Author: Debbi aka Breathless
Category: Max and Liz, AU
Rating: NC 17 for adult language/content
Author note: Here I am with the next part, and in my time zone it is still Wednesday!!! Hold on everyone! The you know what is about to hit the fan!
A Walk in the Park
Part 10
The Porsche sped along the Hudson River, headed south, back to Manhattan. The sun decided to come out again and they made good time on the dry roads until they hit the morning commute, but even that couldn’t dull their good moods. They talked as the miles fell away, about their childhoods and their families. Liz told him what small town life in Roswell was like. Max told her what it was like growing up in the big city.
He told her about meeting Michael in their first year of law school and how they’d hit it off right away. They’d even shared an apartment off campus for awhile, that is until Michael came home one day and found him fucking the daylights out of Ashley. He didn’t tell Liz any of that.
Max wanted to ask her about Harvard, and why she dropped out, but she steered away from the subject and he didn’t press it. Someday she would tell him. He could wait. She told him she’d just recently finished getting her degree in Molecular Biology from NMSU in Las Cruces back in her home state, but she didn’t mention the possibility of a job offer in Atlanta. The way she was feeling, she doubted she’d be going there anyway. How could she leave New York now?
Arriving back in Manhattan, Max pulled to a stop in front of her apartment building and turned the engine off. His stomach lurched, knowing it was time to bring up the subject he’d been avoiding. He was about to open his door, to go around to her side to help her out when she said, “Don’t get out. I know you need to get to Court.”
“I do,” Max nodded. He’d rather spend the day with her, but he had a job to do and a client waiting for him. She started to pull away but he stopped her. “Wait . . .” He looked toward the apartment building and tried to hide his apprehension. “I should come up, and talk to Michael –”
“Michael’s a workaholic,” she smiled, resting her hand lightly on his arm. “I’m sure he’s in Court already. And you should be, too. I’ll talk to you later?”
“Definitely,” Max smiled, a part of him relieved to delay his encounter with Michael until later. His hand cupped her cheek and he leaned toward her, kissing her, softly at first and then more heatedly. She was irresistible to him. Touching her, tasting her, was like being in heaven. Reluctantly, knowing he had to go but wishing he didn’t, he ended the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. “I’ll call you tonight. Are you free for dinner?”
“Of course,” she smiled, and he gave her one last parting kiss. She opened the door, grabbed the bag of soiled clothes and climbed from the car, with Max watching her as she made her way to the front doors of the building. He saw the doorman tip his hat to her and he could see her giving him a warm greeting. He held the door for her as she entered the building and Liz turned around, giving Max a wave before disappearing inside.
Max sat in his car, staring at the empty doorway with her image still sharp in his mind. He’d never believed in fantasies, or fairy tales, or love at first sight, that is, until he met Liz. He’d always thought he’d spend his life a confirmed bachelor, but all that was changed now too.
Grinning with a new-found happiness Max started the car and pulled out into traffic, already looking forward to tonight when he would see Liz again.
* * * * *
Michael sat up abruptly when he heard the key in the lock. He hadn’t moved from the chair in the living room since dawn, worrying about Liz and what Max Evans might have – no, he didn’t want to think about that. He didn’t want to think about that motherfucker touching his sister, using her the way he used all women.
She bounded through the door, with Max wagging his tail furiously and dancing all around her. She dropped the bag she was holding and knelt down to pet him while trying to avoid his doggie kisses. One look and Michael knew. The Columbia law school emblem said it all. She was wearing Max Evans’ sweatshirt.
Liz scratched Max behind the ears and rose to her feet, grabbing the bag and setting off for her bedroom. Halfway through the living room she came to a sudden stop, her hand flying to her throat, startled when she saw her brother.
“Michael, I didn’t see you there!”
“Where have you been?” he asked calmly.
“Did Maria tell you about my date? I hope I didn’t worry you. I couldn’t call. We got stuck in a rainstorm and the phone lines were down.”
“Oh?” Michael said, rising to his feet.
“Michael,” she beamed. “I met the most wonderful guy!” She dropped the bag on a chair and raced over to him, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek, adding, “Sorry! I should have said welcome home from your trip! We missed you,” she smiled at Max to include him in that statement. He wagged his tail and chuffed in agreement. “Aren’t you going to work today?”
“Liz-” Michael shook his head, dreading what he had to tell her.
“Did Maria tell you about Max? And what Max did to Max?” She pointed her finger at the dog who grinned and wagged his tail harder at the mention of his name. Turning back to Michael she hurried on, “Don’t worry though. He said he’s not going to sue.”
Michael reached out and put his hands on her shoulders, saying, “Liz, you need to listen to me-”
“Michael, I’ve never felt this way before!” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and continued, “Not even with Alex. I think he’d be happy for me, Michael. In fact, I know he would be. He would have liked Max, too.”
Michael closed his eyes as he held Liz, knowing how the memories of Alex affected her. How could he tell her Max Evans wasn’t who she thought he was? Her heart was such a fragile thing.
“Liz,” he moved his hands down her arms and took her hands in his. “We need to talk.”
* * * * *
Smiling from ear to ear, Max punched the speed dial on his car phone, waiting for his secretary to pick up. On the second ring he heard her familiar voice. “Hey Mary, I’m running late. Any messages I need to know about? I won’t be in until after this morning’s hearing is over.”
“Well you can forget the hearing,” Mary’s pleasant voice came back. “The judge is out sick so it’s been postponed until tomorrow. I’ve shifted your schedule to accommodate it.”
“Oh, great, in that case I’ll be there soon. Can you call Michael Guerin’s office and set up an appointment for today? His schedule’s probably swamped, but bribe his secretary if you have to.”
“She likes chocolates.”
Max could hear the smile in Mary’s voice even over the speaker phone. Chocolates. He only wished Michael would be so easy. “Whatever it takes to get me in to see him. The sooner the better, but it’s gotta be today.”
“Consider it done.”
“Oh, one more thing.”
“Yes, Mr. Evans?”
“See if you can make reservations for me at San Domenico’s tonight.”
“Dinner for two?”
“Of course,” Max smiled. “See if you can make it for 7:30. Oh, and tell Sal to chill his best bottle of champagne.”
“His best?” Mary repeated and Max could hear the surprise in her tone.
“You heard me.”
“That could be pricey.”
“Only the best will do,” he replied, grinning like a fool now, remembering the taste of champagne on Liz.
“I’ll get right on it.”
“Thanks, Mary.” He disconnected the phone and turned the radio up, happily humming along to the music.
* * * * *
“What are you saying Michael?” Liz sagged defeatedly, feeling a chill go through her body. She wrapped her arms around her chest, hugging herself to ward off what he was saying.
“He’s using you Liz,” Michael said softly, trying to lessen the blow. “He’s trying to get to me through you.”
“No Michael-”
“Liz, I’m sorry.” He took a step toward her, wanting to comfort her, but she darted away with her back stiffening. “Liz, everything is a competition with him. It’s all just a game and winning is everything. Max and I have a long history-”
“He told me you were friends, in law school-”
“Were, Liz. We were friends, once. That ended a long time ago. He’s a prick, Liz. A self absorbed prick who doesn’t care about anyone but himself.”
“Michael-” Her voice caught in her throat and she rubbed her hand over her forehead, feeling her world falling apart around her.
“God, Liz. Do you know how much I wish this wasn’t true? I want you to be happy. I want you to find someone who’ll love you the way you deserve to be loved, but Max Evans isn’t him. Max is only in love with himself, and satisfying that tremendous ego of his. I couldn’t even tell you how many women he’s been with. He’s the master of one-night stands. He laughs about it. He brags about it. He fucks anything that looks pretty in a skirt, Liz, and the fact that you’re my sister just makes it all the sweeter for him.”
“No, Michael, you’re wrong,” she turned to face him. “There was something there. I felt it.”
“Liz, I don’t want you to get hurt-”
Liz dropped her arms to her side and left the living room, headed toward her bedroom. Michael followed behind her, watching as she took a dress out of her closet and picked up a pair of shoes off the floor.
“What are you doing?” he asked apprehensively.
“I’m going to go see him,” Liz answered, opening her lingerie drawer. “If it’s true, I want to hear it from him.”
“I’ll go with you,” Michael turned to give her some privacy to change. She was going to need his support when Evans showed his true colors.
“No,” Liz’s tone of voice stopped Michael cold. He turned back around and met her determined face. “I have to do this on my own.”
Michael didn’t like it, but he nodded in understanding. Her spirit was so strong, but her heart was so fragile. “I’ll be here if you need me.”
* * * * *
Max sat at his desk, pouring through the Hargrove file, having a hard time concentrating. Every few minutes he’d look up at the phone, wanting to call her but not wanting to act like a pathetic lovesick fool. He tapped the end of his pen absently against his notepad, and then reached for the phone, only to pull his hand back once again. He’d call her later, before lunch maybe.
Maybe he should ask her to lunch. Would lunch and dinner be too much in one day? Should he just leave it at dinner, and forget about lunch? What if she had a lunch date already? Maybe he should call her now, not later.
His eyes dropped to his notepad, noticing how he’d written her phone number in the margin . . . about a hundred times. Taking the hint his subconscious mind was giving him, he reached for the phone with a smile lighting his face. It disappeared as soon as he saw the unwelcome presence standing in his doorway.
“Hello, Tess,” he said flatly.
“Max, I brought you a cup of coffee,” she smiled sweetly. She walked toward him, swaying her hips, thinking he looked so scrumptious in that burgundy shirt with his tie all askew. His jacket hung from the back of his chair making him look very relaxed and oh so sexy.
“Thank you, but I didn’t ask for any coffee.”
“I know how much you like it in the morning,” she said suggestively.
His mind suddenly filled with the image of Liz in the shower this morning in the throes of an orgasm, making him forget Tess was even in the room. Encouraged by the lustful look on his face, she walked closer.
“I lost you at the party on Saturday. One minute you were there, the next you were gone.”
Max was rudely knocked out of his daydream by her irritating prattle.
“I left early,” he replied, setting his pen down and leaning back in his chair.
“Too bad. I was going to make your evening worthwhile.”
Max stared at her wondering what the fuck was wrong with her? Didn’t she remember what he said to her on Saturday? Was anyone fucking dumber than her?
“Look Tess,” he started to say when her heel caught on the carpet and she tripped, spilling the coffee on his shirt. “God Damnit!” he shouted and bolted to his feet.
“Max, I’m so sorry!” she cried out and raced around the desk. Her hands were suddenly all over him, brushing at the wet spot on his shirt, dabbing at him with a tissue. He backed away from her, tripping over his chair and almost falling on his ass.
“It’s alright,” he insisted, pushing her hands away. “It’s alright.”
“Take your shirt off, Max, and I’ll go rinse it so the stain doesn’t set in.”
“What?” he said, not paying much attention to her. The coffee had splashed on the side of his neck, burning his skin for a second, but it was better now.
“Give me your shirt before it’s ruined,” Tess insisted.
Staring at her for a moment and wondering if he was going to regret this, he slipped his tie off and then unbuttoned his cuffs and the front of his shirt. He slipped it off and handed it to Tess and then went into his private bathroom. He kept a change of workout clothes in there, in case he got a chance during the day to hit the gym on the first floor. He slipped on a Nike t-shirt and returned to his desk.
“This won’t take long. I’ll be back in a few,” Tess winked at him and flounced out of the room with his shirt in her hands.
Max rubbed his throat as she left, muttering, “What a moron.”
* * * * *
Liz stood on the sidewalk looking up at the high rise towering above her. Max was up there somewhere. Did she really want to go up there? Did she really want to know that he had used her, just to get at Michael? But wasn’t that the way it always was with her? Didn’t happiness always lead to the depths of despair?
She clutched the bag containing Max’s dirty clothes closer to her chest and made her way toward the front doors. The way he looked at her this morning, the way he touched her last night, she could have sworn he meant it. She honestly thought him sincere in his affection for her.
If it was all just a game . . .
* * * * *
“Here, Max. All clean and dry,” Tess sashayed across the room with Max’s shirt folded over her arm.
“Thanks,” he rose from his desk and came around to meet her. He pulled his t-shirt over his head and tossed it on a chair, then took his shirt from her outstretched hand. Tess ogled his bare chest, licking her lips, horny as hell for this gorgeous man, thinking it wouldn’t be long now before she’d have him just where she wanted him.
* * * * *
Liz exited the elevator on the 10th floor, following the signs to the law offices of Evans, Evans, Petterson, and Stone. She held the bag close to her, as if his clothes and shoes gave her comfort. Her pace slowed as she neared the door with the now familiar name etched in the glass. She rested her hand on the door handle, almost afraid to step inside. It was so perfect, pretending he cared for her. When he’d said ‘I love you Liz Guerin’, last night just before he fell asleep, she’d actually believed him.
Was it all just an act? A game? Wasn’t the fact that he called her Liz Guerin enough to prove that Michael was right?
She pushed through the door and walked to the reception desk, noting the quiet hustle and bustle of the busy office. Walking up to the woman at the front desk, she waited to be acknowledged and then said politely, “I’m here to see Max Ev-”
Just then a door opened to an office at the end of the hall and Liz saw a familiar face. The blonde she’d seen at the party on Saturday night was coming through the door with a satisfied look on her face, licking her lips and making a show of adjusting her skirt and smoothing it back into place. Behind her, Liz could see Max with his back to the door, slipping his shirt back on, his pants loose and obviously unzipped. He settled the collar around his throat, and was that . . .? Yes. Yes, it was. A hickey on his neck. A hickey she hadn’t put there. With a stab in her heart, she felt the world crumbling around her.
She leaned against the desk for support, suddenly just wanting to die. She’d been such a fool. Michael was right. He had only used her, and the proof was the little blonde he’d just had sex with in his office. He didn’t even try to hide it. God, he must have been laughing at how inexperienced she was, how naïve, how pathetic. She just wanted to crawl under a rock and die.
“You’re here to see . . .?” the receptionist asked politely.
“No one,” Liz answered. She turned to leave, feeling numb, and then she stopped and turned back. Holding out the brown paper bag, she asked, “Could you give this to Max Evans please?”
“I think he’s free at the moment. Would you like me to let him know you’re here?”
“No, that’s okay,” Liz hurriedly answered, trying not to let her arm tremble as she held the bag out to her. “Just . . . just give this to him. I – he’ll know who it’s from.”
The receptionist took the bag from her outstretched hand and began to rise to her feet. She pushed her chair out and Liz stopped her with a hand out in front of her. “No, don’t . . . don’t give it to him right now. Just – just do it later.”
With a last look toward Max’s office, Liz turned and quickly walked away.
In his office, Max finished buttoning his shirt and tucked it in his pants. If Tess wasn’t such a good typist, she would have been fired from the steno pool a long time ago. Sitting down at his desk once again, he reached for the phone and called Liz. After the fourth ring the machine picked up and Michael Guerin’s familiar voice came on the line. After waiting to hear the beep, he said, “Liz? Are you there?”
After waiting and getting no response, he left his phone number and disconnected. He’d try her again later if he didn’t hear from her, just in case Michael got the message first. He knew he’d made a lot of mistakes in the past, and he had some major damage control to do with Michael. He deserved every foul name Michael had ever called him, but he’d been so self-centered his whole life, he never realized it until now. Meeting Liz had changed all that.
Meeting Liz had changed him.
Sensing someone in the doorway, Max turned his gaze in that direction, while he finished buttoning the cuffs of his shirt. “Hey Tom, what can I do for you?”
Tom Hastings stepped into his office with his briefcase in hand. “Got a minute?”
“Sure,” Max waved him in with a smile.
“I’d like to talk about the Hargrove case,” Tom took a step forward. “We go to trial on Thurs . . . day . . .” he paused as Max’s attention shifted to something behind him. He turned around to take a look.
Max looked beyond Tom’s shoulder, thinking for just a moment that he’d seen Liz out near the receptionist’s desk. It was just a quick flash of dark brown hair – that silky wondrous dark brown hair – and then it was gone. He came around his desk, moving around Tom like he wasn’t there anymore, his long strides carrying him across the room and into the outer office.
His eyes swept the area quickly, but Liz was nowhere in sight. Smiling ruefully, thinking he must be imagining things, he turned back into his office, scratching the back of his head. He wanted to see Liz so badly, just to be near her and talk to her and touch her again, his mind must be playing tricks on him.
“Everything all right?” Tom asked.
“Yeah,” Max squeezed him on the shoulder as he walked by, headed back to his desk. “Now what were you saying? You want to make a deal in the Hargrove case?”
“Deal?” Tom said in surprise. Win-At-All-Costs Max Evans was offering to make a deal? Had hell just frozen over?
In the elevator, Liz stood among the throng of people towering over her, but it didn’t matter. There was nothing she wanted to see anyway. Her mind was focused on the sight of Max putting his shirt back on and his pants hanging loosely as he tucked it in. She closed her eyes, remembering the satisfied look on that blonde’s face as she left his office, smoothing her skirt back into place.
Don’t cry, she scolded herself. Don’t give him the satisfaction of proving what a silly little fool she was. Hugging her arms around her chest, she felt cold, deep inside. It would have been one thing if it were just all about sex. She’d never expected for him to feel deep emotion for her, they’d only just met. But she had thought he was attracted to her, and had actually wanted her. Not because he was using her to get at Michael. Using her the way Kyle had back in high school, and then laughing about it afterward.
Max was good, she’d grant him that. He played the part to perfection. Last night he’d fooled her completely. She never would have thought it was all an act, just to get in her pants and then lord it over Michael. He’d made it feel so real, and she’d let down her defenses, opening her heart to him. And when he said I love you as he fell asleep, she’d honestly thought he meant it.
As the elevator descended and reached the bottom floor, Liz closed off her heart, falling back into the world Max had so recently lifted her from and then sent her plummeting into again. She walked through the lobby and out to the sidewalk, walking without direction, not seeing where she was going, not caring where she ended up.
* * * * *
Michael heard the key in the lock and anxiously took a step toward the door as it opened. His heart broke at the look on her face when Liz walked into the apartment and quietly closed the door. She looked at him briefly and then dropped her eyes to the floor, unable to hold his gaze.
“Liz . . . honey,” he struggled with what to say to her. As she walked toward him, her face began to crumple. She lifted her hands to hide her tears and Michael went to her, placing his hands on her arms trying to soothe her. “Oh, Liz. I’m sorry. Honey, I’m so sorry.”
Liz collapsed against his chest and Michael wrapped his arms around her, feeling her tremble as her tears fell and soaked into his shirt. She felt so tiny and vulnerable, and at that moment, he could have actually killed Max for doing this to her. He held her close, feeling her sobs wracking her body and wishing he could have shielded her from this, and from all the other Max Evans’ of the world.
After she quieted, she pulled away from him and silently, head downcast, made her way to her room, closing the door behind her. Michael walked over to the answering machine and replayed the message from Max, uttering “Bastard” vehemently under his breath. He hit the erase button, wishing he could erase his memory from Liz as easily.
Liz curled up on her bed, still trembling inside. She closed her eyes trying to shut off everything around her, but his image wouldn’t go away. His amber eyes, his boyish smile, the way the firelight made his skin glow. Her foot touched something soft and she reached down, pulling a sweatshirt up from the foot of the bed. His sweatshirt. She lifted it to her face and smelled deeply, breathing in his scent, clutching it to her, with fresh tears streaking down her face.
* * * * *
“Okay, Tom,” Max clasped the rival attorney’s hand. “I’ll present the offer to my client, and see if he’ll take it. It’s a good offer, and I’ll recommend that he accept it.”
“Good,” Tom smiled and shook Max’s hand vigorously. Would wonders never cease? Max Evans making a deal? “I’ll have the papers drawn up as soon as I get back to the office.”
Max shook his hand once more and walked Tom toward the door. Just as he was about to head back to his desk, the receptionist called his name. He looked in her direction, noticing the paper bag she was carrying, a familiar paper bag. He looked at her questioningly as she neared.
“Mr. Evans, this was left for you a short time ago,” she held the bag out to him.
Max took it, frowning deeper as he looked inside, seeing his mud-splattered clothes and shoes. He looked around wildly, wondering if Liz was still here, and not seeing her, wondering why she hadn’t stayed. “Who brought this?”
“A young woman,” she answered, taken aback by the look on his face.
“When? How long ago was she here? Where did she go?” Max demanded.
Startled by his behavior, she replied, “About . . . about 40 minutes ago I think.”
“Well, what did she say? Where did she go? Why didn’t you tell me she was here?” he frowned and crushed the bag closed. She had been here, when he thought he’d seen her earlier. But why didn’t she let him know she was here? Why did she leave before he got a chance to see her?
“She told me not to tell you, just to give the bag to you later. Then she just left.”
“Was she short? Dark hair? Big brown eyes?” Max asked and his apprehension grew when the receptionist nodded her head. Turning away from her, he mumbled his thanks and went back into his office. Something was wrong. He could feel it.
He hurried over to the desk and grabbed the phone, dialing the number he now had committed to memory and listening as it rang. He was afraid it was going into the answering machine again, until he heard the familiar voice on the other end.
“Hello, Max,” Michael said flatly.
Max’s hand tightened on the phone. Oh god. Michael was home, instead of at work where he was supposed to be. After a pause Max said, “Hello, Michael.”
“Why are you calling here?” he asked, still sounding remote.
“I was calling for Liz. Is she there?” Max got that sinking feeling in his stomach when Michael didn’t answer right away. He sensed in his gut this was going to be bad. Very bad.
“She doesn’t want to talk to you Max.”
“Why? Look, I know we’ve had our differences Michael, and I’d like to talk to you about that, but-”
“I told you, she doesn’t want to talk to you,” Michael said, harshly this time.
“What did you say to her, Michael? What did you tell her about me?”
“Only the truth, Max,” Michael said smugly. “Only the truth.”
“I want to talk to her.”
“I want you to leave her alone,” Michael hissed. “Whatever you said to her, you goddamn bastard, had her in te-” he paused, not willing to give Max the satisfaction. “I’m warning you, don’t come near her again.”
“What I said to her?” Max’s voice rose in agitation. “What I said to her when? This morning, when I said she was beautiful, or last night when I told her I –”
“In your office,” Michael shouted, cutting him off. “When she went to see you this morning!” Forcing himself to calm down, he said chillingly, “This is pointless. I’m not going to let you get a chance to hurt her any more than you already have. Stay away from her.”
Max heard the sound of the phone slamming in his ear, and he hung up slowly. What was that all about? He hadn’t even spoken to Liz when she came to his office. What was going on?
Picking up his jacket from the back of the chair, Max made his way toward the door, determined to find out.
TBC . . .
A Walk in the Park (AU, ML / Adult) (Complete)
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Breathless
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- Location: Somewhere in ficland
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Breathless
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 254
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:58 pm
- Location: Somewhere in ficland
A Walk in the Park Part 11
Author: Debbi aka Breathless
Category: Max and Liz, AU
Rating: Up to NC/17
Author note: Okay, I know, I’m late. It’s not Wednesday anymore. It’s officially Thursday (in my time zone), but I have a good excuse. Part of it is because I’ve been working 12 hour days this week and part of it is because, after the drastic turn of events in part 10, I thought I’d take a moment to make a couple of comments based on feedback.
… << B >> … wrote: I understand how Liz misinterpreted Max putting his shirt back on but how do you explain his pants being unzipped? My answer is: Max unzipped his pants to tuck his shirt tails in. His back was to Tess, she was leaving his office, he didn’t think anything about it. He's such a guy!
BelieveInTrueLove, you thought Liz (after seeing Tess leave Max’s office) should have burst in there and demanded an explanation. As I commented before, this Liz has self esteem issues, and I don’t see her behaving that way. She’s more likely to blame herself (because of her own personal demons) for falling for Max’s charms. She took a ‘risk’, coming out of her shell by making the first moves with Max, only to have it backfire on her. That serves to deepen her low self esteem, making it even less likely she would boldly confront Max.
Nitpick23, I agree with your take on Michael. Michael has known Max for a lot of years. They started out as friends (though even as friends they were competitive), then the incident with Ashley drove them apart, and now their competition is in the courtroom (Michael as a prosecutor, and Max as a defense lawyer). Michael has seen no evidence of a change in Max’s sexploitations, so I can easily see him wanting to get Liz away from Max now. There’s no way Michael would want ‘Manwhore Max’ anywhere near his sister. In his own way, Michael is trying to protect her. He doesn’t want to ‘give Max a chance’ to show he’s changed, not at his sister’s expense.
Michelle, you thought Michael should have let Liz “glow” for a little bit, before he burst her bubble. Why would he stand back when he honestly believes Max is no good, and will only hurt her? Better to feel a little hurt now, than a lot of hurt later, when her feelings have deepened even more. Again, Michael has no reason to think Max’s pattern of love ‘em and leave ‘em would be any different with Liz. Just as a reminder of the animosity between these two, in chapter 2, Max has a fleeting thought that, under different circumstances, he might have made a play for Maria ‘just because she was Michael’s girl’, but his attraction to Liz was so strong, the thought was gone quickly. That shows the kind of man Max was, the man Michael still thinks he is. Liz has changed Max, but Michael doesn’t know that. He thinks Max is the worst person in the world to be near Liz.
Dee and Scottie and Chipsflicken pretty much nailed it on the head with their comments about trust. Max and Liz rushed into a sexual relationship without trust being established first. Their attraction to each other was off the scale, but they didn’t ‘know’ each other. I’m not trying to moralize with this story, I do believe in love at first sight, but a relationship is a complicated thing, especially a sexual one. The morning after, Max knew what things made Liz moan with pleasure, yet he didn’t know something as simple as whether she liked cream or sugar in her coffee. That takes time, and until trust is established, simple misunderstandings can swell to epic proportions.
I want to thank everyone who has left feedback here, and especially those of you who nominated A Walk in the Park over on the nomination thread. Especially those of you who nominated Max the dog! I love this pooch!! I was so surprised to see him nominated, you could have knocked me over with a feather! Thank you so much!
Oh, and I promise the angst on this one won’t last forever. A Walk in the Park is one of my shorter fics, with just 4 more parts to go, after this one.
So, enough chatter. On with the story . . .
A Walk in the Park
Part 11
Max screeched to a stop in front of Liz’s apartment building and jumped from the Porsche, not caring that his precious car was in a tow away zone. Only one thing mattered, and that was getting a chance to see Liz to find out what was wrong. He raced through the front doors with his heart pounding in his chest, ignoring the shouts of the doorman.
He reached the elevator just as the doors were sliding shut. He shoved his arm through the opening, manhandling the doors apart, and hurried into the cab. He punched the button for the fourteenth floor and then stood back, ignoring the other occupants of the elevator who were openly staring at him.
Max had known Michael wouldn’t be thrilled about his relationship with Liz, but he hadn’t been overly concerned. Maybe he should have been. What had Michael said to her that would make her decide not to see him anymore? She’d seemed so happy when she got out of his car this morning. The way she’d looked at him had said so much. The sparkle in her eyes, her smile, everything about her said their time together had meant as much to her as it had to him.
As soon as the elevator doors slid open on the fourteenth floor Max rushed out, striding quickly down the hall. When he reached the apartment he lifted his hand and rapped his knuckles loudly on the door. Getting no immediate answer, he knocked again. With his apprehension growing by the minute he began to pound on the door, rattling the handle even though he knew it was locked.
“Michael, open up!” Max shouted at the wood. “Liz, I want to talk to you. LIZ! Michael, open the goddamn door!”
The door wrenched open and Max pushed inside, with an angry Michael trying to bar his entrance.
“Get out, Max,” Michael hissed. “Get out of my apartment!”
“Where is she?” Max barreled past him, refusing to leave. “I want to talk to Liz.”
“I told you on the phone she doesn’t want to talk to you,” Michael held the door open. “Now get out!”
“I’m not going anywhere until I talk to Liz!” Turning from Michael’s angry glare, Max walked deeper into the apartment, intent on finding her. “Liz?” he called out, getting no answer. He raised his voice, “LIZ? LIZ, ARE YOU HERE?”
Max paused to listen, but the air was still, quiet, holding no sound of the man-eating dog he’d grown fond of, or the dark haired beauty he’d fallen in love with.
“LIZ?” Max shouted again, walking down the short hall to the bedroom he knew was hers, but his senses were already telling him she wasn’t there. He looked in the bathroom, but it was empty, not even a toothbrush left in the holder by the sink. He returned to the living room and locked eyes with Michael, whose imposing figure stood in the middle of the room with his arms folded over his chest.
“Where is she?” Max demanded.
“I’m not telling you,” Michael said smugly.
“What did you do?” His jaw clenched in anger, and confusion, and hurt. He could feel the best thing that had ever happened to him slipping away.
“What did I do?” Michael said incredulously. He lowered his arms to his sides and stepped forward, ready for a fight. “What did you do? So you found out I had a sister, and a pretty one at that? And you just had to play one of your games, didn’t you. Did you wine her and dine her until she couldn’t resist you? And then, of course, once you had her, then you were done with her.”
“It’s not like that Michael. It’s not like that at all,” Max said, desperate for Michael to listen to him. He would never treat Liz that way. Never. “Michael, will you lis-”
“Where were you last night?” Michael asked through clenched teeth. “Did you take her up to your little love nest on the Hudson?”
“Michael-”
“DID YOU?” Michael shouted.
“YES,” Max shouted back, “but it’s not what you’re thinking. I didn’t take her up there just to-”
“Did you fuck her up there, Max?” Michael stepped forward, grabbing Max’s tie and pulling upwards. “Did you put another notch on your bedpost, with my sister’s name on it?”
“Michael, let go,” Max hissed through gritted teeth.
“DID YOU?” Michael yelled in his face. He walked Max backwards, keeping his hand around his tie, exerting his height and weight advantage. “Did you lay your dirty fucking hands on my sister?”
“What Liz and I did or didn’t do is none of your business-”
“Did you touch my sister?” Michael hissed.
“Back off Michael,” Max warned in a strangled voice.
“DID YOU?” he clenched the tie tighter, shouting in Max’s face.
“YES!” Max shouted and pushed back, slamming his hands into Michael’s chest.
Michael reeled backwards, and as soon as he regained his balance, his arm shot forward with his fist connecting with Max’s jaw. The shorter man’s head snapped to the right, staggering from the impact. He came up slowly, flexing his jaw and rubbing his hand along his chin.
“I don’t want to fight with you, Michael. I just want to see Liz.”
“After what you did to her today, you’re never gonna see her again,” Michael vowed.
“I didn’t do anything to her,” Max’s plaintive cry exposed his fear and frustration. “She was fine when I dropped her off-”
“Liz isn’t your type, Max. She doesn’t do one night stands-”
“I would never treat her that way-”
“You lying sack of shit,” Michael hissed and lunged at him. They grappled together, shoving and pushing until Max was slammed up against the wall next to the front door.
“Liz deserves someone who’s going to treat her right, not someone like you who fucks anything in a skirt. She came home in tears after seeing you with that bimbo this morning.”
“What bimbo? I didn’t do-”
“The blonde you fucked in your office this morning!”
Max shoved Michael back angrily, shocked nearly speechless. “I did no such thing!”
“Don’t fucking lie, Evans. Remember, I know you inside and out. You don’t fool me.” Michael glared at Max with disgust. “Get out. Get out and don’t ever try to see Liz again. Don’t ever come back here. If you do, I’ll file a restraining order against you so fast it’ll make your head spin.”
“Michael, please don’t do this.” Max felt his anger collapse. This beautiful, wonderful, amazing day – a day where he’d awakened this morning in the arms of the most perfect soul in the world – was now absolutely falling apart. “Just let me talk to –”
Michael drilled his index finger against Max’s chest, warning, “You come within a hundred feet of Liz and I’ll have you arrested for stalking.”
“I would never –”
Michael wrenched open the apartment door and shoved Max into the hallway. Max stumbled to a stop, just barely catching his balance, almost sinking to his knees in front of his former friend.
“Michael, I’m sorry,” Max straightened up, looking like a rumpled mess with his tie askew, his jacket hanging loose, and his hair in disarray. “I’m sorry about everything that happened in the past between us. We were friends and I fucked it up. I know that. I was a real shithead. To you. To Ashley. To everyone. But Liz changed me. I’m not the same man I used to be.”
“No? Somehow I doubt that, Max, because your pattern looks the same to me. You meet ‘em. You fuck ‘em. You break their hearts without one ounce of remorse.” Michael got in his face once more, nearly spitting in anger. “I’ll see you burn in hell before I let you near my sister again.”
Michael slammed the apartment door closed in his face, leaving Max standing alone with the sound of it echoing throughout the hallway. He turned slowly toward the elevator, a defeated man, with no clear idea of what to do next, only knowing one thing. He had to find Liz. He just had to.
* * * * *
“So, are you going to tell me what this is all about?” Maria sat on the side of the bed, watching Liz empty the contents of her suitcase into a dresser drawer. She’d come home from the recording studio to find Liz on her doorstep, with a protective canine bodyguard beside her. She’d noticed right away how her friend’s face seemed drawn and pale, and even sadder than usual. Her makeup free eyes looked red and swollen, like she’d been crying for hours.
“Is it Michael? Is that why you wanted to move out of his apartment? Did Michael say something mean to you? ‘Cause if he did, I’ll kick his ass for you. Just say the word.”
“No, Maria,” Liz met her gaze for a brief moment before walking back to the suitcase on the bed to retrieve another armful of her belongings. “It wasn’t Michael.”
Max stood on the rug near the foot of the bed, watching his lady. He could feel that she was upset, and it made him upset. When she walked by, he snaked out his tongue, licking her hand to make her feel better.
Liz felt the wet tongue hit the side of her hand and she looked down to see a pair of big brown puppy dog eyes staring up at her. She dropped heavily onto the end of the bed, and Max lumbered over to lay his head on her lap. She scratched him behind the ears, causing him to wag his tail to show his pleasure. He was a good boy and his lady was telling him so.
“Max then?” Maria asked, not noticing how the dog picked up his ears and looked at her.
Liz fought to keep her chin from quivering, to keep the tears in check, but her eyes, as big and brown as the dog’s, looked at Maria showing the deepest hurt imaginable. She crumpled as her façade cracked, and her hands quickly covered her face to hide her tears. Max cocked his head, listening to the unhappy sound of her crying. His tail stopped wagging.
“Oh, Liz, honey,” Maria moved to sit beside her, wrapping an arm around her friend’s shoulders and drawing her close. The poor girl was sobbing now and Maria made a silent vow to kick Max’s ass next time she saw him.
“I was such a fool,” Liz’s cry was smothered by her hands. “I – I thought . . . he said he loved me.”
“Oh chica,” Maria rubbed her hand up and down Liz’s back, feeling the poor girl trembling. “I’m sorry. I wish we’d never gone to that party. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have left you alone with that scumbag.”
But Max had seemed so nice, and genuinely interested in Liz, how was she to know he’d turn out to be such a dog? Men just couldn’t be trusted, especially gorgeous men who poured on the charm. Bastard. Kicking his ass was too good for him. She’d have to make him suffer. When Maria finished with him, he’d be singing soprano in the choir.
“Tell me what happened,” Maria stroked her hand over Liz’s hair. “Tell Maria what the rat bastard did.”
* * * * *
“I ne’er met anyun like her afore,” Max stared down into the glass of Scotch in front of him. He tried to pick it up but his elbow slid out from under him and he sloshed the amber colored liquid down his arm and onto the highly polished bar. He hardly noticed.
“Special, huh?” Tom Hastings asked. He’d run into Max many times here in Cutter’s, but never like this. Usually Evans was celebrating another victory while Tom, and the rest of the attorneys for the DA’s office were licking their wounds. Max was usually the essence of discipline, always in control, and Tom didn’t think he’d ever seen him drunk before. Not blitzed like this, anyway.
“Uh huh,” Max leaned toward Tom and nearly fell off the barstool. Tom had to catch him. “She’s my dark haired angel, ya know,” Max almost slobbered on Tom, his face was so close. Tom pushed him back onto the stool, and then had to stop him from sliding off the other side.
“Angel huh?” Tom waved away the smell of Max’s whiskey breath. “How did you two meet?”
“Max bit my ass,” Max answered in all seriousness. He leaned back and fumbled with his belt buckle, saying, “You wanna see?”
“NO!” Tom answered hastily and pushed the drink back toward Max. Anything to get him to keep his pants on.
“Max tore me a new asshole,” Max wobbled dangerously on the stool, “and Liz played doctor with the stingy stuff. Then Isahell – bell – Isabel came home and I mooned her.”
“You mooned your sister?” Tom said in shock. He’d met Isabel before, and she was one scary lady.
“Yep,” Max nodded proudly. “It was only a half ass moon, though. I’m lucky I’m not dead.”
“So what happened with Liz?” Tom had a pretty good idea already. It was no secret that there was bad blood between Michael Guerin and Max Evans. The shit must have hit the fan when Michael found out about it. Max had a bad reputation with women, and Michael was about as overprotective of his sister as a man could get.
“It was that twit Tess,” Max knocked back his drink and slammed the glass back down on the bar, signaling for another. Tom waved the bartender off, silently telling him no more for his soused friend.
“She’s a little hottie,” Tom acknowledged Tess’s assets.
“She’s a bisch wiffout a bwain,” Max rubbed his hands over his face, muffling his inebriated voice.
“A bitch without a brain?” Tom tried hard to hold in a laugh.
“You said it, pal,” Max slapped Tom on the shoulder.
“So what exactly did Tess do?”
Max leaned back and threw his hands up in the air. “She got me coffee!”
“What a bitch!” Tom smothered a laugh.
“That’s what I’m sayin’!” Max agreed.
* * * * *
“I – I went to his office,” Liz said in a halting voice. “I didn’t know how long he would be in Court, I was going to wait for him, but that . . . that must have been a lie, too. He was there . . . and he wasn’t alone. I saw her – the little blonde – the same one from the party, she came out of his office, and . . .”
“And what?” Maria urged Liz to keep talking. It was good for the soul to get it out in the open, not to let it fester inside. Lord knows, Liz had enough stuff bottled up inside to last her a lifetime.
“I saw Max standing behind her, near his desk,” Liz took in a deep breath, trying to face the ugly truth. She snuggled in closer to Maria, burrowing her head into her shoulder, glad she had someone to talk to. “His pants were undone and he was just putting his shirt back on. The blonde was – she was – straightening her clothes . . .”
“Oh, Liz, honey,” Maria hugged her close. “You poor thing. Max is such a jerk! How could he possibly want that piece of trash over you?”
“I thought he loved me.” Liz broke down crying again, giving in to the heartache.
* * * * *
“I love her,” Max propped his head up with his hands, trying to keep the room from spinning.
“So let me see if I’ve got this right,” Tom recapped the day’s events. “Tess spilled a cup of coffee on your shirt –”
“Clumsy bitch,” Max muttered.
“So you gave her your shirt so she could clean it before it stained.”
“Liz picked it out for me,” Max plucked at the burgundy shirt he was wearing. “I love this shirt.”
“So when Tess brought your shirt back –”
“She picked out this tie, too,” Max lifted the silver and burgundy tie from his chest and rubbed it over his face. “I love this tie. She’s the best tie picker outer in the world.”
Oh god, Tom rolled his eyes. Did Max have it bad or what? “So you think Liz saw you –”
“I know Liz saw me. Mickey G said so. Mickey tol her all about my rep – rep –”
“Reputation?” Tom offered.
“That’s it,” Max pointed a wobbly finger at Tom. “Mickey tol her all about me, and now she thinks I fucked the office slut. She hates me. My dark haired angel hates me.” He’d been a bad boy all his life and now God was punishing him by taking away his angel.
“Why don’t you go tell her what really happened?” Tom suggested.
“I can’t,” Max turned his sad puppy dog eyes to his new best friend. “Mickey G is hidin’ her.”
“If Michael hears you calling him Mickey G, you know he’ll want to kick your ass,” Tom warned.
“Too late,” Max turned on the stool and nearly fell off. Tom grabbed him around the shoulders and Max leaned into his chest. “He beat my ass and threw me outta his apartnet – apartlet – apartment.”
“So you don’t know where Liz is, and Michael won’t tell you?” Tom dropped a wad of bills onto the bar to cover the tab and slid off the bar stool, leading Max to the front doors. He held Max up with his arm around his back.
“Nope,” Max staggered along, leaning heavily against Tom for support. “Bastard won’t tell me.”
Tom pushed through the doors into the crisp evening air, but Max was too drunk to notice. Tom waved for a cab and waited for it at the curb, holding Max up on legs that had turned to rubber.
“You want me to see if I can find out where she is?” Tom asked. It wouldn’t hurt to have Max Evans owe him a favor.
“You would do that?” Max perked right up. His nose was almost touching Tom’s as he valiantly tried to focus. “You’d help me find my angel?”
“Sure,” Tom pushed Max out to arms length. Talk about doggie breath. “I’ll nose around the office. See what I can find out.”
“Thank you, Tom!” Max wrapped his arms around Tom in a bear hug. He kissed him on the cheek, a big fat slobbery drunken kiss.
“Sure, anytime,” Tom shuddered and laughed at the same time. The guys at the office were never going to believe this. A cab pulled up to the curb and Tom opened the back door, helping Max slide inside.
“Take him to the Dorilton, 71st and Broadway. That should cover it,” Tom held out a twenty for the driver who took it with a silent nod. Tom gave Max a friendly squeeze on the shoulder before closing the back door and stepping up onto the sidewalk.
Max rolled down the back window and leaned out, shouting to Tom as the cab pulled away, “Find my angel for me, Tom!”
“Don’t worry, Max!” Tom called out, watching the cab pick up speed. “I’ll help you track her down!”
