by Remy, Cate
The band launched into an upbeat tune as the lights brightened. Angie looked around for Max. He was nowhere to be seen. People approached her to introduce themselves as Detrick’s former classmates.
Fifteen minutes went by as she heard stories about her brother, some uplifting, some funny. Then Max appeared by the beverage table with a frosty cup of ice water. He waited until all the people left her before he went to her. Angie accepted a cup of water from him. “Did you see the tribute to my brother?”
“I did. What did you think of it?”
“It was beautiful.” She took a sip of the refreshing ice cold water. “Did you organize it?”
He said yes without exactly saying yes. “I kept those football photos. I may have also asked old friends if they had any pictures and videos of Detrick.”
Angie was touched by all the effort he put into the presentation. “I wasn’t expecting this tonight.”
Max gave a slight frown. “It wasn’t out of place, was it?”
“Of course not. I love how you did it.”
“I wanted to do something to honor Detrick’s memory. He was a great friend. I still miss him.”
“Me, too, but he would’ve been happy to know we went to a party with his friends and danced.”
“Speaking of dancing, I haven’t seen you out on the floor yet.”
“Me, dance? No.”
“Come on.” Max set his water down and took hers away. “Just one. It could be the last slow song of the night.”
Angie let him lead her out into the throng of couples dancing. The band played a cover of a Mariah Carey song. Max held her around the waist and swayed to the music. She put her arms around his neck.
A long time ago, her young teenage self would’ve loved to have this moment dancing with him. She closed her eyes and could almost imagine being in this same gym years ago, fretting about how to keep lipstick off her braces.
“You’re smiling.”
She opened her eyes to see Max staring at her.
“What are you thinking about?”
She watched his lips form the words to the question. First, she was thinking about braces and wanted to laugh. Now she was thinking about his lips. She’d never admit to thinking about kissing him. “I’m impressed how a male singer can hit some of Mariah Carey’s high notes.”
Max saw through her act. “You weren’t thinking about him singing.”
“If you know what’s going on in my head, why did you ask me?”
He smiled and kissed her forehead. “You’re right. I don’t know. I just wanted to see you make that expression when you get mad, the one where your nose scrunches up.”
Her skin warmed at her brow and spread all over. She needed to get out for some air. “I’m going to look at the trophy case outside in the hall.”
“Fine with me. The band will probably play one or two more songs.”
Angie meandered out into the hall. Max came up beside her and put her hand in his. “Appearances. Remember.”
She almost forgot. For a while, she allowed herself to play into the belief they were simply at a high school reunion enjoying themselves.
They looked at the old and new trophies before leaving the reunion. Lou was outside with a new limo. He told them the other was in the shop, and apologized for the inconvenience.
“No worries,” said Max. “It all turned out fine.”
Angie got into the vehicle. Her pretend fiancé took his usual seat across from her.
“Did you enjoy the reunion, even though it wasn’t your class?”
She replied, “Yes. You?”
“I had a great time. I got to talk to old friends and dance. You saved the day by fixing the limo. That was kinda hot.”
Her former awkwardness returned. They were out of the public eye. Did Max forget he was no longer playing for a crowd or was he just entertaining himself to see what reactions she’d give? “What’s hot, me or the other limo’s engine?”
“Good one. They should’ve given you comedic roles in the school plays.”
Because that was her, right? Good for a laugh. Angie stretched her legs. The night was basically over and she should feel relieved, but she felt even more stressed. She still had a crush on her high school crush turned businessman.
There was money involved now. A contract. She couldn’t throw it away by allowing herself to start daydreaming like she was back in high school again. The Max Kelly of her youth could crush her innocent little teenage dreams. The man sitting across from her today had the power to rescind his contract and money. She had too much responsibility on her hands to have her head in the clouds.
* * *
Max prepared to walk Angie to her door when the limo reached her house. She shook her head, mumbled a phrase which sounded like a rushed “I’m good” and darted out of the vehicle like it was on fire.
Lou’s voice came on the speaker. “Where to now, sir?”
“The Kleghorn.” He glanced at his watch. After midnight. The reunion wore him out. He’d get a room at the hotel and make the drive to Atlanta in the morning.
As the limo took him to the hotel, he thought about Angie. No matter what, he just could not stay on her good side for long. Was it the tribute to her brother? Did his surprise turn out to be the wrong move?
He wanted to kiss her during the dance. What was wrong with him? He needed to focus on the whole point of their fake relationship status, not actually start to buy into it himself.
His phone vibrated in his pocket. He received a call from Steve Preston at the time he arrived at the class reunion. The music must have drowned out the ringtone. He listened to the voicemail. “Max, it’s Steve. My son just told us his paintings are going to be at an art show in New York in two weeks. Why don’t you and your fiancée fly up then? We’ll talk more and I’ll introduce you to investors in the health care sector who are interested in the Harper hospital project. Take it easy.”
