Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 111732 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 447(@250wpm)___ 372(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 111732 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 559(@200wpm)___ 447(@250wpm)___ 372(@300wpm)
“No,” I bark out, far more sharply than intended. “I’ve already called an Uber. I’m good.”
Max’s nostrils flare. His shoulders tighten. “Are we still on for dinner this week?”
My heart sinks. Damn. I was really looking forward to that dinner! Too much for my own good, probably. “Uh, no. The thing that came up is going to keep me busy every night this week.”
Max looks like I’ve slapped him. “Yeah, dinner was probably a bad idea, anyway. On second thought, I’m too busy at work to take you out this week.”
“Okay, great. This has been a lot of fun, Max. But let’s not ruin what’s going to be an amazing memory by pretending there’s any real potential here, okay? Let’s consider last night a fun one-off. A great memory. And that’s about it.” I pick up my bra and start putting it on, feeling like I’m going to keel over from stress.
“Did I do something to offend you?” he asks.
“No, no. You’ve been amazing. It’s not you. It’s me.”
Max scoffs and crosses his arms over his chest. “That’s my line, Marnie.”
I pull my shirt over my head. “And now, it’s mine. Thanks again for everything. Take care, Maximillian.”
Anger flickers across his gorgeous face. “Yeah, you, too. Have a great life, I guess.”
“Good luck making partner at your firm.” I grab my purse, turn on my heel, and sprint out the front door without looking back. When I get downstairs and outside the building, I sprint a couple of blocks up the sidewalk, since I haven’t really called an Uber and don’t want to wait for one in front of Max’s building.
After calling an Uber, I dial my mother’s phone number while awaiting its arrival. At the sound of Mom’s voice in her outgoing message, I clutch my heart, and then whisper after the beep, “I wish so badly I could tell you about the crazy thing that just happened. Is the universe punishing me for something or what? I love you.” As I’m disconnecting the call, my Uber arrives, so I tumble into the backseat and quickly place a call to my bestie, Lucy.
“Why are you calling me, when you should be—” Lucy says in greeting.
“I just found out Max is Alexander’s son!”
“What?”
In a long ramble, I tell Lucy about the photo in Max’s kitchen and my subsequent google search that confirmed Max’s last name is Vaughn. “Lucy, I just fucked Mr. BDE’s son!”
She snorts. “Now, that’s some petty revenge. Brava, Marnie Girl!”
“I didn’t fuck Alexander’s son intentionally. It was a crazy, awful coincidence.”
“Did you tell Max?”
“Of course not. I flew out of there without explaining a thing. If I told him the truth, he’d never believe it was a coincidence. He’d think exactly what you just did: that I’m some kind of vengeful, diabolical ex-lover who was mad at the daddy, so I fucked the son.”
“I was joking.”
“Max wouldn’t believe me, Lucy. He’d think I’m deranged.”
“Oh my god,” Lucy whispers. “You’re right. He totally would.”
“Of course, he would.”
“Definitely.”
“Fuck. I was so excited to go out to dinner with him, too.”
“Why? He’s not serious boyfriend material, honey. You have to know that.”
I sigh. “Yeah, I do. But . . .” I whimper. “He’s so fucking hot.”
There’s a long pause as my best friend processes the situation. She whispers, “What are the odds?” And then, true to form, my best friend bursts into snorting, hearty, wheezing laughter from the depths of her soul.
5
MAX
“Great tackle,” my brother, Auggie, murmurs. He’s sitting next to me on my couch. We’re watching the Sunday night football game together. Normally, I’d bark at my brother to show some respect and get his dirty feet off my coffee table. But right now, I’m too distracted by endless thoughts about Marnie to care about my brother’s shoes on my furniture.
It’s been about thirty-six hours since Marnie left my place on Saturday morning. Plenty of time for me to get her out of my system and move on. To stop wondering, obsessively, what the fuck happened. And yet, sitting here with my brother, I can’t stop thinking about her. Wondering. Trying, and failing, to solve the puzzle of what happened.
My lunch with Grayson today certainly didn’t help to ease my anxiety and embarrassment about the situation. Grayson didn’t mean to throw salt on my wounds; in fact, he had no idea he was doing it. But when he went on and on at lunch about his “magical, electrifying, once-in-a-lifetime” connection with Selena, I found myself thinking a truly shocking thought—one that made me feel even worse about the way things had ended with Marnie: Yeah, that’s exactly how I felt with Marnie.
I was pissed at myself for having that thought. Marnie and I had had one night of fun. One night of sex. Granted, it was fantastic sex. Amazing sex. The best, ever. But, still, it wasn’t that deep. Okay, fine, Marnie wasn’t feeling it, after all? So be it. She doesn’t want to see me again? Fine. Great. Fantastic. I’ve got enough on my plate without needing to make room in my busy schedule to wine and dine anyone, especially a woman with a fucking split personality. A woman who changes her mind with every shift of the breeze, apparently.