Altering the Plans Ch. 08

After dinner, the plates were cleared and the guests were encouraged to mingle and look at the art exhibits.

Maya had hoped to have some quiet time with Toby, exploring the museum, but Delia came and scooped her up first.

"Time to network, my dear," said Delia. "I want you to meet some people. Then I promise you can find nice dark nook somewhere to--canoodle with your sweetie."

Maya cracked up at the turn of phrase. "I guess I'll be back," she said to Toby.

"Oh, no." He shook his head and put a hand on her back. "I'm coming along. I'll be looking for dark, secluded nooks."

"Let's go," said Delia. "Maya, you just be yourself and have those business cards ready."

Maya patted her clutch purse, which held her driver's license, a credit card, the business cards and most importantly, the restraining order. Maya refused to be caught without it.

Delia introduced Maya to a number of people, and while Maya tried to remember all the names, she knew she'd missed some. Luckily, it seemed nearly everyone carried a business card of some kind, and Maya was happy to take them in exchange for hers.

"I feel like I'm collecting baseball cards," she said to Toby.

"These might be worth a little more," he said, "so keep them close."

"I love the idea of setting up a sewing class, like that woman suggested," said Maya as they returned to their table. "I think that could be so much fun."

"That was Alissa Montgomery," said Delia, "and I think it's a good idea myself. All right, I think you've done enough networking. Go have some dessert and that find that nook." She winked and patted Maya's shoulder.

"Thank you, Auntie Delia, so much." Maya hugged the older woman. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate this."

"You're welcome, sweetie. You just make a go of your business, that's all I want to see." Delia nodded and went to find Clara.

"Isn't this so wonderful?" Krista asked as she and Devlin walked up. She gazed around the room. "Everyone looks so pretty and handsome, and the room, oh my god. This place is incredible."

"It's not too shabby," Devlin agreed.

"Hey, guys." Jackson and Lacey joined them. "What a shindig, huh? I don't think I've ever been any place this fancy before in my life."

"Me either," said Lacey, then laughed. "It's a bit like the ball in a fairy tale. We just need dancing."

"No," said Jackson. "I have two left feet. It would ruin my suave and sexy image."

Everyone laughed at that.

"Anyone want a drink?" Jackson asked. "I could use one."

"I'll take a rum and coke," said Krista, and Lacey seconded the order.

"Come on, Jackson, I'll go with you," said Devlin. "I could use something myself."

"Shall we find that nook?" Toby asked, bending down to nuzzle Maya's neck.

"If you mean, shall we go look at some art, then yes," Maya teased, but couldn't hide the shiver he sent through her body.

"Yeah, we can do that, too," said Toby. He slipped his arm around her and pulled her close. "You're doing great tonight." He smiled and kissed her forehead, but when he pulled back, his lips tightened into a thin line and his hand tightened on her shoulder.

"What is it?" Maya asked, tensing up. She saw the others look up as well and felt her heartrate speed up.

"There you are." Dean pointed at her as he crossed the room.

She gasped and stepped closer to Toby.

"Enjoying your night in high society?" Dean sneered and lurched a little in his step.

Toby stepped in front of Maya and glared at Dean. "Get out of here."

Dean scoffed. "They let you in? They have no fucking standards anymore."

Maya realized he was drunk. "Dean, get out of here. You're violating the restraining order," she said firmly. She gripped Toby's hand, glad for the support but intent on handling this herself. "Leave or I'll call the police."

"Leave? You think I'm going to let some piece of paper tell me what I can do?" He scoffed.

"I'm calling the police." Maya reached into her purse for her phone.

"Don't you fucking dare--" Dean lunged but Toby stepped in front of her and pushed Dean back.

"Back the fuck off," Toby said.

"Keep your hands to yourself, you piece of shit," Dean snapped. "You can put on a tux, but we all know you're about as sophisticated as a gorilla."

"Yes, hello, my name is Maya Stone. I need to report someone in violation of a court order," Maya said into the phone, her eyes darting between Toby and Dean. She kept a hand on Toby's arm, not wanting him to do anything that would get him in trouble.

