Chapter 7: Dinner and Dilemmas

Max received a text from Chloe that made his heart flutter for a second before reality slapped him in the face.

Hey, Max! Wanna come over for dinner? I have a surprise!

His mind raced. A surprise? Was she going to tell him she had feelings for him? Or maybe she wanted to introduce him to a friend? He couldn't help but feel a little giddy at the thought.

He spent the next hour trying to pick out a decent outfit that didn't scream "desperate straight guy." After tossing aside several options—an old hoodie, a questionable graphic tee of a cat in a wizard hat—he settled on a simple yet stylish shirt. "Not too flashy, Max," he said to himself in the mirror. "Just enough to not look like a potato."

When he arrived at Chloe's apartment, he took a deep breath and knocked. The door swung open, and there stood Chloe, beaming like she had just won the lottery. "Hey, you made it! Come on in!"

Max stepped inside and froze. Sitting at the dining table was a guy he had never seen before, casually flipping through his phone. The guy was tall, with tousled hair and a smile that could probably make people faint.

"Uh, who's this?" Max asked, forcing a casualness he didn't feel.

"This is my friend, Jamie! He's visiting from out of town. I thought it would be fun for us to all have dinner together!" Chloe said, her excitement bubbling over.

"Right, dinner. Fun. Super fun," Max muttered, feeling a sinking sensation in his stomach. He forced a smile, trying to shake off the sudden surge of panic. "Hi, Jamie. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise!" Jamie replied, flashing a grin that made Max's heart race for reasons he didn't want to explore.

As they settled down for dinner, the conversation flowed easily between Chloe and Jamie. They laughed, shared stories, and made Max feel like the awkward third wheel on a rollercoaster he didn't want to ride.

"So, Max, what's your story?" Jamie asked, his eyes twinkling with curiosity. "What do you do for fun?"

Max opened his mouth to answer but only managed a sputter. "Um, well, I, uh, enjoy… things? Like, you know, being alive?"

Chloe shot him a playful look. "Max is great at making muffins. He has a real talent for… well, almost burning the kitchen down!"

"I like to think of it as culinary creativity!" Max replied, rolling his eyes. "Besides, who doesn't love a little smoke with their baked goods?"

Jamie laughed, and Max felt his face flush. This was ridiculous. Why was he feeling flustered? He was straight, right? So why did Jamie's smile make him feel so… weird?

"Have you ever tried making a rainbow cake?" Jamie asked, tilting his head. "It's a fun challenge."

"Rainbow cake? I don't know, man. The last time I tried to make a cake, it turned into a science experiment gone wrong," Max said, his voice edged with humor. "I'm still finding frosting in strange places."

"Sounds like you need a partner in crime," Jamie said, leaning forward with a grin. "I could help you with that!"

"Uh, no, thanks! I mean, I appreciate the offer, but I work best alone. No need for partners in… baking or crime or whatever," Max said, trying to laugh it off but feeling increasingly uneasy.

Just then, Chloe got up to check on the food in the kitchen, leaving Max alone with Jamie. The silence hung awkwardly between them.

"So, Max, what kind of girls are you into?" Jamie asked, his tone casual but inquisitive.

"Uh, well…" Max stammered, suddenly aware of how Jamie was looking at him, like he was sizing him up for something. "I mean, I like… girls? You know, like the ones that don't make me feel weird?"

"Right! So you're straight then?" Jamie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah! Totally straight!" Max replied, a little too enthusiastically. "Like, the straightest straight guy you'll ever meet! I mean, I have a huge poster of a car on my wall and everything!"

"That's cool!" Jamie laughed. "I just thought you and Chloe would be cute together, but I guess we can't all be lucky, huh?"

"Lucky? Ha! More like lucky to not trip over my own feet!" Max said, suddenly feeling trapped in a conversation he had no idea how to navigate.

"Or maybe lucky to have a handsome partner," Jamie teased, leaning in. "What if I told you I'm looking for one?"

"Partner? As in baking partner? Because I'm not sure I can take the pressure of both romance and muffins at the same time!" Max stuttered, backing away slightly.

Chloe re-entered just in time to hear Max's outburst. "What's going on in here?" she asked, eyes narrowing playfully. "Is there a secret baking rivalry happening?"

"Uh, no! No secret baking rivalry! Just a normal, totally chill dinner between friends!" Max replied, his heart racing.

"Okay, then! Let's eat!" Chloe said, her attention shifting back to the table.

But Max couldn't shake the feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. After a few more bites of dinner filled with laughter and awkward glances, he realized he was in way over his head.

As they finished eating, Jamie leaned back in his chair and looked at Max with a sly grin. "So, Max, how would you feel about helping me find a partner? I mean, I could definitely use some assistance!"

Max's eyes widened. "Wait, what? I'm not a matchmaker! I'm not even good at matching my socks!"

"Oh, come on! It could be fun!" Jamie insisted, clearly enjoying the chaos he was creating.

"Fun? You mean fun like skydiving or fun like realizing your muffin recipe has turned into a lava cake?" Max replied, trying to maintain his composure.

"Let's go with the latter!" Jamie laughed, clearly having a great time.

Feeling overwhelmed and not wanting to be the butt of more jokes, Max suddenly shot to his feet. "I—uh, I think I forgot I left the oven on! Yeah, definitely need to check on that! I'll, uh, see you guys later!"

Without waiting for a response, he bolted out of the apartment, his heart racing. He heard Chloe call after him, but he didn't stop.

As he stumbled down the hallway, he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Why did I think this was a good idea? I just wanted to be a potato, not a matchmaking disaster!"

He burst out of the building into the fresh air, finally feeling free but a little bewildered. Maybe he wasn't ready for all of this—dinner parties, unexpected crushes, and charming guys trying to recruit him into a love quest.

"Next time, it's just muffins and a good book," he vowed, shaking his head. "Definitely no more surprises."

End of Chapter 7

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