12. Max
CHAPTER 12
MAX
M ax wasn’t sure why he’d invited Billie to the restaurant opening in Colorado Springs.
Well, that wasn’t exactly true. He knew that he wanted to spend more time with her. The hours he’d spent with her, buying and wrapping and giving, had been wonderful, and he wanted more. He also wanted to share his own life with her. So far, he’d gotten to experience a slice of what she did every day, and he’d seen that it wasn’t nearly what he’d thought. He hoped that she might have a similar experience visiting the diner.
And he wanted her to try Bluebell’s food. Even though Max wasn’t anything close to a chef, he’d worked closely with chefs to design and taste-test the menu. He knew that everything Bluebell offered was delicious, and he knew that Billie didn’t always make enough time to eat. Even she’d admitted that her work lunches and dinners were often vending-machine granola bars or packaged supermarket sandwiches.
What Max didn’t know was why he’d thought it was a good idea to invite Billie.
Over the last few meetings, he’d grown closer to her. Their first night together had been fantastic, yes, and Max still thought about it in quiet moments. Yet it had also been an experience shared between two people who were practically strangers. Now, Max knew Billie a lot better, and he knew that if they spent the night together, or even simply kissed again, it would be a hundred times better than before.
Yet Max also knew that he couldn’t kiss Billie. The same problems were still in place: they were too different, and Max was too focused on his work. That just wasn’t going to change. He needed to keep his distance from Billie — while also being friendly and accommodating on a two-hour round-trip drive and during a dinner that was starting to look a little too much like a date.
The maelstrom of thoughts whirled through Max’s mind as he pulled up in front of Billie’s apartment building to pick her up. He hadn’t been here since they’d spent the night together in late November, and to his surprise, it looked different. Someone had put up Christmas lights over the front door, and one window — which Max suspected was Billie’s — was covered in paper snowflakes and draped in a wreath.
Max sent Billie a text to let her know he was there, then sat back in his seat to wait. A few minutes later, the front door opened, and Billie stepped out. Her gaze swept the street, then she caught sight of him. With a spring in her step and a wave, she hurried down the stairs, her jacket gapping open to reveal a long green skirt and a white sweater. The ensemble reminded Max of what she’d worn to the fundraiser where they’d met. Her dark curls were caught up in an elaborate braided style, and she wore simple makeup that brought out her beautiful brown eyes.
“Hey!” Billie slid into the seat next to Max and flashed him a grin. Her cheeks were pink from the short walk in the cold.
“All set?” Max asked.
“Yep.”
He pulled onto the road, and they were on their way. “Have you been to Colorado Springs before?”
“Yeah, a few times. I went to a music festival there a few years ago, and I’ve been to the Garden of the Gods once or twice. How about you?” Billie bit her lip. “Silly question. You must have been down to oversee the opening of the new restaurant.”
“That’s not a silly question. I don’t usually attend restaurant openings, because new locations are mostly far away. Since this one’s closer, I’ve been in person twice now, but more out of interest than anything else. And I’ve only visited Colorado Springs to check in on the restaurant. I probably wouldn’t have made it down otherwise.”
“Really? I thought you said you’ve always lived in Denver?”
“I have.” Max grinned at her. “But I haven’t had a lot of time for exploring.”
“I can see that. Have you been up to Aspen?”
“I went to a conference there.”
Billie chuckled. “I shouldn’t be surprised. I bet you didn’t even do any skiing.”
“To be honest, I’ve never been skiing.”
“What?” Now Billie’s eyes widened in mock horror. “What kind of Coloradoan are you?”
“Clearly, not a very good one.”
“Do you hike?”
“Not really.”
“Rock climb?”
“Not at all.”
“Have you even been rafting?”
“Never.”
Billie threw up her hands. “Come on, they’re going to revoke your Colorado card.”
“I do like the sunshine, if that means anything.”
“Barely.” Billie looked out the window. “Did you drive down to the Springs the other two times, too?”
“The Springs? Fancy. And yes. We do have a corporate jet and a corporate helicopter, but for such a short trip I prefer to drive myself.”
“What? I could have ridden in a helicopter? I’m heartbroken.” Billie grinned to show that she was joking.
“Next time,” Max said.
“Right.” Billie glanced at him. “Next time.”
But Max knew he’d misspoken. By the time the next nearby branch of Bluebell Diner opened — in Casper, Wyoming in February — he and Billie wouldn’t be seeing each other anymore. Christmas would be over, and they’d both have gone back to their regular lives. The thought of their partnership coming to an end made Max’s heart ache, but it wasn’t worth dwelling on it now.
There was a lull in the conversation, then Billie reached for the radio and a Christmas song came on. She began to hum along. Then she straightened.
“We should play a car game!”
“Like what?” Max smiled at her enthusiasm.
