Lady Baby

18

RECALL

Max was seated in his car, hands gripping the wheel and cold sweat dotting his brow. He wasn't nervous. Nope. He chuffed and shook his head.

"I can do this," he mumbled and drew in a deep breath. Leaning back, Max stared at the car ceiling.

How hard could it be? All he needed to do was find a convenient time during their date and pop the question.

She would say no.

The thought came unbidden and his anxiety skyrocketed with it.

Oh, man. What was I thinking?

Max glanced at the door of Sharon's friend's apartment and gulped. It was a Saturday afternoon, the weather was just right, the universe had aligned and he felt it in his bones that the day to ask Sharon to marry him had finally come. They've been dating for about six months; six months was long enough to pop the question, yeah?

Max hadn't even started the date yet and he was already a clumsy mess; sweaty palm and everything.

Last week, he had managed to convince Sharon to follow him to London for the annual Comic Con. He had done that stupid thing where he told himself that if she said yes, it meant he was making the right decision to propose to her. When he drove her back home from their date that night, he casually slipped into the convention, asking her if she would want to attend.

"You make me try exciting new things, Max. Of course, I'd go."

At first, Max went mute. "Really?"

"What?" Sharon chuckled and poked his arm. "Stop acting surprised; you know I love all kinds of art."

Max grinned until his cheeks hurt. "You'd cosplay, right? Tell me you'd cosplay, please."

Max blinked away the memory and looked down at himself. He was dressed as an Assassin's Creed character—dumb choice. He was sweating buckets beneath all that faux leather even though his car AC was in full blast.

One glance at his wristwatch told him he had less than two minutes to hurl his arse out and walk up the door.

"You can do this, man." He blew a breath and loosened his shoulders. "I wouldn't make an idiot of myself. She would say yes."

Feeling his confidence boost, Max pulled the key from its ignition and made his way out. He palmed one of his hidden pockets, making sure the little box was still in place.

A torturous mixture of terror and eagerness assailed him.

What if she says no?

He shut his car door and took a quick jog up the front steps.

She wouldn't say no.

Sharon had refused to stay at his London apartment, instead choosing to stay with one of her university friends to catch up on old times. Max couldn't remember if her friend's name was Denise or Danielle, all he knew was that she bore a striking resemblance to a younger version of Helena Bonham Carter—with bigger teeth.

"You got this, man. You got this." Max said to himself. "She would not say no."

The door swung open without him knocking and he sucked in a sudden breath.

"Why would I not say no?"

Max blinked once as he took in Sharon's face, her cat-like brown eyes... the way they twinkled as she beamed at him. Her lips-she had them painted in a dark shade of red. Silver hoop earrings hung from her ears and swayed against her gorgeous neck.