“Since we’re talking about you eating my food, how would you like to come to dinner tomorrow night? We’re doing a small family celebration for Madeline’s birthday. It will just be Madeline, her dad, me, and my mother is coming.”
“I’d love to come.”
While George Campbell wasn’t a second dad like his wife was a second mom, I had always gotten along with him. He was more serious and reserved than Nora. But he was still the one who had helped me when I fell off my bike in elementary school. He had taken me into the house and cleaned up my knee and elbow with barely a word.
Madeline’s grandma, Dotty, however, was fun. She was loud and told it like it was. She always made me laugh.
Plus, I had a feeling that Madeline was avoiding me. I would give her today and tomorrow to realize that the two of us sleeping together wasn’t going to affect our friendship. But she couldn’t avoid me forever. Dinner with her family was perfect. They would give us a buffer, so she could see that our friendship hadn’t changed.
“Wonderful,” Nora said. “Since my daughter is ignoring her mother, how would you like to decide what kind of cake I should make?”
“My favorite is yellow cake with chocolate frosting.”
“That’s right. I helped Madeline make you a cake for your birthday one year.”
That had to have been back in high school. Maybe even middle school.
“Chocolate frosting on yellow cake it is.”
“Don’t forget to add thirty candles.”
Nora laughed. “I think the smoke detectors might go off if I did that.”
“You’re probably right. It would be fun to see her face though.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” she said in that mom tone of voice that told me she would do everything she could to put thirty candles on Madeline’s birthday cake.
My phone beeped in my ear.
“Can you hold on a second?” I asked.
“Yes.”
I looked to see who had texted me. It was the birthday girl.
Madeline: Sorry. I was in the shower when you called, and now, I’m heading into the grocery store. Why did you call? Did you need something?
I put my phone back to my ear. “Madeline just sent me a text.”
Nora scoffed. “Well, now, she’s definitely getting all thirty candles on her cake.”
I laughed. “I’m sure she’ll call you back soon. She said she was going into a store.”
“She’d better.” She sighed. “I will see you tomorrow evening then?”
“Yep. What time should I be there?”
“Can you be here by six?”
“I sure can.” I could go over to my parents’ to visit before I went to the Campbells’ for dinner. I had better warn my mom I wasn’t eating there though.
“Have a good rest of the weekend, Griffin.”
“Thank you. You too.”
I hung up with Nora and pulled up my text messages.
Me: No. Nothing important. You left while I was sleeping, and I only wanted to make sure you were okay.
Madeline: Sorry about that.
Me: You weren’t sneaking out, were you?
I wasn’t going to beat around the bush when it came to my best friend.
Madeline: No!
Me: Okay, because you know that you don’t have to avoid me, right?
Madeline: I know that.
Me: Just checking.
Madeline: I have a few more errands to run, and then I’ll call you later. Sound good? Or did you have plans?
She wished.
Me: Work, but I should be able to answer my phone.
Madeline: Okay.
Me: Are you still planning to come by the bar later now that dinner with Harris was canceled?
Madeline: Sure.
I’d believe that when I saw it.
Me: Okay. Talk later then?
Madeline: Later.
I finished my workout, showered, and made my way downstairs. One of my bartenders had already opened for me, and while it was busier than a weekday afternoon, the small crowd was nothing compared to weekend nights.
I waved hello and said, “Come get me if you need any help.”
The bartender nodded, and I went to my office.
I’d had no idea owning a bar would involve so much paperwork, but it was still worth it and made me appreciate my finance and business degree. I had always known I wanted to start my own place and almost skipped out of going to college. But after some serious discussions with Madeline, I’d decided to go.
Sure, my student loans were a pain to pay every month, but I wouldn’t have been ready to open a business at eighteen, and admittedly, I’d learned more at my six-month internship than I did in class. In the end, it was worth it.
I spent the afternoon in my office and left when I heard the noise picking up outside my door.
It wasn’t until I crawled into bed at three in the morning that I realized Madeline had never called me or stopped by.
She was definitely avoiding me.
Twelve
Madeline
Sunday night, I was running late to my birthday dinner with my parents. At the last minute, my mom had called and asked me to pick up rolls. I’d told her they weren’t needed, but she’d claimed that my father would complain if he didn’t have them.
As I pulled up a little after six, I saw Griffin’s car in front of his parents’ house next door. I almost hit the gas and sped off, but I told myself I was being ridiculous. Griffin was my best friend. So what if we’d had sex? It wasn’t like the world was coming to an end. I just needed to face him again and get it over with to show myself that everything was normal.
Not tonight though. I had dinner plans that I was overdue for.
Or so I told myself.
Realizing that I was being a chicken, I decided I would go to My Favorite Place tomorrow after work.
Feeling good about my plan of action, I parked, got out of my car, and walked into my parents’ house. The first person I saw was my grandma Dotty.
“Happy birthday,” she said as she held her arms out for a hug.
“Hi, Grandma.” I squeezed her tight.
She smelled like her favorite Chanel No. 5 perfume, like always.
“It’s been too long, kid.”
I released her and stepped back. “I know. I’m a horrible granddaughter.”
“Not horrible, but you could do better.”
I laughed. She didn’t pull any punches, my grandmother.
I looked around. “Where is everyone?” I held up the grocery bag. “I brought the rolls my mother insisted that she needed.”
“Your father’s in the living room, watching football, and your mother’s in the kitchen.”
My parents’ house was old, and the front door opened to an entryway with the stairs to the top floor straight ahead. To the right was basically the rest of the house. A living room, dining room, and kitchen from front to back. Open concept it was not, but they had lived here my whole life and weren’t going anywhere soon.