Last night, I’d stayed up long after Max fell asleep, going through old pictures and souvenirs I’d saved from our special occasions together. As I’d sifted through the plastic bin, I came across a few ticket stubs from concerts I’d seen with him. I ran my thumb over the one from Jesus Jones, remembering one of our first dates. As we’d noshed on calamari, I’d asked Max to share something I didn’t know about him.
“That’s easy! I’m a huge fan of old-school bands—especially from the nineties. And I love seeing them play live.”
“Like Pearl Jam?” I’d offered.
“Sure, I mean they’re not in my top ten, but yeah.”
Not in his top ten? Then who was? I’d wondered.
I’d always justified that it was healthy for us to have interests independent of each other—I was a voracious reader and loved going to book signings to meet my favorite authors. Max had joined me once, waiting patiently next to me in line for forty-five minutes to get my tattered copy signed. He hadn’t even complained that he was the only human being with a Y chromosome in the room. But still, I hadn’t missed both the forced smile when I asked him if he was having fun or the not-so-subtle glances at the ESPN home page on his phone while the author read from her novel.
? ? ?
I grab the front-row-center tickets to Soul Asylum that I wished for earlier and smile, feeling confident that tonight would be critical to getting Max back. Ruby had made a brief appearance at the Thai restaurant the other night, showing up to bus our table after Liam excused himself to use the restroom. As she’d stacked our empty beer bottles and dishes on a tray, she’d sternly warned me that my wishes weren’t unlimited. She’d nodded in the direction of Liam as he made his way back toward us. “Be careful what kind of wishes you make from this point forward, because they are going to run out—soon.”
“When?” I’d called after her, but she disappeared into the kitchen without so much as glancing over her shoulder.
But even with the knowledge that the wishes I had left were finite, I had decided tonight was critical to getting us back on track, recalling again the sloppy smile that was painted on Max’s face when he arrived home the last time he’d seen a concert with Courtney. Plus, music is one of Max’s greatest loves, and I should be the one sharing that with him. So I hope this will be the night I reclaim my spot not just next to him in front of the stage, but also in his heart.
As I slide the tickets into my tote, I breathe a victorious sigh remembering Courtney’s face after I’d casually mentioned I’d be joining her and Max as we walked out of the Calvin Klein meeting.
“We’d love for you to come,” she’d said, smiling sweetly. “But it’s sold out. Maybe next time?”
I bet you’d love that. Because you’re hoping there won’t be a next time—that by then he’ll have made you his permanent concert date.
“I was able to score five front-row tickets!” I exclaimed, remembering Jules and Liam both telling me I owed them one after I begged them to come as my reinforcements.
Courtney’s mouth had transformed so swiftly from a frown into a smile it was as if someone had just told her to turn that frown upside down. “Fantastic,” she said slowly. “But I thought you hated Soul Asylum. What was it you said when Max and I said we were going? That your ears might bleed if you got within a ten-mile radius of El Portal?”
I shrugged. “I guess you could say I had a change of heart.”
She looked at me skeptically. “Okay, but you’d better not make Max leave before all the encores!” She laughed, but underneath it, I heard the edge.
“Oh, don’t you worry about that,” I said as I ducked into my office, shutting the door and leaning my back against it.
“I’ll be there for him until the very end,” I said to myself, and prayed that I was right.
? ? ?
Several hours later, I squeeze Max’s hand as he helps me navigate my way out of the back of the sleek Escalade limo I had ordered—not wished for. I step out onto the sidewalk and catch my reflection in the window. I’d spent two painstaking hours in front of the mirror, simultaneously watching YouTube instructional videos and applying eye shadow, mascara, and blush until I was semisatisfied. And exercising more willpower than I did when I agreed to do the five-day master cleanse with Jules, I resisted my newfound impulse to wish for a new outfit, instead choosing my favorite little black dress, hoping it would be enough.
Relief washed over me when I heard Max’s whistle as I walked out of the bathroom. “Don’t take this the wrong way, because you know I always think you look good, but you’ve been looking extra hot lately.” He pulled me in for a kiss. “What’s going on?”
“I just want to make you happy,” I said, the truth of my words bringing tears to the back of my eyes. I squinted hard to hold them in. Keep it together, Kate. Before he could respond, the doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of the limo, Max running to answer it.
“Do I make you happy, Max?” I whispered before following him, not sure if I knew the answer anymore.