One More Time

“Obviously,” she laughed and slapped me in the chest.

I didn't know why I di

dn't just confess and tell her there was nothing to tell. That Madison was there with me strictly to act as a buffer between Andi and me – one I was really glad I had.

“Well, I'm glad you brought her. Glad I got to know her a little bit,” Cassie says. “She seems like a really great catch.”

I smiled and squeezed her hand, not saying anything because I didn't want to flat out lie to her.

“Though, what she's doing with somebody like you is a mystery,” Cassie said and laughed again. “Talk about dating up, my friend.”

I laughed and nodded. “Yeah, that sounds about right.”

We made our way back into the dining room and Madison and I said our goodnights. Andi wouldn't even look at or acknowledge us as we left. She just sat at the table, looking at her hands in her lap. Clearly pouting. Cassie just shrugged her shoulders and poured another glass of wine, fortifying herself for the emotional onslaught that was sure to hit her the moment we walked out the door.

The ride back was a little quiet, neither Madison nor I knowing what to say, an awkward silence filling up the air between us once more. I kept thinking back to what both Jimmy and Cassie had said about the way I looked at her. Was there something to it? Was there something I wasn't seeing?

I couldn't deny that, physically speaking, I was very attracted to Madison. Who wouldn't be? But beyond that, I really didn't know. I wasn't in a place where I was looking for any kind of a relationship or emotional entanglement. That just wasn't where my head was at. At least, I didn't think it was.

Though I continued to deny it to myself, the voices of Jimmy and Cassie kept banging around in my skull.

I cleared my throat. “Anyway, thanks for coming tonight,” I said. “I appreciate you running interference for me with Andi.”

Madison laughed, her smile lighting up the cab of my truck. Her smile was warm and genuine and made the air between us feel lighter again. Less awkward.

“She doesn't really seem like your type,” she said.

“No?” I asked, arching an eyebrow at her. “What's my type then?”

Madison shrugged her shoulders. “I don't know specifically,” she said. “But I know what isn't your type. And Andi isn't your type.”

“Yeah, she seemed a little too—”

“Uptight?” she said. “Angry? Takes herself way too seriously? Has a really nasty and overinflated sense of self-importance? Has an ego that can fill up a stadium—”

“Wow,” I said and laughed. “Don't hold back. Tell me how you really feel.”

A small smile touched her lips. “Yeah, sorry,” she said. “I usually don't deal well with people like her.”

“Well, for whatever it's worth,” I said, “you handled yourself very well.”

“Well, thank you.”

We rode in a companionable silence for a few moments. I had to admit, I felt comfortable around Madison. More comfortable than I'd been around a woman in a long, long time. She was easy to talk to. Funny. Sharp. Clever. I felt like I could have a conversation about the most serious of topics, and then downshift into something goofy and wildly inappropriate without missing a beat.

I had no idea though, what I was going to do with it or the maelstrom of thought and feeling that swirled around inside of me because of her. After a moment, I thought it best to stuff it down and ignore it for a while. At least, until I was able to sort through it all and figure out what the hell was going on in my own damn head.

“So,” I said, clearing my throat. “How's that hotel working out for you?”

She grinned at me. “It's fine.”

“Fine?”

“Fine.”

“Uh huh,” I said. “That tone of voice makes me think it's not actually fine.”

She sighed and shook her head, a rueful grin upon her lips. “If you want the truth, it's uncomfortable,” she said and laughed. “I've never slept on a lumpier mattress in my life. It sucks.”