed.  “About that.”

 

“About what that?”

 

“Are you sure that THAT is what you want?”  It actually was what David wanted but he was not sure if he forced their living together on her too quickly.

 

“You are in no position to-.”

 

“Think about it Maddie – working together, living together, doing other things together – hell too much of a good thing can get old quickly.”

 

“Good thing?”

 

“Alright – great, fantastic, terrific thing – it can still get old. Or worse - comfortable, easy and uncomplicated.”

 

The last part of his statement really hurt her; more than she realized.  It occurred to Maddie that maybe he did not want their relationship to move in that direction but did not want to take the responsibility to say it.

 

“Well we don’t need to make that decision right now do we?  You are not going to find an apartment today and you are not going to move with your ankle in a cast – so let’s talk about it later.”  She got up and picked up both their cups.  Her voice had betrayed a very strong note of disappointment David heard it but did not know how to react.

 

“Maddie?”

 

“David.”

 

“What did I say?”

 

She paused on her way to the kitchen but did not turn toward him.  “No – Nothing.  I just hoped we were done having this conversation.” 

 

She entered the kitchen and dropped the cups into the sink noisily.  Her expression showed that she was feeling a ton of differing emotions.  She was upset – she was angry, hurt, disappointed, and sad.  Most of all she felt tired – a few minutes before she had never felt more rested.  They had had a wonderful time in Puerto Vallarta.  They ate well, slept well, played hard, laughed a lot and made love like new young lovers.  They hadn’t fought over anything and talked about everything – well almost everything.  They avoided all the tough subjects: living together, the baby, the future.  The trip was exactly what she was hoping for and more then she ever expected.  But all that rest and relaxation was gone now.  She felt like her old self – frustrated, aggravated, insecure in his feeling and unsure about her own.

 

“Maddie?”  David’s voice called to her from the doorway.  She wiped away some nonexistent tears from her eyes and pulled a fake smile from inside of her before she turned to look at him.

 

“David!  You are not supposed to be putting any weight on that ankle.”

 

“The ankle is fine.”  He steadied himself against the door jam. “Come on, talk to me.” 

 

“What do you want me to say David?”

 

“How about –“ He thought of saying something cute and crude but thought better of it.  “How about you just tell me what you were thinking about.”

 

“You know what?  You are absolutely right – too much togetherness can only cause more drama than it is worth.”  David expression betrayed that he knew she was hurt but also that he was unwilling to meet her half way.  “I am going to go unpack.  You better get off that leg.”  She breezed past him.  He caught her arm but did not stop her from leaving the room.  He looked down and shook his head.

 

Maddie was half way up the stairs when the doorbell rang.  She opened the door to reveal Richie standing there on crutches.

 

“Addison Medical Supplies – at your service Ma’am.”

 

“Hello, Richard.” She hugged him.  “Thanks for bringing those by.  David is already getting restless.”   Her tone betrayed her irritation. She turned toward the living room and saw David standing there looking annoyed.  “I’ll let you two talk.”  She ran up the stairs.  Richard turned to David and they exchanged a knowing look.

 

“Already stuck your foot in it, eh Bro?”  Richie ‘crutched’ into the room and over to David.

 

“With both feet and the cast.”  He took the crutches from Rich and tried them on for size.  He nearly fell on the living room rug but caught himself just in time.  “I guess there are a lot of things I could use a little practice with.”

 

“So bro – tell me the real story.”

 

“These five guys jumped us.  They came out of no where…”

 

David made up some huge, stupid unbelievable story and Rich just let him talk. When he finished Richie laughed.

 

“You tripped over the luggage or getting out of the shower didn’t you?”

 

“Chihuahua.” 

 

“A Chihuahua?  Stick with something simple like: a cliff diving or rock climbing.”  David nodded.

 

“Rich, you still got that spare room?”

 

“Yeah – for who?  You?”  David nodded again.  “Not on your life little Bro.  We nearly killed each other back home.  I’ll never share a bathroom with you again.”

 

“I’d never be there – just to change clothes occasionally.”

 

“Don’t do it, Dave.  Don’t even think about it. “

 

“You are going to turn your poor crippled brother out on the street?”

 

“You got it – if you are too stupid to see what you got in front of your face...”

 

“Thanks a lot.”  David flopped down on the couch and eased his leg up on to the coffee table.

 

“Hey – I can’t save you from yourself – but I sure as hell am not going to make it any easier for you.”

 

“Right – forget it.”  David was annoyed.  “Thanks for the crutches.”

