39

"Hi, it’s Alexa." Her voice came through the phone, hesitant but clear. "I’m not sure if you have my number."

"Yeah, I do," Max replied smoothly, his lips curling into a smile that didn’t quite reach his voice.

There was a pause on the other end before she spoke again. "I heard you’re going to Erica’s engagement?"

"Who’s Erica?" His tone was nonchalant like he hadn’t a clue what she was talking about.

"Grandpa Langley’s granddaughter," she clarified, her confusion evident. "We’re supposed to go together. Didn’t Grandpa tell you?"

Max blinked, and then the memory clicked. "Oh, right. Got it. I just didn’t know her personally."

"Okay," she muttered, her voice dropping. After another pause, she ventured, "So, what’s the plan? Are we meeting at the hotel entrance?"

Max could feel the awkwardness building like she was tiptoeing around something. Maybe it was the memory of that night when she'd gotten a little too tipsy. To break the tension, he leaned back in his chair and said, "Sin