Chapter Eighty-Eight

“Dinner with me, Max, and some girl?” He asked me one night on the phone.

“Some girl?”

“Yeah, I don’t know. Max wants to bring a girl.”

“Okay, that’s fine.”

“Just me and you will hang out after. Anything you want.”

“I don’t mind hanging out with Max.” I said.

“I know. Its just.. sometimes its nice when me and you are alone.” He said.

“Yeah, its always better when its just me and you.” I said smiling.

“I’ll come get you and we can hang out after practice before dinner.” He said.

“Yeah, I’d like that.” I said.

“So whats this girl going to be like?” I asked Sidney while we were laying on a couch in Mario’s house.

“Umm.. well knowing Max and the girls he likes to date. I will be surprised if we can hold an intellectual conversation with her.” He said in all seriousness.

“Well we are talking about Max, I don’t think many intellectual conversations take place.” I said.

“no, but seriously. Max always goes for the wrong type of girl. Max is a good guy.”

“Max is a good guy but I don’t think Max really wants a relationship.” I said.

“He doesn’t, but if he found the right girl.”He said.

“I don’t know. So what do you really think the girl is going to be like?”

“His last girlfriend was nice.”

“Nice.”

“Well, she could keep up with him. She would go out with him and whatnot. She was nice, but not really the kind of girl you marry or bring home to your mother.” He said.

“So what your saying is I could potentially be sitting at dinner in a nice restaurant with a Pittsburgh slut?” I asked.

“First of all, we won’t be at a nice restaurant. It will be nice but not our kind of nice. Second of all, I don’t think you should classify her as a slut before you even meet her. I do think its safe to say she isn’t going to be your best friend.”

“Oh well, in that case.” I said laughing.

“Max will owe us for doing this for him.” He said.

“Why us? Why did he pick us?” I asked.

“Who knows.”

“Isn’t Marc is best friend?” I asked.

“Yes. But, Marc is with Vero all the time.”

“Max doesn’t like Vero?”

“No, he does. I think he just feels out of place with them.”

“And he doesn’t with us at all, which is kind of weird.”

“We are just such awesome people.” He said.

“well I’m awesome, I’m not sure about you.”

“After three years, you still aren’t sure about me?” He asked me and started tickling me.

“Okay! Okay! Fine! You are AMAZING!” I said giving into the tickling.

“After three years I figured out how to get you to see things my way.” He said.

“What? With holding sex?” I asked.

“Oh, I wish that worked! Tickling, smart ass!” He said.

“I love you.” I said when our faces were inches apart.

“I love you too.” He said then kissed me.

“I just wish Max could find what we have.” Sidney said in the car on the way to the restaurant.

“Me too. But like you said maybe he doesn’t want to find it.” I said.

“How could he not?”

“I don’t know. He is only like 25.”

“Yeah, and I’m 21.”

“You aren’t Max.” I said.

“I know. It just seems weird because it feels so good.” He said.

“I know. But Max is Max. Lets just make it through this dinner. Then, we will figure out a nice girl for him.”

“That would be nice.”

“I know, I’m a little worried to match him with a nice girl because what if he corrupts her.” I said.

“Lets not think about Max and his ways.” He said laughing a little.

“Kind of hard when we are getting pulled into them!” I said.

“We love Max. Who knows why, we just do. He is a good guy.” He said.

“I know, I know. I’m just hoping I can remember that when I’m sitting across from him and his playmate.” I said.

“Playmate.. that’s a good one.” He said laughing.

“We are so bad!” I said.

“We are in rare form tonight.”

“Great behavior for dinner with a stranger.”

“Maybe that means we won’t have to double with Max anymore.” He said trying to look on the positive time.

“I wouldn’t get your hopes up.” I said.

“You are such a good sport for doing this.”

“you say this now, who knows how my behavior is going to be like when I meet her.” I said laughing.

“When in doubt, just drink your water.” He said.

Then we pulled in to the parking lot. We stepped out and walked hand in hand to the restaurant.

“Bring on the circus.” He said.

“Oh good attitude, babe!” I said looking at him.