She took a deep breath and shrugged. “Don’t have a clue. You’d have to ask him.”
“What’s his name?” Bull asked.
“None of your business.” She wasn’t about to tell Bull anything. He didn’t need any explanation as to why she’d been stood up.
“You haven’t eaten anything,” Elizabeth said.
“It’s fine. I want to get out of here.” There was only so much embarrassment she could handle in one night.
Her bed, a steamy romance book, and chocolate ice cream were all in her future.
“Have dinner with me,” Bull said.
Maddie shook her head. “No thank you.”
“Are you too good to eat dinner with me?” he asked.
She rolled her eyes. “Bull, I don’t know you. I’m not going to eat with a stranger out of pity. I’m not desperate. Besides, your friends are all waiting for you.”
“They can wait.”
Maddie laughed. “Of course they can.” She paid her bill and turned toward him. “Thank you for being … sweet, but this isn’t the first time and I doubt it will be the last time either.” She reached out and put a hand on his arm. She had no clue as to why she did it.
Removing her hand, she kept the smile on her lips as she turned on her heel to leave the bar.
She held on to her bag, took a deep breath, and looked up at the sky. Were her parents wagging their fingers at her, telling her she shouldn’t have been so foolish?
Tears filled her eyes, and she lowered her head, wiping at her eyes so no tear would fall. She refused to cry.
Taking a step away from the bar, she headed across town, going toward her apartment building that was only a twenty-minute walk away. She grabbed her cell phone and drew up her profile on the dating app. Maddie didn’t take time to think over her decision, she went into the settings and straight to the option to delete profiles, followed by removing her account. Once she had clicked her way through each relevant section, she got the email ping to let her know her account was deleted.
Maddie held her phone tightly as she got to her apartment building. The main doors held a code that each resident was given to be allowed into the building. She typed in her code, and the doors beeped.
She didn’t bother with the elevator after having a bad experience on it the first time she moved in nearly ten years ago. It had broken down while she’d been inside it. For six hours, she had been stuck in that small box, and since then, she had only ever taken the stairs. There had been no further breakdowns, but she wasn’t willing to risk it.
She went to her apartment on the fourth floor, slid in the key, and twisted the doorknob. This had been home for ten years. After her mother’s passing, she’d put her family home on the market. It had sold within weeks to a lovely couple who were starting up a new family. There had been a short time when she had imagined keeping her parents’ home, moving in, and hoping one day to start a family.
She hadn’t wanted to keep a house that was designed for a family when she was a single woman.
Maddie closed the door of her apartment, flicked on the light, and leaned against her door, staring at her small space. This was her space. The apartment was an open plan apart from the bedroom. Her kitchen and living room were easily visible from the front door. Her bedroom was through the main door to her right, and she had an en-suite bathroom.
This was her life.
After putting the keys into the dish on the small cabinet to the right, she hung her bag on the hook she’d installed, removed her jacket, and kicked off her heels. She rarely ever wore heels, often preferring pumps or trainers to anything too high. This was going to be the last date she went on.
She had long grown tired of the crappy ones, or like tonight, the no-shows. She was done attempting to find Mr. Right. He wasn’t out there, and she was miserable constantly being reminded of that fact.
****
Bull watched Maddie go.
He didn’t want to see her leave, but he’d be lying if he said it was a disappointment considering how juicy her ass was. Running a hand down his face, he moved across the bar to where his boys were waiting for him. Elizabeth didn’t keep him waiting long.
“What can I get you boys?” she asked.
They were all older than she was, but she liked to play the role.
“You can tell me, sugar, how long that juicy piece was waiting,” Bull said.
“Maddie? You want to know how long she was waiting for her date to arrive?”
He hated repeating himself, but Elizabeth wasn’t known to be the brightest tool in the box. Some of the boys liked to keep her on speed dial. She liked to play but not to commit, and his boys were down for the playing.
Bull forced a smile to his lips, determined not to ask again.
“Er, let’s see, she arrived just before seven and it’s eight thirty now. An hour and a … er … half,” she said. “It was kind of sad. When she came in, she was all excited. Asked if he’d arrived.”
“Did she give a name?”
Elizabeth sighed then groaned. “She sure did, but I’ve completely forgotten it.”
“Get us a couple of beers, please.”
“Will do. You know it is such a shame. That’s the second date in the last six months that has been a no-show.” Elizabeth shrugged. “Some men.” She tutted to herself and moved away.
“What was that all about?” Rusty asked.
“None of your business.” He took a seat and waited for his beer to arrive. Truthfully, he didn’t know what the thing was with Maddie French. It wasn’t the first time he’d noticed her. He’d been noticing her for a long time but had never gotten the opportunity to act on it, until now. She was rarely alone, which was ironic as all around town, she wasn’t exactly a social bunny. He’d noticed her at a couple of the town fairs and around town. She volunteered a lot, and seeing as he was a social pariah with the Chaos and Carnage MC, they never mixed in the same circles. She never came to the club. Still, he’d noticed her fine curves for many years now, especially her ass in a pair of jeans, not to mention those ripe tits, just designed to have his head nestled against.
“Here you boys go,” Elizabeth said. She placed their beers on the counter. Pat, like always, was quiet.
Bull lifted the bottle to his lips and took a sip. It was nice and cold, which was what the hot summer night required.
He drank several large gulps before he put the bottle down.
“You want any company later?” Elizabeth asked.
He smirked and shook his head. “Thanks, darlin’, but this beer is all I need.”
Elizabeth had been offering herself to him for a long time. He never took her up on it. There was no desire there. She was a little too skinny for his tastes. Unlike some of the boys, he was careful about who he stuck his dick into. He’d seen what happened to his and Grant’s pop for putting his dick in any woman that would have him. It caused nonstop drama, and he had no room for it in his life.
“What about you, Rusty?” Elizabeth asked.
Rusty nearly choked on his beer. “Nah, thanks, sweetheart. One dose of the clap was good enough.”
Pat waved his hand at her.
He lost interest as she went down to talk to Stacks and Rip. Not all of the guys had followed him down to the bar to have a drink. He wanted a change of scenery. Beer was easy to come by at the clubhouse, but for some odd reason, the bar called to him tonight. It was a slow night. Most of the customers sat near the restaurant side. Some couples moved on the dance floor, but all in all, it was very slow. He had no doubt rumors would circulate about his interaction with Maddie. Why couldn’t he get that woman alone? He didn’t like that she’d been on multiple no-show dates. What was her deal?