Out of the Ordinary (AU,M/L,Adult)COMPLETE

[Shadowlynxbehr]

Title: Out of the Ordinary
Author:Shadowlynxbehr
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Roswell or any thing to do with it's characters, story lines, or actors.
Pairings: Max and Liz. Liz POV.
Rating:Adult, just to be safe.
Summary: Liz comes from an ordinarily 'perfect' family. What happens when she meets a young man who isn't 'perfect'? At least that's the first impression...
Author's Note: This is a story I started writing a couple of years ago, and started to realize how Roswell characters fit, so I went back and redid it with some of them and I like this version better. LOL. I 'borrowed' Serena from the show to use as Liz's sister and her younger brother, Kevin is my own creation. Oh and the Max in this story....looks like Jason from 'ITC' premiere. ~grin~


Banner by Chynna Princess


I am sooooo honored guys! Thank you all who nominated me!

Part 1

It wasn’t like I was in a dream or anything. It seemed perfectly natural. I got in the car after work and just kept driving. Where I was headed wasn’t important. I just wanted to get away from the city and my troublesome family life. So many things were swirling inside my head. It wasn’t that I was mad, I was just bored, well depressed is more like it. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s that feeling you get when you don’t know which thing to do because you like them both so much.
I finally drove up onto a bluff overlooking the city. It was my favorite place to go if I wanted to be alone to think. I got out of the car and went to the edge and sat down. Someone had smoothed out the rough stones and built a wooden platform making it look like a balcony of some sort. Whoever did it must be long gone because no one else ever comes up here. At least I never saw anyone else in all the times I’ve been up here.
I sat there looking out over the city. It was a beautiful night. The sky was clear. I took a deep breath, breathing in the cool night air. Sitting there, feeling the breeze against my skin and in my hair, made me feel all right.
I had left the city because I wanted to do something that was out of the ordinary. Something that was more exciting in my life. I mean, I come from a perfect little family.
My father was the owner of the most popular restaurant in town, Horizons. It wasn’t a really expensive place, but it wasn’t a teenage hangout either. People ate there during lunch hours, at least some of the higher paid job workers did. It was the best place to dine out or have get-togethers or business parties. It sounds stuffy, but the food, service, and atmosphere are actually wonderful.
My mother had been working with the telephone company, but she quit to raise a family. Dad was making more that enough money anyway. He made enough money to buy a house in the suburbs. Actually, to be more specific, it is Country Club suburbia. He had enough money to let mom have anything she wanted and he had enough money to buy a black Mercedes for him, a white BMW for mom, and a black Escalade for the family!
I have two brothers, one older and one younger, and I have one sister, who’s the youngest of us four. Alex, the oldest is twenty-two and a future lawyer. The light brown BMW he drives was, in fact, given to him by my father as a graduation present. He lives in an apartment not far from our neighborhood with his wife, Isabel.
Isabel is beautiful. How my brother got her, I will never know. She could have been a successful model, but she got married and quit because Alex didn’t like her to model and he didn’t trust anyone in that business. Isabel is the one I go to if I really need advice. She seems to understand me a lot. I love talking to her because she lets me be myself.
Kevin is sixteen and a pest. He’s spoiled rotten too. He hangs around with the popular ‘in’ crowd at school and drives around in his red Viper that dad got for him, of course. He dresses in the latest stylish fashions and can always be found in either of these five places; the mall, the bowling alley, the movie theater, in his room, or at a friends house watching MTV or any popular movie. He’s a pest because he never stops bugging me. He can’t understand why I’m different, but then no one can.
My sister, Serena, is the quiet one. I mean really quiet. She hardly ever talks, but when she does, no one seems to get what she’s saying. She’s eleven and spends her time reading. She reads everything from the Wall Street Journal to comic books. If you gave her an encyclopedia, she’d read it too! That’s why no one gets her, for an eleven year old, she’s very smart. She seems older than my father at times. She dresses in ‘I-don’t-care’ clothes. You know, the shaggy hair, scruffy jeans, and worn shirts kind. Almost like a slacker, but not quite. She’s absolutely cool though, so don’t let the appearance fool you. I guess you could say I’m closest to her. We’re both outcasts in a way, but she makes it much more obvious than I do.
As for me, my name’s Elizabeth. Yep, the perfect name for the perfect girl, but that’s not the way I really feel. I’m eighteen and a senior in high school. I hang around with the most popular kids because I’m one of them. I never asked for it, but I was voted the prettiest and most popular girl all through high school. I used to spend a lot of time in front of a mirror trying to figure out what makes me so pretty. I never thought I was pretty. Maria Deluca, my best friend, is very pretty. In fact, she’s beautiful like Isabel is. No one would believe me when I used to say that, so I don’t voice my opinion anymore.
I even have a boyfriend, Kyle, he’s on the football team and he’s class president. He’s the handsomest and most popular guy in our senior class, so it’s only natural that we’re a couple. I could have been a cheerleader like all the other popular girls, including Maria, but I didn’t find it fun. I gave up on after school activities and club organizations after my sophomore year. All I did now was work after school and weekends at the Body Shop, an alternative styled clothes store for people who are different, like me. That’s my kind of store. Most of the outfits I own now are from there. Oh, yes, and I have a car too; a black Mustang convertible because it’s the only thing dad and I could agree on. I wanted a simple car, like a Toyota or a Honda, but dad wanted me to get a car like Alex’s or Kevin’s. I finally got him to settle for the Mustang.
Anyway, I was sitting there looking up at the sky wishing for something exciting to happen. I wanted to live in a different way. I wanted to do things that were new, fun, and a little wild. I wanted to forget about all the problems I had, to be free of all the cares of the world.
I got up and walked back to the car. I looked at my watch, it was eleven-fifteen. I had been here an hour and I had to meet Maria at The Sidewalk by eleven-thirty.
The Sidewalk is exactly what its name implies. It is one big sidewalk with stores and clubs on either side. You could see all kinds of people there from all walks of life. There were the preps, the bikers, nerds, punks, alt rockers, and almost anyone else you can think of. I knew Kevin would be with the preps. If I was going out, so was he; that was the rule in our house. He hung out at a different club that I did. His was Planet Pop and I went to Spotlights. Anyone who was in the spotlight, meaning popular, hung out there.
I got there just a few minutes late, but Maria was waiting for me. We went inside to join our crowd where Kyle was saving a seat for me. I sat down next to him and he gave me a kiss. Smiling, he said, “So, how was work today? Make any sales?”
I nodded, “Yes, we sold stuff like we always do.”
Kyle hated my job. I think he hated everything I did because it wasn’t the ‘in’ thing to do. He tried to get me to work at The Gap or Abercrombie and Fitch, but I had refused.
Things were pretty normal that night as usual, so I got bored quickly. It was always the same thing, but I stayed until almost one anyway then said my good-byes. I did have to get up for work anyway. After I said good-bye to Kyle, Maria and I headed for my car. She was spending the night with me.
That’s when I saw him. He had just walked out of the club across the sidewalk and stood for a moment, lighting a cigarette and looking at the passing mass of people. He had shoulder length black hair and hazel eyes that could lure a girl into a swoon. His lips were sultry, his bottom lip a little fuller than the top one. He had a strong jaw line and a long, straight nose that gave his face a chiseled look.
He was wearing comfortable worn out jeans, torn at the knees. He had a tight, black shirt with a black leather jacket over that. His left ear was pierced and a decorated silver hoop dangled there.
Our eyes met for a moment and I saw a half-smile form on his lips. I looked away and started walking to the car. His smile had disarmed me and made me nervous. Maria was asking me what was wrong and I said I just wanted to go home.
Maria didn’t bother me at all when we got home. We got ready for bed because both of us had to work in the morning. She did indeed work at The Gap. When the lights were finally out, I tried sleeping, but I kept thinking of the guy I saw that night. There had been something about him. Something in his eyes, something different, but I couldn’t figure it out.


TBC......if you think I should.....[/b]

[Shadowlynxbehr]

DreamerAZ- updated!
Erina- hope you like!
ladylou- hi butterfly! Thanks!
abbs007- hope u like!
veronicb- yeah, I had those moments a lot back in school a lot! Still have them sometimes...
brighteyes- thanks!
Alien614- posted more!
Thanks to all of you for your encouragement! Now on with the show! LOL...

