Maximum Dare

by Fewings, Vanessa

  “No, but he sent Max to help instead.” I widened my eyes at her so she wouldn’t make a scene. “Which is nice.”

  She looked annoyed, but didn’t say anything.

  “Max even drove me here,” I added.

  “There is chivalry left in the world.” She gave his arm a squeeze. “Oh, you are firm, aren’t you?”

  I forced a smile, flinching from embarrassment, but Max looked amused.

  “I’m delighted to make your acquaintance. I’m Max Marquis.”

  It was my first time hearing his last name and it sounded dreamy.

  “Barbara Rowling.” My aunt’s face lit up. “Obviously not related to that Rowling or I’d be rich.”

  It was funny seeing my aunt flustered. It was good to know that Max had this effect on other people and not just me.

  “I’ll put the kettle on,” she said, and then looked at me. “I’ve put you in the spare room, Daisy. You know the one.”

  “Thank you—I love that room. But it’s only for a while.”

  “It’s company for me,” she said.

  Barbara directed the movers to carry my belongings up the staircase to the top floor of her two-story house. It wouldn’t take them long to finish.

  I was relieved my aunt knew better than to ask how I was doing in front of other people. Undoubtedly she could see I was on the verge of tears.

  Max and I followed her into the front hallway.

  “I have a client here at the moment.” She nodded toward a back room. “Okay for me to finish up with them?”

  “Yes, of course,” I said. “Sorry my timing was off.”

  “Nonsense,” she reassured me. “You are always welcome in my home, Daisy.” She looked back at Max with a curious expression and then gave me a bright smile before walking away.

  I started up the staircase toward the room that would be mine. At least until I had saved up enough for a deposit to rent a flat.

  Max reappeared at my bedroom door. “I think that’s it.”

  “I need to tip them,” I said.

  “All taken care of.” Max sat on the bed beside me.

  Following his gaze around the room, I looked at the familiar chintzy wallpaper and old-fashioned curtains. I absolutely loved it.

  Max looked concerned. “Are you sure you’re going to be fine here?”

  “It’s my home away from home.”

  “Where do your parents live?”

  “Scotland. They run a bed and breakfast on the Isle of Harris.”

  They had moved up there to avoid being reminded of the worst day of their lives. They kept busy, hosting tourists in their seaside home. I was glad they weren’t around to see how badly I’d messed up my life.

  Max reached into his pocket and withdrew my car keys. He set them on the bedside table. “Your aunt seems nice. What does she do?”

  “She’s a fortune teller.”

  He blinked in disbelief.

  “A high-end one,” I added. “She works from home and has an office at Selfridges.”

  “Does she ever read your tea leaves?”

  “She read mine two months ago. Her expression told me everything I didn’t want to know.”

  “That you and Nick…?”

  “I’m guessing she saw our breakup.”

  “She didn’t say anything?”

  “No, she just brought out the lemon cake. It was like she was trying to sweeten the truth.” To think I’d once liked lemon cake, too. “Will you let Nick know where I am?”

  “Daisy, I want you to focus on you.”

  There wasn’t much to focus on in my life, not really. I just went to work and then came straight home.

  But I nodded anyway.

  He leaned forward. “These changes in life, the ones that come at you fast, out of nowhere, sometimes it’s the universe sending you in a new direction. Sending you on to something better.”

  “To someone better than Nick?” There would never be anyone else like him.

  “Someone different.”

  I sighed. “Do you want to stay for tea?”

  “Thank you, but I have to go.”

  I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. “Look out for Nick.”

  “You know I will.”

  “And…thank you for today.”

  He rose to leave, and the mattress shifted on my single bed. There was only one pillow—only one was needed.

  “It’s time to move on,” he said softly.

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “Yes. Yes, you will.”

  He headed for the bedroom door.

  “Wait!” I leaned over one of the boxes and ripped up the sealing tape. Reaching in, I pulled out a shoebox and opened the lid to show Max what lay inside. “Don’t forget Pelé.”

  Max looked happy to see him. “You keep him. Unless…”

  “Unless?”

  “He reminds you too much of…”

  I glanced down at Pelé. “He reminds me of you.”

  Max’s gaze focused on me, and I saw uncertainty in his eyes.

  “I’ll keep him in the box,” I added quickly.

  “Daisy, I mean this in the best kind of way…”

  I nodded. “No more turning up at inconvenient times.”

  His expression softened with relief. “Good. We wouldn’t want to have to put a restraining order on you, Miss Whitby.”

  My face blanched.

  “Daisy, that was a joke.”

  Feeling awkward, I averted my gaze so I wouldn’t have to look at him.

  He stepped forward and touched my face, forcing me to look up at him as he traced his thumb along my bottom lip. “Take care of yourself, Daisy Whitby.”

  I peered up at the man too tall to kiss, and stared into his deep brown eyes, letting myself draw strength from his kindness.

  He pivoted and hurried out of the room.

  I listened to his footsteps as he rushed down the stairs—he obviously couldn’t wait to leave. When I heard the sound of the front door closing, I collapsed on my bed and curled into a ball, just longing for this day to be over.

