Do I want to talk about it? No, but at the same time, I know I need to. Out of everyone, Adrianna might be the best one to talk to. I love Olivia and Chloe, but Adrianna is more analytical. Besides, she also fell in love with someone she worked with closely.
That, and let’s be honest, she is also with the most stubborn man in the group and can understand my frustration with men being dicks more than the other two.
“Max is acting differently,” I tell her.
“How so?”
“He’s more…possessive?” I say, frowning. “I don’t even know if that’s the right word, but it’s the best way I can describe it.”
“Max…possessive?” Adrianna asks with shock in her voice.
“Yeah, exactly. For example, I started dating, and he hates it. He’s all,this guy doesn’t know you. You don’t like yellow flowers or chocolate. You should leave him. His jaw clenches when someone flirts with me.”
Adrianna shakes her head, eyes wide, so I keep going.
“I just don’t get it. I’ve had feelings for him for years, and when I start to move on, he then changes his tune? I was offered a job in London, and now I’m considering not taking it because what if this is when we are finally supposed to happen? What if I leave and then I’m alone and miserable for the rest of my life? What the hell am I supposed to do?”
“Whoa, girlfriend, I need you to take a deep breath and take a drink of your wine,” she coaches.
I do as she said and nod.
“Wait, you are thinking about leaving The Williamson Group?” Adrianna asks, shocked.
“Yes.”
She rapidly blinks as she shakes her head. “I didn’t see that coming.”
“It’s not a for-sure thing. I’m just thinking about it. The offer came to me, I didn’t go looking for it,” I tell her.
“I believe you, but even if you did go looking for a new job, no one would blame you. You can do whatever you want. You know that.”
Looking away from her, I take another drink.
“Back to Max…do you think he’s acting this way because he was finally forced to face his feelings for you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Max has always had feelings for you but has been too scared to act on them. Do you think that by you starting to date, he’s realized that he has to make a move or risk losing you forever?”
“I mean, that would make sense, so maybe, but why the delayed response? Shouldn’t he have started acting differently when I told him?”
“This is Max we are talking about. He internalizes things and processes them differently. Maybe he had to see it with his own two eyes before it actually sunk in. Max isn’t like the others, and maybe it just took him this long to process what’s happening, whether he likes it or not,” she points out.
Again, it makes sense. That sounds like Max. As badly as I want to believe it, I just don’t know. What I do know, though, is I can’t afford to get my hopes up. If I’m just imagining all of this and it isn’t real, it would crush me.
“Maybe,” I murmur.
“It’s something to think about.”
“It is.”
“Enough about Max, though. What’s this about a job? Are you actually considering it?”
“Like I said, they approached me. I won’t lie, it’s tempting. It’s right up my alley.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, first off, I wouldn’t be a CFO anymore. I wouldn’t have to deal with the board or handle risk management or any of those things and I would still be working with numbers. Which I love, and we all know London is one of my favorite places.”
