Loving Maverick

A Boss That's Not As Bad As She Thought

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The day ended on a good note. Maverick and Garrett had been in a near all-day meeting. Stevie had to forward most of Maverick's calls. Because he and Garrett had so much to talk about, it gave her time to schedule and reschedule appointments.

Stevie took a fifteen in her office. She really wanted another cup of coffee. The last one that she had was the one that she had made in his office before Maverick and Garrett arrived. She wanted badly to have another; she gradually began to feel one of her headaches coming on and while the sun was playing peek-a-boo with the clouds that day. when it did show, it made sure to brighten in her office. 

She thought about taking her pill but decided not. Her day wasn't over yet and she knew that if she did take it, she wouldn't even be able to make it home later when it was time to leave. She just needed some caffeine but she didn't want to disturb the meeting. 

When her phone rang, she checked it to see her cousin, Stefano's name popping up on her screen. "Hey, Stef." 

"Hey, little cousin." He said over the phone. 

"Everything alright?" Stevie asked with concern. Though, she and Stefano were very close, he never really called much, which was fine with them both considering neither of them liked talking on the phone much unless necessary. 

"I was about to ask you the same thing." He replied.

Stevie was a little confused now. "Why do you ask?" 

"Well, since you've been having more frequent headaches, Carlo, Tracey, and I talked about it and felt that maybe we should check on you a little more throughout your workday." He said. "Since I'm the oldest, I'm taking first shift."  He teased.

Stevie smiled. "Well, aren't I a lucky little cousin?" She chuckled. "Thanks, Stef." She sighed.

"No problem. Now what's wrong?" He asked. It seemed he could already sense something was the matter anyway.

Stevie sighed. "Sometimes I think you're psychic, Stef." She teased.

"Sometimes, I do too." He replied. "Now what's going on? Is it Maverick? If he's giving you a hard time I could always pop up there and pay him a visit." 

"No, Stef. It's not your best friend." She reassured and sighed. "Just feel one of my migraines coming on and-"

"Then take your medicine, Stevie." Stefano cut her off, concern evident in his voice.

"I will when it's closer to quitting time." She said. "For now, I thought I'd go and get some caffeine."

"Then do that." He said.

"I would, except, my boss is in a meeting and the coffee machine is in his office." 

"It's just Rick, Stevie. I'm sure he'll understand. Now go get the coffee."

"Yeah, that may just be Rick to you but that's my boss to me, remember?" She said. " I don't want to rile the rattlesnake." She hissed.

Stefano sighed over the phone. "Am I going to have to have a talk with him about his attitude?" 

Stevie could sense that he was being a little serious and she just couldn't allow that. "No!" She quickly reassured her big cousin. "You talk to him every time he thinks I have a problem then that will only make bigger problems, Stef. So no thanks." 

"Okay, fine then. Go get the coffee." 

Stevie sighed and stood from her seat, grabbed her coffee cup, and walked out of her office. She stood outside her door and took a deep breath. The idea of calling attention to herself even when it was just two men in the room spiked her anxiety and only progressed her headache a little more.

"Get over yourself, Stevie." She said to herself. 

"Hello, I'm still on the phone."  She could hear her cousin say. 

"Oh, sorry, bye!" She said and hung up the phone. She then closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and went for it. "Go!" She then made her way to his office door.

Maverick sat at his office chair, legs propped up with his hands behind his head when he saw Stevie standing there at his door. He watched her closely and saw that something was bothering her. He mouthed a 'what?' to her. She then lifted her cup and pointed to it.

At first he was confused then he remembered that he had a coffee maker in his office. He looked at Garrett who was so busy talking, that he didn't even notice her standing there. "Come on." He mouthed.

She came into the office. "Sorry." She said in a low voice and made herself a cup of coffee.

Garrett's conversation immediately ceased once he caught view of her. He watched her very closely. "That coffee you made this morning was very tasty, Ms. Vidal." He said. 

Stevie timidly turned around and looked at Mr. Garrett who seemed otherwise occupied. "Thanks?"

"How did you know how I like it?" He asked.

Stevie shrugged, closing her eyes for a moment as she began to feel her temples began to pulse a little. It wasn't a pain more so that of discomfort. "I-it was just a guess." She said. She started to pour some sugar into her cup and noticed her handshaking. "No, no, please." She hated this part. She took another deep breath.

Maverick stood there silently. noticing how stiff she had suddenly become. He didn't know whether it was Garrett making her uncomfortable or something else. He stood nevertheless and made his way toward her.