“What?” Max hung half way out the window with his hair blowing in the wind, just like a dog.
“I’ll help you find Liz Parker!” Tom shouted, but the cab was already too far away. Max didn’t hear a thing he said.
TBC . . .
Category: Max and Liz, AU
Rating: Up to NC/17
Author note: Okay, I know, I’m late. It’s not Wednesday anymore. It’s officially Thursday (in my time zone), but I have a good excuse. Part of it is because I’ve been working 12 hour days this week and part of it is because, after the drastic turn of events in part 10, I thought I’d take a moment to make a couple of comments based on feedback.
… << B >> … wrote: I understand how Liz misinterpreted Max putting his shirt back on but how do you explain his pants being unzipped? My answer is: Max unzipped his pants to tuck his shirt tails in. His back was to Tess, she was leaving his office, he didn’t think anything about it. He's such a guy!
BelieveInTrueLove, you thought Liz (after seeing Tess leave Max’s office) should have burst in there and demanded an explanation. As I commented before, this Liz has self esteem issues, and I don’t see her behaving that way. She’s more likely to blame herself (because of her own personal demons) for falling for Max’s charms. She took a ‘risk’, coming out of her shell by making the first moves with Max, only to have it backfire on her. That serves to deepen her low self esteem, making it even less likely she would boldly confront Max.
Nitpick23, I agree with your take on Michael. Michael has known Max for a lot of years. They started out as friends (though even as friends they were competitive), then the incident with Ashley drove them apart, and now their competition is in the courtroom (Michael as a prosecutor, and Max as a defense lawyer). Michael has seen no evidence of a change in Max’s sexploitations, so I can easily see him wanting to get Liz away from Max now. There’s no way Michael would want ‘Manwhore Max’ anywhere near his sister. In his own way, Michael is trying to protect her. He doesn’t want to ‘give Max a chance’ to show he’s changed, not at his sister’s expense.
Michelle, you thought Michael should have let Liz “glow” for a little bit, before he burst her bubble. Why would he stand back when he honestly believes Max is no good, and will only hurt her? Better to feel a little hurt now, than a lot of hurt later, when her feelings have deepened even more. Again, Michael has no reason to think Max’s pattern of love ‘em and leave ‘em would be any different with Liz. Just as a reminder of the animosity between these two, in chapter 2, Max has a fleeting thought that, under different circumstances, he might have made a play for Maria ‘just because she was Michael’s girl’, but his attraction to Liz was so strong, the thought was gone quickly. That shows the kind of man Max was, the man Michael still thinks he is. Liz has changed Max, but Michael doesn’t know that. He thinks Max is the worst person in the world to be near Liz.
Dee and Scottie and Chipsflicken pretty much nailed it on the head with their comments about trust. Max and Liz rushed into a sexual relationship without trust being established first. Their attraction to each other was off the scale, but they didn’t ‘know’ each other. I’m not trying to moralize with this story, I do believe in love at first sight, but a relationship is a complicated thing, especially a sexual one. The morning after, Max knew what things made Liz moan with pleasure, yet he didn’t know something as simple as whether she liked cream or sugar in her coffee. That takes time, and until trust is established, simple misunderstandings can swell to epic proportions.
I want to thank everyone who has left feedback here, and especially those of you who nominated A Walk in the Park over on the nomination thread. Especially those of you who nominated Max the dog! I love this pooch!! I was so surprised to see him nominated, you could have knocked me over with a feather! Thank you so much!
Oh, and I promise the angst on this one won’t last forever. A Walk in the Park is one of my shorter fics, with just 4 more parts to go, after this one.
So, enough chatter. On with the story . . .
A Walk in the Park
Part 11
Max screeched to a stop in front of Liz’s apartment building and jumped from the Porsche, not caring that his precious car was in a tow away zone. Only one thing mattered, and that was getting a chance to see Liz to find out what was wrong. He raced through the front doors with his heart pounding in his chest, ignoring the shouts of the doorman.
He reached the elevator just as the doors were sliding shut. He shoved his arm through the opening, manhandling the doors apart, and hurried into the cab. He punched the button for the fourteenth floor and then stood back, ignoring the other occupants of the elevator who were openly staring at him.
Max had known Michael wouldn’t be thrilled about his relationship with Liz, but he hadn’t been overly concerned. Maybe he should have been. What had Michael said to her that would make her decide not to see him anymore? She’d seemed so happy when she got out of his car this morning. The way she’d looked at him had said so much. The sparkle in her eyes, her smile, everything about her said their time together had meant as much to her as it had to him.
As soon as the elevator doors slid open on the fourteenth floor Max rushed out, striding quickly down the hall. When he reached the apartment he lifted his hand and rapped his knuckles loudly on the door. Getting no immediate answer, he knocked again. With his apprehension growing by the minute he began to pound on the door, rattling the handle even though he knew it was locked.
“Michael, open up!” Max shouted at the wood. “Liz, I want to talk to you. LIZ! Michael, open the goddamn door!”
The door wrenched open and Max pushed inside, with an angry Michael trying to bar his entrance.
“Get out, Max,” Michael hissed. “Get out of my apartment!”
“Where is she?” Max barreled past him, refusing to leave. “I want to talk to Liz.”
“I told you on the phone she doesn’t want to talk to you,” Michael held the door open. “Now get out!”
“I’m not going anywhere until I talk to Liz!” Turning from Michael’s angry glare, Max walked deeper into the apartment, intent on finding her. “Liz?” he called out, getting no answer. He raised his voice, “LIZ? LIZ, ARE YOU HERE?”
Max paused to listen, but the air was still, quiet, holding no sound of the man-eating dog he’d grown fond of, or the dark haired beauty he’d fallen in love with.
“LIZ?” Max shouted again, walking down the short hall to the bedroom he knew was hers, but his senses were already telling him she wasn’t there. He looked in the bathroom, but it was empty, not even a toothbrush left in the holder by the sink. He returned to the living room and locked eyes with Michael, whose imposing figure stood in the middle of the room with his arms folded over his chest.
“Where is she?” Max demanded.
“I’m not telling you,” Michael said smugly.
“What did you do?” His jaw clenched in anger, and confusion, and hurt. He could feel the best thing that had ever happened to him slipping away.
“What did I do?” Michael said incredulously. He lowered his arms to his sides and stepped forward, ready for a fight. “What did you do? So you found out I had a sister, and a pretty one at that? And you just had to play one of your games, didn’t you. Did you wine her and dine her until she couldn’t resist you? And then, of course, once you had her, then you were done with her.”
“It’s not like that Michael. It’s not like that at all,” Max said, desperate for Michael to listen to him. He would never treat Liz that way. Never. “Michael, will you lis-”
“Where were you last night?” Michael asked through clenched teeth. “Did you take her up to your little love nest on the Hudson?”
“Michael-”
“DID YOU?” Michael shouted.
“YES,” Max shouted back, “but it’s not what you’re thinking. I didn’t take her up there just to-”
“Did you fuck her up there, Max?” Michael stepped forward, grabbing Max’s tie and pulling upwards. “Did you put another notch on your bedpost, with my sister’s name on it?”
“Michael, let go,” Max hissed through gritted teeth.
“DID YOU?” Michael yelled in his face. He walked Max backwards, keeping his hand around his tie, exerting his height and weight advantage. “Did you lay your dirty fucking hands on my sister?”
“What Liz and I did or didn’t do is none of your business-”
“Did you touch my sister?” Michael hissed.
“Back off Michael,” Max warned in a strangled voice.
“DID YOU?” he clenched the tie tighter, shouting in Max’s face.
“YES!” Max shouted and pushed back, slamming his hands into Michael’s chest.
Michael reeled backwards, and as soon as he regained his balance, his arm shot forward with his fist connecting with Max’s jaw. The shorter man’s head snapped to the right, staggering from the impact. He came up slowly, flexing his jaw and rubbing his hand along his chin.
“I don’t want to fight with you, Michael. I just want to see Liz.”
“After what you did to her today, you’re never gonna see her again,” Michael vowed.
“I didn’t do anything to her,” Max’s plaintive cry exposed his fear and frustration. “She was fine when I dropped her off-”
“Liz isn’t your type, Max. She doesn’t do one night stands-”
“I would never treat her that way-”
“You lying sack of shit,” Michael hissed and lunged at him. They grappled together, shoving and pushing until Max was slammed up against the wall next to the front door.
“Liz deserves someone who’s going to treat her right, not someone like you who fucks anything in a skirt. She came home in tears after seeing you with that bimbo this morning.”
“What bimbo? I didn’t do-”
“The blonde you fucked in your office this morning!”
Max shoved Michael back angrily, shocked nearly speechless. “I did no such thing!”
“Don’t fucking lie, Evans. Remember, I know you inside and out. You don’t fool me.” Michael glared at Max with disgust. “Get out. Get out and don’t ever try to see Liz again. Don’t ever come back here. If you do, I’ll file a restraining order against you so fast it’ll make your head spin.”
“Michael, please don’t do this.” Max felt his anger collapse. This beautiful, wonderful, amazing day – a day where he’d awakened this morning in the arms of the most perfect soul in the world – was now absolutely falling apart. “Just let me talk to –”
Michael drilled his index finger against Max’s chest, warning, “You come within a hundred feet of Liz and I’ll have you arrested for stalking.”
“I would never –”
Michael wrenched open the apartment door and shoved Max into the hallway. Max stumbled to a stop, just barely catching his balance, almost sinking to his knees in front of his former friend.
“Michael, I’m sorry,” Max straightened up, looking like a rumpled mess with his tie askew, his jacket hanging loose, and his hair in disarray. “I’m sorry about everything that happened in the past between us. We were friends and I fucked it up. I know that. I was a real shithead. To you. To Ashley. To everyone. But Liz changed me. I’m not the same man I used to be.”
“No? Somehow I doubt that, Max, because your pattern looks the same to me. You meet ‘em. You fuck ‘em. You break their hearts without one ounce of remorse.” Michael got in his face once more, nearly spitting in anger. “I’ll see you burn in hell before I let you near my sister again.”
Michael slammed the apartment door closed in his face, leaving Max standing alone with the sound of it echoing throughout the hallway. He turned slowly toward the elevator, a defeated man, with no clear idea of what to do next, only knowing one thing. He had to find Liz. He just had to.
* * * * *
“So, are you going to tell me what this is all about?” Maria sat on the side of the bed, watching Liz empty the contents of her suitcase into a dresser drawer. She’d come home from the recording studio to find Liz on her doorstep, with a protective canine bodyguard beside her. She’d noticed right away how her friend’s face seemed drawn and pale, and even sadder than usual. Her makeup free eyes looked red and swollen, like she’d been crying for hours.
“Is it Michael? Is that why you wanted to move out of his apartment? Did Michael say something mean to you? ‘Cause if he did, I’ll kick his ass for you. Just say the word.”
“No, Maria,” Liz met her gaze for a brief moment before walking back to the suitcase on the bed to retrieve another armful of her belongings. “It wasn’t Michael.”
Max stood on the rug near the foot of the bed, watching his lady. He could feel that she was upset, and it made him upset. When she walked by, he snaked out his tongue, licking her hand to make her feel better.
Liz felt the wet tongue hit the side of her hand and she looked down to see a pair of big brown puppy dog eyes staring up at her. She dropped heavily onto the end of the bed, and Max lumbered over to lay his head on her lap. She scratched him behind the ears, causing him to wag his tail to show his pleasure. He was a good boy and his lady was telling him so.
“Max then?” Maria asked, not noticing how the dog picked up his ears and looked at her.
Liz fought to keep her chin from quivering, to keep the tears in check, but her eyes, as big and brown as the dog’s, looked at Maria showing the deepest hurt imaginable. She crumpled as her façade cracked, and her hands quickly covered her face to hide her tears. Max cocked his head, listening to the unhappy sound of her crying. His tail stopped wagging.
“Oh, Liz, honey,” Maria moved to sit beside her, wrapping an arm around her friend’s shoulders and drawing her close. The poor girl was sobbing now and Maria made a silent vow to kick Max’s ass next time she saw him.
“I was such a fool,” Liz’s cry was smothered by her hands. “I – I thought . . . he said he loved me.”
“Oh chica,” Maria rubbed her hand up and down Liz’s back, feeling the poor girl trembling. “I’m sorry. I wish we’d never gone to that party. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have left you alone with that scumbag.”
But Max had seemed so nice, and genuinely interested in Liz, how was she to know he’d turn out to be such a dog? Men just couldn’t be trusted, especially gorgeous men who poured on the charm. Bastard. Kicking his ass was too good for him. She’d have to make him suffer. When Maria finished with him, he’d be singing soprano in the choir.
“Tell me what happened,” Maria stroked her hand over Liz’s hair. “Tell Maria what the rat bastard did.”
* * * * *
“I ne’er met anyun like her afore,” Max stared down into the glass of Scotch in front of him. He tried to pick it up but his elbow slid out from under him and he sloshed the amber colored liquid down his arm and onto the highly polished bar. He hardly noticed.
“Special, huh?” Tom Hastings asked. He’d run into Max many times here in Cutter’s, but never like this. Usually Evans was celebrating another victory while Tom, and the rest of the attorneys for the DA’s office were licking their wounds. Max was usually the essence of discipline, always in control, and Tom didn’t think he’d ever seen him drunk before. Not blitzed like this, anyway.
“Uh huh,” Max leaned toward Tom and nearly fell off the barstool. Tom had to catch him. “She’s my dark haired angel, ya know,” Max almost slobbered on Tom, his face was so close. Tom pushed him back onto the stool, and then had to stop him from sliding off the other side.
“Angel huh?” Tom waved away the smell of Max’s whiskey breath. “How did you two meet?”
“Max bit my ass,” Max answered in all seriousness. He leaned back and fumbled with his belt buckle, saying, “You wanna see?”
“NO!” Tom answered hastily and pushed the drink back toward Max. Anything to get him to keep his pants on.
“Max tore me a new asshole,” Max wobbled dangerously on the stool, “and Liz played doctor with the stingy stuff. Then Isahell – bell – Isabel came home and I mooned her.”
“You mooned your sister?” Tom said in shock. He’d met Isabel before, and she was one scary lady.
“Yep,” Max nodded proudly. “It was only a half ass moon, though. I’m lucky I’m not dead.”
“So what happened with Liz?” Tom had a pretty good idea already. It was no secret that there was bad blood between Michael Guerin and Max Evans. The shit must have hit the fan when Michael found out about it. Max had a bad reputation with women, and Michael was about as overprotective of his sister as a man could get.
“It was that twit Tess,” Max knocked back his drink and slammed the glass back down on the bar, signaling for another. Tom waved the bartender off, silently telling him no more for his soused friend.
“She’s a little hottie,” Tom acknowledged Tess’s assets.
“She’s a bisch wiffout a bwain,” Max rubbed his hands over his face, muffling his inebriated voice.
“A bitch without a brain?” Tom tried hard to hold in a laugh.
“You said it, pal,” Max slapped Tom on the shoulder.
“So what exactly did Tess do?”
Max leaned back and threw his hands up in the air. “She got me coffee!”
“What a bitch!” Tom smothered a laugh.
“That’s what I’m sayin’!” Max agreed.
* * * * *
“I – I went to his office,” Liz said in a halting voice. “I didn’t know how long he would be in Court, I was going to wait for him, but that . . . that must have been a lie, too. He was there . . . and he wasn’t alone. I saw her – the little blonde – the same one from the party, she came out of his office, and . . .”
“And what?” Maria urged Liz to keep talking. It was good for the soul to get it out in the open, not to let it fester inside. Lord knows, Liz had enough stuff bottled up inside to last her a lifetime.
“I saw Max standing behind her, near his desk,” Liz took in a deep breath, trying to face the ugly truth. She snuggled in closer to Maria, burrowing her head into her shoulder, glad she had someone to talk to. “His pants were undone and he was just putting his shirt back on. The blonde was – she was – straightening her clothes . . .”
“Oh, Liz, honey,” Maria hugged her close. “You poor thing. Max is such a jerk! How could he possibly want that piece of trash over you?”
“I thought he loved me.” Liz broke down crying again, giving in to the heartache.
* * * * *
“I love her,” Max propped his head up with his hands, trying to keep the room from spinning.
“So let me see if I’ve got this right,” Tom recapped the day’s events. “Tess spilled a cup of coffee on your shirt –”
“Clumsy bitch,” Max muttered.
“So you gave her your shirt so she could clean it before it stained.”
“Liz picked it out for me,” Max plucked at the burgundy shirt he was wearing. “I love this shirt.”
“So when Tess brought your shirt back –”
“She picked out this tie, too,” Max lifted the silver and burgundy tie from his chest and rubbed it over his face. “I love this tie. She’s the best tie picker outer in the world.”
Oh god, Tom rolled his eyes. Did Max have it bad or what? “So you think Liz saw you –”
“I know Liz saw me. Mickey G said so. Mickey tol her all about my rep – rep –”
“Reputation?” Tom offered.
“That’s it,” Max pointed a wobbly finger at Tom. “Mickey tol her all about me, and now she thinks I fucked the office slut. She hates me. My dark haired angel hates me.” He’d been a bad boy all his life and now God was punishing him by taking away his angel.
“Why don’t you go tell her what really happened?” Tom suggested.
“I can’t,” Max turned his sad puppy dog eyes to his new best friend. “Mickey G is hidin’ her.”
“If Michael hears you calling him Mickey G, you know he’ll want to kick your ass,” Tom warned.
“Too late,” Max turned on the stool and nearly fell off. Tom grabbed him around the shoulders and Max leaned into his chest. “He beat my ass and threw me outta his apartnet – apartlet – apartment.”
“So you don’t know where Liz is, and Michael won’t tell you?” Tom dropped a wad of bills onto the bar to cover the tab and slid off the bar stool, leading Max to the front doors. He held Max up with his arm around his back.
“Nope,” Max staggered along, leaning heavily against Tom for support. “Bastard won’t tell me.”
Tom pushed through the doors into the crisp evening air, but Max was too drunk to notice. Tom waved for a cab and waited for it at the curb, holding Max up on legs that had turned to rubber.
“You want me to see if I can find out where she is?” Tom asked. It wouldn’t hurt to have Max Evans owe him a favor.
“You would do that?” Max perked right up. His nose was almost touching Tom’s as he valiantly tried to focus. “You’d help me find my angel?”
“Sure,” Tom pushed Max out to arms length. Talk about doggie breath. “I’ll nose around the office. See what I can find out.”
“Thank you, Tom!” Max wrapped his arms around Tom in a bear hug. He kissed him on the cheek, a big fat slobbery drunken kiss.
“Sure, anytime,” Tom shuddered and laughed at the same time. The guys at the office were never going to believe this. A cab pulled up to the curb and Tom opened the back door, helping Max slide inside.
“Take him to the Dorilton, 71st and Broadway. That should cover it,” Tom held out a twenty for the driver who took it with a silent nod. Tom gave Max a friendly squeeze on the shoulder before closing the back door and stepping up onto the sidewalk.
Max rolled down the back window and leaned out, shouting to Tom as the cab pulled away, “Find my angel for me, Tom!”
“Don’t worry, Max!” Tom called out, watching the cab pick up speed. “I’ll help you track her down!”
“What?” Max hung half way out the window with his hair blowing in the wind, just like a dog.
“I’ll help you find Liz Parker!” Tom shouted, but the cab was already too far away. Max didn’t hear a thing he said.
TBC . . .
Last edited by Breathless on Thu Sep 25, 2003 3:13 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Breathless
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A Walk in the Park Part 12
Author: Debbi aka Breathless
Category: Max and Liz, AU
Rating: NC 17 for adult language/content
Author note: I was going to try to leave a lengthy AN to comment on all the feedback this story is getting, but it would take forever and I know you all are waiting to read this, so let’s just get to it!
A Walk in the Park
Part 12
Consciousness slowly returned, rising up from the depths of blackness, from the dark world of drunken sleep. Max gradually became aware of his surroundings, first the sheets his face was pressed into, then the bed he lay sprawled across, then the sunlight streaming in from a window, lighting the room.
His room.
He was in his bedroom, it was morning, and he couldn’t remember how he’d gotten here.
He started to push up from the bed, but instantly regretted it. His head felt ready to explode, pounding with a killer headache. His mouth tasted like cotton. His stomach rolled and churned with the unmistakable first signs of an impending case of the dry heaves, or maybe something even worse. He groaned in misery, suffering from his first hangover in years.
Trying to think, he wasn’t sure how he’d gotten home the night before. He had a hazy memory of someone helping him into a cab, but that was about it. The last thing he remembered was drowning his sorrows in Cutter’s, and based on the fact he was still wearing his suit from the day before, his best guess was that he’d staggered home last night and passed out on his bed.
He lifted his head to peer at the alarm clock on his nightstand but the numbers swam in and out of focus making his already queasy stomach even worse. The movement made his head scream in protest. He collapsed back down onto the bed, wishing God would put him out of his misery right now. The alarm clock suddenly blared to life like the sound of Gideon’s Trumpets, a vociferous warning for Max not to tempt fate.
He slapped at the alarm until it quieted, nearly knocking it from the nightstand. He rolled over onto his back with a loud groan, covering his face with his hands, wishing he could just sleep the day away. Had it only been yesterday when everything in his life had finally felt right? What a difference a day made.
His train of thought took him back to yesterday morning, waking up with his arms around his angel, his face buried in her heavenly soft hair, his nose burrowed close to her ethereal skin. The image of her standing in the bathroom doorway filled his mind, remembering the pristine beauty of her face, the untainted blush of innocence on her cheeks, the flawless perfection of her sweet skin. How could he live without her now that he knew what it was like to be with her?
He gingerly rose from the bed, feeling the throbbing in his head increase tenfold. Even his eyes hurt. He moved across the room like he was walking on eggshells, stripping off his rumpled clothes on his way to the bathroom and a much needed shower. He left a trail behind him as he went, a shirt, shoes, socks, his pants. He came to a stop in the center of the bathroom, staring at his reflection in the full-length mirror, naked in a way he’d never been before. The golden color of his skin hadn’t changed. The muscles of his chest, the ridges of his stomach were just the same. His thighs were just as powerful as always. The changes in him weren’t evident on the outside until you looked closely at his eyes.
A week ago those eyes had been full of self-satisfaction, smug in his conquests, concerned only with gratifying his own narcissistic needs. A day ago, his eyes had taken on a new light, a look totally different for him, a look no one had ever seen before, not in his eyes. Love had been a stranger there, until a dark haired angel opened up his eyes and made him see life in a whole new way.
Now, standing naked and alone, the reflection in the mirror showed a man who had realized too late that the life he’d lived before last week was nothing more than a hollow and empty shell. His angel had changed his life completely, and now that he finally had within his grasp what he’d been missing all his life, it’d been ripped right out of his hands.
He had to get Liz back, because he couldn’t imagine living the rest of his life without her.
* * * * *
Liz stood naked in the bathroom in Maria’s apartment, staring at her plain image in the mirror. She pulled the ends of her hair forward, the length just long enough to cover her small breasts, hiding her inadequacies. She’d been a fool to think that a man like Max Evans could ever be interested in her. It’d been a cruel joke, a ruse, a means to get at Michael by using her.
It was Kyle all over again, taking her virginity as a joke, a dare, a challenge to see how fast he could get into the science geek’s pants. At least with Kyle she’d made him work for it. She hadn’t given it up on the first date.
Max padded up beside her and slipped his head between her hand and her thigh. He looked up at her with his melancholy eyes, sensing her sadness, her pain, feeling it leach into him. His tail remained tucked between his legs, not wagging at all.
“Hey you,” Liz said softly, smiling at the way he cocked his head and lifted his ears. “You probably want to go for a walk, don’t you?”
Max perked up even more at the sound of the familiar word. Walk? They could go for a walk? And he could smell the grass and chase the pigeons? And people passing by would say what a good boy he was and want to pet him? Liz knelt down and scratched the dog behind his ears, coaxing a happy wag from his bushy tail.
“You won’t break my heart, will you Max?” she asked. The dog snaked out his tongue and licked her on the lips, promising her his undying love. Liz wiped her mouth and ruffled his hair. “I knew I could count on you.”
Max watched her rise to her feet and pad out into the bedroom. He would take his lady for a walk in the park, and everything would feel better.
* * * * *
Max sat in the back seat of a cab with his head resting on his hand, staring out the side window as the world passed by. His head was still pounding, his stomach still felt like hurling, but it was his heart that was hurting most of all. It was a pain he’d never experienced before, a pain only Liz could make go away.
Panicked thoughts raced through his mind, confronting fears that he’d never had to face before. What if he couldn’t find where she was staying? What if Michael poisoned her completely before he got a chance to explain? What if he never saw her again? None of that had ever mattered before. He’d never cared enough about a woman, any woman, to want to try to make a relationship work. Hell, he’d never really had ‘a relationship’ before. Just a series of one night stands or brief encounters, nothing lasting long.
If the sex was good, then he might stick around and sample it a few more times. If not, then he’d move on. There was always another woman waiting, and more than willing. But with Liz, it was so different. From the moment he first laid eyes on her, walking her mammoth dog outside the deli, he knew she was the one.
He’d been with women whose skill in the art of lovemaking was legend, yet it was Liz’s inexperienced touch that had given him the greatest joy he’d ever known. Just standing near her, breathing the air around her, had wrapped him in her spell. She was all that he’d never had before, and could never hope to find again.
The cab stopped at a red light, with the driver waiting impatiently for the light to change and the pedestrians to clear the crosswalk. A huge German Shepard stepped into the street leading a diminutive dark haired girl but Max was too lost in his thoughts to notice. His nose pressed against the window, looking in the opposite direction. He didn’t see the dog leading his lady into the park across the street. He didn’t see them disappear into the foliage-covered trails. The cab pulled away at the green light, leaving his lost love behind, without him ever knowing she was there.
* * * * *
Max trudged into the law offices of Evans, Evans, Petterson and Stone with a raging headache, trying to block out all the sounds around him. The telephone rang louder than usual and everyone seemed to be shouting instead of talking in the respectable low murmur he was accustomed to. He growled as secretaries, interns, and fellow lawyers offered a morning greeting, not even trying to be polite.
He passed by a cubicle hearing the grating tone of Tess Harding’s voice and he paused, ready to tell her to pack her things and get out. He didn’t care if she filed a wrongful termination lawsuit. He just wanted the bitch gone – until he heard what she was saying.
“That’s right. Maria DeLuca. She’ll be signing her new CD at Big Apple Records this afternoon between noon and 2. I’m going on my lunch break.”
Suddenly the cobwebs of his hangover cleared and his mind began to work again. If he could get to Maria and convince her to take a message to Liz, then maybe he could get this whole mess straightened out. Knowing where she’d be in a few hours, he headed into his office trying to formulate a plan. As soon as his butt hit the chair a light went off in his head and he bolted to his feet again.
This dog wasn’t ready to roll over and play dead yet!
* * * * *
Liz heard the musical notes of her cell phone and she fished it out of her jacket pocket. Max was busy sniffing the grass, taking in his new surroundings. He’d never been in this park before. Liz pushed the call button and put the phone next to her ear.
“Hello?”
Max tugged Liz along to a nearby tree where he made his mark. His ears pricked up when his lady’s voice rose in excitement, but she wasn’t yelling at him, so he must still be a good boy!
“I got the job? A week from Monday? Yes! Yes, I can be there! Thank you! Thank you!”
Liz pressed the disconnect button on the phone and let out a whoop, not caring who heard her. Max sat his rump on the ground, wagging his tail back and forth, happy to see his lady so happy. He knew taking her for a walk in the park would make her feel better!
“I got the job, Max!” Liz knelt in front of the dog and ruffled his hair. Max barked and showed her his enthusiasm by licking her face. She hugged him tightly; burying her face in his thick fur while Max wagged his tail furiously.
Her initial rush of happiness passed and her thoughts suddenly flooded with things she needed to do, arrangements she needed to make, people she needed to tell. Reality set in, and with it a sense of sadness too. She held Max out at arms length, saying softly, “I’m gonna miss you, you big lug.”
Max sensed the mood change and snaked his tongue out to lick his lady’s face. He cheered her up once, he could cheer her up again. Maybe he could show her how to chase a squirrel.
Liz rose to her feet with a sense of apprehension taking over. After all, every time something good happened to her, something bad always happened back. She made her way back toward Maria’s apartment, wondering when the other shoe was going to drop.
* * * * *
“Ms. DeLuca, I just love your music,” a teen gushed, excited to finally meet her favorite singer.
“Thank you,” Maria beamed.
“Can I get a picture with you?” another teen clutched a camera in her tight little hands.
“Of course,” Maria waved her around the table. She smiled and posed for pictures, happily providing autographs for her fans, until she saw the familiar face at the back of the line. What he hell was he doing here? If he thought he was getting her autograph he was sadly mistaken. All he was getting from her was a swift kick in that pretty little ass of his.
Her good mood evaporated, and by the time Max made it to the head of the line, she was loaded for bear.
“Hi Maria,” Max tried to use his charm, but one look at her face told him it wasn’t gonna work on her. He set the CD down on the table in front of her.
“Hello Max,” she said coldly. She wrote quickly on the CD and pushed it back to him. Max looked down at it and paled.
To scumbag. Fuck off. Maria DeLuca
“That bad, huh?” Max couldn’t quite generate a real smile. This was too important and it wasn’t going well.
“I signed your CD. Now move on.”
“Maria, it’s not what you think,” Max said, desperate for her to listen to him.
“No?”
“I didn’t do what Liz thinks I did. It was all just a big misunderstanding! I need to see her, to tell her –”
“Max!” Tess came from out of nowhere and attached herself to his arm. She swiveled her empty little head toward Maria and exclaimed, “Maria DeLuca! I’m so excited to meet you!”
“A big misunderstanding, huh?” Maria glared at Max. She motioned the next fan in line to come forward, determined to ignore the rat bastard.
“Tess!” Max tried to shake her off. “Will you get off me!”
Tess let go with a pout and smoothed her hand through her hair.
“There’s nothing between Tess and me,” Max leaned over the table to get Maria’s attention again. When she continued to ignore him, he turned back to Tess. “Tell her. Go on, tell her. There’s never been anything between us. Tell her.”
“But Max –”
“Tell her!” Max snarled.
Tess clicked her tongue and let out a suffering sigh. Her flirtatious attitude dropped. “There’s never been anything between us. Are you happy now?”
Max looked at Maria with his saddest puppy dog eyes, hoping she believed it. Maria wavered, not wanting to succumb to his charms, but damn he was cute when he was begging. She signed a CD quickly for the little tramp and sent the blonde on her way.
Tess squealed excitedly and hurried back to the office to show the girls.
“I’m not telling you where she is,” Maria stood firm.
“Please,” Max was willing to get down on his knees. “I need to talk to her. I need to tell her –”
“Tell her what?” Maria cut him off. “Michael told me all about you. I can’t believe you would use Liz like that, just to get at Mi –”
“I love her.”
Max said it so softly and with so much emotion the tirade died in Maria’s throat. After a long moment of battling with her conscience, Maria told him the only thing she could. His face fell when she said, “I don’t trust you, Max. You have a bad reputation, and Liz deserves someone who will treat her special. From what I’ve heard, I don’t think that’s you.”
Crestfallen, Max picked at the edge of the table with his fingernail. “You’re not gonna tell me where she is?”
Maria shook her head. “No.”
“You’re not gonna tell her about Tess?” Max met her eyes, looking miserable. “That it wasn’t what she thought?”
Maria felt bad for him but she kept her resolve firm. Michael had told her all about his games, his lascivious ways, and she wasn’t going to be the one to drag Liz back into this. She shook her head telling him no. She watched him turn, head down, shoulders slumped, walking away with his tail between his legs.
Max felt his heart fall to the floor, but he couldn’t blame Maria. She was looking out for her friend, trying to do what she thought was the right thing. That proverbial light bulb went off in his dim brain and he remembered the second thing he needed to tell her. Plan B was now going into effect. God help him, if he screwed this up, Liz would never forgive him.
Max turned back to Maria looking deadly serious. “You’ve got to get Max out of town.”
“Max?” Maria cocked her head at the strange command.
“Board him for a couple of weeks or something. If you care about the dog, don’t let Michael know where he is.”
Max left without further explanation, leaving a perturbed Maria in his wake.
Outside the music store, Max walked up to a car parked at the curb. He leaned into the passenger side window and spoke to the bald headed man behind the wheel.
“I want you to follow Maria DeLuca when the autograph signing is over. Her phone number is unlisted. Her publicist won’t give out her address. Find out where she lives, and if anyone is staying with her. This is who I want to find,” Max handed him a written description of Liz and her mammoth dog. “Call me as soon as you learn anything.”
“You’re the boss,” the bald man took the paper and tucked it in his shirt pocket.
“Oh, and Tony?” Max added. “Don’t let them see you.”
“Not a problem,” Tony smiled, exposing a gold capped front tooth. He owed Max Evans big time. He’d been facing 10 to 20 in the big house, but Evans got him a walk. Afterwards, when Max offered him an honest job, an alternative to going back to life on the streets, Tony had grabbed it. He’d been gainfully employed ever since, and the pride of his mother’s eye.
* * * * *
Tom Hastings rapped his knuckles on Michael’s open door and poked his head inside. “Have you got a minute?”
“Sure Tom,” Michael waved him in. “What’s up?”
“Oh, not too much,” Tom stepped into the office. “You missed quite a party Saturday night. I saw Liz and Maria there.”
“Yeah,” Michael grumbled. If he’d been there, this whole fiasco with Evans could have been avoided. He wouldn’t have let Max within a hundred feet of his sister.
“Is Liz done with school now?”
Michael nodded, smiling now. “She graduated with high honors.”
“I’m not surprised,” Tom acknowledged. It was no secret around the office how proud Michael was of his sister. He drew in a breath and took a chance, even though he was almost certain what the reaction would be. “I saw Liz dancing with Max Evans at the Mayor’s party. She’s always so serious; it was nice to see her smiling for a change.”
As soon as he said it the temperature in the room dropped 30 degrees. The smile fled Michael’s face, replaced by a scowl. Oops, Tom cringed.
Michael fumed inside, just hearing the bastard’s name. Max Evans was the bane of his existence. But, a little corner of his brain had to acknowledge that Tom was right. When Liz came home yesterday morning, looking happier than he’d ever seen her before, a part of him wished he wouldn’t have to burst her bubble. There’d been a time, once, when he might have welcomed Max into his family, but that was a long time ago, before Max had shown his true colors.
“You’re not gonna believe this,” Tom decided to change the subject.
“What?” Michael gave him his full attention.
“I got Max Evans to deal on the Hargrove case,” Tom beamed.
“How the hell’d you do that?” Michael asked incredulously, closing the file he was working on and setting it aside. Everybody knew Max never dealt. Winning was everything to him.
“Caught him in a good mood maybe?” Tom shrugged.
Another scowl crossed Michael’s face turning his features hard. He could just imagine what had put Max Evans in a good mood, probably at his sister’s expense. That bastard was gonna pay.
“Since I won’t be going to trial, it frees up some of my time. Do you want me to take the reins on the Simmons deposition this afternoon?” Tom asked. “I know you were trying to hand that one off so you could concentrate on the Atwater case.”
“No. That’s okay. I’m all set to go on Simmons,” Michael tapped the file in front of him. Max Evans was defense and Michael was looking forward to slapping him down on this one. Max’s winning days were over.
* * * * *
“I’m thinking about trading in the Jag for a new Lexus,” Philip Evans chatted amicably on the phone. “Petterson just got one and –”
The door to his office suddenly burst open, startling Philip into silence. His normally calm, cool, and collected son strode into the room looking wild eyed, brandishing a Polaroid camera. What the hell?
“Henry?” Philip found his voice again. “I’ll have to call you back.” He hung up the phone without waiting for an answer, staring at his crazy son.
“Dad, take my picture,” Max plopped the camera down on his father’s desk and turned around, unfastening his belt and lowering his zipper.
“Max?” Philip’s eyes grew wide as his son dropped his pants right in the middle of his office. Had the boy lost his mind? He was just about to read him the riot act when Max’s drawers hit the floor and the bruises and bite marks on the back of his thighs came into view.
“Jesus Christ, son!” Philip shot to his feet. “What the hell happened to you?”
“Remember when I told you I fell in the park last week?” Max looked at his father over his shoulder. “What I didn’t tell you was that it happened when I got attacked by a dog.”
“Christ, Max,” Philip hastened around his desk. “Are you all right? Did you get a tetanus shot? Do you know whose dog it was? We’ll sue their asses!”
“Yes. No. Yes. Damn right!” Max answered, feeling better than he had since this whole mess started. He had a plan now, a course of action, single mindedly focusing on his goal to win Liz back.
“What’s the owner’s name?” Philip grabbed a notepad from his desk, ready to lay the groundwork for a lawsuit.
Max grinned and told him, “Michael Guerin.” He grinned even wider at his dad’s stunned expression. “Now take my picture as evidence. I’m not about to lose this one!”
Max stood tall while his father snapped pictures of his legs, mentally preparing to take on Michael Guerin. No way was he letting Liz slip away from him without fighting for her. If Michael wouldn’t tell him where she was, then he’d just have to sue his ass and subpoena Liz as a witness. Michael couldn’t stop him from talking to her then!
* * * * *
“Liz? Are you here?” Maria called out as she closed the apartment door behind her. She dropped her purse and jacket on an overstuffed living room chair before heading toward the bedroom to change. Just as she reached the doorway, Max poked his head out, looking at her with sleepy eyes. Maria took one look at him and propped her hands on her hips.
“Have you been sleeping on my bed?”
Max stretched and yawned, then wagged his tail.
“Where’s Liz?”
Max cocked his head. He knew that name. Was his lady back? He looked behind him at the warm and comfy bed while Maria changed, then followed her out into the living room. On the coffee table Maria found the note.
Maria,
Be back soon. I have GREAT news to tell you!
Liz
“Great news, huh?” Maria put the note down and looked at Max. “Should I tell her I saw her other Max today? Why couldn’t he be as true, blue, and loyal as you?”
Max sat his rump down and wagged his tail back and forth. Maybe she’d give him a treat if he looked cute enough.
* * * * *
Michael entered the courthouse with briefcase in hand, ready to do battle with one Max Evans. He didn’t care if the Simmons case was for murder, or for short changing the hot dog vendor over on 42nd Street, Max was going down!
“Just who I was looking for,” Max stepped in front of Michael, bringing the taller man to a sudden stop. Max blocked his path, tapping a folded piece of paper against the palm of his healing hand.
Michael stared at Max’s smirk, silently vowing to wipe it right off his face. “We’d best be getting into chambers. Judge Abrams doesn’t like it when we’re late. Unless,” Michael paused for dramatic flair, with a smirk on his face to match Max’s. “I might be persuaded to talk deal.”
“Here’s the deal, Michael.” Max slapped the document against Michael’s chest and declared, “I’m suing you, big boy. You better get out your checkbook.”
“What?” Michael lost the smirk on his face. He tore the document open, confirming his worst fears. Words jumped out at him: vicious dog attack – grievous injuries – permanent impairment – pain and suffering – long-term psychological damage –
Michael glared at Max, seething inside. “What the hell are you trying to pull here?”
“I was minding my own business when your vicious dog attacked me in the park. There were witnesses. I have physical evidence to prove it,” Max whipped out a Polaroid snapshot showing the dog bites on his legs. “You can’t wiggle out of this one. The evidence is all on my side.”
“This isn’t about dog bites,” Michael barked. He could just imagine whose name was going to be on the witness list.
“Let me see her and I’ll drop the suit.” Max held the upper hand and he knew it.
“How much do you want?” Michael pulled his checkbook out of the inside pocket of his jacket. “Five thousand? Ten? Twenty thousand dollars? Name your blood money.”
“Five million dollars,” Max folded his arms over his chest.
“Five million!” Michael choked. “You bastard! I’ll see you in court!”
“Have it your way,” Max smirked and sauntered away. Now that he had a battle plan in action, he was raring to go. He was a shark in the courtroom and he never lost a case.
He never took the time to consider his plan might turn around and bite him on the ass.
TBC . . .
Category: Max and Liz, AU
Rating: NC 17 for adult language/content
Author note: I was going to try to leave a lengthy AN to comment on all the feedback this story is getting, but it would take forever and I know you all are waiting to read this, so let’s just get to it!
A Walk in the Park
Part 12
Consciousness slowly returned, rising up from the depths of blackness, from the dark world of drunken sleep. Max gradually became aware of his surroundings, first the sheets his face was pressed into, then the bed he lay sprawled across, then the sunlight streaming in from a window, lighting the room.
His room.
He was in his bedroom, it was morning, and he couldn’t remember how he’d gotten here.
He started to push up from the bed, but instantly regretted it. His head felt ready to explode, pounding with a killer headache. His mouth tasted like cotton. His stomach rolled and churned with the unmistakable first signs of an impending case of the dry heaves, or maybe something even worse. He groaned in misery, suffering from his first hangover in years.
Trying to think, he wasn’t sure how he’d gotten home the night before. He had a hazy memory of someone helping him into a cab, but that was about it. The last thing he remembered was drowning his sorrows in Cutter’s, and based on the fact he was still wearing his suit from the day before, his best guess was that he’d staggered home last night and passed out on his bed.
He lifted his head to peer at the alarm clock on his nightstand but the numbers swam in and out of focus making his already queasy stomach even worse. The movement made his head scream in protest. He collapsed back down onto the bed, wishing God would put him out of his misery right now. The alarm clock suddenly blared to life like the sound of Gideon’s Trumpets, a vociferous warning for Max not to tempt fate.
