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Then there was the exclusive mini-disc edition of Friday I’m in Love that Maddox got for me for my birthday one year. I wasn’t selling it, but keeping it under the glass up front was the perfect way to share it.
So. Many. Good memories.
I opened the store an hour or so later, and Maddox walked in a few minutes later. He strolled toward where I sat at the register. “You know what I’ve always wondered?”
“How many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pop?” Why did I go with a flippant answer?
Because I was tired of wallowing.
Maddox scoffed and set a large box on the floor, on the other side of the glass from me. “No. I figured that out years ago.”
“You figured it out?”
“I kept licking until I had the answer.”
“No wonder people love fucking you.” The words almost died in my throat, but I managed to keep my tone steady. I would’ve said that without a second thought a few days ago, and now I was sad that things had changed.
Nope. I wasn’t falling back into that place.
“That and I have a big dick.” Maddox grinned.
I snorted. “That too. What’s in the box?”
With a flourish, he pulled off the white cloth that covered the crate in question, to reveal a random assortment of knick-knacks, including a couple of vases, a Buddha, two iron birds, and a phone receiver.
“Rascals,” he said.
The Once Upon a Dream album cover. I was curious, “How do you plan to make them mostly white? Or are you going to leave them as-is?”
“I thought I’d wrap the vases in tea towels like this one.” Maddox dangled the cloth that had been covering the box. “I might use white-out or something on a couple of them, and I’ll leave others as-is.”
“I like it. Let’s do it.”
The crate he’d brought everything from Deacon’s in was big enough for carrying, but didn’t have enough space for the actual picture. We grabbed four of the wooden crates I used for records, and stacked those in a cube on their side.
While we rearranged everything over and over, to get the right effect, there wasn’t much conversation. Had things always been this quiet between me and Maddox when it was just the two of us?
No. Despite my brain’s desire to question everything, Maddox and I had a friendship beyond Alys.
Was this lack of conversation what I had to look forward to with both of them for the duration of the contest?
I hoped not.
“Give me your hand and make a wish.” Maddox grabbed my wrist without waiting for me to respond, and heat seared through me.
I didn’t want to pull away. “What are you doing?”
“Did you make a wish?”
I wished this would turn out in a way that everyone got what they wanted and no one got hurt.
Yeah, right.
“Yes,” I said.
He used my hand to rub the Buddha’s belly.
“I don’t think that’s for wishing. Pretty sure you do that for luck.” I still hadn’t pulled away from his grip. The way his fingers dug into my skin was deliciously tempting, and summoned this morning’s shared moment when I was in the shower.
