Max glanced at his watch—some kind of up-and-coming new brand that Liam had told him about—and, without saying anything, they both got to their feet. Hour-long lunchbreaks were frowned upon at their office. Not that Max was complaining. He wanted to be busy, to get stuck into the work he loved again. He’d spent too much time over the last few months either obsessing over the past or worrying about his future, all because of that one fucking day last year—the day that had quite literally made his world tilt on its axis.
No. He closed his eyes very briefly. He wasn’t thinking about it. That was the new rule. That was the only way he was going to get through these months—just pretend that it hadn’t happened. Distraction—that was the way forward.
They walked back toward the office on West Broadway, dodging a near-endless stream of people, with the grey sky looming ominously above them. Next to him, Liam lumbered along in that way of his that always made Max want to smile—for someone who played as many sports as Liam did, his gait was almost laughably ungraceful, like he was somehow both trying to show off and hide his somewhat built six-foot-three figure, and had compromised with something that did neither. Without so much as a glance at each other, they swung into the Starbucks on the last corner before their office. It was a given that they’d need caffeine to get through the post-lunch meeting, given the way these clients drawled on, and the coffee at their office, despite the fancy building, was truly shite.
They joined the perpetual queue of people, and both smiled at the rosy-cheeked redhead behind the counter, who looked like she belonged in some kind of Irish novel, as opposed to serving coffee to suits in Manhattan. She nodded when Liam ordered his cappuccino with an extra shot of espresso and some sort of fancy syrup or other, then turned her smile on Max. “Black Americano, please.” He smiled and her dimples winked out.
“You’re from England?” she asked as she rung up the order and took payment from Max. He nodded, and she beamed, her green eyes creasing. “That’s so cool. I’ve always wanted to go there. I’ve been saving up for ages to go. Is London amazing? I’ll bet it’s just amazing.”
“It’s amazing,” Max said, and when Liam snorted quietly beside him, presumed that his voice didn’t quite match his words. Seriously though, the number of people who assumed “England” meant “London.” And yeah, OK, he had lived in London for a bit, but that was really beside the point. Still, he worked up a smile for the cute barista. “Well, I hope you get to go one day.”
She grinned. “I’ll look you up if I do…？”
Liam turned his snort into a cough this time—an overly obvious one—as Max said, “Max.”
“Max. I’m Amy.” Another smile.
Coffee in hand, they stepped back out to where the first drops of rain were starting up. Though at least that was at the end of their lunchbreak rather than at the beginning. Liam shook his head. “You don’t even have to try, do you?”
Max “hmm’d” in an innocent way, and took a sip of his coffee.
“You know it’s only because of the sexy English accent, don’t you?”
Max shook his head in mock judgment. “Don’t be so obviously jealous, mate, it’s not an attractive quality.”
Liam held his coffee up. “Just making sure you don’t get too big-headed, that’s all. Figure it’s my job as your only friend out here.”
Max snorted, but when Liam said nothing more, found himself staring blankly at the pavement as they walked the last stretch to their office, caught in a what-if moment. What if he’d joked, flirted back with the pretty redhead, told her he’d take her out for a drink and give her all the tips for a holiday to London? It would’ve been so easy, something fun and light. A year ago—presuming it was in the “off-again” portion of his relationship with Erin—he would’ve done just that, but now he couldn’t even work up the energy to feel bothered one way or another.
“You OK?” Liam asked as they reached the slim brick building that was home to their office. It had been named a New York landmark in the early nineties, having been designed by some fancy architect back in the day, and now had come full circle, housing its own architecture firm.
They stepped through the glass doors to reception and Max took another sip of his coffee, then nodded, pulling himself out of pointless introspection. “Yeah. Just thinking about this meeting. Should be a laugh a minute, don’t you think?”