He slapped at the alarm until it quieted, nearly knocking it from the nightstand. He rolled over onto his back with a loud groan, covering his face with his hands, wishing he could just sleep the day away. Had it only been yesterday when everything in his life had finally felt right? What a difference a day made.
His train of thought took him back to yesterday morning, waking up with his arms around his angel, his face buried in her heavenly soft hair, his nose burrowed close to her ethereal skin. The image of her standing in the bathroom doorway filled his mind, remembering the pristine beauty of her face, the untainted blush of innocence on her cheeks, the flawless perfection of her sweet skin. How could he live without her now that he knew what it was like to be with her?
He gingerly rose from the bed, feeling the throbbing in his head increase tenfold. Even his eyes hurt. He moved across the room like he was walking on eggshells, stripping off his rumpled clothes on his way to the bathroom and a much needed shower. He left a trail behind him as he went, a shirt, shoes, socks, his pants. He came to a stop in the center of the bathroom, staring at his reflection in the full-length mirror, naked in a way he’d never been before. The golden color of his skin hadn’t changed. The muscles of his chest, the ridges of his stomach were just the same. His thighs were just as powerful as always. The changes in him weren’t evident on the outside until you looked closely at his eyes.
A week ago those eyes had been full of self-satisfaction, smug in his conquests, concerned only with gratifying his own narcissistic needs. A day ago, his eyes had taken on a new light, a look totally different for him, a look no one had ever seen before, not in his eyes. Love had been a stranger there, until a dark haired angel opened up his eyes and made him see life in a whole new way.
Now, standing naked and alone, the reflection in the mirror showed a man who had realized too late that the life he’d lived before last week was nothing more than a hollow and empty shell. His angel had changed his life completely, and now that he finally had within his grasp what he’d been missing all his life, it’d been ripped right out of his hands.
He had to get Liz back, because he couldn’t imagine living the rest of his life without her.
* * * * *
Liz stood naked in the bathroom in Maria’s apartment, staring at her plain image in the mirror. She pulled the ends of her hair forward, the length just long enough to cover her small breasts, hiding her inadequacies. She’d been a fool to think that a man like Max Evans could ever be interested in her. It’d been a cruel joke, a ruse, a means to get at Michael by using her.
It was Kyle all over again, taking her virginity as a joke, a dare, a challenge to see how fast he could get into the science geek’s pants. At least with Kyle she’d made him work for it. She hadn’t given it up on the first date.
Max padded up beside her and slipped his head between her hand and her thigh. He looked up at her with his melancholy eyes, sensing her sadness, her pain, feeling it leach into him. His tail remained tucked between his legs, not wagging at all.
“Hey you,” Liz said softly, smiling at the way he cocked his head and lifted his ears. “You probably want to go for a walk, don’t you?”
Max perked up even more at the sound of the familiar word. Walk? They could go for a walk? And he could smell the grass and chase the pigeons? And people passing by would say what a good boy he was and want to pet him? Liz knelt down and scratched the dog behind his ears, coaxing a happy wag from his bushy tail.
“You won’t break my heart, will you Max?” she asked. The dog snaked out his tongue and licked her on the lips, promising her his undying love. Liz wiped her mouth and ruffled his hair. “I knew I could count on you.”
Max watched her rise to her feet and pad out into the bedroom. He would take his lady for a walk in the park, and everything would feel better.
* * * * *
Max sat in the back seat of a cab with his head resting on his hand, staring out the side window as the world passed by. His head was still pounding, his stomach still felt like hurling, but it was his heart that was hurting most of all. It was a pain he’d never experienced before, a pain only Liz could make go away.
Panicked thoughts raced through his mind, confronting fears that he’d never had to face before. What if he couldn’t find where she was staying? What if Michael poisoned her completely before he got a chance to explain? What if he never saw her again? None of that had ever mattered before. He’d never cared enough about a woman, any woman, to want to try to make a relationship work. Hell, he’d never really had ‘a relationship’ before. Just a series of one night stands or brief encounters, nothing lasting long.
If the sex was good, then he might stick around and sample it a few more times. If not, then he’d move on. There was always another woman waiting, and more than willing. But with Liz, it was so different. From the moment he first laid eyes on her, walking her mammoth dog outside the deli, he knew she was the one.
He’d been with women whose skill in the art of lovemaking was legend, yet it was Liz’s inexperienced touch that had given him the greatest joy he’d ever known. Just standing near her, breathing the air around her, had wrapped him in her spell. She was all that he’d never had before, and could never hope to find again.
The cab stopped at a red light, with the driver waiting impatiently for the light to change and the pedestrians to clear the crosswalk. A huge German Shepard stepped into the street leading a diminutive dark haired girl but Max was too lost in his thoughts to notice. His nose pressed against the window, looking in the opposite direction. He didn’t see the dog leading his lady into the park across the street. He didn’t see them disappear into the foliage-covered trails. The cab pulled away at the green light, leaving his lost love behind, without him ever knowing she was there.
* * * * *
Max trudged into the law offices of Evans, Evans, Petterson and Stone with a raging headache, trying to block out all the sounds around him. The telephone rang louder than usual and everyone seemed to be shouting instead of talking in the respectable low murmur he was accustomed to. He growled as secretaries, interns, and fellow lawyers offered a morning greeting, not even trying to be polite.
He passed by a cubicle hearing the grating tone of Tess Harding’s voice and he paused, ready to tell her to pack her things and get out. He didn’t care if she filed a wrongful termination lawsuit. He just wanted the bitch gone – until he heard what she was saying.
“That’s right. Maria DeLuca. She’ll be signing her new CD at Big Apple Records this afternoon between noon and 2. I’m going on my lunch break.”
Suddenly the cobwebs of his hangover cleared and his mind began to work again. If he could get to Maria and convince her to take a message to Liz, then maybe he could get this whole mess straightened out. Knowing where she’d be in a few hours, he headed into his office trying to formulate a plan. As soon as his butt hit the chair a light went off in his head and he bolted to his feet again.
This dog wasn’t ready to roll over and play dead yet!
* * * * *
Liz heard the musical notes of her cell phone and she fished it out of her jacket pocket. Max was busy sniffing the grass, taking in his new surroundings. He’d never been in this park before. Liz pushed the call button and put the phone next to her ear.
“Hello?”
Max tugged Liz along to a nearby tree where he made his mark. His ears pricked up when his lady’s voice rose in excitement, but she wasn’t yelling at him, so he must still be a good boy!
“I got the job? A week from Monday? Yes! Yes, I can be there! Thank you! Thank you!”
Liz pressed the disconnect button on the phone and let out a whoop, not caring who heard her. Max sat his rump on the ground, wagging his tail back and forth, happy to see his lady so happy. He knew taking her for a walk in the park would make her feel better!
“I got the job, Max!” Liz knelt in front of the dog and ruffled his hair. Max barked and showed her his enthusiasm by licking her face. She hugged him tightly; burying her face in his thick fur while Max wagged his tail furiously.
Her initial rush of happiness passed and her thoughts suddenly flooded with things she needed to do, arrangements she needed to make, people she needed to tell. Reality set in, and with it a sense of sadness too. She held Max out at arms length, saying softly, “I’m gonna miss you, you big lug.”
Max sensed the mood change and snaked his tongue out to lick his lady’s face. He cheered her up once, he could cheer her up again. Maybe he could show her how to chase a squirrel.
Liz rose to her feet with a sense of apprehension taking over. After all, every time something good happened to her, something bad always happened back. She made her way back toward Maria’s apartment, wondering when the other shoe was going to drop.
* * * * *
“Ms. DeLuca, I just love your music,” a teen gushed, excited to finally meet her favorite singer.
“Thank you,” Maria beamed.
“Can I get a picture with you?” another teen clutched a camera in her tight little hands.
“Of course,” Maria waved her around the table. She smiled and posed for pictures, happily providing autographs for her fans, until she saw the familiar face at the back of the line. What he hell was he doing here? If he thought he was getting her autograph he was sadly mistaken. All he was getting from her was a swift kick in that pretty little ass of his.
Her good mood evaporated, and by the time Max made it to the head of the line, she was loaded for bear.
“Hi Maria,” Max tried to use his charm, but one look at her face told him it wasn’t gonna work on her. He set the CD down on the table in front of her.
“Hello Max,” she said coldly. She wrote quickly on the CD and pushed it back to him. Max looked down at it and paled.
To scumbag. Fuck off. Maria DeLuca
“That bad, huh?” Max couldn’t quite generate a real smile. This was too important and it wasn’t going well.
“I signed your CD. Now move on.”
“Maria, it’s not what you think,” Max said, desperate for her to listen to him.
“No?”
“I didn’t do what Liz thinks I did. It was all just a big misunderstanding! I need to see her, to tell her –”
“Max!” Tess came from out of nowhere and attached herself to his arm. She swiveled her empty little head toward Maria and exclaimed, “Maria DeLuca! I’m so excited to meet you!”
“A big misunderstanding, huh?” Maria glared at Max. She motioned the next fan in line to come forward, determined to ignore the rat bastard.
“Tess!” Max tried to shake her off. “Will you get off me!”
Tess let go with a pout and smoothed her hand through her hair.
“There’s nothing between Tess and me,” Max leaned over the table to get Maria’s attention again. When she continued to ignore him, he turned back to Tess. “Tell her. Go on, tell her. There’s never been anything between us. Tell her.”
“But Max –”
“Tell her!” Max snarled.
Tess clicked her tongue and let out a suffering sigh. Her flirtatious attitude dropped. “There’s never been anything between us. Are you happy now?”
Max looked at Maria with his saddest puppy dog eyes, hoping she believed it. Maria wavered, not wanting to succumb to his charms, but damn he was cute when he was begging. She signed a CD quickly for the little tramp and sent the blonde on her way.
Tess squealed excitedly and hurried back to the office to show the girls.
“I’m not telling you where she is,” Maria stood firm.
“Please,” Max was willing to get down on his knees. “I need to talk to her. I need to tell her –”
“Tell her what?” Maria cut him off. “Michael told me all about you. I can’t believe you would use Liz like that, just to get at Mi –”
“I love her.”
Max said it so softly and with so much emotion the tirade died in Maria’s throat. After a long moment of battling with her conscience, Maria told him the only thing she could. His face fell when she said, “I don’t trust you, Max. You have a bad reputation, and Liz deserves someone who will treat her special. From what I’ve heard, I don’t think that’s you.”
Crestfallen, Max picked at the edge of the table with his fingernail. “You’re not gonna tell me where she is?”
Maria shook her head. “No.”
“You’re not gonna tell her about Tess?” Max met her eyes, looking miserable. “That it wasn’t what she thought?”
Maria felt bad for him but she kept her resolve firm. Michael had told her all about his games, his lascivious ways, and she wasn’t going to be the one to drag Liz back into this. She shook her head telling him no. She watched him turn, head down, shoulders slumped, walking away with his tail between his legs.
Max felt his heart fall to the floor, but he couldn’t blame Maria. She was looking out for her friend, trying to do what she thought was the right thing. That proverbial light bulb went off in his dim brain and he remembered the second thing he needed to tell her. Plan B was now going into effect. God help him, if he screwed this up, Liz would never forgive him.
Max turned back to Maria looking deadly serious. “You’ve got to get Max out of town.”
“Max?” Maria cocked her head at the strange command.
“Board him for a couple of weeks or something. If you care about the dog, don’t let Michael know where he is.”
Max left without further explanation, leaving a perturbed Maria in his wake.
Outside the music store, Max walked up to a car parked at the curb. He leaned into the passenger side window and spoke to the bald headed man behind the wheel.
“I want you to follow Maria DeLuca when the autograph signing is over. Her phone number is unlisted. Her publicist won’t give out her address. Find out where she lives, and if anyone is staying with her. This is who I want to find,” Max handed him a written description of Liz and her mammoth dog. “Call me as soon as you learn anything.”
“You’re the boss,” the bald man took the paper and tucked it in his shirt pocket.
“Oh, and Tony?” Max added. “Don’t let them see you.”
“Not a problem,” Tony smiled, exposing a gold capped front tooth. He owed Max Evans big time. He’d been facing 10 to 20 in the big house, but Evans got him a walk. Afterwards, when Max offered him an honest job, an alternative to going back to life on the streets, Tony had grabbed it. He’d been gainfully employed ever since, and the pride of his mother’s eye.
* * * * *
Tom Hastings rapped his knuckles on Michael’s open door and poked his head inside. “Have you got a minute?”
“Sure Tom,” Michael waved him in. “What’s up?”
“Oh, not too much,” Tom stepped into the office. “You missed quite a party Saturday night. I saw Liz and Maria there.”
“Yeah,” Michael grumbled. If he’d been there, this whole fiasco with Evans could have been avoided. He wouldn’t have let Max within a hundred feet of his sister.
“Is Liz done with school now?”
Michael nodded, smiling now. “She graduated with high honors.”
“I’m not surprised,” Tom acknowledged. It was no secret around the office how proud Michael was of his sister. He drew in a breath and took a chance, even though he was almost certain what the reaction would be. “I saw Liz dancing with Max Evans at the Mayor’s party. She’s always so serious; it was nice to see her smiling for a change.”
As soon as he said it the temperature in the room dropped 30 degrees. The smile fled Michael’s face, replaced by a scowl. Oops, Tom cringed.
Michael fumed inside, just hearing the bastard’s name. Max Evans was the bane of his existence. But, a little corner of his brain had to acknowledge that Tom was right. When Liz came home yesterday morning, looking happier than he’d ever seen her before, a part of him wished he wouldn’t have to burst her bubble. There’d been a time, once, when he might have welcomed Max into his family, but that was a long time ago, before Max had shown his true colors.
“You’re not gonna believe this,” Tom decided to change the subject.
“What?” Michael gave him his full attention.
“I got Max Evans to deal on the Hargrove case,” Tom beamed.
“How the hell’d you do that?” Michael asked incredulously, closing the file he was working on and setting it aside. Everybody knew Max never dealt. Winning was everything to him.
“Caught him in a good mood maybe?” Tom shrugged.
Another scowl crossed Michael’s face turning his features hard. He could just imagine what had put Max Evans in a good mood, probably at his sister’s expense. That bastard was gonna pay.
“Since I won’t be going to trial, it frees up some of my time. Do you want me to take the reins on the Simmons deposition this afternoon?” Tom asked. “I know you were trying to hand that one off so you could concentrate on the Atwater case.”
“No. That’s okay. I’m all set to go on Simmons,” Michael tapped the file in front of him. Max Evans was defense and Michael was looking forward to slapping him down on this one. Max’s winning days were over.
* * * * *
“I’m thinking about trading in the Jag for a new Lexus,” Philip Evans chatted amicably on the phone. “Petterson just got one and –”
The door to his office suddenly burst open, startling Philip into silence. His normally calm, cool, and collected son strode into the room looking wild eyed, brandishing a Polaroid camera. What the hell?
“Henry?” Philip found his voice again. “I’ll have to call you back.” He hung up the phone without waiting for an answer, staring at his crazy son.
“Dad, take my picture,” Max plopped the camera down on his father’s desk and turned around, unfastening his belt and lowering his zipper.
“Max?” Philip’s eyes grew wide as his son dropped his pants right in the middle of his office. Had the boy lost his mind? He was just about to read him the riot act when Max’s drawers hit the floor and the bruises and bite marks on the back of his thighs came into view.
“Jesus Christ, son!” Philip shot to his feet. “What the hell happened to you?”
“Remember when I told you I fell in the park last week?” Max looked at his father over his shoulder. “What I didn’t tell you was that it happened when I got attacked by a dog.”
“Christ, Max,” Philip hastened around his desk. “Are you all right? Did you get a tetanus shot? Do you know whose dog it was? We’ll sue their asses!”
“Yes. No. Yes. Damn right!” Max answered, feeling better than he had since this whole mess started. He had a plan now, a course of action, single mindedly focusing on his goal to win Liz back.
“What’s the owner’s name?” Philip grabbed a notepad from his desk, ready to lay the groundwork for a lawsuit.
Max grinned and told him, “Michael Guerin.” He grinned even wider at his dad’s stunned expression. “Now take my picture as evidence. I’m not about to lose this one!”
Max stood tall while his father snapped pictures of his legs, mentally preparing to take on Michael Guerin. No way was he letting Liz slip away from him without fighting for her. If Michael wouldn’t tell him where she was, then he’d just have to sue his ass and subpoena Liz as a witness. Michael couldn’t stop him from talking to her then!
* * * * *
“Liz? Are you here?” Maria called out as she closed the apartment door behind her. She dropped her purse and jacket on an overstuffed living room chair before heading toward the bedroom to change. Just as she reached the doorway, Max poked his head out, looking at her with sleepy eyes. Maria took one look at him and propped her hands on her hips.
“Have you been sleeping on my bed?”
Max stretched and yawned, then wagged his tail.
“Where’s Liz?”
Max cocked his head. He knew that name. Was his lady back? He looked behind him at the warm and comfy bed while Maria changed, then followed her out into the living room. On the coffee table Maria found the note.
Maria,
Be back soon. I have GREAT news to tell you!
Liz
“Great news, huh?” Maria put the note down and looked at Max. “Should I tell her I saw her other Max today? Why couldn’t he be as true, blue, and loyal as you?”
Max sat his rump down and wagged his tail back and forth. Maybe she’d give him a treat if he looked cute enough.
* * * * *
Michael entered the courthouse with briefcase in hand, ready to do battle with one Max Evans. He didn’t care if the Simmons case was for murder, or for short changing the hot dog vendor over on 42nd Street, Max was going down!
“Just who I was looking for,” Max stepped in front of Michael, bringing the taller man to a sudden stop. Max blocked his path, tapping a folded piece of paper against the palm of his healing hand.
Michael stared at Max’s smirk, silently vowing to wipe it right off his face. “We’d best be getting into chambers. Judge Abrams doesn’t like it when we’re late. Unless,” Michael paused for dramatic flair, with a smirk on his face to match Max’s. “I might be persuaded to talk deal.”
“Here’s the deal, Michael.” Max slapped the document against Michael’s chest and declared, “I’m suing you, big boy. You better get out your checkbook.”
“What?” Michael lost the smirk on his face. He tore the document open, confirming his worst fears. Words jumped out at him: vicious dog attack – grievous injuries – permanent impairment – pain and suffering – long-term psychological damage –
Michael glared at Max, seething inside. “What the hell are you trying to pull here?”
“I was minding my own business when your vicious dog attacked me in the park. There were witnesses. I have physical evidence to prove it,” Max whipped out a Polaroid snapshot showing the dog bites on his legs. “You can’t wiggle out of this one. The evidence is all on my side.”
“This isn’t about dog bites,” Michael barked. He could just imagine whose name was going to be on the witness list.
“Let me see her and I’ll drop the suit.” Max held the upper hand and he knew it.
“How much do you want?” Michael pulled his checkbook out of the inside pocket of his jacket. “Five thousand? Ten? Twenty thousand dollars? Name your blood money.”
“Five million dollars,” Max folded his arms over his chest.
“Five million!” Michael choked. “You bastard! I’ll see you in court!”
“Have it your way,” Max smirked and sauntered away. Now that he had a battle plan in action, he was raring to go. He was a shark in the courtroom and he never lost a case.
He never took the time to consider his plan might turn around and bite him on the ass.
TBC . . .
Last edited by Breathless on Thu Oct 02, 2003 12:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
-
Breathless
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 254
- Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2001 4:58 pm
- Location: Somewhere in ficland
Author: Debbi aka Breathless
Category: Max and Liz, AU
Rating: Up to NC/17
Author note: Well, I’m 2 days late in posting. Sorry about that. I’ve had “issues” this week. I don’t often miss my self-imposed deadlines, and the fact that so many of you were concerned about me is quite touching. Thanks for thinking about me!
Now let’s get on with the story . . .
A Walk in the Park
Part 13
Michael stormed into his office and slammed his briefcase down on his desk. He wasn’t going to let that bastard Max Evans get away with this. He’d rot in jail for contempt of court before he’d give up his dog. Or let his sister testify in court. He knew what Max was trying to do, and damnit, it wasn’t going to work!
He snatched up the phone and punched in a set of familiar numbers. She picked up on the third ring.
“Maria! Take Max and Liz and get them out of there!”
“WHAT?” Maria glared at the phone. Who shoved a stick up his ass? What kind of greeting was that?
Max lifted his head from his water bowl and looked at her, with water drops dripping from his mouth. Was she yelling at him? Nope. She was mad at that thing she was holding in her hand. He dropped his head and lapped at the water once more, then sauntered into the living room to lie in the sun.
“Tell Liz to pack her bags and get her the hell outta there,” Michael barked into the phone. “She has to stay someplace else for a while. Max too. Don’t tell me where they are. If I don’t know, then I can’t be held in contempt of court for not divulging their location.”
Maria sat down hard at the kitchen table, holding the phone close to her ear. What Michael just said was eerily close to what Max Evans said to her earlier, except Max had only been talking about the dog, not Liz too.
“Michael, what’s going on?” Maria demanded.
“Max Evans is suing me for Max attacking him in the park. If they find him, they’ll put him down for being a vicious dog. He needs to be kept someplace I don’t know about until this thing blows over.”
“Are you serious!” Maria sat stunned at the table. That bastard! How could Max do that to Max?
“Evans doesn’t care about my dog!” Michael growled. “He’s doing this to get at me, just like always. Well, this time it’s not gonna work! This time he’s not gonna win!”
Maria frowned as the initial shock wore off. This wasn’t the first time Michael had made a comment like that. She couldn’t help asking, “Why do you think this is about you?”
“Evans and I go way back,” Michael snarled. “You know that.”
“You mean college?” Maria asked. “Is this about that girl? Or the Law Review?” Michael had had a lot to say about Max over the last few days, and none of it flattering. She knew their friendship had soured because of a girl, but she also knew it went deeper than that.
“All of it,” Michael fumed. “I worked hard to get selected to the Law Review. The only reason he got it was because he laid the editor. She didn’t pick him over me because of the content of his briefs! Not his legal ones anyway!”
“And you almost got him kicked out of school because of it,” Maria reminded him. Laying the Dean’s daughter hadn’t gone over well.
“He hasn’t changed any, has he!”
Maria listened to Michael venting on the phone, hearing more than what he was saying. The two men had been friends once, but somewhere along the line their friendly competition had turned into a bitter rivalry. Now they were poised to turn the courtroom into their own private battleground.
“Liz is just an innocent bystander caught in the games he likes to play,” Michael continued his tirade. “Believe me Maria, Max Evans doesn’t give a damn about anybody but himself.”
Maria had to wonder about that. Max seemed like a man who cared a lot more than most. If he was as self absorbed as Michael said he was, then why had he told her to make sure Max was taken out of town, some place Michael wouldn’t know about, almost using Michael’s exact same words? If he was only trying to get back at Michael, why would Max mention the dog to her at all, or go out of his way to tell her to hide him?
Something wasn’t right here.
* * * * *
Tom Hastings paused outside Michael’s office, listening to the man’s angry conversation. When the phone slammed down he moved on his way, not wanting to get caught eavesdropping. He checked his watch, knowing he had a court appointment in a few minutes, but maybe afterward he’d swing by and pay Max Evans a visit.
* * * * *
Liz entered the apartment nearly bursting with excitement. “Maria! Maria, come quick!”
Maria hurried into the living room and immediately got swept into an embrace. Liz jumped with excitement while Max danced around her feet, wagging his tail to join the fun.
“Maria! I got it! I got it!” Liz shouted joyfully, bouncing up and down on her feet. Max barked happily.
“Got what?” Maria grabbed her arms to hold her down.
“The job!” Liz gushed. “At the CDC. In Atlanta! They want me there a week from Monday!”
“Congratulations!” Maria threw her arms around Liz, and two girls and a dog danced around the room.
When they calmed down, just as predicted, Liz heard the other shoe drop.
“Liz, how soon can you pack and be ready to catch a flight? You need to go to Atlanta right now. Both you and Max.”
“What?” Liz got a sinking feeling in her gut. Here it comes. Bad news always followed good. It’d been that way her whole life and there was no reason to think anything had changed. “What’s the matter, Maria?”
“Well,” Maria hedged, “remember that little incident in the park?”
“No . . .” the color left Liz’s face. Her hands rose up to cover her mouth.
“Max is suing Michael. We have to get Max out of town so he doesn’t get taken to the pound and put down as a vicious dog.”
Max lifted his ears and looked from one girl to the other. Were they talking about him? He was being a good boy. Did they want to play some more? He stood up and lumbered across the room to retrieve his red rubber ball. Did they want to play catch?
“But he’s not a vicious dog,” Liz cried. “He normally wouldn’t hurt a fly. I don’t know why he attacked Max.”
Max dropped the ball from his mouth, right at his lady’s feet, wagging his tail expectantly.
“He’s a good dog.”
Max chuffed in agreement.
Liz dropped to her knees and hugged Max around the neck. This mess was all her fault. If she’d been able to control him that night in the park, none of this would have happened. Bad things were always happening because of her.
Max licked her cheek, trying to make her feel better.
“What are we gonna do, Maria?” Liz asked, feeling the world closing in around her.
“We’re gonna get you and Max out of town before it’s too late.”
Maria watched Liz lean her head against the dog, in obvious distress. She didn’t know who to believe. Max, the playboy, who never cared about anyone in his life? Or Michael, her boyfriend, who she loved and adored – and who apparently couldn’t see straight where Max Evans was concerned. Her thoughts were conflicted, but one thing she was certain of. Once Liz and Max were safely out of town, Maria was bound and determined to get to the bottom of what was going on here.
* * * * *
Tom closed his briefcase and exited the courtroom just in time to see Max Evans step into the hallway ahead of him. He hurried to catch up.
“Hey, Max,” Tom fell into step beside him. “How’re ya feeling today?”
“Oh, hey Tom,” Max nodded a greeting. Images from the night before came back to him, reminding him of how he got home from Cutter’s. “Hey, thanks for pouring me into that cab last night.”
“No problem,” Tom waved it off. “Say, I told you I’d let you know if I heard anything about Guerin’s sister.”
“Liz?” Max’s interest spiked. “Have you seen her?”
“No, and I don’t think I will. From the sound of it, she’s leaving town today.”
“Shit,” Max reacted with a surge of panic. He reached into his pocket for his cell phone and made a quick call. “Tony? Any word yet? Yeah. Yeah. Hold on.” He turned to Tom and motioned like he was writing in the air. “Got a piece of paper?”
Tom opened his briefcase and tore off a sheet from a legal pad, then grabbed a pen too. He handed them to Max and watched him frantically scribble down an address.
“Got it,” Max said into the phone and handed Tom his pen back. “I’ll meet you there,” he turned his wrist to check his watch, “in half an hour. Right. Don’t move until I get there.”
Max ended the call and picked up the pace, heading to Judge Tobin’s chambers. He’d have to work quickly, to prevent Liz from leaving this jurisdiction.
“Where ya going?” Tom watched him rush away.
“I have a favor to call in. Thanks Tom! I owe ya!”
Tom watched Max run through the hallowed halls of the Courthouse, another first on the growing list of unusual things Max Evans had done in the last week.
* * * * *
Liz packed her clothes in her suitcase for the second time in two days. Max watched her from his place on the floor with his snout resting between his front paws. His eyes traveled back and forth while she walked from the dresser to the bed and back again, until the task was complete. The red rubber ball lay abandoned a few feet away. It wasn’t playtime after all.
“I can’t believe he’s doing this,” Liz closed her suitcase. “He told me he wasn’t going to sue!” She yanked on the zipper, trying to force the over packed luggage closed.
“Let me help you,” Maria took over. With a little DeLuca magic, and a lot of plain old elbow grease, Maria zipped it closed, then turned around and sat on the edge of the bed, pulling an envelope from her back pocket. “Here’s your tickets.”
Liz took the envelope, raising an eyebrow when she looked at the contents inside. “First class?”
“All the way, baby,” Maria smirked. “I told you to leave the travel plans to me. When I agreed to let them use ‘Fly Away with Me’ in their latest ad campaign, I stipulated free first class upgrades for the duration of the contract. Even Max will be traveling in style.”
Max lifted his head from between his paws. He didn’t know what they were talking about, but he wagged his tail anyway. A buzz sounded from the other room, making him jump to his feet.
“That must be the cab,” Maria hurried out of the bedroom to silence the intercom.
Liz lifted her suitcase off the bed and set it on the floor. It was time to leave this place, and all that had happened here. For one incredible weekend, she’d allowed herself to think that everything was finally coming together in her life, but it wasn’t meant to be. Nothing in her life ever turned out right.
She’d met the man of her dreams, but he’d turned out to be a nightmare instead. He’d not only used her to get at Michael, but now he threatened her dog’s very life. She’d thought Max was a kind and caring man, but she’d been so wrong about him.
“We’ll start a new life, in Atlanta,” Liz crouched in front of Max, petting his silky coat. He wagged his tail happily, not knowing the controversy he had caused. “You and me, Max,” she hugged him around the neck. “We’re gonna be just fine.”
In her heart, Liz wished she wasn’t talking to a dog.
* * * * *
Max pulled his Porsche to a stop in front of Maria’s apartment building, ignoring the curses of the driver he’d just stolen the parking space from. He saw Tony right away and climbed from the car, hurrying to the sidewalk to join him.
“Have you seen her?” Max asked as soon as he was close enough for Tony to hear.
“They’re still upstairs,” Tony answered. “You want me to go up there now?”
“No,” Max glanced up at the building’s ornate façade. He wanted to go up to her apartment, but he knew he couldn’t take the risk. Too many things could go wrong. He should wait down here instead. He removed two envelopes from the inside pocket of his jacket and handed them to Tony, saying, “I only want you to serve her if she gets by me before I get a chance to talk to her. Understand?”
Tony nodded as he took the subpoenas from Max. “Got it. Only if she gets by you.” Tony shook his bald head and snorted a small laugh. “I gotta tell ya boss, only a lawyer would think up a scheme like this. Suing a girl to get her to talk to you.”
A kernel of doubt entered Max’s mind but he squashed it down. This was going to turn out right. It had to turn out right. He refused to believe it wouldn’t. A few minutes with Liz, and everything would be cleared up. Then he could tear up the subpoenas and drop the lawsuit. It was just a safety net anyway, in case things went wrong – which they weren’t going to.
Tony took up a position near the street while Max paced back and forth on the sidewalk, unable to hide his anxiety. Timing was everything. He had to stop Liz before she got away. The uniformed doorman held the building door open for an apartment resident, giving Max another idea. He cut across the sidewalk, heading straight for the man.
“Apartment number, sir?” the doorman held his hand out to prevent Max from entering. Max glanced down at the man’s nametag.
“Jacob, I need you to make a phone call.”
“Sir?” Jacob arched an eyebrow.
“It’s the most important phone call of my life.”
* * * * *
Maria set the phone back in the cradle, contemplating what she’d just heard. If he was lying, she’d tear him apart, piece by piece, and no court in the land would ever convict her of it.
“Who was that?” Liz stood behind her, sounding apprehensive.
Maria didn’t say anything for a minute, then turned around to face Liz. “The cab’s here. To take you to the airport.”
“Oh,” Liz felt her stomach lurch. She turned to get her suitcase. “Come on, Max. Time to go.”
Max’s ears picked up and he climbed to his feet. Time to go? To the park? He wagged his tail.
Maria grabbed his leash before Liz could reach it. “You go ahead. I’ll get Max and meet you downstairs.”
“Okay,” Liz pulled up the handle on her wheeled luggage. She grabbed her purse and rifled through it as she headed for the door. “Damn. Where’d I put the tickets?”
Maria picked up the envelope from the sideboard. “I’ve got it. Go ahead. I’ll meet you downstairs. You don’t want to keep the cab driver waiting.”
“Okay,” Liz nodded, shaking nervously. She felt like a criminal, fleeing the scene of a crime. She left the apartment, not noticing the culpable look on Maria’s face.
After Liz was gone, Maria stared at the closed door and said softly, “If I’m wrong, I’m really sorry.”
* * * * *
Liz rode the elevator to the bottom floor, feeling jittery and nervous in the small space. When the doors opened she struggled to pull the suitcase over the ruts where the elevator aligned with the floor. Finally free, she headed for the door, grateful that Jacob was already holding it open for her. At least she wouldn’t have to fight with it, too.
“Thanks, Jacob,” she smiled. She stepped out into the sunlight, feeling the warmth of it on her face, then froze in place at the sound of the familiar voice coming from behind her.
“Hi, Liz,” Max stepped away from the building where he’d been standing so she couldn’t see him.
Liz didn’t move, didn’t make a sound, standing as stiff as a statue in Central Park. He walked around to face her, dying just a little inside at the devastated look on her face.
“Liz, I just want to talk to you. I can ex-”
“No,” Liz said in barely more than a whisper. She couldn’t look at him. She couldn’t be near him. Just the sound of his voice was making her stomach churn and her heart race at the same time. There must be something wrong with her, letting him affect her so, knowing he was only using her.
“I don’t know what Michael said to you-” Max tried again.
“I have to go.” Liz grabbed the handle of her suitcase and headed toward a cab waiting at the curb.
“Liz, please,” Max followed after her. “Just give me five minutes. I can explain everything.”
“I have a plane to catch,” she said, trying to block him out.
“It’s not what you think,” Max pleaded, but she wouldn’t even look at him. How could he fix this misunderstanding if she wouldn’t talk to him? His mind raced with all the things he wanted to say to her, but she was almost to the cab already.
“Liz, wait . . .”
Her footsteps faltered, slowed, feeling his presence behind her. His voice sounded so sincere. What if Michael was wrong? Maybe just five minutes . . .
Max felt a rush of hope when she came to a stop just a few feet away from him. Was she going to let him explain? Was she willing to listen to him? “Liz, I’ve done some things I’m not proud of, but –”
The words died in his throat when movement to his right caught his attention, Tony moving into position to intercede, following his instructions to the letter. A moment of clarity struck him, like a slap across the face, with the fallacy of his actions hitting him like a freight train.
“Tony, no –” Max tried to stop the impending disaster, but it was already too late.
The imposing bald headed man stepped in front of Liz, blocking her path, holding out an envelope. Liz took it with a trembling hand, turning sick inside as she read the summons. When the words on the page hit her she whirled around, looking at Max with tears filling her eyes.
“You said you weren’t going to sue!” He said she was beautiful. He said she was special. He said that he loved her. Her voice broke, quivering with heartache. “Do you lie about everything?”
“Liz,” Max reached out to touch her but she jerked her arm away.
“Don’t,” she cried. The flood welling up in her eyes overflowed and spilled down her cheeks. “Don’t touch me!”
She abandoned her luggage on the sidewalk and ran for the apartment building doorway. Jacob let her through, glaring at Max the whole time.
“That didn’t go too well,” Tony voiced the understatement of the year.
“Shit,” Max sagged, beating himself up inside for making her cry. “Damn it.” He’d really fucked things up this time. He turned toward the street, seeing the familiar face of Maria DeLuca half way down the block, standing next to the open door of a cab. A monster dog named Max stood guard next to her. Their eyes met, man, woman, and dog.
Tony rubbed his hand over his bald pate, feeling out of sorts. He was just doing the job he was hired for, but he didn’t like making the girl cry. He cleared his throat and asked, “You want me to take the impound order upstairs for the dog?”
“No,” Max stared down the street, watching Maria and Max climb into the cab. At least he hadn’t fucked that up. Maria was getting the dog out safely like he’d asked her to. The rest of his plans were crumbling around him, though, with only one option left remaining. If he had to humiliate himself in a court of law, in front of Michael Guerin, and Judge Tobin, and the whole population of New York City, then that’s what he’d do.
He wasn’t going to give Liz up without fighting for her.
TBC . . .
Category: Max and Liz, AU
Rating: Up to NC/17
Author note: Well, I’m 2 days late in posting. Sorry about that. I’ve had “issues” this week. I don’t often miss my self-imposed deadlines, and the fact that so many of you were concerned about me is quite touching. Thanks for thinking about me!
Now let’s get on with the story . . .
A Walk in the Park
Part 13
Michael stormed into his office and slammed his briefcase down on his desk. He wasn’t going to let that bastard Max Evans get away with this. He’d rot in jail for contempt of court before he’d give up his dog. Or let his sister testify in court. He knew what Max was trying to do, and damnit, it wasn’t going to work!
He snatched up the phone and punched in a set of familiar numbers. She picked up on the third ring.
“Maria! Take Max and Liz and get them out of there!”
“WHAT?” Maria glared at the phone. Who shoved a stick up his ass? What kind of greeting was that?
Max lifted his head from his water bowl and looked at her, with water drops dripping from his mouth. Was she yelling at him? Nope. She was mad at that thing she was holding in her hand. He dropped his head and lapped at the water once more, then sauntered into the living room to lie in the sun.
“Tell Liz to pack her bags and get her the hell outta there,” Michael barked into the phone. “She has to stay someplace else for a while. Max too. Don’t tell me where they are. If I don’t know, then I can’t be held in contempt of court for not divulging their location.”
Maria sat down hard at the kitchen table, holding the phone close to her ear. What Michael just said was eerily close to what Max Evans said to her earlier, except Max had only been talking about the dog, not Liz too.
“Michael, what’s going on?” Maria demanded.
“Max Evans is suing me for Max attacking him in the park. If they find him, they’ll put him down for being a vicious dog. He needs to be kept someplace I don’t know about until this thing blows over.”
“Are you serious!” Maria sat stunned at the table. That bastard! How could Max do that to Max?
“Evans doesn’t care about my dog!” Michael growled. “He’s doing this to get at me, just like always. Well, this time it’s not gonna work! This time he’s not gonna win!”
Maria frowned as the initial shock wore off. This wasn’t the first time Michael had made a comment like that. She couldn’t help asking, “Why do you think this is about you?”
“Evans and I go way back,” Michael snarled. “You know that.”
“You mean college?” Maria asked. “Is this about that girl? Or the Law Review?” Michael had had a lot to say about Max over the last few days, and none of it flattering. She knew their friendship had soured because of a girl, but she also knew it went deeper than that.
“All of it,” Michael fumed. “I worked hard to get selected to the Law Review. The only reason he got it was because he laid the editor. She didn’t pick him over me because of the content of his briefs! Not his legal ones anyway!”
“And you almost got him kicked out of school because of it,” Maria reminded him. Laying the Dean’s daughter hadn’t gone over well.
“He hasn’t changed any, has he!”
Maria listened to Michael venting on the phone, hearing more than what he was saying. The two men had been friends once, but somewhere along the line their friendly competition had turned into a bitter rivalry. Now they were poised to turn the courtroom into their own private battleground.
“Liz is just an innocent bystander caught in the games he likes to play,” Michael continued his tirade. “Believe me Maria, Max Evans doesn’t give a damn about anybody but himself.”
Maria had to wonder about that. Max seemed like a man who cared a lot more than most. If he was as self absorbed as Michael said he was, then why had he told her to make sure Max was taken out of town, some place Michael wouldn’t know about, almost using Michael’s exact same words? If he was only trying to get back at Michael, why would Max mention the dog to her at all, or go out of his way to tell her to hide him?
Something wasn’t right here.
* * * * *
Tom Hastings paused outside Michael’s office, listening to the man’s angry conversation. When the phone slammed down he moved on his way, not wanting to get caught eavesdropping. He checked his watch, knowing he had a court appointment in a few minutes, but maybe afterward he’d swing by and pay Max Evans a visit.
* * * * *
Liz entered the apartment nearly bursting with excitement. “Maria! Maria, come quick!”
Maria hurried into the living room and immediately got swept into an embrace. Liz jumped with excitement while Max danced around her feet, wagging his tail to join the fun.
“Maria! I got it! I got it!” Liz shouted joyfully, bouncing up and down on her feet. Max barked happily.
“Got what?” Maria grabbed her arms to hold her down.
“The job!” Liz gushed. “At the CDC. In Atlanta! They want me there a week from Monday!”
“Congratulations!” Maria threw her arms around Liz, and two girls and a dog danced around the room.
When they calmed down, just as predicted, Liz heard the other shoe drop.
“Liz, how soon can you pack and be ready to catch a flight? You need to go to Atlanta right now. Both you and Max.”
“What?” Liz got a sinking feeling in her gut. Here it comes. Bad news always followed good. It’d been that way her whole life and there was no reason to think anything had changed. “What’s the matter, Maria?”
“Well,” Maria hedged, “remember that little incident in the park?”
“No . . .” the color left Liz’s face. Her hands rose up to cover her mouth.
“Max is suing Michael. We have to get Max out of town so he doesn’t get taken to the pound and put down as a vicious dog.”
Max lifted his ears and looked from one girl to the other. Were they talking about him? He was being a good boy. Did they want to play some more? He stood up and lumbered across the room to retrieve his red rubber ball. Did they want to play catch?
“But he’s not a vicious dog,” Liz cried. “He normally wouldn’t hurt a fly. I don’t know why he attacked Max.”
Max dropped the ball from his mouth, right at his lady’s feet, wagging his tail expectantly.
“He’s a good dog.”
Max chuffed in agreement.
Liz dropped to her knees and hugged Max around the neck. This mess was all her fault. If she’d been able to control him that night in the park, none of this would have happened. Bad things were always happening because of her.
Max licked her cheek, trying to make her feel better.
“What are we gonna do, Maria?” Liz asked, feeling the world closing in around her.
“We’re gonna get you and Max out of town before it’s too late.”
Maria watched Liz lean her head against the dog, in obvious distress. She didn’t know who to believe. Max, the playboy, who never cared about anyone in his life? Or Michael, her boyfriend, who she loved and adored – and who apparently couldn’t see straight where Max Evans was concerned. Her thoughts were conflicted, but one thing she was certain of. Once Liz and Max were safely out of town, Maria was bound and determined to get to the bottom of what was going on here.