Part 2

The next day at work, I was busy. Saturdays were usually the most hectic in the store. Somehow I always managed to squeeze in a lunch break anyway. I usually ate lunch in the food court of the mall. On this day, I chose pizza. I got my two slices and a coke and sat in the very back of the place. I was watching the people pass by the front windows when I heard a voice above me. I looked up and nearly screamed. Instead, I let out a little gasp.
He stood looking down at me, his mouth curved up in that same half-smile from the night before. There was also a sparkle in his eyes as he repeated, “Is this seat taken?” and pointed to the chair across from me.
I shook my head to tell him it was okay to take it.
He sat down with his plate and drink. “My name’s Max.”
“Elizabeth,” I replied.
“Elizabeth what?”
“Elizabeth Parker.”
“That’s a pretty name, but somehow I think Liz fits you better.”
I had managed to finish my last piece of pizza and stood up to leave. “Nice meeting you Max, but I have to get back to work.”
I forced myself not to break into a run. I felt completely embarrassed because he had spoken to me and I had almost completely fallen apart in front of him. Popular girls like me weren’t supposed to associate with street guys like him.
I went back to work letting it take my mind off of him. I was standing behind the counter writing down the things we had sold so far when a hand covered the paper. I knew who it was without looking up, but I did anyway. He was smiling this time, a full smile.
“How about a date tonight, beautiful?”
I started to say something, but Tess, my friend and fellow coworker, came up behind me and said, “She gets off at ten.” Then she took off to help a customer.
Max chuckled, “I like her, she’s cool, but I like you even better. So how about it? Tonight?”
When I started to say that I couldn’t, he interrupted, “Great, I’ll pick you up at the North entrance.”
I stood there dumbfounded as he disappeared among the mall’s crowd. He hadn’t even given me a chance to say anything and now I was supposed to be going out with him.
When I managed to get Tess alone, I questioned her, “Why did you do that? Why did you tell him what time I got off?”
Tess gave me a knowing smile, “I could tell you liked him. Actions speak louder than words.”
“But I can’t go out with him! Kyle’ll kill me! I’m not supposed to associate with his kind!” I whined.
Tess just laughed, “Yes you can go out with him. Kyle won’t find out unless you tell him. Who cares about him anyway? Give this guy a chance. Besides, I could tell from looking at him that he doesn’t seem bad, I’m sure you’ll like him. Didn’t you say you wanted something different? He’s the perfect opportunity.”
The more I tried to say how wrong this was, the more Tess convinced me that it was okay. So, by ten, I had resigned myself to going out with Max. I walked to my car in the North entrance parking lot and saw him sitting on the hood of my car, waiting for me as if he owned the car. I walked up to him and spoke sarcastically, “That’s my car.”
He nodded, “I know, that’s why I didn’t bring mine.” He took the keys from my hand and headed for the driver’s side, “I’m driving,” he grinned.
I figured that it was useless to argue with him, so I got in the passenger side. After removing the top, he drove my Mustang into the heart of the city, passing up The Sidewalk. I breathed a sigh of relief when he passed it up. I was afraid he’d stop there and all of my friends would see us and I would get in trouble with Kyle.
He looked at me for a moment, with that now familiar half-smile, then looked out at the road. “Don’t worry Liz, we’re not going where any of your friends hang out.”
“Where are we going then?” He was driving really fast and I could feel myself slowly sliding down into the seat.
Max laughed, “What’s the matter Liz, don’t you like having fun?”
“Yes, but I don’t call this fun.”
He suddenly pulled into a parking lot. I saw a place with a sign that said, ‘Harvey’s’ and lots of people in front of it. Most of them were dressed like Max or worse. I grimaced and turned to Max with a complaint on my lips.
Before I could say anything, he said, “Don’t worry, they’re not as bad as they look. They won’t hurt you. I promise.”
I got out of the car and walked close by his side. I was ready to run as soon as anyone approached me. At the door, Max placed an arm around my shoulders and smiled down at me, “Relax beautiful, I’m your protection tonight.”
I tried smiling back, but somehow I didn’t find it very reassuring that he would be my protection. The guy at the door took one look at Max and let us in with a nod.
Inside, the place was packed. No one seemed to just be sitting around. Of course it was kind of hard to see with all the smoke and what little lighting there was. I thought the place had a lot of shadowed nooks and crannies until I noticed those shadows were moving. To my astonishment, those shadows were actually people doing God knows what in all that darkness! I blushed as my imagination tried to stay away from that topic. As I looked elsewhere, I realized everyone else seemed to be on the dance floor dancing ‘til they probably dropped.
I was standing with my mouth hanging open, staring at the sea of bodies around me. I knew it would be very possible to get lost in that sea.
Max was standing besides me already swaying to the music. “So, do you want something to drink?” He spoke loudly into my ear.
“A coke,” I yelled back. He nodded and headed to the bar. I stood there and watched all the dancers throw their shame to the wind. Someone tapped my shoulder and I whirled around.
It wasn’t Max, but someone else. He was a little taller than Max, but when he smiled, I felt like I could trust him. “Hi, name’s Michael, you’re a friend of Max’s?”
I nodded, “Are you a friend of his too?”
“Yeah, and besides you, probably the only one he has,” he laughed, “C’mon, let’s go and find a table and wait for him okay?”
Somehow I felt safe with Michael. He had a warm smile and his voice was not threatening or harsh. We found an empty table and sat down. Soon I was feeling comfortable listening to Michael’s cheerful voice.
He was pointing out some of the people on the dance floor and entertaining me with stories about them when Max returned with our drinks. He handed me my drink and sat down next to me. I sniffed my drink then made a face.
I looked at him and said, “I don’t drink.”
He raised an eyebrow, “You mean to tell me that you’ve never had a drink after all the parties that you’ve gone to?”
“No, I don’t like beer.” I retorted. I knew he was teasing me with that remark, but it still stung.
“This isn’t beer Liz, try it. It tastes like vanilla coke.”
I slowly raised the glass and swallowed some. I discovered that it wasn’t bad tasting at all. It definitely reminded me of vanilla coke, but I could taste the alcohol underneath that. Still, the taste was rather soothing.
“Do you like it?” Max was asking me for my approval.
“Yes, I like it. It’s exactly what you said it would be.”
He smiled, “Yeah, it’s one of my favorite mixed drinks when I don’t want a beer.”
I smiled. Suddenly he seemed more bearable and I began to feel more at ease in his presence. I was glad Tess had convinced me to go out with him.
Max got up and pulled me to my feet. “C’mon, let’s dance.” I let him lead me out to the dance floor where we started dancing. After a few moments he leaned in and spoke in my ear, “Liz, you're dancing like a robot. Let yourself relax. Feel the music flow through you.”
I tried to do as he said, but I felt too self-conscious. I was used to dancing for show because I was a role model for every girl at my high school.
“Look around you Liz, no one cares how they look and no one cares how you look. Let the music guide you. Relax. Enjoy yourself.” He began to smile when he realized that I was finally relaxing and dancing with the music. It felt good to be free to be myself. So, this must be it, I thought, to be wild and free with not a care in the world.
Throughout the night Max kept me supplied with various drinks. I kept asking for another one anyway. I was really letting loose. I kept pulling Max out onto the dance floor for almost every single song. I knew Max was getting a kick out of watching me laughing and moving all over the dance floor. I began flirting with every guy that seemed to pay attention to me. I was having a blast. I wasn’t quite drunk, but I felt good. I felt on top of the world. I never wanted to leave.
Michael was smiling when we got back to the table, “Well, looks like she’s getting too hot to handle, don’t you think Max?”
Max shook his head with a grin, “No way, the fun’s only beginning.”
“You can say that again!” I exclaimed, while spinning an empty bottle on the table. This was only the beginning and I just knew that it would get even more exciting. A familiar sultry dance song began playing and I grabbed Max’s arm, “Ohhh, c’mon, let’s dance!”
“Again? Can you give me a break for a sec, my legs are gonna break any minute now!”
“What’s the matter Maxie, did the alcohol take all your energy away?”
He raised an eyebrow, then got up and followed me to the floor. As the song continued, I started to hum along to the words and it helped me to get into the rhythm quickly. I began flirting with Max, letting my body move to the sultry beat. He smiled his trademark smirk and tried to match my moves. I threw my arms around his shoulders, sliding my body closer to his. He placed his hands on my hips. I began to match my actions to the words of the song and traced the line of his jaw with my finger as I mouthed to the lyrics.
We were locked in each others arms and dancing slowly around the floor until I felt the wall against my back. I looked up into his eyes and noticed how much softer they seemed to look now. The usual mischievous look was gone. He slowly lowered his face to mine as I stared into his eyes. Suddenly I felt his lips on mine, warm and inviting as the kiss deepened. His hands trailed up my back and pulled me closer to him. I was lost in the kiss, forgetting for that moment that I shouldn’t be doing that. I felt his hands roaming down my back and hips, then back up again. His tongue slipped past my lips and invaded my mouth, making a warm feeling start in the pit of my stomach and spreading throughout my body. I was feeling lightheaded and slightly dizzy, like I was floating on air.
When I felt his hands moving up my ribs and chest, I was suddenly jerked back to earth. I placed my hands on his chest and pushed softly, “No Max, don’t.” I pushed him harder, “I’m not that kind of girl and you know it.”
“Oh really?” His face had an angry look as he remarked, “You were certainly enjoying it even if you aren’t that kind of girl.”
I swallowed hard, “I’m sorry if I made you angry,” I paused, “I didn’t mean to get carried away.”
He peered at me for a moment, then slowly smiled, “You mean to tell me that you’ve never gone that far?”
I stared at him with wide eyes, “That’s none of your business!” I snapped.
“C’mon Liz, no need to be embarrassed about it.”
“I’m not embarrassed!”
“You never went that far,” he stated with certainty.
“How do you know?” I questioned.
“Because of the way you are reacting.”
I lowered my head, suddenly finding the floor very interesting.
“Look Liz, when you’re with me, don’t be afraid to be truthful. I promise not to laugh or make fun of you. Okay?”
I slowly nodded.
“So, shall we go home or would you rather stay here a little longer?” He gave me a reassuring smile which prompted me to say that I wanted to stay a little longer. We ended up staying until the club closed then Max drove me home.
“Shouldn’t I drop you off? You don’t have a car remember?”
“No, I’ll walk. I like walking at night, it helps me clear my mind and relax.” He pulled up into the driveway and waited for me to get out before putting the top back up. We walked up to the front door and he handed me the car keys. “Are you working tomorrow?”
“No, I don’t work on Sundays.”
“How about spending the day with me then? I’ll show you a couple of places that I like to go for an adventure.”
“Okay,” I gave him a smile, “sounds like fun.”
“I’ll pick you up at noon?” he asked. When I nodded he leaned down to give me a soft, brief kiss on my lips before slowly turning away and walking down the sidewalk.
I let myself into the house and walked upstairs to my room. I looked at the clock on my desk and realized that it was almost three in the morning. I changed into a nightshirt and climbed into bed. I could now feel how tired I was, all that dancing and drinking was now catching up with me, but I knew I would do it all over again if given the chance.

TBC...

[Shadowlynxbehr]

Hi guys! Thought I'd post this a little early since it's all ready to go! But first thanks again to everyone who is reading this, even the lurkers!

HBGO- I hope so!
Erina- His plans? You'll find out in this part. Not what you expected, eh?
Veronicb- Yeah, this Max completely sure of himself, but I'm not making him into a conceited jerk....I hope. Yep, wait and see!
DreamerAZ- Thanks!
cocopucks- part 3 coming up!
begonia9508- Oh yeah, he is! Wait and see.
Maxssoulmate- I agree, gotta love the bad boys!
cherie- Hi! Glad to see you here! I know, I loved Nasedo Max, which is kinda like I see him here at times.
kittens- so true!

Okay, now on with the show...

Part 3

The next day I woke up to the alarm that I had set before I went to bed. I turned it off, then went back to sleep. A few more minutes of rest and I would be fine.
Kevin came in, grabbed my foot and pulled hard. I sat up with a start and saw him standing at the foot of the bed smiling. “Get up lazy bones! Dad’s pissed. Where were you last night?”
“If dad catches you talking like that you’ll be dead,” I growled while rubbing my foot, “and it’s none of your business where I was!” I snatched a pillow from my bed and threw it at him, but he ducked and scampered out the door.
I got out of bed and headed for the bathroom to take my morning shower. After the shower, I glanced at the clock and realized that it was already eleven. Max was coming for me at noon and I still had to get ready!
I groaned and rubbed my head because it felt so groggy. I had thought taking the shower would clear it, but it only helped it a little. I found a pair of jeans and my favorite red cotton knit sweater and put them on. After putting my hair in a loose ponytail, I went downstairs to get a bite to eat and take some aspirins.

In the kitchen, I made a cheese sandwich and got two aspirins from a nearby cabinet. Just when I sat down at the kitchen table with my sandwich, my father walked in with his hands on his hips.
“Where were you last night, young lady?”
I sighed, I knew what was coming, “I was out dad.”
“Out where? Maria called and said that you weren’t at the club. So, where were you?”
“I was at another club. I didn’t feel like going to the same club again.”
“Who did you go with since you weren’t with Maria?”
“A friend.” I mumbled as I chewed on my sandwich.
“Who Elizabeth!?!” he snapped.
“A friend from work. Her name is Tess.”
“Right, Tess.” He nodded slowly, “Fine, but I don’t want you staying out until all hours of the morning! You know that your curfew is one! Do this again and you will be grounded. Understand?”
“Yeah, I’m sorry, I won’t do it again.” I gave him a little smile to reassure him that I was listening.
He seemed to accept that, but looked me over and noticed I was dressed to go out, “So, are you going somewhere today?”
I nodded.
“Where?”
“To have fun in the city.” I didn’t say anything else hoping he wouldn’t ask anymore questions.
Thankfully he just nodded and walked out of the kitchen reminding me once more not to stay out too late because I had school the next day. I breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he didn’t ask me anything else.
I looked at the wall clock and noticed that it was now ten ‘til noon. I went back upstairs to get my jacket and decided to wait for Max on the front porch so that none of my family would see him. Once outside, I noticed that it wasn’t really cold for February, but I knew my jacket would probably come in handy because it was slightly windy.

I sat down on the porch and watched the clouds drifting past until I heard the sound of a car horn. I looked up and saw Max pulling up to the curb in a black Ferrari Testorosa convertible. I stood up and gaped. I couldn’t believe that he would own such a car. I walked down the sidewalk to the car as he leaned over to open the door for me.
I got in and immediately blurted out, “Are you rich?”
He chuckled as we pulled away from the curb, “Not really, but it’s too cold to ride a motorcycle.”
“You have a motorcycle too?!” I gasped.
“Yeah, actually the Ducati is my favorite mode of transportation, but I think it’s still a little too chilly to take you out on it.” He grinned and looked at me, “So, ready for an adventure?”
I nodded, “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

He took me to the far side of the city where I’ve never been before. Eventually he pulled into a parking lot that was packed with cars. I looked around and spotted huge tents swarming with people.
“What is this?” I asked, my curiosity rising.
“This," he said with a sweep of his arm, "is a flea market."
“A flea market!” I gasped. “Why are we here? Isn’t this a place for poor people to shop?”
Max gave me a look and suddenly burst out laughing. I made a face letting him know that I was not amused. He took a few breaths and replied, “No Liz, it’s not just for poor people. Anyone can come here. C’mon,” he held out his hand, “I know you’ll find something you like. There are plenty of things here that you’ll find interesting.”
I doubted that, but I followed him anyway. As we neared the entrance, he put his arm around my shoulders. I glanced up at him and noticed the smile on his face. He looked happy to be there. It made me suddenly realize that I didn’t really know him at all. In fact, all I really knew was that his name was Max, he owned a Ferrari and a motorcycle, liked going to clubs to dance, and he liked flea markets. That wasn’t much at all.
Questions started popping up in my head. Was he rich? He had to have money to afford a Ferrari! How old was he? Did he go to school? What did he do for a living? Where was he from? All these questions and more started rolling around in my head as we walked into the market.
I didn’t have a chance to ask anything because we had passed the entrance and I was suddenly bombarded with all the sights and sounds of a busy flea market. There were all kinds of people there, young and old alike. We started walking along the rows of tables and I saw all the various items being sold there. There were electronic appliances and equipment, clothes, jewelry, mirrors, paintings, and even large kitchen appliances like refrigerators.
Max was right. I did see plenty of things that I liked. I found some jewelry that was unique and really beautiful. There were silver bracelets with turquoise or other tiny stones set into the metal in intricate, yet simple designs. I had never been big on jewelry, but when I saw the silver bracelets and even the rings, I knew I would probably buy something before we left the market.
When I glanced at Max I saw that he was already looking at several pieces that seemed interesting to him. When he saw me looking at him, he smiled and said, “Why don’t we look around at everything first, then take a break and decide what we want to go back and purchase.”
I nodded as we walked to the next tent that contained summer clothes like sundresses and shorts.
We continued to enjoy ourselves as we walked from tent to tent inspecting all the goods and goofing around some. Eventually he steered me towards a food court area and we got a couple of hot dogs and cokes before sitting down at one of the nearby benches.
In between bites of his hot dog, Max asked, “Did you find anything interesting enough to consider buying?”
I nodded as I swallowed then answered, “Yeah, I saw some silver bracelets and rings that looked interesting. There were some clothes that looked nice too, but there is this leather jacket that I think I’ll buy.” I took a swig of my coke before continuing on, “There were some really beautiful paintings, but I can’t think of where I would hang them.”
He grinned at me as he finished off his hot dog. I looked around at the place and decided to tell Maria all about it as soon as I could. I just knew she would love it and try to buy everything in sight.
Max stuffed his paper plate into his cup and aimed it for the trash can nearby. As the cup landed in the can, I looked at him and grinned, “Two points!”
He laughed and nodded as he said, “Okay, let’s go and buy the things we want now. Oh, and whatever you want, just let me know and I’ll get it for you.”
I gaped at him, “What?! No, that’s okay; I’ve got some money to spend.”
He chuckled, “It’s my treat, and don’t worry, I don’t intend to run out of money.”
We got up and returned to walking through the tents to buy the things we wanted. As we walked we argued about who was going to buy what, but eventually I gave in and let him buy me the things I had wanted. I was still careful at choosing things because I didn’t want him to spend too much.

Finally we left loaded down with plenty of bags full of things we had both chosen to buy. We put the bags into the trunk of the car and climbed into our seats.
As he started the car, Max turned to me and asked, “You want to go to another one? It’s actually my favorite one and it’s much bigger than this one.”
My eyes widened, “There’s another one? But we already have so much stuff! Besides, I don’t want you to spend that much money on me.”
“Don’t worry; I still have plenty of money left.” He flashed one of his trademark smirks, and then looked at me with a serious look, “I’ll just drop this stuff at my house, then we’ll head to the other market okay?”
I nodded in agreement and he drove out of the lot.

