Picking Up the Pieces (11 page)

I tried hard to maintain my upright posture.
But inside, I was slumped over so far my head hit the table. I’m not sure when I had allowed myself to get my hopes up, but I had. And his words were like a knife to the chest.

When he resumed speaking, his voice was low and I mentally braced myself for his imminent rejection.
“I have to protect myself this time.”

Wait . . . what? Did he say “this time”?

"So can we try that first?” he continued. “Try to be friends? See where things go?”

It took me a moment to register that he hadn’t told me to go to hell and burn there for all
of eternity. It took every fiber of willpower I possessed to prevent myself from leaping over the table and dry-humping his leg. “Friends,” I replied with a genuine smile, which he returned. “Well now that the elephant’s out of the room, let’s have a normal conversation. Oh, and another cup of coffee,” I said shaking my cup to show it was now empty.

Adam chuckled softly as he rose to throw my cup away and get me another.
The look on my face must have let him know I didn’t know what was funny.

             
“At the coffeehouse . . .” he explained, “talking about elephants. Did you ever read that book by the way?” he smirked.

             
Water for Elephants.
How could I forget? “Yeah,” I laughed, “actually I did.”

“See, now we have something to talk about.
Caramel macchiato, right?” he asked as he turned toward the counter casually, not even really waiting for me to reply.

“Actually,” I said, “make it a mocha latte.”

“Mocha latte?” he asked, his voice raising in disbelief. “When did you change?”

I shrugged, a shy smile gracing my lips.
“I’m not really sure.”

Chapter 14: Max

"So how many people are coming?"

             
"Should be about twenty. I didn't want anything too huge."

             
Trevor turned his head in the direction I had been absently staring at while we talked. "Are we waiting for someone in particular?"

             
Sharply snapping my head back to him, I let loose with an uneasy grin. I hadn't realized I'd been staring until he called my attention to it. "Uh, no. Just my parents," I offered quickly.

             
"Right," he said with a smirk, clearly knowing that I was lying.

             
In that moment, I hated how well he knew me. I guess that’s what happens when you keep friends around that you met in elementary school. They get really good at reading you. Though it probably wasn't all that difficult to see through my excuse. Lily and I had fallen into a comfortable friendship, talking a few times a week and even hanging out every once in a while.

I couldn't resist immediately looking back at the entrance to the private room my parents had rented for my b
irthday. It was a Monday—a shitty night for a party—but I liked celebrating my birthday on the actual day. Who wouldn't want to honor the day I came into the world? That was a great fucking day. Not that I remember it, but I'm sure it was.

             
My parents had wanted to throw me a party, and I relented because, well, who wouldn't want a party? But my mom had also insisted because, as she said, "You only turn thirty once." I wanted to counter that I remember her turning forty-nine quite a few times, but decided to keep that comment to myself. I had kept the guest list small because I wanted everyone to be comfortable and have a good time. Once you start inviting agents, former teammates, and business associates, shit gets out of hand. And I would also have had to spend more time glad-handing and kissing ass than I was up for on
my
birthday. So my mom had contacted a local restaurant and rented one of their back rooms. My only stipulation was that the room had a bar, and she hadn't let me down.

             
Trevor started speaking again, but I zoned him out as I saw her.
She came.
When I’d mentioned the party to her, I hadn't been sure Lily would actually make it, thinking it may be too weird for her to hang out with my family and friends. She had told me she'd come, but part of me didn't want to get my hopes up. I couldn't quite figure out why I instantly felt relieved when I saw her. My shoulders dropped and my tension abated.
She looks fucking fantastic!
In the five seconds it took for her to see me sitting at the bar, I had already completely taken her in: her black tights, cream silk shirt, black ankle boots, just enough makeup to accentuate her natural beauty.
No wonder I'd wanted to fuck her as soon as I’d laid eyes on her in that airport.
When her eyes finally landed on me, her face lit up with a broad smile, and she started making her way toward me.

             
"Oh, so
that's
who we've been waiting for," Trevor mumbled beside me.

             
I cut him a quick sideways glance, which only made him chuckle. Then, I turned my attention back to Lily just in time for her to put her arms around my neck and squeeze.

             
"Happy birthday, old man."

             
"Thanks. And old my ass," I retorted with mock indignation.

             
She giggled and thrust a small, wrapped box at me. "Here, this is for you. Obviously."

             
"Awesome. I'd say you didn't have to get me anything, but I'd be lying."

             
She shook her head before putting that bright smile back on her face.

             
"Should I open it now?" I asked, unsure of what the protocol was for opening gifts once you hit thirty. I normally just tore everything open immediately, but maybe I was supposed to be more mature now that I'd entered a new decade.

             
"Whatever you want. It's your birthday."

             
"I love your attitude." I ripped the paper off of the gift and stared at it. My eyes darted to Lily, and I saw the smirk she was trying to suppress. "You got me a whistle?"

             
She couldn't hold back anymore and allowed the laugh she had been choking back to escape her lips. "It's a rape whistle. So that the next time you get stalked in a bar by a cougar, you can summon help."

             
I laughed with her. "You asshole. This is a horrible gift."

             
She wiped tears from her eyes and then reached toward me with a card in her hand. "Here's your real gift."

