Max tilted his head slightly considering her words. It was then that his ears picked up something, and looking around he spotted a few teens talking to one another quietly. They kept themselves quiet, but he spotted the gestures of pointing inn their direction.

With a sigh Max leaned forward, catching a whiff of something familiar, though not from Sunset, “You may want to try and go freshen up a bit. If you want, I’ll get you a coffee or whatever you want to help you stay awake for a bit while we talk.”

Sunset had been looking through her purse and spotted what she was searching for and popped open a small compact mirror. Looking into it, she frowned and excused herself, a light blush appearing on her cheeks.

When Sunset returned from the restroom, Max was standing by the doors, his eyes facing out the windows.

“This is for you, it’s a special Caribbean blend. I don’t actually know what you like, and you didn’t say.” He explained as he handed the cup to her, followed by cream and sugar.

“You didn’t get one for yourself?” Sunset saw him make a face before shaking his head.

“No, I can’t stand something that heavy and bitter, and by the time I get enough cream and sugar its cold and somehow tastes worst.”

Sunset covered her mouth to suppress a laugh, “Why not try like a latte or something? They mix in sugar and such.”

“No, that is just as bad, I tried one once back in high school. Ugh, one of the worst days I had experienced in high School, thinking a senior was into me.”

“Oh, she played the freshman, didn’t she?” Sunset asked, understanding what he meant, since she had done that herself a couple of times before Twilight helped her.

Max only nodded his head. He opened the door for her, and allowed Sunset to walk out first.

“You know, women can open doors for themselves, right?”

Max visibly tensed and stared at her hard, before sighing, letting it pass.

“What?” She asked defensively.

“I was raised to be a proper gentleman, but I know what you’re talking about. I used to get chewed out for holding the door for a woman I didn’t know, or laughed at, and more because of that. I found out later, most women will assume a man wants something for doing that. A load of bullshit if you ask me. Though, I really shouldn’t have anything to say.” He trailed off.

“Wait, you mean you do stuff like that because that was how you were raised?” Sunset asked disbelievingly.

“Yeah, though from the way people act, chivalry is all but dead. It makes me feel like a displaced relic in a world that doesn’t want me. It’s not just something I was taught and raised by, it just feels right.”

“Wow.” Susnet said as they continued their walk, now a block away from the Cafe.

“What?”

“Just, wow. I mean, I never heard of a guy like that... I’m, sorry. I didn’t know.”

Max shrugged as they continued, “It doesn’t matter, there was no way for you to know anyways. We never really were friends. I mean, I just came to you and the other girls cause of what the Dazzlings had told me about you.”

“Hey, whoa. No, we are. Just we haven’t had the chance to let our friendship grow is all. You came to us, after you found them. You promised you would help them, not because we asked you to, or anything. Hell, you didn’t give us a chance. At first we thought you were just some crazy guy talking about three chicks you were helping.”

“Yeah, I suppose I could have been a bit more tactful. It’s just, the way the story was told, you would have known who I was talking about.”

“Well, anyways, everything worked out. So, how have they been these last few years?”

“Great it seems.” Sunset stopped, stepping back to mostly keep the sidewalk clear for others as they moved up and down the path.

“Wait, you don’t know?”

“Well, I was just short of getting under the full swing of my game and business. I helped them when and where I could, teaching them what they needed to know. And helped them to get a small place of their own. After they moved out, my game was launched, I kept in touch for as few weeks, then my business really took off. At least, everything seemed like it was going well, till recently.”

“Oh, did something happen? Wait, are you seeking my help because of them?”

“Well, uh... I uh, fell on hard times. The game I made and launched was just recently met with backlash. I am going through a lawsuit right now-”

“Harsh.”

“Yep. Anyways, there were very few people I could turn to. Out of all the people I know, and live in this area, are you, your friends, the Dazzlings, and a couple of former class mates. They didn’t seem to want to do anything with me. One of them was part of the lawsuit, so all that left me with was either you, or the Dazzlings. I called them first, about ready to give up. I admit, though I was scared.”

Sunset waited for more as he seemed to be thinking, “Scared, of...” She prompted him.

“Scared they might think I was trying to hold what I did for them to try and force them to help me.”

“Well, is that how they saw it?”

“No. It was a surprise and refreshing, but then something happened.”

“Well, I have a couch, and it seems you already have no qualms about sleeping under the same roof as three hot women.” She grinned as he blushed.

“No, I haven’t screwed up in that way... Yet.”