He lived in an apartment on the rich side of the city which was actually about a mile from my neighborhood. I helped him carry all the bags into his apartment on the second floor. He held open the front door for me and told me to dump the bags anywhere I wanted to.
I put the bags on the floor near a coffee table and surveyed the room. I noticed how neat it was, which I found hard to believe since he was a guy who lived alone. I had expected to see clothes thrown everywhere and empty food containers littering the place just like in my brother’s room. Instead, there was a small entertainment system against one wall and a couch against another wall. A small table was near the front door, there was the coffee table in front of the couch, and an end table was on either side of the couch. Other than that, the room was empty.
Max set the bags he was carrying down next to the others and asked, “Do you want to see the rest of it?”
I nodded, curious to find out more about him and his life. He led me through a door that was directly opposite the front door. We were now standing in the middle of the kitchen which had an island surrounded by cabinets to the left of us. To the right of us were the stove, sink, a dishwasher, microwave, fridge, and more cabinets.
I noticed several pots and pans in the sink, “You like to cook?”
He smirked, “Yep, I’m a budding chef.”
I chuckled and continued to look around the place. Other than the dishes in the sink, the kitchen was still as neat as the living room had been. I noticed another door on the opposite wall which led to the balcony.
Max pointed to the table out on the balcony and said, “That’s the dining room,” he grinned at me, “at least that’s what everyone says because there’s no room in the kitchen for a table and I don’t have one in the living area.”
He led me out onto the balcony which turned out to be larger than I thought. We walked to the left until we came to a sliding glass door. He opened this door and we entered his bedroom.
The bedroom was obviously the largest room in the apartment. Even with a king sized bed, a nightstand, a chest of drawers, and a huge audio system the room still looked quite empty. Against the wall that separated the bedroom from the kitchen was a pair of folding doors that concealed a closet. On the opposite wall from the glass sliding doors was the door to the bathroom. The wall behind the bed was covered in mirrors, like a dance studio. Looking around his bedroom I realized that he had to be the neatest person I knew. Everything was so clean that I wondered if he had a maid.
I turned to Max and asked, “Are you sure you’re not rich? This place is immaculate.”
He shook his head, “No, I’m not rich. This apartment was actually not that expensive. Most of the furniture I found at second hand stores or flea markets and I just tinkered on them a bit. I think the entertainment system in the living room cost me the most money. This place was quite a disaster area when I moved in. Maintenance had to come in to repair the cracks and holes in the walls, then the walls had to be painted and I requested new carpets and fixed the rest of the place up myself.”
He took my hand and led me back into the living room, “C’mon, let’s finish unloading the bags.”

We finished unloading and then left for the other flea market. It was bigger just like Max had said, so we spent a longer amount of time looking around. I saw more beautiful paintings and complained to Max more than once about how I wished I could buy some to hang at home, but there just wasn’t any room. I also knew my parents wouldn’t be thrilled about those paintings ruining their magazine perfect house. So, Max told me to make a deal with him, I’d pick some that I liked and he’d hang them on his empty walls. I finally agreed and chose some that he seemed to like also.
When we finally left, it was nearly seven o’clock in the evening. We’d spent all afternoon at the flea markets and I agreed that it was indeed an adventure. I also knew that I would go there again and even bring Maria along for the adventure.
We went back to his apartment, dropped off the things we had brought, and decided to go out for pizza. We sat in a booth at the back of the restaurant and debated over what kind of pizza we wanted. We finally agreed on half pepperoni and half hawaiian.
After ordering, I asked if he wanted to choose some music in the jukebox, so we went to pick out some songs. I soon discovered we had the same taste in music. We both preferred rock, but we liked some rap and techno thrown in for good measure. Over the pizza, we talked about various music groups and artists that we liked or disliked.
“You know, I don’t understand why people think Justin is so good, while others think Eminem and Usher are terrible. I think Justin is like them. He performs the same kind of music, wears an earring, and sometimes wears leather. What’s the difference?”
I shrugged, he had a point. “Maybe he seems safer or something.”
Max made a face, “With his newest single? I would have thought parents would be locking their daughters up!”
I laughed. It was hard to picture parents doing that since I personally knew some parents who liked his music too, but I understood what he meant because I didn’t like Justin either.
As we left the restaurant later, Max asked if I wanted to go dancing again. I said yes, so we stopped by his apartment, separated my things from his, and carried them to the trunk of his car.

We returned to ‘Harvey’s’ and this time I relaxed right away. Max got me a couple of drinks, but soon the night came to an end as eleven began to approach. I dragged myself off the dance floor and told Max that I had to get home by eleven since I had school the next day.
He drove me home and helped me unpack the bags from the trunk. I thanked him for taking me to the flea markets and promised to show him around my house someday. He nodded, leaned in for a kiss good-bye, then returned to his car.
As I opened the door, he started the car and waved to me before pulling away from the curb. I walked inside with my bags, thankful that everyone was already asleep. I didn’t want to have to explain Max or the bags I was carrying. In my room, I put all the things Max had brought for me away before going to take a shower. After the shower, I got into bed, but I wasn’t really sleepy, so I put on my earphones and listened to some music.

TBC...

[Shadowlynxbehr]

Hi all! I'm back with the next part, but first...

begonia9508- Yes, I love the flea markets in Texas too! Some of them are real gems!
Em80m- You are getting ahead of me! Her boyfriend is in this part. The idea is supposed to be that she's a 'rich' or upper middle class girl whose parents won't approve of a 'bad' boy.
Erina- Trust me, your questions may be answered sooner than you think.
Maxssoulmate- Thanks!
cherie- Yes, I think he's great too. And she does seem hung up on money doesn't she? I think she's hung up on image too. Poor confused teenager. May be because she was 'raised' in the kind of environment where social status counts as everything.
roswell3053- Thanks!

Well, I just have to apolizise for the part since I think it's kind of short. But I think it's mostly a transition piece and I really, really tried to make it longer . I finally just decided to leave it as it is and just look forward to the next part, which will be much better...
So, without further ado.....

Part 4
I awoke to the sound of music blaring in my ears. I sat up with a start and jerked the earphones out of my ears. "Kevin, that isn't funny!" I yelled.
Kevin was standing next to the bed with the walkman in his hands and laughing. "Who did you go out with yesterday? I saw the car! A black Ferrari Testarossa convertible. I know it wasn't Kyle."
"None of your business Kevin! Quit spying on me and get out of here before I tear your tongue out." I jumped up and reached for him, but he took off before I got him.
I got out of bed and went to the bathroom. I got dressed for school, choosing an outfit I had gotten yesterday. A green skirt that reached just above my knees and a matching long sleeved shirt that showed off my navel and fit my curves snugly. It was cool enough to wear the black leather jacket I had also gotten. The length reached down to my thighs, had a collar, and was tied in front. I left my hair hanging loose and swept to the side. I put on a pair of copper hoop earrings and a matching wide copper bracelet.
I went downstairs to eat breakfast preparing for a scolding from my father. When he didn't even mention it, I guessed he didn't know that I got in late and counted myself lucky. I decided not to say anything about my tardiness unless someone else brought it up first. After eating some toast and grapefruit, I left for school.

Maria was waiting for me in the area where I always parked. And as per her usual self, she began talking without taking a breath, "Where were you Saturday night? Kyle's mad. He couldn't find you anywhere that night, and he couldn't find you yesterday either. I hope you have some good excuses for him."
"Don't worry, I have some." We walked to the patio where our group always met. I could tell Maria was nervous, which told me Kyle had to be really mad for her to be that way.
He saw me right away and headed straight for me. He grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the group. "I want to talk to you," he growled as he pulled me into the gym where it was empty.
Once inside, I pulled my arm free of his grip. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"
He narrowed his eyes, "Where were you Saturday night? You were supposed to be at the club remember?"
"Yes, I remember. I had something else to do."
"You could have called and told me!"
I shrugged, "I didn't get the chance to."
"What about yesterday? I couldn't find you anywhere!" He said as he folded his arms across his chest.
I sighed, "It was my day off, so I spent it shopping."
"You should have spent it with me! I'm your boyfriend!" I could tell he was furious because his hands curled into fists at his sides. I knew it was really because I wasn't telling him anything that he wanted to hear.
"I wanted a day to myself. I see you in school everyday and I spend most nights with you. Isn't that enough?" I asked as I crossed my arms.
"You're supposed to tell me where you go!" he yelled.
"Why? So you can follow me?" I asked as I narrowed my eyes. Now I was getting mad. He seemed to think he owned me and I realized that I had never stopped him from thinking that. I whirled away from him, heading for the door.
"I heard you got in at three in the morning," he muttered.
I stopped and turned to look at him. "Who told you that?"
"Kevin."
My hands curled into fists. I should've known the little pest was gonna squeal.
"He says you went out with someone. Who?"
"A friend."
"Who! Do I know this person?" he growled.
"No, a friend from work."
"Oh? And does this friend from work drive a black Ferrari?"
I froze. Kevin told him about that too! I was gonna murder that little rat when I got the chance!
"So, Elizabeth," he smirked, "you've been lying. Where did he come from? He doesn't even go to school, does he? Does he even have a decent home? A job? You went out with a hippie and no one even knew! Not even me!" he hissed.
"He's not a hippie!" I protested.
"He's not? Then what is he? A hood? A deadbeat? Kevin says he looks like one with the long black hair he has. He said he looked dangerous and wild. I don't want you to associate with his kind!"
"Oh,really?" I huffed, "Maybe you don't, but I do!"
"I'm the man in this relationship! I make the rules! Stay away from him!" he shouted.
"No, Kyle. You stay away from me! I don't like your rules and I don't like you! You don't own me! You never will! It's over between us!" I yanked his school ring off my finger and threw it at him, "I don't even want that crowd of yours! I'll find other friends... friends that won't treat me like some kind of royalty! I hate being popular. I just want to be myself. Good-bye Kyle. Good luck winning the Prom King title, you're gonna need it!" I hissed as I stormed out of the gym, passing by the group's table and headed for my first class.
Maria came running after me. "What's wrong Liz?"
"Kyle and I just broke up." I huffed.
"Oh, I'm sorry." she said quietly.
"What for? I broke up with him! I've had it. No more popular crowd, no more Kyle!" I stopped walking and grinned, "Wow! I feel better already."
Maria gaped at me, "You broke up with Kyle!? Are you out of your mind!? He's the number one guy in this school and you dumped him!?"
I rolled my eyes, "Oh c'mon Maria! You know how much I hated being with him and being popular. You know that I wanted something different."
Slowly Maria nodded. She knew what I meant. I was ready to have my own life now. No more 'popular' things to worry about. At least I hoped I could have a life that I could live without feeling like I lived in a fishbowl.
"Well," she sighed, "even if you've given up the popular crowd, I'm still your best friend."she smiled and gave me a hug before we continued walking to our first class together.

By second period, everyone knew that Kyle and I had broken up. The whole school was in shock because I had dumped Kyle. He had tried to say that he broke up with me, but unfortunately for him, several people had heard us shouting in the gym and they had repeated what was said. When lunch time came, Maria and I sat at a different table trying to ignore the talk of the break-up happening around us. I had decided earlier that day to try to not let all that talk bother me anymore.
By the time school had ended, I had been asked out by over a dozen guys. Many of whom just wanted the chance to be seen with one of the in crowd. I turned them all down gently, telling them that I wasn't ready to date just yet. As school as school ended and I had said my goodbyes to Maria, I went home and did my homework, since I had to be at work at five.
Kevin came rushing into my room just as I sat down to do my math. "Is it true? You broke up with Kyle?"
I sighed, "Yes Kevin, I did. Is it really such a shock? You knew I wasn't happy with him."
"I knew you thought of doing it, but I never dreamed you would actually do it!"
"Well, I did."
He shook his head, "Gosh, my sister broke up with the most popular guy in school! Tell me how you could do it!"
I shrugged, "It was easy because the popular guy was a popular jerk. Now, please leave. I have to finish my homework before I go to work."
It turned out that my father was even shocked. When I dropped by the kitchen to get a bite to eat before going to work, he asked me, "Didn't you like him?"
I nodded, "At first I did, but not anymore. It's not the same anymore. I think I just want something different than he does."
"What about your future plans? Weren't you and Kyle going to get engaged when you graduated?"
I shook my head, "No, I never said that. He did."
"Well, what now?" he asked.
"I'm single and I have school and my job to worry about." I knew he always liked it when I was serious about my grades.

I was glad when I left for work so that I didn't have to answer anymore questions or deal with Kevin staring at me as if I had grown two heads. I told Tess anyway and she asked if it was because of Max.
"No, actually, I haven't liked Kyle much for a while now. He started trying to run my life for me, getting too possessive. And I got tired of hanging around with the popular crowd, you know, the fish bowl thing." I shrugged, "Really, I think it was just time to live for myself and not worry about what everyone else wants."
Tess nodded. I knew she understood because she didn't ask anymore questions. Later, I made the remark that I thought we had more customers than usual for a monday night. Tess joked and said it was because of the news of the break-up and everyone was coming by to see if I'd survived it. After she said that, I went around with a smile and a lot of enthusiasm just to make sure they knew I was alive and not affected by the break-up at all.

I was hanging some clothes up on a rack when I felt someone's lips on my neck. I whirled around and saw Max standing behind me with his trademark smirk. "Hi, beautiful. I heard that you broke up with your boyfriend, Kyle. Want to go out and celebrate?"
"You know? How?" I asked.
"Good news travels fast," he shrugged.
"But how did you even know that I had a boyfriend?"
"I've seen you together at Spotlights."
"Oh."
"So," he leaned in closer, "you want to celebrate?"
"I've got school tomorrow."
He nodded as he brushed my hair behind my ears. Looking into my eyes, he lowered his voice, "We won't celebrate all night."
"O...okay, but I've got to be home by eleven." I said, before biting my lower lip.
He gave me a full smile, "Great! I'll meet you after work at your car." He leaned in for a swift kiss and left. I couldn't stop the giggle that escaped. Who would've thought I'd celebrate breaking up with my boyfriend with a guy like Max.