Max pumped his fist. This was it. Steve wouldn’t bring other investors into talks if he and Charley didn’t plan on selling the land for the hospital.
He had to tell Angie. He hoped she wouldn’t mind another surprise. This was a good one.
He looked at the time on his phone. On second thought, it could wait until tomorrow.
* * *
Angie spent the Sunday afternoon prepping meals for the week and helping Raymond with his addition and subtraction for school. She tucked him into bed at eight-thirty after reading him a bedtime story. “Goodnight, sweetie pie.”
“Mom, when is Max going to come over and throw a football with me again?”
She still sat on the fence about Max spending more time with her son. “How would you like to play on a soccer team this summer?”
Raymond pulled his hands out from beneath the blanket. “Cool, but I still want to throw the football with Max.”
She couldn’t change the subject with her boy. Raymond was too smart for a seven year-old, sometimes. “I’ll ask him when he can come over.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“Get some sleep. You have to get up early for school tomorrow.”
She turned out the lights in his room after giving him a kiss goodnight. Her grandmother already went to bed. Angie went downstairs to finish cleaning up the kitchen. She heard Max calling her cell phone. Last night, she assigned him a specific ringtone. “Hello.”
“What are you doing in two weeks?”
“Attending a family reunion. Why?”
“I need you to be ready to go to New York.”
“What?” She switched the phone to her other ear.
“Steve Preston invited us to his son’s art showing. He and Charley are bringing in people who want to invest in the hospital.”
“So they’re going to sell you the land?”
“Looks like it. Angie, this is it. We have to be at that art show on Saturday night.”
She set her teeth on edge. “If this is it, what about the contract I signed?”
“If you’re talking about the money, I’ll still pay you the rest of the hundred and ten grand. You did your part.”
“What time is the plane flying out? The family picnic is on Saturday.”
“We can take a private jet Saturday night so you can go to your reunion, but I don’t want to push the flight time back any further.”
“Sounds good.” Her grandmother was looking forward to introducing Raymond to older relatives, and she wanted to connect with them as well. “Max, how long would we be in New York? I’ve never been away from Raymond, and my grandmother won’t be able to care for him for days all by herself.”
“You can take him with us.”
“To an art show? I don’t think it’s the place for a second grader.”
“The hotel has a children’s activity program. If you want, I can hire a nanny to watch him while you attend the art gallery with me.”
Nanny. The very word left a bad taste in Angie’s mouth. She didn’t like the idea of dropping her son off with a stranger while she went to fancy parties at night. “I have to ask if my grandmother’s friends can check in on her. She’s independent at heart, but she still needs to get to and from her errands and appointments.”
“I can arrange for an assistant to help her while you’re away.”
“It could work as long as I’m not gone too long. Make sure the assistant has thick skin. I can’t be sure my grandmother will be keen on this whole thing.”
“I’ll talk to her at the family reunion.”
“Excuse me? Did you just invite yourself?”
“Angie, we have to keep up appearances.”
Her mind blazed through all the crazy scenarios which could transpire if Max showed up at the family reunion. “They’re going to grill you with questions.”
He actually chuckled. “I can handle it. I’m used to being grilled. I’ll call you later this week with more details.”
Angie shoved the phone in her pocket. Great. She thought she could relax at the reunion. Now she had Max to worry about. His presence was sure to complicate things with her grandmother and the rest of her family. Worst of all, when this sham of an engagement ended, she’d be the one stuck breaking the news to them.
Could it get any worse?
Chapter Eleven
Two weeks later
Angie zipped her suitcase and placed it with Raymond’s smaller luggage set in a corner of her room. She packed enough for three days, although she didn’t think they’d stay in New York City for longer than two.
Laughter and chatter bubbled up from downstairs. Several of Grandma’s cousins stopped by early to visit and ride together to the park for the reunion picnic. Angie wished she could spend more time with them while they were in Georgia. How much of this arrangement with Max was taking over every aspect of her life?
This would be over soon if all went well this weekend. On one hand, she’d be glad to stop lying to everyone. On the other hand, it occurred to her that Max would be gone from Harper. It’d be like they never saw each other after high school.
She shut the door to her room and started down the stairs. The old wood creaked beneath her feet. If she was honest with herself, she had to figure out the next step forward for her family. Harper had its nostalgic charm, but for her, the town was increasingly becoming a dead end financially. Her skills as a mechanic didn’t matter if auto shops kept closing. Plus, her grandmother needed more space since the accident. The downstairs was too cramped to be her living space long term.
If Angie found a good job in a larger city, maybe she could use some of the one hundred and ten grand from her contract with Max to put towards a new house. The hard part was finding a better job. With no college degree, her chances were much slimmer.
She shook off her heavy thoughts once she reached the bottom of the stairs. Her worries would still be waiting for her after the family reunion picnic. She could enjoy herself for the time being.
“Mom, Max is here,” Raymond shouted and bounded from the living room to answer the front door.
She bit her lip. Then again, her worries were just starting.
