Max mazecut's Arc

Chapter 2 of 2

Max combed a section of Dolly's hair and tried to steady his hands. The cake sat gleaming on the counter, untouched between them. He opened his mouth to say something — anything — about dinner, about a place he knew, about tonight. Before the words came, the salon bell chimed again, and footsteps crossed the floor toward his chair. A tall man, maybe thirty, slid onto the bench beside Dolly. He set a heart-shaped bottle on the counter, magenta liquid catching the salon lights. "Drink with me tonight," he said, smiling straight at her. "Be my girlfriend. I've got a table waiting at the library down the road — the one with the little garden out front. Say yes." Max's comb froze mid-stroke. Dolly's eyes lifted to the mirror and met his. She set down her fork. "I don't know you," she told the stranger, calm as a blade laid flat. "And I came here for him." She tilted her chin toward Max. The stranger's smile cracked. He picked up his bottle and walked out without another word. The bell chimed his exit. Dolly turned in the chair to face Max directly. "So," she said. "Where were you going to take me?" Max's mouth went dry. The right moment wasn't coming — it was already here, waiting on an answer he hadn't finished writing.