* * * * *
Tom closed his briefcase and exited the courtroom just in time to see Max Evans step into the hallway ahead of him. He hurried to catch up.
“Hey, Max,” Tom fell into step beside him. “How’re ya feeling today?”
“Oh, hey Tom,” Max nodded a greeting. Images from the night before came back to him, reminding him of how he got home from Cutter’s. “Hey, thanks for pouring me into that cab last night.”
“No problem,” Tom waved it off. “Say, I told you I’d let you know if I heard anything about Guerin’s sister.”
“Liz?” Max’s interest spiked. “Have you seen her?”
“No, and I don’t think I will. From the sound of it, she’s leaving town today.”
“Shit,” Max reacted with a surge of panic. He reached into his pocket for his cell phone and made a quick call. “Tony? Any word yet? Yeah. Yeah. Hold on.” He turned to Tom and motioned like he was writing in the air. “Got a piece of paper?”
Tom opened his briefcase and tore off a sheet from a legal pad, then grabbed a pen too. He handed them to Max and watched him frantically scribble down an address.
“Got it,” Max said into the phone and handed Tom his pen back. “I’ll meet you there,” he turned his wrist to check his watch, “in half an hour. Right. Don’t move until I get there.”
Max ended the call and picked up the pace, heading to Judge Tobin’s chambers. He’d have to work quickly, to prevent Liz from leaving this jurisdiction.
“Where ya going?” Tom watched him rush away.
“I have a favor to call in. Thanks Tom! I owe ya!”
Tom watched Max run through the hallowed halls of the Courthouse, another first on the growing list of unusual things Max Evans had done in the last week.
* * * * *
Liz packed her clothes in her suitcase for the second time in two days. Max watched her from his place on the floor with his snout resting between his front paws. His eyes traveled back and forth while she walked from the dresser to the bed and back again, until the task was complete. The red rubber ball lay abandoned a few feet away. It wasn’t playtime after all.
“I can’t believe he’s doing this,” Liz closed her suitcase. “He told me he wasn’t going to sue!” She yanked on the zipper, trying to force the over packed luggage closed.
“Let me help you,” Maria took over. With a little DeLuca magic, and a lot of plain old elbow grease, Maria zipped it closed, then turned around and sat on the edge of the bed, pulling an envelope from her back pocket. “Here’s your tickets.”
Liz took the envelope, raising an eyebrow when she looked at the contents inside. “First class?”
“All the way, baby,” Maria smirked. “I told you to leave the travel plans to me. When I agreed to let them use ‘Fly Away with Me’ in their latest ad campaign, I stipulated free first class upgrades for the duration of the contract. Even Max will be traveling in style.”
Max lifted his head from between his paws. He didn’t know what they were talking about, but he wagged his tail anyway. A buzz sounded from the other room, making him jump to his feet.
“That must be the cab,” Maria hurried out of the bedroom to silence the intercom.
Liz lifted her suitcase off the bed and set it on the floor. It was time to leave this place, and all that had happened here. For one incredible weekend, she’d allowed herself to think that everything was finally coming together in her life, but it wasn’t meant to be. Nothing in her life ever turned out right.
She’d met the man of her dreams, but he’d turned out to be a nightmare instead. He’d not only used her to get at Michael, but now he threatened her dog’s very life. She’d thought Max was a kind and caring man, but she’d been so wrong about him.
“We’ll start a new life, in Atlanta,” Liz crouched in front of Max, petting his silky coat. He wagged his tail happily, not knowing the controversy he had caused. “You and me, Max,” she hugged him around the neck. “We’re gonna be just fine.”
In her heart, Liz wished she wasn’t talking to a dog.
* * * * *
Max pulled his Porsche to a stop in front of Maria’s apartment building, ignoring the curses of the driver he’d just stolen the parking space from. He saw Tony right away and climbed from the car, hurrying to the sidewalk to join him.
“Have you seen her?” Max asked as soon as he was close enough for Tony to hear.
“They’re still upstairs,” Tony answered. “You want me to go up there now?”
“No,” Max glanced up at the building’s ornate façade. He wanted to go up to her apartment, but he knew he couldn’t take the risk. Too many things could go wrong. He should wait down here instead. He removed two envelopes from the inside pocket of his jacket and handed them to Tony, saying, “I only want you to serve her if she gets by me before I get a chance to talk to her. Understand?”
Tony nodded as he took the subpoenas from Max. “Got it. Only if she gets by you.” Tony shook his bald head and snorted a small laugh. “I gotta tell ya boss, only a lawyer would think up a scheme like this. Suing a girl to get her to talk to you.”
A kernel of doubt entered Max’s mind but he squashed it down. This was going to turn out right. It had to turn out right. He refused to believe it wouldn’t. A few minutes with Liz, and everything would be cleared up. Then he could tear up the subpoenas and drop the lawsuit. It was just a safety net anyway, in case things went wrong – which they weren’t going to.
Tony took up a position near the street while Max paced back and forth on the sidewalk, unable to hide his anxiety. Timing was everything. He had to stop Liz before she got away. The uniformed doorman held the building door open for an apartment resident, giving Max another idea. He cut across the sidewalk, heading straight for the man.
“Apartment number, sir?” the doorman held his hand out to prevent Max from entering. Max glanced down at the man’s nametag.
“Jacob, I need you to make a phone call.”
“Sir?” Jacob arched an eyebrow.
“It’s the most important phone call of my life.”
* * * * *
Maria set the phone back in the cradle, contemplating what she’d just heard. If he was lying, she’d tear him apart, piece by piece, and no court in the land would ever convict her of it.
“Who was that?” Liz stood behind her, sounding apprehensive.
Maria didn’t say anything for a minute, then turned around to face Liz. “The cab’s here. To take you to the airport.”
“Oh,” Liz felt her stomach lurch. She turned to get her suitcase. “Come on, Max. Time to go.”
Max’s ears picked up and he climbed to his feet. Time to go? To the park? He wagged his tail.
Maria grabbed his leash before Liz could reach it. “You go ahead. I’ll get Max and meet you downstairs.”
“Okay,” Liz pulled up the handle on her wheeled luggage. She grabbed her purse and rifled through it as she headed for the door. “Damn. Where’d I put the tickets?”
Maria picked up the envelope from the sideboard. “I’ve got it. Go ahead. I’ll meet you downstairs. You don’t want to keep the cab driver waiting.”
“Okay,” Liz nodded, shaking nervously. She felt like a criminal, fleeing the scene of a crime. She left the apartment, not noticing the culpable look on Maria’s face.
After Liz was gone, Maria stared at the closed door and said softly, “If I’m wrong, I’m really sorry.”
* * * * *
Liz rode the elevator to the bottom floor, feeling jittery and nervous in the small space. When the doors opened she struggled to pull the suitcase over the ruts where the elevator aligned with the floor. Finally free, she headed for the door, grateful that Jacob was already holding it open for her. At least she wouldn’t have to fight with it, too.
“Thanks, Jacob,” she smiled. She stepped out into the sunlight, feeling the warmth of it on her face, then froze in place at the sound of the familiar voice coming from behind her.
“Hi, Liz,” Max stepped away from the building where he’d been standing so she couldn’t see him.
Liz didn’t move, didn’t make a sound, standing as stiff as a statue in Central Park. He walked around to face her, dying just a little inside at the devastated look on her face.
“Liz, I just want to talk to you. I can ex-”
“No,” Liz said in barely more than a whisper. She couldn’t look at him. She couldn’t be near him. Just the sound of his voice was making her stomach churn and her heart race at the same time. There must be something wrong with her, letting him affect her so, knowing he was only using her.
“I don’t know what Michael said to you-” Max tried again.
“I have to go.” Liz grabbed the handle of her suitcase and headed toward a cab waiting at the curb.
“Liz, please,” Max followed after her. “Just give me five minutes. I can explain everything.”
“I have a plane to catch,” she said, trying to block him out.
“It’s not what you think,” Max pleaded, but she wouldn’t even look at him. How could he fix this misunderstanding if she wouldn’t talk to him? His mind raced with all the things he wanted to say to her, but she was almost to the cab already.
“Liz, wait . . .”
Her footsteps faltered, slowed, feeling his presence behind her. His voice sounded so sincere. What if Michael was wrong? Maybe just five minutes . . .
Max felt a rush of hope when she came to a stop just a few feet away from him. Was she going to let him explain? Was she willing to listen to him? “Liz, I’ve done some things I’m not proud of, but –”
The words died in his throat when movement to his right caught his attention, Tony moving into position to intercede, following his instructions to the letter. A moment of clarity struck him, like a slap across the face, with the fallacy of his actions hitting him like a freight train.
“Tony, no –” Max tried to stop the impending disaster, but it was already too late.
The imposing bald headed man stepped in front of Liz, blocking her path, holding out an envelope. Liz took it with a trembling hand, turning sick inside as she read the summons. When the words on the page hit her she whirled around, looking at Max with tears filling her eyes.
“You said you weren’t going to sue!” He said she was beautiful. He said she was special. He said that he loved her. Her voice broke, quivering with heartache. “Do you lie about everything?”
“Liz,” Max reached out to touch her but she jerked her arm away.
“Don’t,” she cried. The flood welling up in her eyes overflowed and spilled down her cheeks. “Don’t touch me!”
She abandoned her luggage on the sidewalk and ran for the apartment building doorway. Jacob let her through, glaring at Max the whole time.
“That didn’t go too well,” Tony voiced the understatement of the year.
“Shit,” Max sagged, beating himself up inside for making her cry. “Damn it.” He’d really fucked things up this time. He turned toward the street, seeing the familiar face of Maria DeLuca half way down the block, standing next to the open door of a cab. A monster dog named Max stood guard next to her. Their eyes met, man, woman, and dog.
Tony rubbed his hand over his bald pate, feeling out of sorts. He was just doing the job he was hired for, but he didn’t like making the girl cry. He cleared his throat and asked, “You want me to take the impound order upstairs for the dog?”
“No,” Max stared down the street, watching Maria and Max climb into the cab. At least he hadn’t fucked that up. Maria was getting the dog out safely like he’d asked her to. The rest of his plans were crumbling around him, though, with only one option left remaining. If he had to humiliate himself in a court of law, in front of Michael Guerin, and Judge Tobin, and the whole population of New York City, then that’s what he’d do.
He wasn’t going to give Liz up without fighting for her.
TBC . . .
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Breathless
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A Walk in the Park Part 14
Author: Debbi aka Breathless
Category: Max and Liz, AU
Rating: Up to NC/17
A Walk in the Park
Part 14
A crowd gathered outside the Courthouse for the most sensational trial to hit the city in years. The interest had nothing to do with the charges or the crime, but everything to do with the two warring parties. Max Evans and Michael Guerin were about to do battle, and everyone wanted to watch.
A cab pulled up to the sidewalk depositing Max Evans and his sister Isabel. She might be the Ice Princess, but Max was her brother and she was here to support him, no matter how stupid he was. He might think he was the King of the Courtroom, but he wasn’t invincible, and this time she was afraid he might have bitten off more than he could chew.
“Max?” Isabel kept her voice low while cameras flashed in their faces. She was rich, and the paparazzi followed her everywhere. “Do you know what you’re doing?”
She’d taken a shine to Liz that night she found her and Max in the bathroom of her apartment. The girl was smart, and sweet, and so different from the plastic women she usually saw him with. If Max hurt her, she was going to have to rip him a new one.
“Don’t worry, Isabel,” Max ushered her ahead of him, up the Courthouse steps. “As soon as I get Liz on the stand, I can explain everything. Once she knows the truth, everything will be just fine.”
Isabel could only stare at the confident look on her brother’s face. Did he really think it was going to be that simple?
* * * * *
Michael set his briefcase on the defense table, looking at the courtroom from a different vantage point. He’d never been on the defense side of things before. He’d spent the majority of his career as a prosecutor. He hadn’t worked a civil trial in years. No matter though, a trial was a trial, and this was one case he was determined to win.
Michael turned at the sound of a commotion coming from the back, Max Evans entering the courtroom, with his sister at his side. He was joined by his father and a tall, bald headed man Michael recognized as one of Evans’ henchmen. Max looked in Michael’s direction and their eyes locked, both men pumped up and ready to wage battle. It was a natural response, every time they walked into a courtroom and squared off against each other.
Max exchanged pleasantries with Tony and his father, then moved to the front, pushing open the gate that separated the courtroom from the gallery while his supporters filled the front row behind him. He glanced behind Michael as he set his briefcase on the table, but he didn’t see either of the familiar faces he was looking for. Maria wasn’t here, which was good. It meant she was probably still in hiding with the dog. Liz wasn’t here either, which was to be expected. Witnesses weren’t allowed in the courtroom until their name was called.
It’d been a week since the incident outside of Maria’s apartment, and he hadn’t been able to get the image of Liz’s tear streaked face out of his mind. Today he was going to make it up to her, though. Today he was going to tell her just how much he loved her, and God willing, this whole mess could be put behind them. He removed a stack of papers from his briefcase and closed it, watching Michael do the same out of the corner of his eye. After a brief hesitation, he took a step in Michael’s direction, making one last ditch effort.
“We don’t have to do it this way, Michael. If you let this go all the way, you know I’ll win.”
Michael stood rigid, looking down his nose at Max. He might be only a couple of inches taller, but his pride had him inflated, and his confidence was riding high. When he was done with Max, everyone in this courtroom would know what kind of bastard he really was.
“Trial’s about to start, Evans. You’ll be licking your wounds when it’s over.”
Michael brushed past Max, intentionally butting shoulders, forcing Max to take a step back. He walked to the judge’s bench with a sheaf of papers in his hand, while Max glared at him, eyes narrowing, his body growing tense.
Isabel sat in the front row, shaking her head in disbelief. They were like a couple of junk yard dogs, warring over a piece of turf. Did they really think either one of them was going to be a winner in the end?
* * * * *
The Courtroom was standing room only, filled with colleagues waiting to see the show, some even wagering money on which warring combatant was going to win. The trial that was about to start between these one time friends, long time enemies, would change their lives forever.
“Judge, this is nothing more than a frivolous lawsuit,” Michael argued in front of the court. “These are nothing more than trumped up allegations.”
“This evidence looks pretty compelling,” Judge Tobin sorted through the photographs presented into evidence. “I see no reason to dismiss. Let’s proceed, gentlemen.”
Michael glared at Max before turning to take his seat at the defense table. His animosity had never been greater.
Max smiled at him smugly, hiding his true feelings behind a mask of confidence. This was the most important trial of his life. He looked at the six jurors, five women and one man, all of them assuming this trial was about a man bitten by a dog. Their assumption was entirely wrong.
“You may begin your opening remarks, Mr. Evans,” Judge Tobin instructed.
“I waive opening remarks, your Honor,” Max said, taking a seat behind the plaintiff table. Michael shot a distrustful look at him, but Max ignored it. This would all be over soon. He was anxious to get started.
“Mr. Guerin?” Judge Tobin inquired.
Michael mulled it over for a moment before shaking his head. “No opening remarks, your Honor.”
“Very well, gentlemen,” the judge decreed. “Mr. Evans, call your first witness.”
“Your Honor,” Max rose to his feet. “I’d like to call Liz Guerin to the stand.” He sat back down, turning to watch the doors at the back of the courtroom.
“Liz Guerin,” the bailiff called Liz’s name loud and clear.
Max waited with butterflies in his stomach for her appearance, while Michael sat at the defense table with a smug look on his face. He folded his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair, enjoying the sight of watching Max squirm.
“Liz Guerin,” the bailiff called her name again.
Max leaned back toward Tony, sitting just behind the railing in the front row seats. “Are you sure she didn’t leave town?”
Tony saw the panicky look in his boss’s eyes and tried to reassure him. “I’ve kept the joint under surveillance day and night for the last week. She hasn’t gone anywhere.”
Max felt his tension spiraling higher. She had to be here. She had to come. This was his only chance to tell her his side of the story.
Commotion sounded at the back of the court as the door opened and Liz walked in. Michael bolted straight up in his chair with the smug look disappearing from his face. He scrambled to his feet as she neared.
“Liz,” he hissed when he met her at the gate. “You don’t have to do this,” he said, keeping his voice low. “The summons is for Liz Guerin. You don’t have to honor it.”
A rumble filled the courtroom at the presence of the dark haired girl, followed by the flashing of cameras. Her soft silk dress, dark to match the somber setting, draped her small frame, giving off a sense of innocent vulnerability.
“Order!” the judge frowned, pounding her gavel on the bench. “No flash photography in this courtroom!”
“I have to do this Michael,” Liz spoke softly to her brother. “I can’t let him hurt Max.”
“I care about my dog, Liz,” Michael squeezed her hand, trying to convince her. “But I care about you more. It’s not worth it to make you go up on that stand.”
“He’s worth it to me,” Liz looked at her brother with her dark eyes shimmering. She’d lost nearly everyone she ever loved during her lifetime, and she wasn’t going to let it happen to Max. Not if she could help it. He might be just a dog, but she loved him, and she was going to fight for him.
Michael stepped back, seeing the determination on her face, knowing he couldn’t stop her. He took his seat at the defense table, cursing Max Evans for putting her through this. The bastard had no idea what this was going to do to her.
Liz walked across the courtroom floor to the witness chair, standing with her right arm raised while the bailiff swore her in.
“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”
“I do,” Liz said, and took her seat.
“State your name for the record.”
“E-,” Liz stopped and looked down at the crumpled subpoena she held tightly in her hand. It was wrong, she knew it was wrong, but after a brief hesitation she spoke loud and clear.
“Liz Guerin.”
She heard his chair scrape across the floor as Max rose to his feet. Her gaze shifted from the bailiff to Michael, to the judge, to the railing in front of her, anywhere where she wouldn’t have to look at him. Max walked to the witness stand, bringing her reprieve to an end.
The courtroom stilled, everyone in quiet anticipation, waiting for it to begin.
“Hi Liz,” Max stood in front of her, feeling a rush of emotion when her eyes finally lifted to his. She looked so small, and lost, and frightened, and overwhelmed. He almost called a halt to the proceedings right then and there, but he knew if he did, he’d have no chance of ever winning her back. She wouldn’t talk to him. She wouldn’t listen. She wouldn’t let him explain. This was the only way he could think of to get through to her.
Michael tensed, waiting for Max’s games to begin. Bastard.
Max stood in front of the witness stand wearing his heart on his sleeve. “Liz, what you saw in my office that day-”
“Objection!” Michael’s voice echoed loudly in the courtroom.
“I wasn’t doing-” Max pressed on, but Michael’s voice barreled over him again.
“The events relevant to these proceedings happened in Central Park, not in his office!”
“Sustained,” the judged ruled.
“Your Honor!” Max looked at the judge, objecting to the objection.
“Keep your questions pertinent to the night in question,” the judge ordered.
The crowd buzzed with excitement, the fireworks were exploding already! Score one for Michael Guerin!
Max felt the wind drop out of his sails. His game plan was crumbling around him. From the corner of his eye he saw his sister let out a long suffering sigh. She’d tried to warn him, but he hadn’t listened. Why had he thought this would be so easy? Had he really thought he could get Liz up on the stand and then just ignore court procedure? He had to play the game, even if he didn’t want to.
Changing course in mid stream, Max turned back to Liz and said, “Please state for the court your relationship to the defendant.”
After a slight pause, Liz smiled weakly at Michael across the courtroom. “Michael’s my brother.”
Michael nodded at her, silently telling her she was doing fine.
Max put his hand on the railing in front of her, but when Liz shrank away from him he quickly pulled his hand back. His mind worked frantically trying to think of a way to break down her defenses.
“Does your brother have a dog?”
“Yes.” She kept her answers short, just like Michael had told her to.
“What kind of dog?”
“A German Shepard.”
Max moved back and forth between the witness chair and the jury, with a list of questions flashing through his mind. Liz tracked his movements with her eyes, nervously biting at her lower lip.
“And what’s the name of this German Shepard?” Max asked.
“Max. His name is Max.”
Max paused, with a line of questioning suddenly popping into his head. Looking directly at Liz, he asked, “Do you know why your brother named him Max?”
“Objection!” Michael shouted, and jumped to his feet. “Relevance, your Honor?”
“Your Honor,” Max cut in. “Inquiries about the dog directly relate to the matter at hand.”
“I’ll allow it,” Tobin ruled. “The witness will answer the question.”
The spectators whispered exuberantly. Score one for Max Evans! They were certainly getting their money’s worth!
Liz shifted in the witness chair, looking over at Michael. He sat back down at the table clenching his jaw.
“Liz?” Max focused on her. Her gaze shifted to him again, looking like a trapped animal. He saw her swallow nervously before answering.
“Michael said he named him after someone he knew in law school. He said the guy was a real dog, and he wanted to be able to kick him around any time he felt like it.” Another murmur went up from the crowd as Max swiveled around and cocked his head at Michael. Liz turned to the judge, hastily adding, “But Michael was never mean to Max. He only said that because his roommate had been such a jerk. Michael loves his dog.”
“Michael named his dog after his college roommate?” Max stood in the middle of the courtroom staring at Michael.
Michael met his gaze head on, giving away nothing. The two squared off, both men subconsciously rising to the challenge. They were men used to winning, and the battle was all that mattered.
With his eyes still trained on Michael, Max asked Liz, “And do you know who this roommate was?”
“Yes,” Liz said in a small voice. Max turned to look at her and she said, “It was you.”
The audience reacted, filling the courtroom with the rumble of their speculation.
“So Michael named his dog after me,” Max latched on to that juicy morsel of information. “So he could ‘kick me around’ in effigy? His actions raised a vicious dog –”
“No!” Liz stiffened. “He isn’t vicious! Max is gentle. Max loves everyone!”
“Everyone?” Max cocked an eyebrow, feeling his competitive nature kick in. He could feel the crowd leaning toward his side, but he was walking a tightrope here between alienating Liz and getting her to open up, so she’d be willing to listen. He forced himself to calm down, and start at the beginning.
“Where were you on the night of October 2nd?”
Liz looked around the courtroom, wishing she was any place but here. “I took Max for a walk in the park.”
“Central Park?” Max asked. “Isn’t it dangerous to be in the park alone at night?”
“Max protects me,” Liz said before she realized how that sounded.
“So the dog is a trained attack dog!” Max shot back.
“Objection!” Michael jumped to his feet. “He’s badgering the witness!”
“Overruled.” Judge Tobin barked, pounding her gavel to quiet the courtroom.
“No!” Liz cried out at the same time. “Max isn’t mean! He likes to play with the squirrels. He lets kids crawl all over him. He even lets them ride on his back. Max wouldn’t hurt a fly!”
“But he did hurt someone, didn’t he?” Max felt the thrill of the courtroom taking over. He was a man used to winning at all costs, and old habits were hard to break. “He wasn’t chasing squirrels that night, was he!”
Liz looked at Michael, feeling her stomach churning. This was going horribly wrong.
“Tell the court what happened that night,” Max quieted, trying to rein in his courtroom theatrics. He needed to focus on what was important here, getting Liz to listen to him, straightening out the mess between them.
“I took Max to the park. He did his business and I let him play a little longer. He likes to smell the flowers. I stopped to tie my shoe and you ran by. He . . . he . . .”
“What did he do next, Liz?”
The spectators leaned forward, hanging on every word.
“He bit you. You ran by and he bit you.” Liz turned to the judge and tried to explain. “But I think he was just trying to protect me. My legs got tangled in the leash and I fell just as Max ran by. I think Max thought Max did it.”
A murmur went up in the crowd again, talking about which Max did what. The judge pounded her gavel again to restore order.
Max walked back to the table and picked up a clear plastic bag. “Exhibit A,” he showed the court. The judge nodded.
Liz paled when she recognized the contents inside.
“Have you ever seen these before, Liz?” Max made a show of opening the bag and removing a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. Liz shifted uncomfortably.
“Yes.”
“When?”
“You were wearing them, that night in the park.”
Max showed the jury the torn elbows on the shirt. The gallery strained their necks to see better.
“Describe for the court how these holes got in this shirt.”
“You scraped your elbows when you fell.”
“And these?” Max unfolded the sweatpants. He poked his fingers through the puncture holes and wiggled them.
“Max did that.”
“When he attacked me!” Max exclaimed.
“No!” Liz cried, then sagged dejectedly. “Yes.”
The crowd murmured. Another score for Max Evans. He set the evidence bag down on the table and turned around to face Liz.
“And what did you witness as the result of this vicious dog attack on my person?”
“You received puncture holes on the back of your thighs.”
“These puncture holes,” Max crossed to the bench and picked up the Polaroids of the back of his legs. “Exhibit B, you Honor.”
The judge nodded and Max walked over to the witness chair. He handed the pictures to Liz. She took them after a brief hesitation, holding them stiffly.
“Yes,” she stared at the pictures. “Max did this to you, but it wasn’t because he’s a vicious dog. He was only trying to protect me. Max is a good dog.”
Max reached for the pictures, wanting to touch her hand, wanting to feel the warmth of her skin again, but she set the pictures down on the railing in front of her and quickly pulled her hand away.
“Please tell the court what transpired next,” Max said, hiding the dejection in his tone.
“Well,” Liz looked at Michael and shifted in the chair. She looked back at Max, saying, “I took you back to my apartment, so I could see how bad the damage was. I treated your injuries.”
“Do you normally take strange men that you’ve just met in the park back to your apartment?”
“What?” Liz stared at Max in shock. “No!”
“OBJECTION!” Michael erupted. He jumped to his feet ready to tear Max Evans apart.
The gallery exploded with excitement.
“Some leeway, your Honor?” Max asked the judge.
“Tread lightly, Mr. Evans,” Judge Tobin warned. “Objection overruled.”
“Your Honor!” Michael vigorously protested.
“Your objection is noted! Sit down, Mr. Guerin!” She pounded her gavel to restore order.
Michael sat down, glaring at Max with a death wish. Evans was going to pay for this.
“Why did you invite me back to your apartment?” Max continued his questioning, searching for a way to make her admit how she felt about him. If she admitted it under oath, she couldn’t take it back.
“You were hurt.” Liz said it so softly the gallery had to strain forward to hear her.
“Was that the only reason, Liz? Just because I was hurt?”
Liz stared at him, vividly remembering how he’d looked that night, how she’d felt when she realized it was him, the man she’d fantasized about for so long. If Max had bitten any other man, would she have invited him up to her apartment? Or would she have insisted on an ambulance and a trip to the hospital?
“Liz?” Max stepped closer.
“I . . .”
“Liz?” he prompted, feeling his heart leap in anticipation.
“I . . .,” her hands twisted on her lap. “You said you didn’t want to go to the hospital.”
The rapid beating of his heart settled down again. For a moment, he thought he’d almost had her.
“So, you took me up to your apartment.”
“Yes,” Liz brushed her hair back from her face, a nervous gesture Max was well aware of.
“And you treated my injuries.”
Liz forced herself to stop fidgeting. “Yes.”
“Are you a medical doctor?” Max fished for information.
“No.” Liz dropped her head, looking down at her hands.
“But you have medical training?”
She swallowed hard before answering. “Yes.”
“Harvard School of Medicine training?” Max pressed.
Liz took a deep breath. “Yes.”
Max stood in front of Liz, forgetting all about the courtroom.
“Why’d you drop out of Harvard, Liz?”
“Objection!” Michael shouted. “That question is not relevant to these proceedings!”
“Sustained!”
“Why, Liz?” Max couldn’t hear the judge pounding her gavel onto the bench, or the bedlam erupting in the gallery. He pushed for more, blocking out everything but Liz. “Why?”
He wasn’t prepared for her answer when her eyes lifted up to meet his.
“I couldn’t stay in Boston,” a tear trickled down her face. “Not after I let Alex die.”
The gallery took in a collective gasp, watching the girl on the stand begin to sob.
“Liz,” Michael rushed around the table, seeing her break down on the stand. “That wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t save him. Nobody could save him. It was an accident. A terrible accident.”
Michael hurried to a crumbling Liz while Max stepped back, shocked by what his questioning had done to her.
“Your Honor,” Michael implored. “A recess please?”
“No,” Liz wiped a hand across her face. “I’m okay.” She might not have been able to save Alex, but she wouldn’t stand by and watch Max be sentenced to death. She could do this. She had to do this.
“Can you continue, Miss?” Judged Tobin asked.
“Yes,” Liz nodded. Michael stepped back.
He returned to his seat at the defense table, glaring at Max as he passed by, snarling under his breath so only Max could hear. “When this is over Evans, you and me . . .”
The threat hung heavy between them.
The courtroom fell silent, everyone on the edge of their seats, waiting to see what would happen next.
“Mr. Evans,” the judge signaled for him to continue.
Max stared at Liz, feeling the guilt of badgering her weighing him down. This wasn’t going at all the way he wanted it to. The last thing he wanted was to make her cry.
“No further questions, your Honor,” Max returned to his chair behind the table.
“Mr. Guerin,” the judge signaled it was his turn.
“Liz,” Michael rose from the table and approached the witness stand. “Did you have occasion to meet Max Evans after this incident in the park?”
“Yes,” Liz smoothed a hand through her hair. She ventured a look at Max, but looked away quickly. “I went to a party a few days later and he was there.”
“Did you seek him out, or did he find you?”
“I was out on the balcony. He came out and found me.”
“So it’d be fair to say he sought you out?”
“I don’t know. I guess so.”
Max squirmed in his chair. He knew where Michael was going with this.
“Did you see him again after this party where he intentionally sought you out?”
“He,” Liz’s voice hitched in her throat. “He invited me up to his house on the Hudson. He said for a picnic by the river, but we got caught in a rain storm and the car broke down and we ended up staying there overnight.”
“So his car ‘conveniently’ broke down and stranded you for the night.” Michael looked at each member of the jury. “One of the oldest ploys in the book.”
The gallery mumbled excitedly. Judge Tobin rapped her gavel in warning. Philip Evans leaned forward over the railing and tapped his son on the arm.
“Aren’t you going to object to any of this?”
“No,” Max lowered his head. He’d hurt Liz enough already. He didn’t want to make another scene.
“So you spent a day, and a night, with Max Evans,” Michael chose his words carefully.
“Yes,” Liz nodded.
“And I presume you had plenty of time to talk?” Michael continued.
“Yes,” Liz blushed.
The crowd sat silently hanging on every word.
“At any time, during the drive to the country, during your night with him in the house, did he ever mention that he and I had been roommates in college? Or that we had a long standing rivalry in this very Courthouse?”
“No,” her voice quivered when she answered.
“Did Max Evans, at any time, tell you that he and I were bitter enemies?”
“No,” she looked at Michael. “He said he knew you, that you’d gone to college together. He made it sound like you were friends.”
“So,” Michael looked knowingly at the jury. “Max Evans pretended we were friends. He lured you up to his house on the Hudson, taking advantage of you, using you to get at me because of our long standing rivalry, just like he’s using this courtroom to get at me now, using this malicious lawsuit to threaten the life of my dog!”
‘Yes,” Liz nodded, in obvious distress.
“No!” Max jumped to his feet. “It wasn’t like that!”
“Your Honor?” Michael pointed at Max, objecting to his outburst.
“Order!” the judge pounded her gavel to quiet the courtroom. She glared at Max, telling him to “Sit down!”
“It wasn’t,” Max slowly sank back into his chair, speaking directly to Liz. “It wasn’t like that at all.”
“Mr. Guerin?” the judge addressed him.
“No more questions, your Honor,” Michael returned to his seat behind the table. He looked at Max as he sat down; gloating with confidence. He’d shown the jury what a dog Evans was, taking advantage of an innocent girl.
“Your Honor?” Max rose to his feet asking permission. “Redirect?”
“Proceed,” the judge nodded.
“Liz,” Max approached her slowly, seeing the wary look in her eyes. She didn’t trust him, and with good reason. “Did we talk about your brother at all when we were up on the Hudson?”
“Not really,” she said in a small voice.
“What did we talk about?”
“You told me about growing up in New York. I told you about small town life in Roswell.”
“Did we make love that night?”
Another murmur went up in the crowd as Michael jumped to his feet.
“OBJECTION! The witness isn’t on trial here!”
“I’ll allow it!” the judge shot Michael down.
“Your Honor!” Michael loudly protested.
“You started this line of questioning, Mr. Guerin,” she glared at him in warning. “Overruled!”
Michael angrily sat back down, clenching his jaw, staring daggers at Max.
“Liz?” Max asked again.
She looked down at her hands in her lap, not answering. Max stood in front of the witness stand, silently pleading with her to admit what that night meant, to both of them.
“Did we make love?” His voice came out softly, words meant for just the two of them.
“Yes,” Liz whispered.
“And it wasn’t just sex,” Max said. It wasn’t a question on his part.
“Not for me.”
“And what did I tell you as I fell asleep that night?” Max pressed.
Liz looked at Max, Michael, the judge, not wanting to answer.
“What was the last thing I said that night, Liz?” Max stood right in front of her, begging her to answer.
She held it in for as long as she could, but when the dam burst, there was no holding back the words.
“Nothing!” Liz felt her eyes filling with tears again. She stared right at him and cried, “You didn’t tell me anything!”
“I told you I love you!” Max declared, sending another rumble through the crowd.
“No!” Liz cried out.
“I told you I love you as I fell asleep holding you in my arms,” Max stood close to her, digging his fingers into the railing that separated them. “What I said that night is still true now.”
“No!” Liz cried, straining forward in the seat. “You told Liz Guerin that you loved her, but that’s not my name! Michael was right about you! You didn’t even care enough about me to ask me my real name!”
“What?” Max took a stunned step back, while the courtroom erupted behind him.
“Guerin is Michael’s last name, not mine! You even put it on the damn subpoena!” she cried, throwing the offending document at his face. “This was never about love, but about getting one up on my brother by using me! But that wasn’t enough, so now you want to take Max away from us too! I hate you! I wish I’d never met you!”
“Liz . . .” Max staggered back against the table, shocked beyond the ability to speak. She didn’t really mean it, did she? The courtroom erupted again and this time there was no settling it down.
“Order!” Judge Tobin pounded her gavel, to no avail. “Order!” Finally, in desperation, she shouted, “This courtroom is adjourned until nine o’clock tomorrow morning! Jury dismissed! Bailiff, clear the courtroom!”
Liz bolted from the witness chair. She raced across the courtroom, only wanting to escape.
“Liz, wait,” Max tried to stop her.
“Don’t!” she darted away so he couldn’t touch her. Michael came at her from the other side and she glared at him too. “Don’t touch me. Either of you. I don’t want to ever see either one of you again! This was never about Max, or me. This was about the two of you, and your stupid rivalry, and Max is the one who’s going to pay for it. He doesn’t deserve to die because you two are idiots!”
Liz fled the courtroom, leaving two stunned men in her wake. She was right of course, on one note. This had been about a years long grudge between Michael and Max. But she was dead wrong on another. The words Max spoke to her in a house on the Hudson were true, no matter what last name you put with it. Max was deeply, unequivocally, undeniably in love with Liz.
His heart broke into a million pieces watching her flee the courtroom, knowing he’d just lost the one true love of his life.
What was he going to do now, without her?
TBC . . .
Category: Max and Liz, AU
Rating: Up to NC/17
A Walk in the Park
Part 14
A crowd gathered outside the Courthouse for the most sensational trial to hit the city in years. The interest had nothing to do with the charges or the crime, but everything to do with the two warring parties. Max Evans and Michael Guerin were about to do battle, and everyone wanted to watch.
A cab pulled up to the sidewalk depositing Max Evans and his sister Isabel. She might be the Ice Princess, but Max was her brother and she was here to support him, no matter how stupid he was. He might think he was the King of the Courtroom, but he wasn’t invincible, and this time she was afraid he might have bitten off more than he could chew.
“Max?” Isabel kept her voice low while cameras flashed in their faces. She was rich, and the paparazzi followed her everywhere. “Do you know what you’re doing?”
She’d taken a shine to Liz that night she found her and Max in the bathroom of her apartment. The girl was smart, and sweet, and so different from the plastic women she usually saw him with. If Max hurt her, she was going to have to rip him a new one.
“Don’t worry, Isabel,” Max ushered her ahead of him, up the Courthouse steps. “As soon as I get Liz on the stand, I can explain everything. Once she knows the truth, everything will be just fine.”
Isabel could only stare at the confident look on her brother’s face. Did he really think it was going to be that simple?
* * * * *
Michael set his briefcase on the defense table, looking at the courtroom from a different vantage point. He’d never been on the defense side of things before. He’d spent the majority of his career as a prosecutor. He hadn’t worked a civil trial in years. No matter though, a trial was a trial, and this was one case he was determined to win.
Michael turned at the sound of a commotion coming from the back, Max Evans entering the courtroom, with his sister at his side. He was joined by his father and a tall, bald headed man Michael recognized as one of Evans’ henchmen. Max looked in Michael’s direction and their eyes locked, both men pumped up and ready to wage battle. It was a natural response, every time they walked into a courtroom and squared off against each other.
Max exchanged pleasantries with Tony and his father, then moved to the front, pushing open the gate that separated the courtroom from the gallery while his supporters filled the front row behind him. He glanced behind Michael as he set his briefcase on the table, but he didn’t see either of the familiar faces he was looking for. Maria wasn’t here, which was good. It meant she was probably still in hiding with the dog. Liz wasn’t here either, which was to be expected. Witnesses weren’t allowed in the courtroom until their name was called.
It’d been a week since the incident outside of Maria’s apartment, and he hadn’t been able to get the image of Liz’s tear streaked face out of his mind. Today he was going to make it up to her, though. Today he was going to tell her just how much he loved her, and God willing, this whole mess could be put behind them. He removed a stack of papers from his briefcase and closed it, watching Michael do the same out of the corner of his eye. After a brief hesitation, he took a step in Michael’s direction, making one last ditch effort.
“We don’t have to do it this way, Michael. If you let this go all the way, you know I’ll win.”
Michael stood rigid, looking down his nose at Max. He might be only a couple of inches taller, but his pride had him inflated, and his confidence was riding high. When he was done with Max, everyone in this courtroom would know what kind of bastard he really was.
“Trial’s about to start, Evans. You’ll be licking your wounds when it’s over.”
Michael brushed past Max, intentionally butting shoulders, forcing Max to take a step back. He walked to the judge’s bench with a sheaf of papers in his hand, while Max glared at him, eyes narrowing, his body growing tense.
Isabel sat in the front row, shaking her head in disbelief. They were like a couple of junk yard dogs, warring over a piece of turf. Did they really think either one of them was going to be a winner in the end?
* * * * *
The Courtroom was standing room only, filled with colleagues waiting to see the show, some even wagering money on which warring combatant was going to win. The trial that was about to start between these one time friends, long time enemies, would change their lives forever.
“Judge, this is nothing more than a frivolous lawsuit,” Michael argued in front of the court. “These are nothing more than trumped up allegations.”
“This evidence looks pretty compelling,” Judge Tobin sorted through the photographs presented into evidence. “I see no reason to dismiss. Let’s proceed, gentlemen.”
Michael glared at Max before turning to take his seat at the defense table. His animosity had never been greater.
Max smiled at him smugly, hiding his true feelings behind a mask of confidence. This was the most important trial of his life. He looked at the six jurors, five women and one man, all of them assuming this trial was about a man bitten by a dog. Their assumption was entirely wrong.
“You may begin your opening remarks, Mr. Evans,” Judge Tobin instructed.
“I waive opening remarks, your Honor,” Max said, taking a seat behind the plaintiff table. Michael shot a distrustful look at him, but Max ignored it. This would all be over soon. He was anxious to get started.
“Mr. Guerin?” Judge Tobin inquired.
Michael mulled it over for a moment before shaking his head. “No opening remarks, your Honor.”
“Very well, gentlemen,” the judge decreed. “Mr. Evans, call your first witness.”
“Your Honor,” Max rose to his feet. “I’d like to call Liz Guerin to the stand.” He sat back down, turning to watch the doors at the back of the courtroom.
“Liz Guerin,” the bailiff called Liz’s name loud and clear.
Max waited with butterflies in his stomach for her appearance, while Michael sat at the defense table with a smug look on his face. He folded his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair, enjoying the sight of watching Max squirm.
“Liz Guerin,” the bailiff called her name again.
Max leaned back toward Tony, sitting just behind the railing in the front row seats. “Are you sure she didn’t leave town?”
Tony saw the panicky look in his boss’s eyes and tried to reassure him. “I’ve kept the joint under surveillance day and night for the last week. She hasn’t gone anywhere.”
Max felt his tension spiraling higher. She had to be here. She had to come. This was his only chance to tell her his side of the story.
Commotion sounded at the back of the court as the door opened and Liz walked in. Michael bolted straight up in his chair with the smug look disappearing from his face. He scrambled to his feet as she neared.
“Liz,” he hissed when he met her at the gate. “You don’t have to do this,” he said, keeping his voice low. “The summons is for Liz Guerin. You don’t have to honor it.”
A rumble filled the courtroom at the presence of the dark haired girl, followed by the flashing of cameras. Her soft silk dress, dark to match the somber setting, draped her small frame, giving off a sense of innocent vulnerability.
“Order!” the judge frowned, pounding her gavel on the bench. “No flash photography in this courtroom!”
“I have to do this Michael,” Liz spoke softly to her brother. “I can’t let him hurt Max.”
“I care about my dog, Liz,” Michael squeezed her hand, trying to convince her. “But I care about you more. It’s not worth it to make you go up on that stand.”
“He’s worth it to me,” Liz looked at her brother with her dark eyes shimmering. She’d lost nearly everyone she ever loved during her lifetime, and she wasn’t going to let it happen to Max. Not if she could help it. He might be just a dog, but she loved him, and she was going to fight for him.
