Loving Maverick

A Little Visit

Three months had come and gone. Garrett had gone back home to Chicago, his boss deciding to hold off on the meeting until further notice.

Initially, Maverick was concerned, afraid that maybe the meeting with Garrett didn't go as well as he first thought. That is until Maverick's father reassured him that this wasn't the case. Apparently, he had spoken with Garrett's boss and he had to wrap up a few important deals over the next few months before he proceeded further.

Not only was Maverick relieved about this news, but he was very glad that he had a few months to handle his own personal contracts before they met up again. It also gave him the time to catch up on the work that he fell slightly behind on when Stevie was out sick.

During this time, Maverick also realized that he wanted more space in terms of a home. Within that time, he went about finding something a little more permanent than his rental home. 

"So, how has the house hunting been going?"

Maverick was at Stefano's house having a drink. Tracey and Carlo were there as well and they just sat there, talked, and chilled. Truth be told, Maverick needed time away from the thought of even finding a home. He wasn't good with such trivial decisions. He knew what he liked but when it came to picking and choosing, he didn't like the idea of deciding.

He rolled his eyes. "Annoying." He finally replied, shaking his head. 

"Why is that?" Carlo asked, leaning back against his chair, his lean arms laid at the back of his head as he waited for Maverick to answer. "You don't know what kind of house you like?" 

"It's not just that," Maverick muttered.

"Then why are you having such a hard time?" Stefano asked. "You're usually very decisive. Sooo, I don't get it." 

Maverick shrugged. "I don't know. I-I guess I don't really know what I am looking for in terms of a house."

"Really?" Tracey scoffed. "I know exactly what I want in my dream home."

"Well, if I'm being honest, I never...really thought about a dream home-at least not this early in life," Maverick told them.

"Early in life?" Carlo sneered. "Mav, you're like over thirty." He pointed out. "Not that early in life for you, brother." He teased.

"You-you know what I mean." Maverick grimaced. "All I meant is that, I just...I thought I'd still be a SEAL. Being here-being a...a.."

"A civilian?" Tracey smirked.

Maverick gritted his teeth. "Anyways, I guess I'm just overthinking it." 

"Wouldn't say that," Stefano replied.

"Oh?" Maverick asked. "Then what would you say?"

Stefano leaned forward, facing his friend. "You're looking for a home, Mav. Somewhere to set permanent roots. I know you-we all do, and we all know that you are not one to constantly be moving around." added. "So, you really do need to think about all the amenities that you want your home to have." 

"I guess," Maverick replied, though he truly did agree with his best friend. "I just want to have at least found a place before Garrett returns."

"Oh, right," Stefano said. "Big meeting and all that jazz." 

"Yeah." 

"When did he say that he was coming back?" Carlo asked. 

Maverick lifted his shoulders nonchalantly. "Whenever he and his boss are caught up with their own contractual obligations. Could be this week or next-" He said as a knock on Stefano's door sounded. 

He stood up and answered it. "Ah, speak of the devil!" He said aloud.

Maverick turned around as if he could see who it was that his best friend was talking too. He couldn't because they were at the bar in Stefano's kitchen. Couldn't be Garrett,  he thought. He was the only person that they had mentioned during their discussion.

"You were talking about me?"

That voice! That definitely wasn't Garrett. Mav doubled back as he heard the footsteps. There were more than just two, however. Who else was it?

"Nah," Maverick heard Stefano say. "I just wanted to say that." He teased. "Hi, Kacey."

When Stefano came into the kitchen, his head was turned to whomever it was behind him. Maverick already knew who it was.

"Mr. Singh!" She was obviously surprised to see him.

Maverick's response was delayed as he looked her over. She had on an eggplant-colored tracksuit, fitted to the point where with every move she made, it would lift slightly to reveal her pierced navel. He liked that she didn't have a flat stomach, and while she didn't really show it, he found that her thickness made her alluring to him. She was very curvy in every way that he thought a woman should be. 

Her hair was in its usual wild ravenous black and long curls parted on the left of her head and messily pushed to the right of her face. She wore a pair of large hoop earrings, gold.

"You alright?" She asked as she approached him.

When Maverick realized that he had zoned out, he shook himself out of it and realized that everyone was staring at him. He glanced at Stefano who wore an almost suspicious look on his face before he, too asked;

"Yeah, you alright, bud?" He asked.

"Fine." Maverick quickly answered. "Wasn't expecting to see you here tonight, Ms. Vidal," Maverick said.

"That makes two," Stevie replied. "And we're off the clock, so, you can-ya know, not call me that."

"You just called him, Mr. Singh," Kacey said.

"Okay but that's different." 

"How?" Kacey asked.

"Because I said so." Stevie grimaced. "Stop asking questions." She turned back to Maverick. "This is my best friend, Kacey." She introduced.

