farewell (18+)

17. Making The Most Of It

I drank yet another weird English beer to try and cope with that epic cock-block. After we all had squeezed in the back of a cab, Max explained to me that when he lived on the street, Tom was the only one who had stepped up and put a roof over his head, even though they weren't even that close back in the day. Tom had also been the one who convinced Max he could go to college, and helped him finish high school to get there. That kind of support he didn't have from his family back then.

He and Tom had been friends for almost a decade; they had lived together; they always came through for each other. Sound familiar? Yeah, that really rang with me, so no, I couldn't get in their way.

Since Tom had gotten engaged to Maggie and moved back to London, he and Max barely had any time left to hang out. So they made a pact of getting together at least once a month, no matter what. It was now the end of September, and they hadn't been able to meet throughout the entire month. I had to understand that.

I admit I at least enjoyed to see Max this happy, among the people who meant so much to him. It was all worth it. That giddy smile of his made my heart so replete. He leaned in and gave me a lingering peck on the lips. As soon as he touched me, my skin crawled, and like every time, I didn't want him to let go. It was utterly selfish of me, but I didn't want to share him with the rest of the world. I wanted every kiss and every touch to last forever, be damned the people around us. But unfortunately, he had to pull away. He had to shift his focus back to Tom and Rodrigo. After all, that night was about exactly this.

I turned back to Maggie, resuming our conversation. We had hit it off instantly. We had similar taste for music, movies and fashion. I didn't have any girl friends, just college acquaintances, so it was a nice change of pace. Other girls always hated me because I got along so well with the guys, and there was always some jealous bitch on my neck because of Vlad. But Maggie was so easy to like, so nice and upbeat. Her joy was infectious, and I could definitely see why Tom wanted to marry her and why Max had accepted her so well in their circle.

We excused ourselves to the lady's room after a few pints, as they say. I confess I was dying for a chance to talk about Max with her. She beat me to it as soon as we crossed the threshold, though.

"Okay, we have got to talk about this situation!" she said.

"What situation?"

"You and Max! Are you two getting serious? Oh, my Gosh! He's never introduced us to anyone! Not even before I tagged along!"

"Wow! Slow down, Maggie!" I held her shoulders.

"Sorry... I got a bit carried away for a moment." She took a calming breath. "It's just... Max never gets too involved with anyone. He usually keeps his distance."

"And how do you know he's not doing the same with me?"

"Rod just told me you've been fooling around since summer."

"That's hardly a big deal."

"You don't get it, darling. He's never been with anyone more than twice, not since--" She caught herself, pausing midsentence. "His first love, I guess."

My chest dropped in a bottomless pit. I entered fight or flight mode, thinking about Max's first love and the emphasis Maggie had given to the word. Besides, the thought of Max being serious about me had me nervous for some reason, even though that's what I wanted. But I could swear I heard my blood flowing then. Wasn't I supposed to be thrilled that Max was still seeing me after this long, especially considering how far we lived from each other?

"Oh..." Maggie scanned me. "I shouldn't have said that."

"No, it's okay... You just caught me off guard. I honestly don't know what to think."

"We should head back then... I talk too much when I drink. Don't mind me."

"Maggie, wait." I held her. "Do you think he might... Like me?"

"What kind of question is that?" She chuckled. "Of course he likes you!"

"I know, I know. I meant... as more than just a fling."

"Darling, I've known Max for a long time now. Trust me, you're more than just a fling! He talks about you non-stop, and there's this sparkle in his eye..."

This time I felt another kind of anxiety, the good kind. This reaction felt right because I felt the same way about him.

"You seem happy..." Maggie smiled at me, but my face fell. "What's wrong?"

"It's just... It's dawning on me that I'll be leaving in an hour."

"Oh, no!" She came to hug me, even though we had just met that same day. "It will be alright. There will be another time."

"I sure hope you're right. I mean, who's to say that he's not gonna forget all about me between visits? That could happen. There could be so many distractions while I'm gone."

She pulled away and put a strand of my hair behind my ear. "We can't be sure about anything, darling. Tomorrow doesn't belong to us. Why don't you make the most of this last hour then?"

I gave her a suspicious look. "Are you suggesting what I think you are?"

She just winked at me and zipped her lips. I started debating with myself whether I should take her advice or not. I followed her back to the booth, still thinking about it. I couldn't not think about it for the next five minutes. The conversations around me started to sound like white noise, my attention becoming disperse.

"Are you okay, love?" Max asked me.

"Yeah, sure. Just a little light-headed."

"Don't go getting banned from airlines." He chuckled. "I need you sober and behaved on that flight so you can come back to me."

Phrases like that were what gave me hope. Still, things could change at the drop of a dime. And who knew how long it would take for me to see him again? He got up to go to the man's room. I waited about a minute, a minute and a half. Who knew? My notion of time sucked even when I was sober. I couldn't stop picturing his soft lips on me, kissing everywhere, letting a trail of heat behind to scorch my skin.

To hell with that. I wasn't ready to say goodbye. I got up and followed him. Maggie gave me a meaningful look before I disappeared behind the short, narrow hall that led to the restrooms.

What was I thinking? What if he wasn't alone in there? Well, probably not; the pub wasn't exactly crowded. But what if he didn't want to do it here and now? He had friends waiting for him. But I wanted him so badly, and I couldn't be sure of when I'd get to have him again. I waited by the door until I saw some guys coming out, and then I got in. Fortunately, he was alone, washing his hands.

"Anna! What the hell?" He turned off the valve.

"Don't even start. You're the one who likes screwing in public libraries."

He looked at the door, then back at me, his eyes glazed with doubt. And then he pulled me into a stall.

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