Valentine's Day

Chapter 9

"You lucked out with Maddie being here," Matt said with a smirk as he and Brian waited for drinks at the bar.

Brian lifted his eyebrows in acknowledgement. "I'm lucky she played along with the game."

"I'll say... especially since she doesn't seem to like you very much," Matt replied.

Brian's brown eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Okay okay," Matt put his hands up defensively "she likes you..but not like worships...like Annalise."

"What the fuck is up with that anyway...you not giving me a heads up that Val was going to invite her? You could have told her not to do that shit."

Matt rolled his hazel eyes "You fucking know I have zero control over the shit Valary does when it comes to matchmaking."

"No excuse," Brian shook his head as the bartender handed him a scotch and Maddie's Corona. "I'm your best friend."

"And she's the source of my sex life," Matt said honestly as he picked up Val's margarita and his beer bottle. "She'll win every time."

Brian opened his mouth to protest but seemed to reconsider and just nodded "Touche."

They made a beeline through the crowd back over to the group. He found Maddie sitting with Liza and laughing at something Kelly was saying.

All three ladies turned their attention to him as he approached. Kelly said something in a low tone and all three ladies laughed. It made Brian self conscious.

"What did I do?" He asked defensively as he handed Maddie her beer bottle.

Kelly shook her head, her eyes wide "Nothing...I was just commenting how nice it is to have an attentive date that brings you drinks. You don't get that when you're married." She lifted her empty glass for emphasis.

"Aww shit Kel," Brooks stood and walked over to take it from her. "Don't tell stories. You haven't ordered your own drink in a bar since we started dating."

"That's cause you gave me a blender for my birthday present to make my own at home," Kelly retorted.

"He gave you a blender?” Liza asked as Maddie laughed.

“Yup," Kelly acknowledged "As a first birthday gift."

Most of the married women shook their heads sadly.

"Why?" Maddie asked.

Kelly spared no detail "He either thought I was a drunk or he thought I was his bitch. Either way, he was completely in the doghouse.”

"It's time to let go of that, Kel, I was young and naive," he said before heading to get her a drink, giving his wife a grin.

"I was his bitch," Kelly joked her gaze trailing longingly after her husband. "I just didn't want him to know it."

Maddie could feel the sparks between the couple. It made her heart sad. Had Mason ever looked at her like that? She had thought he had but she was wrong.

"You okay?" Brian asked dropping onto the bench next to her and handing the beer over to her before pulling it back. He grabbed a napkin from the small table in front of them and wrapped it around the base of the bottle and handed it back. "There."

Maddie was surprised by the small note of attentiveness. He was well trained by his ex apparently. "Thanks," she said before taking a large sip.

"Woah," he replied "Take it easy...it's not like that is the last beer...they've got more behind the bar."

"True but since you're buying, I might as well take advantage," she said "Since I bailed you out of set up jail."

"What would you know about getting bailed out of jail?" he asked "A trouble maker in a green dress. What's up that anyway?"

Her eyes widened "With my dress? What's wrong with it?"

"Woah," he said soothingly "You look great..that dress is beautiful....I just meant...it's green...nobody ever wears that shade unless its St. Patrick's day or something."

"It IS St Patrick's Day," she pointed out the various shades of green that the other girls were wearing. "And you aren't wearing green." She leaned over and pinched him on the arm. 

"Ow fuck," he said loudly swatting her hand away but she had a good grip. She was stronger than she looked. "That fucking hurt."

She shrugged "That'll teach you to not wear green."

"I didn't even know what day it was!" he insisted.

"You didn't know it was Valentine's day in Vegas either," she pointed out.

"I thought you didn't want to talk about that ever again," he smirked.

"Oh that's right but you told me no so I might as well use it to make a point. That was the agreement when I pretended to be your date, remember?  You're welcome by the way, since you forgot to thank me.."

He chuckled and ran his tattooed hand through his dark hair. "Why should I thank you? You felt guilty anyway for telling everyone I was gay."

"Oh my God," she said before she pulled a sip on her beer. "That was a total mess of a misunderstanding."

 "Why don't you tell me how the gay rumor got started?"  

  She leaned back into the seat. "I think I'd only been here a few weeks, and you weren't back in town yet. Tes came into the office and started telling me about the member of a band who she liked but wasn't interested in her or any women really,  so I said something like maybe you didn't like women. I was thinking misogynist. I really didn't know she was talking about you."   

He cocked his eyebrow at her. "Sure."

She shrugged. "I never thought you were gay. Not even after the first night we met. It never even entered my head." 

Well, that's something, he thought as  he tried to get more comfortable. 

"Erectile dysfunction, yes. Gay?" She shook her head. "No."   

 He stilled. "You don't think I can get it up? I can get it up plenty!" He hadn't meant to yell, but Jesus fuck, just because he hadn't been using his hard-ons lately didn't mean he wasn't capable. 

"If you say so," she said doubtfully.

Before he could reply, Liza grabbed her hand. "Come dance with me. You haven't danced all night."

Maddie knew she'd hit a nerve with her last comment so she was welcome for the out. "Lead on," she said placing her bottle on the small table and following the girls out on to the floor, leaving a confused and irritated Brian behind her.

Maybe Matt was right. Maybe she didn't like him very much after all.