by S. E. Brown
“That’s a scary relationship.”
“That night she needed me. She needed me more than Cody needed me.” He took a beat and added quietly, “and she needed me more than I wanted to stay and be with you.”
Madison nodded again.
“I really am sorry. I’m even more sorry I didn’t call after.”
“It’s alright, Declan. Like I said, it’s not like we were dating or anything.”
“That might be true, but I definitely wanted to get to know you better.”
“I guess making out under the pier is one way to do that,” Madison grinned.
“That wasn’t quite what I was thinking, although that was pretty fun, too,” he winked.
“How is she now? Nena, I mean.” Madison couldn’t believe she asked the question. She genuinely wanted to know the answer, but found herself stunned that she had asked.
“It’s been a struggle. Her family isn’t the strongest or most supportive, and I understand she’s been fighting with her parents. They didn’t like her helping him either. Tough love and all.”
“Gotcha,” Madison nodded
“At least, that’s what I heard from friends. I haven’t talked to her in a couple months.”
Declan hoped those words gave Madison a glimpse of where his relationship with Nena stood. Yes, she had called when she needed him, but it wasn’t as though they were always together or that she called him on a daily basis. Hell, or weekly. He was available, and he was trying to get that message across.
“So why didn’t you call?” Madison finally inquired.
“You never gave me your number,” he said honestly, although he knew it was a lame-ass excuse. He had several other sources that would have given it to him if he’d only asked.
Madison wasn’t buying it. “I call bullshit. A bunch of people – Mac, Abby, Ryan, or Cody – all have my number. You could have gotten it from one of them.”
“You’re right. To be honest, I’m not sure why I didn’t. I don’t have a good reason.”
Madison dropped her eyes from his and took another drink.
“You know, those same people all have my number, too. You could have gotten it from one of them and called me.”
She looked back at him and conceded. “I could have. And I nearly did. But since you were the person who left that night, I figured if you really wanted to talk to me, you’d figure out a way.”
“I was a dumbass for not calling. I wish I had.”
Surprising herself, Madison found herself wishing he had, too. She wasn’t used to these feelings. What she was used to was meeting a guy, knowing just enough about him that she wanted to take him home for the night, which is what she typically did, and then it would be over. She’d never see him again. This conversation was quickly leading them to a territory she wasn’t sure how to navigate.
There was more to Declan than just that night under the pier - she had wanted to get to know him that night, and those same feelings had reappeared. More than that, he was close friends with Cody, and now Ryan. Declan would be in her life as long as she was friends with Ryan, and that wasn’t a relationship she was willing to lose just for a quick lay.
Keeping herself in check, she decided to change the subject.
“If you live at the shore, how did you end up owning a gym in Charlotte?”
“I own two, actually.”
“You do? Both in Charlotte?”
Declan smiled and shook his head. “No, I have the one here in Charlotte, and one in Columbia.”
“Which was your first?”
“Columbia. I went to school at the University of South Carolina and opened the gym not long after graduation.”
“Interesting. What was your major?”
“Business,” he smiled.
“Of course it was. So two locations and you live at the shore. I guess they’re doing well then?” she surmised.
Declan’s smile turned to a grin. “I guess you could say that. I have really great managers who take care of things for me. As long as they keep things running the way they’re supposed to, I can take it easy and float between them.”
“Except, apparently, when your sister? What was it? Goes on maternity leave?”
“Yeh. She should be back in a few weeks.”
“So you’re an uncle then. Congratulations.”
“Thanks. Although, I’ve been an uncle for a while now. My older brother has two kids, Juliana and Jack. And now we have little Isaac, or Ike, as my sister likes to call him.”
“Aww, that’s cute.”
“What about you? Any siblings?”
“Nope, it’s just me. The one and only child my parents had.” There was zero warmth in Madison’s tone.
“That’s too bad. I don’t know what I would have done without my brother and sister growing up. If for nothing else, it was someone else to pin the blame on when I got into trouble.”
“Yeh,” Madison huffed, “there was none of that in my family. If I got into trouble, and I did get into my fair share, I was the only one to blame.”
Declan smiled, feeling at ease as they continued through their conversation. He found her very easy to talk to.
“The other gym,” Madison started, changing the subject again and veering away from her childhood, “is it also focused on boxing?”
He nodded. “It is.”
“Why boxing and not just a traditional gym?”
“When we were little, my brother, Aidan, and I used to play sports. Outside of that, we used to beat on each other on a somewhat regular basis. By the time we got to our early teen years, our mom was afraid we were going to really hurt each other. She finally convinced our dad to find a gym so we could learn how to take our aggressions out in a more civilized manner.”
“And a boxing ring was considered more civilized?” Madison asked, surprised a mom would want her boys heading into the ring.
“Well, ‘civilized’ might be the wrong word,” he corrected. “She wanted us to learn how to fight properly and how to protect ourselves. She figured if we were fighting in a controlled environment like a boxing ring, someone would be there if we got too carried away and we’d be learning the proper way to fight.”