“Uh oh, I don’t like how that sounded ominous. Are you up to something? Did you sleep with one of them?” Max made a face for each question she fired off in quick succession. Sunset’s eyes went wide, “Did you sleep with one of them?”

“Uh... Technically?”

“No, no, no. See, there is no technically, either you slept with one or you didn’t. I mean, come on, it may not be as bad as long as you didn’t have sex either.” Sunset looked up to see his heavy blush, his eyes looking down at the ground.

“Oh, well there goes the respect I had for you. I thought you said you were a gentleman? Geez, all men are fucking pigs.”

“Hey, come one... I... Fuck. Maybe it was a mistake to ask for help.” Sunset took a step back, and narrowed her eyes.

“Fine, you want help. Okay, I will try and help, so go on. Tell me everything, and don’t leave out any details." At this, Max seemed to choke, and coughed into an hand.

“Every detail, huh?”

Sunset leaned forward, “Every detail.”

They had made their way to a more peaceful area, finding a large park with several open spaces and a few empty picnic tables, on Max’s insistence.

“Then, I called you, to have my life threatened, again...”

Sunset’s face was red, and she was working to keep from showing her arousal.

“S-so, what about Adagio?”

“She seems to be staying away from me. Thank goodness.” the last words he mumbled out.

“So... Wow.” Sunset took a minute to gather her thoughts.

"Can’t help me huh? Yeah, I should have known better.”

“No, no. I uh. Well, no I may not be able to help. If you really want my opinion, with the understanding they only wanted meaningless sex, then I would say go for banging all of them as much as you could. Enjoy life-”

Max outright stared at Sunset.

“What? Dude, the situation you’re in is like, fucking hot. If I were you, I’d do them all. Hell, if you don’t want em, I know me and some others who would enjoy their company.” Sunset laughed and reached over and shut Max’s mouth that looked like it was about to come unhinged.

Max shook his head before laying it in a hand, “I think I’m going crazy.”

“Why do you say that?” Sunset was perplexed by his reaction.

“Never in my entire life have I ever gotten any attention like this. I barely used to catch any woman’s attention, and well, things always ended badly. Hell, I used to go without sex for years, even once I went 14 weeks without doing anything to myself. At least, that was the record until just before I met the Dazzlings. Once I got my business up and running, there was really no time for anything else, much less pleasure.” Max sighed with a slight grown.

“Damn. You really needed to get laid. So, how do you feel since they helped, blow away the cobwebs?” Max gave Sunset a flat stare at her horrible pun. “Okay, okay. So, tell me, what do you want to do?”

“If I knew that, I wouldn’t be asking for help. I don’t want them to feel like I’m using them, and well...” Max blushed as he remembered how he felt when Sonata kissed him. It wasn’t the sparks, people always went on about, but there was something he knew he felt with her.

“Well, if there is love, then you need to figure out who it’s for, though I think I know who it is. Now, from Aria’s reaction, perhaps you should try and be careful. You do seem like, at least, a decent guy.”

Max grunted with a nod, as he frowned in thought. He didn’t know if it was right to agree with everything, Sunset had told him, “Maybe, if I sat them all down, and talked to them at once...? No, that would just be asking for drama, and I’ve had enough of that in my life.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow, “What drama? Dude, there is no way you could have lived long enough to actually know drama.”

“Never mind, just stupidity in my past, created by yours truly.” Max replied with just a shrug. Sunset opted to let it go as she thought things through.

“You know, maybe you should take some time to search your own feelings and see how you feel about them.”

“Well, yea that’s what I’m trying to do. Sort of.”

“Sort of?”

“It’s kind of hard considering what happened the last day or so.” Sunset laughed, much to Max’s discomfort.

“You know, you’re a hoot. We should hang out more often.”

Max shrugged, “It would be nice to have more friends.”

“Well how about today? Do you have anything planned?”

“Well, no, actually I don’t.”

“Cool, well let’s go. Besides, I feel I kind of owe you after that coffee, it was actually really good.” Sunset said eyeing the long since empty container, "Which, I have to ask, how did you know I would like this kind of coffee if you're not a drinker?"

Max shrugged, "I didn't, I just picked something I have heard a few others say they like."

Author's Note

Sorry if there isn't anything good and sexy going on in this chapter. Should have more going on the next one. Hmm, can I give anyone any kind of a hint as to what the next one is all about?
Uh... no, sorry, nothing yet.