never was the most social guy on the planet—which was why he was so mysterious to her.
“I’m sick of this champagne,” Madison announced, placing her glass down on the table. “I’m getting something else.”
Damien let her out of the booth, his eyes following her every movement. “Do you want me to go with you?”
“I’m fine.” She glanced at the bar to make sure Brett was still there. He was. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
She sauntered across the club, feeling heads turn, enjoying the rush from the attention. Brett didn’t notice her until she slid into the seat next to him.
“Is this seat taken?” she asked, rotating the stool to face him.
“Nope.” He looked straight ahead and took a swig from his bottle of beer. His lack of excitement to see her disheartened her, but she wouldn’t give up. Maybe he was just having a bad day.
She pointed at his drink. “Didn’t they offer you a glass for that?” Not many people ordered beer on the VIP level, but the bartender should have served it in a classier way.
“It tastes better from the bottle.” He drank from it again, looking behind him like he was searching for someone who wasn’t Madison. What was his problem? Most guys would be thrilled if she gave them the time of day, and Brett had the nerve to act indifferent.
Her confidence waned. Why was Brett so disinterested in her? She might not have a reputation for being the friendliest girl at school, but she wasn’t cruel or slutty. Definitely not slutty. She wasn’t going to whore herself out to any guy who wanted her (which was a lot of them), so she would be patient until she met someone she wanted to be with. There had been times when Madison had contemplated giving up the hope of romance and losing her virginity to a friend. Oliver would probably be on board if she asked. But she held out hope that her first time would be special—with someone she loved, who loved her in return.
“So...” she said to Brett, trying to figure out how to continue the conversation. “I haven’t seen you here recently.”
“That’s because I haven’t been here recently.”
“Oh.” He wasn’t making this not-awkward thing easy. “Why’d you change your mind and come tonight?”
“I was forced.”
Madison didn’t know how to respond, so she ordered a glass of Meursault Chardonnay from the bartender. He carded her and scanned the fake ID Oliver had gotten through a connection for everyone in their group of friends, giving it back to her once it came through okay. The ID was top-notch and hadn’t failed her yet.
Madison lifted the glass to her nose and inhaled. Meursault was her favorite—full and buttery, with a finish of honey. It might mean another 100 fewer calories that she could have tomorrow, but she needed the liquid confidence. She swirled it around and tasted it. “This is delicious.” She savored the sweet aftertaste and held it out to Brett, leaning closer so he got a good look at her cleavage. “It’s my favorite wine. Want to try it?”
He rested an elbow on top of the bar and rubbed the corners of his eyes. “Not really.” He sighed, and looked at her with what might be pity. “Madison,” he said her name extra carefully. “If you’re looking for a repeat of two weeks ago, I already told you we’re not right for each other. Summer makes it easy to forget how you and your friends ignore me around school, but if that’s not going to change, then we’re never going to happen.”
“It could change,” Madison said. “Your mom is dating Adrian Diamond, so now it will be easy for you to fit in with my friends. If I tell them to accept you, they will.”
“You don’t get it.” Brett looked sad, and a little frustrated. “I like you, Madison, because you’re smart and determined, but I don’t want to change who I am to fit in with your friends. I have my own friends, who like me for who I am and who I have things in common with. If you want, you could hang out
“I’m sick of this champagne,” Madison announced, placing her glass down on the table. “I’m getting something else.”
Damien let her out of the booth, his eyes following her every movement. “Do you want me to go with you?”
“I’m fine.” She glanced at the bar to make sure Brett was still there. He was. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
She sauntered across the club, feeling heads turn, enjoying the rush from the attention. Brett didn’t notice her until she slid into the seat next to him.
“Is this seat taken?” she asked, rotating the stool to face him.
“Nope.” He looked straight ahead and took a swig from his bottle of beer. His lack of excitement to see her disheartened her, but she wouldn’t give up. Maybe he was just having a bad day.
She pointed at his drink. “Didn’t they offer you a glass for that?” Not many people ordered beer on the VIP level, but the bartender should have served it in a classier way.
“It tastes better from the bottle.” He drank from it again, looking behind him like he was searching for someone who wasn’t Madison. What was his problem? Most guys would be thrilled if she gave them the time of day, and Brett had the nerve to act indifferent.
Her confidence waned. Why was Brett so disinterested in her? She might not have a reputation for being the friendliest girl at school, but she wasn’t cruel or slutty. Definitely not slutty. She wasn’t going to whore herself out to any guy who wanted her (which was a lot of them), so she would be patient until she met someone she wanted to be with. There had been times when Madison had contemplated giving up the hope of romance and losing her virginity to a friend. Oliver would probably be on board if she asked. But she held out hope that her first time would be special—with someone she loved, who loved her in return.
“So...” she said to Brett, trying to figure out how to continue the conversation. “I haven’t seen you here recently.”
“That’s because I haven’t been here recently.”
“Oh.” He wasn’t making this not-awkward thing easy. “Why’d you change your mind and come tonight?”
“I was forced.”
Madison didn’t know how to respond, so she ordered a glass of Meursault Chardonnay from the bartender. He carded her and scanned the fake ID Oliver had gotten through a connection for everyone in their group of friends, giving it back to her once it came through okay. The ID was top-notch and hadn’t failed her yet.
Madison lifted the glass to her nose and inhaled. Meursault was her favorite—full and buttery, with a finish of honey. It might mean another 100 fewer calories that she could have tomorrow, but she needed the liquid confidence. She swirled it around and tasted it. “This is delicious.” She savored the sweet aftertaste and held it out to Brett, leaning closer so he got a good look at her cleavage. “It’s my favorite wine. Want to try it?”
He rested an elbow on top of the bar and rubbed the corners of his eyes. “Not really.” He sighed, and looked at her with what might be pity. “Madison,” he said her name extra carefully. “If you’re looking for a repeat of two weeks ago, I already told you we’re not right for each other. Summer makes it easy to forget how you and your friends ignore me around school, but if that’s not going to change, then we’re never going to happen.”
“It could change,” Madison said. “Your mom is dating Adrian Diamond, so now it will be easy for you to fit in with my friends. If I tell them to accept you, they will.”
“You don’t get it.” Brett looked sad, and a little frustrated. “I like you, Madison, because you’re smart and determined, but I don’t want to change who I am to fit in with your friends. I have my own friends, who like me for who I am and who I have things in common with. If you want, you could hang out
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