Michael stepped back, seeing the determination on her face, knowing he couldn’t stop her. He took his seat at the defense table, cursing Max Evans for putting her through this. The bastard had no idea what this was going to do to her.
Liz walked across the courtroom floor to the witness chair, standing with her right arm raised while the bailiff swore her in.
“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”
“I do,” Liz said, and took her seat.
“State your name for the record.”
“E-,” Liz stopped and looked down at the crumpled subpoena she held tightly in her hand. It was wrong, she knew it was wrong, but after a brief hesitation she spoke loud and clear.
“Liz Guerin.”
She heard his chair scrape across the floor as Max rose to his feet. Her gaze shifted from the bailiff to Michael, to the judge, to the railing in front of her, anywhere where she wouldn’t have to look at him. Max walked to the witness stand, bringing her reprieve to an end.
The courtroom stilled, everyone in quiet anticipation, waiting for it to begin.
“Hi Liz,” Max stood in front of her, feeling a rush of emotion when her eyes finally lifted to his. She looked so small, and lost, and frightened, and overwhelmed. He almost called a halt to the proceedings right then and there, but he knew if he did, he’d have no chance of ever winning her back. She wouldn’t talk to him. She wouldn’t listen. She wouldn’t let him explain. This was the only way he could think of to get through to her.
Michael tensed, waiting for Max’s games to begin. Bastard.
Max stood in front of the witness stand wearing his heart on his sleeve. “Liz, what you saw in my office that day-”
“Objection!” Michael’s voice echoed loudly in the courtroom.
“I wasn’t doing-” Max pressed on, but Michael’s voice barreled over him again.
“The events relevant to these proceedings happened in Central Park, not in his office!”
“Sustained,” the judged ruled.
“Your Honor!” Max looked at the judge, objecting to the objection.
“Keep your questions pertinent to the night in question,” the judge ordered.
The crowd buzzed with excitement, the fireworks were exploding already! Score one for Michael Guerin!
Max felt the wind drop out of his sails. His game plan was crumbling around him. From the corner of his eye he saw his sister let out a long suffering sigh. She’d tried to warn him, but he hadn’t listened. Why had he thought this would be so easy? Had he really thought he could get Liz up on the stand and then just ignore court procedure? He had to play the game, even if he didn’t want to.
Changing course in mid stream, Max turned back to Liz and said, “Please state for the court your relationship to the defendant.”
After a slight pause, Liz smiled weakly at Michael across the courtroom. “Michael’s my brother.”
Michael nodded at her, silently telling her she was doing fine.
Max put his hand on the railing in front of her, but when Liz shrank away from him he quickly pulled his hand back. His mind worked frantically trying to think of a way to break down her defenses.
“Does your brother have a dog?”
“Yes.” She kept her answers short, just like Michael had told her to.
“What kind of dog?”
“A German Shepard.”
Max moved back and forth between the witness chair and the jury, with a list of questions flashing through his mind. Liz tracked his movements with her eyes, nervously biting at her lower lip.
“And what’s the name of this German Shepard?” Max asked.
“Max. His name is Max.”
Max paused, with a line of questioning suddenly popping into his head. Looking directly at Liz, he asked, “Do you know why your brother named him Max?”
“Objection!” Michael shouted, and jumped to his feet. “Relevance, your Honor?”
“Your Honor,” Max cut in. “Inquiries about the dog directly relate to the matter at hand.”
“I’ll allow it,” Tobin ruled. “The witness will answer the question.”
The spectators whispered exuberantly. Score one for Max Evans! They were certainly getting their money’s worth!
Liz shifted in the witness chair, looking over at Michael. He sat back down at the table clenching his jaw.
“Liz?” Max focused on her. Her gaze shifted to him again, looking like a trapped animal. He saw her swallow nervously before answering.
“Michael said he named him after someone he knew in law school. He said the guy was a real dog, and he wanted to be able to kick him around any time he felt like it.” Another murmur went up from the crowd as Max swiveled around and cocked his head at Michael. Liz turned to the judge, hastily adding, “But Michael was never mean to Max. He only said that because his roommate had been such a jerk. Michael loves his dog.”
“Michael named his dog after his college roommate?” Max stood in the middle of the courtroom staring at Michael.
Michael met his gaze head on, giving away nothing. The two squared off, both men subconsciously rising to the challenge. They were men used to winning, and the battle was all that mattered.
With his eyes still trained on Michael, Max asked Liz, “And do you know who this roommate was?”
“Yes,” Liz said in a small voice. Max turned to look at her and she said, “It was you.”
The audience reacted, filling the courtroom with the rumble of their speculation.
“So Michael named his dog after me,” Max latched on to that juicy morsel of information. “So he could ‘kick me around’ in effigy? His actions raised a vicious dog –”
“No!” Liz stiffened. “He isn’t vicious! Max is gentle. Max loves everyone!”
“Everyone?” Max cocked an eyebrow, feeling his competitive nature kick in. He could feel the crowd leaning toward his side, but he was walking a tightrope here between alienating Liz and getting her to open up, so she’d be willing to listen. He forced himself to calm down, and start at the beginning.
“Where were you on the night of October 2nd?”
Liz looked around the courtroom, wishing she was any place but here. “I took Max for a walk in the park.”
“Central Park?” Max asked. “Isn’t it dangerous to be in the park alone at night?”
“Max protects me,” Liz said before she realized how that sounded.
“So the dog is a trained attack dog!” Max shot back.
“Objection!” Michael jumped to his feet. “He’s badgering the witness!”
“Overruled.” Judge Tobin barked, pounding her gavel to quiet the courtroom.
“No!” Liz cried out at the same time. “Max isn’t mean! He likes to play with the squirrels. He lets kids crawl all over him. He even lets them ride on his back. Max wouldn’t hurt a fly!”
“But he did hurt someone, didn’t he?” Max felt the thrill of the courtroom taking over. He was a man used to winning at all costs, and old habits were hard to break. “He wasn’t chasing squirrels that night, was he!”
Liz looked at Michael, feeling her stomach churning. This was going horribly wrong.
“Tell the court what happened that night,” Max quieted, trying to rein in his courtroom theatrics. He needed to focus on what was important here, getting Liz to listen to him, straightening out the mess between them.
“I took Max to the park. He did his business and I let him play a little longer. He likes to smell the flowers. I stopped to tie my shoe and you ran by. He . . . he . . .”
“What did he do next, Liz?”
The spectators leaned forward, hanging on every word.
“He bit you. You ran by and he bit you.” Liz turned to the judge and tried to explain. “But I think he was just trying to protect me. My legs got tangled in the leash and I fell just as Max ran by. I think Max thought Max did it.”
A murmur went up in the crowd again, talking about which Max did what. The judge pounded her gavel again to restore order.
Max walked back to the table and picked up a clear plastic bag. “Exhibit A,” he showed the court. The judge nodded.
Liz paled when she recognized the contents inside.
“Have you ever seen these before, Liz?” Max made a show of opening the bag and removing a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. Liz shifted uncomfortably.
“Yes.”
“When?”
“You were wearing them, that night in the park.”
Max showed the jury the torn elbows on the shirt. The gallery strained their necks to see better.
“Describe for the court how these holes got in this shirt.”
“You scraped your elbows when you fell.”
“And these?” Max unfolded the sweatpants. He poked his fingers through the puncture holes and wiggled them.
“Max did that.”
“When he attacked me!” Max exclaimed.
“No!” Liz cried, then sagged dejectedly. “Yes.”
The crowd murmured. Another score for Max Evans. He set the evidence bag down on the table and turned around to face Liz.
“And what did you witness as the result of this vicious dog attack on my person?”
“You received puncture holes on the back of your thighs.”
“These puncture holes,” Max crossed to the bench and picked up the Polaroids of the back of his legs. “Exhibit B, you Honor.”
The judge nodded and Max walked over to the witness chair. He handed the pictures to Liz. She took them after a brief hesitation, holding them stiffly.
“Yes,” she stared at the pictures. “Max did this to you, but it wasn’t because he’s a vicious dog. He was only trying to protect me. Max is a good dog.”
Max reached for the pictures, wanting to touch her hand, wanting to feel the warmth of her skin again, but she set the pictures down on the railing in front of her and quickly pulled her hand away.
“Please tell the court what transpired next,” Max said, hiding the dejection in his tone.
“Well,” Liz looked at Michael and shifted in the chair. She looked back at Max, saying, “I took you back to my apartment, so I could see how bad the damage was. I treated your injuries.”
“Do you normally take strange men that you’ve just met in the park back to your apartment?”
“What?” Liz stared at Max in shock. “No!”
“OBJECTION!” Michael erupted. He jumped to his feet ready to tear Max Evans apart.
The gallery exploded with excitement.
“Some leeway, your Honor?” Max asked the judge.
“Tread lightly, Mr. Evans,” Judge Tobin warned. “Objection overruled.”
“Your Honor!” Michael vigorously protested.
“Your objection is noted! Sit down, Mr. Guerin!” She pounded her gavel to restore order.
Michael sat down, glaring at Max with a death wish. Evans was going to pay for this.
“Why did you invite me back to your apartment?” Max continued his questioning, searching for a way to make her admit how she felt about him. If she admitted it under oath, she couldn’t take it back.
“You were hurt.” Liz said it so softly the gallery had to strain forward to hear her.
“Was that the only reason, Liz? Just because I was hurt?”
Liz stared at him, vividly remembering how he’d looked that night, how she’d felt when she realized it was him, the man she’d fantasized about for so long. If Max had bitten any other man, would she have invited him up to her apartment? Or would she have insisted on an ambulance and a trip to the hospital?
“Liz?” Max stepped closer.
“I . . .”
“Liz?” he prompted, feeling his heart leap in anticipation.
“I . . .,” her hands twisted on her lap. “You said you didn’t want to go to the hospital.”
The rapid beating of his heart settled down again. For a moment, he thought he’d almost had her.
“So, you took me up to your apartment.”
“Yes,” Liz brushed her hair back from her face, a nervous gesture Max was well aware of.
“And you treated my injuries.”
Liz forced herself to stop fidgeting. “Yes.”
“Are you a medical doctor?” Max fished for information.
“No.” Liz dropped her head, looking down at her hands.
“But you have medical training?”
She swallowed hard before answering. “Yes.”
“Harvard School of Medicine training?” Max pressed.
Liz took a deep breath. “Yes.”
Max stood in front of Liz, forgetting all about the courtroom.
“Why’d you drop out of Harvard, Liz?”
“Objection!” Michael shouted. “That question is not relevant to these proceedings!”
“Sustained!”
“Why, Liz?” Max couldn’t hear the judge pounding her gavel onto the bench, or the bedlam erupting in the gallery. He pushed for more, blocking out everything but Liz. “Why?”
He wasn’t prepared for her answer when her eyes lifted up to meet his.
“I couldn’t stay in Boston,” a tear trickled down her face. “Not after I let Alex die.”
The gallery took in a collective gasp, watching the girl on the stand begin to sob.
“Liz,” Michael rushed around the table, seeing her break down on the stand. “That wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t save him. Nobody could save him. It was an accident. A terrible accident.”
Michael hurried to a crumbling Liz while Max stepped back, shocked by what his questioning had done to her.
“Your Honor,” Michael implored. “A recess please?”
“No,” Liz wiped a hand across her face. “I’m okay.” She might not have been able to save Alex, but she wouldn’t stand by and watch Max be sentenced to death. She could do this. She had to do this.
“Can you continue, Miss?” Judged Tobin asked.
“Yes,” Liz nodded. Michael stepped back.
He returned to his seat at the defense table, glaring at Max as he passed by, snarling under his breath so only Max could hear. “When this is over Evans, you and me . . .”
The threat hung heavy between them.
The courtroom fell silent, everyone on the edge of their seats, waiting to see what would happen next.
“Mr. Evans,” the judge signaled for him to continue.
Max stared at Liz, feeling the guilt of badgering her weighing him down. This wasn’t going at all the way he wanted it to. The last thing he wanted was to make her cry.
“No further questions, your Honor,” Max returned to his chair behind the table.
“Mr. Guerin,” the judge signaled it was his turn.
“Liz,” Michael rose from the table and approached the witness stand. “Did you have occasion to meet Max Evans after this incident in the park?”
“Yes,” Liz smoothed a hand through her hair. She ventured a look at Max, but looked away quickly. “I went to a party a few days later and he was there.”
“Did you seek him out, or did he find you?”
“I was out on the balcony. He came out and found me.”
“So it’d be fair to say he sought you out?”
“I don’t know. I guess so.”
Max squirmed in his chair. He knew where Michael was going with this.
“Did you see him again after this party where he intentionally sought you out?”
“He,” Liz’s voice hitched in her throat. “He invited me up to his house on the Hudson. He said for a picnic by the river, but we got caught in a rain storm and the car broke down and we ended up staying there overnight.”
“So his car ‘conveniently’ broke down and stranded you for the night.” Michael looked at each member of the jury. “One of the oldest ploys in the book.”
The gallery mumbled excitedly. Judge Tobin rapped her gavel in warning. Philip Evans leaned forward over the railing and tapped his son on the arm.
“Aren’t you going to object to any of this?”
“No,” Max lowered his head. He’d hurt Liz enough already. He didn’t want to make another scene.
“So you spent a day, and a night, with Max Evans,” Michael chose his words carefully.
“Yes,” Liz nodded.
“And I presume you had plenty of time to talk?” Michael continued.
“Yes,” Liz blushed.
The crowd sat silently hanging on every word.
“At any time, during the drive to the country, during your night with him in the house, did he ever mention that he and I had been roommates in college? Or that we had a long standing rivalry in this very Courthouse?”
“No,” her voice quivered when she answered.
“Did Max Evans, at any time, tell you that he and I were bitter enemies?”
“No,” she looked at Michael. “He said he knew you, that you’d gone to college together. He made it sound like you were friends.”
“So,” Michael looked knowingly at the jury. “Max Evans pretended we were friends. He lured you up to his house on the Hudson, taking advantage of you, using you to get at me because of our long standing rivalry, just like he’s using this courtroom to get at me now, using this malicious lawsuit to threaten the life of my dog!”
‘Yes,” Liz nodded, in obvious distress.
“No!” Max jumped to his feet. “It wasn’t like that!”
“Your Honor?” Michael pointed at Max, objecting to his outburst.
“Order!” the judge pounded her gavel to quiet the courtroom. She glared at Max, telling him to “Sit down!”
“It wasn’t,” Max slowly sank back into his chair, speaking directly to Liz. “It wasn’t like that at all.”
“Mr. Guerin?” the judge addressed him.
“No more questions, your Honor,” Michael returned to his seat behind the table. He looked at Max as he sat down; gloating with confidence. He’d shown the jury what a dog Evans was, taking advantage of an innocent girl.
“Your Honor?” Max rose to his feet asking permission. “Redirect?”
“Proceed,” the judge nodded.
“Liz,” Max approached her slowly, seeing the wary look in her eyes. She didn’t trust him, and with good reason. “Did we talk about your brother at all when we were up on the Hudson?”
“Not really,” she said in a small voice.
“What did we talk about?”
“You told me about growing up in New York. I told you about small town life in Roswell.”
“Did we make love that night?”
Another murmur went up in the crowd as Michael jumped to his feet.
“OBJECTION! The witness isn’t on trial here!”
“I’ll allow it!” the judge shot Michael down.
“Your Honor!” Michael loudly protested.
“You started this line of questioning, Mr. Guerin,” she glared at him in warning. “Overruled!”
Michael angrily sat back down, clenching his jaw, staring daggers at Max.
“Liz?” Max asked again.
She looked down at her hands in her lap, not answering. Max stood in front of the witness stand, silently pleading with her to admit what that night meant, to both of them.
“Did we make love?” His voice came out softly, words meant for just the two of them.
“Yes,” Liz whispered.
“And it wasn’t just sex,” Max said. It wasn’t a question on his part.
“Not for me.”
“And what did I tell you as I fell asleep that night?” Max pressed.
Liz looked at Max, Michael, the judge, not wanting to answer.
“What was the last thing I said that night, Liz?” Max stood right in front of her, begging her to answer.
She held it in for as long as she could, but when the dam burst, there was no holding back the words.
“Nothing!” Liz felt her eyes filling with tears again. She stared right at him and cried, “You didn’t tell me anything!”
“I told you I love you!” Max declared, sending another rumble through the crowd.
“No!” Liz cried out.
“I told you I love you as I fell asleep holding you in my arms,” Max stood close to her, digging his fingers into the railing that separated them. “What I said that night is still true now.”
“No!” Liz cried, straining forward in the seat. “You told Liz Guerin that you loved her, but that’s not my name! Michael was right about you! You didn’t even care enough about me to ask me my real name!”
“What?” Max took a stunned step back, while the courtroom erupted behind him.
“Guerin is Michael’s last name, not mine! You even put it on the damn subpoena!” she cried, throwing the offending document at his face. “This was never about love, but about getting one up on my brother by using me! But that wasn’t enough, so now you want to take Max away from us too! I hate you! I wish I’d never met you!”
“Liz . . .” Max staggered back against the table, shocked beyond the ability to speak. She didn’t really mean it, did she? The courtroom erupted again and this time there was no settling it down.
“Order!” Judge Tobin pounded her gavel, to no avail. “Order!” Finally, in desperation, she shouted, “This courtroom is adjourned until nine o’clock tomorrow morning! Jury dismissed! Bailiff, clear the courtroom!”
Liz bolted from the witness chair. She raced across the courtroom, only wanting to escape.
“Liz, wait,” Max tried to stop her.
“Don’t!” she darted away so he couldn’t touch her. Michael came at her from the other side and she glared at him too. “Don’t touch me. Either of you. I don’t want to ever see either one of you again! This was never about Max, or me. This was about the two of you, and your stupid rivalry, and Max is the one who’s going to pay for it. He doesn’t deserve to die because you two are idiots!”
Liz fled the courtroom, leaving two stunned men in her wake. She was right of course, on one note. This had been about a years long grudge between Michael and Max. But she was dead wrong on another. The words Max spoke to her in a house on the Hudson were true, no matter what last name you put with it. Max was deeply, unequivocally, undeniably in love with Liz.
His heart broke into a million pieces watching her flee the courtroom, knowing he’d just lost the one true love of his life.
What was he going to do now, without her?
TBC . . .
Last edited by Breathless on Thu Oct 16, 2003 2:06 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Breathless
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A Walk in the Park Part 15
Author: Debbi aka Breathless
Category: Max and Liz, AU
Rating: NC 17 for adult language/content
Additional Author note: Originally, this was intended as the final chapter, however, after a little arm twisting, I’ve decided to add an epilogue. I hope to have it ready for Wednesday night.
Until then, here we go. Posted in two parts due to length . . .
A Walk in the Park
Part 15
Max sat at the bar in Cutters, nursing a beer, wishing he could turn back the clock. The trial was over; he’d withdrawn his suit after it all went horribly wrong. Everything had backfired on him, resulting in the loss of the only girl he’d ever loved. She wouldn’t even talk to him now. She wouldn’t let him come near. He propped his elbow on the bar and leaned his head into his hand, dejected and alone.
“Drowning your sorrows?” Michael took the seat next to Max and ordered a beer from the bartender. Max sat up straight, tensing for another scene. He relaxed slightly when Michael didn’t try to take a swing at him.
“You’re speaking to me?” Max arched an eyebrow. Everyone he knew was pissed at him, either for hurting Liz, or for blowing the case. Some people had big money riding on it.
“Well, we’re both in the dog house, right?” Michael hoisted his beer and took a deep swig, concentrating on a row of bottles lined up behind the bar.
“Yeah,” Max stared into his amber colored ale. “But you’re her brother. She’ll forgive you.”
The implication was clear. Michael was family. They’d work it out. He, on the other hand, was the bastard that broke her heart. No forgiveness was coming his way. Max lifted his beer and drank, knowing it wouldn’t lessen the pain. After he swallowed he turned to Michael, then changed his mind and lowered his head again.
“What?” Michael said, sensing the unasked question.
Max hesitated before finally asking, “Did you really name your dog after me so you could kick him around?”
“No,” Michael let out a small laugh. “I named him Max so I’d have a constant reminder of what a dog you really are.”
“That’s a comforting thought,” Max said sarcastically.
“I don’t know why I named him Max,” Michael admitted. “He was this little ball of fur with really big paws who peed all over the house. I guess it reminded me of you back in our college days.”
Max snorted a humorless laugh and retorted, “I think I like the first explanation better.”
Michael watched a bead of condensation run down the side of his beer bottle. He shifted uncomfortably; apologies didn’t come easily for him. “Look. About college. I was wrong, to hold a grudge for so long.”
“I told you she wasn’t good for you,” Max concentrated on the label of his beer.
“Yeah,” Michael conceded. “But you didn’t have to be the one to prove it to me.”
Max nodded in silent agreement. He probably could have found a better way to show Michael that Ashley wasn’t his type, but the girl was hot. And willing.
“But hey,” Max shrugged his shoulders and curled his lips in a half-hearted smile. “I got a dog named after me, right? I must have left a lasting impression.”
“You could say that,” Michael snorted at the weak joke. “To Max,” he raised his beer in a toast. “Max the dog!”
“I’ll drink to Max,” Max clinked his beer against Michael’s. The old camaraderie they’d once felt toward each other came back easily, once the gloves were taken off.
Max fortified himself with another drink of his beer, taking a long moment before asking, “Who’s Alex?”
He looked at Michael knowing it didn’t really matter. It wouldn’t change anything, but he just wanted to know. To understand the full ramifications of what he’d done. What he’d put Liz through.
Michael stared down into his beer, and at first Max didn’t think he was going to answer. When he did, Max was left wishing that he hadn’t.
“Alex was Liz’s closest friend,” Michael sighed.
“In Roswell?” Max asked.
“No. In college.”
Michael took a deep drink and then set the bottle down. When he continued his voice was solemn.
“Liz was all alone after her parents died. I wish I’d known her then. I could have helped her, but . . .” his voice trailed off. He fidgeted with his beer, turning the bottle in a circle. “She breezed through the first couple of years at Harvard, doubling up on her classes. She entered med school early, academically she was thriving, but she was pretty lonely until Alex came along. She met him in a coffee shop. He was playing in a band. They hit it off right away. They became friends. Best friends.”
“Were they . . .?” Max wanted to ask, though he knew he didn’t have the right.
Michael shook his head. “Alex meant the world to her, but . . . I don’t know if it would have developed into anything more than friends. They never got a chance to find out.”
Michael fell silent, staring down at his beer. Max waited, sensing that his mind was some place else, remember some time in the not too distant past. When he spoke again, Michael’s voice was as somber as his face.
“The night it happened he was playing in a club. A record producer was in the audience. He offered Alex a contract on the spot. They celebrated their good fortune, and Liz drove Alex home afterwards. He’d had too much to drink; it wasn’t safe for him to drive. But . . . the roads were icy. It was Cambridge, in the winter, and Liz wasn’t used to driving in those conditions. She hit a patch of black ice and the car spun out of control. It went over an embankment and down into the river.”
“Oh Jesus,” Max guessed what was coming next, but it was even worse than he imagined.
“Liz got out without a scratch,” Michael continued, “but Alex was trapped. She tried to get him out but his seatbelt was jammed and his foot was wedged under the crushed dashboard. She screamed for help but it was late and nobody was around to hear. She did everything right. She checked him for concussion. For shock. She stopped the bleeding from a laceration where his foot was wedged under the dash. But she couldn’t stop the water that was rising in the car.”
“Oh God,” Max propped his elbows on the bar and leaned into his hands. He didn’t want to hear anymore.
“She struggled to get him out but the water kept rising, up around his chest, and then his throat, and then his face. She promised him she wouldn’t leave him, and Liz never breaks a promise. When the water covered his face she breathed for him, mouth to mouth, until she was too exhausted to do it any more. She watched him drown in front of her.” Michael paused, lost in his own thoughts for a moment before he continued. “She spent a week in the hospital afterwards with hypothermia. She blamed herself for his death. She still does.”
“God, Michael,” Max pushed his beer away.
“She thinks everything good in her life comes at a cost, and I don’t know how much more she can take.”
“I didn’t know.”
“No one does,” Michael turned the bottle in his hands. “She keeps it all inside.”
“Michael,” Max looked at the man he had once been proud to call his friend. “I didn’t know she was your sister, not at first. I fell in love with her because of who she is, not because of who she’s related to. It had nothing to do with me trying to get at you. I know you probably don’t believe me –”
“I believe you, Max,” Michael picked up his beer and took a drink. Liz had a way of doing that, breaking down the barriers. He could see that now that he’d let his own animosity fall away.
“How do I fix this?” Max asked, desperately trying to hold on to a lost dream.
“You can’t,” Michael shook his head. He set the bottle down on the bar and rose to leave, pausing long enough to deliver a final epitaph. “If you really love her, Max, then you have to let her go. She has a new life waiting for her, a chance to start over. Let her have that chance.”
Max sat stiffly at the bar staring blindly at the bottle in his hand. The sound of Michael’s departing footsteps diminished until only silence remained, and the heartache of a man crushed beyond hope.
* * * * *
Max pushed through the doors of One Hogan Place entering what in the past he’d jokingly referred to as “enemy territory”. The joke didn’t seem so funny anymore. The District Attorney’s Office looked overworked and understaffed, with crowded offices and phones ringing off the hook. He made his way to a bank of elevators, pressing the up arrow to take him to the fourth floor, to the Trial Division where Michael kept an office.
The ride up was smooth and when the doors opened he turned to the right, knowing exactly where he was going. He’d been here before, but never for a reason like this. It’d never been this personal before. He nodded to some familiar faces as he walked by, Tom Hastings, Brent Sprague, Martha Giamoni, but he didn’t stop to chat. When he made it to Michael’s office he knocked on the open door before he stepped inside.
“Got a minute?” Max asked when Michael looked up from the file he was working on.
“Max,” Michael stiffened, a natural response after all the years of enmity between them.
“I’ve got the paperwork,” Max stepped further into the cramped office. Michael was a public employee, and his office showed it, far from the opulence of Evans, Evans, Petterson and Stone.
Michael rose to his feet, dropping his pen onto the desk before slipping his hands into the pockets of his pants.
“I never meant to go through with it.” Max opened his briefcase and handed Michael a legal document, officially withdrawing his lawsuit. “I was using the court system to get a chance to talk to Liz. It was wrong. I’m sorry.”
Michael took the document and set it on his desk, adding it to the stack of documents already there.
“Look,” Max took a deep breath, struggling to get the words out he knew he had to say. “I’ve thought a lot about what you said yesterday in Cutters. About letting her go. I never meant to hurt her, and . . . if letting her go is what’s best for her, then . . . that’s what I’ll have to do.”
Michael’s mistrust of the man in front of him ran deep, but he had to admit Max looked sincere. Only time would tell if he was trustworthy.
“She’s leaving. Tomorrow,” Michael said, noting the panicked expression that crossed the other man’s face.
Max clutched the handle of his briefcase tighter. She was leaving. She was walking out of his life, and if he loved her as much as he said he did, he would have to let her go. Steeling himself, he did what he had to do, knowing it was right, even though it was killing him.
“I won’t try to stop her.” His stomach quaked at the thought of never seeing Liz again, but he couldn’t think about himself this time. Her happiness was more important than his heartache. If she would be better off without him . . .
Max turned to leave, his business here was done. Michael had won this time, the last case they would ever fight over. Max had no fight left in him. He paused in the doorway, looking back at Michael one last time.
“I love her, Michael. Some day I hope you’ll tell her that, so she doesn’t think this was all just a ruse. I won’t try to interfere in her new life; you have my word on that. I only want what’s best for her.”
Michael watched Max walk away, feeling conflicted inside. The man he saw today was unlike the man he knew in the past, but could he believe a leopard could change spots? Only time would tell.
* * * * *
Liz stood on the sidewalk beside the cab, checking the contents of her purse while Michael fretted over her like the overprotective brother that he was.
“Airline ticket?” he asked.
“Got it,” Liz pulled the envelope out and showed him before stuffing it back.
“ID? You can’t get on the plane without ID.”
“Got it,” she looked at her driver’s license and the name Parker. Elizabeth Parker.
Maria sniffled. Michael squeezed her hand a little harder.
Max looked up at the three people he owned, feeling the weight of their sadness. The park was right across the street. They should go play, and everybody would feel better.
“Money?” Michael asked and reached for his wallet. “Do you have enough money?”
Liz put her hand over Michael’s, giving him a small smile. “I’m fine.”
“What about a phone. Take my phone. Call me as soon as you get there.”
“I have my own phone, Michael. It’s fully charged.”
“I’m gonna miss you,” Maria threw her arms around Liz, both of them tearing up and pretending that they weren’t.
“I’m gonna miss you too,” Liz clung to Maria.
Michael looked away from the two girls and took a deep breath. It wouldn’t be manly to be seen crying on the street corner. His eyes drifted over to the park, and the lone figure that stood there, unmoving, staring this way. His familiar features were unmistakable, and so was the brokenhearted look on his face.
“I have to go,” Liz broke out of Maria’s grasp. She looked up at her brother and they fell into a deep hug.
“Call me,” Michael said into her hair, holding her tight.
“I will,” Liz promised.
She broke away from Michael and dropped down to her knees, blinking back tears as she looked into Max’s deep brown eyes. He wagged his tail a little, and snaked out his tongue to lick her cheek.
“You be a good dog,” she ruffled his hair. Max stood tall, wagging his tail harder now. He was a good boy! Let’s go for a walk in the park!
Liz threw her arms around his furry shoulders and hugged him tightly. She was going to miss Max most of all. She tore herself away from the dog and turned to the cab, wiping her hand across her wet cheek. Max stopped wagging. Was she going somewhere without him?
The cab driver opened the back door for Liz to climb in. She paused at the curb when she saw Max Evans standing across the street. He stood with his hands in his pockets and his shoulders slumped in defeat. His face looked as lost and lonely as she felt.
Their gaze held for a moment while Max silently prayed for her not to go, and then she climbed into the cab and he watched it pull away.
The two Maxes stood flanking opposite sides of the street, watching the cab drive down the road until it turned a corner and disappeared from sight.
She never looked back.
Continued in the next post
Category: Max and Liz, AU
Rating: NC 17 for adult language/content
Additional Author note: Originally, this was intended as the final chapter, however, after a little arm twisting, I’ve decided to add an epilogue. I hope to have it ready for Wednesday night.
Until then, here we go. Posted in two parts due to length . . .
A Walk in the Park
Part 15
Max sat at the bar in Cutters, nursing a beer, wishing he could turn back the clock. The trial was over; he’d withdrawn his suit after it all went horribly wrong. Everything had backfired on him, resulting in the loss of the only girl he’d ever loved. She wouldn’t even talk to him now. She wouldn’t let him come near. He propped his elbow on the bar and leaned his head into his hand, dejected and alone.
“Drowning your sorrows?” Michael took the seat next to Max and ordered a beer from the bartender. Max sat up straight, tensing for another scene. He relaxed slightly when Michael didn’t try to take a swing at him.
“You’re speaking to me?” Max arched an eyebrow. Everyone he knew was pissed at him, either for hurting Liz, or for blowing the case. Some people had big money riding on it.
“Well, we’re both in the dog house, right?” Michael hoisted his beer and took a deep swig, concentrating on a row of bottles lined up behind the bar.
“Yeah,” Max stared into his amber colored ale. “But you’re her brother. She’ll forgive you.”
The implication was clear. Michael was family. They’d work it out. He, on the other hand, was the bastard that broke her heart. No forgiveness was coming his way. Max lifted his beer and drank, knowing it wouldn’t lessen the pain. After he swallowed he turned to Michael, then changed his mind and lowered his head again.
“What?” Michael said, sensing the unasked question.
Max hesitated before finally asking, “Did you really name your dog after me so you could kick him around?”
“No,” Michael let out a small laugh. “I named him Max so I’d have a constant reminder of what a dog you really are.”
“That’s a comforting thought,” Max said sarcastically.
“I don’t know why I named him Max,” Michael admitted. “He was this little ball of fur with really big paws who peed all over the house. I guess it reminded me of you back in our college days.”
Max snorted a humorless laugh and retorted, “I think I like the first explanation better.”
Michael watched a bead of condensation run down the side of his beer bottle. He shifted uncomfortably; apologies didn’t come easily for him. “Look. About college. I was wrong, to hold a grudge for so long.”
“I told you she wasn’t good for you,” Max concentrated on the label of his beer.
“Yeah,” Michael conceded. “But you didn’t have to be the one to prove it to me.”
Max nodded in silent agreement. He probably could have found a better way to show Michael that Ashley wasn’t his type, but the girl was hot. And willing.
“But hey,” Max shrugged his shoulders and curled his lips in a half-hearted smile. “I got a dog named after me, right? I must have left a lasting impression.”
“You could say that,” Michael snorted at the weak joke. “To Max,” he raised his beer in a toast. “Max the dog!”
“I’ll drink to Max,” Max clinked his beer against Michael’s. The old camaraderie they’d once felt toward each other came back easily, once the gloves were taken off.
Max fortified himself with another drink of his beer, taking a long moment before asking, “Who’s Alex?”
He looked at Michael knowing it didn’t really matter. It wouldn’t change anything, but he just wanted to know. To understand the full ramifications of what he’d done. What he’d put Liz through.
Michael stared down into his beer, and at first Max didn’t think he was going to answer. When he did, Max was left wishing that he hadn’t.
“Alex was Liz’s closest friend,” Michael sighed.
“In Roswell?” Max asked.
“No. In college.”
Michael took a deep drink and then set the bottle down. When he continued his voice was solemn.
“Liz was all alone after her parents died. I wish I’d known her then. I could have helped her, but . . .” his voice trailed off. He fidgeted with his beer, turning the bottle in a circle. “She breezed through the first couple of years at Harvard, doubling up on her classes. She entered med school early, academically she was thriving, but she was pretty lonely until Alex came along. She met him in a coffee shop. He was playing in a band. They hit it off right away. They became friends. Best friends.”
“Were they . . .?” Max wanted to ask, though he knew he didn’t have the right.
Michael shook his head. “Alex meant the world to her, but . . . I don’t know if it would have developed into anything more than friends. They never got a chance to find out.”
Michael fell silent, staring down at his beer. Max waited, sensing that his mind was some place else, remember some time in the not too distant past. When he spoke again, Michael’s voice was as somber as his face.
“The night it happened he was playing in a club. A record producer was in the audience. He offered Alex a contract on the spot. They celebrated their good fortune, and Liz drove Alex home afterwards. He’d had too much to drink; it wasn’t safe for him to drive. But . . . the roads were icy. It was Cambridge, in the winter, and Liz wasn’t used to driving in those conditions. She hit a patch of black ice and the car spun out of control. It went over an embankment and down into the river.”
“Oh Jesus,” Max guessed what was coming next, but it was even worse than he imagined.
“Liz got out without a scratch,” Michael continued, “but Alex was trapped. She tried to get him out but his seatbelt was jammed and his foot was wedged under the crushed dashboard. She screamed for help but it was late and nobody was around to hear. She did everything right. She checked him for concussion. For shock. She stopped the bleeding from a laceration where his foot was wedged under the dash. But she couldn’t stop the water that was rising in the car.”
“Oh God,” Max propped his elbows on the bar and leaned into his hands. He didn’t want to hear anymore.
“She struggled to get him out but the water kept rising, up around his chest, and then his throat, and then his face. She promised him she wouldn’t leave him, and Liz never breaks a promise. When the water covered his face she breathed for him, mouth to mouth, until she was too exhausted to do it any more. She watched him drown in front of her.” Michael paused, lost in his own thoughts for a moment before he continued. “She spent a week in the hospital afterwards with hypothermia. She blamed herself for his death. She still does.”
“God, Michael,” Max pushed his beer away.
“She thinks everything good in her life comes at a cost, and I don’t know how much more she can take.”
“I didn’t know.”
“No one does,” Michael turned the bottle in his hands. “She keeps it all inside.”
“Michael,” Max looked at the man he had once been proud to call his friend. “I didn’t know she was your sister, not at first. I fell in love with her because of who she is, not because of who she’s related to. It had nothing to do with me trying to get at you. I know you probably don’t believe me –”
“I believe you, Max,” Michael picked up his beer and took a drink. Liz had a way of doing that, breaking down the barriers. He could see that now that he’d let his own animosity fall away.
“How do I fix this?” Max asked, desperately trying to hold on to a lost dream.
“You can’t,” Michael shook his head. He set the bottle down on the bar and rose to leave, pausing long enough to deliver a final epitaph. “If you really love her, Max, then you have to let her go. She has a new life waiting for her, a chance to start over. Let her have that chance.”
Max sat stiffly at the bar staring blindly at the bottle in his hand. The sound of Michael’s departing footsteps diminished until only silence remained, and the heartache of a man crushed beyond hope.
* * * * *
Max pushed through the doors of One Hogan Place entering what in the past he’d jokingly referred to as “enemy territory”. The joke didn’t seem so funny anymore. The District Attorney’s Office looked overworked and understaffed, with crowded offices and phones ringing off the hook. He made his way to a bank of elevators, pressing the up arrow to take him to the fourth floor, to the Trial Division where Michael kept an office.
The ride up was smooth and when the doors opened he turned to the right, knowing exactly where he was going. He’d been here before, but never for a reason like this. It’d never been this personal before. He nodded to some familiar faces as he walked by, Tom Hastings, Brent Sprague, Martha Giamoni, but he didn’t stop to chat. When he made it to Michael’s office he knocked on the open door before he stepped inside.
“Got a minute?” Max asked when Michael looked up from the file he was working on.
“Max,” Michael stiffened, a natural response after all the years of enmity between them.
“I’ve got the paperwork,” Max stepped further into the cramped office. Michael was a public employee, and his office showed it, far from the opulence of Evans, Evans, Petterson and Stone.
Michael rose to his feet, dropping his pen onto the desk before slipping his hands into the pockets of his pants.
“I never meant to go through with it.” Max opened his briefcase and handed Michael a legal document, officially withdrawing his lawsuit. “I was using the court system to get a chance to talk to Liz. It was wrong. I’m sorry.”
Michael took the document and set it on his desk, adding it to the stack of documents already there.
“Look,” Max took a deep breath, struggling to get the words out he knew he had to say. “I’ve thought a lot about what you said yesterday in Cutters. About letting her go. I never meant to hurt her, and . . . if letting her go is what’s best for her, then . . . that’s what I’ll have to do.”
Michael’s mistrust of the man in front of him ran deep, but he had to admit Max looked sincere. Only time would tell if he was trustworthy.
“She’s leaving. Tomorrow,” Michael said, noting the panicked expression that crossed the other man’s face.
Max clutched the handle of his briefcase tighter. She was leaving. She was walking out of his life, and if he loved her as much as he said he did, he would have to let her go. Steeling himself, he did what he had to do, knowing it was right, even though it was killing him.
“I won’t try to stop her.” His stomach quaked at the thought of never seeing Liz again, but he couldn’t think about himself this time. Her happiness was more important than his heartache. If she would be better off without him . . .
Max turned to leave, his business here was done. Michael had won this time, the last case they would ever fight over. Max had no fight left in him. He paused in the doorway, looking back at Michael one last time.
“I love her, Michael. Some day I hope you’ll tell her that, so she doesn’t think this was all just a ruse. I won’t try to interfere in her new life; you have my word on that. I only want what’s best for her.”
Michael watched Max walk away, feeling conflicted inside. The man he saw today was unlike the man he knew in the past, but could he believe a leopard could change spots? Only time would tell.
* * * * *
Liz stood on the sidewalk beside the cab, checking the contents of her purse while Michael fretted over her like the overprotective brother that he was.
“Airline ticket?” he asked.
“Got it,” Liz pulled the envelope out and showed him before stuffing it back.
“ID? You can’t get on the plane without ID.”
“Got it,” she looked at her driver’s license and the name Parker. Elizabeth Parker.
Maria sniffled. Michael squeezed her hand a little harder.
Max looked up at the three people he owned, feeling the weight of their sadness. The park was right across the street. They should go play, and everybody would feel better.
“Money?” Michael asked and reached for his wallet. “Do you have enough money?”
Liz put her hand over Michael’s, giving him a small smile. “I’m fine.”
“What about a phone. Take my phone. Call me as soon as you get there.”
“I have my own phone, Michael. It’s fully charged.”
“I’m gonna miss you,” Maria threw her arms around Liz, both of them tearing up and pretending that they weren’t.
“I’m gonna miss you too,” Liz clung to Maria.
Michael looked away from the two girls and took a deep breath. It wouldn’t be manly to be seen crying on the street corner. His eyes drifted over to the park, and the lone figure that stood there, unmoving, staring this way. His familiar features were unmistakable, and so was the brokenhearted look on his face.
“I have to go,” Liz broke out of Maria’s grasp. She looked up at her brother and they fell into a deep hug.
“Call me,” Michael said into her hair, holding her tight.
“I will,” Liz promised.
She broke away from Michael and dropped down to her knees, blinking back tears as she looked into Max’s deep brown eyes. He wagged his tail a little, and snaked out his tongue to lick her cheek.
“You be a good dog,” she ruffled his hair. Max stood tall, wagging his tail harder now. He was a good boy! Let’s go for a walk in the park!
Liz threw her arms around his furry shoulders and hugged him tightly. She was going to miss Max most of all. She tore herself away from the dog and turned to the cab, wiping her hand across her wet cheek. Max stopped wagging. Was she going somewhere without him?
The cab driver opened the back door for Liz to climb in. She paused at the curb when she saw Max Evans standing across the street. He stood with his hands in his pockets and his shoulders slumped in defeat. His face looked as lost and lonely as she felt.
