Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79963 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79963 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
“Okay.”
I kissed her cheek and pushed the door open. “Say hi to Dylan for me and kiss the girls. Tell them I love them.”
“Will do,” Rose said. “I bet Dylan can’t wait for me to get home. Those kids can be exhausting.”
I laughed and shut the door. The first thing I did when I entered my apartment was check if Max had texted me.
He had not.
Chapter 43
Lillian
At lunchtime, Max left to go for lunch with his mother while I left to meeet Maggie. I was pleased to catch up with her. So much had happened to me, it seemed like forever since she had come around bringing pizza and wine.
I took an Uber to the Mexican restaurant next to Maggie’s office. Since I got there first, I ordered a bottle of cold water and sipped on it while I waited. My thoughts immediately meandered to Max and the lunch with his mother. Would she be trying to convince him that I was the wrong type of woman for him?
My insides contracted.
I told myself how silly I was being. Max was a grown man who did not depend on his mother to make decisions for him. And he had also clearly indicated he wanted nothing to do with Paige.
I was glad when Maggie appeared before I drove myself insane.
“You are glowing. Must be all the sex,” Maggie teased as we hugged and kissed each other’s cheeks.
I laughed. If only she knew how painful my situation had become.
Sipping on her water, she studied my face. “I hope I’ll look like you after next weekend.”
At that moment the server came to take our orders. I chose a chicken taco and Maggie went for the beef.
“What’s going on next weekend?” I asked.
She leaned on the table and grinned at me. “Martin has invited me to go away for the weekend. I’m thinking of it as a dirty weekend.”
I laughed and cocked my head to one side. “Maybe he wants to propose?”
Maggie shook her head decisively. “I don’t want to ruin my dirty weekend waiting for him to propose. Besides, you’ve inspired me. I realize that I’ve let our sex life become too stale and boring. Right now I’ll take a dirty weekend over a romantic one.” She winked at me. “You know what else?”
I grinned. “What?”
“I’ve bought chocolate sauce, edible body paint, and sex toys for both of us. I’m intending to have lots and lots of fun.”
I began to laugh. “Oh, what a treat Martin is in for.”
“You bet. I’ve even booked a bedroom with a jacuzzi in it. I’m going to make it a weekend he’ll never forget for the rest of his life. When he’s old and can’t get his dick up anymore, he’ll be talking about this weekend.”
I laughed.
Her absolute commitment to her dirty weekend and her excitement meant she didn’t question me too deeply about my weekend. I quickly glossed over the fact that Max’s mom hated me and she didn’t pick up on how hurt I was. She reassured me that in time Mrs. Frost would fall in love with me because, ‘hell, what’s not to love?’
I could have told her how deeply painful and agonizingly horrible my unrequited love for Max was, but I would only have ruined her lovely enthusiasm and joy.
Besides, I was afraid any sympathy from her would make me burst into tears.
I was happy for Maggie, really happy. It had been a long time since I’d seen her this thrilled about her relationship, and I told myself this lunch was going to be about Maggie, not me.
So I steered the conversation away from me towards her exciting weekend. Her infectious joy was contagious and even before the tacos arrived, I found myself rooting on her behalf.
Let her have the best weekend she’d ever had in her life, I prayed.
Back at the office, Max wasn’t back yet and after brushing my teeth to get rid of the smell of tacos, I settled at my desk and got to work. Max walked in an hour later. He came to my desk and smiled down at me.
“What?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Nothing,” he said, still smiling.
I let out a sigh of relief I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. Deep down, I’d been afraid that he would be cold and distant when he came back from lunch with his mother.
“How was lunch?” I asked.
“It was fine,” he said, and the smile was replaced by a frown. Almost immediately he got into work mode and asked me to print some documents for him. He moved to his office door. “Also, Chris will be here in a few minutes. Let him come straight in.” He had already opened his door when he paused and turned to face me. “I’ve nothing more for you to do and since I’m going out for a drink with Chris before the bachelor party, you can leave whenever you want.”