fourteen.

╔═══*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*═══╗

: .

╚═══*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*═══╝

Two days in her job and Maddie had already made friends she'd like to keep.

First, there was Brianna Holden who's hair and personality embodied sunshine. She was the receptionist for Brighton Builders and the first person to include Maddie in a conversation. The conversation (or argument rather) was whether or not Rickie Evans' daughter should wear the pink tutu or yellow tutu for her ballet recital. 

And there was her assistant: Jonathan James Boyle or JJ as he went by. At first, Maddie was shocked that a seventy-year old widower was going to be scheduling meetings or answering calls for her. JJ had white hair and creases on his face that only seemed to showcase his age and wisdom.

By the end of the day, Maddie had closed a deal with a client and was already in the works of sketching her next project. She was gathering her things and was about to pull out the box from under her desk that she had brought on her first day. It was mostly empty except there was a photograph left.

Curiosity creeping up on her, Maddie held the photo in her hands. It was Kelly giving a wide smile at the camera and the woman beside him was kissing his cheek. When flipped back, there was a text written in neat handwriting.

,

& .

It wasn't the fact that Maddie was staring at a photo of her husband snuggled up with another woman. So, maybe, the words written irked her up a little because Kelly may or may not have said the same thing to her in Vegas.

But, the view in the picture? It was all too familiar like Maddie had seen those buildings and been on top of Chicago herself. The feeling of uneasiness she felt at the diner or when she met Nicki Rutkowski comes creeping up on her again.

"Hm, who's that?" Brianna asks, sitting on top of her colleague's desk. The blonde was chewing on a chocolate bar and had pried the photo from Maddie's hands.

Maddie snaps back to reality, gather her pencils & rulers and keeping her blueprints in rolls. "That's my husband. Kelly." She answers, not meeting the blonde's eyes.

"Again, a peculiar name for a boy." This time, JJ waltzes up to them.

JJ had this aura that just made you feel warm and welcomed. It was like he was everyone's dad or grandpa. 

"His mom named him that because she was a big fan of Grace Kelly."

JJ points a frail finger to the photo. "And who's the girl kissing his cheek? It doesn't look like you, boss."

"O—oh, that's not me. That must be his ex-fiancé Renee." Maddie turns to JJ, hoping the native Chicagoan could help her. "Is this the Skydeck, JJ?"

When he nods his head in response, Maddie could feel her stomach drop and her skin pale.

"Mads, why do you look constipated?" Brianna asks, concern etched in her tone.

Maddie waves hand dismissively at her friend's question and tells her it was just work on her mind. To her relief, Brianna shrugs and leaves her table, declaring that she plans for the night.

When she had started working here, Maddie made sure she wouldn't be alone in taking the elevator as much as possible. She had asked JJ to wait for her in the lobby fifteen minutes before the day started. The pair also shared elevator rides at the end of the day sometimes filled with chatter about office antics or complete silence spent in contemplation.

Today, the elevator was filled with contemplation but not so much with silence because of Maddie's heel incessantly tapping the floor.

"You should to talk to him about it, boss." JJ speaks up, "I can see it's really bothering you."

"Hm?"

"Talk to your boy about the dilemma going inside your head."

"You think I should?" Maddie turns to him, "What if I'm just overthinking things? Or starting something even when it means nothing?"

"Your emotions aren't nothing, boss." JJ tells her and smiles, a memory coming into his mind. "Cecilia and I would go at it for days just screaming and screaming at each other. Mostly because it was the trail of broken hearts that I had left before I settled down with her."

Maddie smirks. "Boyle, you sly fox."

The elevator doors open and the pair step out into the lobby of bustling workers. JJ fetches his car keys out of his pocket and offers Maddie a ride home. After politely declining and JJ insisting, the two sat inside his pale yellow Toyota Corolla model of a car.

It was almost seven in the evening when Kelly arrived home to a quiet house. He called out for Maddie a few times before retreating to the kitchen.

Usually, there would be a home-cooked meal on the stove since Maddie disliked fast-food. Kelly didn't expect her to cook all the time but he had gotten used to it and was pretty bummed out when all he saw was a box of pizza.

Removing his jacket and grabbing a slice, he sat down on the stool by their kitchen island. Two bites in, the wooden door adjacent to the front door opened, revealing Maddie in all her messy-bun glory.

"Hello, my love." She greets him, her flip-flop clad feet carrying her to where Kelly was sitting. After giving him a kiss, Maddie walks over to their refrigerator in search for a glass of water.

"How was your day?" Kelly asks, curious about her current mood. 

Usually, the smile she would have given him would reach her eyes but, this time, Maddie's smile didn't even show her teeth.

With her body still focused on the refrigerator, Maddie answers him half-heartedly. "Eh, you know designed a gazebo, closed a deal, designing a building."

Kelly laughs. "You say that like it's no big deal."

Maddie didn't only have an artistic mind; she also had a logical one. She could paint on countless of canvasses and her art would make you feel something different in each one. In addition to that, Maddie could also design anything from scratch—a house, a skyscraper, or a mall.