Mr. First-Round-Draft-Pick is killing it in Baltimore.
Maddie leans back on her elbows, her whole body on display, and I’m not the only one looking. Two guys nearby are locked in, eyes trailing over her like she’s on a damn runway.
Yeah… not happening. Not on my watch.
“I know that look.”
“Fuck’s sake, Leo. Where the hell did you come from?” I give him a once-over. “What are you wearing?”
He has a shirt and tie on the top and shorts on the bottom.
“I had a call with my new boss, and I wanted to hang out with everyone after, but I wouldn’t have had time to get to our house and then get back here. So…” He holds out his arms, “Business on top, party on the bottom.”
He starts undoing his tie and unbuttoning his shirt. “Let’s go. I need a tan, and those meatheads are making their move.”
My eyes snap back to Maddie, and I see red.
She grabs my attention before I make a scene, and her soft, loving smile calms my nerves.
“Come here.” She holds out her hand, pulls me down beside her, and pecks my lips, pulling back far too soon. “They’re not worth it.”
“They don’t get to look at what’s mine,” I growl for only her to hear, and she rolls her eyes, ignoring me, turning her attention back to Addie.
I lean over and kiss her hello, then pull back, taking in Addie’s dangling earrings. “Did you make those?” I ask Maddie.
She nods excitedly and asks, “Do you like them?”
Adelaide beams with an over-the-top smile, turning her head so we can all get a good look. They are glass strawberries hanging from a small string of lighter red beads that I know Maddie made to match Addie’s strawberry-blonde hair.
“Wow, Maddie,” Leo mutters before I can respond, adoration laced through his words. “People would spend a lot of money on these.”
Addie claps her hands. “Yes. Tell them. Tell them!”
We turn our gaze toward Maddie, and a pink blush creeps up her neck. “What’s going on, Mads?”
“Well, do you remember Ms. Green, the environmental systems professor?” Leo and I nod, both taking her as well in junior year. “She caught up with me today and asked if she could commission something. She said she always admired my jewelry and never knew I made it all myself.”
I reach forward, cup her cheek, and then kiss her dimple. “This doesn’t surprise me. You amaze me every day,” I whisper. “Congratulations, Mads.”
“Oh no. Don’t sell yourself short,” Addie interrupts. “Tell them what you’re making.”
Maddie bites her bottom lip. She hates talking about herself in any capacity. But the sparkle in her eyes and the way her dimples pop, I know she’s holding in her excitement.
“Come on, babe. What is it?”
“She asked me to make two sets of earrings for both her and her daughter. It’s for her daughter’s wedding next year. It’s going to be her something new.”
“Aaaaand…” Addie drags out.
“And she wants to pay me one thousand dollars for them,” Maddie spits out so fast like she can’t even believe it herself.
“Holy shit, Maddie.” I pull her into my side. A deep sense of pride hits me hard in the chest, a tear might have even worked its way up. “You are fucking incredible, Goddess.”
“One thousand is some serious cash. She must really love your jewelry,” Leo adds.
Maddie shrugs. “She said in Beverly Hills, there is a designer who does glasswork nowhere as unique as my pieces, and they sell for thousands sometimes.”
I pull out my chain and roll the small bead Maddie made me at camp. It was her first piece of glasswork, and I will cherish it for the rest of my life.
