TWENTY
The band was in the studio for another full three days. They left early and came back to the warehouse grumpy and exhausted late in the evening. A handful of days over Christmas were free to relax but straight after that they were back to work.
Liz was getting bored and was relieved when one afternoon they were all in the lounge, finished early. She’d just walked in the door after going shopping (with the little bit of money she’d inherited) and there they were, having a meeting with Jeff.
On Thursday morning when she’d gotten up the warehouse had been completely empty. She’d wandered from each loft to see if there was anyone to talk to but there wasn’t. Kyle’s Missus wasn’t even there. Not even one of Michael’s latest shags. There was no Isabel because most of the time she stayed with her sister when she was in town.
Fiona had been kicked out by Max.
Who knew where Tess was. Although, she didn’t really want to speak to her anyway.
All on her own, Liz made a hot drink and sat down by the window, gazing out at the busy city. It seemed unnatural that the warehouse should be so empty when at night it was usually as hectic as the streets.
It was Thursday now (the day before Christmas Eve) and finally the band was there before it got dark outside. She didn’t want to interrupt them during their meeting so she attempted to sneak past with her rustling bags. She was only half way towards the hallway when Max motioned her over with his hand.
Like a lamb she left her purchases where they were and went and sat next to him on the couch. She remembered the night before he’d whispered to her when they were in bed (not having sex), “Don’t worry. We’ll have more time soon. You’re not too bored are you? I don’t want you leaving because it seems hard right now. That’ll change…”
He seemed so panicked that she was going somewhere. He always wanted to know what she was doing and where she planned to go later. He was being unnecessarily clingy.
When she sat down on the couch next to him he put his arm around her shoulders and lifted her legs to rest on his thighs. All this affection! She didn’t know what to do with herself. It was too good, too nice, too everything she wasn’t used to.
She tried to listen to what the meeting was about but it was hard when his smell was so close and his chest touched her arm when he breathed.
Before she knew it Jeff was standing up and the guys were dispersing. The meeting was obviously over.
“Hi,” Max said finally. “Where have you been?”
“I’ve been shopping, you see all those bags?”
“I see them,” he chuckled. “There’s a fucking heap of them, how could I not? What did you buy?”
“Just stuff,” she shrugged.
“Stuff,” he repeated, looking at her and smiling. When he leaned forward and kissed her lips she couldn’t help but moan.
Michael stood in front of them and he also moaned. In repugnance. “God,” he said. “You’d think you guys were in love or somethin’.”
When Liz broke the kiss and looked at Max everything she saw in his face told her that’s exactly what they were. Her heart sped up and her face went red.
“We’re going to get something to eat,” Michael said. “Are you coming?”
Max went to get up but Liz stopped him. “Let’s stay here,” she said quietly while giving him a suggestive look. She thought he’d proven himself by now. Fuck waiting. Waiting for what?
He gulped. “Yeah um, nah you guys go ahead.”
Michael grinned. “Want the place to yourself do ya?”
“Just get the fuck out of here.”
“Want us to bring you something back?” Alex asked.
“Yes.”
Once they’d left Max asked Liz if she wanted a coffee. She shook her head but he went and made himself one anyway. Instead of waiting patiently she gathered up her shopping bags and looked through them, admiring her new things. Like any other girl, she loved new purchases. Some things she’d been in desperate need of…like nylons and underwear. She finally owned a bra!
“Look,” she said to Max, “After all your nagging I bought myself a hat.”
He laughed. “That’ll hardly keep your head warm.”
It was a white crocheted beanie-like thing. She put it on her head and dug into another bag. She also had some new woollen jerseys and a jacket.
Max put a record on and then came back with a cup of steaming coffee and sat down beside her. He rested his head on the back of the couch and yawned.
Liz said, “You’re tired.”
He wiped the wetness from his eyes. “I am. I’m exhausted.”
Liz smiled when she realized he was drinking coffee to keep himself awake. That way he wouldn’t fall asleep and miss out on what she was offering. He gulped it down quickly and then put the cup on the floor.
Practically pressing her lips to his ear she whispered, “Come on, do you want to go to your room?”
He looked at her with wide, happy eyes, “I do, God I do. I’m just so”—he yawned again—“Give me a minute. I just had ultra strong coffee. I’ll be bouncing off the walls soon.” He lay down on his back and rested his head on her lap.
Liz laughed. “We don’t have to,” she said.
“Are you kidding me?” he laughed, “yes we do.”
God, what she felt for him. She leaned down and kissed his mouth tenderly. He moaned and pursed his lips to kiss her back.
Tess and some other girl walked in the door at that moment and looked around. Seeing them, Tess sighed, “Hey, where is everyone?”
Liz straightened up. “They went to get something to eat.”
“Do you know where?” she asked.
Max told her the usual place and then looked at Liz and rolled his eyes. She smiled.
When Tess left Liz didn’t even get a chance to stand; Max lifted her and headed in the direction of the hallway. “Wait!” she cried, “My things! My things!”
Reluctantly, he let her down and she quickly gathered up her bags and then followed him down the hall.
It was almost awkward when they were alone in his room together. Liz guessed they were both nervous. They’d never…what did people call it?...made love before. When they’d fucked there was no emotional attachment.
Liz stepped close to Max and looked up into his face. He swallowed. “Have you forgiven me?”
“I haven’t so much as forgiven you,” she sighed, “but gotten over it.”
She sat down on the bed and leaned back so her weight was resting on her arms. “Now…how quickly can you get naked?”
He laughed. “Count to five.”
“Okay,” she laughed too, “One…Two…”
Max pulled his shirts over his head and started unbuckling his brown leather belt…
“Three…Four…”
He stripped his pants and then bent down to take off his shoes…
“Five.”
Liz gulped and ran her eyes from his feet to his face. Damn, he was gorgeous. “Do you think you can get mine off that quickly?”
He smirked and leaned down to pick up one of her feet. “No, you need much more care,” he said and started to slowly unlace her go-go boots. After he’d removed them she stood up so he could take her skirt and nylons off.
Her poncho and long sleeved shirts were last to go.
When she was finally bare in front of him she scooted into the middle of the mattress and motioned for him to join her.
He put one knee on the bed and leaned forward so his arms rested on either side of her body. As they kissed she lay back and he spread out on top of her, touching her goose bumped flesh with his.
Wanting even more closeness she raised her arms so they went around his neck and her breasts lifted to touch his chest. “Oh…” she sighed happily, her legs automatically spreading. “Max…”
He sighed too and curved his neck forward so he could kiss her collar bone and shoulders. She could feel his arousal resting in-between her damp thighs and there was no better sensation. She found it hard to believe she’d waited so long to do this. She felt silly that she’d doubted his devotion for her when the look in his eyes right now was nothing but love.
Max kissed and sucked her breasts and she heard him mumble, “You have the world’s best tits,” and she laughed. He grinned at her and moved down her body to kiss her stomach. His hands were massaging her hips, her thighs…he couldn’t stop. His hands didn’t stay still and it was causing her immense pleasure.
She reached down to stroke him in return but grew impatient. All she wanted was to have him ride her hard and fast. She’d gone so long without that sensation. Foreplay was completely unnecessary.
She whispered to Max to please just take her now.
He smiled and moved her legs further apart so as to have easy access. She bit her lip and lifted her hips—ready, dying, craving to feel every inch of him
He wasn’t slow to fill her which Liz was very thankful for. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes—thinking: thank GOD.
Max was on his knees thrusting into her elevated hips but soon leaned forward so he was lying on top of her. Liz gasped and sighed in satisfaction. She was in bliss. Her hands were clasping at the blankets but moved to hold around his neck.
Suddenly she wanted to be on top so she rolled them over. Her body was stretched over his. “Max…when you fucked Fiona…” she swallowed and took a breath. It was very hard for her to keep her eyes open. “Max…was she on top of you like this…” she panted. “Or was she underneath you?”
He couldn’t answer. “What?” he panted. There was sweat on his chest and lower stomach.
She paused her movements and rested her weight on her hands. “How did you fuck her?” her eyes were on his.
“She was on top,” he answered breathlessly. “Liz…”
“Am I better?” she asked and slowly started to grind into him again. The power she was feeling in that moment was very arousing. “Do I fuck better?”
He kept his eyes on hers. “You fuck better,” he said, “You do everything better.”
Her movements got faster. “And…?”
“And?” he moaned, his head arched back and his hands clenched into fists. “And…I was thinking about you.”
She bit her lip and moved faster and faster. “You were thinking about me when you fucked her?” she panted. Her eyes closed. She was so close…there was warmth all over her body.
“Yes,” he moaned, “yessss…”
He was first and she followed in a close second. Then while still recovering she rolled off him and spread out on her back on the mattress. Max moved onto his stomach and pressed his body into her side, kissing the corner of her mouth. “If I’d had any idea it would hurt you so much,” he whispered, “I never would have done it. If I’d known for sure you were coming back…” one of his hands came up to touch her flushed cheek. “I was just so unsure about everything…”
She kissed him back, rubbing her body against his again.
Liz wanted him again but she knew he’d need a moment. She could go all night after the last month of celibacy.
Her hands ran through his hair. “Are you going to fall asleep?” she asked.
He swallowed and shook his head. “Not a chance. Not until we’ve done that again. And again…”
She smiled and kissed him. “And again…and again…”
~*~
He was being too gentle with her. All she wanted was him to be rough and unrelenting, even if it meant going against his nature. She tried to tell him but it didn’t make any difference. He was afraid he’d hurt her or something. Which it turned out that’s exactly what she wanted. All she needed was for him to grasp her skin a little harder and bite occasionally, was that too much to ask?
It was getting dark and she was just resting her eyes when she felt him get up from the bed and leave the room. She heard him talking to someone down in the lounge—the guys must have come back—and then she couldn’t guess what he was doing.
Eventually he came back and stretched out on the bed beside her. She felt his lips on her hair, rubbing back and forth and then his hands touched her stomach with something cold. She opened an eye and saw he had an ice cube and was running it in circles around her navel.
She sighed happily and stretched her arms over her head. “Where’d that come from?” she asked.
“The freezer,” he answered, “Always got to have ice for making good alcoholic beverages.”
“What else can you use it for?” she asked devilishly.
“You tell me. Does that feel nice?”
She nodded. “It does, yeah. It would feel good somewhere lower too.”
He laughed. “Whatever you say. I think this is very weird, just so you know.”
“Not that weird,” she mumbled, closing her eyes. He massaged her skin with the ice cube and then her nipples as well so they were hard peaks. Finally he shifted so he was sitting in-between her legs. He was almost hesitant to touch her with it but when he did and she moaned he didn’t hold back.
He ran the ice cube around her nub and it started to melt quite quickly. “You’re too hot,” he joked.
She just moaned.
Max grabbed another couple of ice cubes from the tray he’d brought and prodded them inside her. Leaving them there, he put another in his mouth, cooling his tongue and then he leaned down and licked her out while he was still icy. She enjoyed that a lot, writhing dramatically and moaning. His lips sucked and his tongue prodded until she was nothing but a quivering mess.
“That was so amazing,” she sighed. “Do you want to try?”
Max shook his head frantically. “No way. No ice cubes near me.”
“Why?” she laughed. “Will you shrink?”
“Yes,” he said, trying not to laugh.
Liz decided to go and get some of the food the guys brought back so she got up from the bed on wobbly legs. She yawned and stretched and then went into the bathroom and came back a few minutes later. “Do you think they’d care if I went down there naked?” she grinned. “It’s not like they haven’t seen before. I don’t want to get dressed.”
“I care,” he said. “Only I want to see you naked.”
She rolled her eyes at him and tugged on some underwear and his shirt. “There…” she said, “Happy? I’ll be right back.”
Kyle asked if they were having fun when she walked out and she gave him the finger. They both had a burger each and some cold fries. They ate in bed.
“You need a fire place in here,” she said. “It’s really cold.”
“Get under the covers,” he said.
She asked what he had planned for Christmas day. “I wouldn’t mind being in bed all day…” he winked. “And then in the evening my parents are having a party that I’m supposed to make an appearance at.”
Liz lit a cigarette and took a long drag. “I’m guessing that wouldn’t let me into that party.”
“You didn’t make that bad a first impression.”
“Ha!” she exclaimed.
~*~
there you go...thanks everyone,
~nicola
Brooklyn (AU M/L ADULT) (Complete)
Moderators: Itzstacie, Forum Moderators
TWENTY ONE
“This is my favourite position,” Liz said quietly. It was the middle of the night and the room was dark except for one lamp in the corner. Max was sitting up in the middle of the bed and Liz was straddling his hips, facing him. Her arms were around his neck and her breasts against his chest.
Max was looking into her eyes. “Did you just decide that right now?”
She nodded and gave his mouth a kiss. And then continued down his jaw and neck. When her lips were near his ear she said, “What, you don’t agree?”
“Well yes,” he said, “I’m enjoying this very much.” His hands were on her bare back, massaging up and down.
“I missed fucking you,” she sighed. “I like your dick.”
He laughed. “What?”
“It’s like…” she lifted her hips to stare at it. “The perfect size for me.”
He laughed harder. “Well that’s nice to know.”
She smiled and then gasped when his hands dropped from her back to her bum. He lifted her up and she slowly descended onto his arousal so it was filling her. Her body couldn’t have been any closer to his. Her face was practically pressing against his nose.
There was no I, there was just we.
Liz watched him bite his lip in pleasure and moved a millimetre closer to kiss the corner of his mouth. She couldn’t stop kissing him. Over the course of the evening she’d become obsessed with the feel of his skin on her lips. It was prickly and warm and she loved it.
Max, with his hands—one on each of her buttocks (and there was a lot of buttock to grab)—grinded upwards and downwards. She pressed her face into his goose-bumped neck and bit down carefully.
“I thought you were the one who liked biting?” he chuckled and rubbed his nose in her hair.
“Well I’ve decided you like it too,” she said, grinning at him. Forcefully she lifted her hips and thrust down on him—hard. He cried out ‘Oh mother of GOD!’ and arched his head back.
“What time is it do you think?” she asked.
He panted into the cold air. “Do I look like I care what the time is?”
“Probably about four AM,” she said and did the same hip movement again. He cried out—again. Then there was a bang on the wall.
“Give it a rest already would ya?!”
Liz laughed and yelled back. “Not a chance Al!”
Max’s hands grasped her skin—roughly like she wanted. And he bit into her shoulder. It was her turn to arch her head back in pleasure.
“Do it again,” he begged.
After grinding into him again she took one of his hands and ran it down her stomach to where they were joined. He used his index and middle finger on her until she was writhing and so close. Her breasts sprung upwards when she grinded into him.
“One more?” she asked him breathlessly.
He swallowed his harsh breaths and nodded. “One more.”
“Me too,” she said.
Clutching onto each other they moved in one upward motion again and then let go. Liz buried her face deep in his neck to muffle her whimpers.
“Fuck.”
~*~
Liz got up early in the morning (around nine) and had a shower. Max was still asleep so she went out into the kitchen clean and fresh and aching for a cigarette. One of the couch’s had been spun around so it was facing out the large windows and Kyle was sitting alone sipping coffee.
“Morning,” she said happily. “Is the coffee still warm?”
“Morning,” he smiled. “Yeah, should be.”
She poured herself a cup and then went and sat next to him. He draped his arm over her shoulders.
“This is a nice view,” she said and snuggled up close. He was warm compared to the freezing room.
“Yeah,” he nodded. They were silent for a long time and Liz looked at him in his grey sweat-pants, jersey and chequered robe. Eventually he laughed and said, “So you had a good night.”
Liz laughed too. “I had an exceptional night,” she said. “Fucking wonderful. But I suppose I don’t need to tell you.”
“Oh no, everyone got to hear it very clearly.”
She lit a cigarette and took a drag. “What about you? How was your night?”
“It wasn’t as good as yours,” he said, “but it was good. I’m so fucking glad we have today off.”
“Yeah,” she nodded. “What are you doing for Christmas?”
“I have breakfast at my nan’s in the morning and then I’m going to Shell’s house for dinner.” Shell was his latest girl thing. Liz had only met her briefly but she seemed really nice. Tall with black hair and skinny. “What about you?”
“Nothing really planned,” Liz said.
“Well after last night I’ve decided I want to marry you.”
“You have?”
“Well anyone who’ll keep going that fucking long…”
“I’ll marry you Kyle.”
“Whoa!” Max suddenly said from behind them. “What’s going on here?”
Liz grinned. “I’ve decided I want Kyle and his sexy robe.”
Max was not finding this funny at all. Liz stopped smiling and sipped her coffee timidly.
Kyle patted her knee and got up. “I think I better go…shower.”
Max unhappily sat down in his place. “Why do you have to be so cosy around him?”
“You’re not jealous are you? This is a side of Max Evans I’ve never seen before.” She leaned her face into him. “How could think anything like that after the night we just had?” she winked at him.
He rubbed his eyes. “I thought you’d gone.”
“Gone where?” she asked.
“Just gone…never mind.”
She gave his mouth a kiss. “You need to stop freaking out. I’m all yours.”
~*~
For Christmas Max got Liz a t-shirt that had, ‘I’m with the band’ written across the front. She loved it very much. “It’s a shame I can’t wear it to the party though,” she grinned at him. “I don’t think that would go down well with your parents and their friends.”
“Like I give a fuck what they think,” he said. “You should go in that. You should go in just that.”
She rolled her eyes. “Thank you for your support. I just want to do well this time.”
“So does that mean you won’t join me for some weed?” he pulled a small packed out of his top draw and broke the seal. She got up off the bed and came towards him.
