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“I may have lied, but now I’m getting one; so tell me about them.”
“Well, they don't replace flossing…” I picked up my fork again and poked at the lasagna in the black container. I looked at it in disgust. This was not the night I wanted. “Hey, Milo,” I began again, dropping the conversation on dental hygiene, not fully aware myself where I was taking it.
“Yes, Madeline, I understand it doesn’t take the place of flossing, but I’m at the store and they have one here and I need to know—”
“What are you doing tonight, just looking at Waterpiks? You don't have any other plans?” I dropped my fork again and slid the frozen meal to the center of my countertop. Niko moved his head as he heard the plastic rub against the granite.
“Um…well…I just got off my twelve so…” Milo stammered, “I’ll go home and eat dinner, and then I’ll set this damn thing up.”
“Start it on low, but hey, listen…” I stood, running my hands through my hair, trying to talk myself out of what I was going to say. “If all you are doing is going to go home and eat a frozen dinner and use your new Waterpik, let's go out. I don't want to be stuck at home.”
“I have work in the morning,” Milo admitted.
“As do I. It’s only six. We won't be out too late.”
I could hear his smile form, and the air around him began to move. He was leaving whatever store he was in, and we were going to go out. He was always the one person who I could count on through thick and thin. The one who knew how to put a smile on my face and always knew what I needed. He would always—no matter what—be there for me.
I walked up to my bedroom, trying to think of where to go, what to do, what to wear. Jamie’s voice popped into my head.You know, Milo Harris, your best friend who’s in love with you.
I shook my head. “It’s not too late, Milo. Let’s just go get something to eat.”
Hang out, like always.Not a date.
“What were you thinking?”
Chapter Ten
-Milo-
Madeline picked a bar—of all places—a bar. I knew she was still hurting from Kent, but the Madeline I knew would always opt for Olive Garden or Barnes and Noble versus abar.Not just any bar. This wasthebar. The Piano Bar. The bar where we first met. The bar where we had such an amazing date, connecting so well on so many levels. The bar where Clay and Ophelia left us, and the one where we left together, ending the most amazing date I’ve ever had with the worst kiss I’ve ever given.
I wasn’t sure if Madeline knew what bar this was, but I had made it a point to stay away from this place.
She climbed out of my truck and ran into the front door. I stuck my hands in my pockets and followed. It was empty, seeing as it was a Wednesday night, but Madeline made a beeline to the bar top.
“This is a bar,” I said as I approached her from behind.
“I know.”
“So…” I sat down next to her. “You’re not okay?”
Madeline turned her head and looked at me sideways, slumping her shoulders. “No, I’m not okay, but I’m going to be. I’m going to rethink everything starting tomorrow, but tonight, I am just going to wallow in my own self-pity and make you buy me drinks.”
I raised my eyebrows. “I will buy you drinks, but I won’t let you wallow in your own self-pity.”
“And why not? You’re my best friend. You’re supposed to let me wallow.”
I shook my head at her. Her glare deepened, and her eyebrows furrowed.
“Just let me wallow,” she grumbled, turning back to the bar top.
“Madeline, when was the last time you actually drank alcohol?” I asked her, even though I knew the answer. She had stopped drinking almost seven years ago, right after her uncle died of alcohol poisoning. She wasn’t close to her uncle, but she saw how it affected her mom and she said she would never touch alcohol again. Yet here we were, at a bar.
“Don’t bring that up. Who said I was going to drink alcohol tonight?” Madeline waved her hand to get the bartender's attention. He approached, and she instantly ordered a draft beer and some mozzarella sticks. I ordered water, fully prepared for the worst. “Oh, by the way, Iwillbe drinking alcohol tonight.”
Two drinks in, and Madeline was already loosening up. The self-pity part was definitely the theme of the evening. We talked about how Ophelia moved to New York and how she hadn’t seen her in so long. Some tears were shed for Ophelia. We talked about dental school again and how she still considered herself a failure even though she loved her job and was very good at it.And then we made it to the topic of Kent.
“I threw away all my magnets,” she said softly, running her fingers along the rim of her now empty glass. She avoided my eyes and bit her bottom lip. I knew the magnets she was talking about. She kept them all at her work, telling me they were for added sunshine on harder days. She had them from all over the country; Oregon, California, Utah, New York, Tennessee—anywhere Kent had gone. She had always said they were the little piece of him to keep with her.
