Rise Like The Sun

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

MADISON

On Sunday, Madison makes them both get out of the house.

She's gotten used to Nick's motorbike, and his body, so there are no qualms about gripping him tightly and pressing her face into his back as Nick takes them to The Love Shack. They sit in their usual booth, both of them lifting their heads, waiting for Macy.

"So what'll you lovebirds be having, then?" a rather cheerful waiter asks, his eyes bright as he taps his pen on his notebook.

His smile dims a little when Madison and Nick stare at him.

"What the f- where's Macy?" Madison says, in confusion.

The waiter blinks.

"Macy?" he repeats. "Uh, she's – she's gone. You've got me. Pete."

"Pete?" Nick repeats.

Pete looks rather confused, his forehead creasing, and Madison wants to roll her eyes at him in disparagement. Macy was never so fragile, she thinks scathingly. She narrows her eyes at the waiter before them.

"She was fired, wasn't she?"

"We're – we're not really allowed to –,"

"This is inhumane!" Nick splutters. "Macy was the best waitress you'll ever know!"

"She served a customer rocks," Pete says.

"Her charm was irresistible –,"

"She was rude and impatient and generally awful –,"

"And she had this way of looking at you, as though you were worth little more than the rubbish on the ground, that just – that was so beautiful!" Nick says, and Madison can't stop herself from laughing at his incredulity. The waiter is falling for his act, she realises, and she catches herself quickly, as Nick grins at her. Her heart stutters at the sight. "This is injustice, Pete. If that's even your real name."

"Look, sir," Pete begins, looking rather exasperated. "If you've got a complaint –,"

"You lost an angel," Nick says, shaking his head as though he can't quite believe them. He looks at Pete, serious and incredulous. "You will never know the true extent to what you have lost."

Madison snickers into her fingers and Pete spins to shoot a suspicious look towards her.

"Look," she says, "I'll have a green tea. Give him all the cakes you can find."

"Actually, she'll have your pastries and a big English breakfast, too," Nick adds, quickly, as Madison pauses. "And Godspeed, good sir."

Pete rolls his eyes as he leaves, but Madison leans forward.

"I don't need you ordering for me, Nick," she bites at him. "This isn't a – I can feed myself."

Nick shakes his head.

"I didn't say that you couldn't," he tells her. "But, a green tea? The day after you collapse in the middle of school? You make great choices, Madison."

She huffs at him but doesn't argue.

"This dance lesson, remember that you have to turn your body with me," Madison reminds him. She sketches out the figures on the stack of napkins for him. "See? If you move that way, like Bastien says, I can lean into you and you can dip me properly for once."

"I dipped you perfectly this morning," Nick tells her, his eyes bright and wicked.

"If you dip me like that in front of my mother, she'll hit you with her shoe," Madison rebuffs.