“Don’t,” she said simply and took it out of his hand. “Not tonight.”
He looked at her with surprise. “What?”
“I said, not tonight,” she folded her arms over her chest. “I was telling the truth when I said I want to cut back. I want to give it up completely one day.”
“But…”
“Max, you said you wanted to calm down too. Don’t you want to prove to them you can be a civilized adult? I know the last time was fun,” she grinned, “very, very fun. But just tonight…”
“Okay,” he shrugged. “Whatever. But I’m warning you now what it’s going to be like. My family they’re horrible…”
“No they’re not,” she said. “Don’t worry, I can handle it.”
Liz had an old dress in her car that she hadn’t worn in years. When she put it on it was a little tight and she remarked that she’d gained some weight. Max shrugged and while sucking on a cigarette said that he couldn’t tell. He waited patiently while she fluffed her hair, put on make up and fixed a pair of dangling earrings in place.
“What the hell?” he commented when he came towards her. “What are you wearing that for?”
“What?” she grinned, “A bra?”
“For Christ’s sake you never fucking wear one so don’t put one on for my parents’ sake. Take the fucking thing off. I like it better when you don’t wear one anyway.”
“I’m not going without one on,” she pushed him away. “I don’t care what you think. Piss off.”
When she saw his families two story near-mansion she gasped. “You lived here?”
“It’s no big deal,” he shrugged grumpily. He was in a bad mood and Liz couldn’t figure out why—until they got inside and she met his academic brothers and sister.
“So you’re the black sheep in the family, huh?” Liz grinned up at him. The house was very full. There were a lot of upper class people milling about in amongst the Christmas decorations.
Max grabbed a glass of wine off the bar and took a sip. “Yip,” he said finally, “I was different from birth. I’ll never be good enough—no matter what I do.” He was the youngest and the only Evans’ not married with children and with a big house of his own. “Even if I get fucking internationally famous—it’ll make shit difference.”
Liz took his hand, looping her fingers in the gaps of his. “You have more talent than every fucking person I’ve ever met. I’d like to see them top that. Anyone can make money.”
He stared at her adoringly for a moment and then leaned down and kissed her mouth.
“Ah Max!” his mom found them standing in the corner. “You brought Liz.” She looked as extravagant as the house in her brightly coloured dress and expensive jewellery. “Merry Christmas Dear.”
“Yeah,” Liz said. “You too.”
Max kissed Diane’s cheek and told her she looked nice. Diane looked very pleased—and relieved. They weren’t high after all. Or drunk…yet.
“You know what else I think,” Liz said after his mom had gone. She kept noticing that people were looking at her. She ignored it—so she didn’t have the latest fashion dress or diamonds. That’s not what she considered important. “You totally got all the fucking looks in the family.”
Max laughed.
The party was being held in the two adjoining downstairs lounge rooms. Liz was surprised by how modern the furniture was. She half expected them to be living with Victorian styles. That wasn’t the case. Everything was new and brightly coloured to match what was in the stores. She was half certain that she’d seen their exact red sofa set in the window of a furniture shop the other day. The walls were cream with pale yellow patterned carpet and wooden circular tables.
After downing another glass of wine Max said, “Come on.” He tossed his glass aside and started leading her through the crowd. “I’ll show you around.”
He practically ran up the grand stair case to the second floor. He never let go of her hand and she was panting at the top. “And you wanted me to loose the bra,” she said breathlessly, “As if I don’t fit in enough.”
“You think I’d like you if you fitted in?” he said.
The Neil Diamond music drifted upstairs but grew fainter as they walked down the hall. Max commented that his mom had an obsession with Neil Diamond. He bet that some time he’d meet him and then maybe he’d introduce the two.
“Are you taking me to your room?” Liz asked, grinning.
“Yes,” he answered also grinning. “Is that okay?”
“Please,” she said.
His room was at the very end and it was small in comparison to every other room. It had a double bed and posters. There were a few music awards and his old guitar. Max picked it up and stared at it almost as adoringly as he stared at her.
“I fucking love this thing,” he said. “It was my first guitar. I was allowed a new one but I didn’t want to get rid of it. I taught myself how to play on this. God,” he strummed it quickly and then put it down. “I haven’t been up here in ages.”
“I believe you,” she said. She sat down on the end of the bed and leaned back on her hands. “It’s exactly what I imagined your childhood room would be. Maybe a little fancier because of your rich parents…”
He nodded and picked up something from his desk draw. “Look,” he said handing it to her, “It’s me when I was your age.”
Liz’s face lit up. “Wow!” she laughed. “You look dorky. Thank God I never met you then, I never would have gone for you.”
“Huh!” he said defensively. “Screw you.”
“Can I keep this?” she asked.
“If you want.”
She put it aside and held her open hands out to him.
“I want to have sex right here,” he said, kissing her mouth teasingly and putting one knee on the bed beside her. “But first you have to apologize for calling me dorky.”
Her arms went around him. “You’re not dorky. You’re sexy.”
“Sexy huh?” his mouth couldn’t stop touching hers. Meanwhile his hands were under her dress, pulling down her underwear. “You’re pretty sexy too Brownie.”
Liz stared when he lifted his hips and unzipped his trousers to pull himself out. Her hands bit into his shoulders and her thighs fell open. “This is naughty,” she said. “We should be in the party.”
“I should be in here,” he said and thrust inside her. “Right here, deep inside you.”
She moaned in agreement and rocked against him.
Afterwards he stood up and tucked himself back into his pants. She pulled her dress down and put her underwear back on. He helped her to her feet. “I feel better about being here now,” he said happily.
She rolled her eyes and frantically tried to push her hair down at the back of her head. “I have sex hair.”
He laughed. “Yeah you do.”
They rejoined the party and went straight to the dancing area. They were a lot freer with their movements than the other guests. Everywhere they went they couldn’t help but demand attention whether they wanted to or not. Liz laughed loudly as Max spun her around and flung her inwards again.
Max nearly knocked over a waitress with a tray of wine when she walked past. Thankfully Liz got her balance before they both toppled over and landed on the floor. They were loud and fun while everyone else was conservative and careful. They sung loudly with the lyrics and took up more space.
Liz slowly figured out exactly what Max had meant when he’d said, “You think I’d like you if you fitted in?” She’d never fit in with people like this. It would be like a sheep in with the horses.
She sung at the top of her lungs with Max: “Thank the lord for the night time, we forget the day. A day of up-up tight time!”
They kissed and shook their hips together. She’d rather be a sheep any day.
~*~
Hello!
As you've probably guessed my two weeks are up and I'm back working. Hopefully I can can still get parts out quite often. Hope you liked this! See you soon!
Thanks for everything!
~nicola
“This is my favourite position,” Liz said quietly. It was the middle of the night and the room was dark except for one lamp in the corner. Max was sitting up in the middle of the bed and Liz was straddling his hips, facing him. Her arms were around his neck and her breasts against his chest.
Max was looking into her eyes. “Did you just decide that right now?”
She nodded and gave his mouth a kiss. And then continued down his jaw and neck. When her lips were near his ear she said, “What, you don’t agree?”
“Well yes,” he said, “I’m enjoying this very much.” His hands were on her bare back, massaging up and down.
“I missed fucking you,” she sighed. “I like your dick.”
He laughed. “What?”
“It’s like…” she lifted her hips to stare at it. “The perfect size for me.”
He laughed harder. “Well that’s nice to know.”
She smiled and then gasped when his hands dropped from her back to her bum. He lifted her up and she slowly descended onto his arousal so it was filling her. Her body couldn’t have been any closer to his. Her face was practically pressing against his nose.
There was no I, there was just we.
Liz watched him bite his lip in pleasure and moved a millimetre closer to kiss the corner of his mouth. She couldn’t stop kissing him. Over the course of the evening she’d become obsessed with the feel of his skin on her lips. It was prickly and warm and she loved it.
Max, with his hands—one on each of her buttocks (and there was a lot of buttock to grab)—grinded upwards and downwards. She pressed her face into his goose-bumped neck and bit down carefully.
“I thought you were the one who liked biting?” he chuckled and rubbed his nose in her hair.
“Well I’ve decided you like it too,” she said, grinning at him. Forcefully she lifted her hips and thrust down on him—hard. He cried out ‘Oh mother of GOD!’ and arched his head back.
“What time is it do you think?” she asked.
He panted into the cold air. “Do I look like I care what the time is?”
“Probably about four AM,” she said and did the same hip movement again. He cried out—again. Then there was a bang on the wall.
“Give it a rest already would ya?!”
Liz laughed and yelled back. “Not a chance Al!”
Max’s hands grasped her skin—roughly like she wanted. And he bit into her shoulder. It was her turn to arch her head back in pleasure.
“Do it again,” he begged.
After grinding into him again she took one of his hands and ran it down her stomach to where they were joined. He used his index and middle finger on her until she was writhing and so close. Her breasts sprung upwards when she grinded into him.
“One more?” she asked him breathlessly.
He swallowed his harsh breaths and nodded. “One more.”
“Me too,” she said.
Clutching onto each other they moved in one upward motion again and then let go. Liz buried her face deep in his neck to muffle her whimpers.
“Fuck.”
~*~
Liz got up early in the morning (around nine) and had a shower. Max was still asleep so she went out into the kitchen clean and fresh and aching for a cigarette. One of the couch’s had been spun around so it was facing out the large windows and Kyle was sitting alone sipping coffee.
“Morning,” she said happily. “Is the coffee still warm?”
“Morning,” he smiled. “Yeah, should be.”
She poured herself a cup and then went and sat next to him. He draped his arm over her shoulders.
“This is a nice view,” she said and snuggled up close. He was warm compared to the freezing room.
“Yeah,” he nodded. They were silent for a long time and Liz looked at him in his grey sweat-pants, jersey and chequered robe. Eventually he laughed and said, “So you had a good night.”
Liz laughed too. “I had an exceptional night,” she said. “Fucking wonderful. But I suppose I don’t need to tell you.”
“Oh no, everyone got to hear it very clearly.”
She lit a cigarette and took a drag. “What about you? How was your night?”
“It wasn’t as good as yours,” he said, “but it was good. I’m so fucking glad we have today off.”
“Yeah,” she nodded. “What are you doing for Christmas?”
“I have breakfast at my nan’s in the morning and then I’m going to Shell’s house for dinner.” Shell was his latest girl thing. Liz had only met her briefly but she seemed really nice. Tall with black hair and skinny. “What about you?”
“Nothing really planned,” Liz said.
“Well after last night I’ve decided I want to marry you.”
“You have?”
“Well anyone who’ll keep going that fucking long…”
“I’ll marry you Kyle.”
“Whoa!” Max suddenly said from behind them. “What’s going on here?”
Liz grinned. “I’ve decided I want Kyle and his sexy robe.”
Max was not finding this funny at all. Liz stopped smiling and sipped her coffee timidly.
Kyle patted her knee and got up. “I think I better go…shower.”
Max unhappily sat down in his place. “Why do you have to be so cosy around him?”
“You’re not jealous are you? This is a side of Max Evans I’ve never seen before.” She leaned her face into him. “How could think anything like that after the night we just had?” she winked at him.
He rubbed his eyes. “I thought you’d gone.”
“Gone where?” she asked.
“Just gone…never mind.”
She gave his mouth a kiss. “You need to stop freaking out. I’m all yours.”
~*~
For Christmas Max got Liz a t-shirt that had, ‘I’m with the band’ written across the front. She loved it very much. “It’s a shame I can’t wear it to the party though,” she grinned at him. “I don’t think that would go down well with your parents and their friends.”
“Like I give a fuck what they think,” he said. “You should go in that. You should go in just that.”
She rolled her eyes. “Thank you for your support. I just want to do well this time.”
“So does that mean you won’t join me for some weed?” he pulled a small packed out of his top draw and broke the seal. She got up off the bed and came towards him.
“Don’t,” she said simply and took it out of his hand. “Not tonight.”
He looked at her with surprise. “What?”
“I said, not tonight,” she folded her arms over her chest. “I was telling the truth when I said I want to cut back. I want to give it up completely one day.”
“But…”
“Max, you said you wanted to calm down too. Don’t you want to prove to them you can be a civilized adult? I know the last time was fun,” she grinned, “very, very fun. But just tonight…”
“Okay,” he shrugged. “Whatever. But I’m warning you now what it’s going to be like. My family they’re horrible…”
“No they’re not,” she said. “Don’t worry, I can handle it.”
Liz had an old dress in her car that she hadn’t worn in years. When she put it on it was a little tight and she remarked that she’d gained some weight. Max shrugged and while sucking on a cigarette said that he couldn’t tell. He waited patiently while she fluffed her hair, put on make up and fixed a pair of dangling earrings in place.
“What the hell?” he commented when he came towards her. “What are you wearing that for?”
“What?” she grinned, “A bra?”
“For Christ’s sake you never fucking wear one so don’t put one on for my parents’ sake. Take the fucking thing off. I like it better when you don’t wear one anyway.”
“I’m not going without one on,” she pushed him away. “I don’t care what you think. Piss off.”
When she saw his families two story near-mansion she gasped. “You lived here?”
“It’s no big deal,” he shrugged grumpily. He was in a bad mood and Liz couldn’t figure out why—until they got inside and she met his academic brothers and sister.
“So you’re the black sheep in the family, huh?” Liz grinned up at him. The house was very full. There were a lot of upper class people milling about in amongst the Christmas decorations.
Max grabbed a glass of wine off the bar and took a sip. “Yip,” he said finally, “I was different from birth. I’ll never be good enough—no matter what I do.” He was the youngest and the only Evans’ not married with children and with a big house of his own. “Even if I get fucking internationally famous—it’ll make shit difference.”
Liz took his hand, looping her fingers in the gaps of his. “You have more talent than every fucking person I’ve ever met. I’d like to see them top that. Anyone can make money.”
He stared at her adoringly for a moment and then leaned down and kissed her mouth.
“Ah Max!” his mom found them standing in the corner. “You brought Liz.” She looked as extravagant as the house in her brightly coloured dress and expensive jewellery. “Merry Christmas Dear.”
“Yeah,” Liz said. “You too.”
Max kissed Diane’s cheek and told her she looked nice. Diane looked very pleased—and relieved. They weren’t high after all. Or drunk…yet.
“You know what else I think,” Liz said after his mom had gone. She kept noticing that people were looking at her. She ignored it—so she didn’t have the latest fashion dress or diamonds. That’s not what she considered important. “You totally got all the fucking looks in the family.”
Max laughed.
The party was being held in the two adjoining downstairs lounge rooms. Liz was surprised by how modern the furniture was. She half expected them to be living with Victorian styles. That wasn’t the case. Everything was new and brightly coloured to match what was in the stores. She was half certain that she’d seen their exact red sofa set in the window of a furniture shop the other day. The walls were cream with pale yellow patterned carpet and wooden circular tables.
After downing another glass of wine Max said, “Come on.” He tossed his glass aside and started leading her through the crowd. “I’ll show you around.”
He practically ran up the grand stair case to the second floor. He never let go of her hand and she was panting at the top. “And you wanted me to loose the bra,” she said breathlessly, “As if I don’t fit in enough.”
“You think I’d like you if you fitted in?” he said.
The Neil Diamond music drifted upstairs but grew fainter as they walked down the hall. Max commented that his mom had an obsession with Neil Diamond. He bet that some time he’d meet him and then maybe he’d introduce the two.
“Are you taking me to your room?” Liz asked, grinning.
“Yes,” he answered also grinning. “Is that okay?”
“Please,” she said.
His room was at the very end and it was small in comparison to every other room. It had a double bed and posters. There were a few music awards and his old guitar. Max picked it up and stared at it almost as adoringly as he stared at her.
“I fucking love this thing,” he said. “It was my first guitar. I was allowed a new one but I didn’t want to get rid of it. I taught myself how to play on this. God,” he strummed it quickly and then put it down. “I haven’t been up here in ages.”
“I believe you,” she said. She sat down on the end of the bed and leaned back on her hands. “It’s exactly what I imagined your childhood room would be. Maybe a little fancier because of your rich parents…”
He nodded and picked up something from his desk draw. “Look,” he said handing it to her, “It’s me when I was your age.”
Liz’s face lit up. “Wow!” she laughed. “You look dorky. Thank God I never met you then, I never would have gone for you.”
“Huh!” he said defensively. “Screw you.”
“Can I keep this?” she asked.
“If you want.”
She put it aside and held her open hands out to him.
“I want to have sex right here,” he said, kissing her mouth teasingly and putting one knee on the bed beside her. “But first you have to apologize for calling me dorky.”
Her arms went around him. “You’re not dorky. You’re sexy.”
“Sexy huh?” his mouth couldn’t stop touching hers. Meanwhile his hands were under her dress, pulling down her underwear. “You’re pretty sexy too Brownie.”
Liz stared when he lifted his hips and unzipped his trousers to pull himself out. Her hands bit into his shoulders and her thighs fell open. “This is naughty,” she said. “We should be in the party.”
“I should be in here,” he said and thrust inside her. “Right here, deep inside you.”
She moaned in agreement and rocked against him.
Afterwards he stood up and tucked himself back into his pants. She pulled her dress down and put her underwear back on. He helped her to her feet. “I feel better about being here now,” he said happily.
She rolled her eyes and frantically tried to push her hair down at the back of her head. “I have sex hair.”
He laughed. “Yeah you do.”
They rejoined the party and went straight to the dancing area. They were a lot freer with their movements than the other guests. Everywhere they went they couldn’t help but demand attention whether they wanted to or not. Liz laughed loudly as Max spun her around and flung her inwards again.