  This was probably against the Harvey Nichols staff policy—squishing my nose up against the outside showroom window and leaving a smudge. It was my usual pose when I left work, since I could never resist peering through the window at the beautiful evening gown on display.

  Gold braiding and twinkling crystals adorned a fitted bodice, below which hung a delicate, wispy chiffon skirt.

  God, how I love that dress.

  I let out a sigh and my breath steamed a patch of glass. The gown represented hope. The promise of a life of glamour and excitement—that perhaps, by some miracle, a fairy Godmother would appear and give me the confidence to be more than what I’d always been.

  The girl next door who rarely left the house.

  My days at work kept me busy helping others…watching their faces light up with happiness when they tried on a dress. But it wasn’t all fairy dust and contented customers. Now and again, a snobby client came into the store, one of the stuck-up types. To them, I was the invisible shop girl whose only job was to fetch their size and then help them in and out of it. That’s how I’d learned to master a fake smile.

  I turned my back on the display window and walked away, finally rising from my daydreaming to notice the sounds of traffic and pedestrians surrounding me, the noise nudging me home so that I could escape.

  The Knightsbridge Tube was my usual way back home to Richmond. My mind felt as numb as my hands in the bitter cold, despite my parka and gloves. Once on the Tube, I buried my face in the Vogue magazine I’d found discarded in the coffee room, flipping through pages filled with women who looked incredible, having found happiness in a handbag. It reminded me of Morgan’s Instagram page.

  A moment later, I did myself a favor and deleted the Instagram app off my phone. This was the kindest thing I could do for myself. An act of selfcare that might well save my sanity.

  As soon as I made it home, I went straight to my
bedroom.

  I lay on my single bed, flipping through all the channels on the TV, not really watching anything. I tried not to think about what I could have done to prevent my life from going tits-up.

  Competing with someone like Morgan was impossible. She was larger than life, and it hurt like hell knowing that Nick had spent time with her while we’d been together.

  It was devastating to realize that my love had never been enough for him.

  A knock at the door had me pushing PAUSE on the remote.

  Barbara came in and glanced at the TV screen. “How are you, love?”

  “Fine.”

  She looked concerned. “You’re in your PJs already?”

  “They’re comfy.”

  “Well, you have a visitor.” She spoke the words as though offering me hope and encouragement.

  “Nick?”

  “No, it’s that handsome young man who helped you move.”

  I shot up. “He’s here?”

  “In the sitting room,” she said with a nod. “Do you want me to send him away?”

  A rush of excitement made me giddy. “No, I’ll be right down.”

  Maybe Max had come to give me a message from Nick.

  Within minutes, I’d dressed in jeans and a T-shirt and had pulled my hair up into a ponytail. Feeling decent enough to face Max, I headed downstairs with my heart racing and my spirits rising.

  Max was sitting on the sofa, balancing a small teacup on his knee. His worried stare was fixed on Auntie’s new Corgi, who was ensconced right next to him.

  He’d removed his coat to tolerate the central heating—Barbara had the place as hot as a furnace.

  I let my gaze take in his ripped jeans, stretching tightly over his thighs, and the J. Crew jumper that fit him so well. His thick, raven hair was the kind a girl wouldn’t be able to resist running her fingers through. I imagined kissing the stubble on his rugged jaw.

  He turned to look at me, a tender expression in his eyes. “Hey, Daisy.”

  His voice caused a shiver to run down my spine. I walked farther into the room.

  “I see you’ve met Wilma, then,” I said.

  He glanced at the Corgi. “She’s not scary at all.”

  “I think she likes you.”

  “How can you tell?”

  “You’re still alive.”

  He threw his head back and laughed. His reaction made me crack a smile, too.

  “Wilma has that whole staring competition thing going on,” said Max, reaching out to scratch her head. “You win, girl.”

  Wilma wagged her tale and buried her nose in his side as he continued to rub her.

  “How are you?” he asked, his tone laced with concern.

  “Hanging in there. Is everything okay with Nick?”

  He hesitated. “Yes, of course.”

  “Um…” Then why are you here?

  He pushed to his feet and set his teacup on the coffee table. “Grab your coat.”

  “I’m…a little busy right now.”

  “I need your help with something, Daisy.”

  My eyes widened in surprise. “What’s going on?”

  “It’s best if I show you.”

  Within minutes, he’d helped me into my coat and I’d been shuffled out of the house into the cold. Max opened the passenger side door on a flashy silver Tesla.

  “Where’s your bodyguard?” I asked.

  He frowned. “Carl believes I’m at the Waldorf.”

  “You lied to him?”

  “I gave him the day off.”

  His frown deepened as he studied me. “Thought you and I should have some privacy. Is that okay?”

  Instead of answering, I climbed into the front passenger seat, sinking into the cream-colored leather. “Where are we going?”

  Max got in and pushed a button. Heat blasted over us. “You’re going to approve.”

  “Why do you need my help?”

  “You’ll see.”

  Warmth curled around my bum—the seat was heated. We were driving through London in the lap of luxury, but it would have been easy to look at Max and forget everything. He was that alluring. The smile he gave me when he sensed I was staring his way was so damn sexy. It made my insides curl with pleasure.

