Maggie’s eyes widened.
I laughed because it was nearly impossible to shock her these days.
“Tell me everything,” she said.
Over the next twenty minutes, I filled her in on meeting Max, almost walking out of the arena before finding him on the Jumbotron, and staying out until 2 AM talking. When I was done, she took out her cell.
“What’s his last name?”
“Yearwood, why?”
“Because I want to Google him and see exactly what we’re talking about here.”
She typed into her phone, and her eyes lit up. “Holy crap. He’s gorgeous.”
“I know.”
“When are we going out with him again?”
I chuckled at her use of we. “I gave him my number, but I actually don’t think I’m going to go out with him.”
“Are you crazy? Why not?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. It just feels…wrong.”
“Because of Gabriel? Who ran away to Europe to screw other women?”
“How am I supposed to get involved with someone when Gabriel is coming back at the end of the year?”
“You’re living apart, and he’s dating other women. If he comes back and you two want to be together, it was meant to be. Anything that changes your mind before then just proves you weren’t supposed to stay together. Take it from me, it’s easier to figure it out now than after you get married. For whatever reason, Gabriel needed this time, and he’s clearly taking it. So why shouldn’t you?” She shook her head. “What changed? You seemed okay with it before you went out on the blind date.”
I shrugged. “I guess it seemed safe and simple. The way Frannie described the guy, I sort of knew in my heart nothing would come of it.”
“And now?”
“Max seems…” I shook my head and tried to figure out what bothered me so much. I couldn’t put my finger on it. “I guess he just seems the opposite of safe and simple. Max seems risky and complicated.”
Maggie smiled. “Because you actually like him.”
“Maybe.” I shrugged. “I don’t know why the thought of going out with him makes me so nervous. I think I just don’t trust my own judgment anymore.”
“Perhaps it seemed easier when you knew you wouldn’t fall for the guy. You’d said you were going to put yourself out there, but you weren’t really planning on it. You were just going through the motions and biding time until Gabriel comes home.”
She leaned forward and rested her hands on my desk. “But honey, what if Gabriel doesn’t come home? Or what if he does, but he doesn’t want to pick up where you left off? I’m not trying to be mean. Really, I’m not. I like Gabriel, or at least I did until he pulled the crap he pulled before he left. But why should you waste more than a year of your life, when he’s not?”
I sighed. “I guess. But the other thing is, it’s not fair to the other person. I don’t know if I can give Max the same thing a truly single person could, you know?”
“You said you told him the deal between you and Gabriel? What was his response?”
“He asked if I was looking to get even or looking to see what else was out there.”
“And what did you say?”
“I was honest and said I wasn’t sure.”
“He was okay with that?”
I nodded. “He said he just wanted to know what he was in for.”
“You want to know what I would do?”
I tilted my head. “Probably not. You’re a little off your rocker these days.”
“True. But I’m going to tell you anyway. I think you should fuck his brains out—have an affair, or whatever you want to call it.”
I couldn’t say the idea of getting hot and sweaty with Max Yearwood didn’t appeal to me. In fact, the thought of it made my belly do a little dip. I was exhausted today because I hadn’t been able to fall asleep when I got home last night. Lust had coursed through my veins just imagining those big, blue eyes looking down at me. I bet his thighs were muscular from all that skating, too. He was just so big and broad—nothing like Gabriel, who had a lean, runner’s body. Again, I imagined what Max might look like naked. But I forced that thought from my mind with a few blinks.
When my eyes came into focus again, I found Maggie with the dirtiest grin.
“You were just imagining it, weren’t you?”
“No.” I answered waaay too fast.
She smirked. “Sure you weren’t. You know what I’m going to do?”