Page 65 of The Charming Checklist
“Sure, maybe I will.”
But Ava would do no such thing.
Her feelings were hurt but she certainly wasn’t one to keep a negative situation going on longer than needed. It was over. He’d punished her by humiliating her in front the class and that was the end of it. Before she started the drive back, Ava dialed Susannah. She was one of the few people Ava knew still had a landline. Old-school.
“Would you go next door and remind my mother that I won’t be home tonight? I’ll be at Max’s.”
“She’s right here,” Susannah said. “We’re watching the fiancé show that you and Valerie like so much.”
“That’s great.” Good thing that Mom had made a friend.
“Honey, why didn’t you tell me about this show?” her mother said, having grabbed the phone. “It’s such a find. And I thought I had problems! Kind of puts things in perspective, doesn’t it?”
“I know, it’s great for that.” Ava winced.
She didn’t love the idea of comparing her life to someone who simply had it worse. Not exactly a positive approach.
“I’m going to stay over with Max tonight. I’ll see you early in the morning before I have to leave for work.”
“Okay, honey. You have fun, be safe and make sureyourneeds are met.” With that, she hung up.
Max and Adam had been watching the game when the doorbell chimed. Ava.
He tugged her inside. “Adam and I just finished dinner. Are you hungry?”
“Yeah, let me fix you up,” Adam said from the couch. “I’m a great cook.”
Ava gave Adam a half-hearted attempt at a smile. “I’m more tired than I am hungry.”
She didn’t seem her bright and bubbly self and Max wondered if there was something else wrong that he should decipher through the magic of emotional connection. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m just going to go lie down. I don’t feel much like talking. You and Adam go ahead and finish watching the game.” With that she went down the hall to his bedroom.
Dear God! Should he call 911? The fire department?
Didn’t feel much liketalking?
Sure enough, Adam was mouthing something to him. Then he quirked a brow. Obviously, having once been married, Adam knew a lot more about reading a woman’s mind.
“What?” Max went to Adam, palms up.
“Go talk to her,” Adam said.
“Something’s wrong, isn’t it?”
“Obviously.” He spoke as though Max were a third grader. “Go run her a bath or something. You’ve got that nice sunken tub, why not use it?”
But hell, that sounded like a purely sexual move. Max had wanted to move beyond the physical with a woman, and though he and Ava had off-the-charts chemistry, he hadn’t veered from his initial goal. The stats didn’t lie. They were going to have to cool it somehow and get to know each other.
Adam stood. “This is over anyway. For you, I’m going to watch the rest of the game at the bar. Don’t make me sorry.”
Feeling a little silly, Max peeked in on Ava, who was lying on his bed, on her side. He’d apparently interrupted her from staring at the wall.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you want a warm bath?”
