Page 15 of A Line in the Sand
Again, Max told himself he was simply being overly conscious of everything going on around him. It wasn’t as if the entire island had suddenly banded together and decided he was a terrible person.
But then he and Nate reached the front of the line, and Max got a glimpse of the cupcake menu. There was the usual assortment of vanilla, chocolate, and red velvet, albeit with frivolous names like Vanilla Bean Dream, Hot Fudge Tuesday, and Ravishing Red Velvet. The specials of the day, however, had a place of honor on a chalkboard sign placed right beside the order window. Max grew still as he read the names of the flavors.
Mermaid Marshmallow Cream and Sidekick Snickerdoodle.
For a fleeting moment, he let himself believe it was only a coincidence. But then he caught a glimpse of the snickerdoodle cupcake. Ursula’s cute little copper-and-white face was frosted onto the top of it, from her fluffy ears to her black jellybean nose.
No doubt about it. He was being trolled…in sugar and frosting.
“Can I help you?”
Max tore his gaze away from Ursula’s frosted face to lock eyes with the woman manning the cupcake truck. It was Violet, the yoga teacher from this morning. She arched a brow and shot Max a smile that appeared to be decidedly less Zen than the soothing air she’d exuded at yoga class.
“I’ll take a Sidekick Snickerdoodle, please,” Nate said.
Max glared at Nate.Seriously?
Nate shrugged. “What? I like cinnamon and sugar.”
Violet handed Nate one of the Ursula-decorated cupcakes along with a pink and white polka dot napkin before turning her attention back to Max. “And you?”
“Vanilla, please,” he said through gritted teeth. His hunger was the only thing keeping him from walking away cupcake-less.
Also the smell of warm cake was making his mouth water. Screw his pride. He’d choke down a cupcake, along with a side of humble pie.
“Sorry.” Violet shook her head. “We no longer have vanilla available.”
“Okay.” Max took another glance at the menu. “Carrot cake sounds good. I’ll have that.”
“So sorry,” Violet said in a tone that indicated she wasn’t sorry in the slightest.
Max regarded her through narrowed eyes. “Chocolate.”
“Again, my apologies.” Violet crossed her arms.
Behind her, Max could see at least a dozen chocolate cupcakes lined up in a row like neat little soldiers.
“Dude,” Nate said.
It was astounding how versatile that single annoying word could be.
Max felt a muscle in his jaw twitch. “In that case, I’ll have a Mermaid Marshmallow Cream.”
Violet beamed at him. “Excellent choice.”
She handed him a cupcake piled ludicrously high with glittery sprinkles and gaudy rainbow-colored frosting that had been fashioned into a fishtail.
“Thanks,” Max said.
As he walked away from the cupcake truck, he heard the kid in line behind him order a red velvet and a chocolate. Violet answered him with a chirpycoming right up.
A lesser man might have given up on his mission, turned tail, and shut himself up inside his beach house for the rest of the night. But Max was no chicken. He wasn’t about to let a cupcake scare him away.
Or maybe he was just desperate.
***
“Here he comes.” Molly squared her shoulders, tightened her grip on Ursula’s leash, and did her best to ignore the suddenthump thump thumpof her heart as Max walked toward the senior center lobby.