Max nearly knocked over a waitress with a tray of wine when she walked past. Thankfully Liz got her balance before they both toppled over and landed on the floor. They were loud and fun while everyone else was conservative and careful. They sung loudly with the lyrics and took up more space.
Liz slowly figured out exactly what Max had meant when he’d said, “You think I’d like you if you fitted in?” She’d never fit in with people like this. It would be like a sheep in with the horses.
She sung at the top of her lungs with Max: “Thank the lord for the night time, we forget the day. A day of up-up tight time!”
They kissed and shook their hips together. She’d rather be a sheep any day.
~*~
Hello!
As you've probably guessed my two weeks are up and I'm back working. Hopefully I can can still get parts out quite often. Hope you liked this! See you soon!
Thanks for everything!
~nicola
Last edited by nicola on Tue May 03, 2005 2:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
100% Pure New Zealand Beef
TWENTY-TWO
Liz was surprised by how quickly things got bad. She’d known the floating happiness couldn’t last forever and it turned out she was right. Being with Max only hid the unhappiness she felt with life. The rock star existence was something she needed to escape from and though Max had promised it would be different here in Brooklyn—it definitely wasn’t.
The parties, alcohol and drugs happened just as frequently and it was ignorant of her to hope she could have an early night. The noise was too loud and the socializing too tempting. She found herself feeling more and more depleted with every morning. She was irritable and argued with Max frequently.
He knew what the problem was and wanted to help but couldn’t. What could he possibly do? This was just the way life was for rock bands. That would never change and she knew it.
Trying to find a solution for her problem, she first considered getting a job and trying to find a place of her own. However…there was something incredibly unsatisfying about that idea.
And eventually she realized why…Brooklyn. She didn’t like it. It was cold and loud and busy and the people weren’t as friendly as what she was used to. If she was going to settle down somewhere she didn’t want it to be here. She couldn’t imagine herself working and living in amongst this landscape.
She was breathing completely for Max. In Brooklyn she’d never discover who she was and what she wanted. In the morning she said goodbye to him and he went off to record his album and she spent the day aimlessly waiting for him to come back. That was no way to live.
The alcohol and drugs did nothing for her except make her nauseous and unhappy. She was making herself sick with worrying. Her whole being ached to get away from it all and she knew that was the only answer.
But how could she leave Max?
She knew he wanted to abandon it all but he had an obligation and as much as he said it—he wouldn’t leave it behind. Not that she could ever forgive herself if he did. In her eyes he was destined to be famous and there would be no way she’d be the one to get in the way.
She was twenty in a couple of days and she could see that if she stayed here she would always be following Max around and never doing anything for herself.
There was something else that bothered her despite her trying to pretend it didn’t. It was hard not to worry that Max would sleep with someone else again. She knew it was unlikely; he was very devoted to her. However, sometimes he’d be talking to a woman and they’d be standing close to each other and this surge of uncontrollable jealousy and rage would jolt through her.
All this worry was not good. And there was no escaping it…right there behind every fun moment there was such bottled up unhappiness that she couldn’t bear it.
It was a Wednesday evening and there was a loud party going on in the warehouse. Liz was in Max’s room, sitting and fretting and considering trying to go to sleep but knowing she wouldn’t be able to. Her head was in her hands and she was taking deep breaths to stop herself from crying.
When she thought about leaving for some reason her talks with Fiona about Vegas came to mind. She’d love to live on the outskirts of the city where she could enjoy the lights but also the hot desert. It was closer to where she’d grown up and she just knew it was where she wanted to be.
Liz thought about going to speak to Max and decided she would. In her mind there was no possible solution other than to split. If there was another way she’d take it. If she could have him all to herself she’d love it but the world needed to discover him first. She’d sacrifice their love for that cause. Maybe he could come to her after he was done?
Out in the lounge she found him talking to a woman. He didn’t see her so she stood and watched as they laughed. The girl flirtatiously put her hand on his chest and he didn’t push her hand away. He didn’t stop staring and smiling.
Liz bit her lip to try and urge away the protectiveness. She knew deep within herself that he was only having fun and he would retire to a bed with her that evening. She wondered how she’d manage leaving when she couldn’t even bear seeing him talking to another woman. When he was famous he’d be in the magazines with models by his side and other gorgeous birds…
She went back to their room before anyone saw her and turned off all the lights. She got under the covers and smoked three cigarettes on her back—not caring that the ash was falling all over her. She would probably end up lighting herself on fire but that was the least of her problems. Tears rolled down the sides of her face and onto the pillow.
How could she possibly leave Max? How could she leave the guy who was so scared that she wouldn’t be there when he woke up that he clung onto when he slept? The guy that called out her name if she wasn’t there as soon as he opened his eyes?
Not to mention what it was like for her. He was the guy she held her breath for and couldn’t stop staring at and wanted to be around every second of every day. The guy she laughed and had fun with and made love to several times just because she absolutely had to.
She was still in the same numb position when he came into the room. He didn’t turn the lights on for fear of waking her and wandered blindly towards the bathroom. She wiped her face but it didn’t help, the fresh tears just dampened her skin further.
Max noticed the salty taste of her the second he lay down on the bed in his clothes and boots. He was on top of the covers but as close to her as possible.
“Liz?” he asked uncertainly. “Are you alright?”
She opened her mouth to say yes but choked on the lump in her throat. Max propped himself up and tried to see her despite the dark.
“God Liz…” he lowered a hand to her cheek and felt the wetness. His fingers shook slightly against her and he didn’t bother to ask what was wrong. He knew and so he just kissed her and clung onto her. “Liz please…” he moaned. “Please…”
She sighed against his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“You’re killing me,” he moaned again. “I’m going to die. I…” he buried his face in hers, unable to get close enough. “Can’t you please just trust me? Can’t you just live with me?”
All her problems, he knew them. He knew they were eating her alive. She’d told him and he could see it in her eyes.
“Fuck…” he sighed. His hands were in her hair and his body was practically on top of his. “Can’t you just fucking try?”
Liz didn’t answer. She put her hand in his pants and stroked him until he couldn’t bear it. And then she sobbed uncontrollably when he fucked her on her back. He nearly suffocated her with how tight his embrace was and she would have gladly died right then.
Everything he did—it just made her feel worse. He didn’t understand this and kept trying, never giving up until they were both physically and mentally exhausted. With the loud music and mingling party outside their door they both fainted into a restless sleep with their bodies intertwined in a big fleshy mess.
~*~
Liz was standing in the kitchen making a drink when Max came out of the bedroom and stood in front of the rest of the band. He had a determined and grim expression that instantly caught her attention.
“I have something to say.”
Everyone recognised his serious tone and waited patiently.
“I want to leave the band,” he said. “I don’t want to be apart of Devils Gold anymore.”
There was a deafening silence and then Kyle stood up and walked directly up to him. He shoved him hard in the chest. “What the fuck did you just say?”
Alex looked just as mad. “You can’t just leave the band.”
“What the fuck are the rest of us supposed to do?” Michael howled. “You don’t have a choice. You can’t and that’s it.”
“I can,” Max said. “And I’m fucking going to. I’ve made my decision.”
Kyle shoved him again. “You started this band! You can’t just abandon it now. Not when we’re finally fucking getting somewhere.”
“You can get a new lead singer,” Max argued. “You can get anyone—”
“He must be fucking joking,” Alex said to Michael. “He must be fucking kidding. Tell me—”
“He’s insane,” Michael replied. “As if that could even fucking happen.”
Max took a step away from Kyle. Liz came out from behind the breakfast bar and walked towards him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she asked. “You can’t just leave the band. You’re a part of Devils Gold. You are Devils Gold. You all are.”
“Go away,” Max said to her angrily. “This is none of your business.”
“None of her business!” Michael yelled. “It’s her fault!”
“It’s not her fault,” Max yelled back. “I’ve wanted to leave for a couple of years. You know that as well as I do. I’m done with this. I’m done with it all.”
Liz could see the guys just didn’t know how to function. Didn’t know what to say, didn’t know what to do. How could everything they’d worked for be gone just like that? It couldn’t be. The band was too important. They all knew that.
“If you leave this band you can say goodbye to me forever,” she spat out. “Don’t fucking come near me.”
“You’re a selfish bastard,” Michael growled. “You piece of worthless shit.”
What would they do now? There was nothing…
Max stood his ground and Kyle punched him in the nose. Liz didn’t help him up or take his side. She backed so far away from them all that she tripped on a rug and nearly toppled over.
When she woke up tied in the sheets she had a throbbing headache. She carefully untangled herself and tucked her hair behind her ears. Max wasn’t in bed any longer and she couldn’t hear him in the bathroom.
Her dream had only reinforced what she already knew. Her sticking around and Max seeing that she was unhappy…it would just end badly. When he came back into the room she was just stepping out of bed in a tank top (that came to just under her breasts) and a pair of underwear. He was dressed and ready to go.
“Oh you’re awake,” he said and came towards her. He gave her such a look of…
“Don’t look at me,” she said angrily, “don’t look at me like that.”
Anger would be the only way to help her through this. Max just rolled his eyes.
That would be the only way he could get through this—by not believing it was really happening.
She stood up and started looking around for something to wear. Max put his hands in his pockets and watched her. “What are you doing Liz?” he asked. “Are you insane?”
“I must be,” she said trying not to cry. “I’d fucking have to be, wouldn’t I?”
He came and put his arms around her. She tried to push him away but he wouldn’t let her. “Come here,” he said tenderly, “Come on Brownie…baby…”
She pressed her face into his chest and started to sob. He buried his face in her hair. His hands were tightly around her waist.
“Why…?” he moaned, knowing exactly why.
“Max…” she wiped her cheeks and looked up at him. “I-I lo—”
“I know,” he said with a sigh. “I know everything. Don’t say shit, I don’t want to hear it. Everything you feel and think…it’s the same for me.”
She looked into his eyes and the agony she was feeling couldn’t have been more obvious. God…how could she do this. How could she leave that face? Those eyes, that mouth…
They kissed passionately and then she tried to take it further but Max stopped her. “I have to go…they’re leaving…”
“It’ll only take a minute.” She unbuttoned his pants and let them drop to the floor. Like he could stop her then. Very roughly against the wall, he took her with helpless abandon. He knew deep in himself that she wouldn’t be there when he got back and it made him hate her. Meanwhile her thighs were wrapped tightly around his waist and she couldn’t stop kissing him. She couldn’t savour him enough.
He didn’t look at her and when he left he said, “Fuck you Brownie. You could have stuck it out with me. Stuck it out for me.”
She crumbled down onto the floor and covered her mouth with her hand. He didn’t even glance back as he slammed the door.
~*~
She left him a note telling him why she had to go—even though he already knew. She told him she needed a new crowd, a clean and stable group. She told him that the rest of the band was good but he was going to be great. She told him that she couldn’t spend her days like this and she had to become someone.
She finished by saying that she wasn’t done with him and that it just wasn’t their time right now. Not completely certain, she told him that she’d see him again. She told him he was the best person she’d ever met and she’d never forget him, ever. Finally she told him she was sorry.
When she was heading towards the door Tess looked up from the couch. “Going somewhere?” she asked.
“Yip, bye Tess.”
She didn’t want a final goodbye. She’d already had one of those the last time.
Before heading out she went to see Maria quickly. That turned out badly, she couldn’t even her anywhere and in the end gave up. They’d keep in touch—they always did somehow.
She drove around the city for a while and listened to the radio. One of their songs came on and she remembered when Max had written it and what city they’d been in. She remembered it all. Every concert, every party—every fuck.
As she drove past the “You are now leaving Brooklyn” sign she flicked her cigarette ash out of her window and looked in her rear view mirror.
She had no idea what her mom had ever seen in that city. It was a place for heartbreak and pain. What could be good about that?
~*~
I hate to keep you lovely people waiting. It has literally been the busiest week. I don't think you would have liked this but thank you for everything as always,
~nicola
Liz was surprised by how quickly things got bad. She’d known the floating happiness couldn’t last forever and it turned out she was right. Being with Max only hid the unhappiness she felt with life. The rock star existence was something she needed to escape from and though Max had promised it would be different here in Brooklyn—it definitely wasn’t.
The parties, alcohol and drugs happened just as frequently and it was ignorant of her to hope she could have an early night. The noise was too loud and the socializing too tempting. She found herself feeling more and more depleted with every morning. She was irritable and argued with Max frequently.
He knew what the problem was and wanted to help but couldn’t. What could he possibly do? This was just the way life was for rock bands. That would never change and she knew it.
Trying to find a solution for her problem, she first considered getting a job and trying to find a place of her own. However…there was something incredibly unsatisfying about that idea.
And eventually she realized why…Brooklyn. She didn’t like it. It was cold and loud and busy and the people weren’t as friendly as what she was used to. If she was going to settle down somewhere she didn’t want it to be here. She couldn’t imagine herself working and living in amongst this landscape.
She was breathing completely for Max. In Brooklyn she’d never discover who she was and what she wanted. In the morning she said goodbye to him and he went off to record his album and she spent the day aimlessly waiting for him to come back. That was no way to live.
The alcohol and drugs did nothing for her except make her nauseous and unhappy. She was making herself sick with worrying. Her whole being ached to get away from it all and she knew that was the only answer.
But how could she leave Max?
She knew he wanted to abandon it all but he had an obligation and as much as he said it—he wouldn’t leave it behind. Not that she could ever forgive herself if he did. In her eyes he was destined to be famous and there would be no way she’d be the one to get in the way.
She was twenty in a couple of days and she could see that if she stayed here she would always be following Max around and never doing anything for herself.
There was something else that bothered her despite her trying to pretend it didn’t. It was hard not to worry that Max would sleep with someone else again. She knew it was unlikely; he was very devoted to her. However, sometimes he’d be talking to a woman and they’d be standing close to each other and this surge of uncontrollable jealousy and rage would jolt through her.
All this worry was not good. And there was no escaping it…right there behind every fun moment there was such bottled up unhappiness that she couldn’t bear it.
It was a Wednesday evening and there was a loud party going on in the warehouse. Liz was in Max’s room, sitting and fretting and considering trying to go to sleep but knowing she wouldn’t be able to. Her head was in her hands and she was taking deep breaths to stop herself from crying.
When she thought about leaving for some reason her talks with Fiona about Vegas came to mind. She’d love to live on the outskirts of the city where she could enjoy the lights but also the hot desert. It was closer to where she’d grown up and she just knew it was where she wanted to be.
Liz thought about going to speak to Max and decided she would. In her mind there was no possible solution other than to split. If there was another way she’d take it. If she could have him all to herself she’d love it but the world needed to discover him first. She’d sacrifice their love for that cause. Maybe he could come to her after he was done?
Out in the lounge she found him talking to a woman. He didn’t see her so she stood and watched as they laughed. The girl flirtatiously put her hand on his chest and he didn’t push her hand away. He didn’t stop staring and smiling.
Liz bit her lip to try and urge away the protectiveness. She knew deep within herself that he was only having fun and he would retire to a bed with her that evening. She wondered how she’d manage leaving when she couldn’t even bear seeing him talking to another woman. When he was famous he’d be in the magazines with models by his side and other gorgeous birds…
She went back to their room before anyone saw her and turned off all the lights. She got under the covers and smoked three cigarettes on her back—not caring that the ash was falling all over her. She would probably end up lighting herself on fire but that was the least of her problems. Tears rolled down the sides of her face and onto the pillow.
How could she possibly leave Max? How could she leave the guy who was so scared that she wouldn’t be there when he woke up that he clung onto when he slept? The guy that called out her name if she wasn’t there as soon as he opened his eyes?
Not to mention what it was like for her. He was the guy she held her breath for and couldn’t stop staring at and wanted to be around every second of every day. The guy she laughed and had fun with and made love to several times just because she absolutely had to.
She was still in the same numb position when he came into the room. He didn’t turn the lights on for fear of waking her and wandered blindly towards the bathroom. She wiped her face but it didn’t help, the fresh tears just dampened her skin further.
Max noticed the salty taste of her the second he lay down on the bed in his clothes and boots. He was on top of the covers but as close to her as possible.
“Liz?” he asked uncertainly. “Are you alright?”
She opened her mouth to say yes but choked on the lump in her throat. Max propped himself up and tried to see her despite the dark.
“God Liz…” he lowered a hand to her cheek and felt the wetness. His fingers shook slightly against her and he didn’t bother to ask what was wrong. He knew and so he just kissed her and clung onto her. “Liz please…” he moaned. “Please…”
She sighed against his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“You’re killing me,” he moaned again. “I’m going to die. I…” he buried his face in hers, unable to get close enough. “Can’t you please just trust me? Can’t you just live with me?”
All her problems, he knew them. He knew they were eating her alive. She’d told him and he could see it in her eyes.
“Fuck…” he sighed. His hands were in her hair and his body was practically on top of his. “Can’t you just fucking try?”
Liz didn’t answer. She put her hand in his pants and stroked him until he couldn’t bear it. And then she sobbed uncontrollably when he fucked her on her back. He nearly suffocated her with how tight his embrace was and she would have gladly died right then.
Everything he did—it just made her feel worse. He didn’t understand this and kept trying, never giving up until they were both physically and mentally exhausted. With the loud music and mingling party outside their door they both fainted into a restless sleep with their bodies intertwined in a big fleshy mess.
~*~
Liz was standing in the kitchen making a drink when Max came out of the bedroom and stood in front of the rest of the band. He had a determined and grim expression that instantly caught her attention.
