Page 25 of About That One Night
Lily narrows her eyes at me. “You okay, Zoe? You look a little flushed.”
“I’m fine,” I say, a bit too quickly. “Just . . . excited for our girls’ weekend. Yay, us.”
Thankfully, I didn’t try to become an actress, or I would’ve failed miserably.
As I raise my glass in a hasty toast, I can’t help but wonder what Max is up to right now. And why the thought of him makes my heart do a little flip. This is just fun, right? Nothing serious. Nothing at all.
“So let me get this straight, Max was coming?” Lily asks, a little baffled. “I thought he hated San Diego.”
Audrey rolls her eyes. “I’m pretty sure it’s the house. Either way, he did send stuff, like gluten-free bread and . . . I mean, it’s cool because I was going to go grocery shopping. He actually saved me a trip.”
“Oh,” I mumble, starting to think that maybe he really did this for me. Nah, that’s impossible. Isn’t it?
“Max just texted,” Ethan calls from somewhere in the house where he’s talking with Liam.
“Don’t tell me, he regretted his decision and now he’s coming,” Audrey says excitedly.
“Nope, he just wanted to let me know that he made reservations for you guys at some restaurant in La Jolla. The chef has a special meal or something.” Liam comes back, exasperated. “I swear sometimes he doesn’t trust that I’ll take care of you.”
Audrey smiles and hugs her fiancé, giving him a swoony kiss. “He just wants to make sure everything is perfect. You know how protective he is.”
“Overprotective and a control freak?” Liam teases.
“Exactly.” Audrey laughs. “But in a good way.”
I just smile because my mind is telling mesomething else. I take another sip of my champagne. The lavender lemonade and prosecco combination is delicious and refreshing.
Lily nudges me playfully. “So, are we going to take him up on his offer and check out this fancy restaurant?”
“I can’t just eat anywhere,” I remind her, trying not to sound too excited about Max’s thoughtfulness, even when it’s not for me.
“He’s taken care of it,” Ethan says. “I told him about it, and he said he’ll arrange it so you don’t feel left out.”
“Let’s go to the beach,” Audrey suggests.
But as we gather our things, I can’t help but think about Max and his sudden invitation to this restaurant. I grab my phone and text him.
Zoe:Why this restaurant?
MaxMc:I want you to enjoy the girls’ weekend, babe.
Zoe:Another chef who owes you a favor?
MaxMc:Just enjoy, okay.
Zoe:Thank you for the groceries.
MaxMc:Anything for you. Text me late at night—maybe we can still have some fun.
I nearly drop my phone, my cheeks burning. Oh, Max McCallister, what are you doing to me?
“Everything okay?” Lily asks, eyeing me suspiciously.
“Yep,” I squeak, shoving my phone into my bag. “Just . . . excited for the beach. And dinner. You know, normal stuff. Nothing weird at all.”
As we head out, I can’t help but wonder why thethought of Max being so thoughtful makes me feel all hot inside. This is just fun, right? Just two friends . . . who sometimes skinny dip, use their mouths on each other’s bodies and maybe sext.
Totally normal. Right?