“The predictions game,” Billie suggested. “We both make a prediction of something that will happen, like how many cows we’ll see between the next two mile markers, or if we’ll see an out-of-state plate before we reach the next exit. Whoever guesses closest to the correct answer gets to ask the other a question.”
“All right. Let’s try the one with the cows.”
“Great. Since we’re still in the suburbs, I’m going to predict that we’ll see zero cows in the next mile.”
“Then I’ll go with one cow — and I’ll win if we see any.” Max glanced out the window. “There’s the mile marker.”
For the first half mile, they rolled between apartment buildings and supermarkets, passed a school, and crossed a park. Then Max pointed.
“Look.”
Billie followed his gaze. “Come on, that’s a picture of a cow on a billboard. It’s not even a real cow.”
“No one said it had to be a real cow. And that sign has three cows discussing the importance of drinking milk, so I'm definitely in the lead.”
“Fine. You’re good at this. I can see that your cutting business acumen translates well to children’s car games.”
“Thank you. I get to ask you a question, right?”
“You do.”
Max considered. He had the opportunity to get a few of his questions about Billie answered, but he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by suggesting anything too personal. Finally, he settled on a softball.
“Why did you start Sweetest Surprise?”
“Oh.” Billie looked out the window. “Well, my family… we didn’t have a lot of money when we were growing up. My parents worked hard, but it was still difficult raising four kids. And when my dad hurt his back and couldn’t work construction anymore, he struggled to find a new job that would take him, so a higher burden fell on my mom. We relied on food banks and charity shops more than a few times to get food to eat and clothes to wear, but that meant that the food we got wasn’t always the best, and the clothes we wore often had holes and stains before we got them. My parents always made sure we had something under the Christmas tree, but it wasn’t easy.
“All my siblings reacted to that adversity in different ways. My oldest brother, Mark, became a surgeon so that he could support our parents as they got older. David went into construction, like my dad, but he became a manager so that he could help prevent other people from being injured. My little sister became a nurse because she wanted to make sure she’d always have work.”
“And you started a charity to help other families like yours,” Max finished.
“Exactly.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that would be such a personal question.”
“No, it’s all right. I don’t mind talking about it. I’m proud of my parents for how hard they worked, even though it was difficult for all of us.”
“I can imagine.” Max’s heart went out to the younger version of Billie who had worried about where her next meal would come from or whether she would get presents on Christmas morning. More than ever, he wanted to feed her a good meal — even though he knew that couldn’t make up for the difficulties of her past. “How are your parents now?”
“Oh, they’re great. They’re both retired and loving life. They spend a lot of time with their grandchildren. Oh, and my sister is expecting, so there’s another grandbaby for them to love on the way.”
“Congratulations to your sister.” Max glanced at Billie out of the corner of his eye. She was smiling, but there was something a little sad behind her expression. Perhaps it was hard for her to see all her siblings married with children when she was still single — or maybe she was happy on her own. Max didn’t really know.
“Thanks. Shall we try another prediction?”
“Sure. How about we see how many cars pass us on the left in the next mile.”
“Sounds good. I’ll say… five.”
This time, Billie won. After some consideration, she asked Max, “If you didn’t run Bluebell Diner, what would you do?”
“I honestly have no idea. I’ve never even thought about doing anything else.”
“Think about it now.”
“All right. Maybe… maybe I would be a chef.”
“Really?” Billie looked interested. “Do you like to cook?”
“I do. I don’t have a lot of time to make elaborate meals, because I’m mostly at work, but I do love to cook, and my food seems to be edible.”
“That’s very cool. I wish I could cook, but I’m just as likely to leave something half raw as I am to burn it.”
Max opened his mouth to tell Billie that she needed to come over so that he could cook for her, then closed it. Once again, he was veering dangerously close to date territory. He needed to keep things professional — or as professional as they could be when they were playing a car game.
“What’s our next challenge?”
As they played, the scenery outside changed from the suburbs of Denver to rolling plains marked by the occasional gas station or town. A few flakes of snow drifted down from the sky and melted onto the windscreen, which even Max had to admit looked very Christmassy. When they arrived at the Bluebell Diner, there was already a crowd of excited patrons waiting to be seated. Max held out his arm for Billie, who took it, and led them to the front of the line. After a quick ribbon-cutting ceremony, the branch manager let them in with a smile and a few words of welcome.
Inside, the diner was already decorated for Christmas. A large, fragrant Christmas tree decked with white and red baubles stood in the entryway, each table was decorated with a miniature tree, and strands of lights ran around the edges of the room. “Holly Jolly Christmas” played softly in the background.
“For someone who doesn’t like Christmas, your restaurant is very Christmassy,” Billie said to Max in a low voice as a server led them to a small booth by the window.
“People like Christmas,” Max replied with a shrug. He slid into the seat across from Billie.
