Page 24 of I’d Be Honored

“Strippers?” Hayley asked, saying the first thing that came to mind as she leaned away from Maddie and into the arm of the sofa. The wine was absolutely not helping her gain control of her body, and she yearned to bolt before there could be another incident.

A light, breathless giggle bubbled up from Maddie’s chest. “I mean, I’d be game, but they don’t really look like the stripper types, do they?” She nodded toward the couple sitting across from them, wrapped in each other’s arms as they whispered sweet nothings.

Hayley snorted but shrugged. She’d honestly never been to a bachelorette party before, but in every movie she’d seen about them, there were always strippers. Something told her that her answer wouldn’t have mattered, anyway. From the way Maddie was practically bouncing in her seat, Hayley assumed she already had a plan.

“What about dinner and an afterparty at a club?” Maddie suggested.

There it is.

Hayley turned slightly, watching the orange glow of the fireplace catch the curve of Maddie’s smile.

“Hmm. So you’re not totally useless, I guess,” she teased.

“Hayley Maddox,” Maddie gasped dramatically, a hand flying to her heart, “are you flirting with me?”

Hayley rolled her eyes, but her lips curved up at the edges as their gazes lingered. The firelight turned Maddie’s eyes into twin sunsets, the golden rays dancing across turquoise seas. She might have drowned in them if Maddie hadn’t spoken again.

“You know, I’ve been to tons of bachelorette parties, but I’ve never actually done any of this wedding planning stuff, have you?”

“Me? Oh yes, all the time.” Hayley donned an expression of mock sincerity. “I have many close friends who have gotten married, and I’ve planned every single one. Love is so beautiful, don’t you think?” She was doing her best impression of Maddie by the end.

Maddie let out a short laugh. “I hadn’t pegged you as a comedian.”

“Stick around,” Hayley countered, the challenge in her voice at odds with the softening behind her eyes. “I suspect you have much to learn.”

“Can I get anyone more wine?” Gemma broke in, speaking up from the other side of the stone coffee table.

Hayley cleared her throat and stood. “It’s getting late, I should probably head home.” The wine had started to make her head fuzzy, and the warmth of Maddie’s body beside her wasn’t helping.

She hugged Maddie first, purely out of convenience, of course. Maddie had been the one sitting closest to her.

But when Hayley did, Maddie’s fingers curled around her hips, delicate and tentative, seemingly afraid to hold on. Hayley’s palms flattened against Maddie’s back, her fingertips grazing the edge of her tank top and finding bare skin. A tingle ran through Hayley in a strange, electric current, a jolt that she didn’t have a name for.

After a quick goodnight to the others, Hayley slipped into the shadows of the darkened living room, still thinking about her reaction to Maddie’s skin. Not just then, but also earlier, in the dressing room, when Hayley had grazed her smooth lower back.

The feeling was foreign, almost as if it belonged to someone else entirely. It wasn’t just the familiar, easy spark of physical attraction, although that was certainly part of it. This feeling went deeper, an unsettling pull that left her unsteady and off-balance.

As she reached the front door, Maddie’s sweet laughter rang out behind her, echoing through the empty house. It stirred an uncomfortable ache in her chest. The quiet wish to hear that sound again followed her out into the summer night.

SIX

THE CITY OUTSIDE WAS QUIETER THAN normal. Maddie rolled over and tapped her phone screen. It was only four in the morning. She sighed, letting her head sink back into the feather pillow.

The voice in Maddie’s head wouldn’t let up, stealing her sleep with the same insistent questions on a loop. What if she had leaned in that last inch? What if she had just gone for it and pressed her lips to Hayley’s? Would she have finally seen the woman beneath the armor? The cracks were there now subtle but real, and Maddie yearned to split them open. She’d always been too curious for her own good.

She exhaled slowly and finally gave in. Opening the wedding group chat, she started a new message privately to Hayley.

Maddie: Did you make it home okay?

Maddie knew it was a thin excuse to text her. Hayley had left the house hours ago. She was most likely sound asleep by now.

Just as she was about to set her phone back down, it vibrated, the bright screen cutting through the dark room. Maddie’s heart skipped.

Hayley: I did.

A short, two-word text, yet Maddie found herself smirking at the screen anyway. It didn’t matter how terse Hayley was—she had still replied in the middle of the night.

Maddie: You should've stayed. There's plenty of room in my bed.