Page 12 of About That One Night
“Max, you can’t just?—”
“Just what? Care about you?” he interrupts. “Look, if we’re going to be friends, real friends, we need to be honest with each other. And that includes talking about stuff like this. So, did he or didn’t he?”
I sigh, feeling trapped but also oddly comforted by his concern. “No, he didn’t,” I admit quietly.
“The tool was a fucking prick,” he says, somehowupset. “Thank fuck you left him. There’s so much we have to remedy. I was going to say let’s paddleboard but we’ll go easy with you.”
“Easy?”
“Yeah, pool water should be enough to conquer your fears,” he states with so much confidence. I imagine he’s grinning triumphantly from ear to ear. “Be ready at seven, I’ll pick you up from work.”
“I have?—”
“No excuse,” he interrupts me, his tone leaving no room for argument. “You told me your schedule last night while I was driving you back home from the game.”
“Something came up,” I stutter, realizing that he won’t believe me.
“I can’t wait to hear your excuse,” he says, his voice dripping with amusement. “Legal emergency? You decided to move to another country to avoid me? You . . . Please give me a good excuse.”
“You’re exasperating.” I blow out a breath, feeling the tension in my shoulders.
“And that’s why you like me. Maybe I’m the unknown thing that’ll bring you back to life from your state of zombie-boredom,” he says.
“Insufferable,” I growl, clenching my fists.
“Zoe, Lora is asking for you,” Anna thankfully interrupts me, poking her head into my office.
“Hey—”
“I heard,” Max says, a teasing edge in his voice. “See you at seven—don’t be late.”
With that, he hangs up, leaving me gripping thephone in frustration. I want to scream, but instead, I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. Annoyed as I am, I can’t help but feel a flicker of curiosity about what he might have planned.
Chapter Six
Maximillian
MaxMc: On my way to pick you up, are you ready?
Zoe: I have a lot of work.
MaxMc: Youneed to take a break.
Zoe: I need to . . . I don’t know what I need but it’s definitely not a crazy night with Max McAnnoying.
MaxMc: I thought we agreed you’d change that from your phone.
Zoe: You did, but that doesn’t take away how I feel about you.
MaxMc: Wow, I thought I was picking you up to remove your inhibitions. You have no filters.
Zoe: Leave my inhibitions alone.
MaxMc: What kind of friend would I be if I did that?
Zoe: Are you texting and driving?
MaxMc: Not necessarily. Voice command exists.
