Chapter 6

He steps out from behind the counter with a wet red towel in his hand. He reaches forward to press it to my head but hesitates. A dark look crossing his face, before he finally just hands it to me.

"Thanks." I take it, and gently press it to my head. My head throbs and stings from the wetness.

"So aside from calling strangers your significant other, how have you been?" he asks coolly. I look away, a blush spreading across my face like the sun on a summer day. I don't know what came over me to tell my mother that hideous lie.

"Yeah, about that." I bite my inner cheek a little apprehensively. "I'm sorry, I'm not sure where that came from." I glance back at him with an apologetic smile. He rests his hands on the counter, which draws my attention. They're sexy and look powerful. They have cuts and calluses on them. I can't help but wonder what they would feel like skimming up my body, they portray control and dominance. I can't help but drag my eyes up his arms. They look bigger, more muscular than I remember.

Feeling myself wind up like a coiled snake I avert my eyes to the floor, noticing my hitch in breathing.

He doesn't say anything, and I feel the need to explain myself further for my embarrassing actions.

"My mother has been on me about settling down and getting married." I explain on an exhale of frustration. "Her idea of blind dates makes Tinder look like a good idea."

He scoffs, a shake of his head. "Sounds like your mother and my mother could be best friends."

I squint my eyes deviously, remembering the many risqué stories about Max.

"Yeah, I'm sure you'd just use your mom to get into my mom's pants or something." I twist my lips in knowing. My favorite story about Max was how he pulled off sleeping with twins on the same night, thinking they were the same girl and neither of them knew about it.

His jaw parts in a sexy way as he wipes the counter leisurely, his shoulder muscles flexing from the movement.

"Well, your mother was checking me out." He draws his eyes to mine, and raises a brow. His tone serious and husky.

My thighs clench at his sexual tone, and I throw the towel at him.

"Some things never change," I smirk, rolling my eyes.

"Yeah, well they will be," he mumbles under his breath. "I have to find a girl and settle down or my mom will find one for me." Readjusting the towel he was using to wipe the counter, his shoulders lift on a large breath.

"I don't know what business of our parents it is. I mean why does it matter?" I shrug, my emotions starting to ball up.

His eyes narrow. "I'm sure they just care in their own fucked up kind of way. It's not like I want to be single, I just haven't found the right person." He bites at his bottom lip, the way his teeth graze along it slowly drawing my attention to his mouth.

He glances at me and I look down, picking at a chip in the counter.

"Speak for yourself. I don't want a boyfriend, and that is by choice. I love going out every night and having a good time and getting a boyfriend is going to totally kill that." I shake my head. Remembering when I met Jacob and he hated going out to the point I never went out again. He made it to where it wasn't fun anymore.

Both of his hands planted on the counter Max lifts one and turns his blue hat backwards and my heart beats a little faster. The way the navy colors contrasts against his blond hair is strikingly handsome. He says he doesn't want to be single but that has to be a lie. He really is good looking. Especially with that hat backwards like that.

"I can't go on another blind date, I'll have nightmares for a week if this new guy is anything like the last." I chew on my nail angrily. Sick of society dictating the normal behavior of what a female my age should be doing with her life. "I'm just not ready to settle down and because of it, my mother looks at me with nothing but disappointment. She backed off for a while, but because my sister is getting serious with a guy my mother thinks I need to be too."

"My sister getting married is what brought about my mother about this stupid blind date crap," Max informs. I can't help but smirk at the way his face scrunches.

The room goes silent, and Max's eyes flare like a lightbulb just went off in that handsome head of his.

He taps his knuckles along the counter before pointing at me.

"What if you were my plus one!? What if we go with what you told your mother?" He points at me, and I point at myself as if there's the possibility he's talking to someone else.

"Plus one?" I ask.

"Yeah, for my sister's wedding. My mother is making me find a decent girl for the occasion. What if it was you?" he clarifies.

I slow blink. "Say what?"

"You just told your mom we were together, and she lit up like a damn Christmas tree, Rae. My mother is only on my back because of my sister's wedding and as soon as it's over she is going to move on with her life, and annoy Macy. You aren't looking to settle down, so you should pretend be my girlfriend, and when the wedding shit is over we can go our separate ways!" he informs with arms outstretched. His excitement boyish and cute.

"What's in it for me?" I squint my eyes.