AllFreeNovel
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Max was fishing, that was obvious. But he wasn’t pushing. Not yet.
“What did I do for Christmas last year?”
Max’s eyebrows dipped. He finished swallowing his coffee and set the mug down on the counter. “You don’t remember?”
Dave shrugged. “Not really. I know you were with your ma, and Leslie went home too. I don’t remember what I did.”
“You were on a yacht in the south of France.”
“Saint-Tropez?”
“Possibly. Probably.”
Dave thought about that and ate some more. He propped an elbow on the counter. “I asked Sabine to go to Saint-Tropez with me for Christmas.”
Max went completely still.
Dave watched him from the corner of his eye.
“She said no.”
Max visibly relaxed.
Dave angled his body towards his friend. “That’s good?”
Max inclined his head slightly. “I would consider that good.”
Dave narrowed his eyes. Still trying to understand it. “Why?”
Max got off the stool and walked around the counter to the coffee maker. He poured himself a new cup and refilled Dave’s. Placing the carafe back on the warmer, he leaned his back against the counter and crossed one ankle over the other.
“She likes you.”
Dave rolled his eyes. This was not new information.
“Yeah, and I like her, and we’re not in middle school. Tell me what you’re not saying.”
Max eyed him and it tried Dave’s patience. He was exhausted. Physically, emotionally, mentally. He had not slept all night and it was catching up with him. He had also just spent hours learning new things about someone he cared about. And on top of that, he was really trying to not revert to old habits of running away.
He was beginning to fray at the edges of his capabilities.
It must’ve showed because Max relented. He sighed, his shoulders dropped, and he set his coffee cup down.
“When I say she likes you, I mean she likesyou.Dave. She’s fine with Sunshine Capone and his life. But shelikesyou.”
Dave frowned. Again, not new information.
Max looked heavenward and muttered under his breath. “You’re really going to make me spell it out.”
“Rude.”
“I’m not insulting you,” Max replied, irritated. “Up ‘til now, the only girls you’ve dated have liked Sunshine Capone. They liked his money and the gifts and the trips to Saint Bart. But they didn’t give a single shit about Dave Hansen.”
He stopped there. Letting his words rattle around in Dave’s head.
Had he really been that slow on the uptake? He hadn’t noticed that they didn’t really know anything about him. They never even asked.
“Leslie and I know you. We know that Dave and Sunshine are essentially the same person and yet not. Sunshine is a brand. A brand you created and developed and…” Max blinked, shrugged. “Frankly, it’s brilliant. He’s you but he’s also someone you can put away and not have to be.” He smirked. “And Sabine likes all of it. I don’t mean that in a juvenileooh, she liiikes you.I mean,” he leveled his eyes at Dave, serious and happy at the same time. “She likes you. You. She. Likes. You.”
