Page 9 of The Sitcom Star
Holy shit.It was from a number that wasn’t in his contacts.Hi, this is Maddie…
She’d actually texted him!
Mom was smirking, but he didn’t care.
“I’ll set out the plates,” she said.“You’ll join us in a couple of minutes, yes?”
He nodded and read the text.
It was great to catch up last night.I was wondering if you’re free tomorrow?
Sure,he replied.The only things on his agenda were doing a load of laundry and preparing a few lunches for the week.What did you have in mind?
After responding, he wondered if he’d come across as too eager because he’d texted back immediately.He hadn’t been able to help himself; he was just excited to hear from her.
She didn’t leave him waiting.
Well, you said you could help me with relaxing…
He couldn’t stop himself from imagining Maddie saying that in a flirty way, even though he was sure she didn’t mean that.Couldn’t stop imagining her lying beside him in bed, wrapped up in his shirt, her head on his shoulder.
But she just needed help living life a little differently than she usually did.By texting him, she was simply being practical, right?
He no longer felt embarrassed about giving her his number.
Of course, he said, an idea coming to mind.Meet me outside Union Station at 10, okay?Bring sunscreen and wear comfortable shoes.
What are we doing?
That’s for me to know and you to find out.
Keeping Maddie in the dark about his plans would probably get under her skin a little, and he imagined her scrunching up her nose in a cute way.
When he sat down at the dining room table, he was still grinning.
“What are you smiling at?”Colleen asked.
“Aren’t I allowed to just smile?”Adrian said.It wasn’t like smiling was a rarity for him.
“He has a girlfriend,” Mom said.
“I do not.”
Colleen nodded sagely, as though, as his big sister, she could see through his lies.
But he wasn’t lying.
“Does your girlfriend have lots of Lego?”Ryder asked the important questions in life.
“Uh, no,” Adrian replied, reaching for the har gow.
“Ha!”Colleen pointed at him.“You have a girlfriend.You admitted it.”
“Did not.”
“You were certainly thinking of someone in particular.”
That much was true.He’d been thinking of Maddie, of course, and figured it unlikely that she had a Lego collection.
