AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I throw my head back down into my arms as Max heads off. I feel Stella’s hand on my back, rubbing small circles to soothe me. Unfortunately, we are well past soothing circles level of comfort.
This is a fucking crisis.
“Okay, let’s think about this. You were already going to see him. We knew this.”
I pop my head up. “Yes. But this is a whole other thing.”
“True,” she says. “Okay, let’s go over everything. For starters, are you two still partnered up?”
I shake my head. “No. Once I told Anna we split, she made sure we weren’t going to be partnered. She felt bad she couldn’t kick him out, but considering he’s the cousin of her fiancé, her hands were tied. But that’s just a portion of it, Stella. There’s the rehearsal, and dinner after, the ceremony, and the reception. I feel like everywhere I turn he’s going to be there. And with her.”
“Who’s he and who’s her?”
Max is back in front of us, sliding two extra-large lemon drops in front of us.
Bless this man.
“James,” I say shortly.
“Your asshole ex?”
“Yes. And his new fiancée.”
Max barely knew James. This is where Stella and I go just for girl time. Max might have met James a total of five times in four years. And even his face is screaming, “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Didn’t you two just break up?” Max asks.
I nod. “Yup. It was just three short months ago I came in here looking to get hammered in the name of men suck.”
“Ah yes,” he says. “Because it was about three months ago I needed my car detailed from someone throwing up in it.”
I hang my head in shame. I never throw up. Well, not since college. But that night the combination of vodka, heartbreak, and not eating all day made me a recast in The Exorcist.
“Please let me pay you back for that.”
He shakes his head. “Nonsense. You aren’t the first puke in my car. You won’t be the last.”
I let out a groan. “Can this topic of conversation please turn to something that’s not centered around my shame?”
“Not yet. I need to catch up,” Max says as he leans against the bar. I don’t mean to look, but I can’t help but stare at the veins that are bulging on his forearm. I feel myself lick my lips, even though I had no intention of doing so. “What I’m getting is the piece of shit who let you go after five years has, in a span of three months, found time to get a new woman and propose?”
“Apparently so.”
“Wow.” He shakes his head as Stella and I clink our shot glasses before throwing back the vodka. “I can’t believe that.”
“Same. I mean, I have to assume he was cheating on me. It’s the only thing that makes sense, right?”
“Yes. But that’s not what I can’t believe,” Max says.
“What is it then?”
“That he thought anyone is better than you.”
Oh, Max…sweet, flirty, too-hot-for-your-own-good Max. I know it’s his job to make patrons feel better, especially the female clientele. Stella and I come in here every Thursday and watch him work his bartender voodoo magic. I’ve seen women of all ages, races, sizes—and a few men—literally melt from one of his winks. When he throws in the smirk? They are done for. And if he tosses in a “darlin?” It’s over.
And I’ve seen him take home any woman he wants. The man is the definition of sex on a stick.
So I know what he’s doing. He’s turning on the Max charm. Mostly when it’s been used on me, I know it’s because he’s being him. Now I can see this is pity charm.
