My Second Chance? (SAMPLE)

Chapter 17

Mia

Getting ready to go out shouldn't have been a big deal. Except that since Diani and Willow decided to keep on the 'this is a date ' train, I was now anxious. I was now on outfit number six, trying to decide if I was dressing up too much or too little. Don't even get me started on anything outside clothes.

Damn those girls.

I hadn't had the balls to ask Max if he was considering it a date or not either. We'd chatted several times over the past few days, but I couldn't bring myself to ask. We were meeting instead of him picking me up, so that wasn't exactly date like, but we were also going to a restaurant, which was date like. Thus my current paranoid existence.

I eventually caved and phoned a friend, or two, because I was seriously just not sure what to wear or do. Both of them showed up and I'm pretty sure decided to take pity on me. There were no comments about it being a date, any of my clothing choices, or about how I was basically freaking out. I did get treated to Diani using me as a dress up doll. Then thankfully Willow, who still liked the idea of playing dress up, pulled her back. I swear, Diani was having fun or simply trying to dress me up like a street walker and get me propositioned.

I can't say I minded playing dress up, since my actual sisters never really had with me. But I wasn't very comfortable with showing a lot of skin. I loved and wished I had the confidence that Diani had, even with quite a bit showing, she never came off inappropriate. One day...

"You're set lady love. Go get him. Seriously. Get. Him." Willow and Diani were silent about everything while they were helping me get dressed, but once I was ready to go, that was it. They had no problem telling me to just let go and see what would happen. Or even better, what could happen.

Diani shut me out of my own apartment as all three of us left. They went so far as to walk me towards the restaurant, which wasn't far from the pack house, as if I would bolt if they didn't. I might be a bit anxious but for Goddess' sake...

I had thought I was going to be a little early, but as soon as I got there, I saw Max out front. And thankfully, he was dressed casually because so was I. Well mostly. Diani had put me in a skirt and although her first choice was ridiculous, the one we settled on was simply nice. Just a nice, long, casual skirt. Nothing flashy or extravagant.

We had some idle chit chat while waiting for the hostess to come and seat us. Rubio's wasn't some crazy fancy restaurant but being close to the pack house and having fantastic food made it pretty popular. Max had called ahead at least, and our wait wasn't very long. We were seated and given menus within a few minutes.

"So are you going to tell me why you're radiating anxiety worse than when we first met?" Max was creepy observant. I know that with what he did, it was his job to cover all the bases, but it always seemed like when we were talking, he was way more so. I usually loved it because he was good at knowing when to stop a certain conversation.

Right now though, well damn. I guess we might as well dive right in.

"So. Diani and Willow got me thinking about something earlier this week and I've been too much of a chicken shit to actually ask. I mean, I want to, but I think it's pretty obvious that it's making me nervous. I've been trying to figure out how to ask it without sounding stupid." And I'm rambling. Great.

"How about you just ask? I'd like to think that you trust me enough to know that I'm not just going to see face value on something as if we don't know each other." This is partially why I'm nervous to ask him. I like Max. I finally admitted it to myself, I like him. I'm afraid of exactly what he just reassured me of. Because I overthink.