Chapter Seventeen
Our date at the Mexican restaurant was fantastic. Madison was so impressed with everything, especially the wonderful food. But there was a point, after we finished our soups and before the carne asada dishes arrived, that she seemed a bit distracted.
Unfortunately, just as I was about to ask her what was on her mind, our meals came.
That put an end to that.
Until now, seeing as that blip in our otherwise perfect day is back on my mind.
I have an opportunity to raise the subject once we’re on the road heading back to Phoenix.
I’ve decided to take all the lonely back roads since it’s more low-key. Truthfully, though, I really just want to prolong my time with Madison.
To add to our relaxing trek home, I have the car stereo on low.
Turning the volume down even more, I say to Madison, “Hey, can I ask you something?”
“Sure.” I glance over, and she’s smiling at me. Damn, she’s so fucking pretty. “You can ask me anything, Lennox.”
Hmm, I hope that’s true, ’cause here goes nothing.
I blow out a breath. “Okay, so back at the restaurant, when we were waiting for our entrées, there was a point where you seemed…I don’t know.” I shrug. “Kind of distracted, I guess.”
Slowly, she replies, “Um, yeah? What about it?”
Okay, so she knows exactly what I’m referring to.
I wasn’t wrong.
Something was up.
And still is.
I clear my throat, then just flat-out ask, “I was just wondering—and you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to—what was on your mind.”
She’s quiet for a beat, like she’s contemplating something, maybe whether to share with me or not, and then she says, “I don’t know if I should tell you what I was thinking, Lennox.”
Ugh, now I’m really intrigued.
Carefully, I ask, “Can you explain why you feel you shouldn’t say anything to me? I mean, like I told you before, you don’t have to tell me what you were thinking about. But to be perfectly honest, I’m curious because we seem to pretty much tell each other all kinds of crazy shit.”
That makes her laugh. “Yeah, we do,” she agrees. “That’s actually probably part of the reason why I was thinking what I was back at the restaurant.”
Chuckling, I confess, “Okay, now you have me totally confused and intrigued.”
“I bet I do,” she murmurs with a snicker. “I bet I do.”
I’m convinced this is the end of that conversation, and I’m willing to let it go, but then, out of the blue, Madison waves her hand around and says, “Oh, what the hell. I’m just going to tell you.”
“Okay.” I slow down. “Should we pull off the road for this?”
“Maybe so,” she says.
Oh shit.
Is this bad?
Is it good?
There’s a dirt pull-off up ahead for trucks, so I head to it and drift into the thankfully empty lot.
After placing the Nav in Park and turning it off, I take a deep breath, release it, then, tapping my hands on the steering wheel once, say, “Hit me with it, Madison. What’s up?”
Scrunching the hem of her pretty floral sundress into her balled-up fists, she says, “Ugh, now I’m nervous to tell you.”
“Just do it,” I prod.
“All right.” Blowing out a breath, she releases the fabric in her hands and smooths down her dress. Still staring down, she says, “What I was thinking about is how I was, and am, really happy that we finally went out on a real date.”
Okay, this isn’t bad.
“Damn, I am, too, babe,” I reply. “It was fun.”
“It was, and…”
When she doesn’t continue, I say, “Go on.”
In a sudden rush of words, and still looking down at her lap, she blurts out, “Well, that got me to thinking how I really want to freaking date you, Lennox. Like for real. I’d love to call you my boyfriend. And, well, that’s it.”
“Wow.”
I’m floored and kind of shocked, but I quickly realize that it’s in a good way.
Still, I have to ask, “But what about our big talk? I thought you didn’t ‘do’ relationships?”
“I don’t,” she says softly as she finally looks up and over at me. Our eyes meeting, she whispers, “But I’m willing to try one with you.”
Why is my heart filling with such joy?
I guess because I want the same thing—I want to date her.
No, I want more—I want Madison Ellery to be my fucking girlfriend.
Madison, misreading my silence, says, “See, I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“No, no.” I shake my head. “That’s not why I’m being quiet. I was just thinking”—I take her hand—“that I want to try too. So…” I twist to face her more fully and, keeping her hand in mine, ask, “Madison, will you be my girlfriend?”
Beaming, she nods. “I will.”
Good God, we’re like high schoolers navigating new waters here.
In a way, this is true. We are not high schoolers, but this is new territory for us. And, crazy though it sounds, it’s making me feel fucking carefree as hell.
And because I feel that way, without a care in the world that we’re in a fucking truck pull-off out in the middle of nowhere, where someone could definitely pass by, I unbuckle my seat belt and descend on my official girlfriend, covering her in a barrage of happy kisses.