I walked into my apartment, expecting to relax and unwind after a long day. But instead, I was greeted by Maxie, who was bouncing with excitement. She grabbed my arm and dragged me into the living room, plopping me down on the couch.
"Okay, spill the beans," she said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "What's going on with you? You looked a little off when you got home."
I forced a smile onto my face. "I'm fine, just tired. But let's talk about you instead. What's new with you?"
Maxie raised an eyebrow. "No way, Sharon. I'm not buying it. You go first."
I hesitated, but Maxie was being stubborn. "Fine, but you have to go first," I said, trying to deflect the attention.
Maxie shook her head. "Nope, you first. I insist."
I sighed, knowing I was beaten. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you."
But before I could say anything, Maxie launched into her own story. "Okay, so remember that stranger right? Tory, the one who took me away from Jake at the cafe?"
I thought for a moment before my eyes widened in recognition. "Oh, the stranger you were trying to dodge?"
Maxie nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes! That stranger. Okay, so I didn't tell you, but I met him at the restaurant when Zion took us out the night you got your new job offer."
I stared at her, my mind racing. "What? No way, you're joking, right?"
Maxie shook her head. "Nope, I'm not joking. We exchanged numbers, and now he wants us to go out."
My eyes opened wide in surprise, and I couldn't help but laugh. "Well, he's a fine guy, so what's the problem?"
Maxie's face fell, and she looked at me like I was crazy. "It's not funny, Sharon! I'm serious. What do I do?"
I grinned, still chuckling. "I think you should go out with him. It sounds like it could be fun".
Maxie's eyes locked onto mine, her expression serious. "Really?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
I just shook my head, assuring her everything was fine. Maxie sat close to me, her eyes clouding over with concern. "You know, I just pulled away from Jake and I'm still scared," she said, her voice laced with vulnerability.
I turned to her, my heart going out to my friend. I placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Not everybody is like Jake, Maxie, you know that best. You can't stop loving because of one person. You have to take chances and see what life has to offer."
Maxie looked at me, her eyes searching for answers. "Hm, I'll think about it," she said finally, her voice soft. Then she placed her own hands on mine, her grip warm and gentle. "Now, tell me what's going on with you. You looked down when you came in, like something was bothering you."
I dropped my hands from her shoulders, feeling a sense of trepidation. "Things seem to keep getting complicated, Max," I said, my voice sounding low.
Maxie's eyes narrowed, her gaze intense. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice firm but gentle.
I took a deep breath, knowing I had to tell her. "At the dinner, I told you we got another project, right?" I said, my voice hesitant.
Maxie's face lit up with excitement. "Yes, yes! You told me, and I'm so happy for you. Congratulations!"
I forced a smile onto my face, feeling a pang of sadness. "Thanks, B," I said, my voice laced with sarcasm.
Maxie's expression changed, her eyes narrowing in concern. "What's wrong, Sharon? Why are you being like this?"
I took a deep breath, before telling her. "The company we have the new project with...it's Ace's," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
Maxie's eyes widened in shock, her mouth dropping open. "Oh my God," she breathed, her voice full of surprise and concern.
I stared at Maxie, feeling a sense of unease as she looked at me with a mixture of concern and skepticism. I shifted back in my seat, my mind racing with the implications of what I had just told her.
Maxie's hand came up to her chin, her index finger tapping against her lips as she thought. After a moment, she looked at me, her eyes piercing. "Sharon, are you sure something isn't getting mixed up somewhere?" she asked, her voice filled with doubt.
I looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?" I asked, my brow furrowed in concern.
Maxie's eyes locked onto mine. "Well, everything seems like it's complicated on purpose. Why do you have a project going on at Diana's office? It's cancelled, and the very same day it got cancelled, Ace's company is giving you that same project." She paused, letting the words sink in. "It doesn't add up, Sharon."
I thought about it, trying to make sense of the situation. But the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a tangled web. "I...I didn't really think about it," I said finally, feeling a sense of uncertainty. "I just...I don't know, B."
Maxie's expression turned serious. "Sharon, this is more serious than we thought," she said, her voice low and urgent. "We need to figure out what's going on here, and fast."
My phone buzzed inside my bag, so I went ahead, brought it out and as I stared at the phone, my heart racing as I saw the unknown number flashing on the screen. It was the same number that had been calling me for weeks, and I had been too afraid to answer. I hesitated, my finger hovering over the answer button.
Maxie noticed my distress and asked, "What's wrong?"
I quickly ended the call and tossed my phone aside, trying to brush off the feeling of unease. "Nothing," I said, trying to sound casual. But Maxie wasn't buying it.
"What's wrong, Sharon?" she asked again, her voice firm but gentle.
I sighed, feeling a bit frustrated. "This number has been calling me for a while now," I admitted. "It feels creepy."
Maxie's eyes widened in surprise. "You've been getting creepy calls and you didn't tell me?" she asked, her voice rising in concern.
I shook my head, feeling a bit guilty. "I don't know, I just didn't think it was a big deal. But it's been calling me for weeks, and I don't know who it is or what they want."
Maxie's expression turned serious. "We need to figure out who this is and what they want," she said, her voice determined. "This could be connected to everything that's been going on with Ace and Diana."
I looked at her almost laughing " Don't be silly Max! "
I watched her serious expression as she stood up from the couch and headed towards the kitchen. "I hope it's spam and I hope that's all there is to it," she said, her voice firm and determined.
As she walked away, she called out to me over her shoulder. "Hey, go change out of those clothes and come have dinner. I'll heat something up for us."
I couldn't help but smile at her bossy tone. "Yes, ma'am," I said, getting up from the couch and heading towards my bedroom to change.
As I changed into something comfortable, I couldn't help but think about the mysterious caller and what they might want but as I was changing, my phone started ringing again.
I picked up the phone, my eyes fixed on the screen as I saw the unknown number flashing again. I didn't panic, but instead, a sense of curiosity washed over me. I put the phone on speaker and waited for the other person to speak.
When there was no answer, I said, "Hello? Hello? If you're there, just talk. Your calls are frightening."
There was a moment of silence, and then a low, gravelly voice spoke from the other end of the line. "Sharon."
My heart skipped a beat as I recognized the voice, or at least, I thought I did. It sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. "Who is this?" I asked, my voice firm but cautious.