Illusiveone
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175: Redoing My Life, Sidequests in Brooklyn Pt. 2
🕑 Added 2025-02-27 05:05:08 +0000 UTC“Whoa, this is a nice car,” Max said as she slid into the plush leather seat. She ran her hands over the interior, wide-eyed. “Must have cost a fortune.”
I smirked as I got in beside her. “I don’t know… I don’t think I own this car.” I paused, then added, “Or maybe I do.”
Max turned her head so fast I thought she might get whiplash. “Dude, what the hell?” she said, snapping her seatbelt into place. “Are you so rich you forget how many cars you own?”
I chuckled at her reaction as the driver smoothly pulled onto the road.
Max whistled, taking in the surroundings. “Ohhh, we’ve got mood lighting in here?”
I shrugged. “I didn’t even know that.”
She reached over and popped open a hidden compartment. “Champagne?!” she practically squealed. “And—oh my God, are those macarons?” She picked one up. “This alone is worth more than my entire savings.”
“There’s also a built-in massage setting on the seats,” I pointed out, pressing a button on the side.
Max yelped as the seat gently vibrated to life. “Ohh, wow. Okay. Nope. This is it. I’m never leaving.” She leaned back dramatically, eyes closed. “Max Black has officially ascended.”
I laughed as she melted into the seat.
After a moment, she cracked an eye open and smirked at me. “Are you sure you’re not single? Because I am down for anything, my friend.”
“Yes, Max. I’m happily in a relationship.”
“Shame,” she muttered, before taking out her phone. She snapped a few pictures, typing rapidly. “Caroline will be jealous…”
I glanced over as she sent the text: Going to see Joanna with Daniel Adler. How was the date?
I raised an eyebrow. “You know, I remember Caroline from last time, I’m so sure I’ve seen her before. Is her father—”
“In prison for fraud? Yep,” Max finished, not missing a beat.
“Damn,” I muttered. “Must’ve been some change in lifestyle for her.”
Max gasped and clutched her chest like I had personally insulted her. “Hey! Life down here is great!” she said, faux-offended.
I grinned. “Hey, I’m not judging. Just saying—it’s gotta be wild going from mansions to selling cupcakes out of a window.”
Max rolled her eyes. “Oh yeah, so wild. You know, real people actually work for a living, Hollywood.”
I held up my hands in surrender. “No offense, Max. I respect the hustle.”
She eyed me, then smirked. “Damn right, you do.”
Before we could continue our back-and-forth, the car slowed as we arrived at the concert venue. The driver pulled up at a private entrance, away from any paparazzi.
We got out of the car, and I saw one of the event staff walking over. Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice call out:
“Hey, Daniel Adler! What are the odds?!”
I turned my head and, sure enough, standing there waving at me with his usual beaming smile was the fan I met a while ago.
“Doug—” I started, before he cut me off with a dramatic flourish.
“Doug Judy!” he said, pointing at himself with both hands. “Are you here for the concert—and a date, no less?”
I chuckled. “Yes, I’m here for the concert. And Max is a friend.”
Max smirked and crossed her arms. “Yeah, I barely know him. I literally just sold him cupcakes like an hour ago.”
Doug let out a laugh. “Damn, girl, that’s a hell of an upsell. Respect.”
Max grinned. “What can I say? I’m a charming businesswoman.”
Doug nodded, then sighed dramatically. “Man, y’all are so lucky. I had tickets—great tickets—but then I lost them. Been waiting months for this concert.”
He placed his hands on his chest. “See, as a musician myself, Joanna inspires me. Her voice, her artistry—pure velvet...”
I raised an eyebrow. “You’re a musician?”
“Yes, I am,” Doug said.
I chuckled. “Well, Doug, since you’re a big fan of my friend, why don’t you come with us? I can get you far better seats.”
Doug gasped, his hand flying to his chest like I’d just delivered the greatest news of his life. “For real?! Danny, my man, you truly have a heart of gold. This? This is why I love you, bro.”
I laughed, patting him on the shoulder. “Come on, let’s have some fun.”