Their gaze held for a moment while Max silently prayed for her not to go, and then she climbed into the cab and he watched it pull away.
The two Maxes stood flanking opposite sides of the street, watching the cab drive down the road until it turned a corner and disappeared from sight.
She never looked back.
Continued in the next post
Last edited by Breathless on Mon Oct 27, 2003 2:55 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Breathless
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A Walk in the Park
Part 15 con’t
6 months later
Max stretched out his muscles, going through his warm up exercises before starting out on his nightly run. It was a warm spring night; the kind you looked forward to all winter, but even the arrival of spring couldn’t thaw his heart. Only one person could do that, and she wasn’t here. She hadn’t been here for months.
He ran along the lighted pathways, remembering back to a night last fall, when for one beautiful weekend everything in his life had been perfect. It hadn’t lasted long, but the memory of it would have to last a lifetime. No one else could ever take her place.
His life was drastically different now than a year ago, when everything had always centered around him. He no longer had the stomach for criminal law, and the egotism that came with it. It’d become a game of winning, not who was innocent and who was guilty, and he didn’t want to be a part of it anymore. He switched to contract law, where the only winners were dollar signs, not people’s lives.
He reached the footpath that had changed his life so completely, the one that had brought him together with the girl of his dreams, even though those dreams were now just a distant memory. He wouldn’t trade those few days for anything, though. They’d been the best days of his life.
He crossed over the footpath and noticed a bushy tail lying across the trail. Without conscious thought he skirted around it; he wouldn’t make that mistake twice. He glanced at the canine and his owner as he passed by, feeling the ice around his heart melt just a little. He pulled up, slowing his pace to a stop, watching the recognition cross over the dog’s face.
“Hey Max,” Max said with genuine affection, watching the dog’s tail wag profusely. His owner wasn’t quite as easy. “Hi, Michael.”
“Hi, Max,” Michael nodded. The tension between them was still there, though not as rancorous as before. They weren’t opponents in the courtroom anymore. There was nothing left for them to fight over.
Max knelt down in front of the dog, scratching behind his ears, telling him he was a good boy. The good boy licked the big guy’s face.
“I hear congratulations are in order,” Max said to Michael while deflecting doggie kisses.
“Yeah,” Michael’s stone exterior cracked a little. A small smile crept over his face.
One Max rose to his feet while the other Max went back to sniffing the grass.
“When’s the big day?”
“June 26th. Maria wants to be a June bride, and whatever Maria wants, Maria gets.”
“Will you tell her ‘hi’ for me?”
“Sure.”
The two men stood in awkward silence for a moment, watching the dog sniff at spring blossoms. Max was the first to break it.
“How’s she doing?”
He looked away as soon as the words were out of his mouth. He wasn’t supposed to ask. He’d made a promise not to contact Liz, not to bother her, to let her live her life in peace.
“Good,” Michael answered.
“Good,” Max nodded. “That’s good.”
It was what Max wanted for her. A good life, even if it was without him in it.
“She doesn’t like the humidity, but she’s getting used to it.”
Max soaked up the news like a sponge, but he didn’t push for more. He was grateful Michael offered at least that much.
Michael assessed the new man standing in front of him, the man Max had become over these last few months. If the rumors around the office were true, Max hadn’t made just a career change, but an entire lifestyle change. No new women in his life, brief encounters or otherwise. He never thought he’d hear the words “Max Evans” and “celibate” in the same sentence, but sometimes wonders never ceased. Word was he’d sold his Porsche, too. And the house on the Hudson.
“Well,” Max looked off in the distance, down the lighted pathway. “I guess I better go. Good talking to you, Michael.”
“You too.” Michael watched him turn to go, studying the man who had once been his closest friend.
Last fall, after he dropped the lawsuit, Max had made a promise that he wouldn’t try to contact Liz – for her sake, to let her start a new life and heal in peace. It would have been easy for him to find out where she went. His firm had private detectives on retainer, just for that very thing. But Max had made a promise, and it said something about the man that he’d kept that promise.
“Max,” Michael called out before he walked too far away.
“Yeah?” Max quickly turned around, and then smiled in embarrassment when he realized Michael was probably talking to the dog.
Michael waged a brief internal battle and then surrendered, knowing it was the right thing to do. For both of them.
“Parker.”
“What?” Max said uncertainly, his smile slowly fading from his face.
“She’s listed in the Atlanta phone book under Parker. Elizabeth Parker.”
“Park-” the name stuck in Max’s throat as Michael’s meaning became clear. The crack of ice melting could be heard for miles.
“C’mon Max,” Michael tugged on the dog’s leash. “It’s time to go.”
For Max Evans, no truer words were ever spoken. He turned on his heels and ran.
* * * * *
Liz Parker sat on a blanket under the shade of a towering oak tree, nibbling on a turkey sandwich. A book lay open in her hand. She liked to come to the park at lunchtime to do a little reading. The soft chink of a chain rattled nearby, but she didn’t notice it until a small bundle of black fur streaked across the grass and landed in her lap.
“Whoa!” Liz yelped in surprise at the wiggling puppy.
The puppy squirmed all over her lap, wagging its tail furiously, darting out puppy kisses with its little pink tongue. Its oversized paws told Liz it would be a big dog someday.
“Where’d you come from?” Liz cooed at it. Her eyes swept over the park, but it looked empty. Just her and the dog.
“What’s your name? Huh?” She tugged on the collar buried in her fur and found a small medallion. She turned it over, surprised by the name engraved there. “Parker?”
Liz stared at the dog, wiggling and squirming on her lap, trying valiantly to leap up and lick her face. “Where’d you get a name like Parker?”
“It belonged to someone I used to know,” a deep voice came from behind her. Soft. Melodic. Familiar. “I didn’t want to ever forget the name.”
Liz didn’t move. Parker found her abandoned turkey sandwich and chowed down. Liz didn’t notice.
She could only see the shoes that had appeared at the edge of the blanket. She slowly looked up the legs, the torso, all the way to his familiar handsome face. Her breath caught when their eyes met, just the sight of him making her heart race and her stomach flutter.
The breeze stilled. Parker sniffed around the blanket. The outside world ceased to exist. When Liz spoke it was soft, hesitant, barely more than a whisper.
“What are you doing here, Max?”
He knelt down, coming eye level with Liz, petting his fingers through the puppy’s soft fur when she nuzzled against his hand.
“Walking my dog in the park.”
Liz held her reaction in check. She couldn’t let him see how her heart skipped a beat just having him near. How she’d dreamed of a moment like this.
“I mean in Atlanta.”
Max willed his voice to remain calm, steady, in direct contrast to his inner trembling. He couldn’t take his eyes off her.
“I live here now.”
Surprise filled her face.
“I opened an office,” Max elaborated. “Family law.”
Isabel had been right last fall when she told him to grow up. It’d been a long time coming, but now he finally had. He was no longer driven by the need to win. It took losing everything for him to finally understand that.
“You moved here?” her surprise betrayed her feeling. “But your mom. Your dad. I know how much your family means to you. Don’t you miss them?”
His fingers brushed against hers, forcing out a confession. “I miss you more.”
“Max . . .” Liz looked at his hands, not trusting herself to look at his face.
Max studied her every move. He had so much he wanted to say to her, so much he wanted to make up for, so much riding on this moment.
“How’d you find me?” she finally asked, still keeping her head down.
“Michael told me.”
Her head shot up, her wide eyes looking into his.
“I know,” Max smiled, the kind of smile that made ice melt. “It surprised me, too.” He wouldn’t have come here without Michael’s permission.
“He told me he ran into you in the park a few weeks ago,” Liz said softly. “He said he made his peace with you.”
“He did,” Max nodded. “I think we both found peace that night.”
“That’s good,” Liz commented, trying to keep her voice strong. “I’m glad. You were friends once. Maybe you can be friends again.”
“Maybe,” Max said, not thinking of Michael anymore. It wasn’t Michael he wanted to rekindle a relationship with.
The clock tower at the far edge of the park rang once, telling Liz her lunch hour was over. She gathered her things together while Max apprehensively watched her rise to her feet.
“I have to go back,” she said, not looking at him.
“Can I walk with you?” Max asked. He reached for the blanket, shaking it out and then folding it neatly, watching Liz’s every move. His life, his whole future, hinged on her answer.
She dropped her book, cursing herself silently for her shaking hand. She reached for it at the same time Max did, their fingers colliding over the cover, their eyes locking for a moment until he pulled his hand away. She picked the book up and tucked it in her tote bag.
“Romance novel, huh?” Max said, pointing at the Fabio look-alike on the cover. His tone sounded light, but his smile was awkward. Strained. A man afraid of losing everything all over again.
“More like fantasy,” Liz tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The book was the stuff of fairy tales. Prince Charming. A knight in shining armor riding to the rescue. Things that didn’t happen in the real world. Things that didn’t happen to her.
Watching her, Max noticed how her smile couldn’t hide the sadness he saw in her eyes. His stomach clenched, knowing some of that sadness had to do with him. He wanted to touch her, to kiss her, to tell her how much he loved her.
“Liz, I -”
“I have an office in that building over there,” Liz interrupted, pointing at a structure across the street from the park. She slung the tote bag over her shoulder and moved in that direction. He fell in step beside her, grateful for her unspoken permission allowing him to walk with her, at least for a few more minutes, instead of sending him away.
“Do you like it?” he asked. “The work, I mean?”
“I love it,” Liz smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She was lonely.
As lonely as he was.
“Can I see you again?” he blurted out. He didn’t mean to, he just couldn’t keep it in. “For coffee maybe,” he stuttered, “or, or lunch, or,” he rambled on, knowing if he kept talking, then she couldn’t tell him no, and he could go on thinking he could somehow make things right with her.
“Max,” she dropped her head forward. Her long hair partially covered her face.
“What about Parker?” he hurried on, grabbing at straws. Anything to keep the hope alive. “You can’t deny your namesake, now can you? How can you not want to see her again?”
They stopped to look at the puppy, chasing butterflies through the grass just a few feet away.
“She is adorable,” Liz felt herself melting.
“Yes,” Max said seriously, not talking about the puppy. “She’s beautiful.”
Liz slowly looked up into Max’s anxious face. He was wearing his heart on his sleeve and she felt herself falling all over again. His hand lifted to cup her cheek. She lowered her gaze but didn’t back away.
“Everything I told you was the truth, Liz,” Max poured his heart out.
“I know,” Liz said softly. She’d had a lot of time to think, and Michael’s recent confessions had painted a new picture about what happened last fall. Not that it mattered.
“It didn’t have anything to do with Michael,” Max bared his soul. “I fell totally and completely in love with you before I even knew you had a brother.”
She looked up at him then, believing everything he said, but afraid to let it change things. Happiness was something that just wasn’t meant for her.
“Liz,” Max stared into her eyes. “You’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met. I knew it the first time I saw you. I was standing in the doorway of a deli and you walked by with that monstrous dog, and I fell head over heels in love with you.”
“You did?” her soft voice matched the wonder in her eyes.
His fingers touched her tender skin, caressing her gently, looking deeply into her eyes. He said to her softly, “I still am.”
She held his cherishing gaze, wondering if she could take the risk of opening her heart to take another chance. When she finally spoke, she whispered so softly he almost couldn’t hear her.
“So am I.”
The air rushed from his lungs and his head dropped forward, his forehead touching hers, sighing a breath of relief. His heart leapt with a joy he hadn’t felt for months, since he saw her climb into a cab and watched her drive away. He breathed in her sweet scent, an intoxicating smell he’d spent far too many months without. His lips were drawn to hers, softly touching her, tenderly telling her of the depth of his love for her. Her soft answer matched his, a gentle kiss, yet deep in emotion.
When they parted, the small smile that spread across her face lit his world.
Max wrapped her in his arms, swelling with love and joy and happiness beyond belief. She turned her head against his chest, breathing in this man she loved, this man that she believed in. Her happiness was short-lived as she saw Parker race across the grass chasing a butterfly, running straight for the busy street.
“No!” she cried, pushing away from Max, covering her mouth with her hands, watching the inevitable. Her happiness always came at a price. The puppy ran straight for the road. “NO!”
Max stumbled back when she pushed against his chest. His first thought was of rejection, that she didn’t want him after all, until he saw what she was looking at. He opened his mouth and shouted at the dog.
“PARKER!”
The puppy came to a skidding stop of pin wheeling legs and oversized feet, on the grassy strip just before the street.
“Parker, COME!” Max barked sternly. The puppy obediently complied. She raced back to her master with her tail wagging behind her. Liz scooped her up, holding her tightly in trembling arms while Parker licked her face.
“God,” Liz gasped. “I thought . . .”
“Nothing bad is going to happen, Liz,” Max lifted her face to look into her eyes. “I won’t let it.”
Liz stared up at him, seeing his strength, his confidence, his certainty that joy in life didn’t always lead to heartache. A hopeful smile graced her face; maybe he could help her believe it, too.
Max cast off his tension with an answering smile of his own. He lifted the puppy out of Liz’s arms and set her on her feet, fastening her leash into place. Parker bounded away, chasing butterflies again, tugging on his arm.
“I should let you go,” Max dipped his head and took a step back. It was time for her to go back to work, and he didn’t want to ask for too much. He would take whatever she was willing to give, five minutes now, maybe more in the future. His head shot up in surprise when her hand covered his, lingering for a moment before pulling the leash away. She held out the tote bag for him to take in exchange.
“What?” Max asked with a hesitant smile, not sure of her intentions. He didn’t want to say or do the wrong thing. Smooth moves didn’t mean anything when it came to matters of the heart.
She slipped her arm inside his elbow and turned them to walk across the grass, deeper into the park, away from the street and the buildings beyond.
“Where are we going?” he asked, with a warmth spreading through his body that was caused by more than just the sun. The melting of the ice around his heart was now complete.
Liz looked at Max with a radiance returning to her eyes that hadn’t been there in months. Her smile dazzled with its brilliance, a vision sent to him from heaven, her answer floating to him in the form of a question, delivered on angel wings.
“It’s a beautiful day for a walk in the park, don’t you think?”
I'll be back with the epilogue sometime between Wednesday and next weekend.
Part 15 con’t
6 months later
Max stretched out his muscles, going through his warm up exercises before starting out on his nightly run. It was a warm spring night; the kind you looked forward to all winter, but even the arrival of spring couldn’t thaw his heart. Only one person could do that, and she wasn’t here. She hadn’t been here for months.
He ran along the lighted pathways, remembering back to a night last fall, when for one beautiful weekend everything in his life had been perfect. It hadn’t lasted long, but the memory of it would have to last a lifetime. No one else could ever take her place.
His life was drastically different now than a year ago, when everything had always centered around him. He no longer had the stomach for criminal law, and the egotism that came with it. It’d become a game of winning, not who was innocent and who was guilty, and he didn’t want to be a part of it anymore. He switched to contract law, where the only winners were dollar signs, not people’s lives.
He reached the footpath that had changed his life so completely, the one that had brought him together with the girl of his dreams, even though those dreams were now just a distant memory. He wouldn’t trade those few days for anything, though. They’d been the best days of his life.
He crossed over the footpath and noticed a bushy tail lying across the trail. Without conscious thought he skirted around it; he wouldn’t make that mistake twice. He glanced at the canine and his owner as he passed by, feeling the ice around his heart melt just a little. He pulled up, slowing his pace to a stop, watching the recognition cross over the dog’s face.
“Hey Max,” Max said with genuine affection, watching the dog’s tail wag profusely. His owner wasn’t quite as easy. “Hi, Michael.”
“Hi, Max,” Michael nodded. The tension between them was still there, though not as rancorous as before. They weren’t opponents in the courtroom anymore. There was nothing left for them to fight over.
Max knelt down in front of the dog, scratching behind his ears, telling him he was a good boy. The good boy licked the big guy’s face.
“I hear congratulations are in order,” Max said to Michael while deflecting doggie kisses.
“Yeah,” Michael’s stone exterior cracked a little. A small smile crept over his face.
One Max rose to his feet while the other Max went back to sniffing the grass.
“When’s the big day?”
“June 26th. Maria wants to be a June bride, and whatever Maria wants, Maria gets.”
“Will you tell her ‘hi’ for me?”
“Sure.”
The two men stood in awkward silence for a moment, watching the dog sniff at spring blossoms. Max was the first to break it.
“How’s she doing?”
He looked away as soon as the words were out of his mouth. He wasn’t supposed to ask. He’d made a promise not to contact Liz, not to bother her, to let her live her life in peace.
“Good,” Michael answered.
“Good,” Max nodded. “That’s good.”
It was what Max wanted for her. A good life, even if it was without him in it.
“She doesn’t like the humidity, but she’s getting used to it.”
Max soaked up the news like a sponge, but he didn’t push for more. He was grateful Michael offered at least that much.
Michael assessed the new man standing in front of him, the man Max had become over these last few months. If the rumors around the office were true, Max hadn’t made just a career change, but an entire lifestyle change. No new women in his life, brief encounters or otherwise. He never thought he’d hear the words “Max Evans” and “celibate” in the same sentence, but sometimes wonders never ceased. Word was he’d sold his Porsche, too. And the house on the Hudson.
“Well,” Max looked off in the distance, down the lighted pathway. “I guess I better go. Good talking to you, Michael.”
“You too.” Michael watched him turn to go, studying the man who had once been his closest friend.
Last fall, after he dropped the lawsuit, Max had made a promise that he wouldn’t try to contact Liz – for her sake, to let her start a new life and heal in peace. It would have been easy for him to find out where she went. His firm had private detectives on retainer, just for that very thing. But Max had made a promise, and it said something about the man that he’d kept that promise.
“Max,” Michael called out before he walked too far away.
“Yeah?” Max quickly turned around, and then smiled in embarrassment when he realized Michael was probably talking to the dog.
Michael waged a brief internal battle and then surrendered, knowing it was the right thing to do. For both of them.
“Parker.”
“What?” Max said uncertainly, his smile slowly fading from his face.
“She’s listed in the Atlanta phone book under Parker. Elizabeth Parker.”
“Park-” the name stuck in Max’s throat as Michael’s meaning became clear. The crack of ice melting could be heard for miles.
“C’mon Max,” Michael tugged on the dog’s leash. “It’s time to go.”
For Max Evans, no truer words were ever spoken. He turned on his heels and ran.
* * * * *
Liz Parker sat on a blanket under the shade of a towering oak tree, nibbling on a turkey sandwich. A book lay open in her hand. She liked to come to the park at lunchtime to do a little reading. The soft chink of a chain rattled nearby, but she didn’t notice it until a small bundle of black fur streaked across the grass and landed in her lap.
“Whoa!” Liz yelped in surprise at the wiggling puppy.
The puppy squirmed all over her lap, wagging its tail furiously, darting out puppy kisses with its little pink tongue. Its oversized paws told Liz it would be a big dog someday.
“Where’d you come from?” Liz cooed at it. Her eyes swept over the park, but it looked empty. Just her and the dog.
“What’s your name? Huh?” She tugged on the collar buried in her fur and found a small medallion. She turned it over, surprised by the name engraved there. “Parker?”
Liz stared at the dog, wiggling and squirming on her lap, trying valiantly to leap up and lick her face. “Where’d you get a name like Parker?”
“It belonged to someone I used to know,” a deep voice came from behind her. Soft. Melodic. Familiar. “I didn’t want to ever forget the name.”
Liz didn’t move. Parker found her abandoned turkey sandwich and chowed down. Liz didn’t notice.
She could only see the shoes that had appeared at the edge of the blanket. She slowly looked up the legs, the torso, all the way to his familiar handsome face. Her breath caught when their eyes met, just the sight of him making her heart race and her stomach flutter.
The breeze stilled. Parker sniffed around the blanket. The outside world ceased to exist. When Liz spoke it was soft, hesitant, barely more than a whisper.
“What are you doing here, Max?”
He knelt down, coming eye level with Liz, petting his fingers through the puppy’s soft fur when she nuzzled against his hand.
“Walking my dog in the park.”
Liz held her reaction in check. She couldn’t let him see how her heart skipped a beat just having him near. How she’d dreamed of a moment like this.
“I mean in Atlanta.”
Max willed his voice to remain calm, steady, in direct contrast to his inner trembling. He couldn’t take his eyes off her.
“I live here now.”
Surprise filled her face.
“I opened an office,” Max elaborated. “Family law.”
Isabel had been right last fall when she told him to grow up. It’d been a long time coming, but now he finally had. He was no longer driven by the need to win. It took losing everything for him to finally understand that.
“You moved here?” her surprise betrayed her feeling. “But your mom. Your dad. I know how much your family means to you. Don’t you miss them?”
His fingers brushed against hers, forcing out a confession. “I miss you more.”
“Max . . .” Liz looked at his hands, not trusting herself to look at his face.
Max studied her every move. He had so much he wanted to say to her, so much he wanted to make up for, so much riding on this moment.
“How’d you find me?” she finally asked, still keeping her head down.
“Michael told me.”
Her head shot up, her wide eyes looking into his.
“I know,” Max smiled, the kind of smile that made ice melt. “It surprised me, too.” He wouldn’t have come here without Michael’s permission.
“He told me he ran into you in the park a few weeks ago,” Liz said softly. “He said he made his peace with you.”
“He did,” Max nodded. “I think we both found peace that night.”
“That’s good,” Liz commented, trying to keep her voice strong. “I’m glad. You were friends once. Maybe you can be friends again.”
“Maybe,” Max said, not thinking of Michael anymore. It wasn’t Michael he wanted to rekindle a relationship with.
The clock tower at the far edge of the park rang once, telling Liz her lunch hour was over. She gathered her things together while Max apprehensively watched her rise to her feet.
“I have to go back,” she said, not looking at him.
“Can I walk with you?” Max asked. He reached for the blanket, shaking it out and then folding it neatly, watching Liz’s every move. His life, his whole future, hinged on her answer.
She dropped her book, cursing herself silently for her shaking hand. She reached for it at the same time Max did, their fingers colliding over the cover, their eyes locking for a moment until he pulled his hand away. She picked the book up and tucked it in her tote bag.
“Romance novel, huh?” Max said, pointing at the Fabio look-alike on the cover. His tone sounded light, but his smile was awkward. Strained. A man afraid of losing everything all over again.
“More like fantasy,” Liz tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The book was the stuff of fairy tales. Prince Charming. A knight in shining armor riding to the rescue. Things that didn’t happen in the real world. Things that didn’t happen to her.
Watching her, Max noticed how her smile couldn’t hide the sadness he saw in her eyes. His stomach clenched, knowing some of that sadness had to do with him. He wanted to touch her, to kiss her, to tell her how much he loved her.
“Liz, I -”
“I have an office in that building over there,” Liz interrupted, pointing at a structure across the street from the park. She slung the tote bag over her shoulder and moved in that direction. He fell in step beside her, grateful for her unspoken permission allowing him to walk with her, at least for a few more minutes, instead of sending him away.
“Do you like it?” he asked. “The work, I mean?”
“I love it,” Liz smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She was lonely.
As lonely as he was.
“Can I see you again?” he blurted out. He didn’t mean to, he just couldn’t keep it in. “For coffee maybe,” he stuttered, “or, or lunch, or,” he rambled on, knowing if he kept talking, then she couldn’t tell him no, and he could go on thinking he could somehow make things right with her.
“Max,” she dropped her head forward. Her long hair partially covered her face.
“What about Parker?” he hurried on, grabbing at straws. Anything to keep the hope alive. “You can’t deny your namesake, now can you? How can you not want to see her again?”
They stopped to look at the puppy, chasing butterflies through the grass just a few feet away.
“She is adorable,” Liz felt herself melting.
“Yes,” Max said seriously, not talking about the puppy. “She’s beautiful.”
Liz slowly looked up into Max’s anxious face. He was wearing his heart on his sleeve and she felt herself falling all over again. His hand lifted to cup her cheek. She lowered her gaze but didn’t back away.
“Everything I told you was the truth, Liz,” Max poured his heart out.
“I know,” Liz said softly. She’d had a lot of time to think, and Michael’s recent confessions had painted a new picture about what happened last fall. Not that it mattered.
“It didn’t have anything to do with Michael,” Max bared his soul. “I fell totally and completely in love with you before I even knew you had a brother.”
She looked up at him then, believing everything he said, but afraid to let it change things. Happiness was something that just wasn’t meant for her.
“Liz,” Max stared into her eyes. “You’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met. I knew it the first time I saw you. I was standing in the doorway of a deli and you walked by with that monstrous dog, and I fell head over heels in love with you.”
“You did?” her soft voice matched the wonder in her eyes.
His fingers touched her tender skin, caressing her gently, looking deeply into her eyes. He said to her softly, “I still am.”
She held his cherishing gaze, wondering if she could take the risk of opening her heart to take another chance. When she finally spoke, she whispered so softly he almost couldn’t hear her.
“So am I.”
The air rushed from his lungs and his head dropped forward, his forehead touching hers, sighing a breath of relief. His heart leapt with a joy he hadn’t felt for months, since he saw her climb into a cab and watched her drive away. He breathed in her sweet scent, an intoxicating smell he’d spent far too many months without. His lips were drawn to hers, softly touching her, tenderly telling her of the depth of his love for her. Her soft answer matched his, a gentle kiss, yet deep in emotion.
When they parted, the small smile that spread across her face lit his world.
Max wrapped her in his arms, swelling with love and joy and happiness beyond belief. She turned her head against his chest, breathing in this man she loved, this man that she believed in. Her happiness was short-lived as she saw Parker race across the grass chasing a butterfly, running straight for the busy street.
“No!” she cried, pushing away from Max, covering her mouth with her hands, watching the inevitable. Her happiness always came at a price. The puppy ran straight for the road. “NO!”
Max stumbled back when she pushed against his chest. His first thought was of rejection, that she didn’t want him after all, until he saw what she was looking at. He opened his mouth and shouted at the dog.
“PARKER!”
The puppy came to a skidding stop of pin wheeling legs and oversized feet, on the grassy strip just before the street.
“Parker, COME!” Max barked sternly. The puppy obediently complied. She raced back to her master with her tail wagging behind her. Liz scooped her up, holding her tightly in trembling arms while Parker licked her face.
“God,” Liz gasped. “I thought . . .”
“Nothing bad is going to happen, Liz,” Max lifted her face to look into her eyes. “I won’t let it.”
Liz stared up at him, seeing his strength, his confidence, his certainty that joy in life didn’t always lead to heartache. A hopeful smile graced her face; maybe he could help her believe it, too.
Max cast off his tension with an answering smile of his own. He lifted the puppy out of Liz’s arms and set her on her feet, fastening her leash into place. Parker bounded away, chasing butterflies again, tugging on his arm.
“I should let you go,” Max dipped his head and took a step back. It was time for her to go back to work, and he didn’t want to ask for too much. He would take whatever she was willing to give, five minutes now, maybe more in the future. His head shot up in surprise when her hand covered his, lingering for a moment before pulling the leash away. She held out the tote bag for him to take in exchange.
“What?” Max asked with a hesitant smile, not sure of her intentions. He didn’t want to say or do the wrong thing. Smooth moves didn’t mean anything when it came to matters of the heart.
She slipped her arm inside his elbow and turned them to walk across the grass, deeper into the park, away from the street and the buildings beyond.
“Where are we going?” he asked, with a warmth spreading through his body that was caused by more than just the sun. The melting of the ice around his heart was now complete.
Liz looked at Max with a radiance returning to her eyes that hadn’t been there in months. Her smile dazzled with its brilliance, a vision sent to him from heaven, her answer floating to him in the form of a question, delivered on angel wings.
“It’s a beautiful day for a walk in the park, don’t you think?”
I'll be back with the epilogue sometime between Wednesday and next weekend.
-
Breathless
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A Walk in the Park, Epilogue
Author: Debbi aka Breathless
Category: Max and Liz, AU
Rating: NC 17 for adult language/content
Author note: I should take the time to acknowledge each and every one of you by name, but then the end of this story would probably be delayed by about a week, and I don’t think any of you want that! Just know that I’ve read each and every word of your feedback, and that it’s touched me tremendously.
This epilogue is pure fluff, a return to the tone set in the beginning. I hope you enjoy!
Posted in 3 parts due to length . . .
A Walk in the Park
Epilogue
Max maneuvered the rental car through the parking lot, bringing it to a stop under the shade of a flowering cherry tree. The sun laced through its branches, slicing across the hood of the car, warming the interior on this fine June day. He reached for the key and cut the engine, but he didn’t remove it from the ignition. Not yet anyway. His gaze drifted over to the church, to the stone façade and the stained glass windows, fortifying himself for the upcoming encounter. He was tense, on edge, and not sure he should be here, until her warm hand touched his arm and chased his fears away.
“He knows we’re coming.”
Max looked into Liz’s deep brown eyes, wishing he felt as confident as she looked.
“He’s not going to growl when he sees you,” Liz teased.
“Are you sure about that?” Max couldn’t help but meet her smile with one of his own. There was just something about her that always made him smile.
“Well, no,” Liz admitted, and then laughed at the panic stricken look that filled his face. Trying to soothe him, she said, “Max, Michael knows we’re together.”
“Yeah, but he hasn’t seen us together,” Max reminded her.
“I think he has other things on his mind today.” Liz squeezed his arm and then reached for the door handle. “We better get in there. I still have to get dressed, and do something with my hair, and Maria’s probably bouncing off the walls.”
“Wait,” Max stopped her from opening the door. She looked at him expectantly, questioningly, and then blushed when he said, “You know, the bridesmaid isn’t supposed to be more beautiful than the bride, but in this case . . .”
Max leaned over and kissed Liz gently on her lips, softly so he wouldn’t ruin her makeup. His hand cupped her cheek, her throat, and when he broke the kiss he stayed close, resting his forehead against hers.
“Thank you,” she smiled up at him.
“Welcome,” he smiled back.
“We better go.”
Max took in a deep breath and nodded his head. He hadn’t seen or spoken to Michael in over two months, not since that fateful meeting in the park. He knew that their strained relationship was better now, but still, he wasn’t sure how Michael was going to react to him being here, today, on his wedding day.
“Come on,” Liz gave his arm a tug. The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on her. Max was a confident man, sure of himself, always in control, except when it came to his heart. Over the last few weeks she’d learned a lot about him as their relationship slowly progressed, and winning Michael’s acceptance, his approval, was more important to Max than he was willing to admit, but it showed in his nervous actions. That she was trying to boost his confidence was classic irony.
Max opened his car door and hurried around to help Liz out of the passenger side. He held her hand tightly in his as they walked to the church, passing through the security checkpoints Maria had been forced to employ. Her fame had its downsides, and one of those was privacy. Her wedding was going to be small, a private affair, with only their closest family and friends.
An air of hushed excitement hit them as they entered the church. Flower bouquets filled the foyer, the sound of musical instruments being tuned drifted on the air, a shrill voice shattered the reverent setting.
“Liz! Oh, you sweet dear! Let me look at you!”
A woman swept in out of nowhere, embracing Liz who took it in stride. She’d met Amy DeLuca before.
“You look so pretty!” Amy held Liz out at arms length. “And who is this?” Amy winked as she looked at Max.
“This is Max Evans,” Liz blushed. “Max, this is Maria’s mother, Amy De –”
“Call me Amy!” she brushed off the formal introduction.
Max held out his hand, saying, “Nice to –”
“Aren’t you just the most darling couple!” Amy gushed. It was Max’s turn to blush when she pinched his cheek and gave it a good shake. Not even his own grandmother pinched his cheek anymore. She winked at Liz again and exclaimed, “Liz, he’s so handsome!”
Max didn’t know what to say. Liz was blushing too hard to think.
“Sean!” Amy shouted and looked around the foyer until she spotted him. “Sean, bring me one of those!” A beleaguered young man arrived carrying a box full of boutonnières, small pink rose buds with short little stems. Amy grabbed one and sent him on his way. She smiled at Max as she affixed the bud to the lapel of his black suit, while a running commentary flew from her mouth. “Maria is just a nervous wreck! She’s so hyper; I don’t know where she gets it!”
Max exchanged a look with Liz, arching an eyebrow. Liz bit her lower lip, trying hard not to laugh.
“Oh! Oh, Walter!” Amy shouted at an elderly man setting a flower arrangement on a table. “Not there! That one goes inside!” She rushed in his direction, arms flying as she rattled off instructions.
“So that’s Maria’s mother?” Max deadpanned. “Poor Michael.”
Liz leaned against Max’s arm, burying her face against his shoulder to smother the laughter. Max kissed the top of her head, smiling from ear to ear. His hand smoothed through her hair, fingering the silky tresses, basking in the glow of her happiness.
Michael stood in the church doorway watching. He’d spent a lot of years hating Max Evans, but he couldn’t deny the effect Max had on Liz. She was more alive than he’d ever seen her. Vibrant. Bursting with happiness. It was written all over her face, a confidence, a wholeness he’d never seen in her before. And the truth was, Liz wasn’t the only one. Michael could see it in Max, too. A look in Max’s eyes Michael had never seen there before. Contentment. Commitment. Completeness. Love.
Michael pushed away from the doorframe and stepped into the foyer, walking in their direction.
“Well, look what the cat dragged in.”
Max stiffened at the sound of Michael’s voice, with the smile sliding from his face. Liz whirled around, beaming at her brother as she ran to meet him. Michael wrapped her in his arms, hugging her like the protective big brother that he was.
“I’m glad you’re here,” his tone softened. He looked up and met Max’s eyes, adding, “Both of you.”
The tension in Max relaxed, the stiffness in his muscles softening in response to Michael’s welcome. Liz stretched on tiptoes to kiss her brother’s cheek, then stepped back to join Max.
“Did you have a good flight?” Michael asked, offering his hand.
“Smooth sailing,” Max took it, palm to palm.
“Maria was freaked you wouldn’t get here in time.” He pulled his hand back after a crisp shake and slipped it into his pocket.
“I had a deposition yesterday I couldn’t miss,” Max explained. “We couldn’t get a flight out until this morning.”
“Where are you staying?” Michael asked.
“My sister’s,” Max looked from Michael to Liz, then back. “She has plenty of room.” He paused and then added, “Two bedrooms.”
“Liz!” Amy swept over them like a hurricane. “Come, come, dear girl! It’s almost time and you’re not even dressed!”
Amy absconded with Liz, dragging her toward the vestibule. Liz looked over her shoulder at the two men, hoping they’d get along. When she disappeared from sight, Michael and Max were left facing each other.
“She looks good,” Michael noted. Happy. He didn’t think he’d ever seen Liz look so happy.
“She just got promoted,” Max announced. “Head researcher in her group. Quite a feat for someone her age.” Max’s face showed his obvious pride in her accomplishment.
“Good for her.”
Michael was fairly certain that Liz’s happiness wasn’t entirely work related, but he let that go unspoken. He moved forward, through the double doors into the church. Max fell in step beside him.
“Whose side do you want to sit on?” Michael led him up the center aisle. “My side, or Maria’s?”
Amy swept through a side door running toward the front of the church. Max watched her frantic gesturing for a moment, then turned back to Michael and said, “Yours.”
“Good man,” Michael laughed and slapped a hand on his shoulder.
* * * * *
“Oh, Maria!” Liz stood in the doorway staring at her brother’s bride. The white satin dress hugged her torso, the full skirt billowed around her legs, the train trailed off behind her. Sequins and beads glittered everywhere. “You look gorgeous!”
Maria spun around, holding out her arms. “A Vera Wang original!”
Liz stepped closer, looking Maria up and down, sighing at the beautiful dress.
“Come here, you!” Maria threw her arms around Liz. After they hugged, Maria grabbed Liz’s cheek and pinched. “I’ve missed you so much!”
“I’ve missed you, too!” Liz swatted her hand away. No doubt about it, Maria was her mother’s daughter!
“Tell me everything!” Maria demanded. “Is Max with you?”
Liz nodded, biting her lower lip to hold in the smile.
“And?” Maria fished for more.
“And what?” Liz feigned innocence.
“You know what!” Maria scolded. “Are you two . . .?”
“Maria,” Liz blushed. Maria plopped her hands on her hips, determined to find out. It didn’t take long until Liz caved. “We’re together . . . but not together together.”
“You’re not . . .?” Maria frowned.
“Sleeping together?” Liz finished her question. She shook her head, saying, “No. I . . . no.”
“You aren’t ready?” Maria asked, showing her concern.
“It’s not that,” Liz slipped off her dress and laid it over the back of a chair. She took her bridesmaid dress off the back of the door and removed it from the hanger. She stepped into the satiny pink dress while Maria moved around behind her.
“Then what is it?” Maria zipped up the back of the dress.
“I hate bridesmaid dresses,” Liz declared, looking at her reflection in the mirror. Poofy sleeves. Poofy skirt. Poofy flower on the hip.
“You look beautiful,” Maria admonished, “and don’t change the subject.” She turned Liz around, cupping the girl’s cheeks between her hands. “Now tell me what’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” Liz pulled Maria’s hands away from her face. “We’re taking things slow. Taking the time to really get to know each other.”
“And?” Maria urged her to keep talking.
“And . . .” Liz dipped her head. She hedged for a moment, then looked up at Maria through her lashes, smiling widely. “The more I get to know him, the more I love him.”
“Oh, chica!” Maria hugged her. “I’m so happy for you! Now let’s go do our hair!”
* * * * *
Max sat in the second pew watching the activity going on around him. He acknowledged a wave here and there, returned a few greetings from former colleagues or prosecutors he’d known over the years. He chatted with the couple sitting beside him, until the music changed and everyone turned to look toward the back of the church.
A bridesmaid entered on the arm of a handsome young man, but it wasn’t the bridesmaid Max wanted to see. The couple walked up the aisle while Max strained his neck to see behind them. A second couple entered but Max barely noticed them. In the wings he’d gotten a glimpse of Liz, and just one look was enough to take his breath away.
She stood waiting her turn in line, looking radiant in pink, her hair piled high on her head with small white flowers sprinkled among the dark tresses. Tendrils caressed the column of her throat, some nearly touching the pale skin of her shoulders. The color of her dress complemented her skin tone, blending with the pink color of her cheeks. The man beside her said something which made her smile nervously. She nodded her head and they moved forward, falling into step behind the others.
Max watched her move up the aisle, floating gracefully like an angel, struck silent by her absolute beauty. The music changed to the familiar tones of The Wedding March, but Max barely noticed when Maria entered the church. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from Liz.
As she neared their eyes met, and for a brief moment he pictured her in white, walking up the aisle to become his wife. It was a dream he hoped to someday make a reality. Their relationship had been building nicely over these last few weeks; dinners after work, weekends together walking on the beach or strolling through the park, stargazing after dark. They were taking things nice and slow, even though he went crazy going home alone without her every night. But someday she’d be ready to let things move to the next level. He was just waiting for her signal, and willing to wait however long that took.
The rest of the ceremony went by in a blur. Maria and Michael stood face to face exchanging heartfelt vows. Maria’s hand shook as Michael slipped a ring on her finger. Michael wasn’t any calmer when Maria did the same. Their extended kiss went on and on and on, making the church fill with laughter.
The ceremony ended with the new bride and groom introduced to their family and friends. They walked up the aisle arm in arm, but Max couldn’t see anyone except Liz following behind them. She smiled at him as she passed by, making his stomach rumble.
Emotions he’d been trying to hold in check for weeks were clawing to the surface.
* * * * *
“Care to dance?” Max whispered close to her ear. He took the champagne glass out of her hand and set it on the table.
“I thought you’d never ask,” Liz smiled up at him. The reception was in full swing, with music filling the hall, blending with the chatter of overlapping conversations.
Max drew her out onto the dance floor, slipping his right arm around her small waist, and his left hand around her soft one. They joined the other dancers crowding the space, but Max and Liz didn’t notice any of them. They only had eyes for each other.
Maria watched them from the center of the dance floor. She looked up at her handsome new husband, smiling at him with a gleam in her eyes. “Are you ready to switch partners?”
“Already?” Michael raised an eyebrow. “We just got married.”
“Not that kind of switching partners!” Maria slapped him on the chest.
“What kind then?” he laughed, tightening his arm around her.
“That kind,” Maria looked toward where Liz and Max were dancing together several feet away. Michael nodded and they headed that way.
Max moved slowly to the music, feeling Liz’s warm body close to his. A swirl of white suddenly wrenched him from her arms, startling him out of his Liz haze.
“Mind if I cut in?” Michael asked, pulling Liz away while Maria swept Max in the opposite direction. The crowd swallowed them up, blocking their view of each other.
“It was a beautiful ceremony,” Liz settled into her brother’s arms. He towered above her even though she was wearing 3 inch heels.
“It was nice, wasn’t it?” he grinned.
“You both look really happy.”
“So do you,” Michael brushed his finger affectionately under her chin. “Is he treating you right?”
“Yes, Michael, he treats me very right.”
“Well he better,” Michael warned. “Or I’ll have to come down to Atlanta and kick his ass.”
“Michael!” Liz huffed, but she wasn’t mad. She saw the humor sparking in her brother’s eyes.
“As long as he makes you happy,” Michael chuckled at her outburst.
Across the dance floor Max valiantly tried to keep Liz in sight. He didn’t like to be apart from her for a single moment.
“Hey, I’m the bride,” Maria scolded. “You’re supposed to pay attention to me.”
“Sorry,” Max focused on the beautiful woman in his arms.
“So how’s Atlanta?” Maria asked. She danced with the train of her dress draped over her arm to keep it from dragging on the ground.
“It’s nice.”
“And how’s Liz?”
“She’s nice too,” Max joked, wondering what Maria was really asking.
“Do you love her?”
Max nearly stepped on Maria’s foot. He wasn’t expecting such a blunt question. “Yes,” he answered. “Very much.” More than ever.