Garrett seemed to notice that something was wrong as well. "You alright?" He asked.

Stevie had begun to zone out, completely missing the question that was asked. Her eyes were closed and she just continuously breathed steadily to lighten the migraine that was coming on. "No, no." She mouthed, her hands shaking. When she felt a hand gently gripping it.

Her eyes shot open and she felt the smooth large hand that had her arm. When she looked up, she saw Maverick standing there looking at her with concern on his face. 

"I-" She didn't even know what she was supposed to say at that moment. Had she missed a conversation that she was a part of? Did she really zone out to that extent? She hated it when that happened. She looked away from him, suddenly embarrassed that this happened during a meeting. "I'm sorry, I-"

"Are you alright?" Maverick asked.

Stevie looked into his eyes. She hadn't noticed how beautiful they were until that moment as well as how...mismatched they were. His left eye was a golden amber while the other was partially stained in a blue, green, and grayish hue at the upper right corner of his right amber-colored eye. 

"I-yeah." She quickly looked away. "I just-I need caffeine." She stirred her coffee and dropped the stick in the trash bin. She took a sip and looked at him with a feigned smile. "See? All good." She said and walked away. "Sorry for interrupting your meeting." She said and headed out as quickly as she could without causing spilling her coffee.

Garrett stood from his seat. "What was that about?" He asked as he stood next to Maverick. "That was weird."

"She gets migraines," Maverick said. "I'm sure she needed the caffeine to ease the headache." 

"Hm, well." Garrett grabbed his suitcase. "Well, then I guess you need to check on your secretary." He said. "I'll see you at the big meeting tomorrow." He said. "And hopefully your lovely assistant." He winked. 

Maverick walked him to the door of his office. "Yea, sure."

Garrett walked off but before he went to the elevator, he stopped by Stevie's office and knocked on the slightly open door. He tipped his head in and looked at her. "I'm taking my leave, Ms. Vidal." He said.

"Nice meeting you." She said with a timid smile.

"I hope to see you tomorrow." He said and left. 

Stevie wasn't sure what to say so she just gave him a small smile. She took another sip of her coffee and continued to finish up the appointments and scheduling for the remaining week. Then another knock came at her door. She looked up.

"Oh-hey!" She said. Her boss didn't say anything initially and just looked at her. She knew he was about to tear into her about what happened earlier and she was appeared to defend herself. "Look, I'm sorry about that-I-I didn't intend for that to happen but sometimes it just gets bad one second and then it lightens and-"

"Maybe you should go home a little early," Maverick suggested as he stepped into her office.

Stevie harshly sighed. "I'm fine! I-am I really being punished because I had an episode? I'm telling you I can't control them! I can't-"

"Hey! Hey, hey." Maverick rushed to her took her arms in a gentle motion to try and calm her. "You're not in trouble Ms. Vidal." He said. "I...only meant that maybe you should go home and get some rest." He said.

She was caught off guard by his gentle tone and was sure that it showed in her expression. "Oh." 

Maverick sighed. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"I'm fine," Stevie said and tried to walk away when she realized that he still her arms in his grasp. "Can you..." her request trailed off as he seemed to realize what she was about to ask.

"Oh! Sorry." He said and let her go.

Stevie gave a small smile. "The day is almost over and I just want to get the rest of this work done. Then I'll leave."

He could already tell that trying to convince her otherwise would be an exercise in futility. "You sure?" He couldn't resist asking. He didn't want Stefano or his brothers thinking that he made her work through a migraine if something bad happened. 

Stevie scoffed. "I'm sure." She chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll tell my cousins that you had nothing to do with it if I pass out and end up in the hospital."

"Wait, what?!" Maverick, who had started for the door, doubled back and came back into the room. "Wha-they get that bad?" He asked.

Stevie shrugged. "Only a little finger full of times." She said. "Now stop with the questions." She said and looked at Maverick. She could tell that he was concerned and immediately became concerned herself. Hopefully, this would not affect her standing as an employee. "I promise I'm fine." She reassured. "Now please." She said. "Let me finish my work and then I'll go home." 

Maverick reluctantly backed up. "Fine." He didn't want to exacerbate her migraine so he hesitantly stepped out of the office. 

Another hour and a half had come and gone and it was time for Maverick to leave. He didn't know why he had assumed that Stevie had gone home. When he passed by there she was sitting at her desk, finishing up. Or at least that was what he thought.

"What? What are you still doing here?" He came into the office

Stevie stood and grabbed her things. "I'm fine." She muttered and stood. She cut the lights off and stumbled out of the office.

