Page 112 of Maximum Dare
“Wait, how do you know what Daisy’s been up to?” asked Nick.
“I joined a Dare Club!” I burst out.
Nick looked intrigued. “That explains your Instagram. I thought you’d lost it for a minute.”
Laughter rose up around us.
“Actually,” I said. “I’ve hung off buildings, been a fashion model for a day—” I threw a smile at Max’s mum. “And done things I believed I’d never do. Tomorrow, I’ve got one more dare. They don’t tell us what it is until a few hours before.”
Max shared a proud smile with me.
He piped up, “Daisy has been inspirational for me, too.”
Nick swallowed hard; we both caught it.
“She’s influenced me,” added Max. “I have her to thank for helping me see life differently.”
“Max,” his mum hissed in warning.
He held her gaze for a long time and then peered down at his shoes, his expression conflicted. “I have an announcement.”
I stepped toward him in support. We were ready. We would be open to questions and we would still be here for Nick, who we expected might need some time to adjust to our news.
“This is all very exciting,” said Gillian nervously.
“I’ve been thinking about my future,” said Max. “How I want to spend the rest of my life.”
Oh, my God…
Here it comes…
Gillian set her glass down on the central island. “This feels like one of Daisy’s dares,” she said.
Max snagged another champagne glass off a tray. “I’m making a career change. I’m going to become a civil rights lawyer.”
My breath left me, my heart hammering at this near miss. I was happy for Max. How could I not be? Still, I’d been digging my fingernails into my palms waiting for an alternative announcement.
“That’s amazing,” I said.
“But you love the firm!” said Gillian.
“My dad’s company will continue to thrive,” added Max. “I’ll still be part of it. Only I’ll be doing what I love. I’ll be taking on cases for those who can’t afford an attorney like me. I’ll be fighting for justice.”
Nick wrapped his arm around his brother’s shoulder. “That’s amazing news, Max.”
“It’s what will make me happy.” Max gave his mum a reassuring glance.
“I can see you’ve given it a lot of thought,” she said. “I’m happy for you. If it’s what you really want.”
“It is.” He gave a nod of conviction.
A staff member sidled up to Gillian and whispered to her.
Gillian came over to talk with Max. “Can you sort this out?” She kept her voice low. “Apparently, the pastry chef is drunk. We need to call him an Uber.”
“Sure.” Max threw me an apologetic smile. “I’ll be right back.”
I felt the loss of his presence from the room. And I sensed it was going to take more thought and a lot more time for us to come out with the truth.
