Crazy Beginnings and Happy Endings
thirty-two
"So where are we headed?" I asked Max as he drove away from my apartment.
"You'll see," he replied, with a smirk on his face. "I just hope you like it."
"Tell me what it is and then I'll tell you if I like it or not," I said.
"Nope," Max said, shaking his head slightly. "We are stopping for something to eat first. Do you want anything specific?"
"Um, not really," I answered. "Where ever you want to go is fine with me."
"Do you like hot dogs?" Max glanced at me.
"Sure," I smiled. "Hot dogs sound great."
Max smiled as he turned down a couple more streets before parking his car on the side of the road. "Come on," he said, grabbing my hand and walking me to a place called Essie's Original Hot Dog Shop. "What do you want?"
"Let's see," I looked at the menu. "I think I'm going to go with a hot dog."
"Me too," Max said. "Want to share some fries?"
"Sure," I looked at Max with a smile.
We ordered our food, and Max payed for it. He wouldn't let me pay for anything. My eyes grew huge as an enormous amount of fries was placed in front of Max and I. We grabbed our food and went to grab a place to eat.
"How was it?" Max asked.
"Really good," I replied. "But I'm super full." I rubbed my stomach.
"I'm not," Max said as we got into his car. He pulled into the street and began driving to our next destination.
"Of course you're not," I laughed. I looked at the time. It was one o'clock. "Max, I have to work at four tonight."
"I know," Max replied. "Do you want a ride?"
"I'm going to need one from some one," I said. "I could always ask Jordan. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."
Max shook his head. "I'll drive you. I have to drop you off anyway, so I'll just wait and drive you. Then I can head straight to practice."
"Ok, thanks," I agreed. "You going to tell me where we are going?"
"Nope," Max said. "We are almost there."
A few minutes later, we pulled into the parking lot of the National Aviary. I smiled and turned to Max. "Seriously?" I asked.
"Yes," Max said, looking at me. "Why do you not want to go?"
"Of course I want to go in," I replied, getting out of the car. "I loved the zoo, and I've always wanted to go to the aviary. Well ever since I heard of it."
"Good," Max smiled down at me. He threw an arm around my shoulder as we walked into the aviary.
I felt like a little kid as we made our way through the aviary. I loved animals, birds especially, but I never told people that because the one time I did, I was made fun of. I was eleven and I had told the boy I had a crush on that I loved birds. He laughed and called me a bird lady.
"So, do you like birds?" Max asked as we left the building and walked towards his car.
"I love them," I replied. "They are just so colorful and they sound happy all the time."
"Have you ever had a pet bird?" Max questioned as he pulled onto the road again.
"No," I shook my head. "I never wanted one as a pet. I've always wanted a hedgehog and a bearded dragon, but my parents never liked the idea of a reptile or a spiny animal in the house."
"Why didn't you get one when you moved?" Max said.
"I wasn't allowed animals in my apartment in Charlotte and then I lived with Marc. Now, I can't get one because I'm trying to save money." I told him.
"Oh, can you have pets in this apartment?" Max inquired.
"You know, I never asked, but I'm not expecting to get one either." I said, with a shrug.
We pulled into the parking lot of my apartment complex and walked inside. We stood waiting for the elevator. "Did you have any pets?" I asked Max.
"Couple of dogs," Max replied as the elevator opened and we got in. "You would love them, I'm sure."
The elevator opened on my floor and we got out and walked to my door. I put the key in the doorknob and found that the door was already unlocked. "Letang must be here," I said, opening the door and taking a step into my apartment. I stopped dead in my tracks. "What the hell?"
"You'll see," he replied, with a smirk on his face. "I just hope you like it."
"Tell me what it is and then I'll tell you if I like it or not," I said.
"Nope," Max said, shaking his head slightly. "We are stopping for something to eat first. Do you want anything specific?"
"Um, not really," I answered. "Where ever you want to go is fine with me."
"Do you like hot dogs?" Max glanced at me.
"Sure," I smiled. "Hot dogs sound great."
Max smiled as he turned down a couple more streets before parking his car on the side of the road. "Come on," he said, grabbing my hand and walking me to a place called Essie's Original Hot Dog Shop. "What do you want?"
"Let's see," I looked at the menu. "I think I'm going to go with a hot dog."
"Me too," Max said. "Want to share some fries?"
"Sure," I looked at Max with a smile.
We ordered our food, and Max payed for it. He wouldn't let me pay for anything. My eyes grew huge as an enormous amount of fries was placed in front of Max and I. We grabbed our food and went to grab a place to eat.
"How was it?" Max asked.
"Really good," I replied. "But I'm super full." I rubbed my stomach.
"I'm not," Max said as we got into his car. He pulled into the street and began driving to our next destination.
"Of course you're not," I laughed. I looked at the time. It was one o'clock. "Max, I have to work at four tonight."
"I know," Max replied. "Do you want a ride?"
"I'm going to need one from some one," I said. "I could always ask Jordan. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."
Max shook his head. "I'll drive you. I have to drop you off anyway, so I'll just wait and drive you. Then I can head straight to practice."
"Ok, thanks," I agreed. "You going to tell me where we are going?"
"Nope," Max said. "We are almost there."
A few minutes later, we pulled into the parking lot of the National Aviary. I smiled and turned to Max. "Seriously?" I asked.
"Yes," Max said, looking at me. "Why do you not want to go?"
"Of course I want to go in," I replied, getting out of the car. "I loved the zoo, and I've always wanted to go to the aviary. Well ever since I heard of it."
"Good," Max smiled down at me. He threw an arm around my shoulder as we walked into the aviary.
I felt like a little kid as we made our way through the aviary. I loved animals, birds especially, but I never told people that because the one time I did, I was made fun of. I was eleven and I had told the boy I had a crush on that I loved birds. He laughed and called me a bird lady.
"So, do you like birds?" Max asked as we left the building and walked towards his car.
"I love them," I replied. "They are just so colorful and they sound happy all the time."
"Have you ever had a pet bird?" Max questioned as he pulled onto the road again.
"No," I shook my head. "I never wanted one as a pet. I've always wanted a hedgehog and a bearded dragon, but my parents never liked the idea of a reptile or a spiny animal in the house."
"Why didn't you get one when you moved?" Max said.
"I wasn't allowed animals in my apartment in Charlotte and then I lived with Marc. Now, I can't get one because I'm trying to save money." I told him.
"Oh, can you have pets in this apartment?" Max inquired.
"You know, I never asked, but I'm not expecting to get one either." I said, with a shrug.
We pulled into the parking lot of my apartment complex and walked inside. We stood waiting for the elevator. "Did you have any pets?" I asked Max.
"Couple of dogs," Max replied as the elevator opened and we got in. "You would love them, I'm sure."
The elevator opened on my floor and we got out and walked to my door. I put the key in the doorknob and found that the door was already unlocked. "Letang must be here," I said, opening the door and taking a step into my apartment. I stopped dead in my tracks. "What the hell?"