“Wanna play hookie again?” I asked. I’d gotten sick almost immediately after bringing Max out for her pedicure and she hadn’t so much as hinted at wanting to do anything of the sort since. I wondered if Christian had laid into her.
Max picked at her peeling nails and gave a little tilt of her head. “I’m pretty sure Uncle Stones will murder us both if we sneak out again. And I promised I wouldn’t.”
“It’s part of the girl code,” I said. “Some emergencies allow for a little bending of promises. Besides, we’ll disguise you again and this time, we won’t leave any evidence like dolled up fingernails. We could go see a movie, grab milkshakes, or anything you want. What do you think?”
Max smiled to herself, shrugging. “I haven’t been to the movies in forever. There’s this new one out with Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum. I wouldn’t mind seeing it.”
“It’s a date,” I said, clapping my hands with finality. Go get your incognito hat and sunglasses. I’ll meet you in the parking lot in ten minutes, okay?”
“Won’t my uncle wonder where you are?”
“He’s only going to realize I’m gone if he stalks me on the security cameras. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want to admit he’s still doing that. So let’s take our chances.”
Max sat up a little straighter, smiled, and then rushed off to get her things.
I headed to the parking lot feeling good about my decision, even if it might wind up getting me fired. At least I had my twenty-thousand-dollar bonus sitting prettily in my bank account, just begging me to make it to the weekend so I could celebrate with a little retail therapy.
Anyway, I honestly didn’t think Mr. Stone still watched me on the cameras. I’d made a few test visits to Chase’s desk and hadn’t heard a peep from him. As far as I could tell, Mr. Stone didn’t have the self-control to watch that and not demand I come up to his office at that instant.
* * *
We got popcorn, sweets, and drinks so big I knew we were both going to have to take turns peeing several times and filling each other in on what we’d missed. But the most important thing was that Max seemed to have completely forgotten about whatever had her so upset. She was all smiles as we left the theater and got in my car.
“There’s still time for milkshakes,” I said with a suggestive wiggle of my eyebrows.
“God,” Max said, clutching her stomach. “Aren’t old people supposed to have smaller appetites or something? I just ate a whole box of Sour Patch Kids and drank a gallon of soda. If I even look at a milkshake, I’m going to barf.”
I glared at her. “Old people? Excuse me. I’m not even officially in my mid-twenties yet. You watch that whippersnapper mouth of yours.”
Max smirked as she checked something on her phone. “First sign you’re an old person is that you are actually offended when someone calls you old. That means you’re insecure.”
I groaned. “First sign you’re a little brat is you don’t know how to say thank you when people do something nice.” I gave her a playful little punch on the shoulder and she finally smiled.
“I really enjoyed that, seriously. Thanks, Lola.”
“Any time.”
“I don’t want Uncle Stones to fire you, though. So maybe we shouldn’t do this kind of thing too much.”
“Are you trying to say you like me?” I asked, putting a hand to my mouth in mock surprise.
She rolled her eyes. “I’m just saying I’ve had worse tutors. I might as well keep you around if you’re going to keep taking me to do fun things, you know?”
“I’ve had worse students, for what it’s worth.”
I expected another eyeroll, but Max’s eyes suddenly brimmed with tears, and she reached over to hug me from her seat.
I was surprised enough by the sudden emotion that my own eyes started to water. I reached up, hugging her back.
“He broke up with me,” she said, voice thick with emotion. She sat back and took a shaky breath, then seemed to shove down the tears with a little effort.
I decided the wise move here was to say nothing. I just sat, giving her time to get out what she needed to get out.
“School is starting soon and Uncle Stones said if I want to go to real school, he’ll need to fly me to Denver or something so nobody here makes the connection that I’m at the tower. He thinks people will be watching all the local schools. I really like this guy here, though, and he has been hanging out with a girl who will be at his school. We were kind of talking–dating, maybe, I guess? We never got to see each other except on video chat and stuff, but I think we were together. Anyway, he told me last night that he wanted a girlfriend he could actually see and touch. And he got mad at me when I asked him to wait, because I don’t think it’ll be like this forever.”