That’s rich coming from him. Joe’s been locked down with Sarah since they graduated high school, so if either of us is out of practice, it’d be him.
Although, there’s a little truth to what he says. Talia and I had an agreement—we could date whoever we wanted, as long as it was never out in the open where Ty could catch on. We wanted him to grow up in a normal family and understand the importance of respecting women, and to know I was faithful to Talia.
“It’s dinner, you morons. How hard can it be?”
Joe and Dante share a concerned look, and I already know I’m going to regret asking.
“Look, you want to impress this girl, right?” Dante leans forward as if he’s about to say something really profound. To be fair, he probably has the most experience out of all of us. He’s always got a new girl he’s trying to wine and dine.
“Pretty sure that’s the point of taking her on a date, Dante.” I roll my eyes.
“Then let us help you. Do you know what kind of food she likes?” Joe chimes in.
I shrug. “Ty said something about sushi.”
Joe lets out a thunderous laugh, but the joke dies on me. I don’t know what’s so funny about that. “Yeah, you definitely need us. Your son has more game than you do.”
“You should take her to the top of the Stratosphere,” Dante suggests, putting his hands on his hips. “You can see the stars and the moon. Women love that romantic shit.”
“What if she’s afraid of heights?” Joe’s forehead creases with doubt. “How about Mandalay Bay? I hear they have a restaurant where you can pick your lobster out of the tank. If she likes sushi, I bet she’d love that.”
I’ve had about all of this I can take. “Thank you both for your suggestions, but I’ve got it covered. I realize it’s been a while, butI think I still know how to treat a woman. If you want to help, you can watch Ty.”
“Say no more.” Dante chuckles. “I’d love to hang out with the little man.”
“Great. Come over about seven. I’ll see you guys later.” I stand, grabbing my jacket. They might be idiots, but our conversation got me thinking. Maddie might not need all the fancy, extravagant stuff, but I know she’ll appreciate the effort. And I’ve got something in mind that I think she’s going to love.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“That’swhatyou’rewearing?”Ty scrunches his nose at me as if I’ve just walked out in a clown suit. Dante and Joe arrived forty-five minutes earlier than I told them to, and now all three of them are lounging on my bed for my first date with Madison. The last thing I want is an audience, especially such a critical one, but it’s hard to say no to Ty.
“What’s wrong with this one?” I ask. He’s already nixed two outfits I tried on, and at this rate, I’m going to run out of options. It’s not like I have a shortage. I have a designer friend who's always bringing me suit samples and display pieces she’s switched out, so it’s not that hard to piece something presentable together.
“You look like the guy from Home Depot,” Ty quips. Leave it to my son to diss Armani.
Joe slants his head at my jeans and gray v-neck tee. “He’s not wrong.”
“I think it’s perfect.” I check in the mirror one last time, reaching for my shoes. Maddie and I aren’t going on a traditional first date tonight. We both agree that that ship has sailed, so instead, I’m taking her on a bit of an excursion.
Ty lets out a long, heavy sigh and shrugs his shoulders. “Well, we tried to help.”
“Get out of here.” I chuckle, tossing a pillow at him.
Joe grin, batting it away. “Alright, alright. Come on, Ty. Let’s give your dad a little peace.”
With a few minutes to myself, I spray on some cologne and grab a leather jacket out of the closet. I doubt it meets my son’s fashion standards, but I like it.
When I reach the living room, Maddie’s already waiting for me. The rest of the house is quiet, and I don’t know where Dante, Joe, and Ty have run off to, but it’s fine because I’ve had enough unsolicited opinions for one night.
Maddie looks like a goddamn smoke show. The dress she’s wearing reveals a dangerous amount of skin, showcasing her body in all the right places. The loose fit sways at her hips as she walks, her heels accentuating every toned muscle of those long, tanned legs. Wild blonde curls spill down her shoulders, and her painted red lips purse as she stares at her phone. The floral fabric hits high enough on her thigh that all I can think about is how easy it would be to lift her onto the edge of that piano, inch it up, and take her right here.
Mmm. My god.
And just like that, I’m having second thoughts about this whole thing. How am I supposed to sit across from her all night and have a normal conversation when she looks the way she does and all I can think about is getting her home?
I can’t kiss her the way I want in public. Can’t touch her the way I want. Our chaotic schedules the last few days have made it almost impossible to see each other, and I’m shamelesslydesperate to taste her again. Maybe we should order something in and stay home.
I’m just about to pose the question to her when she looks up and notices that I’m standing here.