  My face broke into a grin…

  It was turning out to be the best day ever since my life imploded. Right up until Max stopped in front of Sunny’s, my optometrist. Deflated, I realized he was just trying to shake off the guilt he felt for breaking my glasses.

  “Your aunt told me this is where you got your last pair.” He gave me a satisfied smile. “Your prescription will be on record, I imagine.”

  “You’re buying me…” I stated the obvious, shaking my head.

  “It’s the right thing to do.”

  “But it’s completely unnecessary.”

  “I insist, Daisy. You were trying to catch up with Nick when I got in your way.”

  “You left out the harassment bit.”

  “Carl ushered you aside…”

  “Ushered?”

  “It’s our story and we’re sticking to it,” he said, giving me a wink.

  I let out a sigh.

  “This should make us even.” He looked at me expectantly, waiting for me to cooperate.

  I fought back my disappointment. At least I’d have new glasses.

  Inside the store, Max walked along the aisles ahead of me perusing the collection. He lifted a pair of sunglasses off the display case and tried them on, turning to see my reaction. He put them back and continued to move around the store, cheerfully picking up spectacles to examine them.

  He found a pair of sunglasses with blacked out frames and put them on. He rocked the look. “Olá!”

  “Are you going to get them?”

  Max looked surprised as he took them off. “No, we’re here for you.”

  I was still feeling some guilt over the secret crush I had on him—though I would never risk my connection to Nick. Deep down I held on to the hope we would one day reconcile. But Max was charismatic and being with him made my evening bearable.

  Glancing over at the shop assistant, I saw I wasn’t the only one ogling the cutie studying the display of fashionable eyewear. Max was now over in the designer section, viewing the selection with interest.

  I hurried over. “These are very expensive.”

  Max studied the price tag. “These are okay.”

  “Those over there are on sale.” I pointed toward the other end of the store.

  He narrowed his focus on the bargains. “I can’t be seen with you if you wear any of those.”

  “That section is where I got my last pair!”

  Max chuckled, then lifted a pair of fancy looking frames off the panel and handed them over. “Try these.”

  Blinking up at him, I let him ease the new frames on my face, his warm fingers trailing over my cheeks.

  He took a step back and studied me. “No.”

  “Why?” I liked the way they looked.

  But I let Max remove them. He put them back and chose another pair, sliding them onto my face. “Look in the mirror.”

  I turned and studied my reflection, loving how the delicate frames complemented my face and made me look pretty. Max rested his hands on my shoulders and turned me around to face him. His eyes were so easy to fall into, but my gaze dropped to his mouth.

  And my surroundings slipped away…

  Dazzled by him, I was unable to stop staring, and I felt my cheeks blaze with heat at my failure to tear my gaze away.

  A ghost of a smile curled Max’s lips. “Beautiful,” he said, as though I confounded him.

  He stepped closer and reached around to pull out my hair tie, releasing my ponytail. Locks tumbled over my shoulders. Gently, he tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, sending a shiver through me.

  Looking up at him made me feel protected, as though all he had to do was wrap his arms around me and everything would be all right again.

  I heard
a sigh, and it was mine, full of wonder as both of us remained suspended in a moment seemingly meant for us.

  “Let me know if you need any help!” the shop girl piped up.

  She broke the spell and we stepped away from each other self-consciously.

  Max threw a nod her way. “I was making sure they go with her hair.” He faced me again. “What do you think?”

  I spun to look in the mirror and caught my surprised expression—his comment had made my insides feel warm and fuzzy.

  “They make your eyes pop.” He grinned at me. “Like them?”

  “I love them.” This was the kind of excitement usually reserved for something a lot bigger than buying glasses. I couldn’t deny how much I loved being around Max.

  His soul was on fire for life—he was a person willing to embrace happiness and share it.

  “I found the one!” he said, and then quickly corrected himself. “The right glasses, I mean.” Max took them out of my hands and walked over to the counter. “I’d like to buy these, please, for Daisy Whitby. Her prescription should be on file.”

  Minutes later, we headed out of the shop after receiving the promise that I could pick them up tomorrow.

  Max drove me home and parked outside the house. He sat for a moment, tapping the steering wheel as though he wasn’t ready to say goodbye just yet.

  “Thank you, Max.” I reached for the door handle.

  “I have something for you.” He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper.

  I took it from him, and realized it was a check. “What’s this for?”

  “You helped pay the mortgage.”

  “This is more than I paid.” In fact, it was more money than I could make in years.

  “It’ll be a nice deposit on a flat when you’re ready.”

  My lips trembled at what this meant; what he really thought of me.

  “You want more?” He reached into his coat again.

  “No!”

  My relationship had a number on it. No, that wasn’t it. The shopping trip to buy new glasses had been a ruse. Max had merely waited for me to let down my guard so he could pay me to disappear.

  I ripped the check into tiny pieces, throwing it over him like confetti. It landed in his hair and sprinkled his shoulders and coat.

  He didn’t blink. “Well, that didn’t go as expected.”

  “I don’t want it.” I drew in a sharp breath. “I just want Nick to be safe.”