Page 26 of Love me, Maddie Mendoza

“It’s not bad!” Maddie tried. “Ok, it just isn’t excellent.”

“He’s selfish.” Aisha informed us all.

“Oh god, can’t you zip it?”

Aisha lifted a shoulder, like the information was slipping from her.

“But he likes me and…”

“Doyoulike him?” Aisha was in rare form today.

“Of course I like my boyfriend, Aisha!”

“Really?” Jason asked with a frown on his forehead, as if it was confusing she liked her own boyfriend.

Maddie whipped her head toward him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Jason shrugged. “What’s there to like?”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re excused, baby girl. He’s a little douchey, all right? It can’t be news to you.” My eyebrows soared as the nicest person in the house spoke so freely. “I thought you got a boner for the preppy douche type. I ain’t judging.”

“I don’t have a boner for a douche, Jason.” And that was in the meanest tone Maddie ever used.

It was Nick who snickered and said in a low rumble, “Could’ve fooled me.”

The kettle was whistling. Maddie’s lid was about to blow off. I knew all the signs. She had a few tells; the tone, a shaky leg, and the way her hand brushed hair out of her face. I caught her wrist with one hand right after it finished its brushing, and held her securely in my lap with the other.

“Talk,” I said.

She rolled her eyes and held the cards in front of her, like she was ready to ignore us all.

I had two cards to play. Maddie was on top of me, and I barely could see anything beyond her hair. I had nothing to distract me. I bounced one leg. “Talk, Mad Max.”

She huffed. I bounced the leg again, and she shook like a leaf, but it was Maddie, so she also chuckled and held on to the table.

“Start with the sex. We have all night,” Jason said, playing his turn and winking at her.

Maddie leaned towards him, shaking her head. “Maybe I’m the one who is bad at sex.”

“Impossible.” Came from Aisha. Maddie turned to her friend as she continued. “We can tell who is good at sex. It’s something like a secret, you get me? You walk around with confidence…”

“Some of us roll around…”

Aisha turned to Nick with an arched brow, but said nothing. Back to Maddie, she said, “Peter doesn’t walk around like he knows shit. He’s a poor poker player. Whatever is in his hand, he has to brag about it. There’s no quiet confidence.”

“That’s not a thing…” Maddie was shaking her head as Aisha interrupted her. “There’s always quiet confidence with a big cock.”

Maddie laughed, leaning back into me again. I could see her cards, they were shit, but she didn’t even know what we were playing.

“Big isn’t everything,” Maddie added.

“Which means small.” Coughed Jason.

“Oh my god, you guys.” She groaned, covering her face with both hands. Now everyone could see her cards. I took them from her, bouncing my leg once more to get her attention.

“Stop incriminating your boyfriend and play properly.” I urged.

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