Mateless and Luna Bound (Self Published)

Chapter 16: Meeting

"I don't think I've seen anyone put that much food into their mouth before," the blond chuckled. "You reminded me one of the kids at the restaurant."

"I'm just hungry," Max shrugged.

"I don't know how you have such a big appetite in the morning," he shook his head. "I've never really eaten that much when I wake up."

"Usually that's how I wake up," Max said. "It's either from my stomach or my bladder. Most of the time it's both."

"Sounds like a good alarm clock."

"What's yours?"

"I have an internal one. I wake up around five every day, no matter how late I stay up."

"Really?" Max looked incredulous at him. He had never met someone his age that woke up so early willingly. "Even if you've stayed up until, like, 4?"

"Yeah," Charlie nodded. "It always sucked when I was on the closing shift at work. I'd get out of there at 2am and I wouldn't get home until 3. I've pulled a lot of all-nighters because of that."

"That sounds horrible. Maybe you should ask Dr. Button for some sleeping medications. That way you could at least get some sleep when you have to stay up really late."

"I don't really like sleeping pills," the blond shook his head. "I've heard too many bad things about them."

"Maybe you should just work mornings then," Max didn't want to seem like he was going to keep Charlie there forever, but he really didn't want him to go back to that job. The more he talked about it, the more it seemed like a horrible place to work.

"I'd love to, but I don't really have a say in the schedule," Charlie said. "There's a lot of other people who are in school or have kids, so I usually just take whatever they give me."

"You could always stay here, you know," he couldn't help but suggest it. "We could use a pie maker."

"I'm not really a professional at it."

"You made fifteen like it was nothing," Max raised an eyebrow. "And the pies really did taste amazing."

"I knew you'd like that apple one," Charlie smiled.

"That's my favorite type of pie."

"I don't think you guys would want pie every day, though," the blond said. "That, and I'm not sure if all the people here want me to be here."

"Don't worry about them. They'll warm up to you," Max winked at him this time. "And I don't think my dad will ever get sick of pie. Or me, for that matter."

"You should try it with vanilla ice cream," Charlie looked so excited when he said it. "It tastes the best when its warm with a big scoop of ice cream on top."

"I wonder how you taste with ice cream," it slipped out of Max's mouth before he even realized he had been thinking about it. Why did he say that out loud?! He looked over at Charlie to see that he was blushing. His face was a flush of red.

It was beautiful.

"Sorry, I-"

"It's okay," the skinny man laughed nervously.

"I - uh - I'll have to give that a try some time," Max ran his hand through his hair. It was a nervous tick of his. He was an idiot. He just got the man to be more open with him and now he was back to being nervous.

"I'd say we'd probably have to go on a few dates before we tried anything like that," Charlie said. Max looked up to see that his mate was red but still smiling.