Page 303 of 5+Us Makes Seven

By the time I reached the lobby on the first floor, I realized I had to get in shape. The doorman, same person as the night before, smiled and nodded his head as I passed in a hurry.

I hailed a cab when I got outside Cooper’s apartment building. The driver yammered on about some festival happening in Brooklyn later that night. I nodded politely but said nothing.

When the cab driver made it to my building about ten minutes later, I paid him before getting out. I saw Max leaning against the brick wall next to the front door.

Ugh. I don’t need this now, I thought, wondering if I should just walk away and go to work in yesterday’s clothes. My workmates wouldn’t mind. Before I decided, he spotted me.

He smiled as we walked over. Everything about him was broad, his shoulders, his gait, even his thinking. The latter was the main reason I wasn’t interested in dating him anymore.

“Hey, girl,” he said, stopping in front of me.

“Hey, Max. I’m in a hurry.”

“You weren’t home last night.”

I tilted my head to the side and studied his face.

“How do you know that?”

“Oh, let’s just say I’m a protective person.”

“That’s creepy,” I said, walking around him. “I need to go.”

“Hold on,” he said, grabbing my arm.

I looked at it then up to his eyes, showing him my anger with my face. He let go.

“You still haven’t confirmed our second date.”

“I’ve been busy, Max. And, to be honest, I’m not interested.”

“You got someone else?”

“No,” I lied. “But even if I did, it wouldn’t be any of your business.”

The two men had known each other in Afghanistan, but I was sure they didn’t talk anymore. As long as I didn’t tell either about the other man, I would be fine. Cooper was the one I wanted.

“Damn. When did you grow so cold?”

“That’s not helping your case. Like I said, I’ve got to go.”

“Fine, I’ll call you later,” he said as I walked away.

“Please don’t,” I called over my shoulder.

My hands trembled as I fumbled with my key to unlock the front door of the building. When would I be able to afford to live in a place with a doorman?

Inside my building, I slammed the door shut and turned to look outside. Max had left. I breathed a sigh of relief before going upstairs to get ready for work.

* * *

Max was still nowhere to be seen when I left the building for work. On the entire walk to the nondescript office building about a mile from my apartment, I thought about him and Cooper.

I had slept with him again. Did I finally have him out of my system? He satisfied my physical needs, but I felt like he could offer me so much more.

At work, I ran into Laura in the break room as I got another cup of coffee to keep me going. She smiled when she saw me. I waved and walked over to the where the coffee machine sat on the counter.

“You weren’t answering your phone last night,” she said.

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