Loving Maverick

Still Friends? Stevie-Degree Burn

Except for the awkward half-apology that Maverick said to Stevie, the day was pretty uneventful. They both kept to themselves and stayed to themselves outside of the frequent calls and appointments that Stevie set as well as the postponed meetings that were scheduled.

Though the day seemed to go by without much of hitch, Stevie couldn't help feeling as though this was one of the longest days of her life. She could feel the migraine that was starting to surface. Her work was done for the day, so she had decided that she would go home. 

She stood and grabbed her things before cutting the light off in her office and walking over to Maverick's. She didn't want to see him but she had to let him know that she was leaving. 

Stevie knocked at the door and peeked in, her expression stoic as she didn't want him to read any sort of emotion on her face as she looked in on him.

He was obviously stressed about something. He looked up at her, frustration clear on his face. "What is it?" He asked.

She didn't know how to feel about his response to her but she decided that because he seemed to naturally be a jagged person, she shrugged it off. 

"It's nine-thirty." She said. "And I've finished up, so I was going to head out." She said.

"Oh-oka-okay." He said, as he continued to bend over his desk and look over what looked to be a blueprint that he was working on. "I'll see you." He said under his breath.

Stevie started to leave, but her conscience wouldn't let her. He was stressed and while Maverick Singh definitely wasn't her favorite person at the moment and she was fighting against a terrible migraine, she decided to try and stick around for a little longer.

"You alright?" She asked.

Maverick seemed to be surprised by the question. He looked at her quizzically before returning his gaze to the large paper in front of him. "Fine."

She walked in further, realizing that he wasn't going to be completely honest with her because as far as he was concerned, she wasn't good for much else. 

"Looks like you could use a bit of help." She said. He didn't answer right away. She bent over his desk and looked at the blueprint. "This is amazing!" She was quite impressed with what she saw.

Maverick, again, seemed a little caught off guard by her compliment. "Think so?" He asked. 

"I wouldn't have said so if I didn't think so." She replied. "So, what's the problem?" 

"They want it sharp and original, yet chic." He said. "Somehow, it comes off cliché to me." He mumbled.

"Hm." Stevie tilted her head and looked at the blueprint. "I...guess I could see how you'd think that they would think that. Though...this seems pretty original to me-" She started to say when a thought interceded her sentence. "Or maybe...." Her voice trailed off as caught an idea. She looked at Maverick. "May I?" She asked. 

Maverick was reluctantly. "I don-"

"Look, if you don't like it, I won't be offended." She reassured. "I'm not that sensitive." She looked at the blueprint rough draft and then back at him. "It's only an idea. If you don't like then the worst you can do is say so, but I won't be upset." She said. "I just want to help." 

With a sigh, Maverick nodded. "Right." He gave her his pencil. "You're right. Let's see what you got."

Stevie grabbed the pencil and started to erase a portion of the rough draft-much to Maverick's dismay initially. "Calm down, Singh." She said. "I like that part too but I have to...." Her voice trailed off as she began to re-sketch what he had done with additions that made his original pop even more. "it's a process." She distantly added.

Maverick watched her work and was quite impressed. He turned his head to her to say as much when he realized how close she was to him. She still held that intoxicating scent. Her collared shirt was slightly open to show a teasing bit of cleavage.

"Excuse me." 

"I-yeah-uh what?" Maverick caught off guard felt like a kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar. He had completely forgotten that she was actually trying to help him out. "I-excuse what?" He asked. 

"I know I'm in your personal space." She said. 

"It's um-it's alright." He said as she reached across him, bring the lead of the pencil across the sheet to make another change. "You're-just...trying to help."

When Stevie was finished, she stood up straight with a smile on her face. "Done!" She said.

Maverick pulled his gaze away from Stef's little cousin and gave his attention to the changes that she had made. He was hesitant initially when he  started to look at it, but to his surprised, he really liked what he saw. What impressed him even more was the fact that she didn't take away any of what he had done-only added to it and re-positioned it in a way that made it look far more attention-grabbing. 

"So, what do you think?" She asked. 

"I...I actually love it." Maverick replied. "I'm pleasantly surprised, Ms. Vidal." He said.

Stevie shrugged. "Thanks, I guess." She replied. 

"Didn't think you knew so much about all this-"

"Why wouldn't I?" Stevie countered, slightly offended but only because it seemed like every single thing that Maverick Singh said to her was offensive. Her headache, where had temporarily been alleviated was starting to re-surface. She rubbed on her temples and released her hair from the bun to lighten the tension. "Because I'm an assistant?" She said. She sighed and started for the door. "I'm not your assistant because I'm not skilled enough to be a contender in this industry, Mr. Singh.' She let him know. "I'm only your assistant because I don't have the evidence to back my skills up." She informed. "Now, have a good night. I'll see you Monday."

