It’ll take about five minutes from the time we arrive at the theater for news to travel back to Jake that I’m not only out with a sexy stranger, but I’m looking mighty fine.
Not that I care what Jake thinks.
Max doesn’t look too shabby either. He’s wearing khakis and a tight fitting polo that shows off his muscular upper body quite nicely.
“I’d also like you to meet my mom,” I tell Max.
I’m thrilled that he can’t keep his eyes off of me.
“Of course,” he replies. “Where is she?”
“Kitchen. Baking cookies. Just in case you need a snack. She doesn’t want you to go hungry.”
He grins. “That’s thoughtful.”
I laugh. “That’s my mom for you.”
My parents could almost be a perfect Leave it to Beaver -type family if they didn’t look like some weird combination of a motorcycle gang and 60s hippie throwbacks.
Max smiles when he sees my mom. She’s holding a pan of baked cookies that have just come out of the oven.
“Just in time,” she says as she gives Max the once-over.
I can tell by the gleam in her eyes that she definitely approves. But I think my mom would be happy with anyone I brought home who wasn’t Jake Wilde.
“You have to try one while it’s still warm.” She pushes the pan of cookies toward Max.
“If you insist.” He grabs one of the chocolate chip treats and pops it into his mouth.
“Delicious,” he declares once he’s chewed and swallowed.
“My mom loves to bake. I’m not much of a cookie eater so she was thrilled when she found out you were coming over.”
“Let me box a few up for you,” my mom says as she grabs a Tupperware container from the cupboard.
“We’d better get going,” I say to Max. “We don’t want to be late for the movie.”
“Have her home at a decent hour,” my dad says as we walk back through the living room.
“Of course, Sir,” Max says politely.
“I’m an adult, Dad,” I remind him.
“My house, my rules,” he reminds me.
Could I be more humiliated?
“I’m so sorry about that,” I say as Max opens his car door for me.
“Sorry about what?” He winks.
Once we’re in the Mini I say, “My mom and dad can be a little overbearing sometimes. I am their only child.”
“I can see they care about you a lot. Nothing wrong with that.”
“They’re just glad I’m going out with someone other than Jake,” I say then immediately regret it.
“Let me guess. Jake is the guy from Haymakers.”
“He owns the bar. With his brothers. So he really is my boss. But he was also my…I don’t know. He really wasn’t my boyfriend. It’s complicated. But it really doesn’t matter anymore because we broke up.”
“So you don’t have feelings for him anymore?” Max asks.
Right to the point. I don’t want to lie, but I don’t want to ruin things with him either.
“We’re never going to be together. Jake doesn’t want any-thing serious. At least not with me anyway. So I’m moving on.”
“Fair enough.”
When Max grabs my hand I can feel my stomach clench, and not in a good way. It feels wrong having someone other than Jake touch me.
But I don’t want to ruin the only date I’ve had since high school so I don’t say anything.
It doesn’t take long to get to the Old Town Theater. It’s on the opposite end of town from Haymakers, but still less than ten minutes from my house.
“It’s not too crowded,” Max comments when we pull into the parking lot.
“They only show one movie and it’s not even a new one. Most people have probably already gone into the city to see it when it first came out. The theater stays open because some of the older folks in town don’t like to drive into the city, so they see the movies here, and the high school kids come here on Friday and Saturday nights to make out.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Is that a proposition?”
“But it’s not Friday or Saturday night,” I tease.
Max purchases the tickets and then offers to get me any snacks my heart
Not that I care what Jake thinks.
Max doesn’t look too shabby either. He’s wearing khakis and a tight fitting polo that shows off his muscular upper body quite nicely.
“I’d also like you to meet my mom,” I tell Max.
I’m thrilled that he can’t keep his eyes off of me.
“Of course,” he replies. “Where is she?”
“Kitchen. Baking cookies. Just in case you need a snack. She doesn’t want you to go hungry.”
He grins. “That’s thoughtful.”
I laugh. “That’s my mom for you.”
My parents could almost be a perfect Leave it to Beaver -type family if they didn’t look like some weird combination of a motorcycle gang and 60s hippie throwbacks.
Max smiles when he sees my mom. She’s holding a pan of baked cookies that have just come out of the oven.
“Just in time,” she says as she gives Max the once-over.
I can tell by the gleam in her eyes that she definitely approves. But I think my mom would be happy with anyone I brought home who wasn’t Jake Wilde.
“You have to try one while it’s still warm.” She pushes the pan of cookies toward Max.
“If you insist.” He grabs one of the chocolate chip treats and pops it into his mouth.
“Delicious,” he declares once he’s chewed and swallowed.
“My mom loves to bake. I’m not much of a cookie eater so she was thrilled when she found out you were coming over.”
“Let me box a few up for you,” my mom says as she grabs a Tupperware container from the cupboard.
“We’d better get going,” I say to Max. “We don’t want to be late for the movie.”
“Have her home at a decent hour,” my dad says as we walk back through the living room.
“Of course, Sir,” Max says politely.
“I’m an adult, Dad,” I remind him.
“My house, my rules,” he reminds me.
Could I be more humiliated?
“I’m so sorry about that,” I say as Max opens his car door for me.
“Sorry about what?” He winks.
Once we’re in the Mini I say, “My mom and dad can be a little overbearing sometimes. I am their only child.”
“I can see they care about you a lot. Nothing wrong with that.”
“They’re just glad I’m going out with someone other than Jake,” I say then immediately regret it.
“Let me guess. Jake is the guy from Haymakers.”
“He owns the bar. With his brothers. So he really is my boss. But he was also my…I don’t know. He really wasn’t my boyfriend. It’s complicated. But it really doesn’t matter anymore because we broke up.”
“So you don’t have feelings for him anymore?” Max asks.
Right to the point. I don’t want to lie, but I don’t want to ruin things with him either.
“We’re never going to be together. Jake doesn’t want any-thing serious. At least not with me anyway. So I’m moving on.”
“Fair enough.”
When Max grabs my hand I can feel my stomach clench, and not in a good way. It feels wrong having someone other than Jake touch me.
But I don’t want to ruin the only date I’ve had since high school so I don’t say anything.
It doesn’t take long to get to the Old Town Theater. It’s on the opposite end of town from Haymakers, but still less than ten minutes from my house.
“It’s not too crowded,” Max comments when we pull into the parking lot.
“They only show one movie and it’s not even a new one. Most people have probably already gone into the city to see it when it first came out. The theater stays open because some of the older folks in town don’t like to drive into the city, so they see the movies here, and the high school kids come here on Friday and Saturday nights to make out.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Is that a proposition?”
“But it’s not Friday or Saturday night,” I tease.
Max purchases the tickets and then offers to get me any snacks my heart
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