Max had been to Zoe's before but had no idea where he'd been or how to get there, posh side of town was all he'd been able to recall.
"Tess I need Zoe's address." Max pestered.
"What for?" Tess asked curiously.
"Erm, unfinished smoking business. I was meant to discuss it before she left but never had time." Max managed.
"Right, ok, I'll get it from my address book." Tess could see straight through Max but chose not to get involved.
"You didn't get this from me." Tess told Max as she wrote the address on a piece of paper.
"Get what?" Max grinned.
Max wished he didn't have to wait until tomorrow but it was his day off, he didn't know how much time he would need.
Zoe sat at home. She was going to need something to do, there was no way she was made for sitting at home all day doing nothing, the thought of that made her shudder.
Tomorrow she would drive up to Liverpool and surprise her parents, it had been so long since she'd seen them properly, she owed them that.
Zoe had been looking at job opportunities abroad, working in third world countries that needed aid. Would it be something she would enjoy? She didn't know but she knew it was her chance to give something back.
She heard her phone buzz. Text message from Tess:
Hi, hope you're ok, we miss you, is it ok if I stop by tomorrow morning, I've got something for you? Let me know ASAP.
Zoe sighed, she'd wanted to get an early start.
Hi Tess, yes that's fine I'll be in until lunch time, see you then xx
She was looking forward to the company she had to admit. What Zoe was unaware of was Tess had no intention of turning up, Max had managed to rope her into his plan. He only hoped it would work.
Max woke up the next morning, he checked his clock, 8.09am, time to get showered and to the florists and to Zoe's early, this couldn't wait.
"Mate, what you doing up at this time?" Lofty asked as he bumped into Max on the landing, Max had been staying with him and Robyn since the break up with Laura.
"Things to do my friend, time is of the essence!" Max grinned and went into the bathroom.
He showered quickly and got dressed before heading to the bus stop. He stopped to think for a second at the bus stop. Was this as ridiculous as it seemed? He was a porter, she was a consultant, he lived in a shared house with his sister, she lived in a swanky apartment by the river, he was waiting for a bus to go see her, she drove the latest Audi. Who would put them together? Should he care what other people would think? He wanted this woman more than anything right?
Max realised he'd been thinking far too long as he's got on the bus and was already at his stop.
He walked into the city centre and stopped outside the most expensive florist in town. He'd heard about this one just never had the money or nerve to go in, it was probably full of snooty women looking down their noses at him.
"Can I help you sir?" A voice said.
"Er, yeah, I think so. I'm looking for..." Max stumbled.
"Flowers?!" The assistant laughed. "Is this the first time you've bought flowers?"
"How did you guess?" Max laughed, the assistant was putting him at ease. "Thing is I don't know what I'm looking for, I just know I need them to be special."
"Ok, you've come to the right place. I wouldn't suggest anything too fancy, you're obviously new to this and trying to impress someone, you don't want to look like you're trying to hard." The assistant, Natalie was her name, advised.
"Ok, well how about I let you choose? You seem to know what you're talking about, I trust your judgement!"
Max had been in the florist for a good half hour, he wished he'd known it was going to be so hard, how many variations of flowers did there have to be? Zoe didn't seem to be a flowers kind of girl so he didn't want to go too overboard. Eventually he settled on a bouquet of pink and white lillies, simple but effective, they were beautiful he'd thought to himself.
"Good choice," Natalie said, "that'll be £49.99."
"Fifty quid?! For flowers?!" Max exclaimed.
Natalie laughed. "I'm afraid so, I'm sure it'll be money well spent." She told him.
"They better be! Otherwise I'm coming back for a refund!" Max joked as he handed over his card. Zoe wouldn't think twice about a purchase like this, it was pocket money to her.
He needed another shop after the florist, he knew Zoe was a chocolate fiend. It was cheesy flowers and chocolates but he hoped she would appreciate the gesture and forgive him.
It was a quick stop before he began to make his way to Zoe's. He had decided to walk, today had already bankrupted him and he needed to think about what he was going to say, currently he was turning up with a huge bouquet of flowers and chocolate and nothing to say, he hoped he wasn't going to fall flat on his face. He could feel himself getting nervous already.
It was a short walk to the apartment, Max wondered if he was doing the right thing. He couldn't back out now.
He pulled the piece of paper from his pocket, number 4. He pressed the buzzer outside and waited for the reply.
"Hello?" Zoe's voice made the hairs on his neck stand up.
Max disguised his voice, he didn't want her to immediately know it was him.
"Delivery for Zoe Hanna?" He said.
"Ok come up." Zoe let him into the building.
Max ran up the flight of stairs, these apartments were something else, how the other half lived.
He approached Zoe's apartment. He breathed in before knocking.
"Here goes nothing."