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“Okaaay,” Jonathan suddenly exclaimed, nodding his head as he walked back over to the bed and sat down. He put on his boots, laced them up, and stood. “I’m going to head out now. I’ve got some stuff to do at the gallery anyway.”
“The gallery?”
“Yes, the gallery. Not that it is any of your business, but Jonathan is one of the artists for the upcoming exhibit,” she bit out, before turning to Jonathan and offering him an apologetic smile. Drew worked at a modern art gallery in the city as a PR representative. She was responsible for the artists, their pieces, and getting people to show up for events.
“Walk me out?” Jonathan asked, and she nodded. She rushed past Max, practically shoving him out of the way as she headed for the living room.
“It was interesting meeting you, Max,” Jonathan told him, and Max only barely resisted the urge not to say something snide. He might be Drew’s client, but he was a man, and from his position on her bed and Drew’s appearance, there had to be something more.
Although he couldn’t bring himself to smile, or even lose the frown for that matter, he did reply. “Yeah.”
Jonathan nodded and chuckled. “I’ll probably see you around.”
I hope not. He might as well have said it, because Jonathan caught a clue and shrugged his shoulders before walking past him to where Drew no doubt waited.
Max released a deep breath and shook his head. Could the day get any worse? Turning, he walked over to his room and began removing his clothing. He was going to take a hot shower, then eat—no, he wasn’t hungry anymore. He was going straight to bed.
***
Max had been in the shower for quite sometime, his head resting against the tile as water trickled down to his toes. The beating spray relaxed his muscles and cleared his head.
The door opened suddenly, and he turned in the direction as his eyes went cold. He expelled a rush of breath as angry footsteps marched over to him. It was just Drew.
“I don’t care how long you try to hide in here, Maximilian, you’re going to listen to me!”
He turned and looked at the blurred outline of her body through the glass door.
“I’m not hiding,” he retorted, blinking water out of his eyes and finally looking back down the blue and white bathroom tiles.
“I have never been so embarrassed in my life—”
He snorted. “You really should get out more.”
“Shut up, Max! This isn’t a damn joke! This is my life, my job, we’re talking about!”
She paused, but when he didn’t say anything, continued, “I know you and I are not the best of friends, but Viv is my best friend. I only agreed to live here because I thought we could be cordial, if not friendly, with each other. If that’s not possible, then tell me. I swear I’ll be out of here in a week or two.”
He turned the shower off. “And this is all over what happened tonight? Because I embarrassed you in front of some guy?”
“Because you embarrassed me in front of a client and a friend!” she hissed. “Because you’re always pissing me off with your snide little remarks and unnecessary thoughts on my life! I—” she halted suddenly, and sighed. Through the fragmented glass he saw her lift a hand to her face as if she were covering her eyes or holding the bridge of her nose. He wondered which. The hand fell. “I’ve stayed as long as I have because of Vivienne, but I refuse to live with you if you start interfering with my work!”
“I didn’t know he was your client.”
“Is that your twisted idea of an apology?”
“I said I didn’t know that he was your client, okay? I thought he was….”
Strangled laughter bubbled from her lips, and he imagined that her brows were lifting in comedic irritation. It was one of the little things she did whenever she was angry. “You thought he was what? My date? My boyfriend? So what, Max? So what if he is? You had no right, absolutely no right, to do what you did! We don’t even like each other.”
He pushed the shower door open, eliciting a loud gasp from Drew as her eyes surveyed his naked body. He stepped out.
***
“I like you fine.”
Although she willed herself not to, her eyes, having a mind of their own, fell down his dripping body before retreating immediately back to his face. She swallowed as she suddenly began to recognize how warm it was in the bathroom.
Max came to a stop directly before her, forcing her to look up at him.
Drew cleared her throat and reached her hands back to pull her braids off of her neck. She was feeling hot, and having a ton of hair that was not hers resting against her back was uncomfortable.
