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“Just wanted to come by and shake your hand! Been a little while since you’ve dropped in. We were all beginnin’ to think we had to send out a search party or some shit like that.”
I snickered. “That might be my fault. Sorry.”
Max took my hand over the table. “Never apologize for something like that.”
My gaze found his stare and he winked at me. He really liked doing that in here. And I enjoyed how it felt. A flush trickled down my neck as Marcie giggled. I loved how this all felt. How kind and open everyone was. How things didn’t seem so taboo here.
So different from how I was raised.
“Hey, maybe the four of us could get together for a date or somethin’ sometime.”
Pipe Cleaner’s voice pulled me from my trance. “I wouldn't mind. Max?”
He shrugged. “We’ll think about it. You know how it is with our schedules.”
Marcie giggled. “Boy, do I ever.”
She gripped the man’s chin and pulled his lips down to hers. The two of them started making out right at our booth, and my eyebrows slowly rose on my forehead. I peeked over at Max and he just watched them with a curious grin on his face and a twinkle in his eye. Was this normal? Did people just make out while others watched?
“All right, you two. Get a room. Can’t get your nasty fluids on our food now.” Max laughed. “Ah, I can smell the onion rings now.”
I pulled my hand back. “Was that our waitress?”
I watched her shove through the two lovebirds with two massive plates of food. The pipe cleaner and his lipstick-riddled girlfriend finally stepped off to the side, seemingly oblivious to everything that was happening. The two hot dogs with onion rings dropped down in front of me, making my mouth water before I reached for my drink.
And when I looked over at Max’s plate, I was glad I hadn’t ordered what he had.
“I can smell how hot that is,” I said.
He rubbed his hands together. “And it’s about to be in my stomach. Honey?”
The waitress smiled. “Keep the drinks coming, I got it. You two enjoy, and let me know if you want some of that dessert later to soak up all this fat and alcohol.”
“You two got room over here?”
Max held his arms out. “Rupert!”
“And this must be the girl who’s got your attention so bad.”
Max laughed with joy. “John. Nice to see you out and about. Here. We’ll scoot. You two have a seat with us.”
The one named Rupert had such bright red hair I could have never missed him. But the one called John walked with a cane. He had kind of a crooked stature to him, and as he sat down, I heard him grumbling and groaning beneath his breath. While Max and the redhead hugged, I studied the man who sat down beside me, taking in his green eyes, the slope of his nose, and the strength of his jawline.
“Yeah, we look too much alike, don’t we?” he asked.
I blinked. “Are you and Max related somehow?”
Max interrupted. “That’s my older brother, John.”
John stuck out his hand. “And you are…?”
I shook his hand. “Dani. Hey. It’s really nice to meet you. I wasn't sure you actually existed.”
The redhead snickered. “Doesn’t shock me. Hey! Sweetheart!”
The waitress yelled back, “You hold your horses! I’ll be there in a second, Fire-dick!”
Everyone in the place roared with laughter. Even Rupert. I wasn’t sure why. Didn’t she just insult him?
