The Recoil Rock Series Box Set

by K E Osborn

  This chick really is cool.

  I type back quickly.

  Me: Wow Madeline, thank you. This means so much to me. You’ll meet her at the wedding. I’m sure you two will hit it off… thank you for today. I really did have a great time. I look forward to seeing you again on Saturday.

  I go to my texting area and open up Alex’s number. I swallow hard wondering whether I should text or call, but I figure calling her right now might be a bit too full on. So I decide to go with my first instinct to text and I type out my message.

  Me: Alex, I know you’re angry with me. I’m so sorry for not telling Madeline about you sooner. Trust me, it’s not because I didn’t want to. I just thought telling a potential girlfriend about another woman in my life was a little strange. But, I’ve told her now, and she’s looking forward to meeting you at the wedding. I hope you can forgive me. We need to fix us, Alex. I don’t know how we got broken, but I need you in my life. You’re my best friend…

  I hit send and hope that she can find it in her to write back. I hate how we left things, her leaving like that was shit, and I feel like a fucking ass for hurting her. My cell starts to ring in my hand, and I look down to see Alex is calling. I answer it quickly.

  “Hey you,” I murmur.

  “So Tacos kinda suck without you,” she says, her mouth still obviously half-full.

  I chuckle. “Ice cream is bland without you. Plus, you took my corn chips, so I have nothing to dunk into the tub.”

  She laughs, and it’s like heaven to my ears. “Yeah, sorry about that. I should have left you some Mexican, I kinda took it all. But in my defense, I’m freaking hungry.”

  “You didn’t eat today because of me, right?” I ask, and she exhales.

  “I thought you were ignoring me. I don’t know what happened, I thought there was a problem in our relationship, because you always text me back. And then I was anxious maybe something had happened to you… or something like that, then, I thought you were moving on without me.”

  “Alex, I’m so sorry. Just know you’re going to be in my life forever. You are not going anywhere without me. I would have you permanently attached to me if that were legal.”

  “You already have an identical twin, surely you don’t need a conjoined twin as well?” She giggles, and our normal conversational tone seems to be coming back.

  “I always want to be joined at the hip with you,” I say honestly.

  “Well, I’m free Thursday evening, we can book the surgery then if you like?” she asks, and I chuckle.

  “Let’s not fight again, okay? I hate the thought that I hurt your feelings. I’m so sorry I did that, Alex.”

  She exhales and sighs. “It’s okay, I think I was just being too sensitive to something that wasn’t there in the first place.”

  I’m guessing she means about the fact that she thought she didn’t mean as much to me as she actually does. Which is totally not the case. I’ll never let her think that way again. “Okay, please know, no matter what happens with Madeline and me, you’re always my girl. You will always be my bestie, and I have your back no matter what.”

  She exhales and goes a little quiet, which surprises me a little.

  “You okay, Alex?”

  “Yeah, guess I better ask Ronan to the wedding. Or maybe, I’ll just go on my own. Stuff the plus one.”

  Furrowing my brows, my stomach sinks slightly. Maybe it isn’t going so well for her and Ronan.

  “Alex, ask Ronan. You never know, once you meet him, you guys might actually hit it off. Don’t be scared to take a leap.”

  She puffs out a long breath. “Okay, I’ll ask him when we hang up.”

  “Awesome. This will be good for you, I can feel it.”

  She lets out a stifled laugh. “Yeah, maybe. Anyway, I need to eat this Mexican and have some margaritas then have a siesta, que pasa?”

  “Wait! Doesn’t que pasa mean, what’s up or how’s it going, or something like that?”

  “Meh, I dunno, it just sounded cool, eh gringo?” And just like that, she’s back to her usual weird chirpy self.

  “I love your weird,” I say, and she chuckles.

  “Ah… Matthew, you love everything about me. I’m perfect just as I am, remember?” she spits sarcastically, and a genuine smile creeps on my face. She’s right, though, I do love everything about her. Her weird, her quirks, her image, her personality, her bright spark, everything about her, I love…

  My heart races a little faster, and a lump forms in my throat as I clear it shaking my head from those thoughts.