Maverick watched her walk out of his office. "Thanks-thank you, Ms. Vidal." He said.

Stevie turned her head slightly to face him. "It's my job, Mr. Singh. No need to think me." She then walked out of the office.

Stevie went home and hurriedly jumped into the shower. After shampooing her hair and washing her body, she got out and went into her room to chill for a moment or two. She lived alone, so she really felt no obligation to put on any clothes immediately after. In fact, she sat and read one of her favorite novels for a little bit and allowed her body to air dry.

When she had gotten through three chapters, she lathered her body up with her favorite smelling lotion and started to put on some sweatpants and a pair of her favorite Harry Potter socks. Then she heard the doorbell ring.

"Why? Oh why?!" She hissed, falling back against her queen sized canopy bed. With a sigh, she grabbed a sport's bra and a cut off t-shirt. "I'm coming! I'm coming." She said, her excitement for answering the door absent. She rushed to the door of her apartment and looked through the peephole. 

Needless to say, when she saw who it was, her annoyance flared up. She opened the door and just stood there. Stevie wanted her to see the frustration clear on her face.

"Hi!" Kacey sheepishly greeted.

"What do you want, Kacey?" Stevie said, her hand still on the knob as she contemplating closing the door in her best friend's face.

"I've been calling you!" 

"Yeah! Yeah, you have! For the day and a half!" She spat. "But screw the following morning after we got separated at the club because you were too hot in the pants to stick around!" 

"Stevie...I'm sorry-"

"Then! Then! If things couldn't get any worse, I tried to walk home that night! And was attacked by two bozos!"

"What?!" Kacey started to come in but Stevie held her hand up to stop her. "Yeah! Yeah! You'd think it couldn't get any worse right?" She scoffed.

"Right." Kacey reluctantly replied, though she had a feeling it obviously got worse.

"Wrong!" Stevie countered in exclamation. "It certainly got worse! You want to know how?" She asked. 

"Wh-how, Stevie-"

"A man! A man came to rescue me!" She said.

"Oh...kay, I'm sorry but how is that worst?" Kacey asked. 

"You-ugh!" Stevie tried to calm herself before answering. "He saved me and I ended up getting him arrested because I was too drunk to even-" She so upset now, she could barely finish her sentence. "I thought he was trying to kidnap me!" She hissed. "But guess what?" She looked at Kacey, a sarcastic smile appeared across her face as she tilted her head. "Wouldn't you believe....it gets...worse." She squeaked and sighed. 

Kacey was afraid to ask how but was entirely too curious not see how it could possibly get any worse than what she had just said.  "Ho-how...could it get any worse, Ste?"

Stevie scoffed. "That man-the man that saved me-the man that I got arrested is my boss, Kacey!" 

"Ooh, ouch." Kacey was so shocked, she gasped and held her hand to her lips.

"Needless to say, the our meeting the following morning didn't go as planned." Stevie said with a dull frustration. 

"I imagine it didn't."

"Yeah," She scoffed. "Yeah, he fired me, Kacey." Stevie said.

"Oh no! Oh-I-I am so sorry, Stevie! I-"

"How could you?" Stevie said. "What kind of friend are you, Kacey? We drank together! You promised you wouldn't leave! It was the only reason I even felt comfortable enough to drink as much as I did!" She walked away from the door and grabbed her pill bottle that was sitting on the cabinet. She took an aspirin before her headache could get worse than what it was. 

"Stevie, I'm so sorry." Kacey closed the door behind her and followed her best friend into the kitchen. "I can't express that enough."

Stevie turned around. "You convinced me to go out-got me drunk...and left me." She said. "Sorry's not going to cut it this time, Kacey." She said. "I-we were supposed to be celebrating! You were supposed to be taking me out so that we could celebrate my accomplishment and...then you desert me." She said. "I'm not even blaming you for me drinking, because that was my decision-not even going out because that was my decision as well-no matter how coerced I was into making it...but you left me! You knew I was vulnerable. You knew I didn't even like going into places like that and you left me!" 

Kacey stood there with tears in her eyes. "I-" she couldn't even look her best friend in the eye. "I-I am a terrible friend." She said

Usually at this point, Stevie would have reassured her and told her that she wasn't a bad friend at all; because if Stevie were being honest, Kacey wasn't a bad friend. She wasn't even a bad person; she was always very well-intentioned but she always acted on a whim instead of thinking about her decisions before she made them.

