He cleared his throat and asked her, "What do you want to do? Do you want to go back to your friend or stay here a little more?"
"…" Veronica lowered her head and wiped her face with her handkerchief. She did her utmost to calm down.
Without looking at him, she replied in a broken voice, "I have to go back to my friend."
She told herself, 'I shouldn't let Zinnia know what I witnessed. I need to clear my head before I make a big mistake.'
Max didn't argue. "Let's go back then. You can wash your face there before you meet her."
"Thank you, Max." Although she wasn't feeling well, she knew she had to thank him for opening her eyes.
"Don't mention it. You are my friend, right?" Max grinned at her.
At the bar, Zinnia finished her dinner and five mugs of beer. Even so, she didn't get drunk.
She saw Veronica coming from the back door and said, "You took long enough."
