Chapter 7: Max
I glanced over at my alarm clock for what felt like the five hundredth time. 5:34. God, why couldn’t I sleep? I rarely ever had issues nodding off, but the previous night I’d been restless. Fuck it. I rolled out of bed and started to put my running gear on. May as well be productive.
I had hoped that the run would tire me out a little, but it only energized me more. Well, maybe it wasn’t exactly the running that had my adrenaline spiking. Maybe it was a certain person who I would be seeing in a little more than twelve hours. I muttered a curse under my breath as I thought about how much she was still able to affect me. I hadn’t even seen her yet, but the prospect of being physically close to her, being able to smell her scent, and look into those beautiful hazel eyes was making me feel shaky and manic. Memories of her ran through my mind like an X-rated slideshow: her big, perky, and perfectly round tits that fit in my hands as though they were made to be there; her sculpted legs wrapped hungrily around my waist; and her beautiful face brightened with light freckles that lit up with every smile she threw in my direction. Shit.
My legs shook and my chest burned when I returned home an hour later. I stripped from my sweaty clothes as I climbed the stairs and headed for the shower, turning the nozzle all the way to the right. Frigid water was exactly what I needed to quell the burning heat that was blazing within me. I had to push this shit out of my mind. I couldn’t meet her tonight with all of this running through my brain. As I placed my palm on the wall beneath the showerhead and exhaled a deep breath, I started to force myself to relax.
I hope she wears something tight.
Dammit.
***
When I arrived, I chose a seat at the bar. A table felt too intimate and I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. Even with my back to the door, I still couldn’t resist the urge to turn around and look at it every thirty seconds. I pushed my beer bottle back and forth between my hands on the bar impatiently, stopping to glance down at my large Bulova watch. It was still a few minutes before 6:00; she wasn’t late yet. But I was annoyed anyway. Why was I the only one who had cared enough to be early? Why did I care at all? Lily had ripped my heart out and stomped all over it. I didn’t owe her this meeting. And I especially didn’t owe her an apology. What had I been thinking?
Suddenly, my body tensed and my skin prickled. I knew that when I turned around, she’d be there. I cocked my head to the side, looking at her out of the corner of my eye. She scanned the bar and stopped on me, her lips lifting to a small smile. Shiny and perfect, her hair looked as though she had just stepped out of a shampoo commercial. A fitted purple CrossFit T-shirt formed snuggly to her body, and her jeans settled casually on her hips. Suddenly, my annoyance turned to anger. How dare she look so fantastic. I had been a mess for the past five months, and she looked like a fucking model. If there had been any question as to whether or not I had meant a damn thing to her, that question had been answered. If anything, she looked better. I guess kicking me out of her life had done wonders for her. Fuck this. I quickly turned back toward the bar, not acknowledging her approach. Thank God I had the wherewithal to meet her in a bar. I held up my beer bottle to the bartender, signaling for another.
“Hey, Max. Have you been here long?”
“No, not long,” I said simply. She had been there five seconds and I was already being a dick. But I didn’t care. The bartender set the bottle in front of me and I brought it directly to my lips and took a swig.
“Anything for you, miss?” the bartender asked.
Lily looked over at me for a split second. When I didn’t make any move to look back at her, she replied, “Just water for right now.”
“Comin’ right up.”
“So, what’s been going on?” Lily asked, discomfort evident in her voice.
“Nothin’ much. Just figuring some things out. What about you? I didn’t know you did CrossFit," I said with a snort.
She looked confused for a minute before looking down at her shirt. “Oh, yeah, I started it over the summer. One of our coaches was in a competition in the city today. I came right from there.”
“Huh. I didn’t peg you for a trendy exerciser.”
“What does that mean exactly?” She narrowed her eyes at me, probably trying to figure out what the hell my problem was.
Truth be told, I wasn’t sure what my problem was. I had been excited, and somewhat nervous, to see her all day. But now that she was there, I was pissed off and edgy. “It’s such a fad. I didn’t think you’d be someone who would buy into the hype.”