Page 3 of Cream and Punishment
“Uh-huh, okay. And that’s why you were counting to one-hundred? ‘Box security reasons’?”
Ah. Apparently I’d been counting louder than I thought. This day just kept getting better and better.
I groaned and sank into a puddle on the pavement. “I hope you’re enjoying this.”
“Oh, undoubtedly.”
I scrubbed my hands over my face as if it could block out both him and my consuming embarrassment. He knew my name. Which meant he’d figured out who I was, despite my best attempts to avoid him since our fateful meet-ugly last year. “Why are you here, Max?”
He chuckled, likely reveling in this small dose of karma. “I could ask you the same thing. I’m on my way home.”
I peeked between my fingers, my stomach sinking through the concrete. “You’re not just visiting a friend?”
I already knew the answer. He lived in this giant complex somewhere. Because, of course he did. Why not, right? I was cursed to face him until he exacted the revenge he deserved.
“Nope.” He nodded at the piles of boxes. “Would you like some help moving in?”
Ah, he was going for the “kill her with kindness” method. Well played. Or he would use the opportunity to gather more ammunition against me. Either plan would work, honestly.
“No, I’ve got it. But thanks.”
He raised an incredulous brow. “Are you sure? It’s a lot to have to move by yourself, especially if you don’t live on the first floor.”
I cringed. All the buildings in the complex must have the same masochistic layout. “There isn’t an elevator, is there?”
“There’s something that resembles an elevator, but I’m pretty sure it must be one of the very first prototypes made. I wouldn’t trust it with my left shoe, let alone anything of value.”
I fought a smile. “You got something against left shoes?”
“Guilty.” He flashed a grin, eyes twinkling dangerously. “I like to start off on the right foot.”
I groaned. “That was awful! You’re worse than my sister.”
I was wrong. His actual strategy was to kill me with horrible puns.
Also a good choice.
“I’ll take that as a compliment. I’m not sure I’ve heard her make many jokes.”
“Wait, what? Are you being serious?”
He nodded, brow furrowed. “Of course. She’s kind of…intense.”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed. Loudly. An asthmatic goose honk, really. “Are you sure we know the same Lex?”
He shrugged. “Pretty sure. Don’t really know what she’s like outside of work, but there she’s kind of like a machine.”
Boy, did she have him fooled. I didn’t know how Lex managed to build such a reputation for herself, but if she could teach me her secrets, that would be great. I clearly needed all the help I could get. Especially around Max.
When I erupted into a snorting, snuffling thing in an attempt not to laugh, he sent me an unimpressed look. “So, would you like some help or not?”
I eyed him suspiciously. “Are you going to stand and watch me until I move it myself if I refuse?”
Maybe he’d stuff a snake in one of the boxes when I wasn’t looking. That would be the best revenge he could get short of ruining my own nonexistent engagement. Ihatedsnakes.
He shrugged. “Probably, yeah. Can’t be too careful in this neighborhood.”
Oh, yes. All the zero people milling about were going to take my stuff. Aside from the KitchenAid mixer and some of my other baking supplies, I didn’t really have anything of value left to bring inside, anyway. And if someone stole my undergarments, they were either a) blind and/or tasteless, or b) more desperate than even I was and thus needed them more.
