“Nope, not at all.”
“Stella, I’ve never seen you like this.”
“I know, pathetic huh?”
“Sort of. He’s on a business trip. Get a grip.”
“That’s just it, Lace. I’m trying but I have this gut feeling something isn’t right. He should at least respond to me.”
“I always say trust your gut, but I also think you should use your head. This is a president and CEO of a huge organization. He has demands outside of JOS. He’s dedicated a lot of time to this project. He has other businesses to worry about. We already know Edward Hurst is a supreme asshat. Max wouldn’t let him make any decisions about the company. If you want a relationship with this guy, you need to realize he has other priorities too.”
Everything she says sinks in. “Jesus, you’re right. I’m an idiot. He’s busy. Even Dana said she hasn’t heard from him.” I throw back my comforter and get out of bed.
“What are you doing here so early on a Saturday?”
“Hanging. I want to do something besides work. Let’s do a spa day.”
“Can we get in this last minute?”
“We can if we hurry. We have one hour.”
“Let’s do it! You make my coffee and I’ll jump in the shower. Meet you in the kitchen in fifteen minutes.” I run to the bathroom and turn on the shower. This is why she’s my best friend. Not only does she help me see reason, she takes my mind off the stupid shit running through my head.
Six hours later, we are buffed, waxed, polished, massaged, and relaxed. We grab Chinese take-out, call Ryan to join us, and head back to my house.
After two chick flicks, we all call it a night and they leave. I glance at my phone one last time and there’s still no message from Max. My only thoughts as I fall asleep are about him returning t
omorrow. After I kiss him senseless, he’s going to get a fucking ear full.
The morning is much easier without a bottle of wine swirling through my system. I dress in my running gear and take off on my usual route. The summer sun is still brutal in August but it feels good to sweat. My mind wonders over the presentation on Thursday and how Max and I will take turns presenting. I feel comfortable with everything I’ve done without him around.
When I run around the corner, I groan. Laci is back and unloading boxes and coffee from her car.
“What are you doing here again? Don’t we get enough of each other?”
“We need to talk. Meet me inside and grab these boxes.” Without waiting for me, she goes into my house and I follow with the packages.
“First of all, drink this.” She shoves a cup at me and looks away. Something’s off. I sip the lukewarm coffee and watch her intently, waiting for her to talk.
She looks at me and her face is pale. She actually looks scared.
“Stella Bella, I’m so sorry. I feel like a first class asshole. I should have never suggested you mix business with pleasure. Whatever happens next, I’ll be here for you. We’ll get through this JOS project together. As many bottles of wine and liquor we need, I’ll have them on standby.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“I saw this come across my gossip feeds this morning. I wanted to be here with you in case it was mentioned on the Sunday morning news.” She shoves a few pieces of paper at me and I look down.
My heart starts racing and my eyes fill with tears. The pages contain pictures of Max with the same woman I first saw on my iPad. In the first photo, she is clinging to him and the caption reads
‘Multi-millionaire, Maxwell McCoy, recently named one of Atlanta’s Most Eligible Bachelor’s, not so eligible.’
There are several images of him and the woman named Erica Hurst. The last one breaks my heart. He’s leading her into a hotel and she’s leaning into him. Her lips are touching his.
“Guess I should have trusted my instincts, huh?”
“Maybe this is all a misunderstanding.”
“Yeah, maybe.” I wipe the tears off my cheeks and anger boils in me. “Thank fucking God I didn’t sleep with him,” I scream.