Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 38908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)
As if right on cue, Aria stepped up to the table.
“Sorry I’m late.” She was wearing the same black dress she’d worn to their first date. The one she’d vomited all over. His car, after cleaning it three times, and airing it for a further two, no longer stank. She must have gotten her dress dry cleaned. There was no way the stink would come out of it otherwise. “What did I miss?”
“June and Molly think you’d like to shack up with the guy at the bar.”
Aria’s eyes widened as she looked at him and he pointed toward the guy.
She looked toward it, and he wondered what was going on inside that head of hers. She never gave anything away.
She wrinkled her nose. “No thanks.”
“Why not?” June asked.
“He’s not my type?”
“What is your type?” Molly asked.
Max stared at his woman and wondered what she’d say.
“I’ve never really thought about what my type could be. Does it matter?”
“June’s my type,” Trey said.
“And he’s mine.” June snuggled up against her husband.
Dale and Molly did the same, and Aria shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Well let’s go around the room. Tell us what you think one to ten?” Molly asked.
“No,” Aria said. “I don’t look at guys and rate them on appearance.” She looked around the bar. “I’m going to grab myself a drink. Want anything?”
Max finished off his soda and got to his feet. “I’ll join you.”
No one else wanted a drink. Max stood as close to Aria he could without raising suspicion.
“Do they know?”
“Not a clue. They wanted to set you up with that loser over there.”
“What makes him a loser?”
“You can’t tell me you’re considering it?”
“I’m not considering it, you know that.” She stared down at her hands, which were flat against the bar. “This is going to be hard. I hate lying to them.”
“It’ll be fine. They’re your friends, and they’re going to want to set you up. You’ve just got to make sure they know you’re not going to fall for it.”
The barman served them, and they walked back to the booth.
“Don’t drink too much. I’ve got something to tell you later.”
She nodded, sipping at her beer.
Dale and Trey were talking about the kids when they returned to the table. Max discreetly moved his chair closer to Aria. Putting his hand on her knee, he leaned in close, listening to Trey talking about his kid’s development. He wasn’t paying attention at all. What he wanted was for every other guy in the room to know she was taken.
“Aria, you’re getting checked out,” Molly said.
“I am?”
Max tensed up, looking over his shoulder, and sure enough, a guy with way too much chest showing was staring at her.
No. Not happening.
“Let’s dance, Aria.”
He didn’t give her any chance to object. Taking hold of her hand, he lifted her to her feet, and walked her to the small dance floor where other couples were dancing.
Putting a hand on her hip, he drew her close, and he heard her sigh.
“I think you’re overreacting right now. They were just pointing someone out. It doesn’t mean I’m going to run off with the guy.”
“I don’t like anyone else looking at you.”
“Why? It’s not a bad thing, you know.” She smiled up at him.
The rest of the bar faded away for him as he stared down at her. “I don’t like it.”
“Women look at you all the time, and I’m not overreacting. I think you need to trust me a little. I’m not going to cheat on you. Is it cheating?”
“It would be cheating.”
“But we’re not in a relationship.”
“We have an agreement. You’d be breaking it. Like cheating.”
“For a guy who has never been in a relationship before, you seem to have a high expectation for it.”
“Do you want to make this a relationship?” he asked.
“No. I’m not ready for something like that.”
“My tests came back clean. I’ve got them in the car.”
“You have?”
“Yes. Not that I doubted it. Your man here is one hundred percent clean. Have you been taking your pill?”
“Yes, I have.”
“What are your plans tomorrow?” he asked.
“You know I’ve got to work at the bakery.”
“I’ll walk you there, but tonight, you’re coming to my place. I’ve got a change of clothes for you.”
“How do you have a change of clothes for me?” she asked.
“Easy, I stole them out of your apartment.”
“Max, this isn’t fair. I don’t own all that much in the first place.”
“I know, which is why it was easy to pick the clothes.” Max tugged her close so they were body to body. “Don’t dance with anyone else tonight.”
“Why not?”
“I can only handle so much, and our friends trying to get you to go out on a date with a stranger is testing my control.”
The song came to an end.
Max wanted to dance with her all night but knew there was no chance of that. As he kissed the top of her head, Aria chuckled, and together, hand in hand, they walked back to the table. Max pretended to be the perfect gentleman by escorting her to her seat for all to see.