“I have something to say.”
Everyone recognised his serious tone and waited patiently.
“I want to leave the band,” he said. “I don’t want to be apart of Devils Gold anymore.”
There was a deafening silence and then Kyle stood up and walked directly up to him. He shoved him hard in the chest. “What the fuck did you just say?”
Alex looked just as mad. “You can’t just leave the band.”
“What the fuck are the rest of us supposed to do?” Michael howled. “You don’t have a choice. You can’t and that’s it.”
“I can,” Max said. “And I’m fucking going to. I’ve made my decision.”
Kyle shoved him again. “You started this band! You can’t just abandon it now. Not when we’re finally fucking getting somewhere.”
“You can get a new lead singer,” Max argued. “You can get anyone—”
“He must be fucking joking,” Alex said to Michael. “He must be fucking kidding. Tell me—”
“He’s insane,” Michael replied. “As if that could even fucking happen.”
Max took a step away from Kyle. Liz came out from behind the breakfast bar and walked towards him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she asked. “You can’t just leave the band. You’re a part of Devils Gold. You are Devils Gold. You all are.”
“Go away,” Max said to her angrily. “This is none of your business.”
“None of her business!” Michael yelled. “It’s her fault!”
“It’s not her fault,” Max yelled back. “I’ve wanted to leave for a couple of years. You know that as well as I do. I’m done with this. I’m done with it all.”
Liz could see the guys just didn’t know how to function. Didn’t know what to say, didn’t know what to do. How could everything they’d worked for be gone just like that? It couldn’t be. The band was too important. They all knew that.
“If you leave this band you can say goodbye to me forever,” she spat out. “Don’t fucking come near me.”
“You’re a selfish bastard,” Michael growled. “You piece of worthless shit.”
What would they do now? There was nothing…
Max stood his ground and Kyle punched him in the nose. Liz didn’t help him up or take his side. She backed so far away from them all that she tripped on a rug and nearly toppled over.
When she woke up tied in the sheets she had a throbbing headache. She carefully untangled herself and tucked her hair behind her ears. Max wasn’t in bed any longer and she couldn’t hear him in the bathroom.
Her dream had only reinforced what she already knew. Her sticking around and Max seeing that she was unhappy…it would just end badly. When he came back into the room she was just stepping out of bed in a tank top (that came to just under her breasts) and a pair of underwear. He was dressed and ready to go.
“Oh you’re awake,” he said and came towards her. He gave her such a look of…
“Don’t look at me,” she said angrily, “don’t look at me like that.”
Anger would be the only way to help her through this. Max just rolled his eyes.
That would be the only way he could get through this—by not believing it was really happening.
She stood up and started looking around for something to wear. Max put his hands in his pockets and watched her. “What are you doing Liz?” he asked. “Are you insane?”
“I must be,” she said trying not to cry. “I’d fucking have to be, wouldn’t I?”
He came and put his arms around her. She tried to push him away but he wouldn’t let her. “Come here,” he said tenderly, “Come on Brownie…baby…”
She pressed her face into his chest and started to sob. He buried his face in her hair. His hands were tightly around her waist.
“Why…?” he moaned, knowing exactly why.
“Max…” she wiped her cheeks and looked up at him. “I-I lo—”
“I know,” he said with a sigh. “I know everything. Don’t say shit, I don’t want to hear it. Everything you feel and think…it’s the same for me.”
She looked into his eyes and the agony she was feeling couldn’t have been more obvious. God…how could she do this. How could she leave that face? Those eyes, that mouth…
They kissed passionately and then she tried to take it further but Max stopped her. “I have to go…they’re leaving…”
“It’ll only take a minute.” She unbuttoned his pants and let them drop to the floor. Like he could stop her then. Very roughly against the wall, he took her with helpless abandon. He knew deep in himself that she wouldn’t be there when he got back and it made him hate her. Meanwhile her thighs were wrapped tightly around his waist and she couldn’t stop kissing him. She couldn’t savour him enough.
He didn’t look at her and when he left he said, “Fuck you Brownie. You could have stuck it out with me. Stuck it out for me.”
She crumbled down onto the floor and covered her mouth with her hand. He didn’t even glance back as he slammed the door.
~*~
She left him a note telling him why she had to go—even though he already knew. She told him she needed a new crowd, a clean and stable group. She told him that the rest of the band was good but he was going to be great. She told him that she couldn’t spend her days like this and she had to become someone.
She finished by saying that she wasn’t done with him and that it just wasn’t their time right now. Not completely certain, she told him that she’d see him again. She told him he was the best person she’d ever met and she’d never forget him, ever. Finally she told him she was sorry.
When she was heading towards the door Tess looked up from the couch. “Going somewhere?” she asked.
“Yip, bye Tess.”
She didn’t want a final goodbye. She’d already had one of those the last time.
Before heading out she went to see Maria quickly. That turned out badly, she couldn’t even her anywhere and in the end gave up. They’d keep in touch—they always did somehow.
She drove around the city for a while and listened to the radio. One of their songs came on and she remembered when Max had written it and what city they’d been in. She remembered it all. Every concert, every party—every fuck.
As she drove past the “You are now leaving Brooklyn” sign she flicked her cigarette ash out of her window and looked in her rear view mirror.
She had no idea what her mom had ever seen in that city. It was a place for heartbreak and pain. What could be good about that?
~*~
I hate to keep you lovely people waiting. It has literally been the busiest week. I don't think you would have liked this but thank you for everything as always,
~nicola
100% Pure New Zealand Beef
TWENTY-THREE
Liz had only been in Vegas for two weeks when she found out she was pregnant. Obviously the news was a big shock to her. She was still staying in a cheap motel and hadn’t found herself a job yet.
At the beginning it had been nice to think of Max constantly but it slowly got old and she was driving herself insane. She had to get her mind off him and do what she’d come to Vegas to do.
The whole baby thing completely set her off. She was now twenty and being a mother was the last thing she wanted to do. Kids had never been a part of the plan and now she had one on its way.
She considered going back because Max deserved to know what he’d done to her. She knew at the very least she had to call the warehouse and speak with him. It wasn’t fair to hide such a big thing.
Then she had to decide whether or not to keep it. All of her logic was screaming for her to have an abortion but a small part of her was reluctant give up.
Suddenly, before she had a chance to decide what to do she miscarried and the whole thing was over before it started. Loosing the baby hit her a lot harder then she thought it would. She became very depressed, cursing the world and everything working against her and didn’t get out of bed for two whole days. In those two days she did nothing but think about Max and Devil’s Gold and what life could have been like…
Finally she got up, dressed as smartly as possible and resumed job searching. She ignored the feeling like she’d lost a little bit of herself and eventually managed to get a full-time job as a waitress at a scummy diner. She hated it but it meant she could finally hunt for a place to live and move out of the motel.
She answered a few flat-mate wanted ads that she saw posted in the supermarket. Then, she finally decided on a middle-aged lady in a two bedroom unit. Her name was Rita and she needed extra cash. She spoke in the worst monotone and her hair was excessively curly. She was large and round like a soft bun.
At first Liz didn’t think too much of her but Rita started making her dinner in the evenings and did her washing when Liz didn’t have time. Rita was funny in her own unique way and the two became good friends. They often shared wine over dinner and laughed about their lives.
Rita had been married but her husband, that ‘son of a bitchBrian’ ran off after three years. She now worked as a secretary and—in her own time—as a manager for a very un-talented magician friend.
Rita was Liz’s only friend for a long time. She met people at work but her attempts at being friendly were never returned. She had faith that it was only a matter of time…she’d settle in.
And eventually she did meet someone. Her name was Diane and she was smoking a cigarette in the diner one day. Liz was just refilling her coffee cup when Diane, moody, preoccupied and not even looking at her said, “You have really nice hair.”
Liz instinctively touched the side of her head. “I do?”
“Yeah,” Diane said unhappily and then took a deep drag of her cigarette. She had a very southern accent and her nails were painted a bright pink. Her own hair was dyed brown with dark blonde streaks. It was shoulder length and puffed and teased so it was a big bob. She must have been about twenty-nine. “Where do you get it done?”
“I cut it myself,” Liz answered. She cut her hair short when she first got to Vegas and now it was layered to her shoulders. She pulled it off somehow. “I was so scared when I did it like this though. I’ve always cut it myself but…I’ve always had much longer hair.”
“Are you a hair dresser?” Diane asked. She was suddenly more interested in Liz.
Liz laughed. “I’m a waitress.”
“Well I thought maybe you have two jobs,” Diane said. She held her hand out and introduced herself. “Diane Weaver. I’m a hair dresser…or trying to be. I just opened up a place and it isn’t doing too great. I had some staff but they ran off and now it’s just me and Kylie.”
“I’m sure business will pick up,” Liz said, trying to be nice. All she wanted was to have a puff of her cigarette. She didn’t even care that it had pink lip-stick marks on the filter. Her break wasn’t for another hour.
“Oh business is fine,” Diane explained, “I just don’t have the employee’s to handle it all. I have to turn people away. Have you got any qualifications in hair-dressing at all?”
Liz shook her head and said no.
Diane continued to her talk about her job and the diner was quiet so Liz slid into the seat across from her.
“I’ve been advertising for hairdressers but no one’s interested and I’m loosing money. I’m desperate. Have you ever cut anyone’s hair other than your own?”
Liz used to cut her mom’s hair. She’d cut Maria’s hair on occasion too. Rita had asked her if she’d do hers soon.
“How about you come by the shop and I show you a few things. You don’t like working here do you?”
“Well…no,” Liz said quietly. “But…”
“Just come in for the afternoon on Monday. You may just be my saviour. I’m willing to try anyone right now. Will you do that for me? Here’s my card. I have to go back.”
Liz took her card. “I’ll see what I can do,” she said.
“Do better than that, honey,” Rita patted her shoulder. “See you then.”
Liz told Rita about Diane and she laughed. She thought it was funny that poor Diane was so desperate that she was asking a lowly waitress to cut hair for her. Liz asked if she thought it was a good idea to go along.
“Yeah, sure. Of course.” Rita stirred soup over the kitchen element. “But first cut my hair to practice. Then if you get a job I won’t have to pay you for it later.”
Liz did Rita’s hair after they’d had dinner. She was very careful and made sure she did everything she asked. It turned out wonderful and Rita couldn’t stop running her fingers through it. “It feels thinner,” she said.
“It should do, I took out half of your fucking head.”
Liz was still in her tacky pink work dress so she went to have a shower. Afterwards she sat with Rita in the lounge and drank tea while playing board games. Eventually Rita cranked out her puzzle and Liz went to bed and read a book.
She hadn’t done that in years. Read a book.
Last week on her day off she’d gone to the library and requested a card to issue books out with. The evenings got to be quite dull and she needed something to entertain herself. It was hard for her to adjust. She still craved weed or acid and the oblivion that came with them.
Vegas was such an alive city and it was calling out to her—saying join us. She went a couple of times when she first arrived and got chatted up by a bunch of guys while she was playing the slot machines. Her memory of Max still raw, she could do nothing but politely tell them to fuck off.
As much as she enjoyed the other poisons of society, she wasn’t much of a gambling girl. She didn’t have the money to fully enjoy it.
She stopped going into the casinos.
Now she was lying in bed and reading and aching for something. Every night it was the same. Without fail she thought about Max and wanted him so much. She knew she’d see him again—no matter what—but she hadn’t completely done anything for herself yet. Sometimes she thought about the baby she wasn’t having. She thought about what life would be like if she had had it.
At first she read romance novels but they just devastated her so she stared clear. Then she started to read detective novels religiously.
When Monday came Liz worked at the diner in the morning and then went to Diane’s hair studio. It was a bright pink place and Liz found it amusing that if she ended up working there she’d be wearing another pink uniform. One wall was lined with mirrors and the other with red plastic seats. There were black and white posters on the walls of models.
It turned out that Kylies expertise was more manicures and hot wax than hair cutting so Diane had been trying to work on her own. She was so busy when Liz turned up that she simply tossed her an apron and pointed to a chair.
“That’s your station,” she said.
“But—” Liz was horrified. “I thought you were going to show me—!”
“Mrs Anderson has been waiting for forty minutes. Just give it ago. Hairdressing is an art,” she frantically swiped at the sweat on her face. “It comes naturally. You’ve either got it or you ain’t.”
Liz helped Mrs Anderson to her seat and attempted pulling the cloak around her neck. Mrs Anderson looked scared as she fumbled about looking like a lost puppy.
“She only wants a trim,” Diane said.
“You do know what you’re doing right?” Mrs. Anderson asked.
Liz bit her lip a nodded. “Oh yeah.”
She mumbled fuck under her breath and carefully ran her fingers through her hair.
“Don’t worry Mrs. A,” Diane said. “Anything she screws up, I’ll fix for free.”
The trim went fine and so did the three other haircuts Liz did afterwards. There were some things she needed help with and Kylie was glad to offer her services.
“Are you from around here?” Liz asked her.
Kylie was only a year or two older than Liz. They looked very similar with their full brown hair and wide eyes but Kylie was thinner and taller. Diane joked that Liz had at least three of Kylie’s asses.
“I was born just around the corner,” Kylie answered. “I’ve never left. Have you travelled much?”
Liz thought about her days with Devils Gold. A new day and a new city. “You could say that.”
Diane asked her to come back the next day and said she could have a job if she did as well then. Liz was so excited she took Rita out to dinner. She’d had so much fun at the studio.
“Anything’s gotta be better than that damn diner,” Rita said.
~*~
Liz ended up working with Diane and Kylie full time and eventually became a pro. Some people actually asked for her when they came into the salon.
Liz became passionate about doing people’s hair. She knew how horrible it was to have a bad haircut and she wanted perfection. Her customers’ noticed this and were happy to put themselves in her hands.
Diane took Liz out to her favourite club one night and introduced her to some of her friends. They were all interesting people and Liz finally felt like things were going right for her.
It was on a boiling hot Wednesday (nearly three months after leaving Brooklyn) that Liz was just walking back from having her lunch break and something caught her eye in the music store.
She stopped to look and discovered it was a huge poster advertising the release of the new Devils Gold record. Her heart missed a beat because there, smack dab in the middle of the poster was Max Evans with a guitar in his hand. The other guys were standing behind him.
Her hand reflexively covered her heart and she felt tears burn her eyes. He looked so good and perfect. Everything she remembered about him and more.
Instantly images of him flooded her mind and she rushed inside to buy the record. She even asked the owner if he had a Devils Gold poster she could buy and he gave her one for free.
All afternoon at work she recalled her times with him. Everyone noticed she was daydreaming but it didn’t affect her cutting so it didn’t matter.
After work she was staying behind so Kylie could show her how to do manicures. Liz volunteered her hands to her but only if she could play her new record. Kylie recognised the music.
“This is Devils Gold! They’re great,” she said. “I went to their concert when they were here.”
“You did?” Liz asked. She tried to remember if she was with the band for that one. “That’s cool.”
Liz listened to the lyrics. There were new songs that had her close to tears. Max was so angry with her. It was obvious by his words.
Her favourite song was entitled: I’m in Love.
Oh, I believed ya
But when I saw you coming I couldn't concede yeah
It's uncool, to be kind
Why do you keep on running?
Why do you keep on humming?
It's uncool, to be kind
Kinda, kinda like I'm in love
I'm in love
She was flooded with memories.
Liz stretched out on her back and rubbed her eyes. She was naked and covered in goose bumps because of the cold.
Max was sitting up beside her. He had the new notebook she’d gotten him for Christmas and he was working on a song. His guitar lay between them.
“What’s this one about?” she asked happily.
“Stuff,” he answered.
“Stuff,” Liz repeated. “What kind of stuff?”
“Just stuff.”
She moved his guitar aside and curled into his legs. He put his pen down for a moment and rubbed her arms up and down. When he started writing again she pulled the blanket over herself.
“Max…” she said. “I’m your biggest fan.”
He smiled at her. “You think so?”
“Yip,” she nodded. “I believe in you more than anyone.”
“Okay.”
She kissed his thigh and rubbed her face against the denim of his jeans. “Don’t ever forget that.”
“I won’t Brownie.” He breathed in deeply, trying to concentrate. Liz watched his serious expression and looked at his hands writing away. I’m witnessing the making of a master-piece, she thought.
Finally he put the pad aside and took her in his arms. She straddled his hips and looked into his face.
“How about…” he said, kissing her mouth. “I dedicate the record to you?”
Her eyes lit up. “You wouldn’t.”
“Of course I would,” he said.
She nearly squealed with delight. “Do you promise?”
“I promise,” he grinned. “But only if you’ll do something for me, groupie.”
“Anything,” she grinned back, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I’ll do anything for you, lead singer.”
Later when she was alone in her bed Liz read the back of the album cover thoroughly. There at the bottom in tiny letters were:
FOR THE GIRL WHO INSPIRED THE MUSIC. WE MISS YOU BROWNIE.
~*~
Hello! I worked all afternoon to get this out for you. I've had such a busy few days. I'm having guy problems. How annoying. When you're fed up with guys it's hard to write love stories. You just want to throw things.
Anyway, I hope my own issues weren't obvious in this!
~nicola
Liz had only been in Vegas for two weeks when she found out she was pregnant. Obviously the news was a big shock to her. She was still staying in a cheap motel and hadn’t found herself a job yet.
At the beginning it had been nice to think of Max constantly but it slowly got old and she was driving herself insane. She had to get her mind off him and do what she’d come to Vegas to do.
The whole baby thing completely set her off. She was now twenty and being a mother was the last thing she wanted to do. Kids had never been a part of the plan and now she had one on its way.