“Welcome to Bluebell Diner,” the waitress said. She smiled at Max and Billie. “Here are a few menus for you, and I’ll be back in a jiffy to take your drink orders.”
“Thank you,” Max and Billie said in unison. The waitress smiled again, then turned to lead another group of diners to a nearby table. Billie picked up her menu and began to peruse it. Max tried not to watch her too closely. After a few minutes, she set it down again.
“Everything looks amazing. What do you recommend?”
“Well, I think our breakfasts are a highlight. The Farmer’s Plate is a big hit, and so is the Chocolate Tower, but my personal favorite is the three-by-two.”
“Two pancakes with your choice of toppings, two eggs your way, and two bacon links or sausages, served with hash browns and fruit.” Billie looked up and grinned. “We have a clear winner. I don’t remember the last time I had breakfast for dinner.”
“It’s the best meal of the day,” Max told her. “Next time, you should try the Reuben, though. It’s also great. So is the bagel grilled cheese. And?—”
“Okay, okay.” Billie held up her hands with a laugh. “I’ve already picked something, so you’ve got to stop suggesting more options or I’ll get confused.”
“Sorry.” Max grinned back. “I’m just pleased that you’re here.”
“I’m happy to be here, too. It seems like a lovely restaurant.”
“Thanks. I hoped that if you could come here yourself, you’d see another side to the restaurant business beyond my focus on profit. There are real people who get to enjoy good food because of my work.”
Billie looked up. “I do see that. I know I disparaged your work when we first met, but I can see that this place is special. And people seem really excited to be eating here. I can’t wait to try the food.”
Just then, the waitress reappeared, and Billie and Max gave their drink orders — coffee for Max, water for Billie — and ordered their food.
“If I drink coffee this late, I’ll never sleep,” Billie said.
“And if I don’t drink coffee, I won’t be able to stay awake for the drive home.” Max looked out the window. “It could be a snowy one.”
Billie followed his gaze. Her eyes widened at the inch-deep blanket of snow on the ground.
“When did that happen?”
“Winter in Colorado,” Max said. “Who’s the real Coloradoan now ? You’re so surprised by a little snow.”
“Hey.” Billie glared playfully. “I’m still the real Coloradoan. I just didn’t see the snow falling, that’s all.”
They watched flakes drift from the sky in the light of a streetlight for a few minutes. Christmas music was still playing over the restaurant’s speakers, and Max heard the clatter of cutlery and the chatter of excited voices from the other guests. It was an almost perfect moment.
Then the waitress returned with steaming plates of food, which she slid onto the table. Max watched as Billie inhaled deeply and smiled, then reached for her fork and took a bite. She chewed appreciatively then looked up and caught Max watching her.
“What?”
“Sorry. I want to make sure you like it.”
“I do. It’s very delicious.” She went in for a second bite. “But you need to eat, too.”
“Right.” Max took a bite of his Reuben. “Would you like to try mine?”
“Sure.”
Max cut off a corner of the sandwich and Billie took it. “Mmm, you’re right, this is good. But mine is better. And you can’t have any.” She winked and Max laughed.
“That’s fine; I’ve tried it before.”
“Is there anything on the menu you haven’t tried?”
“Yes, actually. There’s an eggplant parmesan that I’ve never been able to bring myself to try. I’m not a fan of eggplants.”
“Interesting.” Billie looked thoughtful. “Only eggplants, or zucchinis too?”
“I also don’t like zucchinis, but they aren’t on the menu.” Max took another bite. “Do you have any foods you don’t eat?”
“Not really. Since food was sometimes scarce growing up, all of us learned to eat just about anything that was put in front of us and not waste anything.” Billie bit her lip. “Sorry. I’m just not used to talking about any of this, and now that you know…”
“It’s really fine.” Max’s heart went out to Billie, both for the child she’d been and the woman she was who felt she had to keep secrets. He understood that — he had secrets, too. Max was beyond pleased that Billie had opened up to him, but he didn’t feel ready to share about his own family. Not yet. “You can talk about anything you want with me.”
“Even… Sunshine Sparkle Alpacas?” Billie grinned, clearly ready to change the topic, and Max followed her lead.
“Of course. What else would we even talk about?”
Their conversation meandered back into talking about the gifts and the children. Billie told Max about a few of the kids, and he listened with more interest than he’d expected to have. Perhaps Billie could make any topic sound interesting — or perhaps he was starting to care about the work her charity did.
They finished dinner, thanked the waitstaff, and headed out into the parking lot where they stopped short on the stairs of the restaurant. The parking lot had been covered with at least six inches of fluffy white snow during the hour or two they’d been in the restaurant.
“How is this even possible?” Max asked.
“It’s a Christmas miracle,” Billie suggested, but even she sounded unsure.
“Not so much of a miracle. I don’t think we can drive back to Denver in snow like this. They probably haven’t had time to clear the highways yet.”
