Page 7 of Courtney
"I usually am." Michelle smiles, but Fiona just rolls her eyes and shakes her head at her sister.
“Not to feed into my dear twin sister’s ego, I have to agree with her. Go tell Max that you will have dinner with him.”
I glance over my shoulder towards Max. He's still leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. A flutter of butterflies fills my stomach. I like to notice people when they don't know it. I like looking at the way they hold themselves and the expressions they make. It’s like a tiny unfettered window inside their head.
Max's gaze moves from Maxine over to me, like he'd heard my thoughts as I've been observing him. I feel a nudge from behind me, and I start walking back over to him. He straightens, rubbing his hands down the front of his black pants.
“You didn’t want a signature?”
I shake my head. “No, I just needed a moment to talk with my friends.”
“Not about me, I hope.” He smiles like he’s joking, but I can see the hesitation in his expression.
“Actually, they said I should take you up on your offer for dinner.” Then I add as an afterthought. “If the offer is still on the table.”
His demeanor shifts from coiled and tense to calm and relaxed in a moment.
“Yes, of course.” He smiles.
“Good,” I smile. “I’m here until close, so pick me up around seven?”
“Perfect.”
5
MAX
Today could have been way worse but knowing that I’ll be seeing Courtney tonight makes up for it.
I’m sitting at my favorite table in The Story Brew while I wait for Courtney to close up the bookstore. I have my laptop out in front of me and for the first time in months, I’m writing again. The urge to write struck as the book signing was wrapping up.
Thankfully Faux Maxine was able to keep it together enough that she didn’t alienate many of my readers. And I was able to put her in a cab to send her home without further incident.
I called Daphne afterwards and told her everything and said that there weren’t going to be any more book signings. She quickly agreed and said that she would talk with the publisher to see what happened with their screening process for hiring the woman.
I check my watch and see that Courtney should be wrapping up for the night. I finish out the last few sentences of the scene I’ve been working on and pack up my stuff.
Courtney is locking up the bookstore just as I walk up the street to pick her up. She’s not in the jean and t-shirt she was wearing this morning, but a short sundress that shows of her shapely legs. My gaze travels up rest of her curvy body and my body instantly reacts, wishing I could see more.
“Right on time,” she says, without looking over her shoulder.
I point down the street in the direction of the coffee shop. “I was just over there waiting, and I saw you come out. Are you all set?”
“Yep.” She pulls the key from the lock and stuffs it in the pocket of her purse.
“I wasn’t sure after the chaos at the book signing if you’d still be up for going out.”
“That was definitely an interesting experience.” She laughs, and we both start walking down the street with no real destination in mind. “A bit disappointing if I’m honest.”
I cringe inwardly. If Courtney felt this way, chances are, other readers might have felt the same way too. I can’t completely regret what happened today, it helped me finally connect with Courtney. If the universe had left it up to me, it would probably have been another couple of months before I had the guts to talk to her and a couple more to ask her out.
“I’m sorry about Maxine,” I say. “That wasn’t the Maxine I know.”
“She didn’t seem like herself, even if I hadn’t seen her in backroom. When I asked her some questions about her latest novel, she almost seemed scandalized by the topic.”
“The Juiciest Fruit?”
“You read it?” she asks in surprise.
