“I think she’s just really shy. I like her;we should invite her out more.” Maddy nodded at her own suggestion,resolving to make an effort to make friends with Natalie.
“Good plan. Now, I'm going to put my worryfor Cara and the shop behind me for a few minutes and am going toworry about you for the duration of our walk." Payson eyed herfriend over her coffee cup.
"Me? I'm great. Why would you worry aboutme?" Maddy nearly choked on her last bite of muffin.
"Because, dear friend, it's Tuesday morning,and you've already gone for a run, showered, dressed in yourprettiest sundress despite the gloomy day, done your hair, talkedme out of work and agreed to sugar overload. This is normally yourproject day at home. What's up?"
Dang, she'd gone the first 25 years of herlife without a good girlfriend. Payson had become ridiculously goodat reading her. She couldn't get away with anything. "First off,it's nothing wrong… but I was going to ask for some advice on howto get laid."
Payson managed to swallow her sip of mochabefore she either choked on it or it sprayed out of her nose, thenshe let the roaring laugh out. "Wow, you're never dull."
"Seriously, I'm terrible at this. Terrified.Totally terrified… of sex or anything close to it. But, I think I’mready to try. You know I have an unpleasant and just plain stupidhistory with sex. You may be right that it might be good withsomeone I trust. I’m ready to try, but I don’t know how to seduceanyone.”
“And why do you think I am well versed in theart of seduction? Go ask Aiden, he gets around enough.”
“Wow, I’m so not asking Aiden. He’d flip outand lock me away in a tower. Dad’s not even as protective as heis.”
“Fair point.”
“You’ve dated a heck of a lot more than Ihave. I've been with all of two guys. You know how the firstrelationship went. My second attempt was so damn… timid. Which hadbeen my plan, to find a sweet, timid boy, but it was downrightboring. He was afraid to even touch me. I even gave him a few morechances, but there was absolutely no spark and certainly no orgasmon any of these occasions."
Payson laughed mirthlessly. "Maddy, my dearfriend, you do need a quality lay. Not with a creep or a lame duckthis time, but someone decent. Someone that appreciates you.Someone that knows what he’s doing."
Maddy allowed herself the moment ofself-pity. They reached the end of the beach, just before the startof the fishing docks, and turned an about-face, continuing back theway they came. "You’re right, but I can’t help but feel terrifiedthat maybe it's me. Maybe my vagina or my clitoris or my pheromonesare broken. I don’t know," she pouted.
Payson grabbed Maddy by the elbow and lookedher right in the eye, blazing mad. "I don't ever want to hear thatkind of talk from you again. I have no doubt your girl parts andyour pheromones are perfectly normal. That’s the shit Dylan toldyou, isn’t it?”
Maddy nodded, avoiding eye contact.
Heart breaking, Payson continued, “You knowit’s not true. You’re a passionate woman… you enjoy your… solotime, right?”
Maddy blushed, “I do. I know my head isfucked up thanks to Dylan. I know it’s not true; I know he was amanipulative creep. But I’m still scared. I really want it, but I’mterrified. How do I do this?”
“You trust Chase, don’t you? The way you talkabout him, I know you do.”
“Yes, I trust Chase completely.” Maddy didn’thesitate. She’d never had any doubt she could trust him completely.Even when he was trying to get himself kicked out of school orarrested, or pushing her away, she knew she had only to ask andhe’d be there for her. She’d just been too stubborn to ask.
"And, you've enjoyed your time with Chase sofar? You spent the whole day with him, right?" Payson studied herfriend's face, looking for clues. Maddy failed at hiding a goofygrin. "Ok, I'll take that as a yes. Did you kiss him?"
"Yes, and it was incredible. I’ve never feltanything like it. We made out in his truck. Second base? Thirdbase? I’ve never really understood that baseball analogy.Regardless, we had a very nice time. Then, I sort of… propositionedhim. I practically ran out of the truck before he could answer,afraid he would say no. But then,nothing. He's beenavoiding me. It’s been a week now." Maddy filled Payson in aboutall the details: the great day in Portland, then the steamy momentin the truck, her declaration-slash-invitation, his using Aiden asa chaperone the next day, then radio silence from Chase.
"Yikes, that is a tough one.” Payson pickedup the pace and Maddy had to run a few steps to catch up. “You're asexy woman, and he pretty much told you he wanted to jump yourbones, gave you a hot, steamy make-out session in his truck.However, he's in a tough spot and won’t take this lightly. He isyour brother's best friend and your father's business partner andprobable successor. And, he’s been one of your best friends sinceyou two were kids."
Their cheeks were flushed from the briskwalk. Her toes were officially frozen. She managed to not chatterher teeth when she responded. "I know all of that. I'm taking thisseriously too. My parents adore him. I wouldn't want him to feellike he'd let them down by taking advantage of their daughter. ButI’m the one trying to take advantage." Maddy watched the darkclouds rolling in, rain approaching from the distance.
"And, he's trying to re-shape his reputationand establish himself as a respectable member of the community."Payson pointed out, gesturing with her nearly empty coffee cup asshe spoke. Realizing the cup still contained a few sips of coffee,she finally gulped the rest of the now-cold espresso. "Sorry Maddy,you've got a lot working against you here. It's clear he wants you,but he would be putting a lot on the line for just one night."
"Dammit, Payson, you're supposed to behelping me here," Maddy pouted. This was not going the way she hadplanned.
"Ok, well, the guy's in a tough spot. Whydon't you spend some more time with him and see where it leads? Letnature take its course, so to speak. If you two are already havingtrouble keeping your hands off each other, the opportunity is goingto arise without you even having to try. You'll see where it endsup; I suspect this will end much better than you think. Don’t rushit, or you’ll feel bad and he’ll hesitate. Your self-esteem doesnot need that." Payson shoved the last bite of her muffin in hermouth triumphantly.
"I am feeling a bit guilty now. But I guessif it's just letting nature take its course, there's nothing I cando." She shook her head dramatically, laughing at herself. Theybrushed off any stray muffin crumbs and tossed the empty cups andbags into the nearest trash can. "Now, as previously mentioned, Ido look great today. Maybe I’ll go visit Chase at work and see howhe responds. You know… nature."
***
From the window of Moe's, Dylan satfestering, ignoring his untouched and now cold coffee. Slut. Howcould she walk on the beach in that short white dress laughing andchatting?
He worried about her. She was vulnerable.She'd hidden in Seattle when she'd run away from him, but he'dfound her and watched her then. From a distance.