“And the snow is still coming down.” Billie tilted her head back to look up at the snowflakes that shone in the parking-lot streetlights. A few flakes caught in her long eyelashes. “What should we do?”
“Well, I see a hotel just across the street.” Max pointed. “What do you say we head over and see if they have a couple of free rooms?”
Billie seemed to hesitate, then nodded. “I don’t suppose we have any other choice. Let’s go.”
They cautiously crossed the snow-covered street, and headed into the hotel’s reception. The man behind the counter greeted them with a friendly smile.
“Do you have a reservation?”
“No, unfortunately not. We were supposed to drive back up to Denver, but now we’re planning to stay here for the night because of the snow.”
“I think I can help you out.” The man typed in his computer, then nodded. “You’re in luck. We still have one room available.”
“Just one?” Max exchanged a glance with Billie, who promptly appeared fascinated by a pamphlet about local hiking destinations that was sitting on the reception counter.
“Yes, sir. All the rooms are filled up, what with the start of the holiday rush. Would you like it? It’s two twin beds.”
“Billie?”
“Sure,” Billie replied, without looking up from her hiking pamphlet.
“All right, we’ll take it.” As Max handed over his ID and credit card, he tried not to think about what had happened the last time he and Billie had spent the night together. What should have been a professional dinner outing was quickly turning into something very different. At least there were two beds.
The man behind the counter handed over two key cards and pointed them in the direction of their room on the fourth floor. They rode the elevator up mostly in silence, exchanging only a few slightly tense smiles, and quickly found their room. Max scanned the card to let them in, and they both stood in the doorway for a long moment, looking at the small room with the two side-by-side beds. Then, at the same moment, they turned to each other.
“I—” Max said.
“This—” Billie began at the same time. They both laughed a little nervously, and Billie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear that had escaped from her braid. Max fought a strong urge to follow the motion with his own hand. He wanted to take her in his arms again.
“You first,” Max said.
“I just wanted to say that this is a bit of a strange situation, but I hope we can both keep things professional.” She looked up at Max with those big brown eyes, her pink lips slightly parted. Her jacket was unzipped.
“I wanted to say the exact same thing,” Max said quickly. “I hope that this isn’t too uncomfortable.”
“Come on, we’re two adults. We can handle this like adults.” Billie smiled, then shed her jacket, tossed it over the back of the desk chair, and sat on one of the two beds to remove her shoes. “Just because we’re in a hotel room together doesn’t mean that anything will happen.”
“You’re right.” Max followed her lead.
“It’s like a slumber party,” Billie added. Max tried not to think of the last time he and Billie had had a “slumber party.” Instead, he nodded.
“We can braid each other’s hair and try to contact some ghosts.”
“Is that what you think girls do at slumber parties?” Billie asked. “Not to mention that I don’t think you have enough hair to braid.”
Max smoothed a hand through his short hair. “You’re probably right.”
“Anyway, it’s getting late, and I guess we’ll need to get up early tomorrow to drive back to Denver. Snow or no snow, it’ll still be a workday. I’ll just take a quick shower, and we can turn out the lights.”
“Sounds good.”
While Billie went for her shower, Max turned on the TV and flipped through a few channels. Nothing very interesting was on — at least nothing that could distract him from the fact that Billie was in the next room showering. When she reemerged, she wore one of the hotel robes, and her curls were wet around her face. She smiled at Max and sat down on her bed.
“Anything good on?”
“Not really. I’ll shower too.” Max headed into the bathroom to wash up. When he came back out, Billie had shed the robe and was in bed. As far as Max could tell, she was wearing a white undershirt and not much else. Max decided that he was better off sleeping fully clothed and got into bed in his pants and button-down. Billie gave him a strange look, but didn’t comment.
“Good night, Max.”
“Good night, Billie.” He flipped off the lights, and they lay there in the dark. It was still early, and Max didn’t feel tired at all. Not with Billie so close.
“Max?”
“Yeah.”
“There’s something that’s bothering me a little. I can’t stop thinking about it.”
Max’s mind went immediately to the night they’d spent together, which was what he couldn’t stop thinking about. “What is it?”
“I don’t think I bought enough gifts for the parents for Christmas,” Billie told him. Max immediately felt like a fool. Of course Billie wasn’t thinking about their night together. She was focused on her work — which Max should be, too. It was inappropriate for him to remember how it had felt to kiss her and hold her in his arms when she was clearly not interested in repeating the experience.
“Hmm, maybe not,” he said instead. “Maybe we can have another shopping trip to pick up a few more things.”
“Good idea. Good thing we still have a week and a half until Christmas.”
“Good thing indeed. All right. Good night.”
“Night.”
But Max lay awake for a long time after that, his mind spinning in circles with thoughts of Billie.