Max felt some of the tension ease out of his shoulders. Colin would help him. Sure, his brothers had had a lot of fun at his expense growing up, but there was never a minute they didn’t have his back when it came to the rest of the world.
“Maybe you should just stop in the diner for a meal when you think she’s going to be there,” Colin said. “Not today, but don’t wait too long. Tomorrow if you can. It’s a normal interaction for you guys, it allows her to set the tone and you can see how she’s acting. And you’ll have coffee and food and stuff to focus on, rather than just being in an awkward situation you can’t manage. Bring a book or a paper to read if it seems like she’s avoiding you, so you don’t feel too self-conscious.”
“I can do that.” He exhaled slowly. “I have a plan.”
“Don’t be too rigid about the plan, though,” Colin cautioned. “You have to be flexible, Max. I know it’s hard, but you have to try. She sounds really special.”
“She is. Thanks for the talk. I have to get ready for the game, but I feel better now.”
“Anytime. Love you, Maxi Pad.”
He rolled his eyes at the old childhood nickname. “Love you, too, Colon.”
Colin barked out a laugh. “Mine’s still funnier.”
“Remind me to thank Mom and Dad for that.”
Feeling better than he had since walking out of Tori’s apartment that morning, Max started preparations for company coming. He wasn’t sure how many people would come, due to the party last night, but he’d be ready, just in case. It was a big game against a conference rival and nobody would want to miss it if they could help it. With it being the four o’clock game, there was time to get stuff done before start time, too.
He caught himself whistling while he moved around the kitchen, and the song from My Fair Lady made him smile. Tori had made for an exceptionally charming Eliza Doolittle and Max knew he’d never see the movie or even a photo of Audrey Hepburn again without thinking of last night.
The first car pulled in well before game time, and it didn’t sound like Butch’s truck. He popped the tray of pizza rolls into the oven and set the timer before turning to see who it was.
When the door opened and Tori walked in, his carefully orchestrated plan fell apart and he froze.
Chapter Eighteen
It wasn’t the first time Tori had run into a man with whom she’d spent a night, but it was the first time that man’s reaction could only be described as horror.
The look on Max’s face when he saw her walk in the door would have been comical if it hadn’t taken all of her nerve to get in the car and make the drive over. “I guess I shouldn’t have come.”
He recovered quickly and reached for her arm, maybe to stop her if she tried to leave. “Why wouldn’t you come? You enjoyed yourself last time.”
“I saw your face, Max. Let’s not pretend you were happy to see me.”
“I had a plan.”
She waited, but he stopped talking. He clasped his hands together near his waist, his right thumb pressed hard against his left palm, and she recognized his method for not fidgeting under extreme pressure. “What was your plan?”
“I wasn’t sure where our friendship stood now and I didn’t know what to do, so I called my brother. And he said I should go to the diner when you were working because I’m comfortable there. And I’d be able to tell if you wanted to talk to me or not and I would bring a book to read if you didn’t, so I wouldn’t feel awkward. So I had a plan. And then you walked in and...I don’t have a plan anymore.”
It hurt her heart to watch him stare at the cupboard door over her shoulder. “Max, look at me, not at the cabinet. We’re friends. I know you’re not very experienced with the whole friends-with-benefits thing, but that’s where we went last night. It happened. It was amazing and, no, we’re not letting it change our friendship.”
“You seemed different this morning.”
Because she was different this morning. No matter what she might say, what she felt for Max wasn’t casual anymore. But seeing him so wound up now just reinforced that she was doing the right thing in keeping him at arm’s length emotionally. The potential for hurting him was too great.
“I was fine, Max. You know, I was a little worried about our friendship, too, so I was also feeling it out. And I think we were both so careful, we made it weird.”
His hands relaxed. “So we’re okay.”
“Of course we are.”
“Amazing, huh?”
She rolled her eyes. “Give me a knife and I’ll help you chop those vegetables for the platter.”
They started working, standing on opposite sides of the island, but he paused to look at her. “I’m glad you came today.”
“I am, too.” She chopped the ends off of a carrot and then sliced it lengthwise. “I was trying to work, but I knew the guys would be coming over for the game. I wasn’t sure if you’d be prepared for how much ribbing you’d get about last night and if you get overwhelmed, you get tense. I didn’t want you to say the wrong thing and damage a friendship because they don’t know when to quit. I figure if I’m here, it’ll be kept to a minimum.”