After work, Max was waiting for me, leaning against my car. He smiled as I walked closer, then pulled me into his arms. Holding my face in his hands, he gave me a long, deep kiss that left me a little breathless. Once he'd let go of me, I knew I was blushing as I gave him the car keys, knowing he would want to drive. He took them with a chuckle and helped me into the passenger seat before walking around to the driver's side. He drove us to his apartment where we made ourselves comfortable on the couch. While he went to get the sparkling grape juice from the fridge, he told me to turn on the stereo. When he'd poured the juice for us, we toasted to my break-up and continued to celebrate. We spent the night giggling, dancing, and sharing kisses like two kids whose parents had left them home alone. Before long, eleven o'clock got closer and we both knew it was time for me to leave. As I kissed him goodnight before he helped me into my car, I realized I'd been there for about an hour, but it had only seemed like I'd been there for just a few seconds. I sighed as I drove away, watching him, watching me in the rearview mirror.

TBC...

[Shadowlynxbehr]

Hi everyone, I know I'm a little early, but I couldn't resist!

roswell3053- yeah, but I really have a hard time trying to NOT like Kyle. He was definitely one of my faves from the show.
Erina- I know! It's tough to write Kyle like that. Kevin wants into the 'in' crowd really bad, so that's why he acts the way he does.
Veronicb- Wow! You are VERY perceptive!
begonia9508- hee hee, yes, you can!
Em80m- I wonder too...
Maxssoulmate- I love Buddha boy too! It's really difficult to write him this way!
Thanette- Welcome!
cherie- Oy! I'm getting predictable already! Not a good thing huh? Yes, Kevin is the worst!
flyawayraven- Hope I don't disappoint! And I love your banner!

I'd like to send out a hello to any lurkers out there and hope everyone is enjoying this so far. Okay, before posting the next part, I have to give the warning....

This is the beginning of the ADULT rating, so you have been fairly warned... Enjoy!


Part 5
I wouldn't have a chance to go out with Max again until Friday night. He would come and see me at work during the week. Sometimes he hung around for a while and we talked, getting to know one another more. Sometimes it got too busy, but he understood that I had to work and let me be.
All week long people had been asking about Kyle and I. I was also still being asked out on dates, but I always politely refused. Around the middle of the week, Kyle had tried to apologize and make up with me, but I adamantly refused. The very next day, he had someone else on his arm, which gave Maria and I a good laugh.

On Friday, I told Max about Kyle and his new girl, as I climbed behind him on his motorcycle. I had asked him to bring his bike because I wanted to get a chance to finally ride one. It wasn't cold that day, even though there was a slight breeze.
We traveled through the city on his bike, racing with the wind. I tossed my head back and yelled as loud as I could. I knew that this was now my life, that I was finally free. I could feel it inside of me and I had never felt so happy. It was like I was finally finding myself. I was dressed in a faded pair of jeans, a black baby tee with 'want a bear hug?' scribbled in green across the front, and my leather jacket over it. Perched on the back of that bike, I felt like I ruled the world, like no one could touch me.
I wrapped my arms tight around Max's waist and rested my head against his back. Holding on to him like that, I felt safe, secure, like no one could hurt me. He tilted his head back to look at me for a moment and smiled. He knew I was enjoying myself. I knew he probably saw the changes in me, just as I could feel them happening.
"Want to drive it?" he asked.
"Yes!" I laughed as he pulled over to let me move in front of him.
He was a gentle teacher, helping me to steer the bike. I placed my feet over his on the pedals and he had his hands over mine on the gears. He kept his mouth close to my ear to help give me encouragement and instuctions. I thought it was rather hard to get the hang of it even though he told me I was doing fine. I think I just had a hard time concentrating with his lips so close to my ear.

Eventually he guided me to Harvey's where we spent the rest of the night dancing. Michael was there as usual and he waved us to join him at the table he was sitting at. Max flagged a waitress and ordered a beer for himself and a 'vanilla coke' for me. We danced a few times and joked with Michael for a while. They were both really funny together and made me feel like I was just one of the guys. Max and I left a little early so that we could ride his bike for a while before he took me home.
Once we arrived at my house, I hopped off the bike and moved to stand at his side. He looped his arm around my waist and pulled me in for a kiss. As he moved away he asked, "Can I pick you up for work tomorrow?"
I gave him a questioning look.
He smiled, "That way when you get off, I can just pick you up and we can go out afterwards."
I giggled, "Sure," I gave his lips a peck and grinned, "I like the way you think."
He laughed, "Me too." He leaned in for one last kiss before he finally let me go and gunned the bike. "Night, Liz."
"Night, Max."
I watched as he drove off and realized how much I was used to being with him. I felt like I had known him for years, like we'd been friends for a long time. I grinned as I walked into the house thinking that I was even more uninhibited with him than I'd ever been with anyone else.

The next morning Max picked me up and took me to work saying he'd join me during my lunch break. When that time came around, he showed up at the store with a bag full of McDonalds. We took the food and ate it in the back room of the store so that we had some privacy. I knew I could get in trouble for letting him in, but I didn't really care.
After work, he was waiting for me on his motorcycle near the North entrance. "Hi, beautiful." he said as he leaned in for a kiss.
"Hi," I grinned.
As he helped me on the back of his bike, he said, "We're going to my place, okay? I planned something special for us."
"Okay."
When we got to his place and he had just unlocked the door, he turned to me and said, "Close your eyes, beautiful."
As soon as I did that, he took my hand and led me inside saying, "No peeking, Liz."
I giggled, "I won't."
We finally came to a stop, "Okay, open your eyes now."
I did, and I saw the table on the balcony all set with candle light and covered dishes. "Max," I gasped, "this is wonderful! You did this?" At his nod, I gushed, "This is so sweet of you!"
He smiled, "Well, I thought we could really celebrate tonight since we really couldn't on Monday. Plus, this is a great way for you to sample my cooking."
I agreed as he helped me to my chair before he sat down across from me. The food was wonderful. We had lemon chicken with rice and string beans. We washed the dinner down with chilled wine and ended with homemade cheesecake for dessert.
After dinner, I helped him clean up, then we took the rest of the wine to the living room. I noticed that he had already put up some of the paintings that I had picked out from the flea market, on his living room walls. I relaxed on the couch as he turned on his stereo.
"Dinner was wonderful. It was a great way to celebrate." I kissed his cheek as he sat next to me, "Thank you for that."
"You're welcome," he grinned, "but we're not finished yet."
I laughed, he was right, the night was still young.

We sat and alternately listened to the music and talked softly for a while as I leaned against his side with his arm wrapped around my shoulders. I knew without a doubt that he'd be content to spend the night doing nothing else, but I had other things in mind as I lifted my head, tilting it back so that he could kiss me. Our lips met, fusing together and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. He pulled me closer to him even as I leaned into his body. I brought my knees under me on the sofa as his hands began to travel down the length of my spine, sending pleasant shivers through my body. I closed my eyes as his lips traveled over my cheek and down my neck.
I ran my hands through his hair enjoying the thickness of it as I held him close to me. He slowly pulled away from me, looking into my eyes. Both of us were a little breathless and I noticed his eyes were looking at me intently. I smiled at him and ran my fingers over his chest, letting them trail downwards. My eyes followed the path of my fingers until they stopped at his belt. I looked up into his eyes and saw the question in them. I gave him another smile before I leaned in and gave him another kiss that gave him the answer he was waiting for.
As I pulled away from his lips, I saw the smile he now wore. I had never seen him smile like that before. It was a gentle smile, almost as if he were suddenly shy, but I saw the hint of playfulness and anticipation in his eyes. He stood up, and offered me his hand. I took it and let him lead me into the bedroom. He stopped at the foot of the bed, pulling me into his arms again. His mouth covered mine as his tongue pushed past my lips. He held me tight, as if he'd never let me go.
I had never felt this way before. Tingles were forming everywhere he touched me. He slowly lifted my shirt over my head and let it fall to the floor. A moan escaped my lips as his fingers moved over my bra covered breasts. He gently laid me down on the bed before removing his shirt and jeans to join me. As he laid his body over mine, he looked into my eyes. He softly brushed the hair from my face and whispered, "Are you sure?"
I nodded and whispered back, "I'm sure."
He kissed me again and moved his hands to my jeans. I lifted my hips up to let him slide them down my legs. Once he'd removed them, he went back to kissing me. His hands slowly caressed their way from my waist, up my ribs, and brushed slightly under my breasts. My breath hitched then turned into a moan as his hands closed over my breasts. He gently kneaded them, letting his palms press against my nipples, now straining against the confines of my bra.
I whimpered when his hands moved to my shoulders, but he hooked his fingers under the straps and began to slowly lower them down my arms. As his lips trailed kisses down my neck to my collar bone, he slid his hand behind my back to undo my bra. Moving slightly away from me, he removed it entirely and tossed it to the floor before leaning against me again. We both gasped as our bared chests came into contact with each other. He took my lips again and I let my hands travel down his back. I ran my fingers over the top of his briefs before moving them to the front. When his lips moved to my neck, I slid my fingers under the band of his briefs. He lifted his hips, allowing me to slide them down. He helped me to remove his briefs, then returned to nibbling on my skin. I tossed my head back and moaned deep in my throat when his mouth brushed over the top of one breast. I arched my back and offered it to him. He took the invitation and closed his mouth over my aching nipple. As he gently sucked and licked my nipple into a hard bud, he slid my underwear down my hips. Nudging my legs apart with one knee, he slid a hand between my legs as his mouth moved to my other breast to give it the same attention as the first. I cried out as his fingers slid over my wetness, touching my nub for the first time.
As his fingers, massaged my folds, I shuddered beneath him, arms wrapped loosely around his shoulders. "Oh Max," I breathed.
He moaned against my neck, as he slid a finger into me, "God, Liz, you feel so wet." I nodded as my hands pressed into his back trying to pull him closer to me. I wanted him so badly, the craving growing with each movement he made.
I wasn't scared this time, yet I didn't know what to expect. "Max...hurry," I panted. He pulled slightly away from me and leaned over to retrieve a condom from the nightstand. Quickly he slipped it on then guided himself to my opening.
"You okay?" He asked before he went any further.
"Yes, please," I begged, dragging his lips back to mine. He kissed me again, letting it deepen before he made any other movement. I felt him push into me gently, then stop as he encountered my barrier. He pulled back slightly and deepened the kiss. When he knew I was ready he thrust forward in one long move, breaking through my barrier. I cried out as his lips swallowed my pain. He waited a moment, letting his tongue caress mine before he began to move inside of me. He helped me find a rhythm and made me feel relaxed. I gave myself to him completely in that moment. I felt no pain, only exquisite pleasure, as I let him guide me over the edge, both of us crying out each other's names.

TBC....

[Shadowlynxbehr]

Hi all! I know it's almost late...but my job was kicking my ass today and I barely had time to get all relaxed and comfortable for a bit of writing! Granted it was partly finished, but there were a few things I needed to add before I posted. I'm praying I'll be able to have the next part done before next Sunday or I know I'll be scrambling again! Oh, and I just wanted to say, there are gonna be times where Max and Liz will have obstacles to overcome, but I'm hoping they won't be that bad. I wanted to try to keep this fic as light and fluffy as possible, but you know how that goes. Now my other fic, "Wild Boys" will have more dark moments given that it's kinda futuristic...

roswell3053- really? Thanks, I was worried that it was too brief.
Erina- dark secrets huh?
begonia9503- hmm...my lips are sealed.
veronicb- so do I!
Emz80m- Thanks!
maxssoulmate- thanks
DreamerAZ- Coming back!
cherie- It was beautiful? Why thank you!
POM- Get ready for a ride! Well, for a gentle one anyway.

And the truth shall set Max free.... Sorta... As I always say, on with the show...

Part 6
Max was lying on his side, holding me in his arms and brushing soft kisses all over my face. I was nestled against him, feeling the warmth of his body next to mine as we rested in the aftermath. I felt wonderful, my body warm and relaxed. Never before had I felt so comfortable, so complete as I lay there and listened to his heartbeat slowing to a steady beat. I knew my own heartbeat was slowing to match his.
He leaned down and looked into my eyes, a satisfied expression on his face, "How are you feeling?"
I smiled, "Wonderful," I breathed.
I saw the brief worry flicker in his eyes, "No pain?" he asked.
I shook my head and leaned my face into his neck, "None at all," I whispered against his skin, "you're a gentle lover." I softly chuckled as I saw him smile.
He pulled me closer to him and leaned in, kissing me tenderly. I let my hands roam over his shoulders, down his back, and around his waist. I leaned my hips into his in invitation. He accepted it with a soft moan, rolling us over until I lay over him. Just as before, he was the teacher and I was his eager pupil. He spent the rest of the night showing me ways that we could satisfy each other.

The sun was shining in through the window when I opened my eyes the next morning. I rolled over onto my back and blinked sleepily up at the ceiling. It was beige, not lavender! I sat up with a start, looking around until everything about the night before came flooding back. Smiling, I pulled the sheets over my naked skin as the memories played in my head.