She considered going back because Max deserved to know what he’d done to her. She knew at the very least she had to call the warehouse and speak with him. It wasn’t fair to hide such a big thing.
Then she had to decide whether or not to keep it. All of her logic was screaming for her to have an abortion but a small part of her was reluctant give up.
Suddenly, before she had a chance to decide what to do she miscarried and the whole thing was over before it started. Loosing the baby hit her a lot harder then she thought it would. She became very depressed, cursing the world and everything working against her and didn’t get out of bed for two whole days. In those two days she did nothing but think about Max and Devil’s Gold and what life could have been like…
Finally she got up, dressed as smartly as possible and resumed job searching. She ignored the feeling like she’d lost a little bit of herself and eventually managed to get a full-time job as a waitress at a scummy diner. She hated it but it meant she could finally hunt for a place to live and move out of the motel.
She answered a few flat-mate wanted ads that she saw posted in the supermarket. Then, she finally decided on a middle-aged lady in a two bedroom unit. Her name was Rita and she needed extra cash. She spoke in the worst monotone and her hair was excessively curly. She was large and round like a soft bun.
At first Liz didn’t think too much of her but Rita started making her dinner in the evenings and did her washing when Liz didn’t have time. Rita was funny in her own unique way and the two became good friends. They often shared wine over dinner and laughed about their lives.
Rita had been married but her husband, that ‘son of a bitchBrian’ ran off after three years. She now worked as a secretary and—in her own time—as a manager for a very un-talented magician friend.
Rita was Liz’s only friend for a long time. She met people at work but her attempts at being friendly were never returned. She had faith that it was only a matter of time…she’d settle in.
And eventually she did meet someone. Her name was Diane and she was smoking a cigarette in the diner one day. Liz was just refilling her coffee cup when Diane, moody, preoccupied and not even looking at her said, “You have really nice hair.”
Liz instinctively touched the side of her head. “I do?”
“Yeah,” Diane said unhappily and then took a deep drag of her cigarette. She had a very southern accent and her nails were painted a bright pink. Her own hair was dyed brown with dark blonde streaks. It was shoulder length and puffed and teased so it was a big bob. She must have been about twenty-nine. “Where do you get it done?”
“I cut it myself,” Liz answered. She cut her hair short when she first got to Vegas and now it was layered to her shoulders. She pulled it off somehow. “I was so scared when I did it like this though. I’ve always cut it myself but…I’ve always had much longer hair.”
“Are you a hair dresser?” Diane asked. She was suddenly more interested in Liz.
Liz laughed. “I’m a waitress.”
“Well I thought maybe you have two jobs,” Diane said. She held her hand out and introduced herself. “Diane Weaver. I’m a hair dresser…or trying to be. I just opened up a place and it isn’t doing too great. I had some staff but they ran off and now it’s just me and Kylie.”
“I’m sure business will pick up,” Liz said, trying to be nice. All she wanted was to have a puff of her cigarette. She didn’t even care that it had pink lip-stick marks on the filter. Her break wasn’t for another hour.
“Oh business is fine,” Diane explained, “I just don’t have the employee’s to handle it all. I have to turn people away. Have you got any qualifications in hair-dressing at all?”
Liz shook her head and said no.
Diane continued to her talk about her job and the diner was quiet so Liz slid into the seat across from her.
“I’ve been advertising for hairdressers but no one’s interested and I’m loosing money. I’m desperate. Have you ever cut anyone’s hair other than your own?”
Liz used to cut her mom’s hair. She’d cut Maria’s hair on occasion too. Rita had asked her if she’d do hers soon.
“How about you come by the shop and I show you a few things. You don’t like working here do you?”
“Well…no,” Liz said quietly. “But…”
“Just come in for the afternoon on Monday. You may just be my saviour. I’m willing to try anyone right now. Will you do that for me? Here’s my card. I have to go back.”
Liz took her card. “I’ll see what I can do,” she said.
“Do better than that, honey,” Rita patted her shoulder. “See you then.”
Liz told Rita about Diane and she laughed. She thought it was funny that poor Diane was so desperate that she was asking a lowly waitress to cut hair for her. Liz asked if she thought it was a good idea to go along.
“Yeah, sure. Of course.” Rita stirred soup over the kitchen element. “But first cut my hair to practice. Then if you get a job I won’t have to pay you for it later.”
Liz did Rita’s hair after they’d had dinner. She was very careful and made sure she did everything she asked. It turned out wonderful and Rita couldn’t stop running her fingers through it. “It feels thinner,” she said.
“It should do, I took out half of your fucking head.”
Liz was still in her tacky pink work dress so she went to have a shower. Afterwards she sat with Rita in the lounge and drank tea while playing board games. Eventually Rita cranked out her puzzle and Liz went to bed and read a book.
She hadn’t done that in years. Read a book.
Last week on her day off she’d gone to the library and requested a card to issue books out with. The evenings got to be quite dull and she needed something to entertain herself. It was hard for her to adjust. She still craved weed or acid and the oblivion that came with them.
Vegas was such an alive city and it was calling out to her—saying join us. She went a couple of times when she first arrived and got chatted up by a bunch of guys while she was playing the slot machines. Her memory of Max still raw, she could do nothing but politely tell them to fuck off.
As much as she enjoyed the other poisons of society, she wasn’t much of a gambling girl. She didn’t have the money to fully enjoy it.
She stopped going into the casinos.
Now she was lying in bed and reading and aching for something. Every night it was the same. Without fail she thought about Max and wanted him so much. She knew she’d see him again—no matter what—but she hadn’t completely done anything for herself yet. Sometimes she thought about the baby she wasn’t having. She thought about what life would be like if she had had it.
At first she read romance novels but they just devastated her so she stared clear. Then she started to read detective novels religiously.
When Monday came Liz worked at the diner in the morning and then went to Diane’s hair studio. It was a bright pink place and Liz found it amusing that if she ended up working there she’d be wearing another pink uniform. One wall was lined with mirrors and the other with red plastic seats. There were black and white posters on the walls of models.
It turned out that Kylies expertise was more manicures and hot wax than hair cutting so Diane had been trying to work on her own. She was so busy when Liz turned up that she simply tossed her an apron and pointed to a chair.
“That’s your station,” she said.
“But—” Liz was horrified. “I thought you were going to show me—!”
“Mrs Anderson has been waiting for forty minutes. Just give it ago. Hairdressing is an art,” she frantically swiped at the sweat on her face. “It comes naturally. You’ve either got it or you ain’t.”
Liz helped Mrs Anderson to her seat and attempted pulling the cloak around her neck. Mrs Anderson looked scared as she fumbled about looking like a lost puppy.
“She only wants a trim,” Diane said.
“You do know what you’re doing right?” Mrs. Anderson asked.
Liz bit her lip a nodded. “Oh yeah.”
She mumbled fuck under her breath and carefully ran her fingers through her hair.
“Don’t worry Mrs. A,” Diane said. “Anything she screws up, I’ll fix for free.”
The trim went fine and so did the three other haircuts Liz did afterwards. There were some things she needed help with and Kylie was glad to offer her services.
“Are you from around here?” Liz asked her.
Kylie was only a year or two older than Liz. They looked very similar with their full brown hair and wide eyes but Kylie was thinner and taller. Diane joked that Liz had at least three of Kylie’s asses.
“I was born just around the corner,” Kylie answered. “I’ve never left. Have you travelled much?”
Liz thought about her days with Devils Gold. A new day and a new city. “You could say that.”
Diane asked her to come back the next day and said she could have a job if she did as well then. Liz was so excited she took Rita out to dinner. She’d had so much fun at the studio.
“Anything’s gotta be better than that damn diner,” Rita said.
~*~
Liz ended up working with Diane and Kylie full time and eventually became a pro. Some people actually asked for her when they came into the salon.
Liz became passionate about doing people’s hair. She knew how horrible it was to have a bad haircut and she wanted perfection. Her customers’ noticed this and were happy to put themselves in her hands.
Diane took Liz out to her favourite club one night and introduced her to some of her friends. They were all interesting people and Liz finally felt like things were going right for her.
It was on a boiling hot Wednesday (nearly three months after leaving Brooklyn) that Liz was just walking back from having her lunch break and something caught her eye in the music store.
She stopped to look and discovered it was a huge poster advertising the release of the new Devils Gold record. Her heart missed a beat because there, smack dab in the middle of the poster was Max Evans with a guitar in his hand. The other guys were standing behind him.
Her hand reflexively covered her heart and she felt tears burn her eyes. He looked so good and perfect. Everything she remembered about him and more.
Instantly images of him flooded her mind and she rushed inside to buy the record. She even asked the owner if he had a Devils Gold poster she could buy and he gave her one for free.
All afternoon at work she recalled her times with him. Everyone noticed she was daydreaming but it didn’t affect her cutting so it didn’t matter.
After work she was staying behind so Kylie could show her how to do manicures. Liz volunteered her hands to her but only if she could play her new record. Kylie recognised the music.
“This is Devils Gold! They’re great,” she said. “I went to their concert when they were here.”
“You did?” Liz asked. She tried to remember if she was with the band for that one. “That’s cool.”
Liz listened to the lyrics. There were new songs that had her close to tears. Max was so angry with her. It was obvious by his words.
Her favourite song was entitled: I’m in Love.
Oh, I believed ya
But when I saw you coming I couldn't concede yeah
It's uncool, to be kind
Why do you keep on running?
Why do you keep on humming?
It's uncool, to be kind
Kinda, kinda like I'm in love
I'm in love
She was flooded with memories.
Liz stretched out on her back and rubbed her eyes. She was naked and covered in goose bumps because of the cold.
Max was sitting up beside her. He had the new notebook she’d gotten him for Christmas and he was working on a song. His guitar lay between them.
“What’s this one about?” she asked happily.
“Stuff,” he answered.
“Stuff,” Liz repeated. “What kind of stuff?”
“Just stuff.”
She moved his guitar aside and curled into his legs. He put his pen down for a moment and rubbed her arms up and down. When he started writing again she pulled the blanket over herself.
“Max…” she said. “I’m your biggest fan.”
He smiled at her. “You think so?”
“Yip,” she nodded. “I believe in you more than anyone.”
“Okay.”
She kissed his thigh and rubbed her face against the denim of his jeans. “Don’t ever forget that.”
“I won’t Brownie.” He breathed in deeply, trying to concentrate. Liz watched his serious expression and looked at his hands writing away. I’m witnessing the making of a master-piece, she thought.
Finally he put the pad aside and took her in his arms. She straddled his hips and looked into his face.
“How about…” he said, kissing her mouth. “I dedicate the record to you?”
Her eyes lit up. “You wouldn’t.”
“Of course I would,” he said.
She nearly squealed with delight. “Do you promise?”
“I promise,” he grinned. “But only if you’ll do something for me, groupie.”
“Anything,” she grinned back, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I’ll do anything for you, lead singer.”
Later when she was alone in her bed Liz read the back of the album cover thoroughly. There at the bottom in tiny letters were:
FOR THE GIRL WHO INSPIRED THE MUSIC. WE MISS YOU BROWNIE.
~*~
Hello! I worked all afternoon to get this out for you. I've had such a busy few days. I'm having guy problems. How annoying. When you're fed up with guys it's hard to write love stories. You just want to throw things.
Anyway, I hope my own issues weren't obvious in this!
~nicola
100% Pure New Zealand Beef
TWENTY-FOUR
As if Liz could refrain from calling Max after seeing the dedication. She tried to convince herself it was a bad idea but she knew it wasn’t. She waited until Rita was out and then dialled the number she’d had memorized since she left Brooklyn.
It was a woman that answered on the fifth ring.
“I’m Liz Parker,” she said, “And I was wondering if Max was there…?”
“I’m sorry he’s not available right now. Was he expecting your call? Would you like to leave a message?”
Liz, incredibly surprised, asked her who she was.
“I’m the Devils Gold secretary and I’m afraid I can’t give you authorization to talk with one of the band members without first asking their permission. What did you say your name was again?”
“Liz Parker.”
A secretary? Liz was so confused.
“I’ll be sure to let him know you called and if he wants he will get back to you Miss Parker.”
“But—” the secretary hung up before she could get another word out. “He doesn’t have my number!” she yelled in annoyance. She slammed the phone down and dropped her head onto the table. “God!” she said.
How naïve of her! Of course she couldn’t just pick up the phone and call Devils Gold. She’d never thought about it but she was now dealing with a famous band. She could have been some crazy fan waiting to confess her love for the lead singer.
She got a little panicked that the secretary wouldn’t tell Max she rang. How could she get in touch with him then?
One day when work was slow she tried the number again. She was hoping for a miracle and thankfully, she got one. “Hello,” she said slowly, “I’m calling for Max Evans…I tried a couple of days ago. My name is Liz Parker and he would probably like to—”
“Liz Parker!” the secretary cried. “What a relief you called. I nearly lost my job when Mr. Evans heard I’d hung up on you. He was adamant that I let him know next time you contacted me.”
Liz felt a flood of warmth and relief when she heard that. “Is he there now?” she asked—her fingers were toying with the phone wire nervously.
Diane came into the back room of the salon and raised her eyebrows at Liz—whom was hunched earnestly over the phone. “Who are you talking to?” she asked.
“He’s not?” Liz said to the secretary. “Well can you get him to contact me please? My number is…”
Diane was still in the backroom when Liz hung up. Her pink apron was covered in hair and a broom was in her hands. Liz shrugged at her and said, “Just an old friend.”
“Must be a lover friend,” Diane smiled knowingly; “Women don’t get that look of determination when they’re talking to pals.”
“Don’t be nosey,” Liz said.
Diane’s hair was red now. She dyed it practically every week. Last week it was mousey brown like Kylie and Liz. Liz told her her hair was going to fall out one day.
“Then I’ll wear wigs,” Diane said, unworried.
Because of her youthful appearance Liz had guessed her age wrong. It turned out Diane was nearly thirty five and she wasn’t proud of it either. You never would have guessed to look at her.
“Kylie has gone for her break,” Diane said. “And our next appointment isn’t for half an hour. Can you clean the windows outside? The sign writer is coming later this afternoon…”
Liz slowly got to her feet. “Sure.”
It took three days for Max to call Liz. She was at home at the time because it was late—nearly eleven in the evening. She was in bed reading and Rita was out in the kitchen listening to the radio. She was the one who answered it and called out to Liz.
“Who is it?” Liz asked, rubbing her eyes. She’d been about ready to turn her lamp off and go to sleep.
“A man,” Rita grinned. “Sounds attractive.”
“What?” Liz laughed, her heart speeding up. “How does someone sound attractive?”
Rita turned the radio off. “I’ll just leave you alone. Good night.”
Liz had to take several deep breaths to calm herself before she picked up the phone. When she did her hands were shaking. “Max?”
He replied with a cool, even voice. “Hello Liz.”
Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest. “Where are you?” she asked breathlessly.
“I’m in Brooklyn.” His voice changed slightly and Liz could practically hear the hidden resentment—“Where you left me. What about you? Where are you Liz?”
“Vegas,” she said. “Where I told you I wanted to go.”
“When did you tell me that?”
There was a pause and she heard him sigh and then take a sip from a bottle. She knew what that meant.
“Are you drinking?” she asked. “I don’t want to talk to you if you’re drunk.”
He chuckled. “I’m not drunk. I only had a few. Why did you take so long to call me?”
“I needed to sort myself out,” she said. “How are you? How’s the band?”
She slid onto a seat at the round kitchen table and rested her head in her hands. She was wearing nothing but a cotton night dress because it was very hot. The cool metal of the chair was nice against her heated skin.
“I’m fine,” he answered. “The bands fine.”
She was silent for a few moments. “I bought the record. I saw the dedication. I wanted to thank you for that.”
“I haven’t fucked anyone since you left,” Max confessed suddenly. It was the last thing Liz expected him to say and she was a little thrown off. “I keep thinking you’ll come back and catch me and I don’t want you to get angry like last time.”
She told him she wasn’t expecting him to wait for her like that anymore.
He sighed and took another sip of whatever he was drinking. “So you aren’t coming back then?” he sounded hurt. “Ever?”
Liz ran a hand through her hair and closed her eyes. “Max…I’ve created a life for myself down here. I have a great job and these new friends and—”
“What about your old friends?” he asked angrily. “I know you didn’t even say goodbye to Maria. I went and saw her…”
“I’m not going to argue with you about this. I think you know why I had to leave and you’re just trying to make me feel guilty. Why did you go and see Maria?” With her eyes closed she could imagine him sitting there with his elbows on his knee’s and is long hair about his face. She could imagine is boots and his long legs…
“To see if she knew where you were,” he answered matter-of-factly. “Where do you have a job?”
Liz smiled. “I’m a hair dresser.”
“I never would have fuckin’ guessed. Are you good at it?”
“Yeah, I am.”
She told him about Diane and how they’d met and she talked of poor Rita and young Kylie. Her happiness must have shown in her voice because Max gave in trying to convince her she had made a mistake. She told him about everything she could think of.
Everything except the miscarriage. It didn’t seem right to tell him over the phone.
“I wish you could come to Vegas,” she finished with. “I’d love to show you around. You could meet everyone. When are you guys on tour again?”
“What?” he asked, surprised. “I thought your new life didn’t include me?”
Is that what he thought? Liz couldn’t believe how wrong he was. “No Max! What are you thinking? My life down here is great but it would always be better if you were here. I’d love it if you could forgive me and move to Vegas but I know you have a career to think about before any of that can happen.”
