“We’ll see.” She grinned at me as we made our way to the car. “I mean we don’t have to go if you think they’ll be tracking the car.”
“We’ll park the car at the mall. I assume we’re going to the mall, right?”
“Am I that predictable?”
“You and all girls. Oops.” I laughed. “I forgot I’m not supposed to be talking about other women right now, am I?”
“No.” She rolled her eyes. “Though, I suppose as a guy, you can’t help it.”
“You know us guys.”
“All you think about it getting some.”
“Yup, you got it.” We got into the car and I saw Maddie grinning at me teasingly. “Sex, sex, and more sex.”
“Sex in the bedroom, sex in the bathroom, sex in the kitchen, sex in the field.” She counted off on her fingers. “That’s all that’s on your mind.”
“You know me so well.” I checked to see if there were any cop cars coming before I pulled back out onto the highway.
“I know men.” She winked at me and shimmied in the seat, and I put on a fake Spanish accent.
“Maddie, I think you are trying to turn me on with your sexy talk.”
“Are you trying to pretend you’re Italian?” She giggled.
“How dare you, I’m from Puerto Rico.” I rolled my R and tried to keep a straight face.
“Puerto Rico by way of Rome?”
“I’m from San Juan.” I winked at her. “And I’m going to show you how to salsa.”
“Ooh, really? I’d like you to show me how to salsa. Maybe I’ll get a dress at the mall.”
“Oh, God. Me and my big mouth. I’m going to become one of those men who stands there looking tortured while he waits for his woman to try on clothes.”
“I don’t know that you ever don’t look tortured.”
“Are you calling me dour?”
“Dour?” She made a face at me. “I’m not sure you can call a handsome young man dour. I’ve only ever thought of sour old women as dour.”
“Yay. I’m not a sour old woman.”
“Thank God.” She leaned over and whispered in my ear. “I wouldn’t want to have sex with a dour or sour old woman in a changing room.”
“What?” My eyes nearly popped out of my sockets at her words. “You what?”
“I figured that would get your heart racing.”
“You figured right! Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I would have taken you to any mall you wanted.”
“You’re such a guy.”
“I think we established that already.” I laughed and pressed the gas pedal excitedly. I turned on the radio and stopped at a song that Maddie seemed to know. She was singing along and bobbing her head and I laughed as she danced around in the seat. As I drove, I realized that I was happy. It was a weird feeling. A unique feeling for me, and I wasn’t used to how good it felt. The worries and the stress were gone, albeit briefly, and at the back of my mind. But in this instant, I felt like I was in Utopia. I’d never realized just how wonderful it could feel to be with someone I liked who liked me. It was a different but entirely pleasant feeling. Right now, I was just Logan, a regular boy, and I was amazed at how good that felt.
***
“Let’s go into Macy’s.” Maddie pulled my arm. “They have lots of changing rooms and they hardly ever have salesgirls around.”
“Macy’s?” I made a face. “That’s not exciting.”
“It’s in a store, it’s fine.”
“No, no. If we’re going to do this, it has to be somewhere exhilarating.”
“This is the mall, Logan. Not Hedonism Island in Jamaica.”
“Now, I wouldn’t mind going there.”
“Hell, no.” Maddie shook her head.
“I’m joking. I don’t have the money to take us there, even if I wanted to.” I made a face and turned away from her, angry at myself for bringing up money. For a moment, I had forgotten the dire straits I was currently in. I followed Maddie distractedly, as I started thinking about what I was going to do. Five hundred dollars wasn’t going to help the family much, and now that Marty was onto me not selling him the cars any longer, I knew I had to think of something else to do.
“Logan, earth to Logan.” Maddie looked at me in concern, and I could see her violet eyes searching my face. It was funny how she always seemed to know when my mood has changed. I knew that people said women were in tune with emotions and stuff, but I’d never had anyone close enough to pay attention to mine, not since my mom had died.
“Sorry, was just thinking.”
“Nope, I forbid it.” She grabbed her hands. “No worrying and no thinking right now.”
“You’re a bossy boots.”
“It comes from being an only child.”
“Must be nice.” I laughed, only half-joking. If I didn’t have Vincent and Jared to worry about, I could have left River Valley and started a new life for myself. I could have reinvented myself and perhaps made something of my life. But then you wouldn’t have met Maddie, a little voice whispered in my head. And you wouldn’t have your two best friends in your life, another voice whispered. And it was true; I’d take whatever adversity came my way to ensure that I had Vincent and Jared in my life. They were my life; they were everything to me. They were my blood and my sweat. They were the only people I knew I could trust my life with. Until I met Maddie.
“What are your brothers like?” Maddie interrupted my thoughts, and I smiled at her, wondering if she had ESP or something.
“Vincent’s the second oldest, he’s a fighter, and one of the best men I know. He is also pretty reserved, but he would do anything for the ones he loves. Jared, well, you know Jared a bit, he’s the baby of the family. Handsome, lovable, charming, quick-witted, and a big troublemaker.” I tried to laugh as I talked about Jared. Between Vincent and Jared, Jared was the one I was most worried about. He was smart and rebellious, more so than me and Vincent. And he had a propensity to act first and think later. I was worried he was going to get himself into trouble so deep that there would be no saving him. That was why I was pushing so hard for him to start college. I felt if he had some real goals and a real routine, he wouldn’t have time for Joey and the other troublemakers he hung around with.