I gasped in pleasure as I felt the flick of his tongue against my folds. The flick soon turned into longer licks, followed by a low growl as he pushed his tongue inside of me. As I bucked my hips into the air, I heard Max moan, "Mmmm... Liz, you taste so sweet." I whimpered as his tongue slid out of me, but soon he was teasing my nub with his tongue making me whimper more.
"Max...please..."
"Please what baby?" he whispered as he blew against my heated skin.
"Please... I need...I need more..."
"Tell me beautiful...tell me what you need." He lifted his head slightly to look up at me.
I whimpered at the loss of his touch, but all he did was give me a soft smile before laying a feather light kiss against the inside of my thigh.
I growled, bucking my hips towards him, "Please, make me come Max. Make me come with your mouth."
He gave me a full smile before lowering his head again, "Your wish is my command," he whispered as he once again took my nub in his mouth.
I hissed in pleasure as he gently sucked on it, then teased it with his tongue and teeth. As he applied more pressure with his tongue, he slid two fingers inside of me and began pumping them in and out of me. I moaned louder as my hands slid into his hair, trying to bring him closer. When he once again sucked my nub into his mouth with a hard thrust of his fingers into me, I cried out his name as I finally felt the explosion I had so desperately wanted.
Max continued to lick and he moaned softly as he felt the fluttering of my folds against his tongue. As I lay still letting the vibrations flow through my body, he slid up the length of me, softly brushing kisses against my skin. He lifted my legs, placing my knees over his shoulders before sliding further up my body. As he leaned over me, he reached out once again for a condom, swiftly slid it on, then thrust into me in one smooth move.
I arched my back and moaned his name as he began to thrust in and out of me. My legs clenched around his shoulders as I felt my body beginning to reach the edge again. He threw his head back as his thrusts became harder and faster. I glanced up through hooded eyes and saw the tenseness in his shoulders and neck.
"God Liz, so tight baby...so tight." He clinched his jaw and growled as his thrusts became frenzied.
The sight of Max all tense, with sweat glistening all over his body, and the look of ecstasy on his face was enough to send me over the edge again.
"Oh, Maxxx!" I screamed as my thighs tensed around his shoulders.
"Yes! Liz!" He shouted a split second after I did.
He continued to pump into me for a few moments before he finally shuddered and lowered my legs gently to the bed. Leaning over me, he gave me a long, passionate kiss before slowly sliding away from me. Quickly, he disposed of the condom, then once again I was enveloped in the warmth of his arms and body.
As I sighed, slowly falling into a contented drowsiness, I felt him lay a kiss against the top of my head and whisper, "Get some sleep, beautiful."
I smiled and nuzzled closer to his chest unable to keep my eyes open any longer.

Turning to look at the space next to me, I frowned as I noticed Max wasn't there. I could hear faint noises coming from the kitchen and the smell of food wafted into the room, I knew immediately that he was cooking something. I got up from the bed and gathered up my clothes before going into the bathroom.
As I made my way into the kitchen after freshening up, Max was near the stove separating the scrambled eggs and sausages into two plates. He turned towards me as I approached him. He smiled, "hey," he leaned in and gave my lips a peck, "Sleep well?"
"Um hmm," I murmurred as I stepped up to the stove, "need any help?"
"No, it's almost ready," he pointed to the the table on the balcony, "just have a seat and I'll serve you." He carried our plates to the table, where there was orange juice and milk already waiting for us. We ate breakfast in companionable silence, then I helped him wash the dishes before we both got dressed so he could take me home.
"Do you mind dropping me off at my sister-in-law's apartment?" I asked as we climbed into his Ferrari.
He looked at me with a confused look. I grinned, "I want to beg her to cover for me about last night."
He chuckled, "Okay, are you sure?"
I nodded.

He pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex Alex and Isabel lived in. After putting the car in park, he gave me a long goodbye kiss. "Are you sure you don't want me to walk you to the door?"
I shook my head, "It's okay. You've done so much for me already."
He smiled, "Okay, I'll call you tomorrow." He gave me one more kiss before I got out of his car and walked into the complex. Just before I walked in, I turned and waved to him. I saw him wave back, then he backed the car out of the lot.

It was Isabel who answered the door. I asked if Alex was in and she told me he was out of town on business and wouldn't be back until midweek. When I breathed a sigh of relief, she asked what was going on, so I told her. I explained that I had spent the night with Max and begged her if she would back me up when I told my father that I had stayed the night at their apartment.
Her eyes were wide, "You spent the night with a guy? Oh what would your father say if he knew!" She laughed at the thought of it.
"You won't tell him will you?" I asked meekly.
"Of course not!" she huffed, "So, tell me, who this guy is. I heard about you and Kyle breaking up, so I know you didn't stay with him."
I smiled, "His name is Max. Max Evans. He's kind of tall, dark hair, handsome." I sighed, "Boy is he handsome."
She quirked an eyebrow, "Hmm, that name sounds familiar."
I shrugged, "I've never met him before that night I saw him outside of the club. Oh!" I giggled, "and you know what he has? He's got a motorcycle and a ferrari! A Ducati and a Testarossa! How cool is that?"
Suddenly Isabel laughed, "Oh! Now I know that name! Maxwell Evans!" At my puzzled look she continued, "He used to be a bit of a model and was often at the studio I worked at. I even went out with him and a group of people a few times. He is quite good looking, isn't he? He quit modeling a few months before I got married, so I lost track of him then." She shrugged, "He didn't really need the job anyway." She looked directly at me as she said the next words, "The man is loaded. Really, really loaded."
My eyes nearly bugged out of my head, "What!?! But he said he wasn't rich!" I exclaimed.
"Did he?" she chuckled, "He was always telling people that. He didn't want people to like him for just his money or for them to think he was stuck up. His father is the owner of the Evans Architectual Firms that we're always hearing about. He is supposed to inherit that from his father since he's the oldest son. I know he's got a younger brother, and no sisters." She shook her head and smiled, "Max was always a bit of a flirt and famous with the women. They would follow him like bees to honey. We always teased him about which woman would eventually claim him, but he was always very careful. And very, very picky." She turned to me and gave me a knowing smile, "Well, I guess we know who finally claimed him now."
I shook my head, stunned with all this information, "I can't believe this! He's going to inherit the Evans Architectual Firms! His father is much bigger than mine! But...but he seemed so different! Not like all the other guys I know who are rich!"
Isabel nodded, "He never was like anyone else. Max took pride in being different. He didn't want to be known only as Phillip Evans's son or just like every other spoiled, rich kid out there. I guess, he wanted to be his own person, to be known for himself."
I frowned, "But why didn't he just tell me who he was? I mean, I wouldn't have been after his money."
She shrugged, "I can't answer that. I guess you'll just have to ask him yourself."
I nodded glumly, "I guess so."
She wrapped an arm around my shoulders, squeezing lightly, "C'mon, I'll take you home and you can tell me how you met him."

I managed to tell Isabel the whole story as she drove me home. It was a good thing too, because as soon as I was out of the car, my father came storming out of the house, "Well, it's about time! Where have you been young lady? And this had better be good!"
I gave him a sheepish grin, "I was at Isabel's. I spent the night there."
Isabel nodded, "Liz came over last night around 9. We talked for hours until I realized how late it was. So I told her to spend the night and I'd explain to you that I didn't want to bring her home that late, especially since Alex is out of town right now." She paused before going on, "I'm sorry, I figured you would understand. It was my fault, not Liz's."
My father shook his head, "No, no it's okay. I was just worried because I didn't know where she was. Since I know she's okay now and that she was with you, then it's alright." He narrowed his eyes at me, "But try to at least call next time and let us know that you're okay."
I nodded, "Okay, I'll do that next time."
I gave Isabel a hug and thanked her for everything. After my father and I saw her off, I went to my room to take a shower. It was while I was showering that I began to think about Max and everything Isabel had told me. As I toweled myself dry, dressed, then sat on my bed I thought of how much I knew about him. I thought of all the times we'd spent together. I thought about the fact that Isabel knew him personally. But what bothered me the most was finding out that he belonged to one of the richest families in town and I had never even known. How was it that Max Evans knew all about me, but I, Liz Parker, had never known about him?

TBC...

[Shadowlynxbehr]

Wow! Lots of interesting feedback from all of you! I'm liking all the questions you guys have. Trust me, everything will eventually be answered since Liz has a lot of the same questions too.

roswell3053- I'm hoping my Liz will not be too immature and jump to conclusions...
begonia9508- I know I'd gladly 'love' him too
Em80m- Thanks
VeronicB- I know, it'll all be sorted in the next couple of parts... I hope
extingman- (answers) not yet. not yet. Isabel mentioned he has one younger brother. will find out in next part. Soon. Nope. Um, Max isn't a typical 'model', heh. Yes, so would I.
You raised lots of interesting questions and your 'take' on everything is pretty much on the dot. Like I said before, I'm hoping there won't be too much angst. Maybe a few gentle bumps and a dash of suspense.
Alien614- Thanks
LegalAlien- Thanks and welcome!
Erina- Maybe.

Okay, I know my SOs were long, but I really like responding to feedback. Anyway, time to get on with the show...

Part 7
Max called me Monday just like he said he would. I didn't say much to him and when he asked if something was wrong, I said that it had been a long day at school and I had a lot of homework to do before going to work. He told me he'd let me go then and he'd call me on Tuesday. I felt bad for being short with him like that and making excuses, but I wasn't ready to talk to him yet. Everything that I'd found out about him from Isabel was still wreaking havoc in my brain.
It hadn't gotten any better by Tuesday. Instead of calling me, Max showed up at my work, just before I was taking my break. I was in the back room, retrieving my book bag when there was a knock on the door. Wondering why Tess would bother knocking before entering, I leaned over and opened the door. There was Max, leaning against the frame, his trademark smirk on his face.
"Hi beautiful. Miss me?"
I stared at him for a moment before turning back to lift my bag over my shoulder, "What are you doing here Max?"
He walked into the room, "I thought I'd surprise you and come join you for your break."
"Oh." I motioned towards the door, "I'm just gonna go get something from the food court."
He smiled, "Really?" He moved towards me, leaning in to whisper, "Thought maybe you'd like a different sort of break."
I moved away from him and walked towards the door, "I just had half a sandwich for lunch and didn't get anything before I came to work, so I really need food."
He watched me walk through the door into the store with a frown on his face. Neither of us said anything as we walked out of the store and headed towards the food court. I stopped at my favorite chinese place and got a plate of beef with broccoli and a side of fried rice. Max got a plate of beef chow mein and a couple of egg rolls. He also paid for our food despite my grumbling a protest. I didn't wait for him to finish paying, instead, I walked away and found a table on the opposite side of the food court.
He knew I was ignoring him. I could feel his eyes on me as I sat there, head lowered, concentrating on eating my food. He didn't touch his food, just sat and watched me. After a few moments of awkward silence, I stopped eating and turned to open my book bag. Pushing my plate to the side, I pulled out my government book and proceeded to read my homework chapter. Max picked up his fork and took a bite of his food. He ate for a few minutes before the silence finally got to him.
"Liz?"
I didn't look up at him, but he saw the inclination of my head.
"I thought you said you were hungry."
I glanced at my plate for a moment before returning to the book. "Yeah, I have to study too."
He frowned. "You should eat something. You can always study when you get home."
I shrugged. "I have a lot of homework, not just this."
"Liz," he said as he nudged my plate closer to me, "Eat something baby."
I shut the book and stuffed it into the book bag before standing up and slinging it over my shoulder. I looked at him before glancing at my watch. "I have to get back to work. I'll see you later Max." I heard him say my name once more as I walked briskly away from him. I was half way to the store when he'd caught up with me.
Catching hold of my wrist, he turned me to face him, "Did I do something wrong?" he asked.
I sighed, "I just have to get back to work."
He frowned, "Then I'll wait for you to get off and I'll have something for you to eat, okay."
I shook my head, "I can't. I have to get home. I really need to study."
"It's just food Liz, you can eat it in your car."
"Max..."
He interrupted me, "Can't I just have a few moments with you?"
I looked up at him. I could see it in his eyes, he wasn't buying my excuses. He knew something was up and I wasn't telling him what was wrong. But I couldn't. I wasn't ready to talk to him about this. I sighed. "I'm sorry Max. I really can't tonight. Maybe tomorrow okay?" I backed away from him slowly, "I'll talk to you tomorrow."
He didn't move, just stood there watching me walk away from him. His eyes silently begging me to talk to him. I turned away and slowly made my way back into the store.

Later that night I lay on my bed staring up at my lavender ceiling thinking about everything Isabel had told me. I thought of the way I'd been treating Max for the last two days since I had found out about him. I knew I was being unfair to him. I knew I should give him a chance to explain why he'd kept all of that from me. If he knew who I was, why were there so many secrets. I thought about all the questions I'd had about him when I'd first gone out with him. Questions I'd told myself I'd ask him on that day we had gone to the flea market. Now more than ever, I wanted to know the answers, but knowing what I now knew, I found myself with even more questions. I sighed and rolled over onto my side. I knew he'd call me the next day, so I told myself that when he called I'd tell him that we had to have a serious talk. I just hoped that he'd give me the answers. And I prayed that I hadn't made the biggest mistake of my life, in trusting him and giving him a part of myself that I could never get back.

I answered my phone on the second ring with a "hello."
"Talk to me beautiful." he pleaded.
I closed my eyes at the sound of his voice, he'd called the next day, just like I knew he would. "Hi Max."
"Are you working tonight?"
"Yes."
"Can I join you for your break?"
"I don't think that's a good idea, Max."
"Liz, please, tell me what's going on."
"I will Max. I think we should talk."
Silence was my answer for a few moments, then softly, "When?"
"I'm off Friday. Can I meet you somewhere after I get out of school?"
"Friday?"
"Friday."
"It's Wednesday, Liz."
"I know. I just don't have the time right now to talk to you." I hesitated before going on, "I just don't want to do this over the phone."
"What are we supposed to do until Friday?"
I sighed, "I have school, work, and studying to do."
"And me? Am I just supposed to leave you alone?"
"Yeah."
"Liz..."
"Max, I promise, on Friday we'll talk, okay?"
I heard him sigh, "Okay." There was another moment of silence, then, "Can you meet me at Archer Park? The one that's down the street from my apartment complex on Jester and Lexington?"
"Yeah, that's a good place to meet. I'll be there about 4."
"Okay, Friday, at 4."