"It was a very terrible friend move." Stevie said.

Kacey sighed. "So...I know I don't deserve to ask but, are...are we still friends?" She tried to keep composure as she patiently waited for Stevie's answer.

Stevie shrugged and rolled her eyes. "If this happens again, Kace, I don-"

'I-it won't! It won't! I promise, Ste, you have my word!" 

"I know it won't happen again! Because I won't be going out to any club with you again! And I certainly won't be riding with you again."

"You mean...for the time being, right?" Kacey said. "I mean I understand the trial basis, but we always carpool. And it's fun!"

Stevie rolled her eyes. "Kacey, what am I  going to do with you?"

"All you can do is love...right?" She smiled, sheepishly.

Stevie scoffed. "Barely."

Kacey sighed. She knew that Stevie was teasing but she still felt guilt for what she had inadvertently put her through in not being there for her. "I'm so sorry, Stevie. I'll-I'll tell Mr. Vidal that it was my fault that you lost the job and-" She looked at Stevie. "Have you told him yet?"

Stevie took a drink of water. "Didn't have to. Thank God." She sighed. 

"What do you mean?" Kacey asked.

She contemplated whether Stevie even deserved to know the good news of Stefano having known the guy. She decided that she might as well tell her since she told her all of the worst that could happen and that did happen aside her actually getting kidnapped...or murdered.

"Fortunately, for both of us, Stef is my boss's best friend." She said. "He convinced him to give me another chance."

"Oh wow." Kacey muttered. "One extremely long trail of bad luck followed by a home run." She said. "Thank God for Stefano." She said.

"Yea, I guess." Stevie said. "But now I can't help but feel like he-he only sees me as the dumb bimbo that he saved and ultimately got arrested for that night. He's so mean and cold-shouldered towards me." She walked away from the kitchen, bottle of water in hand as she sat on her large charcoal black barrel chair.

Kacey followed Stevie to the barrel chair and sat next to her. "I'm sorry." She said. "That's my fault too."

Stevie looked at Kacey. "Kinda." She sarcastically said.

Kacey gave her best friend the sad face and wrapped her arms around her. "I know I probably am the las person that should be saying this because I'm the one that placed you into this situation, but, it's going to be alright." She reassured. "Everyone loves you, Stevie. You're literally perfect." She chuckled. "And I'm only referring to your character and your many talents." She said. "No doubt, you're amazing at this job and he knows that."

Stevie sighed, her head falling against Kacey's cheek. "Maybe." She said. "Guess I have to be of some use, he hasn't fired me yet." She mumbled. "I would have fired me after that spat." She replied, thinking about the argument that they had earlier in that day.

"What spat?" Kacey asked.

Stevie shrugged. "I-I didn't like how I was being treated just for doing my job. Felt like he was talking down to me-like I was being an inconvenience by just being there and doing what I was supposed to be doing."

"So-what happened?" Kacey asked.

With a sigh, Stevie informed her best friend of her risky speak out against her boss. "I told him that if he had  problem with me then he should say it. I said that I would not kiss his butt or brown nose him because just because he was my boss."

"Ouch." Kacey said. 

"Yeah, ouch." Stevie said. "I told him that I was going to take a fifteen and that I expect to know whether I still have a job or not when I get back." She sighed, thinking about how harsh she was; but more than that, how foolish she was for being so bold after being taken back and given another chance on soul suggestion of her older cousin. "I shouldn't have said any of those thing! I could have lost my job!" 

"But you didn't." Kacey said. "That means that on some level, he agreed with you and he knew that he was wrong. That's all that matters." She reassured. 

Stevie sat there and thought about what Kacey had said. Maybe she was right. Maybe he thought that he was being a little harsher than he should have been and maybe that's why awkwardly apologized. Though, Stevie couldn't help but feel that the apology was only him going through the motions. It wasn't sincere at all and she could see that in the way that he interacted with her when she was trying to help. He was still cold-shouldered-granted he did give her the space-barely, to help him.

"Maybe." Stevie sighed.

Kacey smirked after a moment of them sitting there silent. "So, didn't even wait for the second day to give the man the Stevie-degree burn, huh?" She chuckled.

Stevie laughed as her friend referenced her feisty little spat with the boss as such. It was her name for when Stevie let people have it. 

"Technically, it was the second day. The first, was just a little shorter than expected."

They both laughed and decided order pizza and watch movies for the rest of the night. Stevie felt better with Kacey around and was glad that she came.