An hour later, after we’d finished setting the bed up, Scot took off. I wondered if he’d ever give up his bachelorhood. I kind of doubted it. Years ago, I’d tried to fix him up with Maddie, only it hadn’t clicked. For either of them. I was tempted to remedy that with a magical batch of cupid cookies but quickly decided against it. After all, I’d be ticked off if I was magically coerced into falling in love with someone. Besides, it was unlikely it would work anyway. The result would probably be something entirely unexpected. Not to mention, something entirely disastrous.
Yeah, I caught on quick.
What I could do was go check on Maddie. I’d only seen her a minute the other night, so I was really curious if she was back to normal or not. Then, I had a mile-long grocery list of Grandma Verda’s to fill.
I tucked my keys in my pocket and took the stairs to Maddie’s. She answered the door with a smile on her face. “Oh. I thought you were Spencer.”
“Don’t sound so disappointed.” Wow. Points for me and for Miranda’s magic. “You look amazing,” I said, taking in her shining hair, rosy cheeks, and sultry-shaded eyes.
“Thank you! I’m feeling so much better.”
“Can I come in? Or is he going to be here at any minute?”
“Oh, of course you can. Want to join us tonight? We’re going to check out a new comedy club Spencer’s all excited about.”
She stepped aside, and I walked past her. “Nah, I don’t think Spencer would be thrilled with an add-on.” Before she could argue, I said, “Besides, I have plans with Dominick’s to-night.”
“Oh! If I give you a list, could you pick me up a few things? I know that’s awful of me, but I’ve been so miserable lately I haven’t even bothered shopping.”
“Sure, that’s cool. So, you’re really feeling back to normal?” “Better than normal.”
She grabbed a note pad out of her desk and wrote a few things down. Handing it to me, she said, “This will do until I can get to the store. I really appreciate it.”
“It’s the least I can do,” I said without thinking.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, well. Hmm. We need to talk, but this probably isn’t the best time with Spencer showing up soon. Tomorrow, if you can, let’s get together.”
I needed to share the weight of this with somebody, and Maddie was my best friend. And now that she was feeling better, I didn’t have to worry about her reaction. At least, I didn’t think I did. Before, well, who knew what she might have done. Visions of a girl fight flashed in front of me. Trust me, she’d win, hands down.
A curious light glinted in her eyes. “You want to come here, or should I come to your place?”
Good question. Grandma Verda would have moved in, lock, stock, and barrel by then. It could be a good thing, since she knew the story better than I did. Or, it could go the other way, if she decided I should keep my mouth shut. Making a decision, I said, “Here. I’ll come up here.” Later, if Maddie wanted to talk to Grandma about it, she certainly could.
“What’s this about?”
“Nothing to stress over. Something I want some advice on. That’s all.”
A knock on her door brought another smile to her face. “How do I look? Tell me the truth.”
“Breathtaking,” I said. “I’m gonna take off. Have a great time tonight!”
“I plan on it. In more ways than one.” She opened the door. Spencer, a blond cutie with glasses, smiled in appreciation as his gaze flitted over Maddie. I couldn’t blame him. She was a knockout.
“Hi, Spencer. Bye, Spencer.” I walked to the hallway and waved behind my head as I took the steps. “You guys have fun!”
At my place, I found the list from Grandma, jotted Maddie’s items on it, and went off in search of delicacies such as Spam and Wonder Bread.
Yep, my thoughts exactly. Absolutely disgusting. If nothing else, living with Grandma Verda would be a culinary experience I wouldn’t soon forget.
Chapter Fourteen
“Grandma, what is that smell?” I asked, coming into the kitchen. The move-in over, I was trying to adjust to having a roomie. Already, I recognized I’d have to relax on a few things.
Shirley meowed and rubbed herself between my legs. The giant orange tabby had waltzed into my apartment as if she were a queen, inspected the entire place, and then pounced on top of the TV.