“Do you tell her?” Maria asked.
“Yes.”
“Do you show her?”
“Do I . . .?” Max cocked his head.
Maria brought them to a stop in the middle of the dance floor. She stared up into his eyes asking, “What are you waiting for?”
“What am I . . .?”
Max stared at Maria in dumbfounded disbelief. Was she talking about what he thought she was talking about? His gaze swept over the dancers, searching for Liz until he found her. Her face glowed as she smiled up at her brother, reacting to something he said.
“I don’t want to do anything wrong this time,” Max said, watching every move Liz made.
“Men,” Maria scoffed, shaking her head. They could be so blind. Couldn’t Max see that Liz was waiting for him to make the first move this time?
When the song ended, Maria could literally feel Max’s anxiety to get back to Liz. She patted him on the shoulder and said, “You can go now. But not too far,” she cautioned as he pushed his way through the crowd to reclaim Liz. “I’ll be throwing the bouquet in a few minutes. I wouldn’t want Liz to miss that!”
Continued in the next post
Category: Max and Liz, AU
Rating: NC 17 for adult language/content
Author note: I should take the time to acknowledge each and every one of you by name, but then the end of this story would probably be delayed by about a week, and I don’t think any of you want that! Just know that I’ve read each and every word of your feedback, and that it’s touched me tremendously.
This epilogue is pure fluff, a return to the tone set in the beginning. I hope you enjoy!
Posted in 3 parts due to length . . .
A Walk in the Park
Epilogue
Max maneuvered the rental car through the parking lot, bringing it to a stop under the shade of a flowering cherry tree. The sun laced through its branches, slicing across the hood of the car, warming the interior on this fine June day. He reached for the key and cut the engine, but he didn’t remove it from the ignition. Not yet anyway. His gaze drifted over to the church, to the stone façade and the stained glass windows, fortifying himself for the upcoming encounter. He was tense, on edge, and not sure he should be here, until her warm hand touched his arm and chased his fears away.
“He knows we’re coming.”
Max looked into Liz’s deep brown eyes, wishing he felt as confident as she looked.
“He’s not going to growl when he sees you,” Liz teased.
“Are you sure about that?” Max couldn’t help but meet her smile with one of his own. There was just something about her that always made him smile.
“Well, no,” Liz admitted, and then laughed at the panic stricken look that filled his face. Trying to soothe him, she said, “Max, Michael knows we’re together.”
“Yeah, but he hasn’t seen us together,” Max reminded her.
“I think he has other things on his mind today.” Liz squeezed his arm and then reached for the door handle. “We better get in there. I still have to get dressed, and do something with my hair, and Maria’s probably bouncing off the walls.”
“Wait,” Max stopped her from opening the door. She looked at him expectantly, questioningly, and then blushed when he said, “You know, the bridesmaid isn’t supposed to be more beautiful than the bride, but in this case . . .”
Max leaned over and kissed Liz gently on her lips, softly so he wouldn’t ruin her makeup. His hand cupped her cheek, her throat, and when he broke the kiss he stayed close, resting his forehead against hers.
“Thank you,” she smiled up at him.
“Welcome,” he smiled back.
“We better go.”
Max took in a deep breath and nodded his head. He hadn’t seen or spoken to Michael in over two months, not since that fateful meeting in the park. He knew that their strained relationship was better now, but still, he wasn’t sure how Michael was going to react to him being here, today, on his wedding day.
“Come on,” Liz gave his arm a tug. The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on her. Max was a confident man, sure of himself, always in control, except when it came to his heart. Over the last few weeks she’d learned a lot about him as their relationship slowly progressed, and winning Michael’s acceptance, his approval, was more important to Max than he was willing to admit, but it showed in his nervous actions. That she was trying to boost his confidence was classic irony.
Max opened his car door and hurried around to help Liz out of the passenger side. He held her hand tightly in his as they walked to the church, passing through the security checkpoints Maria had been forced to employ. Her fame had its downsides, and one of those was privacy. Her wedding was going to be small, a private affair, with only their closest family and friends.
An air of hushed excitement hit them as they entered the church. Flower bouquets filled the foyer, the sound of musical instruments being tuned drifted on the air, a shrill voice shattered the reverent setting.
“Liz! Oh, you sweet dear! Let me look at you!”
A woman swept in out of nowhere, embracing Liz who took it in stride. She’d met Amy DeLuca before.
“You look so pretty!” Amy held Liz out at arms length. “And who is this?” Amy winked as she looked at Max.
“This is Max Evans,” Liz blushed. “Max, this is Maria’s mother, Amy De –”
“Call me Amy!” she brushed off the formal introduction.
Max held out his hand, saying, “Nice to –”
“Aren’t you just the most darling couple!” Amy gushed. It was Max’s turn to blush when she pinched his cheek and gave it a good shake. Not even his own grandmother pinched his cheek anymore. She winked at Liz again and exclaimed, “Liz, he’s so handsome!”
Max didn’t know what to say. Liz was blushing too hard to think.
“Sean!” Amy shouted and looked around the foyer until she spotted him. “Sean, bring me one of those!” A beleaguered young man arrived carrying a box full of boutonnières, small pink rose buds with short little stems. Amy grabbed one and sent him on his way. She smiled at Max as she affixed the bud to the lapel of his black suit, while a running commentary flew from her mouth. “Maria is just a nervous wreck! She’s so hyper; I don’t know where she gets it!”
Max exchanged a look with Liz, arching an eyebrow. Liz bit her lower lip, trying hard not to laugh.
“Oh! Oh, Walter!” Amy shouted at an elderly man setting a flower arrangement on a table. “Not there! That one goes inside!” She rushed in his direction, arms flying as she rattled off instructions.
“So that’s Maria’s mother?” Max deadpanned. “Poor Michael.”
Liz leaned against Max’s arm, burying her face against his shoulder to smother the laughter. Max kissed the top of her head, smiling from ear to ear. His hand smoothed through her hair, fingering the silky tresses, basking in the glow of her happiness.
Michael stood in the church doorway watching. He’d spent a lot of years hating Max Evans, but he couldn’t deny the effect Max had on Liz. She was more alive than he’d ever seen her. Vibrant. Bursting with happiness. It was written all over her face, a confidence, a wholeness he’d never seen in her before. And the truth was, Liz wasn’t the only one. Michael could see it in Max, too. A look in Max’s eyes Michael had never seen there before. Contentment. Commitment. Completeness. Love.
Michael pushed away from the doorframe and stepped into the foyer, walking in their direction.
“Well, look what the cat dragged in.”
Max stiffened at the sound of Michael’s voice, with the smile sliding from his face. Liz whirled around, beaming at her brother as she ran to meet him. Michael wrapped her in his arms, hugging her like the protective big brother that he was.
“I’m glad you’re here,” his tone softened. He looked up and met Max’s eyes, adding, “Both of you.”
The tension in Max relaxed, the stiffness in his muscles softening in response to Michael’s welcome. Liz stretched on tiptoes to kiss her brother’s cheek, then stepped back to join Max.
“Did you have a good flight?” Michael asked, offering his hand.
“Smooth sailing,” Max took it, palm to palm.
“Maria was freaked you wouldn’t get here in time.” He pulled his hand back after a crisp shake and slipped it into his pocket.
“I had a deposition yesterday I couldn’t miss,” Max explained. “We couldn’t get a flight out until this morning.”
“Where are you staying?” Michael asked.
“My sister’s,” Max looked from Michael to Liz, then back. “She has plenty of room.” He paused and then added, “Two bedrooms.”
“Liz!” Amy swept over them like a hurricane. “Come, come, dear girl! It’s almost time and you’re not even dressed!”
Amy absconded with Liz, dragging her toward the vestibule. Liz looked over her shoulder at the two men, hoping they’d get along. When she disappeared from sight, Michael and Max were left facing each other.
“She looks good,” Michael noted. Happy. He didn’t think he’d ever seen Liz look so happy.
“She just got promoted,” Max announced. “Head researcher in her group. Quite a feat for someone her age.” Max’s face showed his obvious pride in her accomplishment.
“Good for her.”
Michael was fairly certain that Liz’s happiness wasn’t entirely work related, but he let that go unspoken. He moved forward, through the double doors into the church. Max fell in step beside him.
“Whose side do you want to sit on?” Michael led him up the center aisle. “My side, or Maria’s?”
Amy swept through a side door running toward the front of the church. Max watched her frantic gesturing for a moment, then turned back to Michael and said, “Yours.”
“Good man,” Michael laughed and slapped a hand on his shoulder.
* * * * *
“Oh, Maria!” Liz stood in the doorway staring at her brother’s bride. The white satin dress hugged her torso, the full skirt billowed around her legs, the train trailed off behind her. Sequins and beads glittered everywhere. “You look gorgeous!”
Maria spun around, holding out her arms. “A Vera Wang original!”
Liz stepped closer, looking Maria up and down, sighing at the beautiful dress.
“Come here, you!” Maria threw her arms around Liz. After they hugged, Maria grabbed Liz’s cheek and pinched. “I’ve missed you so much!”
“I’ve missed you, too!” Liz swatted her hand away. No doubt about it, Maria was her mother’s daughter!
“Tell me everything!” Maria demanded. “Is Max with you?”
Liz nodded, biting her lower lip to hold in the smile.
“And?” Maria fished for more.
“And what?” Liz feigned innocence.
“You know what!” Maria scolded. “Are you two . . .?”
“Maria,” Liz blushed. Maria plopped her hands on her hips, determined to find out. It didn’t take long until Liz caved. “We’re together . . . but not together together.”
“You’re not . . .?” Maria frowned.
“Sleeping together?” Liz finished her question. She shook her head, saying, “No. I . . . no.”
“You aren’t ready?” Maria asked, showing her concern.
“It’s not that,” Liz slipped off her dress and laid it over the back of a chair. She took her bridesmaid dress off the back of the door and removed it from the hanger. She stepped into the satiny pink dress while Maria moved around behind her.
“Then what is it?” Maria zipped up the back of the dress.
“I hate bridesmaid dresses,” Liz declared, looking at her reflection in the mirror. Poofy sleeves. Poofy skirt. Poofy flower on the hip.
“You look beautiful,” Maria admonished, “and don’t change the subject.” She turned Liz around, cupping the girl’s cheeks between her hands. “Now tell me what’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” Liz pulled Maria’s hands away from her face. “We’re taking things slow. Taking the time to really get to know each other.”
“And?” Maria urged her to keep talking.
“And . . .” Liz dipped her head. She hedged for a moment, then looked up at Maria through her lashes, smiling widely. “The more I get to know him, the more I love him.”
“Oh, chica!” Maria hugged her. “I’m so happy for you! Now let’s go do our hair!”
* * * * *
Max sat in the second pew watching the activity going on around him. He acknowledged a wave here and there, returned a few greetings from former colleagues or prosecutors he’d known over the years. He chatted with the couple sitting beside him, until the music changed and everyone turned to look toward the back of the church.
A bridesmaid entered on the arm of a handsome young man, but it wasn’t the bridesmaid Max wanted to see. The couple walked up the aisle while Max strained his neck to see behind them. A second couple entered but Max barely noticed them. In the wings he’d gotten a glimpse of Liz, and just one look was enough to take his breath away.
She stood waiting her turn in line, looking radiant in pink, her hair piled high on her head with small white flowers sprinkled among the dark tresses. Tendrils caressed the column of her throat, some nearly touching the pale skin of her shoulders. The color of her dress complemented her skin tone, blending with the pink color of her cheeks. The man beside her said something which made her smile nervously. She nodded her head and they moved forward, falling into step behind the others.
Max watched her move up the aisle, floating gracefully like an angel, struck silent by her absolute beauty. The music changed to the familiar tones of The Wedding March, but Max barely noticed when Maria entered the church. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from Liz.
As she neared their eyes met, and for a brief moment he pictured her in white, walking up the aisle to become his wife. It was a dream he hoped to someday make a reality. Their relationship had been building nicely over these last few weeks; dinners after work, weekends together walking on the beach or strolling through the park, stargazing after dark. They were taking things nice and slow, even though he went crazy going home alone without her every night. But someday she’d be ready to let things move to the next level. He was just waiting for her signal, and willing to wait however long that took.
The rest of the ceremony went by in a blur. Maria and Michael stood face to face exchanging heartfelt vows. Maria’s hand shook as Michael slipped a ring on her finger. Michael wasn’t any calmer when Maria did the same. Their extended kiss went on and on and on, making the church fill with laughter.
The ceremony ended with the new bride and groom introduced to their family and friends. They walked up the aisle arm in arm, but Max couldn’t see anyone except Liz following behind them. She smiled at him as she passed by, making his stomach rumble.
Emotions he’d been trying to hold in check for weeks were clawing to the surface.
* * * * *
“Care to dance?” Max whispered close to her ear. He took the champagne glass out of her hand and set it on the table.
“I thought you’d never ask,” Liz smiled up at him. The reception was in full swing, with music filling the hall, blending with the chatter of overlapping conversations.
Max drew her out onto the dance floor, slipping his right arm around her small waist, and his left hand around her soft one. They joined the other dancers crowding the space, but Max and Liz didn’t notice any of them. They only had eyes for each other.
Maria watched them from the center of the dance floor. She looked up at her handsome new husband, smiling at him with a gleam in her eyes. “Are you ready to switch partners?”
“Already?” Michael raised an eyebrow. “We just got married.”
“Not that kind of switching partners!” Maria slapped him on the chest.
“What kind then?” he laughed, tightening his arm around her.
“That kind,” Maria looked toward where Liz and Max were dancing together several feet away. Michael nodded and they headed that way.
Max moved slowly to the music, feeling Liz’s warm body close to his. A swirl of white suddenly wrenched him from her arms, startling him out of his Liz haze.
“Mind if I cut in?” Michael asked, pulling Liz away while Maria swept Max in the opposite direction. The crowd swallowed them up, blocking their view of each other.
“It was a beautiful ceremony,” Liz settled into her brother’s arms. He towered above her even though she was wearing 3 inch heels.
“It was nice, wasn’t it?” he grinned.
“You both look really happy.”
“So do you,” Michael brushed his finger affectionately under her chin. “Is he treating you right?”
“Yes, Michael, he treats me very right.”
“Well he better,” Michael warned. “Or I’ll have to come down to Atlanta and kick his ass.”
“Michael!” Liz huffed, but she wasn’t mad. She saw the humor sparking in her brother’s eyes.
“As long as he makes you happy,” Michael chuckled at her outburst.
Across the dance floor Max valiantly tried to keep Liz in sight. He didn’t like to be apart from her for a single moment.
“Hey, I’m the bride,” Maria scolded. “You’re supposed to pay attention to me.”
“Sorry,” Max focused on the beautiful woman in his arms.
“So how’s Atlanta?” Maria asked. She danced with the train of her dress draped over her arm to keep it from dragging on the ground.
“It’s nice.”
“And how’s Liz?”
“She’s nice too,” Max joked, wondering what Maria was really asking.
“Do you love her?”
Max nearly stepped on Maria’s foot. He wasn’t expecting such a blunt question. “Yes,” he answered. “Very much.” More than ever.
“Do you tell her?” Maria asked.
“Yes.”
“Do you show her?”
“Do I . . .?” Max cocked his head.
Maria brought them to a stop in the middle of the dance floor. She stared up into his eyes asking, “What are you waiting for?”
“What am I . . .?”
Max stared at Maria in dumbfounded disbelief. Was she talking about what he thought she was talking about? His gaze swept over the dancers, searching for Liz until he found her. Her face glowed as she smiled up at her brother, reacting to something he said.
“I don’t want to do anything wrong this time,” Max said, watching every move Liz made.
“Men,” Maria scoffed, shaking her head. They could be so blind. Couldn’t Max see that Liz was waiting for him to make the first move this time?
When the song ended, Maria could literally feel Max’s anxiety to get back to Liz. She patted him on the shoulder and said, “You can go now. But not too far,” she cautioned as he pushed his way through the crowd to reclaim Liz. “I’ll be throwing the bouquet in a few minutes. I wouldn’t want Liz to miss that!”
Continued in the next post
Last edited by Breathless on Mon Nov 03, 2003 2:05 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Breathless
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A Walk in the Park
Epilogue con’t
The door to Isabel’s apartment flew open to the sound of giddy laughter, and Max’s besotted singing.
“When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore!”
“The neighbors can hear you!” Liz giggled. Max draped his arm around her and danced her into the middle of the living room. A blue garter belt circled the upper sleeve of his suit jacket, while Liz still clutched the bridal bouquet in her hand.
“When the world seems to shine like you’ve had too much wine, that’s amore!”
“You sound like you’re drunk!” Liz declared.
“Only on you,” he smiled against her hair. They danced to the music playing in their heads, moving easily together.
“It was nice, seeing you and Michael getting along,” Liz spoke into his chest.
“It was,” Max agreed. He leaned back to look at her face, seeing the sparkle in her eyes. She looked happy, which made him happy. His ever-present desire for her spiked even higher than usual, feeling her body so close to his, smelling her sweet fragrance in the air. He lowered his head to kiss her, a kiss like many they had shared over the last few weeks since she’d come back into his life.
When their lips parted Max had to force himself to take a step back. He wanted her so much, but he didn’t know if their relationship was ready for the next step yet. He wanted her to feel secure in his love for her, before he asked for more. They’d jumped into things too quickly the first time, and he didn’t want to make that mistake again. The clock on the mantle struck one, reminding Max of the time.
“It’s late,” he lowered his head, not wanting her to see the desire in his eyes. He felt desperately in need of a cold shower.
“You’re right,” Liz felt a surge of disappointment stab through her. She could have danced all night . . .
Max tried to think of something, anything, to keep his mind away from where it kept wanting to go. “Do you want to do anything in the morning, before we leave for the airport? Maybe a nice breakfast somewhere?”
“Sure,” she nodded and turned to walk toward the bedrooms. She knew exactly what she wanted for breakfast, and his initials were M. E. “What time do we have to be at the airport?”
“About noon,” Max fell into step beside her. “We have the morning all to ourselves.”
Every time their hands touched or their arms brushed together he felt a jolt of pure adrenaline shoot through him. He wondered if she felt it, too, if she reacted to him the same way he reacted to her. Their decision to take things slow was slowly killing him, but it was worth it if it made her feel secure about their relationship. That this wasn’t just about sex.
When they reached the open doorways, Liz pointed from one to the other, asking, “Which one?”
“I put your bag in Isabel’s room. Mine’s in the, um,” he pointed to the left, “the guest room.”
“Where is she this time?” Liz asked.
“Isabel? London, I think,” Max shrugged. “She likes to travel.”
“Lucky for us, huh?” Liz smiled. “This big apartment. All to ourselves.”
“Yeah,” Max concentrated on the sculptured pattern of the carpet at his feet. If he looked at Liz, he’d have to kiss her, and if he kissed her, he’d have to take her into one of those bedrooms, and if he did that he’d have to make love to her for the rest of the night. But he wasn’t sure she was ready for that yet.
“So,” Max hitched his thumb over his shoulder as he backed across the hall. “I’ll just, um, see you in the morning . . .”
“Goodnight, Max,” Liz stood in the doorway to Isabel’s bedroom.
“Goodnight, Liz,” Max stood in the doorway of his own.
Liz took a deep breath and held it, as if she was about to say something else, but then she let it out slowly without making a sound. After another lingering look, she turned and disappeared into the bedroom. Max leaned his head back against the doorframe and let out a frustrated sigh. He knew he wasn’t going to get very much sleep tonight, not with Liz sleeping right across the hall.
* * * * *
Max turned over again, trying to get comfortable but it was a lost cause. He laid on his right side, then on his back, then his left side, then on his back again. He sat up and fluffed his pillow, and then lay back down again, but that didn’t help either. Finally he gave up and pulled the covers aside. Maybe a warm glass of milk would help him sleep.
He padded across the room and into the hallway, pausing in front of the other bedroom doorway, watching Liz as she slept. He couldn’t see her face, her back was to him, but he could remember what it looked like when she was deep in restful sleep. Their one night together was still vividly etched in his mind. How she smelled. How she looked. How perfect she felt beside him. She sighed softly, a sound that dredged up more striking memories.
Firelight. Champagne. Warm skin. Sweet lips.
“You can’t sleep either?”
Max jumped, wondering for a moment if her soft whisper was only his imagination. She turned over and sat up, brushing her hair back from her face.
“You too?” Max ventured a step into her room.
Liz nodded. The moonlight that trickled in from the picture window in the bathroom was just enough to make out his features; his rumpled hair, his grey t-shirt, the plaid sleep pants.
“I was gonna get a glass of warm milk. Want one?”
“Sure.”
Liz reached over and turned on the small lamp on the bedside table. The light brought her image into sharp focus; her tousled hair, the golden skin of her shoulders, the silk nightgown that draped her curves.
“I’ll, um,” Max stuttered, “just go . . . in the . . .”
“Kitchen?”
“That’s it.” He smiled awkwardly as he backed out of the bedroom, almost tripping over his bare feet. He blew out a deep breath when he made it to the kitchen and poured two glasses of milk, warming them in the microwave. As he waited for the seconds to tick off he told himself to relax, to ignore the ache in his loins, to forget about how she looked draped in red silk.
“Down boy,” he muttered, brushing his hand across the front of his pajama bottoms, making an adjustment.
Returning to the bedroom, he cautiously entered and crossed over to the bed. Liz scooted over to give him room to sit, taking the offered glass from his hand.
“Thank you.”
“You're welcome,” Max clinked his glass against hers. They each took a drink, Liz a small one, Max’s much deeper. She set her glass on the nightstand while Max cradled his between his hands.
“Quite a day, huh?” Liz sighed. “Must be why we can’t sleep.”
“Yeah,” Max nodded. “I guess.” He knew the exact reason why he couldn’t sleep, and it didn’t have anything to do with Michael or Maria or churches or weddings.
“Max?” Liz asked in a tentative voice.
“Yeah?” he set his glass beside hers on the nightstand. He felt her fingers brush against his thigh, almost giving him a heart attack. He placed his arm across his lap so she couldn’t see how much she affected him.
“Are you glad I talked you into coming?” she asked, twining her fingers with his. “To the wedding?”
“Yes,” he smiled at her. “I wouldn’t have missed being here with you for the world.”
“Do you think Parker’s okay at the Miller’s?”
“I think she’s fine,” Max brushed his fingers through the silky strands of her hair. “I told Sam to hide his shoes.”
“She does like to chew,” Liz laughed, leaning into his hand.
“And bury things in the couch,” Max laughed with her, drawing closer. She smelled so good, a combination of perfume and pheromones that spoke to him. His lips grazed her cheek, her mouth, lingering longer, feeling her respond, feeling his own reaction.
“I,” Max said between deepening kisses, “should probably go . . . back to my room . . .”
“Do you have to?” Liz whispered against his lips. Her hand found its way into his hair, threading through the curls at the nape of his neck. She felt his hand on her throat, his thumb stroking back and forth along her collarbone, tentatively dipping lower.
“No, I don’t have to.” His lips took hers again, deeper this time, throwing himself completely into the kiss. When they parted, his voice, his breathing, his entire body felt unsteady. “Oh, God, Liz,” his forehead pressed against hers. “I want you so much.”
“I’ve been waiting so long to hear you say that,” Liz crushed her lips against his.
“What?” Max pulled his head back. “I was waiting for you to tell me when you were ready.” It was all he could do to not strip her naked right this second.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” she cupped his face with her hand, “to make the first move.”
Max groaned as he took her lips again. Taking things slow and steady was officially over. He kissed her hard, the intensity of it sweeping them away, opening them both to a deeper physical commitment. His tongue grazed her lips, urging them apart to allow him entrance. His hand dropped down to cup her silk covered breast, both of them moaning at the feel of her erect nipple pressing into his palm. He shifted position, climbing onto the bed, pushing her back into the pillows.
Liz felt his welcome weight pressing against her, his lips on her mouth, her throat, his hand tearing the covers away from her. The heat emanating from his body was far warmer than the blankets, making her own temperature soar.
“Your shirt,” Liz tugged at the hem, trying to pull it off but not willing to stop kissing him.
“Wait . . . just a . . .” He struggled with his shirt while trying to maintain contact with her lips. He tried to pull his arms out of the sleeves but only succeeded in getting further tangled. His mind was too flooded with the sensations of her body beneath him; his brain couldn’t grasp a simple thing like getting undressed.
“Max,” Liz laughed against his lips. They were acting like a couple of teenagers, awkward and inexperienced, fumbling their way to losing their virginity.
Max reared back, kneeling over her, straddling her hips with his knees. He tore at his shirt, finally pulling it up and over his head. He tossed it aside, but not before Liz had become completely enamored of the tent poking against his pajama bottoms.
“Lizzz,” he groaned when her hand brushed up his rigid length. He was out of practice, it’d been months since she’d touched him, and he was afraid his reaction was going to be as embarrassing as that aforementioned teenage virgin. He grabbed her hand, holding her against him. “You’re gonna make me . . .”
“Is that bad?” Liz felt his hardness through the material.
“No,” Max groaned with growing desire. “Except . . . I want to be inside you when it happens.”
“Me, too,” Liz admitted.
Max rolled away from her in a flash, sprawling on his back, scrambling to strip off his pajamas. He tossed his pants aside, he didn’t care where they landed, and turned back to Liz, determined to rid her of her oh so sexy nightgown.
“Take this off,” he grabbed at the red silk. He tugged at the material, pulling it over her head to join his own discarded clothing. When she was rid of it, the feel of her naked skin against his was almost more than he could take. He inhaled deeply, trying to force himself to calm down. This wasn’t something he wanted to rush.
“Liz,” his hand touched her stomach, her ribs, slowly working upwards to her breast. “Your skin’s so soft.”
“And yours is so hard,” she let her fingers roam over the chiseled muscles of his chest. She traced the dark circle of his nipple, bringing the tip to a sharp point, feeling his own fingers doing the same to her.
“I’ve thought about this a thousand times,” Max admitted, cupping her breast with his hand.
“You have?” Liz sighed. How many nights had she lain awake, remembering what the touch of his hand felt like? Remembering the feel of his body inside hers.
“I have,” he leaned forward; placing featherlite kisses along her chest. When he reached her nipple his mouth opened to take her in.
“Max . . .” she arched her back, reacting to the sensation of his warm tongue. Desire shot straight through her.
“You taste so good . . .”
His thigh pressed between her legs, pushing upwards until he reached the junction at the apex of her thighs. The moisture that coated his skin made him groan with escalating sexual excitement.
“Liz, you’re so wet . . .”
“So are you,” she murmured against his lips. His cock rubbed against her thigh, spilling precious fluid onto her skin. Her hand reached for him, circling him, lubricating his length with his own desire.
“God, Liz,” he groaned through labored breaths. “I’m not gonna make it.” He moved against her hand unable to stop, certain it would all be over in a minute.
“I want you,” Liz mumbled against his lips. Her hand moved to roam over the smooth skin of his naked back, from his broad shoulders all the way down to his muscular butt, dimple and all. She shifted her weight, urging him to slide between her legs, aching for him to join them together.
His mouth crashed down onto hers, stroking her lips, inserting his tongue between them, imitating his greatest desire. The tips of her nipples teased his chest; their stomachs aligned together, his cock pressed against her hot center, feeling her escaping juices drenching him.
“I want you, too,” Max smothered her lips with his own. His hand snaked under her ass, lifting her up against him while he stroked his length along her sex, parting her lower lips, using the tip of his masculinity to stimulate her most sensitive nerve endings. He positioned himself at her entrance, straining to push forward, when the reality of the situation slammed into him. He tore his lips away from hers.
“Liz,” he groaned in agonized distress. “I didn’t come prepared. I don’t have anything.”
Liz stiffened under him. Her body screamed for him to enter her. Her breasts begged for him to touch her. She knew without a shadow of a doubt how badly he wanted her, and she wanted him just as much.
“Are we in a monogamous relationship?” she asked. She’d taken steps to protect herself from pregnancy. If their relationship was monogamous, it was all the protection they needed.
“Of course,” Max settled his weight on his elbows, tenderly brushing his fingers over her cheek. “I could never be with anyone else. I love you, Liz. You know that, don’t you?”
“Yes,” she touched his face, smoothing out his distressed features. “I know it. I feel it too. Make love to me, Max. Show me how you love me. Let me show you how much I love you.”
With her legs open and inviting, Max slid into her depths, joining his body with hers. It was a new sensation for him, feeling her satin walls encompass him, drenching him with her desire. She was the only woman he’d ever entered this way, the only woman he’d ever felt skin to skin, with no barriers between them.
His body filled hers, driving deeper and deeper, feeling her rising passion, matching it with his own. Their mouths merged, their breaths mingled, their minds focused only on each other. The nectar of their love spilled out onto the sheets, his rapid climax precipitated by one of her own, her throbbing walls clamped around him, triggering his release. Their bodies shuddered from the intensity of it, satisfying them on a level much deeper than just physical.
The afterglow was short, the warmth of their loving soon heated up again, they’d been apart for too many months, and there was too much missed time to make up for. Four hours later, when the clock struck six, they were still going strong, only stopping long enough to call the airline to change their flight. They weren’t going anywhere until tomorrow.
Continued in the next post
Epilogue con’t
The door to Isabel’s apartment flew open to the sound of giddy laughter, and Max’s besotted singing.
“When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore!”
“The neighbors can hear you!” Liz giggled. Max draped his arm around her and danced her into the middle of the living room. A blue garter belt circled the upper sleeve of his suit jacket, while Liz still clutched the bridal bouquet in her hand.
“When the world seems to shine like you’ve had too much wine, that’s amore!”
“You sound like you’re drunk!” Liz declared.
“Only on you,” he smiled against her hair. They danced to the music playing in their heads, moving easily together.
“It was nice, seeing you and Michael getting along,” Liz spoke into his chest.
“It was,” Max agreed. He leaned back to look at her face, seeing the sparkle in her eyes. She looked happy, which made him happy. His ever-present desire for her spiked even higher than usual, feeling her body so close to his, smelling her sweet fragrance in the air. He lowered his head to kiss her, a kiss like many they had shared over the last few weeks since she’d come back into his life.
When their lips parted Max had to force himself to take a step back. He wanted her so much, but he didn’t know if their relationship was ready for the next step yet. He wanted her to feel secure in his love for her, before he asked for more. They’d jumped into things too quickly the first time, and he didn’t want to make that mistake again. The clock on the mantle struck one, reminding Max of the time.
“It’s late,” he lowered his head, not wanting her to see the desire in his eyes. He felt desperately in need of a cold shower.
“You’re right,” Liz felt a surge of disappointment stab through her. She could have danced all night . . .
Max tried to think of something, anything, to keep his mind away from where it kept wanting to go. “Do you want to do anything in the morning, before we leave for the airport? Maybe a nice breakfast somewhere?”
“Sure,” she nodded and turned to walk toward the bedrooms. She knew exactly what she wanted for breakfast, and his initials were M. E. “What time do we have to be at the airport?”
“About noon,” Max fell into step beside her. “We have the morning all to ourselves.”
Every time their hands touched or their arms brushed together he felt a jolt of pure adrenaline shoot through him. He wondered if she felt it, too, if she reacted to him the same way he reacted to her. Their decision to take things slow was slowly killing him, but it was worth it if it made her feel secure about their relationship. That this wasn’t just about sex.
When they reached the open doorways, Liz pointed from one to the other, asking, “Which one?”
“I put your bag in Isabel’s room. Mine’s in the, um,” he pointed to the left, “the guest room.”
“Where is she this time?” Liz asked.
“Isabel? London, I think,” Max shrugged. “She likes to travel.”
“Lucky for us, huh?” Liz smiled. “This big apartment. All to ourselves.”
“Yeah,” Max concentrated on the sculptured pattern of the carpet at his feet. If he looked at Liz, he’d have to kiss her, and if he kissed her, he’d have to take her into one of those bedrooms, and if he did that he’d have to make love to her for the rest of the night. But he wasn’t sure she was ready for that yet.
“So,” Max hitched his thumb over his shoulder as he backed across the hall. “I’ll just, um, see you in the morning . . .”
“Goodnight, Max,” Liz stood in the doorway to Isabel’s bedroom.
“Goodnight, Liz,” Max stood in the doorway of his own.
Liz took a deep breath and held it, as if she was about to say something else, but then she let it out slowly without making a sound. After another lingering look, she turned and disappeared into the bedroom. Max leaned his head back against the doorframe and let out a frustrated sigh. He knew he wasn’t going to get very much sleep tonight, not with Liz sleeping right across the hall.
* * * * *
Max turned over again, trying to get comfortable but it was a lost cause. He laid on his right side, then on his back, then his left side, then on his back again. He sat up and fluffed his pillow, and then lay back down again, but that didn’t help either. Finally he gave up and pulled the covers aside. Maybe a warm glass of milk would help him sleep.
He padded across the room and into the hallway, pausing in front of the other bedroom doorway, watching Liz as she slept. He couldn’t see her face, her back was to him, but he could remember what it looked like when she was deep in restful sleep. Their one night together was still vividly etched in his mind. How she smelled. How she looked. How perfect she felt beside him. She sighed softly, a sound that dredged up more striking memories.
Firelight. Champagne. Warm skin. Sweet lips.
“You can’t sleep either?”
Max jumped, wondering for a moment if her soft whisper was only his imagination. She turned over and sat up, brushing her hair back from her face.
“You too?” Max ventured a step into her room.
Liz nodded. The moonlight that trickled in from the picture window in the bathroom was just enough to make out his features; his rumpled hair, his grey t-shirt, the plaid sleep pants.
“I was gonna get a glass of warm milk. Want one?”
“Sure.”
Liz reached over and turned on the small lamp on the bedside table. The light brought her image into sharp focus; her tousled hair, the golden skin of her shoulders, the silk nightgown that draped her curves.
“I’ll, um,” Max stuttered, “just go . . . in the . . .”
“Kitchen?”
“That’s it.” He smiled awkwardly as he backed out of the bedroom, almost tripping over his bare feet. He blew out a deep breath when he made it to the kitchen and poured two glasses of milk, warming them in the microwave. As he waited for the seconds to tick off he told himself to relax, to ignore the ache in his loins, to forget about how she looked draped in red silk.
“Down boy,” he muttered, brushing his hand across the front of his pajama bottoms, making an adjustment.
Returning to the bedroom, he cautiously entered and crossed over to the bed. Liz scooted over to give him room to sit, taking the offered glass from his hand.
“Thank you.”
“You're welcome,” Max clinked his glass against hers. They each took a drink, Liz a small one, Max’s much deeper. She set her glass on the nightstand while Max cradled his between his hands.
“Quite a day, huh?” Liz sighed. “Must be why we can’t sleep.”
“Yeah,” Max nodded. “I guess.” He knew the exact reason why he couldn’t sleep, and it didn’t have anything to do with Michael or Maria or churches or weddings.
“Max?” Liz asked in a tentative voice.
“Yeah?” he set his glass beside hers on the nightstand. He felt her fingers brush against his thigh, almost giving him a heart attack. He placed his arm across his lap so she couldn’t see how much she affected him.
“Are you glad I talked you into coming?” she asked, twining her fingers with his. “To the wedding?”
“Yes,” he smiled at her. “I wouldn’t have missed being here with you for the world.”
“Do you think Parker’s okay at the Miller’s?”
“I think she’s fine,” Max brushed his fingers through the silky strands of her hair. “I told Sam to hide his shoes.”
“She does like to chew,” Liz laughed, leaning into his hand.
“And bury things in the couch,” Max laughed with her, drawing closer. She smelled so good, a combination of perfume and pheromones that spoke to him. His lips grazed her cheek, her mouth, lingering longer, feeling her respond, feeling his own reaction.
“I,” Max said between deepening kisses, “should probably go . . . back to my room . . .”
“Do you have to?” Liz whispered against his lips. Her hand found its way into his hair, threading through the curls at the nape of his neck. She felt his hand on her throat, his thumb stroking back and forth along her collarbone, tentatively dipping lower.
“No, I don’t have to.” His lips took hers again, deeper this time, throwing himself completely into the kiss. When they parted, his voice, his breathing, his entire body felt unsteady. “Oh, God, Liz,” his forehead pressed against hers. “I want you so much.”
“I’ve been waiting so long to hear you say that,” Liz crushed her lips against his.
“What?” Max pulled his head back. “I was waiting for you to tell me when you were ready.” It was all he could do to not strip her naked right this second.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” she cupped his face with her hand, “to make the first move.”
Max groaned as he took her lips again. Taking things slow and steady was officially over. He kissed her hard, the intensity of it sweeping them away, opening them both to a deeper physical commitment. His tongue grazed her lips, urging them apart to allow him entrance. His hand dropped down to cup her silk covered breast, both of them moaning at the feel of her erect nipple pressing into his palm. He shifted position, climbing onto the bed, pushing her back into the pillows.
Liz felt his welcome weight pressing against her, his lips on her mouth, her throat, his hand tearing the covers away from her. The heat emanating from his body was far warmer than the blankets, making her own temperature soar.
“Your shirt,” Liz tugged at the hem, trying to pull it off but not willing to stop kissing him.
“Wait . . . just a . . .” He struggled with his shirt while trying to maintain contact with her lips. He tried to pull his arms out of the sleeves but only succeeded in getting further tangled. His mind was too flooded with the sensations of her body beneath him; his brain couldn’t grasp a simple thing like getting undressed.
“Max,” Liz laughed against his lips. They were acting like a couple of teenagers, awkward and inexperienced, fumbling their way to losing their virginity.
Max reared back, kneeling over her, straddling her hips with his knees. He tore at his shirt, finally pulling it up and over his head. He tossed it aside, but not before Liz had become completely enamored of the tent poking against his pajama bottoms.
“Lizzz,” he groaned when her hand brushed up his rigid length. He was out of practice, it’d been months since she’d touched him, and he was afraid his reaction was going to be as embarrassing as that aforementioned teenage virgin. He grabbed her hand, holding her against him. “You’re gonna make me . . .”
“Is that bad?” Liz felt his hardness through the material.
“No,” Max groaned with growing desire. “Except . . . I want to be inside you when it happens.”
“Me, too,” Liz admitted.
Max rolled away from her in a flash, sprawling on his back, scrambling to strip off his pajamas. He tossed his pants aside, he didn’t care where they landed, and turned back to Liz, determined to rid her of her oh so sexy nightgown.
“Take this off,” he grabbed at the red silk. He tugged at the material, pulling it over her head to join his own discarded clothing. When she was rid of it, the feel of her naked skin against his was almost more than he could take. He inhaled deeply, trying to force himself to calm down. This wasn’t something he wanted to rush.
“Liz,” his hand touched her stomach, her ribs, slowly working upwards to her breast. “Your skin’s so soft.”
“And yours is so hard,” she let her fingers roam over the chiseled muscles of his chest. She traced the dark circle of his nipple, bringing the tip to a sharp point, feeling his own fingers doing the same to her.
“I’ve thought about this a thousand times,” Max admitted, cupping her breast with his hand.
“You have?” Liz sighed. How many nights had she lain awake, remembering what the touch of his hand felt like? Remembering the feel of his body inside hers.
“I have,” he leaned forward; placing featherlite kisses along her chest. When he reached her nipple his mouth opened to take her in.
“Max . . .” she arched her back, reacting to the sensation of his warm tongue. Desire shot straight through her.
“You taste so good . . .”
His thigh pressed between her legs, pushing upwards until he reached the junction at the apex of her thighs. The moisture that coated his skin made him groan with escalating sexual excitement.
“Liz, you’re so wet . . .”
“So are you,” she murmured against his lips. His cock rubbed against her thigh, spilling precious fluid onto her skin. Her hand reached for him, circling him, lubricating his length with his own desire.
“God, Liz,” he groaned through labored breaths. “I’m not gonna make it.” He moved against her hand unable to stop, certain it would all be over in a minute.
“I want you,” Liz mumbled against his lips. Her hand moved to roam over the smooth skin of his naked back, from his broad shoulders all the way down to his muscular butt, dimple and all. She shifted her weight, urging him to slide between her legs, aching for him to join them together.
His mouth crashed down onto hers, stroking her lips, inserting his tongue between them, imitating his greatest desire. The tips of her nipples teased his chest; their stomachs aligned together, his cock pressed against her hot center, feeling her escaping juices drenching him.
“I want you, too,” Max smothered her lips with his own. His hand snaked under her ass, lifting her up against him while he stroked his length along her sex, parting her lower lips, using the tip of his masculinity to stimulate her most sensitive nerve endings. He positioned himself at her entrance, straining to push forward, when the reality of the situation slammed into him. He tore his lips away from hers.
“Liz,” he groaned in agonized distress. “I didn’t come prepared. I don’t have anything.”
Liz stiffened under him. Her body screamed for him to enter her. Her breasts begged for him to touch her. She knew without a shadow of a doubt how badly he wanted her, and she wanted him just as much.
“Are we in a monogamous relationship?” she asked. She’d taken steps to protect herself from pregnancy. If their relationship was monogamous, it was all the protection they needed.
“Of course,” Max settled his weight on his elbows, tenderly brushing his fingers over her cheek. “I could never be with anyone else. I love you, Liz. You know that, don’t you?”
“Yes,” she touched his face, smoothing out his distressed features. “I know it. I feel it too. Make love to me, Max. Show me how you love me. Let me show you how much I love you.”
With her legs open and inviting, Max slid into her depths, joining his body with hers. It was a new sensation for him, feeling her satin walls encompass him, drenching him with her desire. She was the only woman he’d ever entered this way, the only woman he’d ever felt skin to skin, with no barriers between them.
