Page 57 of About That One Night
“Sure, Alfred.” Max dismisses him with a nod and turns back to me. “Shall we?”
I give Alec an apologetic look as Max leads me away. Once we’re out of earshot, I can’t help but ask, “What’s this legal issue you need to discuss so urgently?”
Max smirks, a glint in his eyes telling me he’s up to no good. “Oh, that? I just needed to rescue you from Mr. Perfect over there. He’s not your type.”
I roll my eyes. “Really, Max? I was actually enjoying the conversation,” I lie.
“Yeah, I could tell,” he says, sarcasm dripping from his words. “He’s a real charmer, that Alvin.”
“It’s Alec, and you know it,” I snap, crossing my arms. “Why do you have to be so . . . so insufferable?”
“Insufferable? Me?” Max feigns innocence.
“You interrupted me for no reason,” I protest.
“I had a reason,” he refutes.
I cross my arms. “Really, please tell me why you had to drag me out of what was a pleasant first date.”
He laughs. “Good one, Harper.” The asshole laughs as if I just delivered the best joke he’s heard in ages.
“Explain yourself, McCallister,” I press, glaring at him and tapping my foot exasperated.
“If you must know, I made a commitment to save people—I was simply saving you from him. You were about to die of boredom.”
“It was a perfectly fine conversation for a first date,” I retort, feeling the familiar frustration bubbling up. “He’s nice, you know. Lily thinks we’ll hit it off.”
Max scoffs. “He’s definitely not your type. It’s like going back to Tom the Tool but douchier.”
“You don’t know that,” I argue.
“But I do,” he states, stepping closer—so close I can feel the heat of his body. “As I said, I’m just doing my civic duty and looking after you. You’re welcome.”
I can’t help but laugh, despite myself. “You’re impossible, you know that?”
“And you love it,” he replies with a wink.
I shake my head, trying to hide my smile. “Okay, Mr. Arrogant. What do you really want? If you don’t mind, I’d rather go home than have to deal with you.”
As I wait for Max’s response, I can’t help but wonder why he really pulled me away from Alec, and what this means for us.
“I already told you.” He shrugs, his playful demeanor fading slightly. “Save you from a bad date. Maybe warn you about Lily and your family. I heard they’re trying to find your ‘Mr. Right.’ There’s something about you going shopping for a new wardrobe.” His eyes roam over my body, lingering on my top as a slow, appreciative smirk spreads across his face. “I approve, by the way. Pretty sexy.”
I feel a mix of annoyance, confusion, and upset bubbling up inside me. “How do you know all this?” I demand, crossing my arms defensively.
“Well, from what I heard, it seems like you’re going through a crisis,” Max says, leaning casually against the bar. His eyes never leave mine as hecontinues, “Your job too. What is up with that, Harper?”
“It was part of our conversation in Fiji, obviously you weren’t listening . . .” I trail off, biting back the words ‘or cared’ that threaten to spill out. Instead, I force a tight smile. “I told you I was going to do it.”
The tension between us is palpable, a mix of attraction and frustration. I can’t help but wonder why Max is so interested in my life changes, and why his opinion suddenly matters so much to me. As I struggle to maintain my composure, I realize that dealing with Max McCallister might be more complicated than I initially thought.
Plus my future is really something I don’t want to discuss right now with him or anyone. I’m feeling a bit lost because now that I’ve given the deposit and first and last months’ rent for my new office, I’m terrified of what’s next—officially giving my resignation to the firm. My family saying I’m making a mistake isn’t helping.
“You did, and I’m glad you’re finally taking that step,” he says, “but your family seems a little alarmed, so I really wanted to check on you. If anything, you need someone who’s on your side and not a bunch of assholes telling you that you’ll fail.”
Honestly, I’m not sure how to feel about what he just said.This could’ve been a text.Maybe next time, call me, orwhy interrupt my date?But I don’t say any of that. At least we’re talking and not making things awkward afterthat one nightwe spent together, which obviously meant nothing to him.
It’s been what, three weeks? Probably. I lostcount. We fucked the first night, the wedding happened, and then he disappeared. If Ethan and Caleb hadn’t gone with him, I would’ve sworn it was the best excuse to get rid of an unexpected and awkward one-night stand. And even when it’s been a long time, it still feels like it was yesterday when he was pinning me to the door and . . . stop those thoughts right now, Zoe. You don’t want to go there. Not again.
