Free Taking a Chance by KC Ann Wright Page B

being with the girls, but knowing that was her support system sometimes allowed the painful emotions to surface as if they knew it would be okay to come out and torture her now. Help was all around. But Maddie did not want anything out right now.
Not during Amanda’s weekend.
As she tried to clear her head, Amanda asked her if something was wrong.
    “No.” She turned to Amanda and put a smile on her face. “I was just thinking how lucky we are to have such a great group of girls.”
    “I agree. This is what makes everything okay at the end of the day.”
    As they finished their dinners, the waiter brought out a few dessert platters. They passed the desserts around and Molly looked at Maddie. “Hey, Maddie, why don’t you tell the girls who you met at Rosebud a couple of weekends ago?”
    Maddie hesitated for a moment as the pain of George and Stacey rushed back but quickly switched her thoughts to the gorgeous Austin.
    “Well, our interaction was brief as it was interrupted. Which was very disappointing because I know Austin Hunter was just about to ask me to marry him and spend the rest of our lives together.”
    Just the thought of Austin’s hand on her made her entire body heat up. Maddie had stars in her eyes as she spoke. When she finished the entire story, all the girls sighed in a combination of envy for the encounter and sympathy for the ruined moment.
    As they were paying the bill, Maddie asked if they would finally tell her where they were going.
    “We’re not going very far,” said Molly. “Let’s grab our stuff and go girls.”
    When they exited the restaurant, the girls turned to the left. When Molly started crossing the driveway, Maddie clapped her hands together.
    “Are we going to the House of Blues?” Maddie loved music and enjoyed going to concerts whenever she could. The House of Blues was one of her favorite Chicago venues.
    “Yep,” said Molly.
    As they neared the entrance, Molly turned back to Amanda and gave her a signal.
    “Hey, Maddie, can I have your ID, so Molly can get you checked in.”
    Maddie laughed. “I can give it to her when we get in there.”
    “Nope. Tonight is a surprise. Remember?” Amanda shrugged. “Sorry.”
    “You can’t be serious. What are you going to do? Make me close my eyes until I get inside.”
    “Sort of.” Amanda laughed. “Come on, ID,
pleeease
.”
    Maddie laughed and opened her purse to grab her ID out of her wallet. She held it out to Amanda. “Just so you know I’m only doing this because it’s your weekend.”
    Amanda grabbed it and handed it to one of the other girls along with her own ID. Amanda and Maddie waited outside while Molly checked in at the podium for the Foundation Member tickets. One of the girls stuck her head out the door when they were all checked in.
    “Bring her in.”
    Maddie started laughing as Amanda stood behind her and stretched up to cover Maddie’s eyes with her hands.
    “All right, girl, let’s go.”
    “You guys are crazy.” Maddie laughed as she walked forward through the open door and followed Amanda’s directions. Molly slipped Maddie’s ID back into her purse as they walked by.
    Once they were in the tiny elevator, Amanda pulled her hands away from Maddie’s eyes. “Sorry, but Molly insisted on the evening being a surprise for you. We just wanted the best for you after everything you’ve been through and as thanks for everything you’ve done.”
    The compact elevator could not fit them all, and Maddie was with the first group of girls.
    “How did Molly get these tickets?”
    Amanda shrugged. “I don’t know. You’d have to ask her. Let’s get a drink, girls.”
    The opening band was playing and the venue was packed already. The second group of girls joined them and they all placed an order with the bartender. Drinks in hand, they wove their way through the crowd following Molly down the narrow and dark hallway that led to the boxes on the left side of the stage. Maddie could not believe