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He kissed her deeply. When he broke away he said, “What do you think?”
“I think I need to be going.” She reached her hand around to fondle his ass. “And you need to get in the shower before I’m tempted to belate.”
They lingered a few more minutes in each other’s arms before saying their goodbyes. By the time Maddie stepped out in the hall she felt better. A lot better. Even though she longed for Micah to be certain about them, as certain as she was becoming, she couldn’t expect him to be there yet. Not after less than three weeks. Not when he was so relationship phobic to beginwith.
She met Fudge in the lobby and together they walked down to the car he’d rented for Micah. He opened the passenger door for her like the gentleman he was, and she wondered if the photographer that she spotted sitting across from the hotel assumed she was hooking up with Micah’s bodyguard. She came and left the hotel more with Fudge than she ever did with Micah. And there were always photographers.
“Sounds like you have a busy day off,” Maddie said as Fudge strapped himself into hisseat.
“Day off my ass. My days off are when Micah’s on set. Days away from set, he turns me into his driver, his errand boy, his personal shopper. So annoying.” But he smiled and Maddie knew his complaining was mostly talk. “You’re still not going tonight?”
“No.” She still had doubts about her decision to stay behind, but she’d made up hermind.
As if the conversation had cued it to go off, her phone buzzed with atext.
I want pics of u in that dress!
Maddie grimaced as she typed her reply to Bree.Not going. Bree was going to be pissed. She’d believed she was doing the crew a favor getting them invites to the shindig.
I’m callingu.
Her phone rang before she’d even finished reading her text. “Sorry about this,” she said to Fudge. Then she answered her call. “I hate Beaumont. Why would Igo?”
“Free drinks.” What had she expected from Bree? She had always been the quintessential party girl, had always believed life was better with liquor.
“The free drinks is a good draw,” Fudge agreed. Leave it to Bree to talk so loudly that Fudge could hear her through the phone.
“I don’t want to go,” Maddie said firmly to both of them. “And Micah doesn’t want me there.”
Bree gasped. “Then that’s exactly why you have togo!”
“Your friend has a point,” Fudge added. “You can’t let Micah get away with acting like chickenshit.”
“Exactly!” said Bree. “Who is that awesome advice coming from anyway?”
“Fudge. Micah’s bodyguard. I told you about him.” Realizing she was going to be ganged up on whether she wanted it or not she put her phone on speaker. “Bree this is Fudge. Fudge, this annoying voice is Bree. My whacko best friend.”
“Hello, Bree,” Fudgesaid.
Instead of exchanging a greeting, Bree said, “Don’t you think Maddie should go, Fudge?”
“I don’t know. I can see benefits to both options.”
“Fudge, don’t say anymore unless it’s to agree withme.”
Maddie gave Fudge her best I’m-sorry-about-my-friend look. She’d perfected it over years of knowingBree.
“But his mother will be there,” Maddie said, back on topic. “I really won’t be able to talk to Micah at all. It’ll be awkward and not anyfun.”
Fudge nodded. “Well, that might betrue.”
At the same time Bree said, “No, it will be highly informative and you need togo.”
“What do you mean by informative?”
“His mom, Maddie!”
“He’s not ready to introduce me to his mom, Bree. We’ve barely been dating.”