             
I snatched the envelope
from her hand and tore it open, pulling out a card—something silly about getting so old my body was starting to fall apart.
Yeah, right.
Inside the card were small colorful slips of paper with writing and drawings on them. I examined them more closely, reading each one. Realization dawned on me slowly as I looked over them: coupons. About ten coupons that Lily had made, each promising me something different. One was redeemable for a late-night pick-up, no questions asked. Another was to be used in place of an apology.
Shit, she probably should've given me more of that one.
There were coupons for a free hug, for an accomplice in crime, for a corny joke when I needed a laugh. And as I sifted through them, it dawned on me what the real gift was. Her friendship. Lily was offering me another chance to be close to her. Not romantically, but still intimately. I suddenly realized why I felt such relief when she’d walked into the party. It was because she was my friend—probably my best friend—and things just weren't as good when she wasn't around. I decided in that moment that this would be enough. I wouldn't screw
up with her again by trying to force things to go in a direction that we didn't both want. If friendship was what she was offering, then that's what I would take. And that was
all
I would take.

             
I sifted through my pile of coupons and handed her one.

             
She looked down at it before smiling sweetly at me. "Since it's your birthday, I guess I can let you slide with a free one." Then she slid her arms back around my neck and I inhaled her as I wrapped my arms around her, speechless at the gift she had given me and confident that it would be the best one I would receive this year. Especially since I was pretty sure no one else's tits would feel
this
good against my chest. Friends be damned, I was still human. The fact that I restrained myself from running my tongue down her neck should've spoken volumes to my dedication to our new relationship.

             
We broke apart before the embrace became awkward, as if there was a set amount of time a hug between friends should last. Trevor cleared his throat beside me and I wished that he had gone the hell away. "Lily, this is my good buddy Trevor. Trevor, Lily."

             
Trevor extended his hand toward her, and Lily shook it, but her face was cool and impassive.
Huh.

             
"Nice to meet you, Lily. I would've spoken up sooner, but I didn't want to ruin the Hallmark moment."

             
"You too." Her response was clipped and she looked away from him quickly, dismissively. I stared at her strangely for a moment, but before I had time to dissect her behavior, I heard another familiar voice over my shoulder.

             
"There's the person I've been waiting all day to see."

             
I watched my father approach, wide-eyed
and beaming with his arms outstretched, ready to give me a big hug. Even knowing that it wouldn't be as fulfilling as the one I got from Lily, it did always feel good to get a hug from my dad. He somehow always managed to convey so much with it: his love, his pride, his devotion. When he got closer, I moved slightly toward him to receive the embrace, but he simply pushed my arms out of his way.

             
"Out of my way, Max. I need to hug this pretty girl."

             
This man did
not
just diss me on my birthday.
But when I looked over at Lily, I couldn’t say I blamed him. I'd have gone straight for her too.

             
"How are you, my dear?" my dad asked as he wrapped his arms around her.

             
I turned toward my mom, who had been following right behind him. She simply shrugged her shoulders at me and let a soft giggle escape from her lips.

             
I reached my hand up to my dad's shoulder and gently ripped him away from Lily. "Listen, old man. Don't forget who chooses what home you go into when mom gets tired of your cranky ass."

             
He laughed that hearty laugh that I loved and smiled. "Stop threatening me and get over here."

             
He pulled me into a strong, chest-constricting embrace that made me feel so loved I could barely stand it. I stored this memory into the recesses of my brain so that I could one day pull it out and remind myself to hug my own child exactly like this.

             
"Sorry we're late," my mom said as she edged my dad away from me so that she could move closer. "I give your father one thing to do, and does he do it? Of course not."

             
"Aww, come on, doll. Max would've understood if we hadn't brought him a card."

             
"You forgot to get me a birthday card? What kind of father are you?" I asked, acting insulted.

             
"Listen, if I had to remember to get all of my children birthday cards, I'd have little time for anything else."

             
"Dad, I'm your only child."

             
"Semantics," he declared as he waved a hand at me.

             
"Did you forget to take your pill or something?" I asked, trying but failing, to keep the amusement from my voice.

             
"You mean my Viagra? No, I made sure to take that," he replied as he wagged his eyebrows at my mother.

             
"Bill, stop that! How embarrassing," my mom huffed as she walked over to Lily and gave her a hug and quick kiss on the cheek.

             
"Thank you for making my thirtieth birthday traumatic, Dad. Nothing like a good 'ole dad-violating-mom story to make shit memorable," I grumbled as I watched my mom give Lily an extra squeeze before releasing her.

             
"Today is the perfect day for such talk. How do you think you got here?"

             
"Dad, I swear, if you don't stop talking, I’m gonna puke."

             
"Anyway," my mom interrupted, "here is your card. We'll put your gift over on the table with the others. Bill, can you go check on Aunt Gladys?"

             
"Hell no!" my dad yelled at the same time I said, "You brought Aunt Gladys?" I felt an accusing glare creep onto my face.
What the hell were they thinking?

             
"Who's Aunt Gladys?" Lily asked.

             
I heard Trevor laughing behind me.
Asshole.

             
"Oh, Trevor, I didn't see you. How are you?" my mom asked as she moved toward him to greet him.

             
"Forget him," I whined, blocking her path. "Why did you bring Aunt Gladys?"

             
My mom's features grew stern as she reprimanded me. "Because she's your
great aunt, that's why. She has as much right to be here as anyone else and you will be nice to her or, I swear to you, Max, I will kill you."

             
This wasn't the first time my mom had threatened me with bodily harm, but it always made me laugh. My mother had never touched me with anything other than love and affection. Maybe if she had, I wouldn't have turned out to be such a prick. "Okay, Okay, I'll be nice. But where is she?"

             
My dad replied quickly. "Bathroom."

             
"Oh, no," I groaned.

             
Lily looked at us completely perplexed. "If you need someone to go check on her, I'd be happy to . . ."

             
"No," my dad and I both yelped in unison, resulting in an icy glare from my mother.

             
My dad gripped Lily's shoulders like he was warning her about her imminent death. "Lily, whatever you do, stay away from the bathroom when Aunt Gladys is in there. Please, dear, promise me. Promise!" he hollered at her when she didn't immediately reply.