"Devlin, come on, let's get security," Krista said. Devlin nodded and they left the table.

"Oh, yeah, that's good. Call the rent-a-cops. Like they can do anything," Dean sneered. He took a step towards Maya but Toby glared and stepped up to meet him.

"Thank you." Maya ended the call. "The police are coming," she said to Toby. She felt more confident than she had before when dealing with Dean, but she would be glad when it was over.

"What's going on?" Delia asked as she and Clara came back to the table.

"This is Maya's ex," said Lacey. "She just called the police; he's violating a restraining order."

"Krista went for security," Jackson added. He stood close to Lacey and his eyes never left Dean.

"Jesus, Maya, what did you do?" Dean asked. "Recruit an army?"

Clara went to stand by Maya and Delia turned to Dean. "Young man, you should go," she said.

"I'll leave whenever I goddamned want to," Dean said, but he wilted a little under Delia's severe look.

"Dean, just go," Maya said. She was so tired of this, and so angry at Dean. He had no reason to come here other than to make a scene and intimidate her.

"Do you think I'm going to let a fucking piece of paper tell me what to do?" he said again. "Do you think I'm that stupid?" Dean barked a laugh. "You might have gotten me fired, but I can make your life fucking miserable. I still know people. I know the mayor."

"Young man, everyone here knows the mayor," said Delia. "That's not as impressive as you think it is."

"I don't care who you know," said Maya. "You're a bully and a coward and I've had enough. Get out. If not, I will press all the charges I can."

Krista and Devlin came back with a woman in a smart black pantsuit. "What's going on?" asked the woman. She was nearly as tall as Krista, and wore her hair pulled back in a severe bun.

"Hello, Eloise. Good to see you," said Delia.

"Good evening, ma'am," said Eloise. "I'm told there's a problem."

Dean's eyes darted from Delia to Maya to Eloise. He had the same look of fearful shock Maya had seen when she'd been awarded the restraining order. The look that said he realized things might not be going the way he expected.

Maya didn't blame him. Eloise looked every inch the no-nonsense type.

"There is. This man is in violation of a restraining order and refuses to leave. The order belongs to this young woman," Delia said, indicating Maya.

Eloise turned to Maya. "Ma'am, is this true?"

"Yes." Maya nodded and handed Eloise the order, her hands steady.

"Thank you, ma'am." Eloise turned to face Dean. "Sir, may I see your ID?"

Dean started to protest, but Eloise remained unperturbed and repeated her request. Steaming, Dean pulled out his driver's license. Eloise compared the information to the RO, then handed the paper back to Maya. "Sir, you need to leave."

"I am not fucking going anywhere," he said. "Do you know who--"

"Sir." Eloise cut him off. "Sir, you need to leave now, or you will be arrested." She signaled to someone Maya couldn't see, and a police officer materialized.

"Dean, just go," said Maya. "There's no need for any more of a scene."

"Don't tell me what to do, you little bitch," Dean hissed. He reached for her but Toby pulled her out of reach as the policeman stepped in and reached for Dean's arm.

"Get your hands off me!" Dean pulled his arm back and swung at the cop.

There wasn't much force behind it, but the wild swing connected with the policeman's jaw. There was a small scuffle as Eloise moved in to help and in a moment, she had Dean's arms pinned and the policeman put handcuffs around his wrists.

Maya watched, relieved as Dean was arrested and led away.

"I'm sorry, everyone," said Eloise. "Please, enjoy the rest of your evening." She nodded, then caught up with the officer who had arrested Dean.

"Oh, my god." Maya dropped into a seat and shook her head.

"Hey, it's all right." Toby put an arm around her. "You did great."

"Thanks," she said. "It's like Irene said; if he's going to dig his own hole, I won't stand in his way."

"Good plan," Toby said. He smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Toby's right," said Krista. "You were fantastic." She squeezed Maya's hand. "You stood up for yourself; way to go."

"Thanks, and thanks for getting security, I appreciate it," Maya said. "I'm really glad you all were here."

