“You too.”
He kissed me on the cheek, and I walked inside.
As soon as the door clicked closed, I confronted Brody. He was sitting on the couch with his feet up on the ottoman.
“Was that necessary?”
“You think I did that on purpose?” He pointed at his chest. He was wearing a ragged, old t-shirt. I felt completely overdressed.
“You heard a noise?”
“Yeah. I was just checking things out.”
“Do me a favor: next time, don’t.”
“How was it?”
I wasn’t sure if he meant the date itself or the kiss. “Great.”
“Yeah?”
“Nice dinner, nice conversation, and a good kiss.”
“Only good?”
“Wonderful. He tastes like cinnamon.”
“Was he chewing gum?”
“No. I think he just tastes that way. The funny thing is I don’t usually like cinnamon-flavored things.”
“There’s probably a deep metaphor in there somewhere.”
“One we’re not discussing tonight.” I slumped down on the couch next to him and kicked off my shoes.
“When are you going to see him again?”
“I don’t know. I guess whenever he calls.”
“Letting him call all the shots, huh?” Brody stretched out his legs next to mine.
“What? Is there any problem with that?”
“No, I’m just giving you a hard time.”
“You’re good at that.”
“Not as good as Macon.” He yawned, reminding me of how late it was.
“You have a point there.”
Chapter Five
“Morning, Maddy. I thought I’d bring you breakfast, but unfortunately we’re out of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.”
I forced my eyes open. “Macon?” I struggled to hold on to the end of a good dream while trying to make sense of Macon’s presence in my room.
“Want me to make you cinnamon French toast instead?”
“Cinnamon?” Then my foggy brain finally figured it out. “Brody!”
“He’s out for a run.” Macon sat down on the edge of the bed. “But yes, he filled me in.”
“Filled you in? Because my dating life is so exciting?”
He shrugged. “You haven’t dated anyone since you moved in, and you’ve gone out with this guy twice. That makes it a least somewhat newsworthy.”
“Get out of my room.”
“Why? Did I interrupt a dream about Cinnamon Boy?”
“No…” I wasn’t interested in telling him who my dream was about. I didn’t need any of that psychoanalysis from him. Macon’s parents were both psychiatrists, and he liked to pretend they’d imparted their wisdom on him. A favorite way of his to show it off was to annoy the hell out of me.
“You know what I’m going to assume if you don’t tell me.”
“I do?”
“It would be painfully obvious that you were dreaming about me.” He reached over to my bed stand and picked up my copy of People magazine. Don’t judge.
“But why wouldn’t I tell you that? Don’t you already know I dream about you all the time?”
“Be careful, girl. Don’t tempt me while we’re on your bed.”
I laughed. “I think we’ll be able to resist the urge. Anyway, why’d you come in here? Was it really just to annoy me?”
He set down the magazine without opening it. “I have a few more buddy passes to use before my gym membership switches over. Want to come with?”
“Definitely.” Although I generally preferred to run and lift light weights at home most of the time, I never gave up the opportunity to tag along with Macon to his gym. As much as I enjoyed exercising outside, sometimes I wanted a change of pace.
“How soon can you be ready?”
“Ten minutes.”
“I love how un-girl you are.”
“Un-girl?” I threw back the covers and got out of bed, already excited for a good workout. I’m weird like that. I’m a horrible morning person unless I know I’m getting up to exercise.
“Don’t pretend you don’t know what I mean.” He stood up and walked to the door. “I’ll see you in ten.”
***
“Oh god. When did he join here?” I didn’t realize the words had left my lips until the girl on the elliptical next to me took off her headphones.
She turned and looked at me quizzically. “Are you talking to me?”
“No. Sorry.” I moved my gaze straight ahead again, and he was gone. Lyle had definitely been there. Part of me felt guilty getting excited about a Lyle sighting the morning after a date with Colin, but I reminded myself that two dates with a guy didn’t mean I couldn’t think about another.
I focused on my work out again, turning up my music to the limit of comfort. There’s something so motivational about Linkin Park at the end of a work out. Their songs push me to get the job done.
The elliptical beeped to let me know I was at the two minute mark. That’s when I saw him again—this time in all his shirtless glory. He hadn’t been shirtless ten minutes before. He’d been wearing a blue t-shirt. You know you have a serious crush when you memorize little details like that in seconds.
It wasn’t my first time seeing his chest, I’d spotted him on the beach on more than one occasion, but it didn’t matter. The mental drool started before I realized it. I wanted to avert my eyes but couldn’t. He was talking to some guy I didn’t recognize while drinking copious amounts of water from a nondescript bottle.
I stepped off the machine when the workout finished. That should have been enough of a distraction, but of course not. Instead, Lyle looked over in time to catch me blatantly ogling him. Lovely. He waved in a quasi-greeting, and I waved back. That was it, the moment we were going to have a real connection, but then he turned and walked away.
“Idiot.” I mumbled before heading off to find Macon. He was already waiting for me.
“Hey, does that whole half-price friend membership still apply?”
“Why? You suddenly willing to shell out the money?”
