I talked with Max on the phone as I got ready for bed, saying good night when I was just about dozing off.

I was right in my suspisions. He did make fun of me quite a bit, oohing and aahing over my first date, laughing. But he also talked seriously with me for a while, asking if I had had fun, if I liked Jake. Making sure that he didn’t have to go and beat Jake up, he said.

We planned on going out for breakfast the next morning, so after I woke up and got ready, I drove to the Waffle House and met him there.

We were finishing up when my cell phone rang. I answered it, and it was my father.

“Hey Dad,” I said, holding up a finger to Max before putting that hand over my ear. It was noisy in the restaurant.

“Hey, honey. Sorry your mother and I missed you this morning. But your mother told you about lunch, right?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, good. Well, how about we meet you at 12:45? Does that sandwich place we went to last month sound good?”

“Sure.”

“Good, then. We’ll see you there!”