Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 38908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 38908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)
After making sure she was seated, he went to the bathroom. There wasn’t a queue like there was for the women. Entering the room, he went straight to the sink, gripping the edge and staring at his reflection. He had to get a fucking grip.
Of course Aria wasn’t ready for a relationship.
Who the fuck really was?
He’d never been ready, and he was older than she was. Just by a couple of years, but still. Relationships were permanent. They set roots, and were scary, and he wasn’t ready for that.
Then why wasn’t he shitting himself at the prospect of only ever having Aria to himself? Any chick that he even thought could get attached, he ran in the opposite direction.
With Aria, he wasn’t doing that. He’d slept with her, all night in the same bed. They shared food, and a whole lot of other personal things as well. He’d watched her fucking sleep.
Man, he was really starting to fucking lose it.
The door to the bathroom opened, and he saw the guy who’d been checking her out enter.
Ignoring him, Max switched on the tap, allowing the water to run cold before splashing some on his face.
His friends were perceptive, and he had to get his shit together before he headed on out there.
For himself and for Aria.
****
Later that night, June watched as Max and Aria left together. She saw how close they’d gotten all night. Max wasn’t so clever at trying to wriggle closer to Aria, and the way he’d been glaring at every single guy who even looked in Aria’s direction.
Max turned back one last time to give them a wave before closing the door behind him.
“Max and Aria are sleeping together,” June said.
“You don’t know that,” Dale said.
“Actually, did you see the way he was all night?” This was from Molly.
Trey laughed. “Are you trying to be a matchmaker, babe?”
“Didn’t you notice the way he was with her? How close he got? The way he’d glare at other men? I’m telling you guys, Max and Aria are a thing.”
She looked at each of her friends in turn. All of them seemed to come up with an argument, before remaining silent. It was because they knew she was telling the truth.
“We don’t know for sure.”
“Okay, how much more evidence do we need? Don’t you think it’s a little suspicious how they both went away on a mini-vacation at the same time, and neither of them are comfortable talking about it?” She let that sink in before moving on. “I’ve seen the way Max has been watching her. Didn’t you guys notice him touching her thigh beneath the table?”
“It sounds to me like you’ve been stalking them more than watching,” Trey said.
“Something was off with them. I knew it the other week when I walked in on them in the kitchen. Aria looked all flushed, but I didn’t have a single clue what it was.”
Everyone was silent, and she waited, looking at Molly.
“What do you think?” she asked the other woman.
“There’s a chance it could be true, but why would they keep it a secret?”
“Aria hates Max. I think you guys are seeing things,” Dale said.
“But, honey, you said so yourself. He’d been acting strangely for the past couple of weeks,” Molly said, putting her hand on Dale’s. “He doesn’t date anymore or hang out with any of the single guys. You said he does his job and goes and picks up Aria from work.”
“We also know he walks her to and from work. They are pretty much together whenever they’re not at work.”
“It doesn’t mean anything though,” Trey said. “We all know Max has guilt about the way he treated her in high school.”
“They’re keeping it a secret,” Molly said.
“Why?” Dale asked.
“Because, it’s just sex for now,” June said, speaking up. “Think about it. Aria is supposed to be a virgin. She went on that one date and the guy never showed, but Max did.”
“You don’t think Max was the date?” Molly asked.
“No, it’s too obvious.” June sipped at her drink, trying to figure out a way to bring Max and Aria out in the open for all of them. “Aria doesn’t want us to know.”
“Look, you two can play matchmaker and assume all you want. We know our friend, and if Max wanted us to know, we’d know.”
“Not if Aria’s asked him to keep it a secret,” June said. “Think about it, Aria’s not been easily charmed by him, has she? It all makes sense.”
“Nah, I still think this is a little far-fetched,” Dale said.
“Actually, I don’t think it is.” Trey spoke up.
June looked toward her husband.
“It does make sense. Aria not wanting anyone to know. Max being more willing than either of us has ever seen him to keep it a secret. I don’t like it, but it works. It explains why he’s not been talking about his partners. Even at the parlor, he doesn’t talk about the kind of women he’s been with.”