His body filled hers, driving deeper and deeper, feeling her rising passion, matching it with his own. Their mouths merged, their breaths mingled, their minds focused only on each other. The nectar of their love spilled out onto the sheets, his rapid climax precipitated by one of her own, her throbbing walls clamped around him, triggering his release. Their bodies shuddered from the intensity of it, satisfying them on a level much deeper than just physical.
The afterglow was short, the warmth of their loving soon heated up again, they’d been apart for too many months, and there was too much missed time to make up for. Four hours later, when the clock struck six, they were still going strong, only stopping long enough to call the airline to change their flight. They weren’t going anywhere until tomorrow.
Continued in the next post
Last edited by Breathless on Mon Nov 03, 2003 2:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Breathless
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 254
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- Location: Somewhere in ficland
A Walk in the Park
Epilogue conclusion
Late afternoon sunlight streamed in the bedroom window, rousing Max from his light slumber. A pleasant weight curled against him, a warm thigh across his thigh, a delicate arm across his chest, a head resting on his shoulder. His arm circled her possessively, holding her body close to his.
Was there any better feeling than waking up holding Liz in his arms, with her scent filling his senses? Maybe one, he smiled, thinking of what else he would like to fill – again. She stirred against him, moving her hand down his stomach, straightening out her leg, stretching her body with feline grace.
“Morning,” she said with a sleepy groan.
“It's afternoon,” Max corrected her, slowly running his hand up her side. His fingers brushed over her ribs, her breast, burning for her all over again. He doubted it would ever stop, this insatiable desire he had for her. His stomach grumbled, so did hers.
“Hungry?” she grinned, rubbing her hand over his belly.
“Starving,” he turned over on his side, rolling her onto her back. He kissed her lips just as her stomach grumbled again. “C’mon,” he grabbed her hand and pulled her from the bed. “Let’s see what Isabel has in her refrigerator.”
Max scooped his pajamas off the floor and pulled them on. Liz grabbed his shirt and slipped it over her head. Bare foot and bare chested, Max followed Liz into the kitchen, watching the way her bottom swayed inside his shirt. She opened the refrigerator and peeked inside, bending forward at the waist. Max tried to keep his mind on the matter at hand, but she was making it very hard. Very hard indeed.
“Down boy,” he grumbled low under his breath and opened a cupboard.
“What’d you say?” Liz looked over her shoulder at him.
“Nothing,” he said, wide-eyed and innocent. “Any sandwich fixin’s in there?”
“Some turkey,” Liz turned back toward the open fridge, lifting up the package. “The date’s still fresh.”
“I’ve got bread and tomatoes.” He held the loaf in one hand, the tomato in the other, his eyes glued to her barely covered bottom. His tongue shot out to moisten his lower lip in anticipation of eating . . . a sandwich.
“Bacon,” Liz pulled a package out and set it on the counter by the turkey. They had everything they needed to make club sandwiches.
Max crossed the kitchen to join her, setting his things on the counter beside hers. He reached around her to grab a jar of mayo, letting his left hand slide up and under the hem of the shirt that covered her.
“Oh!” Liz jumped. Laughing, she slapped him lightly on the chest. “I thought you were hungry!”
“I am,” Max pulled her close, grinning against her lips. The bulge in his pajamas told her just how hungry he was.
“If we don’t eat,” Liz pushed Max away, “we’re both going to pass out from starvation!” She picked up the tomato and handed it to him, saying, “Slice it. Thin.”
“Yes Ma’am!”
Max took the offered fruit and made his way to the cutting board. He took a sharp knife out of the cutting block, watching Liz move effortlessly around the kitchen. He thought back to yesterday, remembering the look on her face when she caught Maria’s bouquet, how her eyes had darted to him the instant it was in her hands. He’d always thought he’d remain a confirmed bachelor, but meeting Liz had changed all that. Meeting Liz had changed him. Living the life of a bachelor was now the furthest thing from his mind.
“Liz . . .?” he ventured.
She turned to look at him, then arched an eyebrow and pointed at the tomato. “Are you gonna cut that?”
“Yeah,” Max let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He punctured the skin of the tomato with the tip of the knife and made a clean slice. Juice pooled on the cutting block as he looked at her again, taking the plunge. “We’re good together, right? I mean, I know you’re good for me, but . . . am I good for you?”
Liz turned to look at him, cocking her head slightly. “What’s this all about?”
“Are you happy?” he set down the knife and the tomato and turned to face her. “I mean, do I make you happy?”
“Very,” Liz moved across the kitchen to stand in front of him. “I’ve never been happier.”
His hand lifted to touch her face, her hair, breathing in her presence, soaking her into his skin.
“Move in with me,” he blurted out.
“Move in . . .? You mean . . . when we go back to Atlanta, you want . . .?”
“I don’t want to wake up without you anymore.”
“Max . . .” she stared up into his hopeful face.
“You don’t have to tell me now,” he added quickly. “Just think about it?” He didn’t want to pressure her.
“I don’t have to think about it,” she shook her head slowly back and forth.
“No?” Max wasn’t sure what that meant. Was she shaking her head no? Was she turning him down?
“No,” Liz echoed. His stomach fell, but he tried to hide the disappointment. “I don’t have to think about it,” she continued, smiling up at him. “The answer’s yes.”
“Yes?” a grin slowly spread across his face. “Yes?” He picked her up and twirled her around the kitchen, shouting for the whole building to hear, “YES!”
“Yes!” she shouted with him, laughing at his antics.
“I LOVE THIS WOMAN!” Max declared, giddy with excitement. This small woman had him wrapped around her little finger.
“I LOVE THIS MAN!” Liz held on tightly, smiling from ear to ear. She smothered him with kisses until he lost his balance and crashed them into the refrigerator. Isabel was going to wonder where that dent came from.
“Owww!” Max frowned and laughed at the same time. Liz kissed his shoulder to try to make it feel better, laughing with him when he chased after her lips again.
The smell of burning bacon brought them both down to earth.
“Shit!” Max put Liz down and grabbed a pot holder to move the smoking pan off the burner. Liz covered it with a lid.
“We better finish this before we burn your sister’s apartment down,” she warned.
They worked side by side making club sandwiches, sans bacon, barely able to keep their hands to themselves. When they sat at the table, across from each other, they played footsie under the table, with their toes dueling.
“You know,” Max said around a mouthful of turkey sandwich. “I stopped by a client’s house last week, to drop off a copy of the Will I prepared for them.”
“My, aren’t you the country lawyer,” Liz teased. “Making house calls?”
Max laughed at her dig. His practice in Atlanta was nothing like his years as a trial lawyer in New York. The work he did now was for his clients, not to boost his own ego. He was a competitive man by nature, but he tried to confine that to the basketball court now.
“Anyway,” Max continued. “I noticed that their house was up for sale.” He paused to see her reaction when he added, “I’m thinking about buying it.”
“Property is a great investment,” she took a bite of her sandwich, chewing mightily. She was hungry.
“I was thinking that . . . maybe . . . we could buy it together.”
“Does it have a white picket fence?” Liz teased. She wasn’t sure if he was serious.
“Actually, I think it does.” He watched her for a minute trying to gauge her reaction. “If it doesn’t, we could always build one. We need a fence to keep Parker in.”
And kids.
Someday.
He hoped.
“You’re serious?” Liz set her sandwich down.
“Completely,” Max set his down, too.
“You’ve thought a lot about this, haven’t you?” Liz asked.
“You could say that.” He’d thought about nothing but this over the last few days. Starting a life with her. Moving into a house – a home – together. Marriage. Kids. Growing old together.
“I like that idea,” she smiled, running her bare toes up his leg. She raised her foot above his knee, rubbing along his inner thigh, teasing him with a wicked look on her face. She was trying to get a rise out of him, and it was working.
“You do?” Max yelped when her foot reached the top of his thighs. “You keep doing that,” he warned, “and we won’t be eating on this table much longer.”
“What would we be doing instead?” she arched an eyebrow.
“Keep touching me like that and you’ll find out.” He reached under the table to grab her foot but she pulled it away.
“Is that a threat, or a promise?” Liz quirked an eyebrow.
“You’re a tease, Liz,” Max tried to finish his sandwich.
“Tease?” she pointed at herself with a delicate hand, flaunting a fake southern accent. “’Lil ‘ol me?”
“Yes, little ‘ol you!”
“You mean,” she grinned, “if I do this –”
“That’s IT!” Max slammed his hands on the table when her toes found their target again. He shot out of the chair and scrambled over the table, grabbing her arm as she tried to flee.
“Max. MAX!” she shouted and laughed at the same time, feeling him pulling her back to the table. Before she knew it, she was sprawled across it, flat on her back, staring up at him.
“This is what you get when you tease me like that,” Max hovered over her. He pinned her to the table, eyes sparkling with mischievous humor, slowly lowering his head. Just when he was about to kiss her, he started tickling her instead.
“Max! MAX!” she screamed, trying to fight off his hands. Her shirt rode up her legs, exposing her nudity underneath. The horseplay proved more than stimulating for both of them, turning into erotic foreplay. His mouth crashed against hers, her hands tore at his pajama bottoms, pushing the material down to his knees. Seconds later they were joined again, his sex buried inside her to the hilt.
“God, Liz,” Max muttered against her lips. “I can’t get enough of you.” He attacked her mouth again; his weight pressing her into the table.
“Ow! Owww!” Liz squirmed beneath him.
“What?” Max reared back, worried he’d hurt her.
She twisted to look underneath her, trying to dislodge a plate. “Lunch,” she laughed.
“Turkey.”
“Are you calling me a turkey?” she gaped at him.
“No,” he said, picking at something in her hair. He pulled it free and dangled it in front of her face, smiling, “Turkey.” He tossed the slice of meat over his shoulder and went back to kissing her.
With his lips affixed firmly to hers, he lifted her shoulders and swept the table clean. The plates flew off and shattered on the floor. Liz looked up at him in shock, with her mouth hanging open.
“Max, that’s your sister’s!”
“Yeah, she’s probably not gonna like that, huh?” With a smirk he added, “She’s not gonna like what we’re doing on her table, either.”
“Max, you’re so bad!” Liz slapped him on the chest.
“And you’re bad with me,” he chased after her lips, kissing her hard.
The creak was the first indication of a problem. The creak gave way to a crack and then a snap.
“Max? What was th –”
“OH SHIT!” Max shouted as the table gave way. The outside legs collapsed, sending Max and Liz to the floor in a heap.
“Did we do that?” Liz scrambled to sit up, pushing her hair out of her face.
“Are you okay?” Max checked her over. When he was sure Liz was fine he turned to look at the table, uttering, “When Isabel sees this, I’m dead meat!”
“Do you think you can you fix it?” Liz asked.
“I’m a lawyer, Liz, not a carpenter.”
Nevertheless, he hitched his pajama bottoms up around his waist and surveyed the damage, assessing what was broken and where. Liz meant to give him a hand, but watching the beautiful muscles in his back flexing with his efforts was just too distracting.
“Liz,” he scolded, moving the legs of the table back into place. “If you keep touching me there, I’ll never get this fixed.”
“You mean here?” Liz ran her hand down his spine. “Or here?” she asked, cupping his ass.
“Lizzzz,” Max startled, bumping his head on the underside of the table.
“Or maybe here?” she giggled, slipping her hand around his waist and down the front of his pajamas.
“The hell with the table,” Max growled. He threw a laughing Liz over his shoulder and marched toward the bedroom, leaving a temporarily resurrected table behind him.
* * * * *
Isabel inserted her key in the lock and pushed the apartment door open. It’d been a long drive and it was late, but she was more hungry than tired, and dying for something cold to drink. She dropped her jacket over the back of a chair and made her way into the kitchen. The first thing she noticed was the broken plates on the floor.
“What the hell?”
In another part of the apartment, Liz stood beside Max, feeling the warmth of his naked skin against her shoulder. “Max? Are you sure about this?”
“Yeah!” he grinned. “It’s been my biggest fantasy for years!”
“I don’t know,” Liz hedged. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to do this.
“C’mon, Liz,” Max begged. “She’ll never know.”
“Okay,” Liz gave in, even though she had reservations. If Isabel found out, Max was going to be so dead.
* * * * *
Isabel surveyed her kitchen, glaring at the dirty pans in the sink, the toaster on the counter, the mess on the stove.
“Max Evans,” she fumed. “You are such a pig!” When she told him he could use her apartment this weekend, she hadn’t expected him to leave it like this!
She noticed the dent in the refrigerator next. She set her purse on the table, suddenly concerned that someone might have been injured here, and that’s what accounted for the mess, until the table groaned and collapsed to the floor.
Isabel put her hands on her hips and turned in a circle in her damaged kitchen, asking the walls, “What the hell happened here?”
* * * *
“This is so cool!” Max turned off the bathroom lights and giddily joined Liz in the warm water that filled the massive tub. Only candlelight flickered in the bathroom now. He handed her a bubbling glass of champagne, clinking them together, toasting, “To fulfilling fantasies!”
“To fantasies,” Liz smiled, indulging him. His face looked so cute, like a little boy getting away with something he wasn’t supposed to do. “The view is amazing!”
Liz sat in one end of the oversized tub looking through the picture window out over Central Park, surrounded by a rich froth of bubbles. The moon was just rising above the treetops, bathing the outside world in a silvery light.
“Isn’t it!” Max sat at the opposite end of the tub, mesmerized by the vista. “If Isabel was here, she’d kick my ass for doing this.”
* * * * *
Isabel walked down the long hallway from the living room to the bedrooms. She glanced into the guest room first, letting her irritation flare into anger. She stepped inside looking at the rumpled sheets.
“Couldn’t he even make the bed before he left?”
She stormed across the hall and saw that her own room was in even worse condition. Blankets hanging off the bed. Rumpled sheets. Pajamas on the floor.
Wait.
Pajamas on the floor?
The realization hit her of what exactly happened here, in her bedroom, and in the kitchen, and on her table!
“Oh. My. God!”
* * * * *
In the bathroom, Liz cocked her head. “Did you hear something?”
“Like what?” Max took a sip of his champagne.
“Like a voice? Where’s Isabel again?”
“Don’t worry. She’s in England. ‘Til the weekend’s over.”
“Max,” Liz stared at him. “The weekend is over. It’s Sunday night. Almost Monday morning.”
“MAX EVANS!” an angry shout boomed from the bedroom. “I’M COMING IN THERE!”
Max sat up straight with his eyes as big as saucers and his mouth hanging open. “Oh shit!”
“MAXWELL PHILIP EVANS!” Isabel growled as she stormed into the bathroom.
Max didn’t know whether to get up and run, or to sink under the bubbles and hide until his air ran out. Either way he was dead. He sat frozen like a rabbit in the road about to be run over. Isabel barreled into the bathroom, flicking on the overhead light, pointing her wicked finger at him.
“You are SO dead!”
“Isabel,” he squeaked.
“Don’t you Isabel me! Did you see what you did –”
“I thought you were in London,” Max said to distract her.
“Bath! I told you I was spending the weekend in Bath!”
“London. Bath. You sure got back from England fast.”
“I was in Bath, New York, Einstein! And speaking of bath,” she glared at him, “what the hell do ya think –”
Max lifted his arm, dripping water and suds, pointing at the other end of the massive tub. “Liz is here.”
Isabel snapped her mouth closed. She stepped further into the bathroom, now seeing the small brunette surrounded in white bubbles. Liz meekly lifted her hand and waved.
“Hi Isabel.”
“Hi Liz,” Isabel smiled. “How was the wedding?”
“It was beautiful,” Liz beamed. “Maria’s gown was so gorgeous.”
Max sat at his end of the tub with his mouth hanging open. His shrew of a sister was talking amicably with his girlfriend, while they both sat naked in her tub. Thank god for bubble bath.
“Did she go with the Vera Wang?” Isabel moved closer, sitting on the side of the tub. She lifted the champagne bottle off the floor and refilled Liz’s glass.
“Yes, and it was perfect. I’ll have to show you the pictures.”
Max extended his own glass and nearly fainted when Isabel filled it too. Holy shit! Who was this woman? As he listened to the two of them chatting, he lifted his glass in a silent toast to Liz, the woman who had the Evans clan eating out of the palm of her hand. Liz was the only person he knew that had ever drawn this kind of reaction out of his sister.
“Who’s taking care of Max while they’re gone?” Isabel asked.
Max cocked his head, suddenly drawn back into the conversation. Oops, wrong Max!
“Michael has a new neighbor who volunteered to watch him.”
“Well, I’m off,” Isabel said, rising to her feet.
“You’re leaving?” Liz asked.
“I can’t sleep here until Max buys me a new bed.” She shot him a scowling look, adding, “And a new table!” It would be too psychologically damaging to sleep in the same bed –or eat off the same table – that her brother had had sex on.
Max tried to sink under the bubbles. Isabel wouldn’t try to drown him in front of Liz, would she?
“Isabel,” Liz looked at her with worry. “Where are you going to stay?”
Isabel’s features softened and her eyes took on a faraway dreamy look. She sighed and said, “Jesse’s.”
“Jesse?” Max sat up straighter and set his champagne glass down, surprised by the look on his sister’s face. “Who’s Jesse?”
“After you left, Dad hired a new lawyer to take over your case load. His name’s Jesse, and he’s so . . .” her voice trailed off with a deep sigh, a smile lighting her face.
“Tall, dark, and handsome?” Liz offered.
“Very!” With a wave of her hand, she turned toward the bedroom. “Enjoy the view! And have a safe trip home!”
“I can’t believe it,” Max watched Isabel’s retreating figure disappear into the bedroom. “She didn’t kill me!”
“See?” Liz laughed at him. “Your sister’s not so bad.”
“Oh, and Max?” Isabel shouted from the bedroom. “That tub cost $20,000!”
Max leaned close to Liz and whispered, “No sex in the tub, Liz. I can’t afford to replace it.”
Liz’s throaty laughter filled the bathroom, warming Max deep into his soul. Day by day he watched her blossom, watched her confidence grow, watched her spirit emerging in the sparkle that shined in her eyes. It had always been in her, just buried under the surface, and he liked to think that his love for her was helping to bring it to light.
“Where are you going?” Liz watched Max climb out of the tub and hurry across the bathroom, dripping water and bubbles everywhere. A dimple in his cute little ass caught her eye, reminding her of the night they met.
“Too bright,” Max flipped the light switch, darkening the bathroom once again. He hurried back to the tub, sliding in close to Liz and pulling her into the space between his legs. She leaned back into his chest, slipping her champagne as they looked out at the view beyond the window.
“Right there,” Max pointed at a distant spot. “That’s the place that changed my life forever.”
“Central Park?” she asked, feeling his breath, his lips against her hair.
“It’s where I got my ass chewed by the biggest damn dog I’ve ever seen, and I met the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known.”
Liz felt her cheeks heat up, the way they always did when he spoke to her like that. She didn’t see herself the way he saw her, but she knew what he said was spoken from the heart.
“Do you ever miss it here?” Liz turned to face him.
“Not at all,” Max cupped her throat with his hand, pulling her closer, reacting to the feel of her body against his. His lips touched hers, whispering against her sweet skin, “Not as long as I’m with you.”
His husky reply sent shivers straight down her spine, igniting the desire he always sparked in her. His own desire was starkly evident, rising proud and true.
“What about what your sister said?” Liz straddled his lap.
“Hell,” Max grinned, taking her lips again. “It’s only money.”
Tonight all his fantasies were coming true; having Liz in his life, planning a future with her, sharing this sacred tub. All of this was happening because last fall, in that park across the street, a monstrous dog had taken a bite out of him and left his mark forever.
* * * * *
Max lay snuggled in the sheets, warm and content, deep in the world of dreams. His eyes darted back and forth under his lids, remembering the first time he saw her, his angel, walking in the park. The memory played out in his dream; of how they looked into each other’s eyes, how they sniffed each other’s fur, how they smelled each other’s butts.
Max let out a muted bark in his sleep, his legs twitching as his dream self ran through the grass, chasing his red-haired beauty, seeing her long ears flopping in the wind. A chance encounter in the park had brought them together; he’d never seen a more beautiful Irish Setter in all his life.
Maybe tomorrow he would see her again. Maybe tomorrow he would learn her name. Until then Max was happy just to dream, and sleep on his master’s warm and snuggly bed. He’d worry about getting scolded for it tomorrow.
The End
Author note:
It always feels funny typing those last two words. The End. I started posting this just a few months ago, but I began writing it probably closer to a year ago. This was my first incursion into a non-Roswell universe, and I must say it was fun. It will leave me with a few lasting images; Max getting his ass chewed in the park, Liz treating his wounds in her bathroom, Max standing on the refreshment table (with his legs straddling the teeny weenies) trying to find Liz, and then the two of them dancing on the balcony under the stars.
On a more emotional level, there’s the image of the human Max on one side of the street and the canine Max on the other, both of them watching Liz drive away, out of their lives. But perhaps my favorite chapter of this story is part 15, specifically the scenes between Max and Michael, in the bar learning about Alex, then in Michael’s office, and finally when Max and Michael meet again in the park.
I’m not sure why I’m reminiscing tonight; maybe I’m finding it harder than usual to let this one go. Like your last child growing up and leaving home. I have one parting thought to leave with you as I end this tale . . .
When life gets you down, let your dog teach you how to chase a squirrel.
Epilogue conclusion
Late afternoon sunlight streamed in the bedroom window, rousing Max from his light slumber. A pleasant weight curled against him, a warm thigh across his thigh, a delicate arm across his chest, a head resting on his shoulder. His arm circled her possessively, holding her body close to his.
Was there any better feeling than waking up holding Liz in his arms, with her scent filling his senses? Maybe one, he smiled, thinking of what else he would like to fill – again. She stirred against him, moving her hand down his stomach, straightening out her leg, stretching her body with feline grace.
“Morning,” she said with a sleepy groan.
“It's afternoon,” Max corrected her, slowly running his hand up her side. His fingers brushed over her ribs, her breast, burning for her all over again. He doubted it would ever stop, this insatiable desire he had for her. His stomach grumbled, so did hers.
“Hungry?” she grinned, rubbing her hand over his belly.
“Starving,” he turned over on his side, rolling her onto her back. He kissed her lips just as her stomach grumbled again. “C’mon,” he grabbed her hand and pulled her from the bed. “Let’s see what Isabel has in her refrigerator.”
Max scooped his pajamas off the floor and pulled them on. Liz grabbed his shirt and slipped it over her head. Bare foot and bare chested, Max followed Liz into the kitchen, watching the way her bottom swayed inside his shirt. She opened the refrigerator and peeked inside, bending forward at the waist. Max tried to keep his mind on the matter at hand, but she was making it very hard. Very hard indeed.
“Down boy,” he grumbled low under his breath and opened a cupboard.
“What’d you say?” Liz looked over her shoulder at him.
“Nothing,” he said, wide-eyed and innocent. “Any sandwich fixin’s in there?”
“Some turkey,” Liz turned back toward the open fridge, lifting up the package. “The date’s still fresh.”
“I’ve got bread and tomatoes.” He held the loaf in one hand, the tomato in the other, his eyes glued to her barely covered bottom. His tongue shot out to moisten his lower lip in anticipation of eating . . . a sandwich.
“Bacon,” Liz pulled a package out and set it on the counter by the turkey. They had everything they needed to make club sandwiches.
Max crossed the kitchen to join her, setting his things on the counter beside hers. He reached around her to grab a jar of mayo, letting his left hand slide up and under the hem of the shirt that covered her.
“Oh!” Liz jumped. Laughing, she slapped him lightly on the chest. “I thought you were hungry!”
“I am,” Max pulled her close, grinning against her lips. The bulge in his pajamas told her just how hungry he was.
“If we don’t eat,” Liz pushed Max away, “we’re both going to pass out from starvation!” She picked up the tomato and handed it to him, saying, “Slice it. Thin.”
“Yes Ma’am!”
Max took the offered fruit and made his way to the cutting board. He took a sharp knife out of the cutting block, watching Liz move effortlessly around the kitchen. He thought back to yesterday, remembering the look on her face when she caught Maria’s bouquet, how her eyes had darted to him the instant it was in her hands. He’d always thought he’d remain a confirmed bachelor, but meeting Liz had changed all that. Meeting Liz had changed him. Living the life of a bachelor was now the furthest thing from his mind.
“Liz . . .?” he ventured.
She turned to look at him, then arched an eyebrow and pointed at the tomato. “Are you gonna cut that?”
“Yeah,” Max let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He punctured the skin of the tomato with the tip of the knife and made a clean slice. Juice pooled on the cutting block as he looked at her again, taking the plunge. “We’re good together, right? I mean, I know you’re good for me, but . . . am I good for you?”
Liz turned to look at him, cocking her head slightly. “What’s this all about?”
“Are you happy?” he set down the knife and the tomato and turned to face her. “I mean, do I make you happy?”
“Very,” Liz moved across the kitchen to stand in front of him. “I’ve never been happier.”
His hand lifted to touch her face, her hair, breathing in her presence, soaking her into his skin.
“Move in with me,” he blurted out.
“Move in . . .? You mean . . . when we go back to Atlanta, you want . . .?”
“I don’t want to wake up without you anymore.”
“Max . . .” she stared up into his hopeful face.
“You don’t have to tell me now,” he added quickly. “Just think about it?” He didn’t want to pressure her.
“I don’t have to think about it,” she shook her head slowly back and forth.
“No?” Max wasn’t sure what that meant. Was she shaking her head no? Was she turning him down?
“No,” Liz echoed. His stomach fell, but he tried to hide the disappointment. “I don’t have to think about it,” she continued, smiling up at him. “The answer’s yes.”
“Yes?” a grin slowly spread across his face. “Yes?” He picked her up and twirled her around the kitchen, shouting for the whole building to hear, “YES!”
“Yes!” she shouted with him, laughing at his antics.
“I LOVE THIS WOMAN!” Max declared, giddy with excitement. This small woman had him wrapped around her little finger.
“I LOVE THIS MAN!” Liz held on tightly, smiling from ear to ear. She smothered him with kisses until he lost his balance and crashed them into the refrigerator. Isabel was going to wonder where that dent came from.
“Owww!” Max frowned and laughed at the same time. Liz kissed his shoulder to try to make it feel better, laughing with him when he chased after her lips again.
The smell of burning bacon brought them both down to earth.
“Shit!” Max put Liz down and grabbed a pot holder to move the smoking pan off the burner. Liz covered it with a lid.
“We better finish this before we burn your sister’s apartment down,” she warned.
They worked side by side making club sandwiches, sans bacon, barely able to keep their hands to themselves. When they sat at the table, across from each other, they played footsie under the table, with their toes dueling.
“You know,” Max said around a mouthful of turkey sandwich. “I stopped by a client’s house last week, to drop off a copy of the Will I prepared for them.”
“My, aren’t you the country lawyer,” Liz teased. “Making house calls?”
Max laughed at her dig. His practice in Atlanta was nothing like his years as a trial lawyer in New York. The work he did now was for his clients, not to boost his own ego. He was a competitive man by nature, but he tried to confine that to the basketball court now.
“Anyway,” Max continued. “I noticed that their house was up for sale.” He paused to see her reaction when he added, “I’m thinking about buying it.”
“Property is a great investment,” she took a bite of her sandwich, chewing mightily. She was hungry.
“I was thinking that . . . maybe . . . we could buy it together.”
“Does it have a white picket fence?” Liz teased. She wasn’t sure if he was serious.
“Actually, I think it does.” He watched her for a minute trying to gauge her reaction. “If it doesn’t, we could always build one. We need a fence to keep Parker in.”
And kids.
Someday.
He hoped.
“You’re serious?” Liz set her sandwich down.
“Completely,” Max set his down, too.
“You’ve thought a lot about this, haven’t you?” Liz asked.
“You could say that.” He’d thought about nothing but this over the last few days. Starting a life with her. Moving into a house – a home – together. Marriage. Kids. Growing old together.
“I like that idea,” she smiled, running her bare toes up his leg. She raised her foot above his knee, rubbing along his inner thigh, teasing him with a wicked look on her face. She was trying to get a rise out of him, and it was working.
“You do?” Max yelped when her foot reached the top of his thighs. “You keep doing that,” he warned, “and we won’t be eating on this table much longer.”
“What would we be doing instead?” she arched an eyebrow.
“Keep touching me like that and you’ll find out.” He reached under the table to grab her foot but she pulled it away.
“Is that a threat, or a promise?” Liz quirked an eyebrow.
“You’re a tease, Liz,” Max tried to finish his sandwich.
“Tease?” she pointed at herself with a delicate hand, flaunting a fake southern accent. “’Lil ‘ol me?”
“Yes, little ‘ol you!”
“You mean,” she grinned, “if I do this –”
“That’s IT!” Max slammed his hands on the table when her toes found their target again. He shot out of the chair and scrambled over the table, grabbing her arm as she tried to flee.
“Max. MAX!” she shouted and laughed at the same time, feeling him pulling her back to the table. Before she knew it, she was sprawled across it, flat on her back, staring up at him.
“This is what you get when you tease me like that,” Max hovered over her. He pinned her to the table, eyes sparkling with mischievous humor, slowly lowering his head. Just when he was about to kiss her, he started tickling her instead.
“Max! MAX!” she screamed, trying to fight off his hands. Her shirt rode up her legs, exposing her nudity underneath. The horseplay proved more than stimulating for both of them, turning into erotic foreplay. His mouth crashed against hers, her hands tore at his pajama bottoms, pushing the material down to his knees. Seconds later they were joined again, his sex buried inside her to the hilt.
“God, Liz,” Max muttered against her lips. “I can’t get enough of you.” He attacked her mouth again; his weight pressing her into the table.
“Ow! Owww!” Liz squirmed beneath him.
“What?” Max reared back, worried he’d hurt her.
She twisted to look underneath her, trying to dislodge a plate. “Lunch,” she laughed.
“Turkey.”
“Are you calling me a turkey?” she gaped at him.
“No,” he said, picking at something in her hair. He pulled it free and dangled it in front of her face, smiling, “Turkey.” He tossed the slice of meat over his shoulder and went back to kissing her.
With his lips affixed firmly to hers, he lifted her shoulders and swept the table clean. The plates flew off and shattered on the floor. Liz looked up at him in shock, with her mouth hanging open.
“Max, that’s your sister’s!”
“Yeah, she’s probably not gonna like that, huh?” With a smirk he added, “She’s not gonna like what we’re doing on her table, either.”
“Max, you’re so bad!” Liz slapped him on the chest.
“And you’re bad with me,” he chased after her lips, kissing her hard.
The creak was the first indication of a problem. The creak gave way to a crack and then a snap.
“Max? What was th –”
“OH SHIT!” Max shouted as the table gave way. The outside legs collapsed, sending Max and Liz to the floor in a heap.
“Did we do that?” Liz scrambled to sit up, pushing her hair out of her face.
“Are you okay?” Max checked her over. When he was sure Liz was fine he turned to look at the table, uttering, “When Isabel sees this, I’m dead meat!”
“Do you think you can you fix it?” Liz asked.
“I’m a lawyer, Liz, not a carpenter.”
Nevertheless, he hitched his pajama bottoms up around his waist and surveyed the damage, assessing what was broken and where. Liz meant to give him a hand, but watching the beautiful muscles in his back flexing with his efforts was just too distracting.
“Liz,” he scolded, moving the legs of the table back into place. “If you keep touching me there, I’ll never get this fixed.”
“You mean here?” Liz ran her hand down his spine. “Or here?” she asked, cupping his ass.
“Lizzzz,” Max startled, bumping his head on the underside of the table.
“Or maybe here?” she giggled, slipping her hand around his waist and down the front of his pajamas.
“The hell with the table,” Max growled. He threw a laughing Liz over his shoulder and marched toward the bedroom, leaving a temporarily resurrected table behind him.
* * * * *
Isabel inserted her key in the lock and pushed the apartment door open. It’d been a long drive and it was late, but she was more hungry than tired, and dying for something cold to drink. She dropped her jacket over the back of a chair and made her way into the kitchen. The first thing she noticed was the broken plates on the floor.
“What the hell?”
In another part of the apartment, Liz stood beside Max, feeling the warmth of his naked skin against her shoulder. “Max? Are you sure about this?”
“Yeah!” he grinned. “It’s been my biggest fantasy for years!”
“I don’t know,” Liz hedged. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to do this.
“C’mon, Liz,” Max begged. “She’ll never know.”
“Okay,” Liz gave in, even though she had reservations. If Isabel found out, Max was going to be so dead.
* * * * *
Isabel surveyed her kitchen, glaring at the dirty pans in the sink, the toaster on the counter, the mess on the stove.
“Max Evans,” she fumed. “You are such a pig!” When she told him he could use her apartment this weekend, she hadn’t expected him to leave it like this!
She noticed the dent in the refrigerator next. She set her purse on the table, suddenly concerned that someone might have been injured here, and that’s what accounted for the mess, until the table groaned and collapsed to the floor.
Isabel put her hands on her hips and turned in a circle in her damaged kitchen, asking the walls, “What the hell happened here?”
* * * *
“This is so cool!” Max turned off the bathroom lights and giddily joined Liz in the warm water that filled the massive tub. Only candlelight flickered in the bathroom now. He handed her a bubbling glass of champagne, clinking them together, toasting, “To fulfilling fantasies!”
“To fantasies,” Liz smiled, indulging him. His face looked so cute, like a little boy getting away with something he wasn’t supposed to do. “The view is amazing!”
Liz sat in one end of the oversized tub looking through the picture window out over Central Park, surrounded by a rich froth of bubbles. The moon was just rising above the treetops, bathing the outside world in a silvery light.
“Isn’t it!” Max sat at the opposite end of the tub, mesmerized by the vista. “If Isabel was here, she’d kick my ass for doing this.”
* * * * *
Isabel walked down the long hallway from the living room to the bedrooms. She glanced into the guest room first, letting her irritation flare into anger. She stepped inside looking at the rumpled sheets.
“Couldn’t he even make the bed before he left?”
She stormed across the hall and saw that her own room was in even worse condition. Blankets hanging off the bed. Rumpled sheets. Pajamas on the floor.
Wait.
Pajamas on the floor?
The realization hit her of what exactly happened here, in her bedroom, and in the kitchen, and on her table!
“Oh. My. God!”
* * * * *
In the bathroom, Liz cocked her head. “Did you hear something?”
“Like what?” Max took a sip of his champagne.
“Like a voice? Where’s Isabel again?”
“Don’t worry. She’s in England. ‘Til the weekend’s over.”
“Max,” Liz stared at him. “The weekend is over. It’s Sunday night. Almost Monday morning.”
“MAX EVANS!” an angry shout boomed from the bedroom. “I’M COMING IN THERE!”
Max sat up straight with his eyes as big as saucers and his mouth hanging open. “Oh shit!”
“MAXWELL PHILIP EVANS!” Isabel growled as she stormed into the bathroom.
Max didn’t know whether to get up and run, or to sink under the bubbles and hide until his air ran out. Either way he was dead. He sat frozen like a rabbit in the road about to be run over. Isabel barreled into the bathroom, flicking on the overhead light, pointing her wicked finger at him.
“You are SO dead!”
“Isabel,” he squeaked.
“Don’t you Isabel me! Did you see what you did –”
“I thought you were in London,” Max said to distract her.
“Bath! I told you I was spending the weekend in Bath!”
“London. Bath. You sure got back from England fast.”
“I was in Bath, New York, Einstein! And speaking of bath,” she glared at him, “what the hell do ya think –”
Max lifted his arm, dripping water and suds, pointing at the other end of the massive tub. “Liz is here.”
Isabel snapped her mouth closed. She stepped further into the bathroom, now seeing the small brunette surrounded in white bubbles. Liz meekly lifted her hand and waved.
“Hi Isabel.”
“Hi Liz,” Isabel smiled. “How was the wedding?”
“It was beautiful,” Liz beamed. “Maria’s gown was so gorgeous.”
Max sat at his end of the tub with his mouth hanging open. His shrew of a sister was talking amicably with his girlfriend, while they both sat naked in her tub. Thank god for bubble bath.
“Did she go with the Vera Wang?” Isabel moved closer, sitting on the side of the tub. She lifted the champagne bottle off the floor and refilled Liz’s glass.
“Yes, and it was perfect. I’ll have to show you the pictures.”
Max extended his own glass and nearly fainted when Isabel filled it too. Holy shit! Who was this woman? As he listened to the two of them chatting, he lifted his glass in a silent toast to Liz, the woman who had the Evans clan eating out of the palm of her hand. Liz was the only person he knew that had ever drawn this kind of reaction out of his sister.
“Who’s taking care of Max while they’re gone?” Isabel asked.
Max cocked his head, suddenly drawn back into the conversation. Oops, wrong Max!
“Michael has a new neighbor who volunteered to watch him.”
“Well, I’m off,” Isabel said, rising to her feet.
“You’re leaving?” Liz asked.
“I can’t sleep here until Max buys me a new bed.” She shot him a scowling look, adding, “And a new table!” It would be too psychologically damaging to sleep in the same bed –or eat off the same table – that her brother had had sex on.
Max tried to sink under the bubbles. Isabel wouldn’t try to drown him in front of Liz, would she?
“Isabel,” Liz looked at her with worry. “Where are you going to stay?”
Isabel’s features softened and her eyes took on a faraway dreamy look. She sighed and said, “Jesse’s.”
“Jesse?” Max sat up straighter and set his champagne glass down, surprised by the look on his sister’s face. “Who’s Jesse?”
“After you left, Dad hired a new lawyer to take over your case load. His name’s Jesse, and he’s so . . .” her voice trailed off with a deep sigh, a smile lighting her face.
“Tall, dark, and handsome?” Liz offered.
“Very!” With a wave of her hand, she turned toward the bedroom. “Enjoy the view! And have a safe trip home!”
“I can’t believe it,” Max watched Isabel’s retreating figure disappear into the bedroom. “She didn’t kill me!”
“See?” Liz laughed at him. “Your sister’s not so bad.”
“Oh, and Max?” Isabel shouted from the bedroom. “That tub cost $20,000!”
Max leaned close to Liz and whispered, “No sex in the tub, Liz. I can’t afford to replace it.”
Liz’s throaty laughter filled the bathroom, warming Max deep into his soul. Day by day he watched her blossom, watched her confidence grow, watched her spirit emerging in the sparkle that shined in her eyes. It had always been in her, just buried under the surface, and he liked to think that his love for her was helping to bring it to light.
“Where are you going?” Liz watched Max climb out of the tub and hurry across the bathroom, dripping water and bubbles everywhere. A dimple in his cute little ass caught her eye, reminding her of the night they met.
“Too bright,” Max flipped the light switch, darkening the bathroom once again. He hurried back to the tub, sliding in close to Liz and pulling her into the space between his legs. She leaned back into his chest, slipping her champagne as they looked out at the view beyond the window.
“Right there,” Max pointed at a distant spot. “That’s the place that changed my life forever.”
“Central Park?” she asked, feeling his breath, his lips against her hair.
“It’s where I got my ass chewed by the biggest damn dog I’ve ever seen, and I met the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known.”
Liz felt her cheeks heat up, the way they always did when he spoke to her like that. She didn’t see herself the way he saw her, but she knew what he said was spoken from the heart.
“Do you ever miss it here?” Liz turned to face him.
“Not at all,” Max cupped her throat with his hand, pulling her closer, reacting to the feel of her body against his. His lips touched hers, whispering against her sweet skin, “Not as long as I’m with you.”
His husky reply sent shivers straight down her spine, igniting the desire he always sparked in her. His own desire was starkly evident, rising proud and true.
“What about what your sister said?” Liz straddled his lap.
“Hell,” Max grinned, taking her lips again. “It’s only money.”
Tonight all his fantasies were coming true; having Liz in his life, planning a future with her, sharing this sacred tub. All of this was happening because last fall, in that park across the street, a monstrous dog had taken a bite out of him and left his mark forever.
* * * * *
Max lay snuggled in the sheets, warm and content, deep in the world of dreams. His eyes darted back and forth under his lids, remembering the first time he saw her, his angel, walking in the park. The memory played out in his dream; of how they looked into each other’s eyes, how they sniffed each other’s fur, how they smelled each other’s butts.
Max let out a muted bark in his sleep, his legs twitching as his dream self ran through the grass, chasing his red-haired beauty, seeing her long ears flopping in the wind. A chance encounter in the park had brought them together; he’d never seen a more beautiful Irish Setter in all his life.
Maybe tomorrow he would see her again. Maybe tomorrow he would learn her name. Until then Max was happy just to dream, and sleep on his master’s warm and snuggly bed. He’d worry about getting scolded for it tomorrow.
The End
Author note:
It always feels funny typing those last two words. The End. I started posting this just a few months ago, but I began writing it probably closer to a year ago. This was my first incursion into a non-Roswell universe, and I must say it was fun. It will leave me with a few lasting images; Max getting his ass chewed in the park, Liz treating his wounds in her bathroom, Max standing on the refreshment table (with his legs straddling the teeny weenies) trying to find Liz, and then the two of them dancing on the balcony under the stars.
On a more emotional level, there’s the image of the human Max on one side of the street and the canine Max on the other, both of them watching Liz drive away, out of their lives. But perhaps my favorite chapter of this story is part 15, specifically the scenes between Max and Michael, in the bar learning about Alex, then in Michael’s office, and finally when Max and Michael meet again in the park.
I’m not sure why I’m reminiscing tonight; maybe I’m finding it harder than usual to let this one go. Like your last child growing up and leaving home. I have one parting thought to leave with you as I end this tale . . .
When life gets you down, let your dog teach you how to chase a squirrel.
Last edited by Breathless on Mon Nov 03, 2003 2:14 am, edited 1 time in total.