  “You’re perfect, Alex, don’t let anyone tell you any different.”

  “Thanks, but you’re biased. Anyway, I can’t have completely cold tacos now, can I? Let a girl eat, Matt!”

  I chuckle. “Sure thing. I’ll just sit here with my tub of ice cream and get fat.”

  She snorts. “You have thirty-six abs, Matt. I’m quite sure one tub of ice cream will only drop you down to say thirty-five. Your abs might be a little lop-sided, but they’re safe. Just do an extra one handed push-up or something?”

  I burst out laughing. “Thirty-six abs?”

  “Don’t think I haven’t seen your abs under your tight shirts, Matt, I know what you’re packing.”

  “You been checking me out, Alex?” For some reason the thought electrifies me.

  “Matt, c’mon, who wouldn’t check you out. But that was right at the start when I first met you. I mean you walk into the gallery looking like that. What’s a girl supposed to do?”

  My mouth twitches and turns upward into a lopsided grin. “Well, so you think Nate’s hot too then?” I ask, and she chuckles.

  “Nate’s hot too, yes, no doubt, but he had a sad puppy dog look about him that was never appealing to me. Whereas you walked in and you had an aura about you. You look similar, but you’re both vibing totally differently. Nate’s hot, but I’m not attracted to him. Plus, he’s my boss and my friend’s fiancé, so that would be weird.”

  I want to ask if she’s attracted to me, but that’s crossing a line that we can’t come back from. And that isn’t fair on Madeline or us. Plus, with everything that’s happened today, we don’t need something like that thrown into the mix confusing things further.

  But I really want to know.

  Because the truth is, I find her attractive. I always have.

  Everything about her attracts me, and if things were different, if we’d have met under different circumstances, at a different time, we might have been more than friends. But that’s not who we are… is it?

  “Yeah, that would be weird,” I finally say and shove another mouth full of ice cream into my mouth to stop me from saying anything further in that regard. “Are we good now?” I ask through a creamy mouthful.

  “Yeah, we’re good. Sorry for overreacting.”

  “No. You didn’t. I just went about it all wrong. I’ll never put you second again, Alex.”

  She sighs. “If you and Madeline become a thing, though, you’ll have to put her first, Matt.”

  “Can’t you both be equal in my life?”

  “No. She will have to be your top priority. And I get that, I do—”

  “Okay, but I’m only going on a second date with her, Alex. Nothing is set in stone, just yet, all right? So you’re still my number one girl, got it?”

  “Got it. Tacos… must eat… dying of starvation… fading away… shrinking before my eyes… must… have… Mexican…” she says the last words like she’s dying and then she hangs up the phone making me chuckle.

  I look at my cell to see a reply message from Madeline, and I check it quickly.

  Madeline: I look forward to the wedding. It should be great to meet all your friends. Especially Alex. I can’t wait to meet her and also to see you again. Hope you’re having a good night. I’m going to be busy at work now, so I’ll check in with you again tomorrow. Night xo

  I don’t bother replying knowing she’ll be busy at work, I don’t want to disturb h
er while she’s hostessing. Which I’m guessing is a fancy term for a waitress. Sure, it’s not the best job in the world, but hey, she has the ambition to dance in music videos, and it’s in the same industry I’m in. So I can help her with that. It seems we’re destined to cross paths. Even if we don’t work out as a couple, at least I’ll be able to help her career.

  Shoveling another spoonful of ice cream into my mouth, I sit back into the sofa and sigh. Today has been one hell of a fucking roller coaster. Highs and mother fucking lows, but it’s all smoothed out in the end. Alex and I are okay, I think, and Madeline and I are fine. Charlotte is none the wiser. I should probably tell her I’m seeing someone, but I’m not going to cut her off completely until I make things official with Madeline. That’s the smart thing to do, right? Keep all my cards on the table? Because Charlotte is a really amazing woman, and I would like to meet her one day. If things go well with Madeline, I guess Charlotte will never be an option.

