Landlord Wars(48)

I pointed at him. “So you admit to stealing my chocolate!”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Was it ever in question?”

I thought back, trying to remember if he’d ever denied it. He’d certainly suggested Jack might have bought the chocolate for him, which was ridiculous. Jack didn’t eat chocolate. “You played it like you didn’t know it was mine.”

He walked back to the cupboard and grabbed the last two boxes. “We better eat these before they go bad. Think of it as repayment for all the chocolate I stole and conservation of the planet. They don’t last long, and we wouldn’t want to have to throw them away.”

This was madness. “I can’t believe you bought La Fleur au Truffe for a date.” Jack was right—Max and I had more in common than I thought, because reckless spending on chocolate was something I would do. “I can’t believe it, but I respect it.”

He shrugged, pleased with himself. “I owed you.”

“You did, right?” I smiled, willing to justify this gift in any way possible. He owed me for all the emotional turmoil he’d caused with his early Max attitude and chocolate scavenging.

As though remembering something, Max said, “Why were you so jumpy earlier?”

It might be rude, but I didn’t care; I blatantly ogled the last two boxes of chocolate. “When?”

“When I came looking for Jack.”

My eyes narrowed because I’d just thought of something when he mentioned coming to find me. He said he’d ordered the chocolate weeks ago. Which meant the dinner date tonight had been pre-planned. “Were you really looking for Jack?”

“No, I came to ask you out. But why were you jumpy?”

Butterflies erupted in my belly. A girl could get used to this kind of attention.

Had I been jumpy earlier? I’d just gotten off work, and yeah, a lot had gone on today. “Well, first, because you showed up unannounced, and your presence has that effect on me. Second, because I have a big decision to make with work, and I was stressing about it.”

Max knew about my mom’s place, but no way would I admit how bad it was below the surface with a rodent infestation. I skipped to the other major distraction of Victor’s offer.

“My boss offered to sell me his business.” I glanced up nervously, hands clenched together. “I don’t know that I can afford it, but I’m considering it anyway because I’ve always wanted to run my own shop.” Max knew I came from humble beginnings—no point in sugarcoating it.

He topped off my wine, and I didn’t fight it. Not like I had to drive home. “What are the conditions of the contract?”

Max was a businessman. He’d be the first to look for strings attached.

“Considering what I’d be gaining,” I said, “there don’t seem to be many. Victor, my boss, has asked for a small percentage of the profit each year, and he’ll stick around until I’m up and running on my own. I’ve skimmed the proposal, but there’s a lot of legalese, and I’m not a lawyer. Victor isn’t the type of person to screw me over, but I need to know what I’m agreeing to. I guess when you showed up this afternoon, I was thinking about where to go for a second opinion.”

He corked the wine and lifted his glass, clinking it against my own. “Congratulations on the offer. Though I’d be leery of a contract stipulating a portion of the profits in perpetuity. You might be better off settling on a price and paying him off with interest over time.”

“From what he said and what I saw in the contract, that’s the idea. Though I need to look more closely.”

“I can look it over, if you like,” he offered. “Jack would be a good person to review it as well. He has a law degree and might catch a few things I don’t.”

I set my glass down abruptly. “Jack has a law degree? He builds video games.”

“I’m assuming you know that Jack beat out hundreds of smart kids in San Francisco to attend a prestigious middle school on scholarship, yes?”

Jack had mentioned that. “But he’s so laid-back. He doesn’t look like a lawyer.”

Max laughed. “What does a lawyer look like?”

I smiled and shook my head. “I guess saying someone in a power suit is cliché. Still, Jack doesn’t give off the lawyer vibe.”

“He doesn’t, which is part of his charm. Aside from designing video games, he’s passed the bar and is a savvy businessman.”

I shook my head, mind blown. “I’m impressed, and yes, absolutely. I’d love for both of you to look at the contract. Like I said, I’m not sure I’m the best person for the job this early in my career. I have a lot of family financial obligations. But if it worked out, it would be incredible.”

He nodded, his brow furrowing slightly. “If the business is profitable and has been for some time, you might not need much saved.” He hesitated a moment as though just realizing something. “Sophia, you never mention your father. Is he still around?”

This was the question that, no matter how kindly asked, always made me sad. I’d probably miss my dad forever. “No, my father died a while ago.”

He sighed and glanced down before looking back up. “I’m sorry.”

The apology was sincere, unlike the automatic responses I received from most people, and it comforted me. “It happened when I was a teenager.”