Scenes of Passion Read Free Page B

told him. “ You look great. God, Matt, I’ve seen you around here for days, but I didn’t know it was you.”
    â€œYeah, well, I’ve changed a lot,” he said, his eyes suddenly serious.
    Maggie had to look away, suddenly uncomfortable with this new man-sized Matthew Stone. Somehow, she’d been expecting the kid she’d known in high school. This man was not only taller and broader, but he’d also lost the nervousenergy that had ruled the teen. Young Matt had never sat still for longer than a few minutes, hopping from chair to chair around the room, smoking one cigarette after another.
    This man exuded a quiet strength, a steadfast calmness. And that was really why she hadn’t recognized him—never mind the long hair and muscular body.
    Matt smiled at her, not one of his old devil-may-care grins, but a gentle smile of genuine pleasure.
    â€œI really missed you,” he said.
    â€œI missed you, too,” she told him. “But right now I have to visit the ladies’ room. It’s a long drive from New Haven at this time of night.”
    â€œNo problem. I’ll go up to the café. Want me to order you something?”’
    â€œYeah, thanks,” she said as he held the door open for her. That was a new one, too. Matt—holding a door? “Will you get me a salad?”
    â€œItalian dressing on the side,” they both said at the same time.
    Matt grinned. “Some things never change.”

Three
    W hen Maggie walked into the café, Matthew was standing at the juice bar, talking to three healthy, young college girls. What was it that he’d said? Some things never change.
    He turned, as if he’d felt her eyes on him and quickly excused himself. Coming toward her, a smile lit his handsome face. “Hey.”
    Their food had already come out, and he pulled her by the hand to a table. And held her chair for her.
    She looked up at him as she sat, half expecting him to pull it out from underneath her, so he could laugh as she hit the floor.
    But he just smiled at her, and sat down. Behind a huge salad and a plate of steamed vegetables. The hamburger kid was eating vegetables.
    â€œBefore we get down to talking about twenty-five-million-dollar favors,” Maggie said, “I’m dying to hear what you’ve been up to this past decade.”
    And where was the beer? Even at seventeen, MatthewStone never sat down to eat dinner without a cigarette and a bottle of beer.
    â€œIt would take a full ten years to tell you the whole story,” he said with a smile, digging into his salad.
    Maggie looked around the open, airy café. The ceiling was high, the colors were muted grays and maroons. A sign on the wall proclaimed that there was absolutely No Smoking.
    â€œDo you still smoke?” she asked.
    â€œNope. I quit three years ago,” he told her. “I also stopped drinking and started eating vegan. See, I, um…Well, I got sick, and I needed to take some kind of action—feel like I was doing something to help myself get better. I don’t know if it really helped, but it certainly helped my head, you know?”
    â€œHow long were you sick?”
    He shook his head. “A long time. Do you mind if we don’t talk about that? It’s not…I have these superstitions about…Well, I’d rather not—”
    â€œI’m sorry,” she said. “Of course, you don’t have to…I had an address for you in California.”
    â€œYeah,” he said. “Yeah. I was, uh, all over the southwest for a while. Right after dear old dad gave me the boot. He kicked me out—did you know about that?”
    She shook her head. “No.”
    â€œYeah, there was trouble at one of the colleges and he wouldn’t even hear my side of it. I mean, sure, it was the fourth college I was…” he cleared his throat. “Politely asked to leave, but…That time it really wasn’t