  Only time will tell.

  Chapter Nineteen

  I’m nervous. Today’s a huge day, not only because one of my best friends, Danger, is marrying his girl, Lunar, but because I’m seeing Madeline again, and to top it off Alex is meeting Ronan. Why she didn’t meet him prior to today, I’m not sure, but hey, she’s a big girl and taking your internet date on their first date to your friend’s wedding seems like a big deal to me. So she must care for him more than she’s letting on. As I run my hands over my tie making sure it’s straight, I look around my bedroom making sure it’s clean one last time. If all goes well after the wedding, I’m going to bring Madeline back here to spend some quality alone time getting to know each other. I want the house to look nice and less bachelor pad.

  I’m picking Madeline up, and we’re heading out for a quick lunch before we drive over to the ceremony. Lunar and Danger didn’t want a massive bridal party, so they pretty much have Ryan and Tillie up there with them at the altar today. I honestly never thought I’d see the day that Danger tied the knot, not after the Ella fiasco, but Lunar is perfect for him and I’m glad to be a part of their future together. I’m glad they found each other, and I’m happy their day is finally here, after everything they’ve been through. I wouldn’t miss this for the world!

  Taking one last look around my room, I nod and walk downstairs giving the fichus a flick on my way. Everything looks great, and I’m happy to bring Madeline back here if we decide that’s what we both want. I pull out my cell and send her a quick text letting her know I’m on my way.

  During the short drive to her place I have the music on loud, pumping through my veins, giving me the courage to be the man that I need to be today. Madeline and Alex meeting has me more nervous than anything, and to be honest, if they don’t get along I’m not sure what I’m going to do.

  I arrive at Madeline’s house and jolt back in shock. For a hostess, this place is incredibly nice. I know that’s judgmental of me, but honestly, I didn’t think a waitress could afford such a lavish two-story home such as this. It’s huge, almost as big as my place, and I take a deep breath taking in the sight, wondering if I actually have the right address.

  I glance at the number on the post box, and sure enough, it seems correct. Getting out of the car, I stroll to the front door and ring the doorbell. The door swings open and Madeline’s wearing a knee-length figure-hugging red dress that kind of reminds me of the dress Julia Roberts wore in Pretty Woman, only a little shorter. The sleeves fall off her shoulders, accentuating her beautifully rounded shoulders. She looks stunning. Draw droppingly beautiful. A slow smile creeps up my face, and I shake my head slowly from side to side.

  She frowns, running her hands up and down her dress. “Oh no, you don’t like it?”

  I reach out grabbing her hand. “No, just the opposite. You look incredible.”

  She blushes, looking down to the ground in a shy, embarrassed manner, and I move my hand under her chin making her look up at me as I stare into her beautiful green eyes.

  “You’re incredible, Madeline.”

  She sighs with a small smile, as she turns reaching inside to grab her clutch and then turns back.

  “Thank you. Shall we get some lunch?” she asks.

  “Yeah, let’s. But we better make it something quick. We have to be at the gardens by one.”

  She grabs my hand and we move off to my car, her heels clicking on the concrete as we walk.

  “Okay, where to for lunch?”

  She shrugs. “I’m easy, somewhere that’s good for you.”

  I noticed a local IHOP just down the road, so I pull out into traffic. That should be good enough to fill the need. As I head toward the IHOP, I notice Madeline looking down the road, shifting uncomfortably in her seat while staring at a particular building. It’s unmarked, and I don’t really recognize it as anything, but she quickly looks away as we pass. My forehead puckers in confusion, but I let it slide as I pull in a few meters further down the road at the IHOP. Her movements have changed, and she seems slightly agitated like she doesn’t want to be here.

  “Are you okay?”

  Madeline looks up to me and clearly fake smiles. “Yes sure. Can we head inside, eat, and then go?”

  I screw up my face watching her and nod as I park the car. “Ah… yeah, sure.”

