14. Margot
14
margot
Matt’s eyes roll back when he takes his first bite of pasta. “Dude, how are you single?”
Rae shakes her head with a laugh. “Can you not make that face when you eat?” She grabs a bowl from Braden, thanking him before she continues by saying, “And what does his pasta have to do with his dating life?”
Matt’s eyes widen. “Rae, if I were into guys, and he made me this pasta, you’d never see me again.”
She forces a laugh. “Did you hear that, Braden?” she calls over her shoulder where Braden and I are still standing in the kitchen. “You might be stealing my boyfriend.”
Braden answers her while he scoops pasta into a bowl for me. “Don’t worry Rae. Hoes before bros.”
I watch their interaction with a smile teasing the corners of my lips. Rae shakes her head and mutters, “Oh my god. I can’t with you two.”
As Braden hands me a bowl, I say, “It is really good pasta.”
The corner of his mouth pulls up as he looks down to make his own dish. “If only it helped me get the girl, right? ”
“Invite her over for dinner. I’m sure it will do the trick,” I say with a grin.
He gives me a small smile. “Yeah. Maybe.”
“Can you two come sit down?” Matt asks with a mouthful. “The longer you stay in there, the worse it is that I didn’t wait for you.”
“Because rushing them to the table is so polite,” Rae sasses with a light laugh.
Braden holds out his hand with the bowl. “After you.”
I just say, “Thanks,” and go to take a seat.
“Seriously, will you marry me?” Matt asks Braden as he slides into the chair next to him.
Braden moves his noodles around with his fork, a trace of laughter behind his words when he says, “Maybe one day.”
Ignoring her boyfriend, Rae turns to me. “Did you book your flight?”
Her question brings a smile to my lips, and I take a bite. It could probably make my eyes roll back, but I try to rein it in. “I did.”
“And he’s taking care of the hotel, right?”
I nod. “Also already booked.”
She raises her eyebrows. “Jackson does not play around when it comes to you, that’s for sure.”
Her comment brings on a new wave of flutters and a pang to my chest, the empty chair at the table suddenly feeling bigger than the rest.
“I’m just jealous you get to go to New York,” Matt says, and I hadn’t realized the guys were paying attention.
“We can go too, you know,” Rae says to him. “We can go to the show with Margot and get our own hotel after.”
Matt thinks about it long and hard before shaking his head. “Nah.”
Rae lazily points her fork at him. “You just said you wanted to go. ”
“Yeah, but Jackson loves her way more than me. I probably won’t even see the guy.”
My heart gets stuck in my throat, and in a split second I’ve dissected all the possible meanings behind that sentence.
Matt is just assuming Jackson has said he loves me by now.
Jackson told Matt he loves me.
It means absolutely nothing.
My prize is probably waiting behind door number three, but that doesn’t stop me from fixating on door number two.
Rae takes no notice of her boyfriend’s words halting my world. She just stares at him and says, “I would be there, too.”
He nods, not looking any more excited about it.
My phone buzzes on the table next to me, and I flip it over.
Jackson:
What the hell is this playlist?
Another message comes in right after it.
Jackson:
You put Landslide on here more than once.
In case you didn’t know.
Laughter bubbles in my chest, and I have to fight a grin as I text him back.
Margot:
Miss me?
I set my phone down and take another bite of food. Matt and Rae are still contemplating their hypothetical trip to New York, but Braden’s eyes are locked on me.
I stop chewing .
He blinks and clears his throat. “Uh, how’s the pasta?”
I start to chew slowly. “Amazing,” I say when it’s safe to talk again.
He smiles and takes another bite. When he looks up again, he directs his attention to Matt and Rae, and I do the same until my phone vibrates again.
Jackson:
You’re so fucking beautiful, you know that?
I don’t say it enough.
I frown, my eyebrows pulling together as I look at the words on the screen. He’s only told me that once before, and this time hits me just as hard even though it’s over text. If anything, it hits me harder because it’s so random.
Too random.
Margot:
Are you drunk?
I watch the three dots float across the screen.
Jackson:
That’s the conclusion you jump to?
I can’t just text my girlfriend and tell her how pretty she is?
Margot:
Am I right?
There’s a pause before those three dots appear again.
Jackson:
Maybe a little.
I’ve been hanging out with a bottle of bourbon alone in an RV .
My lips twist as I try to fight my smile. When he told me he’d probably just end up texting me if he drank on tour, I figured he was joking. But this is actually making me really happy.
Margot:
You’re alone?
Jackson is never alone. It’s why we always text instead of talking on the phone.
Jackson:
Yeah.
Margot:
Can I call you?
Before I realize what I’m doing, I shovel the rest of my pasta into my mouth.
Jackson:
You can always call me.
“I have to go,” I say as I stand up from the table. Pacing into the kitchen, I rinse my bowl before putting it in the dishwasher. “Thanks for dinner.” I look at Rae. “Are you staying here tonight?”
She’s watching me curiously. “I was planning on it. Do you want me to come home?”
I shake my head. “No, you’re good. Have fun, I’ll see you guys tomorrow!”
Before any of them can respond, I’m out the door and dialing Jackson’s number.