with no emotion.
Max frowned. Tyler was his best friend. Admittedly, they hadn’t talked much over the past few weeks, ever since Max had left Roadies. But Max had been there for Tyler through every breakup, every drunken arrest. Everything. “Hey, I was wondering what you were doing tomorrow morning,” he hinted.
“Nothing. Why?”
“Chloe’s mom was in a horrible car accident. She’s been cleared to come home, but can’t get into the house with her wheelchair. Would you come over to Chloe’s and help me build a ramp?”
There was silence on the other line for a beat. “I don’t think so.”
“Why not?” Max demanded.
“Because you left Roadies and went to Hard Drive. And why? For her. I wish I knew what you see in that girl. You know, there are a million out there like her who aren’t lazy freeloaders who don’t want to work.”
“Do not call Chloe a freeloader. You have no idea what she has to go through. I do. And I did it because I love her. If you can’t accept it, that’s your problem.”
“No, Max. It’s yours. Trust me. I could care less.”
“Fantastic. See ya around, pal.” Max poked the face of his phone violently. The shuffle around him snapped him to attention. He had been so consumed by his call he had missed that he was no longer alone. Rico, Mark, and Dan stared at him, making him uncomfortable.
“Got a problem, man?” Rico asked.
“It’s nothing,” Max grumbled.
“From what I heard, you need a ramp built.” Rico looked past Max to Mark and Dan. “What are you boys doing in the morning?”
“I was going to sleep,” Mark answered. “But it sounds like I’m going to help build a wheelchair ramp.”
“My video games can wait,” Dan added as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
“Dang right they can, Dan,” Mark snapped. “All you ever do is play video games.”
“At least I do more than eat, sleep, whine, and watch SportsCenter,” Dan retorted.
“All right, gentlemen,” Rico interrupted. “Save the sparring for the mats. Lumberyard at eight o’clock work for you, Max?”
Max slowly glanced from Rico to Mark to Dan. An appreciative grin spread across his face. “Yeah. Eight o’clock works great. Thanks, guys.”
The next day, Max woke as dawn streaked across the sky. It was going to be a long one working in the hot sun. He just prayed he wasn’t doing it alone.
He hadn’t told Chloe of his plans. He wanted to surprise both her and Liz. And I don’t want to disappoint her if something falls through. By the confusion etched in her face, he could tell she wondered what he had up his sleeve. He met her confusion with a smile as he tugged on his tennis shoes and pecked a kiss on her cheek. He didn’t say a word as he climbed into his car and drove away in the direction of the lumberyard.
Pulling into the first spot in the row outside the store, he turned off the ignition. He stepped out, glancing around. A smile spread across his face. There, on the opposite side of the parking lot, stood the three muscle-bound men leaning against Mark’s truck. Each man cradled a paper cup of coffee in his hand. Max locked his vehicle and jogged over to meet them.
Dan handed him the fourth cup sitting on the hood of the truck. “Ready to go shopping?” the blond greeted.
“Absolutely,” Max responded as he took a sip of the hot, dark, thick liquid. “Let’s do this.”
The men wandered around the near empty store, carefully selecting the items they needed. Max was grateful to have them there. With four minds in the hunt, they remembered things he would have certainly missed. And the banter between them all was lighthearted and fun, especially between Dan and Mark. Being best friends since they were toddlers they knew how to push each other’s buttons. If it wasn’t for their extreme difference in appearance they could easily pass for brothers.
It took less than an hour to find everything, for Max to purchase it, to load it all in Mark’s
Max frowned. Tyler was his best friend. Admittedly, they hadn’t talked much over the past few weeks, ever since Max had left Roadies. But Max had been there for Tyler through every breakup, every drunken arrest. Everything. “Hey, I was wondering what you were doing tomorrow morning,” he hinted.
“Nothing. Why?”
“Chloe’s mom was in a horrible car accident. She’s been cleared to come home, but can’t get into the house with her wheelchair. Would you come over to Chloe’s and help me build a ramp?”
There was silence on the other line for a beat. “I don’t think so.”
“Why not?” Max demanded.
“Because you left Roadies and went to Hard Drive. And why? For her. I wish I knew what you see in that girl. You know, there are a million out there like her who aren’t lazy freeloaders who don’t want to work.”
“Do not call Chloe a freeloader. You have no idea what she has to go through. I do. And I did it because I love her. If you can’t accept it, that’s your problem.”
“No, Max. It’s yours. Trust me. I could care less.”
“Fantastic. See ya around, pal.” Max poked the face of his phone violently. The shuffle around him snapped him to attention. He had been so consumed by his call he had missed that he was no longer alone. Rico, Mark, and Dan stared at him, making him uncomfortable.
“Got a problem, man?” Rico asked.
“It’s nothing,” Max grumbled.
“From what I heard, you need a ramp built.” Rico looked past Max to Mark and Dan. “What are you boys doing in the morning?”
“I was going to sleep,” Mark answered. “But it sounds like I’m going to help build a wheelchair ramp.”
“My video games can wait,” Dan added as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
“Dang right they can, Dan,” Mark snapped. “All you ever do is play video games.”
“At least I do more than eat, sleep, whine, and watch SportsCenter,” Dan retorted.
“All right, gentlemen,” Rico interrupted. “Save the sparring for the mats. Lumberyard at eight o’clock work for you, Max?”
Max slowly glanced from Rico to Mark to Dan. An appreciative grin spread across his face. “Yeah. Eight o’clock works great. Thanks, guys.”
The next day, Max woke as dawn streaked across the sky. It was going to be a long one working in the hot sun. He just prayed he wasn’t doing it alone.
He hadn’t told Chloe of his plans. He wanted to surprise both her and Liz. And I don’t want to disappoint her if something falls through. By the confusion etched in her face, he could tell she wondered what he had up his sleeve. He met her confusion with a smile as he tugged on his tennis shoes and pecked a kiss on her cheek. He didn’t say a word as he climbed into his car and drove away in the direction of the lumberyard.
Pulling into the first spot in the row outside the store, he turned off the ignition. He stepped out, glancing around. A smile spread across his face. There, on the opposite side of the parking lot, stood the three muscle-bound men leaning against Mark’s truck. Each man cradled a paper cup of coffee in his hand. Max locked his vehicle and jogged over to meet them.
Dan handed him the fourth cup sitting on the hood of the truck. “Ready to go shopping?” the blond greeted.
“Absolutely,” Max responded as he took a sip of the hot, dark, thick liquid. “Let’s do this.”
The men wandered around the near empty store, carefully selecting the items they needed. Max was grateful to have them there. With four minds in the hunt, they remembered things he would have certainly missed. And the banter between them all was lighthearted and fun, especially between Dan and Mark. Being best friends since they were toddlers they knew how to push each other’s buttons. If it wasn’t for their extreme difference in appearance they could easily pass for brothers.
It took less than an hour to find everything, for Max to purchase it, to load it all in Mark’s
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