THE RIGHT FIT (Chasing Desires #1)

Chapter Three

A/N This is Australian actress, Melissa Bergland. And quite possibly the absolute perfect real life version of Maxine <3

Maxine was already lonesome for her bed and Netflix as Crosby pulled her through the crowd. A line had been snaking along the sidewalk when they'd pulled up in the cab, but Crosby knew the doorman—she always knew the doorman. Maxine cringed under the glare from the other patrons still waiting outside in the frigid late February night as they were swept inside.

"Is it always like this?" Maxine asked, shouting above the music.

"Of course," Crosby said, smiling widely. "Uniun is the hottest dance club in Toronto."

Crosby had arrived at Maxine's apartment earlier that evening, styled up in stilettos and tight mini dress. It was so small it showed off the tattoo around her shoulder and the one on her upper thigh, creating the illusion that Crosby had one pattern stretching the length of her back.

"You have to come out with me, I have such a good feeling about tonight! Didn't you read your horoscope?"

Maxine had already changed out of her uniform and into her sweatpants and bathrobe. "Is this about 'project rebound'?" she'd asked, opening the microwave and taking out the steaming package of popcorn. "Because I think I'd like to renounce my membership." It had been a week since the botched blind date. There'd been no further emails from the divorced high school teacher.

Crosby flicked her strawberry blonde hair over her shoulder, then took the bag of popcorn from her. "Wesley is holding a table for us." Then she turned Maxine around, pushed her into the bedroom and picked out an outfit for her.

Maxine had put little resistance, Crosby could make anything sound like a fun adventure, even though she had to wear the green vixen dress again—it was the only nice thing in her closet that fit, well, with the aid of her Spanx.

Now in the dance club, Crosby guided her toward a corner table with a perfect view of the dance floor. Wesley was flushed and laughing with a bunch of his friends who were barely out of college and still baby faced. Maxine was struck by how much her little brother was starting to look like their late dad. In a family of redheaded women, she wondered what it felt like to be him; the youngest sibling, and only boy.

Standing beside Wesley was his best friend, Stuart Ling; stock broker, brown eyes, chiseled features, grey streaks dyed on the front of his jet black hair. He was in a fitted dress shirt and jeans. His eyes scanned Maxine's curves. "Rita fucking Hayward would eat her heart out," he said, sweeping her into his arms.

"Hi, Stu," she said, self-consciously bending forward, trying to stay shorter than him as they hugged. She wished she'd gone with flats tonight. At five foot eleven, Maxine was easily the tallest woman most places she went. Still, she beamed at the compliment. She'd been told on more than one occasion that she resembled the famous redhead.

She glanced at her fresh manicure, the steel green tone was picked especially for the suit from Carmine's. Crosby had admired it earlier, and smiled knowingly when she read the name on the bottom of the little glass bottle, One Knight Stand.

"If I wasn't gay you'd be pregnant in five minutes," Stuart teased. He stepped back and took in her dress again. "My god, Max, that's yardage not cleavage."

"We're on a mission," Crosby piped up.

Stuart quirked an eyebrow. "The Nicholl's sisters on a mission? That sounds delicious. I hope it's sexual."

Wesley put down his nearly empty pint of dark ale with a thunk. "I'm right here. Don't be gross with my sisters, Stu."

"I only hang out with you so I can be gross with your sisters," he said. Then he frowned and looked at Crosby, "Speaking of sisters, where's Thing Two, by the way?"