Page 33 of Straight to Me

“Can I speak to you, privately?” he asks. I’m still annoyed he’s here, ruining dinner with my sister, but I can’t deny that seeing him again has made my heart swoop.

I shake my head… no, this is our first girls' night together in ages. Why couldn’t he have just waited until tomorrow?

“Could you just say whatever it is you want to so my sister and I can have dessert; they serve a mean chocolate pudding here I’d like to try.”

Jess kicks me again under the table. “Hey!” My eyes bolt to hers. “Why are you kicking me?” I grab my wine for some much-needed refreshment.

“You’re being rude, Madison.”

I almost choke as I try to swallow it down.I’m being rude?

“I’m not the one intruding on our evening together.”

“Here.” He lifts his wallet from his pocket and places two fifties on the table.

“What are you doing?”

“I need to talk to you Mads,” he says softly. Jess’s eyes are swimming. She’s absolutely loving this. “I’ll drop you home once we’re done.”

“You guys go ahead, I can catch a taxi home,” Jess declares, rendering me speechless.

She’s going to just let the outlaw take me who knows where and do who knows what. This was our evening together, how dare he.

“No, you won’t,” Fred pipes up, joining in our conversation, “Rita and I will see you back. Taxi will cost too much.”

“It’s not like she’s paying for the food,” I half whisper, hoping she hears me over the top of my glass.

“So, you’ll come with me?” he asks with those dreamy, seductive eyes.

Jess is nodding at me like one of those annoying bobbing heads on a car dashboard. She stands at the same time I do and moves over to me for a goodbye hug.

“Traitor,” I mumble into her ear.

“Stop it, you enjoy yourself,” she says, pulling away.

“How do you know he won’t hurt me? I’ll blame you if I end up dead somewhere.”

She laughs and quietly says, “The way he’s looking at you,” my eyes wander to him. Staring at me, the same look he had when I went to jump off his bike that first night, washes all over his face, “he wouldn’t hurt a hair on your head.”

She’s right, but still. “Call me later when you’re on your way home,” Jess says.

“Okay, and you let me know when Fred gets you home safe,” I say sarcastically.

Outside the restaurant, I cross my arms as I watch Jess leave. I keep my back turned to VP as he lights a cigarette. “Why did you do that?” I ask, turning round on the spot. He walks towards his bike and I follow behind. I hadn’t heard him pull up earlier, I was too busy enjoying myself with Jess before we were interrupted.

“Mads, you being here… I just needed to see you,” he says as if it was all the explanation needed.

“And ruin my night?”

He looks at me. “I’ve ruined it?”

Bollocks. Not exactly ruined.

His eyes narrow as his lips turn down. “You shouldn’t have barged in on my meal with Jess.”

“Well, seeing you at the lights was... unexpected. And when you said you couldn't see me, I just figured I'd come see you." He says it so to the point with a shrug of his shoulders before adding, "Anyway, you were finished,” with a smirk.

I scrunch my face up. He's being smart with me, but had he actually been outside waiting this whole time? Wouldn’t be the first time he’d watched me without my knowing. “Come with me?” he asks more seriously, taking a long drag of his cigarette lifting his chin. The smoke slowly rises, partially obscuring his face.

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