disappearing amongst the stacks of books.
Chapter 15
“So, flight school, huh? Have you always wanted to fly?” Ava carefully chewed the grilled chicken from her salad before starting to speak. She wanted to order the pasta, but never ordered spaghetti on a first date. Not that this was a date or anything … although she would be paying the bill, but only to thank Max for tutoring her. Even her thoughts rambled when she was nervous. She pushed the lettuce around on her plate as she waited for Max to respond.
“Yes, always. My parents took me to California when I was three to visit my grandparents. It was the first time I was on an airplane. I thought it was the greatest machine I had ever seen. A five-hour trip, and I couldn’t sit still for any of it. I was too excited.”
“Well, you were only three,” Ava reminded Max.
Max ignored her and continued, “One minute you’re on the ground, the next you’re in the air, able to travel to places in just hours that would otherwise take days or weeks to get to—soaring through the clouds, thousands of miles off the ground, moving against gravity at incredible speeds. Completely defying nature. Aerodynamics is fascinating. All it takes is something to be one thousandth of a millimeter off and that plane is nose-diving back down.”
“I gotta say, Max, you’re really not making it sound all that appealing.”
“Oh, I’m just messing with you. It’s actually the safest form of travel. Don’t you like to fly?” Max asked.
“I’ve never been.”
“You’re kidding.” Max laughed. “Really? Never? Wow!” He shook his head, laughing all over again.
Ava took another bite of her salad, trying to decide if she was insulted or not. She chose instead to change the subject. “So nude modeling, huh? You know there are other ways to make money.”
Max looked up at Ava, still smiling from his last comment. “Maybe, but the money was good. Besides, I had something nice to look at also.”
Ava felt the heat rushing to her face and wished they were still talking about flying. She once again pushed her lettuce around her plate, pretending to be more interested in her salad than her dinner companion.
“What about you, Ava?” Max continued. “A dual degree in art and business is pretty ambitious. What do you plan to do with that?”
“Well,” Ava began. She looked at Max. He seemed to be sincerely interested in her response. “Short term I’m hoping that the art gallery where I’m interning will offer me a job after graduation ... a paying job that is.”
“And long-term?” Max gazed across the table at Ava.
“Long-term, I’d like to have an art gallery of my own some day.”
Max continued to just stare.
“Sounds dumb, right?” Ava asked. Great, she thought. He’s probably trying to think up some excuse now why he has to cut dinner short. Ugh. Why did she care?
“No, not at all,” Max said, resting his chin on his hands as his elbows leaned on the table. “I think it sounds perfect.”
“Thanks.”
“There’s another reason I chose to be a nude model, you know,” Max offered.
“You mean besides wanting to show the world your stunning good looks?” Ava glanced at her empty wine glass and wondered if maybe that second glass was too much—especially after the drinking disaster she just had with Thomas.
“Thanks … I think,” Max answered. “Actually, I’m a huge art fan myself. My trip to California when I was three was only the first of many I took as a child. My parents were big into traveling. We traveled the world and stopped at every museum along the way. The art museums were always my favorite.”
Ava wrinkled her forehead and looked at Max in a sideways sort of way. Was this just some ploy to get her more interested in him? “Oh really? And which one was your favorite?”
“Well, I’ve been to so many ... the Louvre in Paris, the National Gallery in London ... then there was the Van Gogh Museum in
Chapter 15
“So, flight school, huh? Have you always wanted to fly?” Ava carefully chewed the grilled chicken from her salad before starting to speak. She wanted to order the pasta, but never ordered spaghetti on a first date. Not that this was a date or anything … although she would be paying the bill, but only to thank Max for tutoring her. Even her thoughts rambled when she was nervous. She pushed the lettuce around on her plate as she waited for Max to respond.
“Yes, always. My parents took me to California when I was three to visit my grandparents. It was the first time I was on an airplane. I thought it was the greatest machine I had ever seen. A five-hour trip, and I couldn’t sit still for any of it. I was too excited.”
“Well, you were only three,” Ava reminded Max.
Max ignored her and continued, “One minute you’re on the ground, the next you’re in the air, able to travel to places in just hours that would otherwise take days or weeks to get to—soaring through the clouds, thousands of miles off the ground, moving against gravity at incredible speeds. Completely defying nature. Aerodynamics is fascinating. All it takes is something to be one thousandth of a millimeter off and that plane is nose-diving back down.”
“I gotta say, Max, you’re really not making it sound all that appealing.”
“Oh, I’m just messing with you. It’s actually the safest form of travel. Don’t you like to fly?” Max asked.
“I’ve never been.”
“You’re kidding.” Max laughed. “Really? Never? Wow!” He shook his head, laughing all over again.
Ava took another bite of her salad, trying to decide if she was insulted or not. She chose instead to change the subject. “So nude modeling, huh? You know there are other ways to make money.”
Max looked up at Ava, still smiling from his last comment. “Maybe, but the money was good. Besides, I had something nice to look at also.”
Ava felt the heat rushing to her face and wished they were still talking about flying. She once again pushed her lettuce around her plate, pretending to be more interested in her salad than her dinner companion.
“What about you, Ava?” Max continued. “A dual degree in art and business is pretty ambitious. What do you plan to do with that?”
“Well,” Ava began. She looked at Max. He seemed to be sincerely interested in her response. “Short term I’m hoping that the art gallery where I’m interning will offer me a job after graduation ... a paying job that is.”
“And long-term?” Max gazed across the table at Ava.
“Long-term, I’d like to have an art gallery of my own some day.”
Max continued to just stare.
“Sounds dumb, right?” Ava asked. Great, she thought. He’s probably trying to think up some excuse now why he has to cut dinner short. Ugh. Why did she care?
“No, not at all,” Max said, resting his chin on his hands as his elbows leaned on the table. “I think it sounds perfect.”
“Thanks.”
“There’s another reason I chose to be a nude model, you know,” Max offered.
“You mean besides wanting to show the world your stunning good looks?” Ava glanced at her empty wine glass and wondered if maybe that second glass was too much—especially after the drinking disaster she just had with Thomas.
“Thanks … I think,” Max answered. “Actually, I’m a huge art fan myself. My trip to California when I was three was only the first of many I took as a child. My parents were big into traveling. We traveled the world and stopped at every museum along the way. The art museums were always my favorite.”
Ava wrinkled her forehead and looked at Max in a sideways sort of way. Was this just some ploy to get her more interested in him? “Oh really? And which one was your favorite?”
“Well, I’ve been to so many ... the Louvre in Paris, the National Gallery in London ... then there was the Van Gogh Museum in
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