Page 21 of Out Of Time

-Max

She couldn't help but smile at his precise handwriting. Each letter was so perfectly written in all caps.

Max-fucking-Miller.

She smiled again to herself. She had spent the night with a professional athlete and yet he had somehow managed to be the most down-to-earth, if not a little odd, guy she had met. It was refreshing, and if she was being honest, it was hopeful.

After their mad dash to her house in the rain, Max switched out his wet black tee for the jersey he had in his car while wrapping his lower half in a blanket with a huge image of the Virgin Mary on it as his wet clothes went through a cycle in her small dryer.

Before she knew it, they had finished an old bottle of vodka she had in the freezer, and they were both too drunk to do anything but laugh and make cat jokes, as Max continued to wear the ears even as he settled in on her couch to sleep.

“Tonight was cat-tastic,”he said.

“It was purr-fect,”she agreed.

“Thanks for inviting me to the paw-ty,”he said.

“Are you kitten me? I loved having you there.”

“I think I might need to take a cat nap now.”He yawned, pulling out his phone to set an alarm.

“I’ll get you some blankets right meow,”she said, with her final cat pun of the night.

She read his note again.

“Don’t do it, girl,” she said to herself. “Don’t you dare fall for this man.”

But Remi knew it was too late. She knew the second she saw him half naked on his couch that day that Max had instantly become an itch that she had to scratch. After last night, seeing him come alive, watching him smile, hearing him talk without overthinking his every word, she wanted more.

Pulling out her phone she typed up a text. She didn't know when he would be able to check his messages with it being a game day, but she wanted him to know she was thinking about him. What better time was there than the day after Halloween to throw all caution to the wind and allow herself to fall?

Remi:

Hope my favorite ginger cat isn’t hurting too bad today. I had the best time with you last night. I wouldn't mind hanging out again. Cat ears optional.

***

Max finished his pregame warmup and headed to the locker room to change. The lingering reminder of confessing his fears about his health to Remi last night sat in the pit of his stomach. It made it more real, having spoken it out loud, confessing it, owning it; something was wrong with him, and he needed to see a doctor.

He pulled out his phone to check the time, only to find a text from Remi.

His heart raced, and if he was nauseous before with last night's pink vodka threatening to make him lose his protein shake, he was even more so now at the sight of her name on his phone.

He stared at what she had texted him, so honest, so sweet—she always knew what to say. He tried to summon the courage from last night's version of Max. The version of him that was carefree, funny, and intoxicated. He wanted to be that version of himself around her sober, and he knew if anyone could help him accomplish that, itwasRemi.

Max:

I would like to see you again.

I kept the cat ears. They're mine now.

She responded promptly.

Remi:

A memento from your first time trick-or-treating.

Max:

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