Max was silent and thoughtful.
“That doesn’t mean you can’t visit me when you get some free time.”
“Can’t you visit me? I don’t get any free time,” he said. “I’m always working on something with this fucking band. I haven’t even had a chance to call you since I got your number and look at the time! It’s fucking retarded.”
No one in Liz’s new life swore except for her so it was strange to hear the word fuck. She barely used it herself anymore but she liked the sound of Max saying it.
“Max…the band is more important.”
“Is it? Who decided that? It certainly wasn’t me.” She heard him shift around and get more comfortable. “You know…I had to meet my parents at the club the other day. They asked if I was still seeing ‘that girl, what’s-her-face?’ and I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want you to seem like just some girl and I didn’t want them to think ‘I’d finished with another one’. Do you how often I’ve felt like that in my life? Not often.”
Liz felt tears burn her eyes and she curled more tightly into herself. She was huddled around the phone as if it would bring her closer to him.
“I know,” she said. “I wish things were different.”
Max was no longer drinking from his bottle. She asked him if he was in his bedroom and he said no, he was out in the lounge by he window. Most people had gone to bed by now so it was quiet.
“So when am I going to see you again?” he asked. “Never?”
“When are you going on tour? Will you come to Vegas then?” she held her breath. She wanted to see him so badly it hurt.
“I don’t know when we’re going on tour,” he said. “It won’t be for a few months. It depends on whether or not we get into Woodstock.”
“When is Woodstock planned for?” Liz asked.
“August. Its going to be huge.”
It was nearing June now. “Maybe I could make it up for that.”
Unhappily, he said, “That’s over two months away.”
“I don’t know what else to do,” she said. “I have obligations now. That’s exactly what I wanted—to settle down and live normally. I’m not gonna throw that away.”
“I didn’t ask you to.”
Nothing was resolved when they finally hung up around two AM. They both had to get up early in the morning and though they didn’t want to say goodbye. Liz told him she missed him and they’d figure something out eventually.
He grumpily said, “Fine.”
The next morning at work she had a smile on her face. Just talking to Max made her feel that silly floating sensation again. It was thrilling for her to know that the lead singer of Devils Gold missed her.
Kylie noticed and asked what there was to be so happy about. “My cat just got run over,” she said, “and I am getting a cold. In this heat! There is nothing to smile about.”
“Do you want me to stop?” Liz bit her lip but she couldn’t hide the upturned corners of her lips.
“She’s seeing a man,” Diane intervened. “I once felt all giddy like that but that was so long ago.”
“There is no man!” Liz cried. “What is wrong with you two? It’s a nice day, that’s all.”
“A nice day!” Kylie repeated. “She’s high. Diane, I think you need to fire her. She’s come to work on weed.”
“Oh man!” Liz untied her apron. “I’m going to have my lunch break before you two silly crones bring me down.”
Diane had never been married but she was in a long term relationship with a fifty-year-old guy named Harry. Liz had only met him briefly but he was large, boisterous and absolutely hilarious. He worked as a manager at one of the local supermarkets. Kylie had barely had many boyfriends at all. She often asked Liz about her sexual history though, which made Liz laugh.
She bought a sandwich from her regular lunch bar and ate it on a park bench. She couldn’t stop daydreaming and sighing happily. It didn’t even matter that she had no idea when she’d see him again.
He was thinking about her!
~*~
After two and a half weeks of silence Liz wasn’t so happy anymore. With no calls from Max she no longer had something to smile about. She knew he was busy and probably didn’t have a chance to get to a phone but she still felt the absence as a harsh snap back into reality.
Rita invited Kylie and Diane over for dinner one night and they ended up buying five bottles of wine and cranking out a pack of cards. Liz was such a pro at shuffling and dealing that Diane commented she should be working in one of the casino’s, not with her in the salon.
With a cigarette resting in the corner of her mouth Liz replied, “Well, originally I had wanted to work at a casino. But no one answered my job applications.”
They were all smokers except Kylie but she didn’t mind that the room was slowly filling with smoke. “When my dad was alive he used to smoke,” she said, “ever since then I like being around the smell.”
They ended up getting drunk and talking about their histories. It was Diane who said, “Okay, I have a question. What’s the most interesting place you’ve been naked?”
They must have looked a sight huddled around the round table with ashtrays all over the place and bowls of snacks. The wine bottles were lined up on the floor and their shoes had been kicked off.
Rita laughed. “Having sex or just being naked?”
“Well it’s none of our business what you did once you had the clothes off,” Diane laughed. Her hair was platinum blonde now.
Liz sipped her wine and smiled at a flushed Kylie. She was clearly not a big drinker and looked a little lost.
“Well…” Rita tapped her newly manicured fingers against her wine glass. “Let’s see. I was once naked in the underground car park at work.”
Everyone giggled.
“For me it would have to be...” Liz dealt out the cards and then took another sip of her wine. “The time I streaked at school when I was fifteen. I ran from the front entrance to the back entrance in-between classes. Took me three minutes and twenty-six seconds. Fastest I’ve ever run in my whole life.”
“I’ve never been naked anywhere,” Kylie said. “Only at home.”
“I was naked in the lobby of my apartment building once. I ran out after Harry and forgot all about putting clothes on. The landlord is extra nice to me now. Dirty old pervert.”
They all paused to take a drag of their cigarette.
“Where’s the strangest place you’ve had sex?” Rita asked.
“In the janitors closest at the MGM Grand,” Diane said. “Actually…probably not the strangest but definitely the most memorable.”
Liz and Kylie burst out laughing.
“I’ve done it in a janitor’s closet,” Liz said. “What about you Rita?”
“Oh, I’ve never been much for sex in public places,” she replied.
“What?” Kylie asked, “Then why were you naked in the underground car park?”
Rita answered, “Because I was having sex in the boss’s car,” and then burst out laughing.
Liz rolled her eyes. “So you do have stories. Was that your strangest?”
“No,” Rita said. “I once had sex on the patio table on my grandparents’ front porch when they were down the road buying groceries.”
“That’s just wrong!” Kylie cried. “Your poor grandparents!”
“I’ve had sex on a patio table before,” Liz commented. “By the pool.”
Everyone looked at her.
“For someone who is only twenty, you sure do have a lot of experience,” Kylie said.
Diane licked the wine off her lips. Her usually bright lipstick had faded to almost non-existence. “Where was your strangest Liz?”
“I don’t know,” she shrugged. “I’ve done it in some pretty strange places.”
“I bet you have,” Diane said.
With a momentarily aching heart Liz said, “How about…on the roof of a bus in a hotel car park in the middle of the night?”
“On the roof?” Kylie gasped.
“What were you doing on the roof?” Rita asked.
“Well having sex, obviously,” Diane laughed.
“I’ve done it backstage at concerts, in restaurant bathrooms, in hotel pools…” Liz sighed and rubbed her eyes. She wasn’t necessarily proud of this information. “You name it; I’ve probably done it twice.”
~*~
Okay guys, I hope you enjoyed that. Thanks for all the feedback,
~nicola
As if Liz could refrain from calling Max after seeing the dedication. She tried to convince herself it was a bad idea but she knew it wasn’t. She waited until Rita was out and then dialled the number she’d had memorized since she left Brooklyn.
It was a woman that answered on the fifth ring.
“I’m Liz Parker,” she said, “And I was wondering if Max was there…?”
“I’m sorry he’s not available right now. Was he expecting your call? Would you like to leave a message?”
Liz, incredibly surprised, asked her who she was.
“I’m the Devils Gold secretary and I’m afraid I can’t give you authorization to talk with one of the band members without first asking their permission. What did you say your name was again?”
“Liz Parker.”
A secretary? Liz was so confused.
“I’ll be sure to let him know you called and if he wants he will get back to you Miss Parker.”
“But—” the secretary hung up before she could get another word out. “He doesn’t have my number!” she yelled in annoyance. She slammed the phone down and dropped her head onto the table. “God!” she said.
How naïve of her! Of course she couldn’t just pick up the phone and call Devils Gold. She’d never thought about it but she was now dealing with a famous band. She could have been some crazy fan waiting to confess her love for the lead singer.
She got a little panicked that the secretary wouldn’t tell Max she rang. How could she get in touch with him then?
One day when work was slow she tried the number again. She was hoping for a miracle and thankfully, she got one. “Hello,” she said slowly, “I’m calling for Max Evans…I tried a couple of days ago. My name is Liz Parker and he would probably like to—”
“Liz Parker!” the secretary cried. “What a relief you called. I nearly lost my job when Mr. Evans heard I’d hung up on you. He was adamant that I let him know next time you contacted me.”
Liz felt a flood of warmth and relief when she heard that. “Is he there now?” she asked—her fingers were toying with the phone wire nervously.
Diane came into the back room of the salon and raised her eyebrows at Liz—whom was hunched earnestly over the phone. “Who are you talking to?” she asked.
“He’s not?” Liz said to the secretary. “Well can you get him to contact me please? My number is…”
Diane was still in the backroom when Liz hung up. Her pink apron was covered in hair and a broom was in her hands. Liz shrugged at her and said, “Just an old friend.”
“Must be a lover friend,” Diane smiled knowingly; “Women don’t get that look of determination when they’re talking to pals.”
“Don’t be nosey,” Liz said.
Diane’s hair was red now. She dyed it practically every week. Last week it was mousey brown like Kylie and Liz. Liz told her her hair was going to fall out one day.
“Then I’ll wear wigs,” Diane said, unworried.
Because of her youthful appearance Liz had guessed her age wrong. It turned out Diane was nearly thirty five and she wasn’t proud of it either. You never would have guessed to look at her.
“Kylie has gone for her break,” Diane said. “And our next appointment isn’t for half an hour. Can you clean the windows outside? The sign writer is coming later this afternoon…”
Liz slowly got to her feet. “Sure.”
It took three days for Max to call Liz. She was at home at the time because it was late—nearly eleven in the evening. She was in bed reading and Rita was out in the kitchen listening to the radio. She was the one who answered it and called out to Liz.
“Who is it?” Liz asked, rubbing her eyes. She’d been about ready to turn her lamp off and go to sleep.
“A man,” Rita grinned. “Sounds attractive.”
“What?” Liz laughed, her heart speeding up. “How does someone sound attractive?”
Rita turned the radio off. “I’ll just leave you alone. Good night.”
Liz had to take several deep breaths to calm herself before she picked up the phone. When she did her hands were shaking. “Max?”
He replied with a cool, even voice. “Hello Liz.”
Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest. “Where are you?” she asked breathlessly.
“I’m in Brooklyn.” His voice changed slightly and Liz could practically hear the hidden resentment—“Where you left me. What about you? Where are you Liz?”
“Vegas,” she said. “Where I told you I wanted to go.”
“When did you tell me that?”
There was a pause and she heard him sigh and then take a sip from a bottle. She knew what that meant.
“Are you drinking?” she asked. “I don’t want to talk to you if you’re drunk.”
He chuckled. “I’m not drunk. I only had a few. Why did you take so long to call me?”
“I needed to sort myself out,” she said. “How are you? How’s the band?”
She slid onto a seat at the round kitchen table and rested her head in her hands. She was wearing nothing but a cotton night dress because it was very hot. The cool metal of the chair was nice against her heated skin.
“I’m fine,” he answered. “The bands fine.”
She was silent for a few moments. “I bought the record. I saw the dedication. I wanted to thank you for that.”
“I haven’t fucked anyone since you left,” Max confessed suddenly. It was the last thing Liz expected him to say and she was a little thrown off. “I keep thinking you’ll come back and catch me and I don’t want you to get angry like last time.”
She told him she wasn’t expecting him to wait for her like that anymore.
He sighed and took another sip of whatever he was drinking. “So you aren’t coming back then?” he sounded hurt. “Ever?”
Liz ran a hand through her hair and closed her eyes. “Max…I’ve created a life for myself down here. I have a great job and these new friends and—”
“What about your old friends?” he asked angrily. “I know you didn’t even say goodbye to Maria. I went and saw her…”
“I’m not going to argue with you about this. I think you know why I had to leave and you’re just trying to make me feel guilty. Why did you go and see Maria?” With her eyes closed she could imagine him sitting there with his elbows on his knee’s and is long hair about his face. She could imagine is boots and his long legs…
“To see if she knew where you were,” he answered matter-of-factly. “Where do you have a job?”
Liz smiled. “I’m a hair dresser.”
“I never would have fuckin’ guessed. Are you good at it?”
“Yeah, I am.”
She told him about Diane and how they’d met and she talked of poor Rita and young Kylie. Her happiness must have shown in her voice because Max gave in trying to convince her she had made a mistake. She told him about everything she could think of.
Everything except the miscarriage. It didn’t seem right to tell him over the phone.
“I wish you could come to Vegas,” she finished with. “I’d love to show you around. You could meet everyone. When are you guys on tour again?”
“What?” he asked, surprised. “I thought your new life didn’t include me?”
Is that what he thought? Liz couldn’t believe how wrong he was. “No Max! What are you thinking? My life down here is great but it would always be better if you were here. I’d love it if you could forgive me and move to Vegas but I know you have a career to think about before any of that can happen.”
Max was silent and thoughtful.
“That doesn’t mean you can’t visit me when you get some free time.”
“Can’t you visit me? I don’t get any free time,” he said. “I’m always working on something with this fucking band. I haven’t even had a chance to call you since I got your number and look at the time! It’s fucking retarded.”
No one in Liz’s new life swore except for her so it was strange to hear the word fuck. She barely used it herself anymore but she liked the sound of Max saying it.
“Max…the band is more important.”
“Is it? Who decided that? It certainly wasn’t me.” She heard him shift around and get more comfortable. “You know…I had to meet my parents at the club the other day. They asked if I was still seeing ‘that girl, what’s-her-face?’ and I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want you to seem like just some girl and I didn’t want them to think ‘I’d finished with another one’. Do you how often I’ve felt like that in my life? Not often.”
Liz felt tears burn her eyes and she curled more tightly into herself. She was huddled around the phone as if it would bring her closer to him.
“I know,” she said. “I wish things were different.”
Max was no longer drinking from his bottle. She asked him if he was in his bedroom and he said no, he was out in the lounge by he window. Most people had gone to bed by now so it was quiet.
“So when am I going to see you again?” he asked. “Never?”
“When are you going on tour? Will you come to Vegas then?” she held her breath. She wanted to see him so badly it hurt.
“I don’t know when we’re going on tour,” he said. “It won’t be for a few months. It depends on whether or not we get into Woodstock.”
“When is Woodstock planned for?” Liz asked.
“August. Its going to be huge.”
It was nearing June now. “Maybe I could make it up for that.”
Unhappily, he said, “That’s over two months away.”
“I don’t know what else to do,” she said. “I have obligations now. That’s exactly what I wanted—to settle down and live normally. I’m not gonna throw that away.”
“I didn’t ask you to.”
Nothing was resolved when they finally hung up around two AM. They both had to get up early in the morning and though they didn’t want to say goodbye. Liz told him she missed him and they’d figure something out eventually.
He grumpily said, “Fine.”
The next morning at work she had a smile on her face. Just talking to Max made her feel that silly floating sensation again. It was thrilling for her to know that the lead singer of Devils Gold missed her.
Kylie noticed and asked what there was to be so happy about. “My cat just got run over,” she said, “and I am getting a cold. In this heat! There is nothing to smile about.”
“Do you want me to stop?” Liz bit her lip but she couldn’t hide the upturned corners of her lips.
“She’s seeing a man,” Diane intervened. “I once felt all giddy like that but that was so long ago.”
“There is no man!” Liz cried. “What is wrong with you two? It’s a nice day, that’s all.”
“A nice day!” Kylie repeated. “She’s high. Diane, I think you need to fire her. She’s come to work on weed.”
“Oh man!” Liz untied her apron. “I’m going to have my lunch break before you two silly crones bring me down.”
Diane had never been married but she was in a long term relationship with a fifty-year-old guy named Harry. Liz had only met him briefly but he was large, boisterous and absolutely hilarious. He worked as a manager at one of the local supermarkets. Kylie had barely had many boyfriends at all. She often asked Liz about her sexual history though, which made Liz laugh.
She bought a sandwich from her regular lunch bar and ate it on a park bench. She couldn’t stop daydreaming and sighing happily. It didn’t even matter that she had no idea when she’d see him again.
He was thinking about her!
~*~
After two and a half weeks of silence Liz wasn’t so happy anymore. With no calls from Max she no longer had something to smile about. She knew he was busy and probably didn’t have a chance to get to a phone but she still felt the absence as a harsh snap back into reality.
Rita invited Kylie and Diane over for dinner one night and they ended up buying five bottles of wine and cranking out a pack of cards. Liz was such a pro at shuffling and dealing that Diane commented she should be working in one of the casino’s, not with her in the salon.
With a cigarette resting in the corner of her mouth Liz replied, “Well, originally I had wanted to work at a casino. But no one answered my job applications.”
They were all smokers except Kylie but she didn’t mind that the room was slowly filling with smoke. “When my dad was alive he used to smoke,” she said, “ever since then I like being around the smell.”
They ended up getting drunk and talking about their histories. It was Diane who said, “Okay, I have a question. What’s the most interesting place you’ve been naked?”
They must have looked a sight huddled around the round table with ashtrays all over the place and bowls of snacks. The wine bottles were lined up on the floor and their shoes had been kicked off.
Rita laughed. “Having sex or just being naked?”
“Well it’s none of our business what you did once you had the clothes off,” Diane laughed. Her hair was platinum blonde now.