"What? Are you alright?" Maverick said as she almost drunkenly stumbled to the elevator. 

Stevie whipped around. "No! No, of course..." Her voice trailed off. 

Maverick rushed to her and jerked around to face him. "Stevie!" As he jerked her towards him, she grabbed her head and looked down. He brought her face up to him, her eyes were slightly dilated. "Are you...high?" He incredulously asked.

She looked into his eyes, her's suddenly brimming with tears. "I don-I didn't want...to." She said. "But the-but the headache..." She trembled. 

Maverick's expression softened. "Stevie."

"I-I hate those pills." She grimaced. "I-it just got worse and I..." she trailed off in Italian before dropping her head. "I thought...I thought I had time...it works so fast." 

"Oh, geez." He knew she wouldn't be able to get home like this. "Come on." 

He called for someone to bring whatever car Stevie was driving to the front of the building. When they got down the stairs, Maverick left the building.

"Thanks!" He took the keys from the valet and was surprised to see that there wasn't a remote to go with whatever car that she had. It was when he looked up that he saw what type of car she drove; and it was a classic beauty; 69' Ford Mustang Fastback. "Nice, taste, Vidal."

He ushered her to the passenger side of the car and buckled her up before getting into the car. He took her phone to see if he could find an address. Fortunately, unlike most people, her phone was unlocked. He opened the mapping app and typed in the word 'home'. Just as he thought, her address seemed to be saved. 

"I'm taking you home." He told to a barely cognizant Stevie. He then sped off and into the road. It didn't take long to reach his assistant's apartment complex. It was very nice. When he parked the car, he gently tried to wake Stevie. "Hey, hey, Ms. Vidal." He said. "Do you know what your apartment number is?" He asked. 

"E-F1" She said and started to curl back up in her seat.

"Geeze, what type of pills are these?" He hissed. He got out of the car and immediately went to unlock the door and unbuckle her seatbelt. "Come on." He helped her out of the car and tried to get her to walk but she was just dragging, so he lifted her and brought her up to the apartment. 

He grabbed the keys that he placed in the apartment and unlocked the door. Immediately, upon entering her apartment that scent that he loved danced into his nostrils. 

"Ms. Vidal." He said. "You're home." He said. When she moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck, he had to clear his throat as if that would change the steady fastening of his heartbeat at the nearness of her. "No, no, no." He said to himself before he gradually got louder. "No, now, Ms. Vidal." He gently placed her on her suede leather black sectional. "Maybe a hot shower will ease the-the headache or something." 

She sighed and chuckled. "You're going to join me?" She asked as she closed her eyes.

Maverick doubled back and incredulously looked at her. "I-" He decided not to answer that question and instead decided to find a bathroom. It was when he left the living room and went past the kitchen that he found two rooms, between those rooms, was a bathroom. He started a hot shower and then went back to the living room. She was lying back on the couch, eyes sleepily open, steadily breathing. "Can you get up?" he asked.

With a sigh, Stevie stood from where she sat and gradually left the living room. She was still out of it so Maverick followed her to the bathroom. She heard the running water and then turned around and looked at him with amusement. "You know...I have a bathroom...in my bedroom." She chuckled. She sighed and went into her room and then came back out with a towel and some clothing. "Thank-thank you." She said and went into the bathroom.

Maverick went into the living room and just sat for a minute. When he decided to call Stefano to come to check on and sit with his cousin that he realized he left his phone at his office. He cursed under his breath and just dropped his head back against the comfortable couch.

"Wow, this is comfortable." He commented.

He dozed off and when he finally came back to, he looked at his watch and noticed that ten minutes had passed and he hadn't from her yet. He started to get up when she stood there, her eyes seemed almost barely open, staring at him.  

"You alright?" He asked.

She watched him silence a minute, her hair long and still quite damp in its darkness. She had on a pair of short shorts that hugged against her tatted thighs and a cut off sweatshirt. She certainly kept her apartment cold enough. 

Before he could say anything or even move, she stepped down the two steps that led into the living room, sat down next to him and just looked at her sixty-inch television that was mounted on the wall. With a sigh, she cut the t.v on and sat back against the sectional. 

"Thank you." She lazily said.

"You're-you're welcome," Maverick said.

Tears began to stream her eyes, her expression about to crumble, but somehow she stopped herself. "I hate this." She whispered. She sighed and looked at him. "I can barely move without feeling like I'm about to fall out of my skin." She wrapped her arms around him. 

Maverick swallowed the lump in his throat and tried hard not to think about how soft she was against him. Or how irresistibly sweet she smelled. 

