Page 85 of Sparks Fly
“Thanks,” Stella said.
“Post still blowing up?” Effie asked, making herself comfortable on the couch beside Kira.
“Still going,” Chelsea said, scrolling through her phone.
“We cannot spend the whole day watching our timelines,” Kira said. “We should go out and do something. I never take off. Let’s do something fun!”
“Like what?” Effie asked.
Kira shrugged. “Whatever we want.”
Thus began their treat-themselves day. They went to the movies, to the arcade, shopping, and finally ended their dayback at Miti Miti, where they took full advantage of happy hour. And for most of the day, it worked. Stella didn’t think about Yellow Sparks, Melanie, Miles, or his very hot brother, Max, until she’d arrived back at her building alone, having convinced the girls that she’d had enough and would be fine, only to find Max waiting for her outside.
For a split second, Stella considered pretending she didn’t see him and running in the opposite direction, but she knew that was childish. They hadn’t talked since she’d canceled their plans, and they’d have to discuss where they stood now that everything had changed. She just wasn’t sure what that would mean exactly. Could he still want her when she’d kind of maybe burned his brother’s company to the ground?
There was really only one way to find out.
Pulling up her big-girl pants, also known as her favorite high-waisted corduroy bell-bottoms, Stella walked up to Max. He was so absorbed in his phone that she had to clear her throat to get his attention.
“Stella.”
He breathed her name like a sigh and pulled her into his arms. She melted into him, inhaling his woodsy scent. It was silly because it truly hadn’t been that long since the last time she’d seen him, but she had missed him.
“Hi,” she said when they pulled apart.
“Hi,” he said, resting his forehead on hers. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms. “We should get you inside, it’s cold.”
Stella laughed at that. “Says the guy who’s been standing out here how long waiting for me?”
“Wow, you caught me,” he said. “It’s actually me who’sfreezing and must get inside right this instant before I become Jack Frost.”
“I think there’d need to be snow for that, but come on,” she said, taking his hand. “Let’s defrost you.”
Stella led Max up to her apartment, where the warmth immediately enveloped them.
“Do you want anything to drink?” she asked once she was free of her coat and shoes.
“No, I’m good,” he said. “Should we go to your room?”
Stella raised her brows at him. “I thought maybe we should talk first.”
Max’s lips twitched in a half smile. “Me, too. I just thought your room might be best so we’d have privacy.”
Stella made a big show of looking around her empty apartment before finally turning back to him.
“It’s just us,” she said. “Chelsea’s out with Kira and Effie. I just left them, actually, and I don’t think they have any intention of heading home soon. Let’s sit on the couch.”
“Hm, I think couches may be more dangerous for us than a bed,” Max said, although he followed her anyway.
Stella turned so she was facing him and he did the same, and then they just looked at each other, neither of them speaking.
“So,” Stella said. “I guess I can go first?”
“Actually,” Max said. “I should probably tell you that I ended my contract with Miles. Or rather AIX has terminated its contract with Yellow Sparks.”
“You what?”
“After you canceled our plans yesterday, I ended up having dinner with Miles and he told me everything that happened with you and Sprint Week,” Max said. Then with a sigh headded, “And he also told me about his plans to reduce the content team because you guys could churn out posts quicker with Sparky and he wouldn’t need the whole team.”