“Did either of you do it competitively?”
“Yeh, we both did, although Aidan did better than me. He actually gained some attention in the amateur circuit but had his heart set on being a lawyer. He boxed through high school and then gave it up when he got to college. He still hits the bags to work out, but it hasn’t been any more than that in a long time.”
“And what about you?”
“Me? I didn’t do as well in the ring as Aidan. I liked to fight, and I still enjoy getting into the ring from time to time, but I found myself more interested in the business side of things. Billy, the manager of the gym, took me under his wing and taught me. The gym in Charlotte was originally his. That’s where we learned to box.”
“So he sold it to you?”
“Unfortunately, no. He passed away about six years ago and left me the gym in his will.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright. He didn’t have any kids and since I had already started the gym in Columbia…”
“He figured you could take over the gym in Charlotte, too.”
“Right.”
“Quite the entrepreneur, aren’t you?”
Declan laughed. “I guess. Ever since high school, it’s what I wanted to do. I like the impact we get to make for people – changing their lives because they become more healthy, or even the kids on the street that come in looking for guidance or a way to channel their energy. It’s a neat way to get to help people.”
“So what you’re telling me is you’re a good guy. Someone who likes to help people.”
“Well, I try to be. I’m not always successful.”
“Sounds like you’re doing pretty well to me.”
“What about you? How do you spend your days?”
“It’s definitely n
othing as glamorous as you,” Madison teased.
She looked down at her drink and noted her bottle was almost empty.
“You want another?” Declan asked, hoping she’d say yes.
“Sure, why not,” Madison smiled.
After Declan got the waitress’s attention and ordered another round, he turned to look at Madison again. “So?”
“I’m a graphic designer.”
“That sounds interesting. Is that what you went to school for?”
“Yep. I went UNC for design. I like to draw. Been doing it since I was a little girl.”
“Huh. I’ve been told I draw like a third grader, so anyone who can put pencil to paper is pretty cool by me.”
“I doodle all the time. I have notebooks upon notebooks at the house.”
“But you used to work with Ryan, right? How do websites come into play?”
“I did the artwork and she programmed the sites.”
“Ahh. The gaps start to close.”
“I’m happy she has Cody now, but it’s not quite the same at the office since she left.”
“And for fun you like to kickbox? Beat the crap out of bags?”
“Something like that,” Madison grinned. “There are some days when I just need to kick the shit out of something. Get some of the aggression out, ya know? I found kickboxing to be pretty good for that.”
“Do you have, umm, aggression that needs to be let out often?” he asked teasingly and a little afraid of her answer.
Madison laughed. “No, I wouldn’t put it that way. I also see it as a form of exercise. And hell, it might even help if I ever have to defend myself against someone.”
“We have a class for that, you know.”
“How did going out for a drink turn into a sales pitch? Was that your plan all along?” she grinned.
“Absolutely not,” he laughed. “I just want you to be safe. That’s all.”
“So this is you being a good guy, huh?” she asked in a rather serious tone. The problem was, sitting there talking with Declan, the more he told her about himself, the more she wanted to know.
“I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me tomorrow night? Continue our conversation,” he asked, hopeful.
It probably wasn’t the best idea, especially given the potential hazards, but Madison decided to ignore her inner voice and go for it. “I’d like that,” she answered with a smile.
Declan gave Madison his number and she programmed it into her phone.
“Why don’t you text me tomorrow with your address. I can pick you up at seven-thirty if that works for you.”
“That sounds good.”
They finished their drinks and Declan tracked down the waitress to pay their tab. Together they walked to where Madison’s car was parked behind her office building. When they reached the car, Madison turned to face him. “Thanks for the drinks.”
Declan’s lips turned up into a slight smile as his eyes watched her lips. “So I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
She nodded. “Tomorrow.”
Declan slowly leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Lingering for a moment, he debated pulling her to him and growing the kiss, but decided against it. It gave him something else to look forward to the next night.
Chapter 5
“Hey Mad, how’s it going?” Ryan asked as she answered the phone.
“Oh, ya know, livin’ the dream,” Madison responded dryly.
“So what’s up?”
“What do you mean?”
“You never call me unless something’s going on. You text instead. So … what’s up?”
Madison laughed. “I’m that predictable, huh?” She paused for a brief moment. “You’ll never guess who I ran into last night.”
“Let me see …” Ryan started, adding her own pause for effect. “Could it have been … a hot surfer dude? Naw, sounds like I know the guy. Let’s see, umm … Declan?”
“Okay, how in the fuck could you have known that?”
“It could be because I’m just that good.”
“That’s unlikely …”
“Hey!” Ryan laughed. “Or, it could be because I answered Cody’s phone for him last night, and it was Declan. And then he spent ten minutes fielding questions about you.”
“Shit. Seriously?”
