43

Cadence

The day goes almost according to Max’s plan, except for the vigorous sex because he falls asleep after the second application of sunscreen. I stay huddled in the shade while he sleeps beside me, half his body out of the umbrella’s protection.
I made him put on sunscreen before he passed out.
Dexter and Nick went for a swim and then a walk, coming back in the early afternoon with beers in hand and Malcolm in tow.
When Max wakes up and heads to the condo to get drinks, Malcolm and I go for a walk along the beach.
We’re not ten feet away from the chairs, and Malcolm turns to me with an expectant
expression. I know what’s coming and I brace myself. Malcolm may be my friend, but I don’t talk about personal things with him, because I never have personal things to discuss. This thing with Max is new and, to be honest, a little frightening. The way he held me this morning was different, and that was only a spontaneous hug in the kitchen. What he’s offering is more and I…
I have no idea what to think. Or what to say about it.
“How’s the weekend been so far?” Malcolm asks, his face and the tone of his voice at odds with the easy question.
“Good. The boys are fun… and Max is…” This is Malcolm, my self-professed best friend, and I can’t even manage a single sentence about Max.
Because I have no idea what is going on. Is this just a weekend or is it more? I know Maximilian would like it to be more but…
I’m having fun. The sex was great. Max is…
That’s where I get hung up.
“I still can’t believe you’re here with Maximilian Stonee,” Malcolm says, sounding as excited as if his favourite author is here. “I know you move in different circles than me, but I had no idea.”
The fact is that Malcolm has no idea about anything I do. He doesn’t know I’m a part owner of Fantasies, or about my fleet of nightclubs across the country. He knows I was an escort, that I was associated with the E site, but not how much I sold it for. He has no idea that Mature Adult Female website is mine.
Or that his girlfriend, Nia, was once a client.
He definitely shouldn’t know about that, not unless Nia decides to tell him.
It makes me wonder what kind of friend I really am if I keep so much from Malcolm.
And if I keep secrets from Malcolm, how can I even think of moving into something with Max?
“I don’t know exactly what Max is,” I say, slowing my pace. “It’s… I’m not sure.”
“You were about to say it’s complicated, but it’s really not. Either you like him or you don’t.”
I like him.
The words bubble up, wanting to be said, but I bite my tongue. “It is complicated.”
“Well, let’s start when you met him. Where did you meet him? I know we haven’t been hanging out much lately, but I like to think you’d tell me if you met someone.”

Malcolm is hurt. I’ve hurt my friend because he thinks me and Max are really me and Max. “I met him Thursday,” I admit. “He asked me for a favour, that he needed a date for the wedding.”
“You met him Thursday? What did he do for you to ask this favour? Must be pretty big.”
“He told the police I was with him instead of in Novi Tate’s hotel room just before he died.”
Malcolm opens his mouth and then shuts it. “I… I don’t… I thought you weren’t doing that anymore,” he manages.

“It wasn’t like that. I’ve known—knew—Novi for years. He’s been sort of a mentor for me.”
“A mentor for you being…” Malcolm knows about my past, but we’ve rarely talked about it.
“A businesswoman,” I say simply. “I own part of Fantasies with Marco and Coulter. I own quite a few nightclubs. I owned the E dating site. Mature Adult Female is mine, too.”
He doesn’t even bother shutting his mouth this time. “You own a lot,” he manages.
I shrug. “I’m a billionaire,” I tell him sheepishly.
Malcolm stops walking and rounds to face me. He looks like he’s about to drop into the sand with shock. “And you live beside me? What the hell, Cadence?”
I glance around. We’re far enough away from the private beach in front of the condo, but there are still people milling about, and I’m not comfortable discussing my life with strangers.
But this is Malcolm, and he deserves to know the truth about me.
A figure waving back by the lounge chairs catches my eye. It’s Maximilian and even with the distance and the sun squinting my eyes, I can tell he has a big smile on his face.
I don’t even think about it; my mouth has already creased into a big smile as I wave back.
“You’re a billionaire?” Malcolm asks in disbelief. “Care to explain how that happened?”
I take another quick look back to see Max sink into a chair beside Dexter, laughing about something. Happy.
Happy because he saw me?
Turning, I motion for Malcolm to start walking as I give him the quick version of my life, feeling better with every half-truth I correct and every gap I fill in.
Because if I can tell things to Malcolm, then maybe Max and I…
That thought does things to me for the rest of the day.
Good things.