Liz sipped her wine and smiled at a flushed Kylie. She was clearly not a big drinker and looked a little lost.
“Well…” Rita tapped her newly manicured fingers against her wine glass. “Let’s see. I was once naked in the underground car park at work.”
Everyone giggled.
“For me it would have to be...” Liz dealt out the cards and then took another sip of her wine. “The time I streaked at school when I was fifteen. I ran from the front entrance to the back entrance in-between classes. Took me three minutes and twenty-six seconds. Fastest I’ve ever run in my whole life.”
“I’ve never been naked anywhere,” Kylie said. “Only at home.”
“I was naked in the lobby of my apartment building once. I ran out after Harry and forgot all about putting clothes on. The landlord is extra nice to me now. Dirty old pervert.”
They all paused to take a drag of their cigarette.
“Where’s the strangest place you’ve had sex?” Rita asked.
“In the janitors closest at the MGM Grand,” Diane said. “Actually…probably not the strangest but definitely the most memorable.”
Liz and Kylie burst out laughing.
“I’ve done it in a janitor’s closet,” Liz said. “What about you Rita?”
“Oh, I’ve never been much for sex in public places,” she replied.
“What?” Kylie asked, “Then why were you naked in the underground car park?”
Rita answered, “Because I was having sex in the boss’s car,” and then burst out laughing.
Liz rolled her eyes. “So you do have stories. Was that your strangest?”
“No,” Rita said. “I once had sex on the patio table on my grandparents’ front porch when they were down the road buying groceries.”
“That’s just wrong!” Kylie cried. “Your poor grandparents!”
“I’ve had sex on a patio table before,” Liz commented. “By the pool.”
Everyone looked at her.
“For someone who is only twenty, you sure do have a lot of experience,” Kylie said.
Diane licked the wine off her lips. Her usually bright lipstick had faded to almost non-existence. “Where was your strangest Liz?”
“I don’t know,” she shrugged. “I’ve done it in some pretty strange places.”
“I bet you have,” Diane said.
With a momentarily aching heart Liz said, “How about…on the roof of a bus in a hotel car park in the middle of the night?”
“On the roof?” Kylie gasped.
“What were you doing on the roof?” Rita asked.
“Well having sex, obviously,” Diane laughed.
“I’ve done it backstage at concerts, in restaurant bathrooms, in hotel pools…” Liz sighed and rubbed her eyes. She wasn’t necessarily proud of this information. “You name it; I’ve probably done it twice.”
~*~
Okay guys, I hope you enjoyed that. Thanks for all the feedback,
~nicola
100% Pure New Zealand Beef
TWENTY-FIVE
While Kylie was vomiting into the toilet Liz held her hair back and stroked her cheek.
She was speaking and her voice was muffled from inside the bowl, “I’ve never done anything like you. I’ve never done anything at all. I’m such a retard.”
“You’re not a retard,” Liz said. “You think I’m proud of my past? Why would I be here straightening myself out?”
“But I’m a big fat virgin retard,” Kylie started to cry. “And I’m older than you!”
She crawled away from the toilet and rested her back against the wall. Her hair was scruffy and sticking to her lips. “Do you think I’m a stupid no-life?” she asked sadly. “It’s because I was brought up a good Christian girl that I’ve done nothing.”
“Kylie,” Liz said supportively. “You’re not a no-life. You’re better than all that. My whole life I wanted to be worth something like you. Now come on, here wipe your mouth.”
While Kylie brushed her teeth and cleaned up Liz went and got changed into her night dress. When she came back she helped a wobbly Kylie into the lounge and lay her down on the couch.
“Are you okay?” she asked, “I’ll leave you a bucket here in case you need to throw up again.”
With her eyes half open Kylie murmured, “Thanks Liz…”
“Goodnight.”
Rita was standing in the door way stifling laughter. “I guess she’d not much of a drinker…not like you. You may look alike but you’re polar opposites.”
“I know. Did Diane leave?”
“Yeah Harry came and picked her up.”
Liz went to bed but she couldn’t sleep for a long time. She just stared at the ceiling and thought about everything she’d done in her short life time. If she could go back she’d never had done all those things. There were so many instances she regretted and cringed when recalling them. At least she was here now, making herself into something better.
~*~
In the morning Liz was woken up by the phone ringing. It was nearly eight but she was sleepy and didn’t want to get up. It was a Sunday so she didn’t have to…
Sighing happily Liz simply rolled onto her stomach and buried her face deeper in her pillow. Rita also let it ring and it eventually stopped. It was one of those days when your bed just seemed like the most perfect and comfortable place in the whole world…
The phone started up again ten minutes later. Reluctantly Liz threw back the covers and eased off the mattress. Her voice was husky and unattractive when she answered with a gruff, “What?”
There was a brief silence. “Liz?”
Her cheeks went bright red. She cleared her throat. “Max?”
“Hi. Sorry to wake you.”
She sat down at the table. It was still covered in ashtrays, empty glasses and food. “That’s okay,” she said, “How are you?”
“I can’t talk,” he said, “I just…well, basically…I’m coming to see you. Can you pick me up at the airport tonight at seven?”
“What?” Liz gasped. “I thought…”
“I have to go…just, can you?”
“Of course!” she cried. “I’ll see you then.”
When she hung up she considered that perhaps she was still in bed day dreaming. Max was coming to Vegas? She couldn’t believe it!
Instead of going back to bed and daydreaming about the evening to come Liz cooked breakfast for Rita and Kylie in their dinky little kitchen. There was a view of the unkempt garden through the window above the sink and she torpidly stared at it for a long time.
Sometimes Rita’s magician friend came and did some weeding but mostly it was a mess. Today the sun was spilling over the moisture on the grass making it glisten. It was rare to see moisture on the grass in this heat but there had been a sun shower around six-thirty AM.
She knew she was slowly falling in love with Vegas. She loved the quietness of the suburbs and the busyness of town. Not that the salon was really in town. It was part of a small shopping centre down the road. She loved the boiling heat and the desert that stretched out as far as the eye could see.
It was already so warm that she was starting to sweat standing over the element.
To let in some air she opened the backdoor and found the neighbours cat sleeping on the concrete step. That damn cat practically never left. It didn’t help that Rita relentlessly fed it.
Today, because she was in such a good mood, she gave it a bowl of milk and a pat.
Happily she said to it out loud, “Max is coming!”
When the bacon and eggs were nearly cooked she went to wake up Rita. She was very grateful and came straight to the kitchen. Kylie grumbled that if she ate she’d barf so she stayed on the couch.
“You’re happy today,” Rita said. She was wearing a thin blue cotton nightie that had buttons up to her neck. Her big hair was pulled back into a clip but strands were falling out around her neck. Liz noticed that Rita’s wrinkles were more pronounced around her eyes and mouth when she’d just woken up. “Let’s eat outside.”
They sat on the step and Rita ate while Liz drank coffee and smoked a cigarette. She had a piece of toast with jam for herself.
“Um…a friend of mine from New York is going to come and visit me tonight,” Liz told her. “And I don’t know how long he’ll stay. Probably a few days at the most. Is that alright?”
Rita smirked but she kept her suggestive comments to herself. “That’s fine,” she said.
Liz worked at the salon for a couple of hours in the afternoon on Sunday. It was generally pretty quiet which was how she liked it. Sundays were a great day to work.
As it drew closer to seven she became very nervous. She wondered how it was going to be between them. It certainly wouldn’t go straight back to where it had left off. Would it be awkward or would it be comfortable?
She had a shower and spent an hour trying to find something nice to wear. Rita couldn’t stop laughing when Liz asked her ten times if this outfit was okay. In the end she settled on a pink dress that went down to her knees. It was low cut but she wore a bra. Her short hair was up in somewhat of a pony tale.
The airport wasn’t extremely busy but when she asked someone where to go they were helpful. Thankfully the plane hadn’t arrived yet so she could have a moment to sit down and collect herself. She took several deep breaths and stared out at the runway. Her hands were clenched on her lap…
It took thirty minutes until people started arriving. Liz remained seated, watching the exit ramp like a hawk. She had no idea what she was going to say to him when he strutted out.
And that’s exactly what he did. He strutted looking cool and every bit the rock star with his guitar case and long hair. He had a black beanie on his head and he was wearing his leather jacket…
She gulped and slowly rose to her feet. She was so fucking lucky to know him. How was it possible that this guy was here just to see her?
He spotted her instantly and smiled. She smiled nervously back and waited for him to reach her. When he was one step away he dropped his stuff and said, “Well look at you.”
“Look at yourself,” she replied.
They both stared at each other breathlessly for at least a minute before Max said, “Well give me a hug for fucks sake.”
She chuckled and came into his arms easily. It was a long, tight embrace full of desperation and need. Liz’s emotions got the better of her and she leaned up and gave the corner of his mouth a kiss. He said something like, ‘I came all this way and that’s all I get…?’ so she kissed him again, slowly and fully.
He sighed. “I knew you were a good reason…”
“What are you talking about?” she asked.
He just smiled
“How did you manage to find time to fly down here?”
“I told them that if I didn’t have a break there would be no more fucking band. Everyone needed rest, not just me.” He stepped back and picked up his guitar. “You look good Brownie. Vegas agrees with you.”
She wrapped her arms around her chest. “I think it’s my new lifestyle. How long are you here for?”
“I leave Wednesday morning,” he replied. “Is that okay?”
“That’s okay,” she said.
After leaving the airport they decided to drive along Sunset strip and park so they could look at the glistening neon lights. Normally Liz loved the view and couldn’t tear her eyes away but tonight all of her attention was on him—sitting comfortably with his arm slung over the back seat.
“It’s a nice city,” he said.
“I love it,” she said back. “Everyday I find something new that I like.”
He looked at her with an unreadable expression. “You’d have to,” he said, “To have come here not knowing anyone.”
She swallowed. “Are you still angry at me?”
He shrugged. “I couldn’t stop you from doing what you want.”
She wanted to say that that didn’t answer her question but she didn’t. Instead she shyly asked, “What are we going to do?”
His body was cold and tense. “I don’t know,” he said.
“Do you still…” she paused unsurely, “have feelings for me?”
He looked right into her eyes. “Liz…” he said, “Why else would I have come all this way?”
“I don’t know.” She tucked her hair behind her ears and looked away. She wished this were easier. “You could have come for anything,” she said, “For all I know.”
“I came for you,” he said forthrightly. “I needed to know once and for all if I should forget about you or not.”
“Well,” she said (trying not melt), “I had a long think about it today and there are some things I need to say.”
“Go ahead.”
His eyes were so intense and he wouldn’t stop staring at her. She quickly averted her gaze to her lap. She toyed with her dress until he cleared his throat to urge her along.
“Max,” she said slowly, “I’m fixing what’s wrong in my life. When are you gonna do the same?”
He frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“You’re so all over the place,” she went on, “I’m so much younger than you and I still see it. You’re with the band but you’re not really with the band. You want other things.”
“What’s your point?”
She ignored the unhappiness in his voice. Clearly he didn’t want to talk about this but she did. “You need to pick what the hell you’re gonna do for fucks sake.”
“Liz,” he leaned towards her. “It’s not just me that I have to think about. The guys are like my brothers and they depend on me.”
“How long can you please them for?” she asked angrily. Suddenly all this emotion came bursting out. “How long until you drive yourself insane? What do you want Max?” she wanted to shake him. “What is it you feel you’re missing out on?”
He looked away from her and cursed.
She watched him close his eyes and run a hand through his hair. When he answered her it was so quiet she almost didn’t hear.
“I don’t know.”
She sighed dramatically. “If you want my opinion I think you’re taking advantage of how good you have it. You’re going to the top. What more do you need?”
“What the hell are you talking about?” he groaned. “You know what it’s like. You couldn’t handle it; well it’s exactly the same for me. I don’t want that lifestyle anymore.”
“Well do something about it!”
“I don’t need a fucking lecture!”
“Yes you fucking do! You’re so out of line Max.”
The windows were down because it was so hot and a couple passing by looked in their direction. With annoyance Liz asked what they were staring at. They hurried on, muttering under their breath.
“I didn’t come down here for this,” said Max.
“I don’t think you know why you came,” Liz growled. “You haven’t got a clue about anything.”
He opened the car door and got out onto the pavement. “Fuck you,” he said.
“Where are you going?” she asked, following him. “Max, you’ve got nowhere to go. Come back.”
She practically had to run to keep up with him. He walked with determination but had no objective other than to get away from her. Liz grabbed his arm.
“I’m sorry!” she yelled. He stopped. “What,” she continued, “you don’t think I need some closure too? I do Max. If you could just decide what to do I’d be happy to go along with it—even if it means me here and you there.”
He rubbed his eyes. “I don’t see how there can be anything between us while I’m apart of the band.”
She wanted to cry because she knew that too. “So let’s see other people,” she said unhappily.
“Fine.”
They stared at each other silently for a long moment. The lights above danced across Max’s grumpy face.
“So I suppose you’re just gonna go back to Brooklyn now,” she said.
He shook his head. “No.”
“Good.”
They kissed with all the desperation they felt. Liz in her peasant sandals got up onto her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“How about…” he said against her lips. “When we happen to be in the same state…”
“I think it’d be okay if you visited.”
“But we see other people the rest of the time.”
She smiled. “Does that make sense?”
“No.”
“Does that make you happy?”
“No.”
Their noses touched and Liz sighed sadly.
“You’re just a groupie,” he said, wanting to believe it. “What’s happening here? It’s your job to worship me.”
“I do,” she said, her heart aching.
~*~
Hello, hello! Hope everyone is good and liked the part! Thanks for leaving me such wonderful feedback! We seem to be missing Smac? Where'd she go?
~nicola
While Kylie was vomiting into the toilet Liz held her hair back and stroked her cheek.
She was speaking and her voice was muffled from inside the bowl, “I’ve never done anything like you. I’ve never done anything at all. I’m such a retard.”
“You’re not a retard,” Liz said. “You think I’m proud of my past? Why would I be here straightening myself out?”
“But I’m a big fat virgin retard,” Kylie started to cry. “And I’m older than you!”
She crawled away from the toilet and rested her back against the wall. Her hair was scruffy and sticking to her lips. “Do you think I’m a stupid no-life?” she asked sadly. “It’s because I was brought up a good Christian girl that I’ve done nothing.”
“Kylie,” Liz said supportively. “You’re not a no-life. You’re better than all that. My whole life I wanted to be worth something like you. Now come on, here wipe your mouth.”
While Kylie brushed her teeth and cleaned up Liz went and got changed into her night dress. When she came back she helped a wobbly Kylie into the lounge and lay her down on the couch.
“Are you okay?” she asked, “I’ll leave you a bucket here in case you need to throw up again.”
With her eyes half open Kylie murmured, “Thanks Liz…”
“Goodnight.”
Rita was standing in the door way stifling laughter. “I guess she’d not much of a drinker…not like you. You may look alike but you’re polar opposites.”
“I know. Did Diane leave?”
“Yeah Harry came and picked her up.”
Liz went to bed but she couldn’t sleep for a long time. She just stared at the ceiling and thought about everything she’d done in her short life time. If she could go back she’d never had done all those things. There were so many instances she regretted and cringed when recalling them. At least she was here now, making herself into something better.
~*~
In the morning Liz was woken up by the phone ringing. It was nearly eight but she was sleepy and didn’t want to get up. It was a Sunday so she didn’t have to…
Sighing happily Liz simply rolled onto her stomach and buried her face deeper in her pillow. Rita also let it ring and it eventually stopped. It was one of those days when your bed just seemed like the most perfect and comfortable place in the whole world…
The phone started up again ten minutes later. Reluctantly Liz threw back the covers and eased off the mattress. Her voice was husky and unattractive when she answered with a gruff, “What?”
There was a brief silence. “Liz?”
Her cheeks went bright red. She cleared her throat. “Max?”
“Hi. Sorry to wake you.”
She sat down at the table. It was still covered in ashtrays, empty glasses and food. “That’s okay,” she said, “How are you?”
“I can’t talk,” he said, “I just…well, basically…I’m coming to see you. Can you pick me up at the airport tonight at seven?”
“What?” Liz gasped. “I thought…”
“I have to go…just, can you?”
“Of course!” she cried. “I’ll see you then.”
When she hung up she considered that perhaps she was still in bed day dreaming. Max was coming to Vegas? She couldn’t believe it!
Instead of going back to bed and daydreaming about the evening to come Liz cooked breakfast for Rita and Kylie in their dinky little kitchen. There was a view of the unkempt garden through the window above the sink and she torpidly stared at it for a long time.
Sometimes Rita’s magician friend came and did some weeding but mostly it was a mess. Today the sun was spilling over the moisture on the grass making it glisten. It was rare to see moisture on the grass in this heat but there had been a sun shower around six-thirty AM.
She knew she was slowly falling in love with Vegas. She loved the quietness of the suburbs and the busyness of town. Not that the salon was really in town. It was part of a small shopping centre down the road. She loved the boiling heat and the desert that stretched out as far as the eye could see.
It was already so warm that she was starting to sweat standing over the element.
To let in some air she opened the backdoor and found the neighbours cat sleeping on the concrete step. That damn cat practically never left. It didn’t help that Rita relentlessly fed it.
Today, because she was in such a good mood, she gave it a bowl of milk and a pat.
Happily she said to it out loud, “Max is coming!”
When the bacon and eggs were nearly cooked she went to wake up Rita. She was very grateful and came straight to the kitchen. Kylie grumbled that if she ate she’d barf so she stayed on the couch.
