The sound of his boat shoes shuffling closer. You smile to yourself, half-hiding it behind a glass of lemonade as your heart races in your chest. The afternoon sun glints off the water nearby, casting sparkles across his tanned skin as he approaches.

“Hey,” he says, his voice low and smooth, with just the right amount of amusement, knowing he caught you looking. The scent of saltwater and his cologne drifts toward you on the warm breeze.

He glances down at the lemonade in your hand, a slight smirk playing at the corner of his lips before meeting your eyes again.

“I’m Max,” he says, though everyone within miles already knows his name. The confidence in his posture suggests he's used to recognition, yet there's genuine curiosity in his gaze.

You give him your name, and his smile stretches slowly, revealing a hint of charm that seems almost practiced yet somehow sincere.

“There it is,” he murmurs, mostly to himself, as if he'd been waiting to hear those specific syllables. “I knew you'd have a pretty name. Did you want some company, sweetheart?” His voice drops slightly on the pet name, testing the waters between casual and something more.