Disclaimer: Hey Guys, I thought I should let you know how Noah and I finally met and how things were going before the stag party. I meant to post the phone call and the first date together because the phone call was short. But, the date section is still in process so I thought I'd just post this to see if what I have so far is okay, what it needs, etc.

Okay, I'm going to hit send on this before I chicken out. Just keep in mind this is a first attempt. What did you tell me a while back about needing to break eggs Gigs? *ducking to hide from the flying rotten fruit*

Maggie

This is Maggie's precursor story to her section of the stag party which will soon be debuting in the attic. This lets us know how she first got involved with our group, although I have a sneaking suspicion I have a mad scientist on my hands. WAY COOL! Anyway, enjoy folks.

 It had been a long week. I had gotten home from a short vacation in Las Vegas on Monday and had spent the past few days putting out fires at work and trying to catch up on chores at home. Friday evening had never looked so good. I trudged up the stairs to my apartment with one thought in mind. I could spend at least the next 36 hours in bed catching up on sleep.

As I turned the key, opening my front door, I heard the phone ringing. I ran in the door dropping my bag and papers from work. Where in the heck had I left the phone? I decided I wouldn't be able to find the phone before the answering machine picked up and went over to check the caller id unit on the kitchen counter. Guilty Pleasures showed up as the return line. "Who would be calling me from there?" I thought as the machine started playing my pre-recorded greeting. I ran to the bedroom where I had last seen the phone, hoping it was still there. I lived alone but objects often didn't stay where I put them. I ran in the bedroom and looked over at the nightstand by my bed.

Success! I dived for the phone just as the tape came on to record my caller's message. "Hello. Maggie speaking," I answered out of breath.

"Hi Maggie", a melodic baritone voice chuckled in my ear. "It's Noah. Esther gave me your number a while back. I hope its not too late to call."

My heart started fluttering 90 miles a minute. I couldn't believe he was calling me. Esther said she gave him my number but I didn't think he'd actually call. From what I'd heard, he was a pretty strong were leopard. He served as one of the two main bodyguards to the local Nimir-Raj, and was very handsome. I was sure there were many demands on his time.

"Too late? It's only about 9 pm here. That's pretty early for me.

Oh, you mean because Esther gave you my number a few weeks and you didn't call then. No, it's no problem at all. I'm glad you decided to call. Should I stop babbling now?" Lord, I hated talking to strangers on the phone. I was really wishing someone would break down the door and put me out of my misery. I didn't think a person could die of embarrassment, but there was always the first time.

Noah burst out laughing. I think he could hear my nervous excitement over the phone. Surprisingly, rather than get upset, I found myself joining in. My tension levels went down at least 20 points and I was able to breathe more normally. It was rather silly to get so worked up over a phone call.

"How about we start over?" I found myself smiling as I asked in a more neutral tone.

"Sure. Hi Maggie, It's Noah. Esther gave me your number. I was calling to see if you had any plans for tomorrow afternoon." I think Noah sensed I might calm down faster if he got the date question out the way early on. He was right. I told him all I had planned on doing that weekend was to catch up on rest. He suggested we do something leisurely. So, we decided to meet the next afternoon for a picnic in the park. I wanted to meet him there so I wouldn't feel stuck if things didn't work out. I said I'd bring some blankets to sit on. He told me not to worry about food. He would grab something for us on the way to the park. He had to get off the phone soon because Micah had finished his discussion with Jean Claude. I guessed that meant that Noah was on short break from guard duty when he called me. It also explained his presence at the strip club. Noah gave me his cell phone number to call in case there was a change in plans and we said good night.

I practically danced my way back into the dining room to put the phone up next to my answering machine. It was then I realized I had never gone back in to turn the answering machine off. It had recorded our entire conversation. Bouncing over to get a new tape for the machine, I couldn't help thinking that if things worked out, it would be nice to have a record of our first conversation. Of course I would edit out the parts where I babbled like a fool before I made a final copy for the scrapbook box. I was off to decide what to wear the next day and to attempt calm down enough to get some sleep.