For the rest of the week I thought about everything I knew of Max and everything I didn't. I thought of all the questions I wanted to ask him and wondered if he'd tell me the truth when I confronted him. Then again, I knew I wasn't telling him everything about my life. He knew I wanted something different, but I knew I was essentially hiding him from everyone I knew, like he was some dark secret no one was allowed to find out about. It wasn't that I didn't want anyone to know, I just knew what their reaction would be. Everyone except Isabel and maybe Maria would look down on him and tell me I was making a mistake for seeing him.
To add to my headaches, Kyle was being a dick. He was forever parading whatever floozy he was currently seeing anywhere I'd be able to see. As if he was telling me that it could have been me on his arm. It made me want to puke sometimes, especially during their PDAs! Once, when Maria and I walked by Kyle and his current floozy who were practically making out in a corner between the band hall and the stairs, I turned to Maria and asked if I had ever been all over Kyle like that.
Maria shook her head, "Nope. At least not to my knowledge. All I ever saw you do with Kyle was hold his hand or give him a quick kiss. Nothing that blatant." She paused, "Of course, when you guys went to the club, he tended to grope a lot, but I don't remember you ever doing the groping."
I laughed, "Maybe I always knew there wasn't anything worth groping."
Maria stopped walking and stared at me for a moment before bursting out laughing. A few students looked at her funny as they passed, but we ignored them. She wiped tears from her eyes, "Aw chica," she said as she tried to breathe again, "that was priceless!"
I grinned as we continued walking towards the parking lot.
"So, you ready to talk to Max?" she asked.
I shrugged, "As ready as I'll ever be I guess."
She reached over and hugged me with one arm. "Just be straight with him Liz. From what you've told me he seems to be pretty direct and he did tell you to be truthful with him, right?" At my nod she went on, "Then tell him the truth about how you found out and what you found out about him. Hopefully he'll be cool about it and just tell you his reasons."
I smiled, "Thanks Maria."
I was really glad that I had confided in her. I had thought of going back to Isabel and talking about it, but Isabel knew Max, and I wanted to get someone else's opinion who didn't know him. I had been a little hesitant to talk to Maria, but she told me that we were best friends and she'd always be there for me no matter what happened. We'd gotten together Thursday after school at her house and she'd listened as I got everything out. Once I was done, she'd pointed out that Max had asked me to be honest with him so it was only fair that he do the same. She had really helped me to fix the clutter that had become my mind.
As we arrived at my car, she turned to face me, "Liz, you do realize that you will probably have to tell him why you haven't introduced him to your family or friends, right."
I slowly nodded, "Yeah, I know."
"I'm just saying, you should be prepared for anything to happen. Since you are going to confront him with his past and all, it's just logical to think he'll turn around and do the same to you."
I sighed, "I know. You're right. That's why I want to meet somewhere public. Just in case things get a little heated."
She nodded, "Okay," she leaned in and gave me a hug, "good luck chica. Call me after the talk if you need to regroup. No matter what time it is, deal?"
I hugged her back, "Deal."
She stepped back and smiled while I dropped my bag into the passenger seat and climbed in. I waved to her as I left the parking lot. She returned the wave as she walked to her own car.


I made it to the park in good time. Once I found a parking space, I looked at my watch and saw that I had several minutes to spare. I sighed and closed my eyes gathering my courage up. Once I was ready, I got out of the car and walked towards the park, eyes searching for that familiar face. Just when I thought maybe I was there earlier than Max, I finally saw him. He was getting up from a swing he'd been sitting in, waiting for me. He took a few steps towards me then stopped as he noticed me walking towards him. I moved to the swing next to the one he had been on and sat down. He sat back down on his swing and turned to look at me. I watched as a hesitant smile spread, then faded as he realized I wasn't returning the smile. He looked away as he asked, "Will you tell me what's wrong now?"
I nodded, "You once told me to be honest with you. I have a question to ask and I want you to be honest when you answer."
He looked at me and nodded, "Of course."
I looked down at my hands for a moment before looking back at him, "Who are you, really?"

TBC...

[Shadowlynxbehr]

Hi all, sorry this seems a little late, had trouble trying to get this part right. On the bright side, the next part followed quickly and I just have to tweak it a bit, but it's all ready.

roswell3053- I was thinking if she had talked to him immediately, then her words would have been hasty and angry, so she was wise to wait to cool down a bit.
POM- Sorry. It was the best place to leave it , okay, so I wanted to catch your attention
Alien614- Thanks!
Erina-
begonia9508- Yep, he's verrrrrry cautious. But then so is she.
VeronicB- I understand. And wow! Didn't think I'd get such a heated reaction to Liz.
Em80m- She's young. I know, it's an excuse... . And ditto about Max.

Okay, on with the show...


Part 8
Max stared at me with a puzzled look on his face. "What do you mean who am I? I'm Max Evans."
I sighed, "I know your name, Max, but I want to know about you. Your past, what made you who you are now."
He looked away again and sighed. Without looking at me he quietly asked, "What happened to bring this up?"
I studied his profile as I tried to figure out how to say it. In the end, I just decided to be frank, "Sunday, when you dropped me off at my sister-in-law's apartment. I told her I'd stayed the night with you. She asked me about you and I told her. Turns out she knows you." His head snapped towards me as I finished, "Her name is Isabel Parker. She knew you when you were still a model. She was one too. Her name was Isabel Collins then, she wasn't married yet."
Max's eyes grew wide as her name registered. "Isabel Collins? She's married?"
I nodded, "To my older brother, Alex."
Max slowly turned his head away again. I watched as he swallowed, then opened his mouth and closed it again.
I sighed, "Max, why didn't you tell me who you were? You told me you weren't rich."
He shrugged, "Technically, I'm not."
I frowned, "Technically? Max you are the oldest son of multimillionaire, Phillip Evans!"
He sighed and turned to face me, "Yes. I am. But that's all, Liz." When I opened my mouth to say something, he continued, "My father is the one with the money. Not me. I'm just his oldest son."
I shook my head, "Isabel said you are supposed to inherit all of it someday."
"That's what my father wants, yes."
"And you don't?"
He shrugged, "I don't know what I want yet."
I stared at him for a moment, then rolled my eyes in exasperation. "What? You figured you'd experiment? Dabble in a little of this or a little of that? Hopefully something would jump out at you? Is that it?"
He closed his eyes, "No, it's not like that, Liz."
I stood up and turned to face him, hands curling into fists, "Then what is it Max? What? How could you not tell me any of this and let me sleep with you!?! Was I just another notch for you? Another one of those women who fell for your charms?" I yelled.
"No!" He was standing now, hands reaching for me, but I stepped back from him. He lowered his hands slowly to his sides and looked at me. "God, Liz, you were never that." He whispered, "Never."
I stared at him, seeing the hurt in his eyes. And fear. I frowned wondering why he'd be afraid of my knowing who he was. I sighed, "Were you ever going to tell me the truth?"
He nodded. "Yes. I just wanted to be sure, to be sure that I could trust you."
"Trust me?"
He sighed, "I'm sorry. I just thought I'd wait until I knew for sure that you wouldn't use it against me. That it wouldn't matter who or what I was."
"Max," I grimaced, "Not to sound like a four year old, but it wasn't fair that you knew about me and I knew nothing about you!"
He shook his head, "I don't know everything about you."
"That's not the point Max!" I growled. "You know where I work, where I go to school, where I live, where I hang out. I don't know any of that about you!"
Closing his eyes, he lowered his head, "You know where I live and where I hang out."
I rolled my eyes again, but before I had a chance to respond, he looked me in the eyes and said, "And I'll tell you whatever else you want to know."
"Because I found out about you, huh? You've been backed into a corner and you think this will get you out of it?"
"No." He stepped up to me and raised a hand to my cheek before I had a chance to retreat. Looking into my eyes he said, "I'll tell you everything because I want you to know. Because I'm hoping that when you know everything, you'll still want to be with me for me."
My eyes widened as I realized what he was saying. What Isabel had said was true. He wanted me to see him for who he was, not what he was. I closed my eyes as I leaned my cheek into his hand. Did he even know that I was fighting the same things in my life? Did he know how much I wanted to be myself and not 'Elizabeth Parker', Most Popular Girl? I opened my eyes and looked into his warm hazel ones. Sighing I said, "I haven't been completely honest with you either." I lowered my eyes, "There's things going on in my life that I think you should know too."
"Okay," he slowly nodded, "Then why don't we sit down and talk? I'll answer all the questions you have and you can tell me about your life too."
I looked around the park, noticing that it was empty. Daylight was already fading and I could feel the chill beginning in the air. I turned to him and asked, "Can we go to your place? It's getting dark and the night's supposed to be cold. And I think this might take a while."
"Yeah, sure. I'll follow you there, okay?"
I nodded and walked back to my car with my arms wrapped around myself. I thought of what I would ask him and wondered what he would say. I knew I was going to have to tell him about my life, about the problems I was having with my friends and my family. If Isabel was right, then it seemed as if everything that I was facing in my life, were the same things Max seemed to be facing in his. It struck me as ironic that the guy I had thought of as the night to my day, was turning out to be exactly like me.