“Yeah, it might be nice in the winter.”
He grinned. “And it would have nothing to do with your friend.”
“My friend? Wait you saw him too?”
“Yeah, and I resisted the urge to ask to smell his cinnamon breath.” Macon checked his phone.
“Wait, Colin?”
“Yeah, who did you think I meant?” He eyed me skeptically.
“No one.” Oh geez. I needed to get outside. “On second thought, I don’t want to waste the money.” I opened the door and booked it to Macon’s car.
He followed me out. “Okay…”
I decided that in the future I’d stick to running on the beach.
Dashing upstairs as soon as Macon parked, I closed myself in the bathroom. I stripped off my sweaty clothes, and stepped under the hot spray of the shower. I thought about my obsession with Lyle and my budding relationship with Colin—if I could even call it that. Surrounded by steam and water, the situation didn’t seem so bad. I relaxed. I always did my best thinking in the shower.
I could have stayed in forever, but using up all of the hot water when Macon had let me work out for free would be pretty obnoxious.
I dried off and wrapped up in a towel.
“You missed a call,” Brody called as I passed through to my room.
“Thanks.” I closed my door and picked it up. My stomach turned in excitement as I pictured the cute message from Colin. Perfect timing. My shower epiphany was that I had to stop worrying about my parents, my future, and what I couldn’t have. I needed to focus on what was right in front of me.
The message wasn’t from Colin. It was my parents checking in on me—again. Evidently, they’d taken the liberty of finding several master’s programs I could apply for that were all designed to give you a better shot at med school. The thought made me uneasy. More school just to take the chance of getting rejected again? And for what? The
more distance I had from my former life, the less I wanted med school. The problem was, I didn’t know what I wanted.
Chapter Six
The bar top had never been cleaner. Technically, I didn’t have to be in to work until seven, but I got there early. By ten o’clock I was falling asleep. Max was already cutting back my shifts, and I was bored.
Labor Day came and went without a word from Colin, and I’d accepted the kiss hadn’t been as good for him. His disinterest shouldn’t have bothered me, but it did. Usually I was so good at reading people and signs. I’d been wrong this time.
“Everything okay, sweetie?” Max came by on his rounds of the dining room. I was in the inside bar.
“Yeah. Things are fine.”
“A piece of advice: don’t go into acting.” He took a seat on one of the stools.
I forced a laugh. “That bad?”
“Yes. You stink at it. But tell me, what’s eating at you?” Max had this way about him that made you want to spill your life story. He’d started off bartending at the Grille, and I could imagine he’d amassed an endless amount of personal confidences during that time. The only confidences I got were from drunk guys hoping a sob story would get them laid.
“Nothing really. It’s more of a general blah feeling.”
“That doesn’t sound good. You never told me, what happened with your big date a few weeks ago?” He wriggled his eyebrow.
“It went.”
“Ah, I see.” He gave me a knowing look.
“No. It’s not all about that.”
“Are you sure? Because I have a few more words of advice for you if it is. Any boy who can’t see how lucky he’d be to date you isn’t worth it.”
“Thanks, Max. It’s really not that. I have to figure some things out.” My words were partially true, I did have to figure things out, but I was hung up on how wrong I’d been about Colin. It’s not that a guy hadn’t rejected me before, I’d just always expected it.
“If you’re sure.”
“I am.”
I tried to push my depressive thoughts away, but I felt lost. I’d spent my whole life on such a set path, and for the first time, I had no clue where I was going. I wanted it to excite me, but it scared me more.
“It’s pretty slow tonight. You can head home anytime you want. We don’t need both bars open, and Dale would be happy to come inside.” Max’s most seasoned bartender, Dale, got first dibs on shifts and bars. He was trying to work more, so I figured that meant I’d be working less.
“I might have to take you up on that.”
“I’ll pay you for the whole shift.”
“Thanks, Max.” It was weird to be so worried about a paycheck. I’d spent most of my life in the financial bubble of upper-middle class comfort my parents had given me. I’d kept that bubble through college, so for the first time, I was on my own dime. After paying Macon rent, I barely had enough for food. Working only a few nights a week was going to make for a very long winter.
“You aren’t going to ride your bike home alone though, are you?”
“No. I’ll get a ride,” I lied. I had no intention of calling anyone. It wasn’t even ten o’clock at night.
Max saw through it. “Maddy, it’s too dark to ride your bike. People won’t see you.”
“I’ll be fine.” I closed out the register and blatantly ignored the warnings he was giving me.
Outside I let out a sigh of relief. It’s not like I had a death wish, but I needed my time alone.
I unlocked my bike and hopped on. The best part of riding a bicycle is that it doesn’t take any gas. Oh, and you can usually maneuver your way around traffic.
I turned right out of the Grille and headed toward home. I loved the feel of the wind in my hair, and I relaxed. I still had a ways to go when I saw the car heading straight at me. I veered to the side, stopping before I flipped over the handlebars.
“Damn you, Macon.” I steadied myself as Macon rolled down his window. “You could have killed me.”
“I was just making sure you were awake.”