With Doug now tagging along, we made our way deeper into the venue, weaving through the bustling crowd toward the exclusive VIP section.
“So you’re a musician? Anything I might’ve heard?” I asked.
Doug shot me a grin and nodded. “I go by Horatio Velveteen.”
Max let out a small laugh. “Ohhh, that’s a great name.”
Doug pointed at her with a smirk. “Right? It rolls off the tongue.”
“Totally,” Max said. “Now I’ve got to hear what you sound like.”
We entered a sleek, private suite with plush seating, an open bar, and a perfect view of the stage.
Max whistled. “Okay, I take back all my anti-rich-people rants. This? I could get used to this.”
Doug plopped into a chair, throwing an arm over the backrest. “Man, this is fancy-fancy. Y’all got bottle service? Velvet seats? I feel like I should be wearing a tux.”
I turned to Doug. “So, what kind of music do you actually make?”
Doug grinned, adjusting an imaginary tie. “Oh, my sound? Smooth, sensual, straight-up R&B magic, baby. Think Barry White meets Boyz II Men, but with a little Doug Judy spice. I bring the heat, the soul, the romance.” He winked, then suddenly straightened up, eyes locked on Max with a sly smile.
Then, with the smoothest transition in human history, he started singing:
“Max, Max, Max—
Max, Maxxx
The girl who sells cupcakes, but stole my heart
One bite of that frosting, and I’m fallin’ apart
She’s got that snark, that wit, that fire in her soul
If I were a cupcake, you’d be my cream~
If I were a dream, you’d be my dream team~
If I were a car, you’d be my engine~
But girl, I’m just me, a man on a mission~”
He dropped to one knee, extended a hand dramatically toward Max, then smoothly turned to one of the staff nearby.
“Sir, one more drink, I’m losin’ my mind~
Sittin’ next to Max, best believe she’s divine~”
Max burst out laughing, covering her mouth. “I like you, Doug Judy.”
“Okay, that was very smooth,” I said with a grin. This guy was great.
Doug flashed a grin, standing up and smoothing out his nonexistent suit jacket. “Max, Max, Max, that’s what they all say, but coming from you? It hits different.”
The lights dimmed slightly, signaling the show was about to start.
The concert kicked off, and from our spot, we had a perfect view of Joanna as she took the stage. She spotted me in the crowd and waved, flashing a big smile. I raised my hand in return, grinning.
Doug whistled. “Man, these VIP spots do not disappoint. And let me tell you, they’ve got some nice drinks here.” He clinked the glass in his hand for emphasis.
Max came up behind me, downing a shot with zero hesitation. “Hell yeah, they do,” she said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “Premium booze, baby.”
I glanced at Doug, who was scanning the room, his eyes subtly darting from person to person. Before I could comment, he leaned in toward me.
“Yo, Danny, why don’t we get a drink?” he asked casually.
I shook my head. “I don’t drink that much.”
Doug gasped dramatically, hand over his chest like I’d just admitted to a crime. “Not even one? My dude, one won’t hurt.”
Max chimed in, raising an eyebrow. “Yeah, Hollywood, are you really gonna let all this free, high-end, delicious booze go to waste? That’s criminal.”
I exhaled, giving in. “Fine. One.”
Doug grinned wide, already waving over a waiter. “That’s the spirit!—pun intended.” He laughed at his own joke.
The three of us stood at the bar, Doug handing us each a shot. He lifted his glass. “To great company, fine drinks, and an absolutely legendary night!”
We clinked glasses and downed the shot in unison. The burn hit instantly. Max barely flinched, clearly used to it, while Doug smacked his lips in satisfaction.
“Now, check this out,” Doug said, nodding toward the other side of the lounge. “Look at that poser over there.”
I turned my head in the direction he indicated to see a man decked out in designer everything—a trust-fund kid trying way too hard to flaunt his wealth. A couple of women hung on his arms like accessories, laughing at whatever lame joke he was telling. He was throwing cash around like it meant nothing—because, to him, it probably was nothing.
