Page 52 of Desperate Pucker
Her eyebrows crash together like she’s deep in thought. She’s too drunk to realize I’m kidding.
She nods once. “You’re right. I should drink more. Where’s the server?”
She looks around for him, but I slide over a glass of water.
“No more alcohol for you, princess. Just water from now on.”
She sticks her bottom lip out and crosses her arms, but a second later, she drinks the water I gave her.
“Don’t call me princess,” she says when she puts the empty glass back down on the table.
“You love it.”
“I hate it.”
“Madeline! It’s picture time!” Ingrid slides over to hug Maddy. She presses her cheeks against hers, and they both smile. Sophie snaps a photo, then the three of them take a selfie together.
I glance around. Half the table is drunk.
“We’re going to call it a night,” Blomdahl says before standing up and helping Bella out of her chair.
“The ladies hit the wine pretty hard, huh?” I say.
Blomdahl chuckles. “Yup.”
They leave cash on the table for their drinks, then wave goodbye before taking off. Del, Ingrid, Theo, and Maya do the same a few minutes later.
The rest of us at the table settle up our tabs, then get ready to leave.
Maddy wobbles as she stands up from the table, almost dropping her purse.
I step over to her and gently grab her arm. “Let me help you.”
She frowns up at me. “I can do it. I’m an independent woman.”
I try not to laugh. “You absolutely are. But just let me help, okay?”
She blinks, and her eyes turn sleepy. “Okay.”
I grab her purse and walk her out of the bar.
“You’re carrying my purse.”
“You sound surprised.” I glance down at her. She’s staring at her purse in my hand. “I’m not gonna steal it, Maddy.”
“I know,” she says softly. “My ex never carried my purse.”
I take in the sad look in her eyes. “Not even when you were drunk?”
She shakes her head. “I think it made him feel uncomfortable. He was weird about stuff like that.”
“What do you mean?”
“He didn’t like to wear pink. And he refused to get his hair cut by a male hair stylist.”
“Seriously?”
She nods. “One time I was sick and needed to throw up, I asked him to hold my purse while I went to the bathroom, but he refused.”
