âItâs okay, Mommy.
I donât understand any of it,â Melon replied, attempting to comfort Ariana.
But Ariana felt swamped by Soniaâs stream of steamy stories.
Her ears felt like they needed a thorough scrub, and she was already planning a doctorâs visit to cleanse her mind after this.
Meanwhile, Sonia was just getting started.
She let loose about her emotions by spinning one crazy and risqué tale after another.
Nothing was off-limits.
As Soniaâs stories got even wilder, Ariana reached her limit.
She was about to tell Sonia to stop talking when she noticed someone tall and familiar standing near their table.
She squinted to confirm what she was seeing.
It was Maxwell!
Ariana couldnât believe it-the very person Sonia had been talking about was right there beside them.
Panicking, Ariana tugged at Soniaâs sleeve and whispered, âStop talking.
Right now!â
Sonia looked at Ariana, puzzled by her sudden urgency.
Then, she turned and saw Maxwellâs handsome face.
Ariana practically melted into her seat.
It felt like they had been caught red-
handed, even though Sonia was the one blabbing.
Sonia was stunned, frozen in place as her mind tried to process it all.
She eventually managed to lift her hand and give a weak wave.
âUh, hi,â she said.
Surprisingly, Maxwell smiled and said to Sonia, âAlways the quick-thinking journalist.
Your way with words is impressive.
Itâs clear youâre also skilled at writing other things.
â
Sonia felt her cheeks heat up and wished she could vanish on the spot.
She was so embarrassed, desperately wanting to become invisible.
Maxwellâs smile made Sonia wonder if he was already planning her demise.
Her mind was racing with panic now.
âPlease, donât smile at me like that.
Iâd rather you yelled at me; at least then I wouldnât feel Like Iâm on the brink of a disastrous end,â she muttered under her breath.
Ariana felt the tension and cleared her throat.
She felt somewhat guilty even though she had done nothing wrong.
âWhat a coincidence, Mr.
Collins! Are you eating here, too?â Ariana said.
Maxwell raised an eyebrow and said, âJust the two of you eating here? Why donât we share a table?â
Sonia nudged Ariana, who quickly blurted out, âSure.
â
The moment the words left Arianaâs mouth, both women felt the awkwardness set in.
Maxwell smoothly took a seat across from them, and Sonia felt a sudden surge of anxiety, clutching at her chest like she might have a heart attack.
With Maxwellâs eyes on her, Sonia let out a nervous Laugh and buried her face in the menu.