“Then what is it? The more you try and hide it, the worse I’m going to assume it is. I’m imagining all sorts of things right now.”
To be honest, she couldn’t imagine what might have Max so embarrassed that he felt the need to hide it from her. Despite how close she felt to him, she really didn’t know him all that well yet. She was pretty sure that he wouldn’t have written anythingtooterrible, though.
With a pained sigh, Max uncovered the notebook and turned it around to face her.
Poppy leaned forward, feeling the anticipation coursing through her veins. What was it that had Max so agitated? What could he possibly be so desperate to hide?
Looking at the page, she frowned.
… Lavender sugar?
That was it? That was what he wanted to hide so badly?!
To be fair, itwasa pretty weird thing to write. It looked lovely, though, with its perfectly loopingL, and she took a moment to admire it. Maybe Max could get a job working on period dramas if he got sick of his current job, providing the handwriting whenever the brooding hero was writing his angst-ridden letter to his lady love.
Wait,she thought.Just what is it that Max does for a living again? I never did get to find out.
Before she could ask, Max spoke, sounding wretched enough that it was actually almost a little funny. Poppy didn’t think anyone needed to sound even remotely wretched for writing the wordsLavender sugar.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I got the lavender cinnamon donut at the bakery yesterday, and I guess it was still on my mind. I didn’t mean to make it weird.”
“You did make it a little weird,” she laughed. “But in a good way! So I forgive you. Was the donut good?”
“Very,” said Max, his face relaxing into a smile. “You should get one while you’re here.”
“I just might,” she mused, looking back at the notebook. Up the top of the page, she could see that he’d also writtenExquisite chicken drumstick.
She shook her head, laughing quietly.
You’re a strange one, Max,she thought.You’re lucky that I like strange.
“I meant it, you know,” she said suddenly, her confidence surging unexpectedly. “When I said I liked you.”
Max looked a little startled, but then he smiled once more – a little bashfully, which set her heart fluttering.
He’s too charming! I need to ravish him already!
“I like you, too,” he said. “I mean, not just as a friend. Which I’m hoping is what you also meant.”
Okay,she thought.We’re finally getting down to business. I’ve never been so nervous about making a move in my life!
“Thatiswhat I meant,” she said. “I’d really like to, ah, get to know you better, if you get my drift.”
She cringed internally, but Max just nodded, his expression serious, as if she’d said something deeply profound.
“Me, too,” he agreed. “But not just as a one-off thing.”
Her stomach fluttered in anticipation. Did that mean that he wanted something more long-term as well? She hardly dared to hope.
It wasn’t at all like her, to move this fast on getting serious… or, really, to get serious at all. Normally she would just be looking for a fling in this kind of situation, especially given thecrappy week she’d just had. A little fun, a little boost to her self-esteem after the crushing blow of losing her job.
But there was something about Max that just feltright. She couldn’t have described it if she’d tried, beyond saying that it was like he was a missing puzzle piece that was made just for her, and she’d never even realized that it had been missing until now.
She wanted to make sure that she didn’t throw it away. No matter the obstacles that would make things difficult, she was determined to make it work.
“So, you want to…”
Go steady, she almost said, before reminding herself that she wasn’t a thirteen-year-old.
