Page 44 of Revenge
“I was young once, so I get it. We all need our chance to shine. Besides, you’re going to make me look good. This was an easy decision.” She winks.
“I’m the one who should be thanking you. I never imagined doing anything like this. It’s glamorous.”
“You haven’t seen anything yet.” She smiles.
We eat and chat as we wait for the photographer. I find myself getting more nervous by the minute. But it’s a good kind of nervous. I’m finally doing something I love. Something that makes me happy. Maddie is about to tell me about her latest dabbles in designing when the door chimes.
“That must be Max.” She stands and walks to the front of the store. I take a deep breath and follow. “Hi, Max. It’s so nice to see you again,” she gushes.
“Hi, Maddie. It’s nice to see you too. Even though I was surprised when you called. I thought you were done with the newsletter business,” he replies with a light laugh.
“What can I say? I’m a sucker for trying to win. You can’t win if you don’t try. But this year, I have a secret weapon. Max, meet Ava, our newest addition to the House of Beauty.”
“Hi,” I greet him, holding my hand out.
“Hi, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Ava.” He takes my hand and brings it to his lips. I take my hand back quickly. He has done nothing wrong, but it doesn’t feel right. It feels too intimate, like I’m cheating on Viktor. What am I saying? Viktor and I aren’t a couple.
“Well, thanks for coming in on short notice, Max,” Maddie interjects to cover the awkwardness.
“I’m glad you called,” he tells her, but looks at me. He smiles, and I can’t help but smile back.
“So, where do we start?” I quickly say, trying to make him stop looking at me. He is looking at me like Viktor sometimes would.
It takes a few hours to get all our pictures, and the experience has been amazing. Max knows his stuff, and I see why Maddie asked him to do the photoshoot.
“I think we have it all,” Max tells me.
“Are you sure? Did we get the red dress with the earrings?” I ask, thinking of everything I laid out for the newsletter.
“Yes.” He smiles, and it’s infectious.
“Ok,” I say, boxing the jewelry.
“Any good places to eat around here?” On cue, my stomach growls.
“Shit, look at the time,” I say to myself. “Sorry I’ve kept you.”
“Don’t apologize. This is the most fun I’ve had in months. Why don’t I take you out to lunch to celebrate?”
“Oh, I can’t. I still have a few more hours of work.”
“I’m pretty sure there are laws about skipping lunch. Besides, the baby has to be hungry by now.” He smiles, and I giggle.
“I am pretty hungry now that you mention it.”
“Enough said. Maddie, I’m taking Ava to lunch.”
“Please! If you don’t, she’ll forget to eat.”
“Then it’s settled. Where would you like to go?”
“There’s a diner up the street. They make the best burgers and milkshakes. I wouldn’t be opposed to that.”
“Sounds perfect.” He smiles.
“I’ll get my purse.”
It was such a wonderful and exciting morning. Everything went better than I expected, and Max is such a sweet guy. His attention to detail and eye for fashion are mesmerizing. The best part was that he let me be part of the process. I didn’t feel like I didn’t belong. He showed me pictures and asked for my opinion as the morning progressed. I haven’t felt this alive in forever, and I couldn’t be happier.