  After exiting the car, we walk inside and take a seat near the back. Luckily, the restaurant isn’t too crowded, as I attempt to hide myself as much as possible from the patrons. I’m sitting with my back to the rest of the room so no one can see me while Madeline sits facing the restaurant, but she seems incredibly uncomfortable. Then it hits me—maybe this is where she works?

  As she looks around the restaurant like she’s searching for someone, I reach out and grab her hand. “Madeline, do you work here?” I ask, and she looks to me. Her posture softening as she visibly relaxes.

  “No, sorry. I’m okay, I promise. I just want to have a great day with you and your friends. I’m a little nervous.”

  I nod as we pick up the menus and start looking them over. The front door of the restaurant opens with a tinkle of the bell and I have no idea who walks in, as my back is to them, but Madeline’s eyes open wide as saucers and she gasps. She sinks into her seat and tries to obviously hide. My eyebrows squish together wondering what’s going on so I turn around and watch the two police officers who have entered the IHOP.

  My stomach sinks, and I slowly turn back to Madeline and take a deep breath. “Madeline?” I question, and she ducks down rather dramatically which bumps her fork off the table making it crash on the ground and draw rather obvious attention to us.

  “Shit,” she calls out, turning away to face the back wall. Her chest starts to rise and fall like she’s panicking. Which in turn makes me slightly panic.

  “Madeline, what the fuck?”

  “Shh… don’t make him come over here,” she murmurs.

  I turn to see the two cops already making their way over to us. If she weren't acting so damn strange they probably would have ignored us in the first place. One of them must be an ex or something?

  “Ahh… Maddison. Fancy seeing you here,” one of the cops says.

  “Maddison?” I query.

  She turns back facing me, her eyes filling with tears as she looks from me to the two cops. “Officer Devon, I swear I’m not working. I’m here on a date.”

  My head starts spinning as I try to figure out what the hell is happening right now.

  “With a rock star? In your local area, Maddison? I don’t think so. Do you think we were born yesterday?”

  I clear my throat. “Umm… sorry. What’s happening right now?”

  Madeline swallows hard as she looks at me.

  “Well Maddison here is going to come in for the third time this month… you’re getting quite a name for yourself, young lady. You need to stop this, Maddison. And you, rocker… well, I hope you have a good publicist because shit’s about to rain down on you hard when this news breaks.”

  I shake my head still
not really understanding what’s going on. “Madeline?” I ask looking at her, and both cops laugh.

  “Madeline? That’s not the name she usually gives her clients. Not sure why she’s treating you differently, rocker. But nevertheless, you’re under arrest for the solicitation of a prostitute,” he says.

  My eyes bulge out of my head, and I gawk at Madeline as she burst into tears. “What the fuck?” I scream out, as she brings her hands to her face and cries into them while the police stand tall next to us blocking our exit.

  “Now you can come quietly down to the station with us, or we can cuff you both and drag you out?” he asks.

  “Look, there’s been a misunderstanding. I was taking Madeline to my friend’s wedding. I had no idea she was a…” I pause as my stomach churns thinking of what she’s been hiding from me, but I guess now it all makes sense. The little hints she’s given me along the way. A hostess, but never the name of the place she worked. How she’s good at moving her body. Little things like that, all adding up now.

  Shaking my head, I feel sick. I can’t believe the innocent girl vibe she put up was all an obvious act.

  “Yeah, they all say that when they’ve been caught in the act, dude. So will you come quietly or are you going to make a scene that will make people get their cells out and start recording?” he asks.

  I glance around to see people in the restaurant are already starting to take notice.

  “Officer Devon, please, I promise you, we’re on a date. You know I never defend my clients. Matt is not a client. Please don’t arrest him,” Madeline begs.

  I shake my head wondering what the hell fucking crazy world I’ve stepped into.

  “Sorry Maddison, you’re in your area, I gotta take him in.”

  Madeline closes her eyes and starts to cry into her hands as I clear my throat.

  “Okay, look, I don’t want to cause a scene here, I’ll come, but will this take long? I have to go to my friend’s wedding.”