Zoe went to answer the door, she hadn't remembered ordering anything, maybe it had slipped her mind with everything that had happened. She opened the door to be greeted by a huge bouquet of flowers.
"What the..?" She asked.
The person behind the flowers pulled them down to reveal themselves. Max.
"Max,what are you doing?" Zoe asked. "I've got Tess coming round so you'd better make it quick."
"Oh Zoe, Zoe, Zoe!" Max laughed.
Zoe began to realise. "Tess isn't coming is she?"
Max shook his head.
"You arranged this together?"
Max nodded.
"And you're here with half a florist because...?" Zoe asked.
"Ah ha! Not just flowers!" Max pulled out the chocolates.
Zoe took the chocolate. "Original Max."
"You're not making this easy." Max told her.
"I'm not trying to." Zoe responded.
"You still haven't explained why you're here."
"Can I come in?" Max asked.
"If you have to." Zoe said.
"I have to." Max replied.
"Drink? Coffee, wine?" Zoe asked.
"Wine?! Zoe it's ten thirty in the morning. Is this what you've been doing?" Max asked jovially.
"I'll have you know I'm unemployed right now, I can drink whenever I want!" Zoe laughed, "that makes me sound like I have a drink problem doesn't it?"
"Little bit." Max told her. "So what have you been doing with your time off?" He asked, he then saw the web page of her laptop. "Africa?" He asked.
"Don't be so nosy Max. It's something I've been looking into, I've got nothing to stay for here, maybe it's time to see the world and what's out there." Zoe said. "I was going to go and see my parents in Liverpool but this came up, it seemed like a risk worth taking."
"Risking your life in Africa?! Nice adventure Zo." Max said sarcastically.
"Max, why have you come here?" Zoe asked.
"I needed to see you, I needed to talk to you, explain things, I wanted to do it at work but by the time I'd got my head straight, you'd done a runner." Max said.
"I didn't do a runner Max." Zoe protested.
"It seems a lot like you ran away Zoe. Things got tough and off you went." Max argued.
"You know nothing about me Max." Zoe said quietly.
"I know I hurt you." Max said solemnly.
"Don't flatter yourself." Zoe responded.
"Zoe, please I'm trying here, give me a chance."
Zoe nodded.
"I know I hurt you, I'm so sorry, I should never have said what I did. Telling you what Laura did was your fault was unforgivable, I blamed you because I didn't see the signs and couldn't accept that I hadn't recognised she needed help."
"You won't see the signs if you don't know what you're looking for." Zoe explained.
"And so.." Max continued. "I needed to apologise to you, I couldn't forgive myself knowing you left because of that. Laura was messed up, I'm out of it now."
"You broke up?" Zoe asked.
Max nodded. "It wasn't right, the whole relationship was unhealthy. She needs to get better, we both recognised the relationship wasn't working, and with the husband and everything, well it's done, finished."
"So what will you do now?" Zoe asked.
"I'm staying with Robyn and Lofty for a bit until I get sorted, they've been great."
"Well thank you for the apology, I appreciate it, I'm sorry too for what it's worth, I shouldn't have got involved." Zoe said. "And thank you for the flowers, they're beautiful, I haven't been given flowers in, well, forever."
Max coughed. "I stole them from a graveyard."
Zoe rolled her eyes. "Well it's the thought that counts eh?"
"I'm glad you like them." Max smiled.
"Coffee?" Zoe asked.
"Thanks." Max replied. As Zoe moved towards the kitchen Max grabbed her arm to pull her back.
"Zoe, don't go." He said.
"To the kitchen?!" Zoe responded.
"To Africa, don't go to Africa. Please." Max pleaded.
"Max, I need to go. I need to get away from here, I need a break. There's nothing left for me now." Zoe tried to reason with him.
"What about this?" Max pulled her towards him and kissed her deeply.
"Oh Max, you don't know how long I've wanted you to do that." Zoe said weakly.
"Zoe, I can't stop thinking about you. I've always wanted you, I just had to stop myself when I was with Laura, I didn't want to be that man. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on." Max told her.
"You're not so bad yourself." Zoe kissed him again.
"I've been thinking, maybe the coffee can wait?" Max said as her took her hand and lead her into the bedroom.
As they lay in each other's arm, Zoe couldn't believe what had just happened, she thought she's never get to be with Max. He must have read her mind.
"I can't believe that just happened." Max said.
"In a good way?" Zoe asked.
"More than a good way." Max smiled, they laid there for a while before Max spoke.
"Zo?"
"Max?"
"Do you mind if we don't mention this to anyone just yet? I've only just broken up with Laura, I don't want it to get back to her just yet, it'd be like proving her right." He asked.
"Of course. Our secret." Zoe said.
"I don't want it to be a secret Zoe, I'm just not ready for people to know." Max tried to explain.
"Max, I need to tell you something." Zoe started. "The Africa thing, I need to go, my flights are booked, they need help out there, I want to experience something new. Please try and understand? I wasn't expecting you today, I didn't foresee this happening. Like you said, you've just broken up with Laura, I don't want you to rush into anything. A lot happened, you need time to get over it all, time away would help that?"
"But Zoe, I want to be with you, I know that now. If this is what you really want then you need to go. When are the flights booked for?" Max asked.
Zoe stayed quiet.
"Zoe?" Max persisted.
"Tomorrow Max, I fly tomorrow."