Chapter Seven
Harlow
By the time the horses are settled, the sun is setting and I’ve finally heard from Declan. Apparently, he needs to stay overnight to work out some things with the director Sean anyway, so he went ahead and got us rooms at the hotel. At least that makes my girls’ night with Maxine that much easier.
Leaving the truck on site, Max and I catch a ride into town with a couple of members of the crew.
Max pushes open the door to her room and waves me in. “Come on, I’m just going to change my shirt. I’ve got horse slobber on it.” I wander into her room, noticing it’s quite nice for a smaller country town, everything looking newish and clean. Max strips off her own top, tosses it into a corner, and digs around in the suitcase on her bed.
“When did you get here?” I ask, frowning. She hasn't even had a chance to unpack.
“Late last night. I flew into San Francisco, and one of the crew picked me up.” She pulls a new top over her head as I look down at my own shirt, finding a smudge of something across my left boob. Before I can even ask, a shirt hits me in the face, and when I pull it off, she’s smirking at me. “I always got your back.”
Throwing the shirt on the bed, I hurry forward and throw my arms around her, hugging her tight. Within seconds, hers are hugging me back. “Fuck, I’ve missed you,” I sigh into her hair.
“As banging as your boobs are, Harlow, I’m not into girls,” Max mumbles from where she’s squashed against my chest, but I hold on for a little longer. “No, seriously, I’m suffocating here.” Rolling my eyes, I let go and pull away.
“Drama queen,” I toss back at her as I pull my dirty top over my head before replacing it with her clean one. After I borrow her shower in a can, we’re ready to hit the bar.
Leaving my backpack behind, I tuck my ID, phone, and debit card into the back pocket of my jeans, and I'm good to go. Max is in the bathroom, brushing her hair, and I feel around my messy bun. I mean, it’s called a messy bun for a reason, isn't it?It’ll be fine.Though I guess that’s a naive thought. I should’ve remembered that Max is incapable of going out with me and giving up all control. “Oh no, get over here. Let's pull out that damn bun and wear it down for a change.”
So, sighing, I once again give myself over to the darkside that is Max. By the time we leave, my hair is down and brushed, and I’m wearing mascara and lip gloss. She really can’t help herself.
As we walk from the hotel to the nearby bar, the balmy night comfortable and filled with the sounds of families and young couples, Max hooks her arm through mine. “So, which one are you going to fuck first?” In my surprise, my toe catches on a crack in the pavement, and I stumble, pulling Max along with me. She giggles at my reaction, but I can feel her eyes on my face.
My cheeks heat as I shake my head. “I don’t know what I’m doing, Max.” I stop and face her. “I’m so confused. You know how I feel about Nana and Poppy, and, well, Dad has wiggled his way into my heart now too. You know I always wanted a parent who gave a fuck, and he fits the bill perfectly. But as for his children...” I sigh, loudly. “I know that I have this totally ridiculous urge to fuck them… all of them… but I don’t know what the fuck else to do with them at this point.”
Max blinks at me as I suck in air, totally at a loss. Finally, she grabs me by the hand and pulls me through the doors of the nearby bar. “This calls for copious amounts of alcohol.”
While we wait for a hostess to seat us, I glance around, taking stock of our spot for the evening. TV screens are scattered through the room as well as sports memorabilia.Ah, a sports bar.There are booths down one side of the room with tables scattered between them and the bar, a row of bar stools lining the bar, and the beer taps are glistening with condensation and the little plaques that tell you what each one is.
A cute girl comes over wearing a pair of cut-off denim shorts and a shirt with what I guess is the bar's name on it. “Table for two?” she asks with a bright smile.
“Can we get a booth?” Max asks, and the girl nods and leads us to a vacant one, handing us menus to look over while we wait for our waitress.
“One of the crew was saying that the ribs are really good here, and he also happened to mention that the area over there is for dancing when the dinner rush has finished.” Max points out a currently vacant space in the back of the bar. There looks to be a raised platform that would be big enough for a band too.
Once I’ve decided what I'm going to have, I look around the room, recognizing a couple of guys standing at the bar. Max had introduced me to them earlier, and they both give me a friendly nod. “Huh.”
That catches Max attention, and she looks in the direction I am. “What?” she asks, a frown on her face.
“I can’t believe those guys actually remembered me,” I tell her, and she snorts with laughter.
“Girl, one, you’re hot. And two, you're their boss and pay their bills. Of course they’re going to be friendly.” My eyes shoot to Max, and it’s my turn to be confused.
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Harlow, you’re a Summers. Your family owns the company making the movie. You employ all these people.”
Just then, before I can retort, a different girl approaches us. Unlike the one before with the friendly, sunny disposition, this one doesn't look like she wants to be here. She’s wearing the same uniform, but her top is so tight I can see her nipples through the fabric, and her makeup is also dramatic. No shade intended, but the scowl on her face makes her look ugly.
“What can I get you?” she asks, her tone of voice and total inability to make eye contact telegraphing that she has zero interest in waiting on us. I don’t even have to look up to know that Max is grinding her teeth together. One thing she hates is being ignored.
“We’ll get two margaritas, and I’ll have the ribs, fries, and slaw. What will you have, Harlow?”
“I’ll have the creamy chicken Alfredo with sun dried tomato, spinach, and bacon.”
The girl finally glances up from her order pad and looks me up and down, one eyebrow cocked. “Sure you want the carbs? We do have some nice salads.”
