"Yeah, it's good to get out with everyone and talk about things other than school once in a while."
"Hi, Max." Crystal's voice was like nails on a chalkboard, and I wanted to beat her over the head with my stool for interrupting us.
"Oh, uh, hey." Max clearly didn't remember Crystal's name, and it thrilled me.
"Crystal," she said, smiling sweetly, though I thought I saw a slight wince of disappointment on her face. Or maybe embarrassment. I hoped it was both.
"Yeah, right. Crystal. Nice to see you." Max was polite, but he shifted closer to me.
"You too. Really nice."
The seduction in her voice made a laugh burst from my mouth. Everyone in our vicinity whipped their heads to gawk at me, so I quickly released a cough to cover my outburst. "Sorry. Wrong pipe," I lied.
"Anyway, Max, the bartender has been completely ignoring this half of the bar. Do you think you could get me a drink?"
I couldn't believe the balls on this skank. She'd been talking to him for all of two seconds, and she was already asking for him to buy her drinks. I was about ready to shank this ho.
"Um, sure," Max replied. He asked what she was drinking and then glanced at me. "You need anything?"
I shook my head and he started off toward the other end of the long bar.
"He’s really handsome, Crystal. Maybe you guys will really like each other,” Dana, one of the meeker minions, chimed in.
“Who cares about any of that? I mean, don’t get me wrong, it certainly helps that he’s attractive. But I only have eyes for one thing . . . his credit card.” Crystal cackled at her little joke and her hyenas all joined in. “God, athletes are so stupid.”
“He’s not stupid,” I said quietly as I brought my drink up to my lips and took a sip through the straw.
“Excuse me?” Crystal asked as though I had offended her by addressing her at all.
“I said,” I paused, as I geared myself up to intentionally raise my voice, “he’s not stupid. But you sure as shit are if you think he's falling for your bullshit.” My eyes locked on hers, beckoning her to battle. Tina sat up a little straighter behind me, getting herself ready in case this turned ugly.
“Please, by the time I'm done with him, he'll be so smitten he'll barely be able to see straight. And after I get him back to his place tonight, he’ll be hooked.”
“Better watch out for his whore sniffing dogs,” I muttered.
“What the fuck did you just say to me?” Crystal stood up taller and entered my personal space. Bad move, Sybil.
“I’m pretty sure you heard me. You stay the fuck away from Max. He’s too good for you, so catch the next Greyhound back to Trampsylvania." I was off my stool in an instant, pushing back into the space we now shared.
“You’re just jealous. I know all about how you tried to seduce him last year. And it clearly didn’t work. Don’t hate on me because I'm about to get what you couldn’t.” Her lips twitched into a cruel smile. She thought she had really zinged me with that one.
“I don’t want to be with Max.” My voice was low, but firm.
“Bullshit. It’s written all over your face. You want him. But you can’t get him.” She backed away from me slightly and folded her arms across her chest, assuming the position of victory.
That’s when I verbally launched on her. “I don’t want to be with Max because he deserves better than me. And he sure as shit deserves better than you. He’s a good man. A great man, actually. So if you think for two seconds that I’m going to sit here and let you hurt him, you’ve got another thing coming. I will go to prison for murdering your skanky ass before I let you anywhere near him.” My eyes bore into her, daring her to test me. And as I watched her face, I saw it change slightly. I silently began congratulating myself on the verbal lashing when I heard a throat clear.
“A great man, huh?”
My body tensed instantly at the sound of his voice. I turned slowly and gazed up into those blue eyes I knew so well. Fuck. Me.
"Uh, that . . . that was . . . umm, how much of that did you hear?" I finally choked out.
"Enough," Max said, clearly irritated. "Outside. Now. We need to talk." He grabbed my hand and pulled me easily from the bar. His pace was difficult to keep up with. I would've been silently celebrating my success at getting Max away from Crystal if I hadn't been so nervous. He was angry, and there weren't many creatures in the animal kingdom that were more daunting than a pissed off Max Samson.
"Max, wait," I pleaded as he pushed open the bar doors, still yanking me along behind him.
He turned right and guided me around to the rear of Flanagan's. It was pretty secluded there , since the restaurant backed up to a bunch of trees.
This is going to be bad. Really bad.