Chapter 2

Kris and Maddie held each other's gaze, a silent, timeless moment that seemed to erase the world around them. Lost in each other's eyes, they paid no heed to the bustling surroundings. It was Maddie who finally broke the spell, her cheeks flushing as she glanced away, pretending to busy herself with something unseen. A soft smile tugged at Kris's lips as she noticed the sudden shift, and she casually strolled over, hands slipping into her pockets.

"The moon is beautiful," Kris murmured, her voice close to Maddie's ear.

Maddie turned, her gaze following Kris's to the luminous orb hanging in the night sky. Then, she looked back at Kris, her eyes searching. "Yeah," she replied, a hint of shyness in her voice.

A comfortable silence settled between them, thick with unspoken feelings. Finally, Kris broke the quiet. "So," she began, "are you local, or just passing through?"

"I live around here," Maddie answered. "Just out for a walk, really."

"I couldn't help but notice your uniform," Maddie added, her curiosity piqued. "You work somewhere around here, don't you? Whereabouts?"

"Oh, I work at a jazz club," Kris said, a smooth offer slipping from her lips. "I could show you around, if you'd like. On the house, of course." She added with an innocent flirt.

"Free drinks? How can I say no?" Maddie chuckled, nodding her agreement.

Kris grinned, gesturing for Maddie to follow. They walked side by side, a comfortable tension humming between them, as they made their way to the dimly lit jazz club.

The moment they stepped inside, the warm, inviting atmosphere washed over Maddie. The air was thick with the mellow strains of jazz music and the subtle scent of aged wood and good whiskey.

"Kris!" A voice called out, and Kris turned to see a woman approaching, her expression a mix of concern and curiosity. "Where have you been? I thought you'd gone home." Monica paused, her gaze landing on Maddie. "Oh, hello."

"This is—" Kris began.

"Maddie. Maddie Lopez," Maddie interjected, extending her hand.

"Monica. Monica Perez," Monica replied, shaking Maddie's hand, her eyes flickering between the two.

"Let's find you a seat," Kris said, guiding Maddie past Monica towards an empty table near the stage.

Monica watched them go, her head tilting in question. "Nice place," Maddie complimented, taking in the cozy ambiance.

"Thanks," Kris replied, a genuine smile lighting up her face.

Kris pulled out a chair for Maddie, a thoughtful gesture that didn't go unnoticed. "I'll grab a menu," she said, "and don't be shy. It's all on me."

As Kris walked away, Maddie's thoughts began to swirl. What am I doing? Is this too obvious? She tried to play it cool, but a flutter of nervousness danced in her stomach.

"Hi," Monica said, appearing suddenly and sliding into the seat opposite Maddie. "Sorry to interrupt, but I don't think I've seen you around Kris's usual crowd. How did you two meet?" Her playful curiosity was evident.

"Oh," Maddie stammered, a shy laugh escaping her lips.

"Here's the menu," Kris said, returning to the table, her eyes narrowing slightly at Monica. "Shouldn't you be at the register?"

"It's rude to ignore customers, especially ones you know," Monica countered, her tone casual.

"Your baby daddy needs you in the kitchen," Kris retorted, a sly smirk playing on her lips.

Monica's face flushed, and she stood abruptly. "I—" she began, then trailed off, turning and walking away, leaving a trail of awkward silence in her wake.

Kris chuckled. "Honestly," she muttered, just loud enough for Maddie to hear, "I still can't believe she's not a lesbian."

"Lesbian?" Maddie echoed, her eyebrows raised.

Kris nodded. "Yeah. Anyway," she said, switching to a more formal tone, "please, take a look at the menu."

Maddie picked up the menu, her eyes scanning the pages. Seafood, meats, pasta, and the club's extensive drink selection filled the pages. She flipped through, finally landing on the dessert section: dark chocolate, vanilla cream puffs, and mango graham crackers.

"I'll just have the dark chocolate," Maddie said, looking up at Kris. "I'm not really hungry."

"Sure thing," Kris replied, taking the menu. "Oh, by the way, I'm Kris. Crystal Henry. Henry's my last name, not a first or anything. Just call me Kris."

"Nice to meet you," Maddie said. "I'm—"

"Maddie," Kris finished, a knowing smile on her lips.

"Right," Maddie said, nodding.

Kris gave her a final smile and headed towards the kitchen, leaving Maddie alone with her swirling thoughts and the warm, inviting atmosphere of the jazz club.

Kris pushed through the kitchen door. "One dark chocolate," she announced. A chorus of nods acknowledged her order, and she turned to leave, only to be stopped by a familiar, irritating voice.

"Hey."

Kris sighed inwardly. "I, uh, I understand how this might sound surprising," Scott mumbled, his tone overly casual, "considering you've been friends with her and…"

"I get it," Kris interrupted, wanting to cut him off. "I'll talk to her later. Not now, though. I have company."

"Company?" Scott repeated, a smirk creeping onto his face. "Is she hot?"

Kris rolled her eyes, taking a step back. "Dude, you're a dad now. Don't give Monica any reason to start a fight."

"Hey, it's not like that," Scott protested, raising his hands defensively.

"Whatever," Kris muttered, turning her back on him and heading out of the kitchen.

Her gaze found Maddie sitting alone at the table, and she straightened her posture, a confident smile spreading across her face as she approached.

"Uh, hey?" she said, sliding into the seat opposite Maddie.

"Hi," Maddie replied, her face lighting up.

"Can I?" Kris asked, gesturing to the empty chair.

"Sure. Of course," Maddie said quickly, nodding.

