Early this morning, as he was heading into his office, he heard someone calling his name. It was Max, smiling at him. But as he got closer, a wave of irritation washed over him when he saw Luna standing beside Max. He didn't understand why, but something twisted in his chest. Braxston still felt guilty for not apologizing to Luna after she slipped on the floor because of him. He just couldn't find the right moment. As he talked with Max, he noticed Luna's silence, and for some reason, every word he said seemed to hurt her.
Braxston asked Max to come with him to his office, hoping to avoid saying anything that might upset Luna. Once they were inside, they began discussing the upcoming project. Max, the son of the owner of TrueGrip Tools, was there to help with the materials Braxston needed for his new appliance. The two childhood friends began negotiating the price, with Braxston carefully considering the terms. Despite their friendly banter, there was a quiet tension in the air—Braxston couldn't help but feel the weight of his guilt over Luna, even as he tried to focus on the business at hand.
Braxston raised an eyebrow, his voice slipping into a tone of curiosity. "Are you dating Luna?"
Max looked taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Whooaa. Dude, you're never interested in my love life. Are you interested in her? Oh! Wait a minute, I remember—you've got a girlfriend," Max teased, chuckles.
Braxston hadn't meant to bring it up like that, but something about the question had slipped out before he could stop himself.
"I just think you deserve better than her."
Max paused for a moment, his expression serious but not defensive. "I think she's a sweet person, and for now, we're just friends. But I'm thinking of bringing it to the next level."
Braxston's face betrayed his growing frustration, his jaw tightening, but Max didn't press him about it. Instead, the tension in the room was broken by a knock at the door.
"Hey guys, what'd I miss?" Megan Blight's cheerful voice cut through the tension as she walked into the office. She gave Max a quick hug and kissed Braxston on the lips.
"What are you doing here?" Braxston asked, his tone sharper than he intended.
Megan's smile faltered a little. "I just came for a visit. I didn't know you had a guest. I can leave and come back another time if it's not a good time."
Max quickly interjected, sensing the discomfort in the room. "No, it's okay if you want to join us," he said, trying to ease the situation.
Braxston exchanged a quick glance with Max before turning his attention back to Megan, the frustration still simmering beneath the surface.
Megan settled onto the sofa next to Braxston, crossing her legs gracefully. "What do you guys talk about?" she asked, her voice light, full of curiosity in her eyes.
Max chuckled, unable to resist teasing. "It seems my best friend is interested in my love life now," he said, grinning.
Braxston's lips twisted into a pout, and he quickly responded, "I'm not interested. I'm just giving him a warning." His tone was defensive, but he tried to mask it with a shrug.
Megan raised an eyebrow. "Who's this girl you're talking about?" she asked, looking at him curiously.
Braxston hesitated for a moment, not sure how to answer without making things more complicated. He didn't want to discuss Luna in front of Megan, but her question had caught him off guard.
"Luna. She's one of the employees here. Actually, her office is just on the opposite side," Max replied with a grin.
Megan's eyes lit up. "Why don't we go out for dinner and invite her?"
Braxston immediately shot back, "No."
"Yes, it's a good idea. The four of us will have dinner," Max said, clearly enjoying the way Braxston's face twisted in frustration.
Megan laughed. "Majority wins. You lose, babe, haha. Let's go to her office now."
Braxston let out a sigh but didn't argue.
"Fine."
They all headed to Luna's office, and Max knocked on the door.
"Hey, we just wanted to invite you to dinner," Max said with a smile.
Megan chimed in, "Yeah, you should come and join us."
There was a brief pause before Luna looked up from her desk, her expression neutral but intrigued.
Braxston did not say a word about it but he just looked at Luna emotionless. Max suddenly reached out and grabbed Luna's hand, trying to insist her to join them.
"If you insist then I guess I'll go. Let me pack my stuff first." Luna grabbed her bag and turned off the computer and they headed to the restaurant.
Megan chuckled, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "She's the girl next to my apartment. I remember her now. Interesting."
"Care to share?" Max asked, looking between her and Braxston.
"It's a long story. Hahaha." Megan laughed.
After Luna grabbed her things, they all headed outside the building. Luna rode into Max's car, while Braxston and Megan got into theirs. As they drove, Braxston couldn't shake the strange feeling in his chest, but he tried to ignore it, hoping the dinner would be over as quickly as possible.
He also felt a wave of irritation toward Megan, who was being especially clingy, her hand constantly resting on his arm. The combination of everything—the tension with Luna, his unease, and Megan's attention—made him dread the night ahead. Braxston couldn't help but think that this was going to be a long dinner.