"Nice to meet you." Maverick stood and shook her hand with a small smile. 

"So, this is the boss, huh?" Kacey grinned. She looked him over. "Nice." 

"Kace!" Stevie hissed. 

Kacey shrugged. "What? Just....canvasing." She replied.

"Yeah, let's not be too obvious. After all, your canvasing is what got my little cousin abandoned at a night club in the first place."

When Kacey heard Stefano's voice, she turned timid and looked away, suddenly ashamed. "I-I'm going to head to the bathroom." She said.

"Yeah, round the corner." Stefano smiled.

Stevie could tell that she was trying to get away from the situation. Stevie looked at her older cousin. "Stef!" 

"What?" He said innocently as if he had no idea what she could have been talking about. 

"Why would you say that?" Stevie shoved him. "She already feels bad as it is. Don't keep shoving it in her face."

"I was only making a basic observation," Stef said. "Your friend is a little...hasty in her pickings of men. She's very...fly by the seat of her pants and I just-"

"Enough, Stef." Stevie cut him off, rolling her eyes.

"So, that's the friend that left you at the club," Maverick muttered. Stevie glared at him. "She's the reason that I was arrested, hm." 

"No, I was!" Stevie corrected. "And that is the past so how about we leave it there." She sarcastically added. 

Maverick backed off in resignation. "Past is the past." He agreed. "I have more important things on my mind anyway besides your cute friend." He said as he sat back down.

"You...you think she's cute?" Stevie asked, eyeing her boss curiously.

Kacey was just as thick as Stevie and if he were being honest, she was exactly his type. She seemed to be far more confident in the way that she carried herself and he certainly wouldn't have refused to take her to bed if the moment ever presented itself. 

He was about to say as much when he realized how hard Stevie was staring at him. He started to part his lips when he thought better of it. Instead, he simply obliged her with a short and sweet answer. "Yea." 

"Hm." Stevie nodded. "You're right." She then sat at the table where Stefano once sat. "So, what is it that you have on your mind?" She asked.

"It's nothing," Maverick replied.

"Is it work-related?" She asked. "Because you know if it is, then it's kind of my business." She said.

Maverick took another swig of his beer before eyeing Stevie, brow raised. "Good thing it's not about work." He told her.

"Actually," Tracey interfered. "Getting Stevie's help isn't such a bad idea." He suggested.

"Ah, I don't know about that-" Stefano started to say.

"No, Trace is right." Carlo cut his older brother off. "Stevie, you've always had a good eye for things like that?"

Stevie was suddenly confused. "What-like what?" She asked. "I'm completely lost." She looked at everyone and then Stefano. "What are you guys talking about?" 

Stefano seemed reluctant and then finally answered. "Mav is looking for a new house." He said. "Trouble is, he doesn't know what he's looking for."

Stevie eyed Maverick as she listened to her cousin explain further. "Is that right?" His hand dropped to his hand, pushing his hair out of his face as he heaved a big sigh. She couldn't help but notice how every single vein flexed itself through his large hands and arms with every move he made in his v-neck white t-shirt.

"You think you can help him out?" Carlo asked. "He's about to have a mental breakdown."

When Carlo asked this, Maverick shiftily glanced at Stevie. When he did, he realized that her eyes penetratingly set on him. He couldn't break away from her gaze. 

Stevie stood and smiled, she planted her hand on his hard shoulder. "I think I can help with that." She said with a wink. When she heard Kacey leaving the bathroom, she decided that it would be best that they leave. "You ready?" She asked as she heard her best friend coming back into the kitchen.

"Oh!" Kacey seemed surprised. "We just got here. I thought that you wanted to-"

"No thanks," Stevie replied. "Besides," She glared at her older cousin. "I'm not too sure I'm fond of the company at the moment." She grabbed Kacey's hand. "Let's go. Goodnight everyone. We'll get to work on your dream house first thing, Mr. Mav!"

"Nice seeing you guys and nice meeting you, Stevie's boss." Kacey smiled.

"Pleasure." Maverick winked.

"Bye Kace." Carlo and Tracey said.

"Bye." Kacey glanced at Stefano a moment and when she saw that he was staring at her, she quickly turned away.

They left and immediately, Maverick noticed the frustrated expression on his best friend's face. "You really don't like that girl, do you?" He asked.

"Who?" Stefano seemed initially caught off guard before he could correctly answer. "Kacey? I don't dislike her..."

"Then what's the problem? She made a mistake." Maverick replied. 

"Yeah, and fortunately you were there to correct it." Stefano countered without missing a step. 

"True, but-"

"Look, I know that was a little bit of a-"

"d**k?" Tracey suggested.

"Or jerk?" Carlo asked.

Maverick scoffed. "I was thinking more of an as-"

"Fine! Fine! I get it." Stefano cut him off. "I'll apologize to her." He said.