Kris settled into the chair. "First off, I just want to say I'm not some weirdo or love bomber, or anything like that," she began, a hint of awkwardness in her voice.

"What?" Maddie chuckled, a confused smile playing on her lips. "Why would you say that?"

"I don't know," Kris admitted, "I think it's because I asked you to come here so quickly, without, you know, any formalities. But I honestly didn't expect you to say yes."

"Well, I wouldn't have come if I thought you were a creep," Maddie reassured her. "Besides, women's intuition is powerful, right?"

"Yep. No one gets past our intuition," Kris agreed.

"Well, I think I should ask you something," Maddie said, leaning forward.

"Shoot," Kris replied.

"Why didn't you think I'm a creep and invite me to stay at your workplace?" Maddie asked, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

Kris paused, her gaze lingering on Maddie's face, as if she were lost in thought. Or perhaps, simply admiring her. The silence stretched, a palpable tension filling the space between them.

Maddie shifted uncomfortably. "Is there something on my face?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"No," Kris said softly, her gaze dropping. "You're just… beautiful."

A blush crept up Maddie's cheeks, and she looked away, trying to regain her composure.

"That's my answer," Kris said. "You asked why I invited you."

Maddie nodded, her eyes meeting Kris's again. "So," she began, searching for a change of subject, "do you work or are you still a student?"

"I wish I was still a student," Maddie replied, a wry smile tugging at her lips. "I'm an unapologetically adult with a rather unfortunate job history."

"Why do you say that?" Kris asked, her tone laced with curiosity. "I hope you don't mind me asking."

"No, it's fine," Maddie assured her. "I recently quit—no, I got fired, for a rather unreasonable reason."

"Damn, what happened?" Kris asked.

Maddie paused, the memory of her recent dismissal still stinging. "Well, they were a bunch of… unpleasant people who mistreated their employees and silenced anyone who spoke up about unethical practices. Apparently, I was the hero who decided to speak up, which led to…consequences."

"Sorry to hear that," Kris said, her voice filled with genuine concern. "Are you okay? That must have been rough."

"No, I'm not okay," Maddie said bluntly, the words hanging in the air. An awkward silence followed, and Maddie quickly tried to smooth things over. "I mean, I have to be, right? That's life, isn't it?" she chuckled awkwardly.

"Fuck them all, huh?" Kris said, a reassuring smile on her face. "Besides, I know there are better places with better people who will treat you right."

"Yeah, fuck them all," Maddie agreed, a flicker of a smile touching her lips.

"Except for my friends there. But, uh, thanks."

"So, what did you do before this?" Kris asked casually, swirling the remnants of her coffee. "You know, job-wise. The one that, shall we say, liberated you?"

"Graphic design," Maddie replied, a hint of wryness in her voice. "Mostly political stuff. Banners, posters, the whole campaign shebang."

"Ah, politics," Kris chuckled. "Well, my current gig is...tolerable. The pay isn't much, but my friends here makes up for it. Though, I'm aiming for something a bit more lucrative, something that reflects the sheer brilliance I bring to the table."

Maddie smiled faintly. "Well, I'm taking a breather for now. Luckily, they were generous with the severance."

Kris nodded, her gaze drifting thoughtfully as she considered Maddie's words. Just as she was about to respond, Monica burst through the back door, a plate in hand.

"One dark chocolate, coming right up!" she announced, her smile wide and seemingly genuine. She placed the plate in front of Maddie, her demeanor friendly.

"Kris, could I steal you for a moment?" she added, her tone suggestive.

Kris's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What's up? I'm in the middle of a conversation."

"It's fine," Maddie interjected, waving a hand dismissively. "Go ahead. Probably something important."

"Important? I doubt it," Kris joked, still looking puzzled. "But alright. I'll be right back." She turned to Maddie. "Just a few minutes."

Maddie nodded, watching as Kris and Monica walked away, their voices fading as they disappeared through the front door. Once outside, Kris turned to Monica, her expression questioning.

"What is it?"

Monica's friendly facade dropped instantly, replaced by a look of surprise and irritation. "Oh my god," she hissed. "I can't believe I'm seeing her again."

Kris tilted her head, confused. "Seeing who? Maddie? What do you mean?" A suspicion began to form in her mind. "Wait, do you know her?"

Monica hesitated, her gaze darting around before settling on Kris. She paused, a flicker of doubt crossing her face, then lowered her voice. "Look, we don't know each other, exactly. But I knew of her back in college. And... it wasn't good."

"What are you talking about?" Kris asked, her voice rising slightly. "Are you serious?"

"Completely," Monica whispered, her tone earnest. "As far as I remember, a friend of mine, who knew her, told me about her. And from what I saw, she wasn't exactly this nice as i remember. Plus," she leaned closer, her voice barely audible, "she had a reputation. A real reputation. You know, a bit of a... playgirl. Slept around with different girls on campus."

A small chuckle escaped Kris's lips, a mix of amusement and disbelief. "That's quite the vivid imagination you've got there," she said, shaking her head.

"What? I'm not making this up!" Monica retorted, her voice rising in frustration.

"Look," Kris said, her tone shifting to a more serious note. "Even if you do know her, people change. And badmouthing someone based on rumors from college? That's not exactly cool."

Monica glared at her, her frustration palpable. She turned abruptly, starting to walk back towards the café door. But before she reached it, she paused, turning back to Kris with a blank, annoyed expression.

"Fine, if you don't believe me, that's your problem. But..." she paused, her eyes narrowing slightly. "It's true. Maddie Lopez is a player."