"Of course," said Jackson. "We couldn't let you deal with all these fancy people alone."

Maya laughed, then sighed as she leaned against Toby. "Well, that was a hell of a thing," she said.

To her surprise, Devlin spoke up. "Don't worry about it, Maya. It's not your fault, it's his. It's all on him."

"Thanks, Devlin." She smiled at him. "You know, in a weird way I feel better. I've been waiting something like this, and now it's happened, and I know I can handle it."

"I knew you would," said Toby. He stood and held his hand out. "Let's go find some art to look at."

She took his hand and smiled. "In dark little nooks, I presume?"

"That's where the best art is," he said.

They wandered through some exhibits, noting what they did and didn't like. After a while, Maya led Toby to a bench in a small alcove where a spotlight shone down on a sculpture.

"Did you ever do sculpting?" Maya asked as she rested her head on his shoulder.

He kissed the top of her head. "No. I mean I took a class here and there, but I wasn't very good at it. It was fun for a change, but I like painting." They were quiet for a few minutes, then he asked, "Are you all right? That had to be rough."

"I'm okay." She held his hand. "It helped to have you there, it always does."

"I was ready to clock him," Toby admitted.

"I'm glad you didn't," she said. "I wouldn't want to be bailing you out of jail tonight."

He laughed and Maya felt it vibrate through her. "No, we wouldn't want that," he said.

"All right, it's been quite the evening, and I think I'm ready to go home," said Maya.

"Would you like to come to my place?" asked Toby.

Maya smiled. "I would, very much."

"Good." He took one of her hands in his and nodded.

He looked like he wanted to say something else, so Maya waited.

"I'd like it if you were at my place every night," he said.

Maya sat up. "You would?"

"Yeah." He sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm not very good at this."

She laughed softly. "I think you're doing fine."

Toby brushed a lock of her hair back. "I love you, Maya. I know things have happened kind of quickly, but I'm sure about us. I've waited for you a couple of times now, and I'll do it again if you need time, but I very much want to be with you as much as possible. You matter to me."

"I'd like that," she said. "Very much." The idea of being important to him warmed her. "You matter to me, too, you know."

Relieved, Toby grinned and pulled her in for a kiss. "My night has just taken a turn for the better. How about yours?"

"I suppose that depends on what happens when we get back to your place," she said with a mischievous smile.

Toby stood up and took her hand. "Then let's get out of here. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can see what happens."

Epilogue

Six months later

Maya looked around the empty space. Her dressmaking business had been successful enough that she had started looking for a store. She'd managed so far by working out of the basement at the house she'd shared with Krista and Lacey, but she was getting more orders and needed a place where people could come and talk and try things on without having them traipse through the house.

"What do you think?" she asked.

Landon looked around with a critical eye, making Maya nervous. He nodded and she let out a sigh of relief. "I think it's pretty solid. I'm going to look in the back rooms, though. Don't want any surprises back there."

"I'll come with you," said Toby. He was working on his own relationship with Landon, if only for Maya's sake. The two of them had been working on building trust, and it seemed to be succeeding, but Toby couldn't help being more cautious.

"Cool." Landon nodded and started back.

"I think it has a lot of potential," said Charles. He'd come along with Toby, Landon and Krista to check out the property.

"He's right," said Krista. "I can see a work area over there, and a changing area there. Oh, maybe you could get some of those screens with a fancy design to create separate areas. It would give you privacy and some color."

"Maybe some sheer curtains on the window," Charles added.

"Yes!" Krista grinned. "That would look so cool, and it would make it warmer, too. Like you're visiting someone at home instead of just coming in to a store."

"It is a little drab," Maya said. She bit her lip. She'd been excited about the place, but now, looking at it under the harsh fluorescent lights, with its dusty, empty floor, she was having second thoughts.

"It is," said Toby as he and Landon returned, "but it won't stay that way. Charles is right, you have to look at what it could be. It's what we did when we opened the tattoo shop."

"You did?"