“Awake? I’d prefer breathing.” I finally calmed down enough to get off the bike.
“Stop complaining, you knew I wouldn’t hit you.” Wordlessly, he secured my bike onto his bike rack.
“He called you, didn’t he?” Max couldn’t leave it alone.
“Of course he did. You could get killed riding that thing at night.”
“The only one who came close to killing me was you.” I settled into the passenger seat.
“I was trying to prove the point. It’s dangerous.”
“Only when someone purposely tries to run me off the road. I’m hoping you’re the only one who would do that.”
“I bet there are more. You probably have enemies.”
“Enemies that are driving around the Outer Banks at night?” I turned down the AC that was blaring and freezing my legs.
“They might be really committed to the act of killing you.”
“You are so morbid.”
“No, just lightening the mood.”
“Keep it up. You’re doing a great job.”
“Want to keep lightening it?
“Only if it’s safe.”
“It’s safe. I have a guy I want to set you up with.” Macon kept his eyes on the road and a neutral expression on his face.
“Like a blind date? Is this a joke?”
“Not a joke. I guess it’s not completely blind because my friend is the one who asked me to set it up.”
“Your friend? What friend?” My skin prickled. I knew most of Macon’s friends in the area, and none of them were the type I’d date, or that he’d set me up with.
“Just one of the guys who works at the shop with me.”
“Why’d he ask you to set us up?” I asked suspiciously.
“He’s seen you around.”
“Why do I get the feeling you’re hiding something from me?”
“You don’t trust me, do you?” He turned the AC back up. He could be so infuriating sometimes.
“Not when it comes to my dating life.”
He turned into our condo lot. “Come on, I think you’ll like him.”
“What’s his name?”
“Ralph.”
“Seriously? You expect me to go on a date with a guy named Ralph?” I slammed my door accidently and cringed. Macon was pretty protective of his car and would normally snap at me for it.
“You can’t be serious. A girl named Maddy is going to make fun of someone’s name.”
“Maddy’s just a nickname. Maddison is a fine name.”
“Yes, if you’re the capital of Wisconsin.”
“Very funny.” I started upstairs without waiting for him. I knew he’d follow right behind me. “It’s not even spelled the same.”
“So what do you say?”
“To what?” I unlocked the door.
“Will you go out with Ralph tomorrow night?”
I turned to look at Macon. “Why is this so important to you?”
“Because you’re important, and I want you to find happiness.”
“Okay, now I’m definitely not going.”
“Did you tell her about the date we lined up for her?” Brody asked from his place on the beige leather couch.
“Wait, you’re in on this too? What’s going on?”
“Nothing, Maddy. We just think you guys would make a good match.”
“Not a chance.” I took off for my room.
“Please, Maddy. He’s going to be really disappointed.”
I spun around. “Is he at least cute?”
“Want to see a picture?” Macon whipped out his phone.
“You have a picture of him on your phone?”
“Just some dumb ones from work.”
“Fine.” I grabbed the phone.
“Wow, this is Ralph?” A guy straight off my college roommates’ surfer boy calendar stared back at me.
“Yeah. Not bad, huh?”
“I�
��ll go out with him.”
They both laughed. “And the truth comes out. It’s all about the looks.”
“What? Like you guys don’t decide to date, or in your case, Macon, sleep with, girls because of their appearance?”
“Of course we do.” Macon didn’t bother to defend himself.
“I’ll go on one date.”
“Great, Ralph is going to be thrilled.”
“Fantastic.”
***
“I’m glad Macon set this up,” Ralph led the way down the outdoor stairs.
“Yeah, it was nice of him.” I was still trying to decide if Ralph’s choice of a red print Hawaiian shirt was serious, or if it was a joke I was supposed to be commenting on.
“I brought my bike. I thought it would be more fun.” He stopped in front of a large chrome motorcycle and my stomach lurched. I hated motorcycles. Macon knew that more than anyone. I was surprised he hadn’t warned Ralph to leave it at home.
“Oh. I guess I’m not dressed right then.” I glanced down at my emerald green sundress, wanting way more clothing if I was riding on that thing.
“You’re dressed great. You look amazing.”
“Thanks, but shouldn’t I be in a jacket at least?” When your father’s an ER doc, you kind of get bombarded with the dangers of motorcycles. I’d made it twenty-two years without even being tempted to ride on one.
“You can if you want, but I brought you a helmet.”
“Yeah, I’m going to get something.” I took the stairs two at a time, already dialing Macon. He and Brody were both out. I couldn’t believe they hadn’t warned me that Ralph drove a bike.
I didn’t own a leather jacket, but Brody did. I’d noticed it when I was in his room once. I found the four-sizes-too-big jacket and slipped it on after changing into jeans and a tank. Satisfied with my new outfit, I walked back down. I may not have looked as good, but it would at least offer some protection from road rash.
“Oh, you really changed.” Ralph’s face fell slightly.
“Yeah, I’m ready now.”
“Great. We’re going to Chilli Peppers over in Kill Devil Hills.”
“That’s a forty-minute drive from here.”
Shaken Not Stirred (Mixology) Page 5