Max entered, wearing shorts and a perfectly fitted t-shirt that showed his biceps. He carried a cake from a famous Atlanta dessert shop in his hands. “Hope I’m not late.”
Angie took the cake from him. “They’re just getting started. I’ll introduce you to the family.”
She went into the living room. Grandma looked up and everyone else copied her motion. All eyes were on Angie and Max. She cleared her throat. “Family, I’d like you to meet Max Kelly, my fiancé. He’s here to see how we like to party.”
Her introduction brought smiles and a few chuckles from Grandma’s cousins. Max went around the room to shake their hands and listen to them tell him their names. He greeted her grandmother warmly. Angie noticed Grandma was polite yet distant.
She drove Raymond and Grandma to the picnic in the park. There, more family members gathered to grill burgers and enjoy the warm spring day. She and Max chatted with them. They enjoyed hearing her fiancé’s high school football stories.
“Let’s play a round,” a younger male cousin said. “The food won’t be ready for another half hour.”
Raymond tugged on her arm. “Mom, I want to play, too.”
“Sorry, honey, you’re too little.”
He made a sad face.
“Hey, Ray, do you want to play catch one on one first?” Max asked him.
Angie watched her son’s sad little face brighten. He nodded vigorously and ran out on the grass. She got a can of Coke from the cooler and went to sit with her grandmother. “Are you enjoying yourself?”
“My hip hurts a little, but it’s good to get out of the house and see family.”
“Do you want me to go to the store and get you an ice-hot pack?”
“I’ll be alright in a minute.” Grandma smiled, patted her hand, and went to talking to another family member who sat down beside them.
The sun was high today. The weather was humid. Angie got up after a while to take water to Raymond and Max. “Raymond, I think you need to take a breather for five minutes.”
Her son came over with the football. He took the water and gulped it down as he ran over to Grandma. Angie handed a bottle to Max. “Thanks. He was looking forward to playing catch with you again.”
“He loves football. You think you’ll let him try out for a team when he’s a teenager?”
“I don’t think I’ll be able to stop him, but why not? His uncle did. If we’re still in Harper, I’ll tell Raymond to go for it.”
Max stopped drinking water. He looked at her over the bottle. “What do you mean, if you’re still in Harper? Are you moving?”
“Maybe. I need to go where the jobs are. There aren’t many openings for car mechanics in a small town.”
“Where would you like to go?”
“I haven’t thought that far ahead, but I eventually want to go to college, too. I don’t see it happening anytime soon.”
“Why not?”
She tilted her head and looked at him. “Because it’s expensive and takes up a lot of time. I have Raymond to raise and I have to talk my grandmother into moving. We need a bigger house for her needs.”
Max appeared deep in thought. “I noticed she limped today.”
“Her hip is bothering her. I’m going to ask some of the family members to come out to the house so she can keep visiting with them and be comfortable on the sofa and out of the heat.”
“Hey, Max,” one of the guys called, “we’re about to play. You’re both standing in our field.”
“I think my second or third cousin is referring to me standing in the field. You boys have fun.” Angie turned on her heel to go. Max suddenly swooped her up and tossed her over his shoulder. “Hey, put me down. What are you doing?”
“Carrying you off the field.”
She heard her cousins laughing, even though she couldn’t see them with her head upside down. “I can walk.”
“You just want to embarrass me in front of my family.”
He set her down on a cushiony patch of grass in the shade. “What are fiancés for? Rest up. We have a flight to catch soon.” He flashed a smile before joining the other men for a quick game of football.
* * *
Three hours later, Angie fastened her seat belt while onboard Max’s private jet. The plane was due to take off for New York in fifteen minutes. She turned her head to the left to see Raymond and his caregiver Susan seated together. The caregiver attempted to keep him entertained with books to read. He kept bouncing his legs on the seat, excited about his first trip on a plane and visiting New York. “Mom, can we go to Times Square, ride the underground trains, and see the Umpire State Building?”
“Empire State Building. We can visit a few places, not all of them.”
“Why not?”
“We don't have a lot of time.”
Satisfied with her promise to visit a couple of the places he named, Raymond resumed bouncing his legs. Angie glanced over at Max seated across from her. His eyes were glued to his phone. He texted away.
“We’re meeting the new investors tonight for cocktails before the art show,” he uttered.
“Glad to see things are moving along for you.” She rested her head against the back of her seat while the jet prepared for takeoff. She hoped the investors were agreeable like Charley and Steve, just not as delayed in their decision making.
The sooner Max had his hospital, the sooner she could make a new start with her family, whatever it may be.
* * *
Max walked into the hotel lobby with Angie, her son, and Raymond’s nanny. The sooner he nabbed this contract, the sooner the engagement charade could be over. He didn’t mind the part about pretending to be Angie’s fiancé. Not that he hadn’t told her already, but there was something attractive about a woman who was smart, savvy, and knew her way under a car hood. It was simply the hoops he was tired of jumping through to make their relationship look authentic.
