"He's not here," Janine lied. She couldn't stand Jeremiah. He was always getting Maddox into some shit. Sometimes, Janine had to get them both of out jail and sometimes someone went to the hospital. Then there was the one time he got Maddox fired from his job. So hell no. Jeremiah was not getting in.
"His car is right there!" Jeremiah waved in the general direction of the driveway.
"He's not here!" Janine said a little bit louder and then started to close the door in his face.
"Yo! Open that door for my boy," Maddox reached over her head and pulled the door open, "whats good man? "
"Aye!" Jeremiah hugged Maddox.
Janine rolled her eyes, extra hard, and then shut the door, then walked away.
"What you got going on today?" He asked Maddox. "Cause I got something big happening and I need a plus 1."
"Nothing really, what is it?"
"A Party. Put on a suit and I'll send a car for you. We're gonna talk business so i need your math whiz brain."
"Who are these muthafuckas at the party? Janine specifically told me, 'if you get into some shit with jeremiah, you'll homeless' i can't piss her off again."
"No no no no," Jeremiah shook his head, "its just business. A few drinks, some big money men... It'll be simple. I promise."
"Alright, im in."
"Cool. I’ll send a car around 7:30." Jeremiah gave him a big smile and then let himself out.
Maddox went to lock the door, but before turning around, he felt a presence, "look, I’ll eat your pussy so good you forget about how irritated you are with me. C’mon ..." he patted a table top in the foyer.
Janine remained standing with her arms folded across her chest. "I'm not going to tell you to not go," she started, "and i appreciate you thinking of me kicking you out WHEN something happens," she approached him, "but he is bad news and you know it."
"Baby, listen, that is my brother, known him all my life. Even before you. I cant stop the train from rolling. I love you more than life itself, however, he is my family. Now... table? Im talkin good to the point you can’t unravel your legs from around my head. You passin?"
"Yes. I'm passing until you come home unharmed and not in any kind of trouble ... Tonight... Not tomorrow." She started walking up the other room.
"Hey, cmere ..." Maddox walked up a few stairs and grabbbed her hand, bringing her back down. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her temple, "I love you and i will be home by 1 at the latest."
"You better," she rubbed his back, "or I'm calling the cavalry." She meant his uncles.
"Look, i hear you." He walked off to shower.
+++
| 1 Week Later |
"What the hell did you do to yourself?" Sasha, Maddox's ex-girlfriend, questioned while she rubbed his head. They were long broken up and weren't even on good terms and yet she came to see him. Beginning to cry she laid her head on his chest.
+++
Maddox and Janine were sitting at a table looking through their menus and talking kids. They both wanted to grow their family but we're just trying to discuss details, "we need to figure a way to have a boy first."
Janine frowned, "gender selection is a thing. Celebrities do it." Although Janine wasn't a fan of jacking with whatever God decided. And this was doing exactly that.
"Let's do it," he smirked, truth was, he'd be happy with whatever they got.
She nodded, "okay." Then she smiled, "our first baby. I'm ... Excited already. He's going to look just like you."
Grabbing her hand he winked when they heard a clearing of someone's throat. Janine followed the noise and saw Sasha, Maddox’s ex-girlfriend, standing by the table. Janine wanted to roll her eyes so badly but instead, kept holding on to Maddox's hand and looking at her, waiting for her to tell them what the fuck she wanted.
"Maddox ..." Sasha greeted him, then glanced at Janine briefly, "hello."
"Uh huh," Janine responded.
"Just saw you two and decided to say hi.." she smiled warmly at the both of them even though she knew Janine didn't like her and she didn't care.
"How you doin girl?" He didn't dare get up and hug her, Janine would tear him a new one.
"Great. Just opened my third boutique downtown. Grabbing a late dinner after closing now." she smiled, "what are you two having?"
'Married couple time,' Janine said to herself, then answered, "trying the sea bass."
Sasha nodded, feeling the ice from the table. "Well I better get going, have a good night."
"You too, Sash." Maddox watched her walk off and then looked to Janine, "yeah he I traded up." He said knowing she was watching him stare.
"Do you know why my claws come out when she shows up?" Janine finally let go of Maddox's hand and leaned back in her chair, then started picking over her food.
"No, but I'm sure you're about to tell me." He listened.
Janine chuckled, "because despite how different she and I are ... We're both your type," she paused, "you've always made me crazy."
"So you wanted to be crazy for life huh. Lucky us ..." He chuckled again, "she is so far in my past, baby, I'm over her." Sasha broke his heart. She was Maddox’s first real heart break experience; sleeping with and leaving him for his best friend, Cordell.
"I know. But I can't help it. It's instinctual I think. I know what she was to you and at the time you and I met ... I didn't think I was your type at all." Smiling, "there you were in your nice big office ... Young ... Good looking ... I mean you're still young and good looking ... But it made sense that you'd gotten that far so fast while I was coming in as an intern."
"Yeah but she broke my heart. Why would I ever go back to that. Love is winning over here. LET IT WIN!"
"It's winning ... It's winning." She shook her head and went back to eating her food.
+++
Jeremiah came back to see Maddox before he was supposed to leave town. He left flowers, told a couple of dirty jokes and then promised to come again next week when he had some downtime from work. When he left, Janine passed him on her way in. She did NOT want to go. But shit, the boss was making her, "hi Maddox," she said in a cheery tone. "I don't have any Game of Thrones updates for you but I may have a spoiler for The Walking Dead." Once Janine told him and put some flowers down, she looked around the cold hospital room and sighed. She hated hospital rooms and hated even more the fact that a man this fine was destroyed for life. She missed her chance if she ever had one. She gently pulled the sheet up over his torso, "it's cold in here," then patted his hand, "goodnight."