"Well, I should go." He started to move when he felt her grip against him tighten. 

"Don't leave." She whispered. "Not yet." She pleaded. "I just need someone next to me." She chuckled. "It's usually my cousins or my best friend. But you'll do." She looked into his eyes. "If you don't mind." 

He couldn't say no to her. He sat back against the sofa and just allowed her to tighten herself around his large arm, her damp hair against his shoulder.

"Fine."  He said. 

"Thank you." She whispered and snuggled up closer. It wasn't long after that Maverick heard her steady breathing.

He was also tired but he decided to let her get deeper into his sleep before he moved. Or at least what was what he told himself. In truth, he liked being close to her; a part of him liked her need for him to be around, regardless of the circumstances as he knew in a normal circumstance she wouldn't want him so close. He couldn't help a smile at the thought of how stubborn she seemed to be.

Her steady breathing turned into light snoring, a moan of comfort every now and then when she shifted against his arm. This was the moment in time where he knew that it was time to go as her unconscious movements began to make him feel some type of way.

He cleared his throat and looked around to see if he could at least find Stevie Vidal's phone. It was on the table. He grabbed it and called Stefano.

"Hey man, you should get here. Your kid cousin had one of the her...migraines."

It was nearly two in the a.m so Stef was sort of out of it until he understood what Maverick was saying about Stevie. He immediately became concerned after.

"She's fine. Apparently the migraine was worse than she previously thought. The coffee didn't help so she took the pill and was just...out of it so I took her home and stayed with her for a while until she fell asleep. I didn't want to leave without locking both locks and I don't want to take her key and lock up for her since her mailbox isn't nearby, so I was hoping you had a key." 

Stefano agreed and reassured that he would be there soon. After he got off of the phone with him, Maverick sighed and let his head drop to the couch again for a moment to relax before he got up and gently lifted Stevie into his arms.

He took her into her room and tucked her in. She moaned and turned over against her pillow. Maverick hadn't realized that he was smiling while he was watching her until he came to his senses. He shook away the smile and immediately stood up and headed out of the room when he noticed all of the car paraphernalia in her room.

"Car fanatic." He scoffed. "Wonder whose fault that is." He amusingly commented. He looked at her one last time before leaving her room to go and wait for her cousin to come.

The next morning, Stevie woke up, her eyes slowly opening. She looked at the clock and saw that is half-past eight. When she realized how late it was, she quickly got up.

"Oh no!" She stumbled out of bed and took a shower and rushed into the kitchen when she heard the t.v on in the living room. She paused, knowing that she always kept that television off when she wasn't in that room. She took a knife out of the knife holder and reluctantly made her way to the living room. She stood there, back against the wall, took a deep breath, and then peeked into the living room.

Relief flooded her when she saw that it was her cousin, Tracey Vidal, sitting there on the couch, asleep.

"Tracey!?" She came into the living room. He didn't wake up so she went over to the couch and shoved his leg."Tracey!" She called to him again.

Tracey shot up! "What? What is it?! What happened? What?!" 

"Nothing, nothing. Calm down." Stevie reassured her older cousin. 

"Oh." He sighed, wiping at his face. "Stevie, when did you get up?" He asked. "You alright? How are you feeling?"

Stevie smiled. "I'm fine." She said. "What's going on? What are you doing here?" She asked.

"What do you mean what am I doing here?" He said. "You had one of your episodes last night. Maverick had to take you home and watch you until Stef got here but Stef called me here because he had to work and I'm off."

"Awe, I'm sorry, Trace." She apologized.

"For what?" He asked. 

"You shouldn't have had to stay here on your day off." She said.

Tracey scoffed and stood. "You're my kid cousin, Stevie." He said. "So don't worry about it." He kissed her forehead. "I'm just glad you're okay. You really need to go to another neurologist."

She sighed. "I will when this insurance kicks in." She said. "I should get ready for work," Stevie said and started to leave.

"You don't have work today," Tracey said.

Incredulously, Stevie turned around. "What? What do you mean?" Immediately, she thought the worse.  Did she just get fired? "What happened? Why?"

"Calm down, Stevie." Tracey chuckled. "Calm down. Your boss gave you the day off to recuperate." He clarified. "That's all."

Stevie released a sigh of relief. "Oh." She then looked at her cousin. "So, he didn't fire me?" She asked.

"No." He seemed to be surprised by the question. "Why would he?"

Stevie shrugged. "I don't know." She said as she thought about it and realized that she owed him a thank you for his consideration. "Guess he's not that bad after all."