Page 62 of Yo Ho Ho
Max shook her head. "I told him I couldn't see him anymore."
"Why would you tell him that?" she replied incredulously.
"Because I can't have a hockey player as my boyfriend if I want to get another reporting job."
Amanda leaned over and gave her a warm smile. "Please don't take this the wrong way and know that I'm saying this to you as your friend."
"But?"
"But you're fucking stupid."
Max sat back and stared across the table. "Wow, you have had way too much beer tonight."
"I have not. Don't try to use my one beer as another excuse."
"I'm not using it as an excuse. I'm not using any excuses."
Amanda pointed at her. "You are using excuses," she said. "'Oh, Amanda drank a pint of beer and the rules are the rules and I can't get a job if I'm dating Logan.' Excuses."
Max threw her hands up in exasperation. "But it's true. I would never be able to get a job if I was dating Logan."
"You couldn't get a reporter job, I'll give you that. But you could get another job and still have Logan in your life. And let's be honest: you want Logan in your life."
"Do I?"
Amanda rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. "We've been miserable for weeks now. Weeks! And I've only seen you really be genuinely happy twice. Once, when you heard I got a new job, and I appreciate your support. Really. But the second was now when you were talking about Logan. Your face looked different when you talked about him. Just the thought of him changed your whole demeanor." Amanda reached across the table for Max's hand. "So now this is me supporting you. You have to find a way to be happy with Logan."
Max just stared at her. It was as if something had suddenly changed. She had finally told someone about her relationship and rather than hearing that it wouldn't work or she couldn't be with Logan and a reporter at the same time, Amanda told her something that she already knew. If Max had been honest with herself from the very beginning, if she could be honest with herself now, she knew that she needed Logan.
She could feel a tear fall onto her cheek, and then another one. She quickly wiped them away, not wanting anyone to see her crying. She had done enough of that in the newsroom already.
"Max?"
She looked up to see Amanda staring at her with a look of concern on her face. This was serious. Max couldn't deny it anymore. Her relationship with Logan was an actual real relationship — or at least it could be if Max got the courage to stop this nonsense and put her feelings first.
But what the hell was she supposed to do next? Sure, this whole revelation about Logan was amazing and great and she was so thankful that she finally told someone. But now what? Was she supposed to just call him or ask him to coffee? She needed to do something bigger than that. Logan's relationship with her was too important for just a phone call. She needed to see him. She needed to say all of this to him in person. Maybe find out where he lived and knock on his door like he knocked on hers, or track him down at practice or after a game or something.
Or the New Year's party at Jordan's.
Max closed her eyes.This was a bad idea, she thought.It's really stupid and bad and dumb.But it wasn't. She knew it wasn't. She knew she was just trying to talk herself out of going there. She couldn't do that anymore.
"Amanda?" She opened her eyes to see her friend staring at her. "I need to leave."
A huge smile spread across Amanda's face. "That's my girl." She took Max's hand and stood up, pulling her friend to her feet. "You have a plan?"
"Sort of."
"Good enough." Amanda pulled her into a tight hug, then stepped away with a warm smile on her face. "You've been the best reporter an editor could ever ask for. But now you need to grab your coat and go get your man, Maxine Quinn."
Chapter 22
Max drove as quickly as was legally allowed out of Detroit towards the suburbs. It wasn't until she got off the freeway that she realized she had no idea where she was going. The invitation from Jordan was still in her apartment, which was not part of the plan. But then none of this was really part of the plan, was it?
She drove into her the lot of her apartment building, parking her car in a haphazard way that took up two spots. It didn't matter since she would be back soon. She sprinted into the building, up the stairs two at a time. The key thankfully cooperated with her and she threw her door open. That stupid gift bag was sitting right on her kitchen table where Logan had left it. She had been too depressed to move it, which now worked to her advantage. She found the invite tucked against the side of the bag next to her new jersey.
The address was in Birmingham, not too far away. She could even make it before the ball dropped in Times Square. Max checked her watch: 11:30. Then she checked her clothes. Her skinny jeans looked fine, but the rest had to go. She ran into her room, sitting down on the bed to toss off her ratty old tennis shoes and herDetroit Heraldshirt.
Her closet door flew open and she grabbed the first pair of high heels she could get her hands on. Then she looked up at her hangers, quickly swiping through her choices before she found a black sequined short-sleeved shirt. It was definitely not short-sleeve weather but it would have to do. She hobbled into the bathroom, putting on her heels as she walked, to brush her hair and put on a quick coat of her red lipstick. She walked as fast as she could to her living room, grabbed her coat, her keys and the invitation, and headed out. The stairs were a little harder to navigate with her new shoes, but she still managed to get to the lobby and head out the door.