Max let me into his apartment and asked if I wanted anything before we sat down and talked. I shook my head no, and we sat on his couch in silence for a while. I knew he was waiting for me, and I was trying to figure out what I wanted to ask first. Finally, I just decided to say whatever was on my mind.
"Well, given that you've taken me to 'Harvey's' and gotten me drinks, I'd say you were about 21, right?"
"22."
I looked at him for a moment before going on, "Oookay. Um, do you go to college?"
"No." He sat back against the cushions. "When I was in high school, I was an excellent student. I took a few college courses back then, mostly courses that had to do with business. So, I have about 18 college credit hours."
My eyes widened at that. "You did this while in high school?"
He nodded and grinned when he saw the amazement on my face. "It was different then. I was different. I did everything I was told and I never questioned it. My father always pushed me to be the best and I did it without even knowing why. So, I was always studying, always bringing home the perfect grades for him. Everyone would always say that I was his pride and joy, that I was just like him. But as I got older, I began to see how different I was from everyone else. They all seemed to be happy, living their lives, going out and having fun. Being kids. I never got to do that. I went to school, then came home and studied and I thought that was what every kid did. But I realized that I was the only one living like that. Not even my younger brother lived like I did."
I frowned, "You're father didn't push him to do good in school?"
"Oh, Michael had to keep his grades up, but he didn't have to stay focused on that. He was allowed to have friends, to go out and play."
I gasped, "You didn't have any friends?"
"I did, but I couldn't hang out with them. I only saw them at school."
I closed my eyes as I imagined what it would have been like to be in Max's shoes. To watch my younger brother go out to play with his friends while I had to stay inside and study. My eyes suddenly snapped open, "Wait! You're brother's name is Michael!"
He nodded, "Yeah, you know him."
"Michael from 'Harvey's', that Michael?"
He chuckled, "Yes, that Michael. That's my little bro."
I gaped at him. "Little bro!"
Max shrugged, "He's a year younger than me, so yeah."
"Wow. I would have never guessed he was your brother."
"Yeah, he takes after my father. I take after my mom."
"Really?" I smiled, "Then your mother must really be beautiful."
That made him snap his eyes to mine. He stared at me for a moment before a shy smile spread over his lips. "I always thought she was, yeah."
I grinned, "So, what did you do when you realized you were different than the other kids your age?"
"I tried to change. I started asking my father if I could go out with my friends. When he realized I was starting to question things, he made it clear that I was not like anyone else. That I was going to be the one to follow in his footsteps, so I had to do what he said. He told me he wanted to make sure I didn't mess things up."
I grimaced, "So, you reacted like any kid would when the chains are tightened. You rebelled."
He nodded, "Yeah. I started staying late at school so I could hang with my friends. I didn't study as hard anymore or try to be the best in my classes." He shrugged, "Funny thing is, I still managed to do well in all my classes, it just wasn't perfect enough anymore for my father."
"Did you graduate at the top of your class?"
"No, I was in the top ten percent, but not the best. My father was disappointed. He was even more disappointed when I told him I wasn't going to college. At that point, I'd already started modeling, so you can guess how well my father handled my graduation."
I frowned, "You were in the top ten percent. How is that not good?"
"He wanted me to be at the very top."
"Ugh, talk about militant."
He chuckled, "Yeah, you could say that."
"So, he didn't know you were modeling then?"
"No, I'd only started modeling towards the end of the summer before my senior year. And I didn't really do that much of it during the year anyway, so it was easy enough for him to think I was just playing hooky with my friends. When he found out at my graduation party, he was furious. He yelled at me and told me no son of his was going to embarrass him like that. It was the first time I ever argued with him. Angry words were hurled between us and I ended up leaving home and staying with a friend of mine for about a week." He turned and flashed a grin, "I quickly learned I couldn't live on my own since I'd never had to fend for myself before. So I went back home and my father put me to work in the company. I was still hanging out with my friends and going out and being a teenager, which only made my father angrier. We couldn't be in the same room anymore without hurling insults at each other. So, I quit working at the company and started modeling again. It took a few months to really get some good jobs, but I did and when I got enough money, I moved out on my own."
"How old were you then?"
"I was nineteen."
"Isabel said you'd quit before she got married, did you get another job?"
"No, I made a few good decisions about my life and my father. I had made really good money from the modeling that I did for the two years that I did it. And those business courses I took in school came in handy because I took some of the money I earned and made a few investments."
"Those must be some investments, if you're just living off of them now."
He chuckled, "Well, I do have a head for business. But really, my father and I had a talk. I had been on my own for about a year when he came to me and told me he was actually proud that I'd been able to stand on my own. He said I reminded him of himself when he'd been starting out on his own. We made a deal then. He'd allow me to live my own life, to live it the way I wanted to with no interference from him until my twenty-fifth birthday. At that time I have to settle down, get serious, and go back into the business with him."
"So, you made the deal, then?"
"Yeah. I made him promise not to interfere with my life until I turned twenty-five. He's been really good at keeping his promise so far."
"Do you ever see him or your mom?"
"I talk to mom often. We sometimes get together for lunch or to go shopping together. She's the one who introduced me to flea markets." We both laughed at that. "I really only see my father when I go home for a holiday celebration, like Christmas. We both know we need to see as little of each other as possible or we'll be at each other's throats again."
I nodded, "Do you think it'll still be like that when you go back to work with him?"
He shrugged, "I honestly don't know. I'm hoping he'll just let me do my job and respect that I have my own life to live."
I sat there chewing on my bottom lip for a few moments. Max didn't say a word, he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. Finally I said, "I still don't understand why you didn't just tell me who you were, especially since you knew who I was."
He sighed, "I know, I'm sorry. It's just really hard for me to know who's honest and who's not." He turned to look me in the eyes, "When you grow up the way I did, with no friends and then finding out that the ones you did have only hung out with you because of what you were, it's hard to just accept anyone as a friend."
My eyes went wide, "Are you saying the friends you had in school..."
"Only hung out with me because I was Max Evans, future multimillionare." He nodded, "Yes."
I closed my eyes, this was just getting better and better. Everything he was saying was sounding just like all the things I'd complained about in my life.
"I found out the truth after that fight with my father at graduation. I'd moved out and suddenly without money, my friends just started disappearing. After that, I was hesitant to make new friends and I learned not to tell them who I really was."
I nodded, "Isabel said you would do that. So, how did she know who you really were then?"
"I told her eventually. The group that I used to hang out with when I was modeling were people who didn't care what I was. Isabel was one of them. They weren't judging people by anything other than getting together and having a good time. I could be myself with them, so when I was certain of it I told them the truth. They just shrugged it off and went on as if nothing had changed. And I never had to worry about any of them letting my secret out."
"Isabel let the secret out."
He chuckled, "Yes, but I'm willing to bet she thought you'd know the truth." He flashed me his smirk, "And I'm willing to forgive her if you'll do the same."
I rolled my eyes. I knew it was his way of asking if I forgave him. "I'll let you know soon."
He pouted, "Didn't you say you had secrets too?" At my hesitant nod he continued, "So, what don't I know about you?"
It took a few deep breaths and nibbling on my bottom lip for a few moments before I threw myself into my confession, "I think I'm doing the same things you did. You know, wanting to be yourself, to live for yourself and no one else. That's why I finally broke up with Kyle. And in doing that, I also stopped hanging around with my so called friends. Except Maria, who is the only real friend I've had. My father is also not taking this well. He hates that I work at The Body Shop and that I am not the perfect socialite daughter he wants. He was actually upset that I broke up with Kyle! He believed we were going to get engaged when we graduated! The only thing my father and I seem to agree on is doing good in school. Other than that, I haven't been doing what he wants me to do lately."
Max nodded, "Yeah, that does sound familiar."
"That's not all Max. See, when I first saw you, I thought you were different. The impression I got was that I would be so far out of your league. You were someone my father would never allow me to date. Someone who was so far beneath us. And I think deep down, I wanted that. I wanted to defy my father and do something that would go against everything I'd been raised by. But at the same time, I was hiding you from everyone. Only Isabel and Maria know the whole truth about you. My younger brother saw your car and got a glimpse of you but he doesn't know anything. What he did see, he told Kyle, so he knows a little also." I turned to look into his eyes, "I haven't told any one of my family about you Max. I knew if I did, they'd tell me I couldn't see you. But that was before I knew who you really were."
He was silent for a few moments before he asked, "And now?"
I swallowed, "Now. Now I'm thinking if my father knew who it really was I was dating, he'd have a priest here in an instant and he'd be your newest best friend."
Max frowned, "You really think so?"
"Yes. He liked Kyle because Kyle comes from an upstanding socially acceptable family." I rolled my eyes, "And my father is all about what the connections can do for him. You can imagine what your connections will look like to him. Compared to you, Kyle was a home cooked meal, you are prime ribs."
He sighed and sat back against the couch, "Okay." He looked up at me, "Maybe we should hold off on telling him about me for a while."
I arched an eyebrow, "What? Let him get to know you first, before we spring the truth on him?"
He nodded.
I shrugged, "We could do that, that is if I'm going to keep seeing you." I stated with a straight face.
He stared at me, not saying a word. I could see it in his eyes. The fear had returned. He honestly believed I was still upset with him. The truth was, I couldn't ever be upset with him for something like this. After all, I'd kept secrets from him too. I watched him lower his head and I knew I couldn't keep this up.
"I think I'll keep seeing you." His head snapped up, but before he could say anything, I went on, "But if we do, I think we should be clear on a few things Max."
He nodded eagerly, "Of course."
"I think we should try to trust each other. And to do that we have to be honest with each other, like you asked me to once. But Max, you have to be honest with me too and I promise to be honest with you."
"Okay, I promise, Liz. I won't keep any secrets from you."
I smiled, "Good. And if we ever want to know something, then we should be able to ask about it and not worry if we'll be getting the truth or not. No matter how good or bad it is."
"That's fair."
I held my hand out to him, "Deal?"
He grinned and slid his hand into mine, "Deal."

TBC...

[Shadowlynxbehr]

Hi guys! I know, I know....but the good news is you'll be getting two parts within the next 12 hours.

roswell3053-
begonia9508- LOL! Funny thing is I grew up knowing some people like that... the good and the bad!
Em80m-
VeronicB-
Erina-
addicted2roswell- Thanks!
behrlyliz- Welcome!

Okay, here's part 9. Part 10 will be posted in the next few hours...

Part 9
Max and I had spent a few more hours that evening talking about his family and mine. I learned that he'd taken up cooking on a dare from his younger brother Michael who was currently going through culinary school. Max used to tease Michael of being girly since he was always in the kitchen with their family cook and asking questions on how she made this or that. When Michael got to high school, he took a few home economic classes and decided that he wanted to learn how to be a chef. By the time Max was modeling, both he and Michael traded friendly barbs about being gay since Max was always looking 'pretty' and Michael was always cooking. Somewhere along the way, Michael declared it was an art and challanged Max to try to do it. Turned out Max was a budding chef. He admitted he wasn't anywhere as good as Michael was, but it was something he enjoyed nonetheless.
However, the thing that amazed me most was that I found out was that he actually went to the same high school as I did. When I found out that he had been a senior when I was a freshman, I asked why I had no idea who he was even then. He told me it was probably because at the time, he was still not really very outgoing. It seems he only had that select group of friends and he still was a bit of a geek, despite the fact that he was starting to model. When I laughed at that and told him I wasn't really convinced, he took out his senior yearbook to show me his picture. Imagine my surprise when I saw it. He wasn't kidding. The boy in the picture looked nothing like the man sitting next to me. In the picture, he had short hair, with bangs that slightly fell into his eyes. And he wore glasses back then too. Even his clothes were all geeky, a button down shirt with a collar and a side pocket!

"O...kay. That's too weird." I mock shuddered and gave him a smirk, "So, I wouldn't have known you then and now, but how is it that you always knew me?"
He chuckled, "That's easy, some of the kids in my classes, had brothers and sisters in your classes, so I knew who you were. I also knew Alex, your brother, I had him in a couple of my classes."
I shook my head, "No, if you knew Alex, then I should have known you because Alex used to let me tag along to most places with him, and I knew most of his friends."
"I wasn't a friend of his, Liz. I just knew him from the classes I had with him. We didn't share the same group of friends. His group were the hard-working students, mine were the rich ones who never had to work for what they had."
"Yeah, you're right about that, he was always pushing himself so hard. But then, I knew it was because he seriously wanted to be a lawyer and he always knew how hard it would be to get into law school."
Max nodded, "Yeah, I was trying not to be a hard-working student, so I attracted the same ones. Only my dad had more money than theirs, so I became the one they all wanted to be the best friend of." He emphasized that with a roll of his eyes.
I laughed, "So, you knew me because of Alex?"
"Well, I knew you were his little sister, but I didn't really know who you were then. It wasn't until after I'd turned 21 and started hanging out at Incognito, the club across from Spotlights. I remember seeing you walking down The Sidewalk with your group, heading towards Spotlights. I was with a few guys in line to get into Incognito when I saw you. I was so busy watching you laughing at something one of your friends said, that I hadn't realized the line had moved forward until one of the guys nudged me forward. They laughed and asked where I'd just gone and I pointed to you and said maybe we should go to Spotlights. They all looked at me like I'd gone nuts and one of them told me that there was no way they'd go into that club, plus a chick like you would never give a guy like me the time of day."
I arched an eyebrow, "And yet, here we are."
He grinned at that, "Yeah, here we are."
"So, how did you know who I was then?"
"One of the guys had a younger sister who was your age. So he knew who you were and told me about your father owning Horizons. So, I started to do a little research." He gave me a grin as he finished.
"You started stalking me!" I exclaimed.
He just kept on grinning.

Max hadn't stalked me. Turns out, the guy who knew who I was, was more than willing to tell Max everything he knew about me. Of course, he only did it so that Max could understand just how far out of his league I was, but that didn't stop Max from being interested. After that, he just always noticed when I'd be at the club or not and his friend always ribbed him about his infatuation with me. I wasn't so upset with him about knowing who I was because I knew if the shoe had been on the other foot, I would have made every effort to find out about the guy I was interested in.
Max asked me about my family and why it was that I wasn't trying to fit in either. I told him that it wasn't that I didn't love my family, but that I wanted to find out who I was for myself instead of having it all planned out and dictated to me. I knew my father only had my best interests at heart. I knew how hard he'd worked to get his restaurant off the ground and be able to give his family everything they could possibly want. But I wanted to plan my own life out, while my father seemed to think he could plan it out for me so that I'd be taken care of. I wanted to experience life myself, my father wanted to protect me. He was like that for everyone in the family. It was just that some of us didn't mind being taken care of, while others, like Alex and I wanted to take care of ourselves.
I hadn't started to really rebel until towards the end of my junior year and it was just amplified during the summer since all I seemed to be doing was hanging out with the group at Spotlights during the nights and then spending the days at each others houses. I told Max that that summer was when I really started to find myself getting irritated with the way Kyle was acting with me. He'd started to become more possessive. Always wanting to know where I was and who I was with. I'd even gotten the impression that the others who were with me when I wasn't with him would report back to him what I'd done when I was with them. That's why I'd started to work at The Body Shop midway through the summer. It was something to break the monotony of my perfect life. Max understood what I was saying. I knew he would. It's why I understood why he did what he did. Of course, I knew that I probably had a better life then he'd had at that point because at least my father and I were civil towards each other and I still have my best friend.
By the end of the night, we'd learned a lot more about each other. He told me what his life was like as he'd been a model and I told him some of the things that had happened in the past year that made me realize that I didn't really like the perfect life I had. So, when he finally walked me to my car and gave me a hug good-bye, I knew we were on the road to recovery. Max was still the same guy I'd met two weeks ago. Only now we'd learned so much more about each other and agreed to be open and honest with each other.

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing. I groaned and rolled over to answer it. "Hello?"
"Liz? You never called me back, so I'm assuming things went well?" Maria's voice was way too chipper for ten in the morning.
"Yeah, we talked. He told me the truth."
"Really? And did you have to meet him halfway?"
"Maria, I'm not that cruel!" I sighed, "I volunteered the information before he could ask. It only seemed fair."
"Oh chica, I'm so proud of you."
"Thanks, so can I go back to sleep now?"
I heard her laugh before she said, "Uh, uh. You are gonna get yourself out of that bed and get ready to have lunch with me in about two hours. Then we'll hang out for a bit."
"I work Maria."
"I know you do, but that's not until later this afternoon right?"
"Yeah, I go in at four."
"Good, then get up and get ready."
I grumbled a bit, but told her I would meet her at The Cheesecake Factory, one of our favorite restaurants at noon.

