Axel
Walking back to my car,to-go latte in hand because one wasn’t enough, I vow that I won’t come back tomorrow.
I need to slow this down.
Give Maddie space.
Seem less eager.
Chapter43
Axel
I makesure my keys are in my pocket and head out into the parking lot.
“Off to lunch again, Boss?” Tom asks, smoking a cigarette, not hiding the smile on his face.
“Yeah,” is the only answer I give.
I hear a couple of barely covered snickers, but I ignore them.
So fucking what that I’m leaving for lunch. It’s Friday and I’m the boss. I can do whatever the fuck I want.
And so what if I’ve left for lunch every day this week.
It’s no one else’s business what I do. And Maddie doesn’t seem to mind. The last two days she’s also brought food to share with me.
Maddie also doesn’t seem to mind that I usually end up eating half her food along with my own. I’ll have to take up weight-lifting again if I keep this up, though she seems to like my size.
Starting my car, I glance at my phone and roll my eyes when I see a text from Brian.
Brian: Whatcha doing for lunch today?
I ignore the message and shift into drive, stomping on the gas.
Brian had given me a few side-looks on Monday night when we both got home from work around the same time. But he didn’t say anything, so neither did I. But then the looks continued, and Wednesday night he cracked. Telling me he’d called the shop to talk to me about something andone of the guystold him that I’d been disappearing every day for lunch.
Disappearing. Like I was sneaking off or some shit.
So I told him that I found a new lunch place that I liked. And the little twerp replied withthat lunch place have anything to do with the reason you didn’t sleep at home last weekend?
I lifted a shoulder, burying the lingering guilt I still feel over kinda stealing his girl.
Except that’s not fair to Maddie. Because she was never his. And she’s perfect for me.
Me. And no one else.
Letting thoughts of Maddie swirl in my mind, it’s not long before I find myself back in her little shop.
It feels weird to walk into BeanBag with empty hands, but yesterday Maddie insisted that she’d provide lunch. And since she’s an amazing cook, and I’m not an idiot, I didn’t argue.
“Hey, Axel!” the woman, Leslie, waves at me.
I dip my chin, “Afternoon.”
“Maddie told me to have you take a seat. She’ll be out soon.”
Nodding, I find our usual table and only have to wait a few minutes before Maddie appears. She has Leslie trailing her, both of them laden with plates and mugs.