 

Richie got up and walked toward the door.  He turned and looked back over his shoulder.  “Dave – if you need a place to stay on those rare occasions that things get too cold to touch – the door is always open – but as for using my mailbox as your home address – not on a bet.”  He left.

 

David put his head back on the couch and wondered how things got so complicated and strained so quickly.  Within a few minutes he was asleep.

 

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LATER THAT AFTERNOON 

 

Maddie awoke to David covering her up with a blanket.  She had fallen asleep on the day bed in the 2^nd bedroom.  It was the room that was to be the nursery.  She had taken down and boxed all the baby decorations, but hadn’t removed them from the room.  The crib was folded up in the corner.  The only thing that still remained prominent was the rocking chair that Walter had given her.  It had been nearly 3 months since the baby died and she didn’t have the heart to take all that stuff to the garage or to give it away.

 

“David?”

 

“Shhh.  Go back to sleep.”

 

“What time is it?”

 

“It is about 3:30.”

 

“You are not supposed to be walking on that ankle.”  She sat up and rubbed her eyes.

 

“Maddie.”  He flopped down in the rocking chair.

 

“David.”

 

“What are you doing in here?”

 

“I was putting the suitcases away.  I guess I was more tired than I thought.”

 

“I took a little nap myself – I guess neither one of us are as young as we think we are.”  They smiled at each other.  “I’m sorry about earlier.”

 

She shrugged and looked down.  “You don’t need to be.”

 

“This whole living together thing started out as  -- a way to annoy you.  I never meant – I mean we never talked about it.  Just because I gave up my apartment and we got back to,,, you know.”

 

“I know.” 

 

“Well, it doesn’t mean that we should live together.”

 

“Right.”  She was silent.

 

“It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t either – I suppose.”

 

“I suppose.”

 

“Come on, Maddie. I know you – you have more input than that.  Hell you have more output of input than IBM.”

 

“What do you want me to say?”

 

“Fine!”  He started to get up and put too much weight on his ankle and a shock of pain went through him.  He sat back down.  “Damn it!”  Maddie started to move toward him but he put up his hand to stop her.  “I’m fine – it’ll pass.”

 

“Do you want me to get you anything?”

 

“Yeah – how about next week’s script so I can see how this all turns out.”

 

“You want it resolved in a week?”

 

“It’s good to want – builds character.”

 

“What do YOU want David?” 

 

He shook his head and chuckled.  “Maddie, Maddie, Maddie.”  He took a long pause.  “Waking up with you is one of the rarest pleasures I have ever know – and trust me I have know A LOT of rare pleasures.  After all we have been through – you bet I’d like to see my Hustler lying next to your Vogue on the coffee table.”

 

Maddie laughed and looked toward the ceiling.  “Oh God – how did I ever fall in love with a man like this?”

 

“Talking to God these days, huh?” 

 

“Just trying to keep what little sanity I have left.”  She smiled. 

 

“So what about you Maddie?  What do YOU want?”

 

“I want your damn Hustler off of MY coffee table and in OUR bedroom where it belongs.”

 

“I thought I noticed a few more rumpled pages than usual.”  He laughed and she crossed over to him and knelt down next to him.  He leaned down and kissed her softly.

 

“So – did we just agree on something?”  She asked.

 

“We did – and look no lightening bolts, no floods and no locusts.  The world is still spinning.”

 

“Maybe the start of something big.”

 

“Maybe the calm before the storm.”  They kissed again. 

 

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LATER THAT EVENING 

 

Maddie was taking boxes from the 2^nd Bedroom out to the garage.  David had decided to make the 2^nd bedroom his “space” – as not to disturb her well-organized closeting system – Dewey had not come up with a better filing system than Maddie had.  He was planning on having Burt and MacGillicudy bring in his weight bench up the next day after work.  All he really needed was his music and his weights.

 

David pulled that last box down from the top shelf of the closet and was bombarded with baby clothes, blankets and various other items that fell from the unsealed box.  It took him a second to grasp the full gravity of the contents.  These were all the baby supplies that Maddie had purchased before – before their child had died.  These would have been his son’s. These would have been the clothes that he dressed his son in, or the blankets he covered his son up with as he slept.  David had thought a lot about being a father while Maddie was away in Chicago.  Terry had given him some other valuable insight.  Then when he and Maddie appeared to be working it out he let his mind drift into the fatherhood zone: playing catch in the backyard, homework and teaching his son about girls.  But since the death of the baby, he never let himself dwell on the loss.  He was not prepared for the devastation or the loss that he felt coming face to face with the reality that this box of unused items represented.  </