Ryan laughed again. “Seriously. I was going to give you a call today anyway. What happened last night?”
“I ran into him at his gym and then we went out for a drink. How did I not know he owned a gym in town?”
“I dunno. I guess it never came up,” she responded simply. “You know he has two, right?”
“Yeh, he told me.”
“So, drinks, huh? How’d it go?”
“Pretty well. He asked me to dinner tonight.”
“Excellent!”
Madison could hear the wheels turning in Ryan’s head from three hundred miles away. She was certain Ryan would love nothing more than for the two of them to become an item.
“Don’t start sending out wedding invitations yet, okay?”
“What? I just said ‘excellent.’”
“Yeh, I heard you.”
“Hey, would it be so bad if we raised our kids together? Had family picnics in the park? Got together for the holidays? Our girls could be best friends … Oh! My son could marry your daughter …” Ryan daydreamed out loud.
“Ry, seriously!” Madison nearly yelled, stopping Ryan from continuing. “It was just a drink.”
It was quiet again and when Ryan sighed, Madison knew something was coming.
The more Ryan thought about the prospect of Madison and Declan together, the more she saw it as a bomb that could go off at any time and relationships could get sticky.
“Listen, Mad,” Ryan broke the silence. “Can I say something here?”
“Of course.”
“You know I love you and think of you like a sister …”
“Just spit it out, Ry,” Madison interrupted.
“Declan is one of the good guys.”
“Okay…”
“Like, a really good guy.”
“I have talked to the man, ya know. What are you trying to get at?”
“It’s just … We’ve spent a lot of time with him since the wedding and I’ve gotten to know him. He’s not…” she paused. “He’s not a one-night stand kinda guy, Mad. He’s the kinda guy that when he falls, he falls hard. He falls with everything he has.”
Madison knew where Ryan was going with this. She’d had similar thoughts the night before, but it had been easy to shut off her own mind. Now Ryan was thinking it, too. Did she just validate the concern? She and Declan viewed relationships very differently, contrary to what she had experienced first-hand under the pier.
“I’m just saying, if you’re not looking for something long term, don’t …”
“I get it, Ry.” Madison had been excited about the date. Now she was just getting pissed.
Ryan sighed heavily into the phone. “You’re one of the best people I know, Mad. My best friend. I just don’t want to see either of you -”
“Ryan,” Madison interrupted again. “It’s just dinner. And give me some credit, would ya? You’ve got me ripping his heart out and stomping on it all while you’re planning our wedding and naming our kids.”
“I’m sorry, you’re right.”
“Don’t worry. Things will be fine.”
Ryan didn’t say anything more. As much as she loved her friend, she knew Madison opening her heart was something that just didn’t happen. She was certain there were things in her past that stopped her from doing it, Madison had just never shared what they were. That was one of the reasons she had never tried to set up Madison and Declan before. Ryan knew Declan would fall hard and Madison would break his heart. Not only did she not want to be in the middle of that, or have Cody in the middle of it, she didn’t want to see either of them get hurt.
“Listen,” Ryan finally said. “I need to go. Cody and
I have a meeting we need to leave for in a few minutes.”
“Yeh, I’ll talk to you later.”
Madison hung up the phone feeling hurt and pissed off. She knew Ryan was only looking out for both of them, but felt like she was being made the villain before things even got started. She and Declan had gone out for drinks once for crying out loud. It wasn’t like they were months into a relationship or something.
She hemmed and hawed about whether to text Declan her address for exactly eight seconds before she started kicking herself in the ass again. Madison had never let anyone dictate how she should live her life and she certainly wasn’t going to start now, even if it was coming from Ryan and she had the best of intentions.
Madison wanted to see him and that’s all there was to it. They could deal with the aftermath later - if there ever was one.
She pulled out her phone, unlocked it and sent Declan her address.
Madison: Hey Declan. My address is 2218 W. Saratoga. Looking forward to dinner.
Declan: Me, too. See you at 7:30.
There was something about Declan that intrigued her. Maybe it was that he was, actually, a nice guy. Or maybe it was because he looked just as sexy in his tight t-shirt and gym shorts as he did in a tux. Or maybe it was how easy he was to talk to. Or the gentle kiss he gave her good night. Or the kisses they shared under the pier.
Does it really matter why?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Declan entered Madison’s address into his car’s GPS system and backed out of the driveway. Thinking about how his conversation went with Cody the night before, he wondered how the date with Madison would go.
Cody had warned him. Yes, Madison was funny and beautiful and adventurous, but she was a little more than Declan was used to.
Declan had received many offers over the years from women at his gyms, friends, et cetera, but his focus had been first on school and boxing, and then the gyms. He’d only been in one really serious relationship and that had been a few years ago.
Thoughts of his one and only one-night stand suddenly came to mind. The sex had been okay, but he hated the feeling he got as she not-so-delicately told him he could leave when they had finished. He couldn’t remember her name, but her face would be forever etched in his memory.