"Sure." He nodded. "Remember, Kris? We looked around at all kinds of places. The location we found fit about ninety percent of what we were looking for, and we figured we could make up the other ten."

"Absolutely," Krista agreed.

"Plus, Krista said it had good vibes," Toby said with a grin, and nudged Krista who rolled her eyes at him.

"It's a good location, too," said Charles. "It's not too far from the club, and I know a lot of the girls there would love to be able to come somewhere close for repairs. It'd be great to go back and forth and know you won't shoot half your day in the process."

"How was the back?" Maya asked, nervous about the answer.

"It was good," said Landon. "The bathroom was clean and I think was maybe remodeled not too long ago. No cracks in the walls or anything like that that I could see. You'll need to get it inspected, but that would be part of the sale process anyway."

"Chairs!" Krista said out of nowhere.

Maya stared at her, but Charles nodded.

"Yes, comfortable chairs," said Charles. "You could make a sitting area over here." He waved his hands to encompass the area in front of the window. "I bet you could find some furniture at the thrift shops, or online. Something kind of old-fashioned, don't you think, Long Cool?"

"Yeah, yeah." Krista nodded. "Maybe overstuffed chairs. And a coffee maker, of course. And little end tables by the chairs for people to put their coffee on instead of a table in the middle.

"Good call," said Charles.

"I like that," Maya said, warming to their enthusiasm. "I could make the curtains, that wouldn't be hard. And the floor will look better once it's cleaned up. That area over there," she pointed to a back corner, "can be for display."

"Actually, you should have something to display in the window," said Toby. "Maybe move the sitting area back so you can do that." At Krista's surprised look, he said, "What? I can't have ideas, too? I own a store, you know."

"I had another idea," said Maya. "I was thinking, maybe I can have some of the kids from the youth center work here. Like an apprenticeship or something. I'll have to talk to Alissa."

"That is a fantastic idea," said Charles. "I think you're going to do fine with this, Maya, I really do."

"Thanks, Charles." She turned to Toby. "What do you think?"

He turned and put his hands on her shoulders. "I think this is a good location, and a good price. I think if you take it, then you will make a stunning success of it."

She bit her lip. "You're biased," she said softly.

He grinned. "Yeah, but it doesn't mean I'm wrong."

"And if I don't make a success of it?"

"Then it won't be for lack of trying," he said, "and that's the important part."

"I don't know," said Maya. "I want to. But it's--I've never done anything this big, I guess."

"You're afraid you'll fail," he said, but gently.

"Yeah." She nodded

Toby led her away from the others. Krista and Charles animatedly discussed possibilities for the shop and never noticed them leave. Landon did but only glanced over and then went back to listening to Krista and Charles.

"Listen," said Toby, "if you fail, then you fail. I'll still be here, I'll still love you. And remember, you said you'd rather make the effort and fail as opposed to not trying at all."

"It's still true," Maya said, "it just feels so much bigger now, I guess." She sighed. "I felt like this before I moved."

"But you did it," he said. "And I'm so glad you did. You can do this, too. You want to, don't you?"

"I do. Oh, Toby, I really do." She took his hand. "This would be the first thing I've done that's all mine, and I want that, but it's scary."

"It is. It was scary when Krista and I opened our shop. But I also know you can do it, and I'll be here for you while you do. Here, I can prove it."

"Prove it?" She gave him a puzzled look. "You don't need to prove it."

"Maybe I want to." He reached into his pocket, came out with a box, and opened it. "Maya, will you marry me?"

Her eyes went wide. "Really?"

Toby cleared his throat. "I have to say, that's not quite the reaction I was hoping for. But if it helps, then yes, really. I know I can't offer you as much as some other guys, but I love you."

"I don't care about other guys," Maya said. "I love you. Yes."

"Oh, thank god." Toby slid the ring on her finger and pulled her into a tight hug. "I was going to wait to ask you tonight, but I don't know, this just seemed like the right time."

"It's perfect," she said. "I guess I have to take this shop." She smiled at him. "It's where the unexpected things happen, and those are the best things."

--end--