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“Happy to induct you into our circle.” He took the glass the bartender held out for him without him even asking. “How is my Max treating you?”
My Max. This man loved his son more than anything. I could tell simply by the way his eyes softened every time he looked at him.
“Max is wonderful. He’s gone above and beyond helping me out the last three weeks.”
I owed him a debt of gratitude, even though I still hadn’t figured out why he was helping me in the first place. I looked up at him, admiration in my eyes. “He’s changed my life.”
Max returned my smile and rubbed his hand up and down my back. I had a bad feeling that when the running clinic was done, I’d miss it.
“I’m not surprised. Max learned from the most unselfish person in the world, his mother.” Hirsh cocked his head and eyed us both with curiosity. He was a little different tonight. More scrutinizing. “I must return to our guests. Enjoy yourselves, children.”
Max brought me around the backyard, introducing me to his employees and co-workers. With every introduction, I got the feeling he was proud to have me on his arm. It did things to my ego I could never learn from a self-help book. So I made the most of it. I pranced around, my arm tight around his, laughing and drinking, enjoying the company of these wonderful people.
Granted, there were some sideways glances. I even saw someone point and laugh, but I shrugged it off, because I was here with Max, on his arm, as his date.
I excused myself to use the restroom. Even though there were facilities set up outside, Max gave me permission to go inside the house. Remembering where I’d used it the week before, I snuck inside to the small pow
der room off the foyer.
No sooner had I finished my business and was washing my hands did the door burst open. A woman walked in. Had I not locked the damn door?
She was blond, with heavy eye makeup. A tight, blue spandex dress hugged every curve of her perfect body. She had a tattoo, a butterfly on her left shoulder, which I noticed when she turned around to close to the door.
“Ummm, I’m almost done if you—”
“We’re both girls. I’m sure you don’t mind. I have to pee like a race horse.”
Next thing I knew, her dress was hiked up and her panties were pulled down.
At least she’s wearing panties.
I gasped and turned my head back to the mirror and kept my focus on my own face, refusing to divert my eyes for fear of catching a glimpse of the stranger peeing behind me.
Funny. You didn’t wince when Bobbi peed in front of you. Must have been the Absinthe.
The toilet flushed and with a wiggle, she righted her clothing and bumped me out of the way to use the sink.
“You came here with Max.”
It wasn’t a question. By now, everyone knew I had come to the party with him.
I nodded. When her hands were clean, I held out my own in greeting. “I’m Everly.”
She merely looked at my hand and smiled, a low hum escaping her lips. She pinched her cheeks and swiped a finger under her eyes. Then she darted her gaze to me in the mirror. I watched as she surveyed me, from the top of my head to my pelvis.
“Did you even try to make yourself presentable?”
“Excuse me?”
She cocked her hip to the side and rested it on the vanity. “Your dress.” She pointed at my head. “Your hair.” She flipped both arms. “You show up on Max Levin’s arm and you look like a farm girl trying to pull off an extreme makeover.”
I happened to know I looked good. I got approval from both Grace and Sadie before I left the house. So this woman was just trying to pick a fight. I wasn’t going to fall for it.
“Thank you.”
She had turned back to the mirror, ignoring me, as if her insult was the last interaction she was going to have with me. To my response, she made a confused face. “Thank you?”
“Yes, thank you.” I turned to face her. “Thank you for pointing out how out of place I am. It really never occurred to me.”
