Page 48 of Maxim

Not me.

I return my attention to my story and carry on typing up my notes from the interview with Dr. Slade. My editor wants the story submitted by 3 PM, but it should be done before then.

My phone pings. And it’s the man himself.

Dinner tonight?

I ignore him for a few minutes. No point in seeming too desperate. Even if I am desperate. One hot night with Max is nowhere near enough to sate my lust for him.

Can’t, working.

He pings a reply straight back.

I’ll pick you up from work.

Part of me doesn’t like the way he drives a coach and horses through my plans. Rick always did the same thing: steamroller over anything I said if it didn’t suit his needs. But then I remember how I overreacted on Saturday morning and rein it in.

Max isn’t Rick, and I need to stop comparing them. It’s time I drew a line under my relationship with Rick. He’s gone and I doubt very much if he’ll ever come back. Good riddance to him.

I pick up my phone again and chew my nail while thinking about what to say in my reply to Max. He’s trying to be nice and show me he’s interested, yet half the time I’m snippy in my messages to him.

So I compose something a bit more effusive than usual.

OK, Thank you. X

The minute I send the stupid message, I start second-guessing myself. Was adding a kiss to the message too much? Should I have added a stupid emoji instead? God. Thankfully he replies before I start spiraling out of control.

My pleasure xx

Two kisses! My face breaks out in a huge smile and the man at the adjacent table smiles back, obviously assuming I’m looking at him. Ugh. Maybe it’s time I left the cafe and headed back to the office.

I’ve drunk too much coffee and although I’ve been keeping an eye on the building opposite, where the mayor has an office, there’s no sign of him. Without having access to his diary, I have no clue about his movements.

Spending a few hours in this cafe seemed like a good idea this morning. I figured there was a chance he might show up with a business associate, in which case I could take a photo with my phone and try to reverse image search to identify them.

No such luck though.

Just as I’m packing my laptop away, a black SUV pulls up outside the building. Something about the vehicle gives me pause and I watch it for a few moments. A door opens and a tall man in a dark suit steps out. He looks both ways before heading up the steps and into the building.

Why is Max visiting the mayor’s office?

***

Seeing Max visit the mayor’s building has unsettled me. Other people have offices there, but I can think of no good reason why Max would be there other than meeting with the mayor.

Max is a businessman. He doesn’t have a say in the governance of this city. So why would he meet with the mayor?

I understand why he was at the gala. Most important names were. If Max is as wealthy as I suspect, he’d be a shoo-in on the mayor’s list of people to schmooze for his charity projects. Like the one where abused women are given somewhere safe to stay.

Max and I still haven’t talked about what he does for a living. Yes, I now know he owns several luxurious hotels, as well as some prime real estate, but he always steers the conversation away from his business dealings when I ask. So I have learned not to push.

The sense that he’s hiding things from me is strong. I’m a journalist, so it’s in my nature to ask questions. Dig a little deeper. And the more I think about Max, the more I need to know who he is.

Not the person he presents to the world.

I have a pretty good idea of who the real Max is. When we are together, he’s generous and affectionate, and he makes me feel like the only person in the room.

But I’ve seen the other sides to him, too.

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