Me: That’s okay. I know you’re busy.
Winter: Sorry, angel. I’ll try.
Me: Don’t even think about me, baby. Just do what you have to.
Winter: Fuck I love you.
Me: I love you, too xx
* * *
“How long have you two been married?” Maddox asks as I place my phone down.
“How do you know that was Winter?”
“You get this look in your eye when you’re with him. You just got the same look.”
Maddox is an observant kid. One of the things I like about him.
“We’ve been married for eight years. Okay, so tell me, has this girl said yes to a date?”
He leans back in his seat. “I haven’t asked her yet.”
“Why not?”
“Because shit is complicated.”
I sit quietly, watching him like I’m expecting him to elaborate.
He points at his face. “This bruise came from her boyfriend. Well, her ex now.”
“Wait. Did you get in the middle of their relationship?”
“Fuck, no. That’s not the shady kind of shit I do. I didn’t know she liked me until he came at me with his fists. And now I can’t fucking stop thinking about her.”
Oh, man, I remember what it was like to have a crush in high school. And that first love. “My first boyfriend took me to the beach for our first date. We swam for hours and then ate fish and chips on the beach.” I point a finger at him. “Do not take any girl to the beach for your first date.”
He frowns. “Why not?”
“Because sand, water, and sun. Sand is messy, water ruins our hair, and sun can turn us into a lobster if we screw up with the sunscreen, which we probably will if we’re drooling over the boy we’re with. The beach is good for other dates, but not that first one. You want to take her somewhere she can feel as pretty as she looks because her hair and face stay exactly the way she spent hours making them look.”
His mouth curls up in amusement. “You should write a manual. The Queen’s Guide To First Dates.”
I finish the last of my chips and push the tray away. “Do you talk to Eloise about this stuff?” I broach the subject gently, not sure how he’ll take it. I expect to be shot down in flames.
Maddox takes a few moments, but he does answer me. “No. She’s not around much for shit like this. And she’d give crappy advice.”
“Why?”
His eyes bore into me, hardening with each passing second. “You hear what Brad said about the nasty shit Eloise does to score?” At my nod, he continues, “She fucks guys so she can get high with them. She’s not really the kind of mother to hand out dating tips.”
My heart hurts for Maddox. Like, physically aches for him. I want to say I’m sorry he got dealt a shitty hand in life, that I’m sorry he doesn’t have a mother to protect him, that I’m sorry he also doesn’t have a father to teach him, but I say none of that, because he’s not looking for any apologies. I actually don’t know what he’s looking for, but I do know what he needs. Maddox needs some unconditional love in his life.
“Okay, well I’m here anytime you have a question. I mean, I don’t have a manual, yet”—I smile—“but I do know some things about girls that might be helpful to you.”
He stands. “I’ve gotta get going so I can start an essay due on Monday. Thanks for today.” I’m not sure what I said to cause him to be so abrupt, but I roll with it. Maybe he really does feel the pressure to get home and work on his essay. Maybe I didn’t say anything that affected him.
I stand, too. “I enjoyed today.”