I scoffed. “Yeah, he looks like an asshole.”
Doug nodded sagely. “Because he is. Big-time. Super famous in the city for doing all sorts of stupid shit, but guess what? Daddy’s rich, so he gets away with all of it.”
I sighed. “Yeah, well, that’s how it is with some of these kids.”
Max eyed the group before taking another sip of her drink. “I’m pretty sure they’re all hookers.”
Doug gasped. “Maxxy, how dare you! Those are ladies of class and elegance!”
Max shot him a look. “First of all, don’t call me Maxxy. Second, I’m telling you, they remind me of Caroline when we first met—probably got the same daddy issues.”
Doug nearly choked on his drink, laughing.
The waiter handed us another round, and as we raised our second shot, I leaned toward Max. “Look, if I start getting too crazy—because I’ve got a history—get me out of here. I really don’t need paparazzi pictures of me wasted floating around the internet.”
Max smirked, tapping her glass against mine. “You got it, Hollywood.”
We took the shot.
And from there… things got hazy.
.
.
.
General POV
Caroline stepped into the apartment, exhausted and frustrated, tossing her purse onto the ground with a huff. She kicked off her heels and ran a hand through her hair before turning toward Max’s bed.
“How was the date?” Max asked lazily, barely lifting her head from her pillow.
“Horrible,” Caroline groaned as she flopped onto her own bed.
Max smirked. “Horrible? You spent the whole night out. Was he not…?” She trailed off, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
Caroline sighed dramatically. “It has to happen for me to know if he was good,” she clarified. “And it was all going fine until we went back to his apartment and—”
Max leaned in. “And?”
Caroline buried her face in her hands. “He fell asleep.”
Max cackled. “Wait, what?”
“He fell asleep right in the middle of everything!” Caroline cried. “Just out like a light! And in the morning, he said he has some kind of condition and that it can sometimes happen.”
Max howled with laughter. “Oh my God, did you bore him to sleep?”
Caroline walked toward her own bed. “I don’t know, Max! I didn’t exactly stay to ask questions!” she groaned, falling back on her bed.
Max wiped tears of laughter from her eyes. “Well, I had a great night.”
Caroline sighed. “Oh, what did you do?” she asked, reaching for a pillow.
As she sat up, she felt something—a hand. On her ass.
Her eyes widened.
She turned slowly and locked eyes with the man lying in her bed.
Daniel Adler.
They both screamed.
“AHHHH!”
“AHHHH!”
Caroline sprinted away from the bed, practically diving to Max’s side, grabbing her friend’s arms. “WHY IS DANIEL ADLER IN MY BED?!”
Max winced at the volume. “Okay, calm down, drama queen—that’s what I did last night.”
Caroline’s jaw dropped. “YOU SLEPT WITH DANIEL ADLER ON MY BED?!”
Max rolled her eyes. “No, no, it’s not like that.”
Before Caroline could demand an explanation, Daniel stumbled out of the bedroom, wearing only his pants, looking disoriented and confused. “Where… where am I?” he muttered, rubbing his temples. Then his eyes landed on Max. “Max. What the hell happened?!”
Max grinned, clearly enjoying this. “Oh, you weren’t kidding when you said you go crazy when you drink. You were awesome last night.”
Daniel looked horrified. “Oh my God, what happened?!”
Max waved him off. “Relax. I got you out of there before any paparazzi saw you. I brought you here, and then you fell asleep on her bed.” She paused, then added, “But you did, um… assault someone.”
Daniel’s head snapped toward her. “WHAT?!”
“Oh, and you owe me money for the cab ride here,” Max added.
Caroline, still standing frozen in disbelief, finally snapped out of her shock. “What the fuck is going on?” she demanded. Then she glanced toward their small kitchen and looked back at Max. “Also, can someone explain to me why there’s a giant piñata filled with weed in the apartment?!”
Daniel and Caroline both turned to Max.
Max just shrugged. “Well…” she started.
Comments
Ju
Why is Daniel so stupid ?
Matias Arce
I hope Daniel's lawyer is Harvey Specter
