I let out an unintentional grunt. Because yeah, I’ll bet he was sweet. That’s part of why he and I have never gotten along. I wouldn’t say I’m old-fashioned, but I struggle with the way he treats women. Like they’re disposable. It’s one after another wherever he goes. Miraculously, he’s never seemed into Madison. But he also hasn’t seen her in a very long time. I’m willing to bet all my money that his tune has changed about her now.
“How long did it take him to try to get into your pants?” When I notice that I’m about to Hulk-crush my glass beer bottle, I force myself to release it.
“About two minutes,” she says while casually stealing my drink again. “So we banged one out real quick in the parking lot.” Before I can stop myself, my gaze is swinging to Madison—who is grinning wildly against the mouth of the bottle. “You thought I was serious! Oh my god, I don’t know whether I should be upset or flattered.”
Madison has never tried to keep her love life under wraps. And the only reason I’ve ever been upset when hearing about her going out with another guy is because I don’t get to be the guy. And I think I’m finally coming to terms with the fact that I never will.
“Whoa. Put the shovel down, James. Nothing is happening between me and Tommy and nothing will happen either. Happy?”
“Shovel?”
Of course she doesn’t clarify. She takes a peanut from the littletin bar-top bucket and cracks it open, popping it into her mouth. “I’m back in town as a chef first and foremost, and I am determined to treat this position with the utmost professionalism.” She cracks another. “Even though it’s uncharacteristically moral of me, I have afirmrule of not sleeping with colleagues.”
And there it is.
I figured this might be the case, and I honestly agree with the sentiment in general. It would be a bad, messy choice. But hearing it from her mouth somehow kills a secret hope I didn’t realize I was still harboring. My stomach sinks all the way down to my boots—but still, I don’t regret helping her achieve this dream. I just need to find a way to get rid of these feelings for Madison once and for all. I already tried dating someone else this past year, and despite my best efforts over those four months, I wasn’t able to sever Madison’s hold on my system.
Who knows, maybe I’ll get lucky and discover these feelings were mostly born out of her being far away. I’m not very good at relationships (see previous relationship), so it’s reasonable to think I invented this one because it felt safe. It’s also a nice consolation that if I can’t date her, at least Tommy can’t either.
“So,” says Madison, turning to face me on her stool. “How is everyone around here? What’s the latest gossip?”
Tired of being tortured by the lingering flavor of Madison’s strawberry lip balm on the rim of my beer, I flag down the bartender, gesture toward my now mostly empty bottle, then hold up two fingers. “Fine. Everyone’s fine.”
“Fine?! That’s all you’re going to give me?” She sags dramatically against the bar.
“Yeah.” I shrug. “They’re good. Everyone’s good.”
Honestly, I don’t want to launch into everything and prolong my time with her. I think the key to managing this situation from here on out is going to be avoiding her as much as possible.
She’s appalled. “Quit acting like you’re not the biggest gossip in this whole damn town. We’re business partners now; you have to share juicy info with me.”
“Funny, I don’t remember that being in the job description I sent you.”
“ThatTommysent me,” she corrects, putting special emphasis on my brother’s name, eyes dropping to her fingers drumming on the wooden surface. “You never reached out again after that call.”
Seth, the bartender, sets Madison’s beer in front of her with a huge smile. “Madison! Welcome home. What brings you back early?” I think the whole town had her expected arrival next week marked on their calendars.
I tense when Madison playfully lays her head on my shoulder, knowing something wild is about to come out of her mouth.
She sighs wistfully. “I’m having James’s baby. I had to rush back to tell him the good news.”
With a repressed smile, I shake my head. By now everyone has learned to take Madison with a grain of salt. Especially where she and I are concerned. She lives to annoy me and there isn’t a soul out there who doesn’t know it.
Seth laughs. “Congrats. You two will make great parents. I’ll go get the parents-to-be a basket of fries to celebrate. On the house.”
“Aw, thanks, Seth!” Madison sits back up, dropping the curtain and returning to her personal space the second he walks away. But my mind is stuck on what she said a minute ago.
“Did you want me to call you again?” I study her confused look. “You said I never called you after offering you the job. Did you want me to?”
Her eyes widen. “No . . . of course not!”
“Oh, okay.” I drink my beer, unsurprised by her answer since she’s generally disliked me every second of every day of her life.
“I didn’t,” she insists.
“Fine.”
“It was only an observation.”
