TANGLED PLANS

61

Max had timed the date perfectly to where the sunset was just starting when he parked the car at the end of the rather empty parking lot. Where he parks, I can see the beach perfectly from here. I turn to him and say, "Max, this is perfect."

"I thought you would think so," Max says with a smile. "But it's kind of cold," he says, his eyes glancing down at my outift. "And you're not dressed for the weather. What do you say about us opening the back of my car and eating there as we look over at the sunset?"

"I think that's a very good idea," I say to him honestly. Max nods and then says, "I'm going to go prepare it. You just stay here and look pretty."

"Hm," I say to him softly with a little frown. "Is that all you want from me?"

"Rough, because that's all I want from you," Max says with a playful roll of his eyes. He then adds, "Stay here since you will be cold out there."

"Okay," I say to him, to which he smiles and runs his hand down my arm before leaving. He definitely did that on purpose. He knew that I would be busy thinking about his touch the whole time while he was setting up. I fake a scowl and turn around to look behind my seat.

I can see Max pushing back the seats in his car as he makes more room for the back. I watch his arm as he moves the car, loving how his muscles flex from the view the rolled-up sleeve provides me. He glances up at me after he is done and gives me a wink. He knew that would send me over the edge as well. I didn't know who was telling Max all of these things, but it had to be someone.

I get restless in my spot, so I take off my seat belt and head out of the car. Max was right; the wind threatens to cool down my entire body. I hold down my dress as I head over to where he is working. Max is setting up the food he bought for himself. He places it on the towel he had, and when he sees me, he says, "Almost done."

I move toward him and help him place some of the food as well. After it is all set up, I turn to Max. He places a hand on my waist and says, "Need a boost?"

"Sure," I say to him, to which he places his other hand on my waist and hoists me up on the car. I pull down my dress when it rides up and start to position myself in the car better. Max slides in after me, and I make room for him. I drop the flowers on the spot by the food, and Max gives me a smile when he says, "You know these flowers are really you."

"Because my name is Daisy?"

"Yes, and also because you radiate positivity," Max says with a very big grin. I give him a playful slap on the arm, which he laughs at before grabbing for a tin-foilled cover of food. Inside, there are burgers that seem to be made with extra love and care. The meat inside had to be homemade as well.

Max grabs one of them, and I follow after him. Max scoots to the back of the car, and I slip into the space he freed up to have more space when eating. I can still see him, though, as the both of us eat in a comfortable silence. I pick out an onion from the burger and say, "Have I told you how much I loved the thought you put into this?"

"Yes," Max responds, but I still have questions. "Look at how beautiful the world is. The sky is a very pretty purple, and I'm having dinner with a guy who actually likes me. I'm very happy about this."

"I'm glad, sweetheart," Max says as he looks out the window and toward the sky as well. The sunset was purple, and it made me feel comforted just by looking at it. I loved the beauty of the world as well as the guy beside me.

"You just had a thought," Max says with a soft smile. "Tell me, what was it?"

I give him a nonchalant shrug and say, "I was thinking of the beauty of the world."