As I stepped out of the shower, my phone went off again, I rushed into my room grumbling about the timing of these people who kept interrupting me when I was busy. I grabbed my phone and answered slightly irritated, "Hello."
"Liz?"
I found myself smiling at the sound of Max's voice. "Hi, Max."
"You okay?"
"I'm fine." I chuckled, "I was just getting out of the shower when the phone rang, so I had to run into my room to answer it."
"The shower...hmm....you must be soaking...wet." I could hear the smirk in his voice as he made that comment.
"Maaaax, get your mind out of the gutter!"
"Can't help it. The image of you stepping out of the shower and running into your room to get the phone," he paused, "are you even wearing a towel?"
I laughed, "Yes, you dork! I am."
"Awww...that's a shame." He laughed before continuing, "So, you work today?"
"Yeah, at four."
"Well, then, would you consider going to lunch with me before you go to work?"
I frowned, "I already told Maria that I'd go to lunch with her."
"Oh, okay. Well, some other time then."
"No wait, Max." I said as an idea came into my mind, "Why don't you join us?"
"No that's okay, I don't want to intrude on your time with your best friend."
"You won't be. Maria wants to meet you anyway, so what better time than now. Will you meet us at the restaurant?"
"You sure?"
"Yes, I want you to meet her."
"Okay, I'll go."
I told Max where the restaurant was and told him to meet us there at noon. I called Maria back and told her Max was going to have lunch with us if that was okay. She said it was okay since she wanted to meet him anyway.
Maria was the first one there. I was walking towards her as Max pulled into the parking lot. When he joined us at the doors, I introduced my best friend to my boyfriend, then we went inside to have lunch. It was a very good lunch. Maria and Max got along really well. Maria began calling Max her girlfriend after she'd discovered how good his fashion sense was. I joked that it was a byproduct from his modeling days and that launched a whole other discussion between them. Maria wanted to see the pictures and when she asked if he'd posed nude for any, I nearly choked on my water. Max simply smirked and said he'd never posed nude, but he was certain she'd be interested in some of the swimsuit photos he'd done. Even my attention was caught by that time, so when we'd finished lunch, he drove us back to his place and we sat on his living room floor looking through all the photos he kept from his photo shoots.
Maria and I both were gawking at the photos. Max was very photogenic. The camera loved him. He had such a natural grace that came through in all of the photos. Maria liked the ones that had him dressed in really funky, stylish outfits. I loved the ones that were done in black and white, more mood pieces than fashion photos. But we both agreed that Max was definitely made to be in front of a camera. He simply shrugged and said it was fun while he did it, but it wasn't something he'd pursue again.
Max drove the both of us back to our cars about an hour before I had to be at work. Maria hugged both of us and told me she'd call me later before getting into her car and driving off.
As Max and I held hands and walked to my car he asked, "So, boyfriend, huh?"
I smiled as I looked up into his eyes, "Um, yeah. I hope you don't mind that I said that."
We stopped by the door of my car and Max turned to face me. He placed his hand against my cheek, "I was hoping to be that to you."
I smiled, "I want you to be that, Max."
He returned my smile as his lips lowered to mine. I sighed as he deepened the kiss. I couldn't lie to either of us. I'd missed his kisses. His touch. Slipping my arms around his shoulders, I pulled him closer to me, relishing the feel of his body next to mine. He slid his arms around my waist and slowly pulled his lips from mine. I pouted.
He grinned, "Will you spend tomorrow with me, beautiful?"
I nodded. "Call me tonight? We'll discuss what we will do tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay." He leaned in and gave me another long, lingering kiss before he finally let go of me and helped me into my car. He gave me one last peck on my lips before shutting the door and stepping back, so I could drive off. I smiled and blew him a kiss before driving off to work for the evening, thoughts of spending the next day with Max already drifting through my mind.

TBC...part 10 in a few hours...

[Shadowlynxbehr]

As promised...here's part 10!

POM- glad you are enjoying this story.
addicted2roswell- Maria thinks he's HOT! LOL! She's female and what female isn't charmed by Max?
roswell3053- Hope I don't disappoint.

And now, on with the show...

Part 10
I drove over to Max's house Sunday afternoon. When he had called me the night before to discuss what we'd do on Sunday, we decided to just have lunch at his place and hang out there. Of course, there was no way I'd pass up the chance to sample more of his home cooking. I could smell the delicious aroma as he opened to door to greet me.
"Hi, beautiful." Max smiled as he leaned in to place a kiss on my cheek.
I breathed deeply, "Ummm...something smells good."
He chuckled as he closed the door, "Lunch is ready. I thought we'd enjoy it out on the balcony. It's a really nice day for it."
I grinned as I closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around his shoulders, "Can I have an appetizer first?"
He replied with a smirk before lowering his lips to mine. I gave him immediate access to my mouth and he accepted the invitation. As his tongue swept over mine, I groaned softly. There was something addicting about kissing Max. Briefly, I realized Kyle had never kissed me like this, he'd never made me feel like this. Every time I kissed Max, my knees grew weak, my stomach did these flips, and he left me wanting more. As he slowly pulled away from me, I wondered if he'd already ruined me for anyone else. Then he slid his fingers over my cheek in a soft caress, gracing me with a shy smile and I knew I hoped that he had.
He slid his hand into mine, "C'mon, let's serve ourselves and go sit outside."
I nodded and let him lead me into the kitchen. He handed me a plate with a sandwich and what looked like shriveled potato slices and a glass for my drink. Once he got his own plate and glass, we walked out to the balcony. We sat down and Max poured the lemonade that was waiting on the table into our glasses.
I grinned, "Did you make the lemonade too?"
He laughed, "Well, I mixed the concentrate with water like the instructions on the can said to, so I guess that counts as making lemonade, right?"
I rolled my eyes, "And here I thought I was going to be treated to a real meal."
"The food is real, but I didn't have enough time to run to the store for some lemons, so the concentrated kind will have to do this time."
I nodded and inspected the potatoes. Max laughed as he watched me poking at them. "How did you make these?" I asked curiously.
"It's really not that hard. You peel the potato, slice it to get the round chips, then put them in a pan with a thin layer of oil. Then you just turn them over from time to time so that each side browns evenly."
"Hmm...so is this how potato chips were originally made?"
He shrugged, "Could be. All I know is what I learn from my brother, which is the cooking part, but he doesn't tell me if there's a history behind them."
I bit into one of the chips and smiled, "Oh, this is great. Lots of flavor, and not salty."
"Yeah, doesn't it seem like potato chips these days are nothing but salt."
I laughed at that and nodded my agreement.
Max went on to describe the sandwiches he'd made. Lightly toasted bread held grilled chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, and Michael's special sauce between them. When I asked what was in the sauce, Max couldn't tell me since Michael wouldn't divulge his secret ingredients. Max explained that Michael had made a sandwich for him one day and when Max had asked what was in the sauce, Michael only said he'd make it for Max to have some of his own, but he wouldn't share his recipe with him. So, Max usually got a jar of the sauce once a month from Michael. The sauce actually tasted somewhat like honey mustard, yet it seemed sweeter than most of the other brands I had ever tasted and it didn't leave an aftertaste. The sauce seemed to mostly enhance the flavor of the sandwich rather than just leaving the impression of mustard on the bread. All in all, it was a really good sandwich.

After we finished eating, we continued to sit outside and talk for a while. I told Max that Maria had called me about an hour after he'd called me the night before and had given him her seal of approval. Maria liked Max. She told me she liked how comfortable he'd made her feel because she'd actually been kind of nervous to meet him since he was Phillip Evan's son. Even when she knew that he would be different because of everything I'd told her, she'd still been a little awe struck, but Max had quickly made her feel comfortable and she'd liked how friendly, funny, and polite he was. She kept repeating that Max was definitely a good-looking guy and a keeper. Did she mention he was a keeper? Yes, she had, over and over again making sure it had been drilled into my head. Honestly, I couldn't agree with her more. Max was a good guy. He knew who he was and when others were around him, they knew too. Max didn't put on masks, he didn't fake anything. That's what I liked most about him, his honesty and his ability to enjoy life as it was.
"So, she liked me huh?" At my nod, he added, "She really, really liked me."
I looked at him with an arched eyebrow, "Hey! Don't get any ideas there, Mr. I'm an ex-model!"
"And just what kind of ideas do you think I'm getting?" he asked as he leaned over, resting his elbows on the table.
"I don't know, ideas of flirting with her like you used to do with those girls when you did model. Or maybe you're just letting your ego swell because another female has fallen victim to your charms."
"You think? How do you know I'm thinking of that? For all you know, I could be thinking of using her approval of me to get something else I want."
I gave Max a puzzled look, "Using Maria to get what you want?"
He nodded.
"What would you use her to get?"
That trademark smirk flashed across his lips, "You."
I stared at him for a moment before I started giggling. "Maaax, you don't have to do that!"
He frowned, "Why is that funny?"
I shook my head slowly before getting out of my chair, "You don't have to use Maria to get to me, Max." I made my way around the table and took his hands in mine. As I lowered myself into his lap I continued, "You don't have to use her because you already have me." And with those words, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and took his lips into mine.

We stumbled into his bedroom, mouths and hands roaming over every piece of skin we could get to. I knew he hadn't had any expectations for that day, and I hadn't gone there thinking we'd do anything either. But neither of us tried to stop the other as things had gotten heated in the chair on the balcony. Before I could start peeling his shirt off, he'd lifted me into his arms, wrapped my legs around his waist, and walked towards the bedroom doors with me attached to him.
Once inside the bedroom, he lowered me to my feet and I hastily proceeded to peel his clothes off of him. Suddenly, I just couldn't get close enough to him. I wanted to feel all of him, his mouth, his hands, his body. Max was undressing me as fast as I was undressing him, all the while we never stopped kissing and touching each other. I growled when I got to his belt because it wasn't cooperating with me.
He groaned as I jerked at the belt, "God, Liz..."
"Get it off Max, get it off now." I growled.
He let go of me to undo his belt. I fell back onto the bed and watched as he finished divesting himself of all his clothes. As he straightened up, I let my eyes wander over every inch of skin. He was gorgeous and I was suddenly awed that he'd chosen to share himself with me. He gave me a sultry smile as he leaned over me and took my lips in his again. As we kissed, we inched ourselves higher onto the bed until I could feel the entire length of his body pressing mine down into the mattress.
I let out a sigh, "I missed you so much, Max."
He pressed kisses along my collarbone, "I missed you too beautiful."
I closed my eyes and gave myself up to the feel of his mouth and hands caressing my body. Max was a thorough lover. He didn't leave an inch of my skin untouched. By the time I could feel his warm breath between my legs, I was quivering in need. "Max, please."
He didn't say a word, just slid his tongue over my folds before slowly pressing against my nub. I hissed in pleasure as he began to nibble at the tender skin. As he slid two fingers inside of me, my hips bucked and I cried out his name, "Maaax! Yes! Oh, yes!"
Max continued to pleasure me until I exploded in a shower of sparks. I heard him moan as he lapped up my ecstasy. As my body shuddered, he slowly made his way up my body, stopping to sample my breasts. He nuzzled, then licked a nipple before taking it into his mouth and suckling gently. I whimpered, curling my fingers into his hair to hold him there. He continued to lave at the nipple before turning his attention to the other one and repeating the action.
His treatment of my breasts had me trembling all over again. I could feel another orgasm coming on and as I heard him moan against my breast, "mmm, Liz, you taste so sweet baby," I let go, gasping his name as my release washed over me. Max continued to nuzzle my breasts for a few more moments before kissing his way back to my lips.
As his lips covered mine, so did his body. I arched my back, pressing my chest into his and spreading my legs to accommodate his hips between my thighs. I lifted my legs and wrapped them around his waist. My hands slid down his back, pressing him closer to me as I lifted my hips, grinding them into his. He groaned as he came into contact with my heat. I arched higher, trying to take him into my body, but Max lifted himself off of me.
I frowned up at him, "Max? Why are you stopping?"
He leaned over to kiss my forehead before reaching over to the nightstand to retrieve a condom. My eyes widened as I realized I had forgotten all about protection in the heat of my passion. I watched as Max tore the package open before reaching out to take his hand. When he looked at me I asked, "Can I do this?"
At his nod, I took the package, removed the condom, and slowly placed it on him. As I did, I marveled at the way he felt in my hand. Silky smooth skin, over thick hardness. It was a strange combination, but I rather liked the feeling. He let me take my time, kneeling there on the bed. I slid my fingers over his hardness, getting used to it and committing the way he felt to memory.
As my fingers traveled lower, he groaned, "Baby, I don't know how much more of this I can take."
I nodded and leaned in to kiss his navel before I lay on my back and reached for him. As he lowered his body to mine, I spread my legs again and lifted my hips to meet his. He slid inside of me with a groan which matched my own. I wrapped my legs around his and slid my hands down to cup his ass. That only made him groan some more as he began thrusting into me. Throwing my head back, I met him thrust for thrust. I knew he wasn't going to last long, but neither was I. I was still sensitive from what Max had already done to me.
"Beautiful," he gasped, "I'm so close, Liz."
"So am I Max," I panted. And two strokes later I was there. Max came as I clenched his ass and screamed his name. Through the explosion of stars in my head, I vaguely heard my name being shouted.
I seemed to have blanked out because the next thing I felt was Max's hard breathing against my neck as the weight of his body rested over mine. His heart seemed to be pounding in time to mine as our chests pressed against each others. I felt weak, exhausted, and the happiest I've ever felt in my life.
Max rolled off of me, disposed of the condom, and then quickly gathered me up into his arms. I sighed in contentment as I settled my cheek against his chest. I lay there with my eyes closed, listening to his heartbeat and his breathing returning to normal, just as mine was. I could feel his hand stroking my hair.
"Liz?" he whispered.
"Mmmm?"
"I love you." My eyes snapped open as he paused before going on, "I just wanted you to know. I've loved you from the moment you took the chance and went out with me to Harvey's that first night."
I smiled at that.
His fingers went back to stroking my hair. "You've made me realize what it is I've been searching for. And now I know what I want."
I lifted my head to look into his eyes, "What do you want, Max?"
He smiled as his fingers traced my jaw, "I want to make you happy. I want to spend my life making you smile."
I stared at him, as he brushed the hair behind my ears, "Max, I..."
He placed a finger against my lips, "It's okay. You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know how I feel, that's all."
I nodded.
He gave me a gentle smile before wrapping me in his arms again and holding me close to him. As I lay there against his chest, I thought of what he'd just revealed to me. Max told me he loved me. He had loved me from the first time we'd been together. How was it even possible to love someone you had only just met? Someone you didn't even know yet. But as I lay there, I realized that it was possible. It was possible because I was feeling the same things. That was why I was willing to give Max the chance to explain why he'd kept secrets from me. My heart was telling me to listen, to take the chance on him. My heart had known from the moment I'd met him that it was possible to fall in love at first sight.

TBC...