“You’re happy today,” Rita said. She was wearing a thin blue cotton nightie that had buttons up to her neck. Her big hair was pulled back into a clip but strands were falling out around her neck. Liz noticed that Rita’s wrinkles were more pronounced around her eyes and mouth when she’d just woken up. “Let’s eat outside.”
They sat on the step and Rita ate while Liz drank coffee and smoked a cigarette. She had a piece of toast with jam for herself.
“Um…a friend of mine from New York is going to come and visit me tonight,” Liz told her. “And I don’t know how long he’ll stay. Probably a few days at the most. Is that alright?”
Rita smirked but she kept her suggestive comments to herself. “That’s fine,” she said.
Liz worked at the salon for a couple of hours in the afternoon on Sunday. It was generally pretty quiet which was how she liked it. Sundays were a great day to work.
As it drew closer to seven she became very nervous. She wondered how it was going to be between them. It certainly wouldn’t go straight back to where it had left off. Would it be awkward or would it be comfortable?
She had a shower and spent an hour trying to find something nice to wear. Rita couldn’t stop laughing when Liz asked her ten times if this outfit was okay. In the end she settled on a pink dress that went down to her knees. It was low cut but she wore a bra. Her short hair was up in somewhat of a pony tale.
The airport wasn’t extremely busy but when she asked someone where to go they were helpful. Thankfully the plane hadn’t arrived yet so she could have a moment to sit down and collect herself. She took several deep breaths and stared out at the runway. Her hands were clenched on her lap…
It took thirty minutes until people started arriving. Liz remained seated, watching the exit ramp like a hawk. She had no idea what she was going to say to him when he strutted out.
And that’s exactly what he did. He strutted looking cool and every bit the rock star with his guitar case and long hair. He had a black beanie on his head and he was wearing his leather jacket…
She gulped and slowly rose to her feet. She was so fucking lucky to know him. How was it possible that this guy was here just to see her?
He spotted her instantly and smiled. She smiled nervously back and waited for him to reach her. When he was one step away he dropped his stuff and said, “Well look at you.”
“Look at yourself,” she replied.
They both stared at each other breathlessly for at least a minute before Max said, “Well give me a hug for fucks sake.”
She chuckled and came into his arms easily. It was a long, tight embrace full of desperation and need. Liz’s emotions got the better of her and she leaned up and gave the corner of his mouth a kiss. He said something like, ‘I came all this way and that’s all I get…?’ so she kissed him again, slowly and fully.
He sighed. “I knew you were a good reason…”
“What are you talking about?” she asked.
He just smiled
“How did you manage to find time to fly down here?”
“I told them that if I didn’t have a break there would be no more fucking band. Everyone needed rest, not just me.” He stepped back and picked up his guitar. “You look good Brownie. Vegas agrees with you.”
She wrapped her arms around her chest. “I think it’s my new lifestyle. How long are you here for?”
“I leave Wednesday morning,” he replied. “Is that okay?”
“That’s okay,” she said.
After leaving the airport they decided to drive along Sunset strip and park so they could look at the glistening neon lights. Normally Liz loved the view and couldn’t tear her eyes away but tonight all of her attention was on him—sitting comfortably with his arm slung over the back seat.
“It’s a nice city,” he said.
“I love it,” she said back. “Everyday I find something new that I like.”
He looked at her with an unreadable expression. “You’d have to,” he said, “To have come here not knowing anyone.”
She swallowed. “Are you still angry at me?”
He shrugged. “I couldn’t stop you from doing what you want.”
She wanted to say that that didn’t answer her question but she didn’t. Instead she shyly asked, “What are we going to do?”
His body was cold and tense. “I don’t know,” he said.
“Do you still…” she paused unsurely, “have feelings for me?”
He looked right into her eyes. “Liz…” he said, “Why else would I have come all this way?”
“I don’t know.” She tucked her hair behind her ears and looked away. She wished this were easier. “You could have come for anything,” she said, “For all I know.”
“I came for you,” he said forthrightly. “I needed to know once and for all if I should forget about you or not.”
“Well,” she said (trying not melt), “I had a long think about it today and there are some things I need to say.”
“Go ahead.”
His eyes were so intense and he wouldn’t stop staring at her. She quickly averted her gaze to her lap. She toyed with her dress until he cleared his throat to urge her along.
“Max,” she said slowly, “I’m fixing what’s wrong in my life. When are you gonna do the same?”
He frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“You’re so all over the place,” she went on, “I’m so much younger than you and I still see it. You’re with the band but you’re not really with the band. You want other things.”
“What’s your point?”
She ignored the unhappiness in his voice. Clearly he didn’t want to talk about this but she did. “You need to pick what the hell you’re gonna do for fucks sake.”
“Liz,” he leaned towards her. “It’s not just me that I have to think about. The guys are like my brothers and they depend on me.”
“How long can you please them for?” she asked angrily. Suddenly all this emotion came bursting out. “How long until you drive yourself insane? What do you want Max?” she wanted to shake him. “What is it you feel you’re missing out on?”
He looked away from her and cursed.
She watched him close his eyes and run a hand through his hair. When he answered her it was so quiet she almost didn’t hear.
“I don’t know.”
She sighed dramatically. “If you want my opinion I think you’re taking advantage of how good you have it. You’re going to the top. What more do you need?”
“What the hell are you talking about?” he groaned. “You know what it’s like. You couldn’t handle it; well it’s exactly the same for me. I don’t want that lifestyle anymore.”
“Well do something about it!”
“I don’t need a fucking lecture!”
“Yes you fucking do! You’re so out of line Max.”
The windows were down because it was so hot and a couple passing by looked in their direction. With annoyance Liz asked what they were staring at. They hurried on, muttering under their breath.
“I didn’t come down here for this,” said Max.
“I don’t think you know why you came,” Liz growled. “You haven’t got a clue about anything.”
He opened the car door and got out onto the pavement. “Fuck you,” he said.
“Where are you going?” she asked, following him. “Max, you’ve got nowhere to go. Come back.”
She practically had to run to keep up with him. He walked with determination but had no objective other than to get away from her. Liz grabbed his arm.
“I’m sorry!” she yelled. He stopped. “What,” she continued, “you don’t think I need some closure too? I do Max. If you could just decide what to do I’d be happy to go along with it—even if it means me here and you there.”
He rubbed his eyes. “I don’t see how there can be anything between us while I’m apart of the band.”
She wanted to cry because she knew that too. “So let’s see other people,” she said unhappily.
“Fine.”
They stared at each other silently for a long moment. The lights above danced across Max’s grumpy face.
“So I suppose you’re just gonna go back to Brooklyn now,” she said.
He shook his head. “No.”
“Good.”
They kissed with all the desperation they felt. Liz in her peasant sandals got up onto her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“How about…” he said against her lips. “When we happen to be in the same state…”
“I think it’d be okay if you visited.”
“But we see other people the rest of the time.”
She smiled. “Does that make sense?”
“No.”
“Does that make you happy?”
“No.”
Their noses touched and Liz sighed sadly.
“You’re just a groupie,” he said, wanting to believe it. “What’s happening here? It’s your job to worship me.”
“I do,” she said, her heart aching.
~*~
Hello, hello! Hope everyone is good and liked the part! Thanks for leaving me such wonderful feedback! We seem to be missing Smac? Where'd she go?
~nicola
Last edited by nicola on Wed Nov 16, 2005 3:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
100% Pure New Zealand Beef
TWENTY-SIX
“Rita, this is Max.”
Rita looked up from her puzzle and took off her glasses. Max held his hand out and she shook it.
“How are ya?” he asked.
“Nice to meet you,” Rita said. She shot a glance at Liz and then smiled at Max. “I hear you’ll be staying with us for a few days?”
“If that’s alright with you.”
“Can you cook?” she asked. Max opened his mouth to say no but she chuckled and waved him off. “I’m kidding. Of course you’re welcome here. Do you two want the lounge? I was just about to go to bed.”
“No that’s okay. We’ll just go into my room,” Liz said. No one could help themselves from grinning when she said that. Especially Max.
“Goodnight then.”
It was just after eleven when they arrived home. They’d spent a couple of hours out and about, looking around the city. Since their talk, things had been a little less strained but nothing had been resolved.
Liz closed her bedroom door behind them and started taking off her shoes. Max put down his things and went straight to the Devils Gold poster hanging on the wall.
“So I take it you like the picture?” he asked. “I thought it was pretty fuckin’ stupid the first time I saw it.”
“It’s great,” she said. She turned on her bedside lamp and switched off the main light. “I’ll never take it down.”
After putting her shoes away she sat down on the end of her bed and watched him. He looked through her records and chuckled when he saw his new album.
“Such a dedicated fan,” he muttered.
“I already told you I bought it,” she said. “Max…”
He turned around and looked at her.
Suddenly she couldn’t ask what she wanted to. Instead she said, “What do you think of my home?”
“It’s nice,” he smiled. “Modest but cosy.”
He came and sat down next to her and put his hands on his knees. She leaned into him…
“Liz,” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t want you to sleep with me just because you think you have to. Just because I came all the way down here…”
“Ha! Are you kidding?”
She reached behind her back and unzipped her dress. After pushing the straps down her shoulders and letting it slip to her waist she said, “I haven’t been with anyone since I left Brooklyn Max. Why do you think I want to sleep with you?”
He breathed out.
“Trust me.” She unclipped her bra and took it off. “I couldn’t want anything more.”
He didn’t hesitate when she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. His hands touched her bare waist and moved up her smooth back.
“I’ve missed you Liz.”
“Hmmm…” she sighed in agreement.
When he was naked and stretched out on his back she curled into his side, unable to stop kissing him. His hands grasped her skin.
“We have to be quiet…” she whispered, reaching down to take hold of his arousal. “I don’t want Rita to hear.”
Max squirmed beneath her and his breath quickened as she moved her fingers up and down. His eyes and mouth were open and he was staring at her.
“You think you can manage that?” she smiled and gave his chest as kiss.
He moaned.
Liz let go of him and lay back with her legs open. He spread out over top of her and kissed her breasts and stroked her all over. She grinded into him, urging him to enter her.
“Please…” she whispered.
He spread her legs further and quickly entered front on. She arched upwards and threw one arm above her head. The other went around his shoulders to hold him close.
They couldn’t get close enough. His skin was against hers but it wasn’t enough.
In desperation he moved in and out of her quickly, racing towards relief. Liz closed her eyes and pretended the moment wouldn’t end. She pretended they didn’t have any problems and there was nothing but the burning sensation that was so fulfilling and warm and perfect…
Max bit into her neck because he knew she’d like it. She reopened her eyes wide and panted into his hair.
God, she thought, there is no better feeling…
She felt so stretched and full and it was too much for her. The friction and his warm, hard body against hers was enough to send her spiralling out of control. She tried to hold onto the burn for as long as she could but despite her efforts it slowly trickled away and the warmth disappeared…
Max stiffened above her and then collapsed.
They were silent for a few breathless moments and then Max shifted so he was lying in between her legs and his head was on her stomach. He closed his eyes and said, “Before you left Brooklyn you were constantly telling me I couldn’t leave the band. Now you’re making it seem like I should. What changed your mind?”
“I spent months without you,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. I am ashamed to admit this but I was thinking only about myself earlier tonight. Not you. I just got so wound up and I want you to stay so badly…but it’s your decision, not mine. You shouldn’t let me influence you. It should completely be about what you want.”
He sighed.
Liz felt tears burn her eyes. She’d become such a wimp lately. Everything made her cry. “But there’s something else I need to tell you before you make up your mind.”
He looked up with his chin resting on her belly. “What’s that?”
“When I left Brooklyn…” she gulped, “I didn’t know it. But I was pregnant.”
Max didn’t say anything at first but soon a look of horror covered his face. “Did you get an…an abortion?”
Liz shook her head. “No, no of course not! I would never have done that without telling you. No, I miscarried.”
He looked away from her and swallowed. “That must have been hard for you.”
“Harder than I thought it would be,” she said. “I’d only just gotten used to the idea of being pregnant and I was planning on coming back to Brooklyn but then…”
“You should have told me anyway,” he sighed. “You should have called Liz.”
“I wanted to tell you in person, and now I have.”
“Well you should have come and told me in person then,” he said and rubbed his eyes. “But now it doesn’t matter anymore. What can I say?”
“Don’t say anything. I’m sorry. I thought you deserved to know, that’s all.”
He sat up and ran his hands though his hair. “God!” he said. “This is insane! All of it! You know…the guys thought I was crazy for coming here.”
Liz’s brown crinkled. “They did?”
“Well I must be,” he said. “Who goes and sees a girl—a groupie—after they’ve been gone for so long?”
“There’s no need to be mean. You make being a groupie sound like a bad thing.”
“Well isn’t it?” he asked, “It wasn’t good enough for you. That’s why you left isn’t it?”
“I suppose.”
Liz couldn’t tell if he was mad or not. She studied his face and body intently, trying to get some idea of what he was thinking. Did he suddenly regret coming?
“Max…” she reached out and put her hands on his.
When he looked at her he recognised the panic her panic and quickly tried to comfort her. Tenderly, he lay back down and wrapped her in his arms. “The truth is,” he said. “I really admire you for coming here on your own.”
She stared into his eyes sadly.
“You were really brave you know?” he stroked her cheek. “You saw what you needed and you did it. You came here with nothing.”
She kissed the corner of his mouth. She thought she might burst from all the love she felt.
“I’m really proud of you,” he said. “And even more now that I know how much trouble you went through. Not many people could have done what you did. I don’t think I could have.”
“I think you could have. If you needed to.”
He looked doubtful. “I came here because of what you did. I thought—I need someone strong like that in my life. That and I missed you, obviously.” He laughed. “The guys told me I should move on.”
“God Max,” she shifted closer to him and buried her face in his neck.
“What do you think?” he asked and kissed the top of her head. “Should I move on?”
Quickly she looked up and shook her head. “Don’t, please,” she said.
~*~
Liz had to work the next morning so she left Max in bed to rest. He didn’t wake up before she left which was good because she would have found it a lot harder to get out the door.
She only had to work until after lunch because she’d asked for some time off. The whole morning she was dancing around and humming happily.
“This must be some visitor,” Diane commented. She had a hair pin hanging out of her mouth. She was doing hair for a young girl going to a wedding. “You’re all but floating.”
“He is some visitor,” Liz sighed. “And Kylie would agree with me.”
“Why would I agree with you?” Kylie asked.
“Wait and you’ll see.”
“Oh so she’ll get to meet him?” Diane cried. “What about me?”
Liz shrugged. “If you want.”
The morning took far too long in her opinion. Finally Diane got exasperated and told her to leave already. She practically ran to her car.
Back at the house she found Rita and Max sitting at the kitchen table talking. Unbelievably, she had Max cutting up vegetables for her. Apparently she wanted to make a soup for dinner.
In shock Liz put down her hand bag, keys and sunglasses and walked towards them.
“He doesn’t look like he’d be very domestic does he?” Rita laughed. “Turns out he might just be.”
Max grinned at her. “Of course I can cut a fucking carrot Rita. Don’t get carried away.”
Rita rolled her eyes. “Oh he’s just embarrassed that you caught him.”
“Nice uniform Brownie,” he teased.
Liz didn’t know what to say. She had never expected to come home and find this. Who knew Max the rock star would get on with Rita the stern divorcee?
“Um…” she scratched her head. “Right. I’ll just go…get changed I think.”
Max followed her to her room. When she asked what he’d been doing all morning he told her he’d only gotten up and hour and a half ago. “You don’t know how long it’s been since I slept in late.”
“I have some idea,” she said. “What do you want to do all afternoon?”
“Why do we have to do anything?” he asked, looking at her. She pulled out a skirt and tank top to put on. “Why can’t we just hang out here?”
“We can if you want,” she replied. “I just thought you’d like to see more of the city.”
“No. I’m not here to see the city,” he said sweetly.
She smiled and looked down at her feet. He came closer and put his hands on her arms. When she got the courage to look up they kissed softly.
“I need to have a shower,” he said. “Can I do that?”
“Of course. Come…” They went into the bathroom. “Do you want a shower or a bath? When was the last time you had a bath?” she chuckled.
“When I was six,” he said.
“Have a bath now,” she said. “Just relax. This is your time off. You should do nothing but relax…”
She put the plug in and turned the taps on. He seductively asked if she’d join him and touched her hip.
“No,” she said, getting flustered and moving away. “Rita’s here.” She breathed in deeply. “Do you want lavender bubble bath?”
“No thank you,” he laughed.
“Yeah I didn’t think so.”
She left the room and went to get changed. Then she went into the kitchen to get a drink. Rita was still sitting at the table putting vegetables into a pot.
“Max is just going to have a bath,” she said.
“Oh ok,” Rita smiled up at her. “Did you get him a towel?”
“Oh, no I didn’t.”
When Liz walked into the bathroom Max was naked and standing over the tub, waiting to hop in. She breathed in deeply and tried not to make her emotions blatantly obvious.
“Here you go,” she said and put the towel down for him. “Do you need anything else?”
He got in and eased back. It was a large tub but he was still a bit big for it. A moan escaped his lips. “God…”
She smiled and went to leave but he called out to her.
“Can’t you stay and talk to me?” he asked. “Sit down here on the towel.”
She hesitated but in the end did what he asked. “Nice?” she asked.
He smiled. “Nice."
~*~
There you go! Thanks everyone!
~nicola
P.S guys are bum (just in case you didn't know)
“Rita, this is Max.”
Rita looked up from her puzzle and took off her glasses. Max held his hand out and she shook it.
“How are ya?” he asked.
“Nice to meet you,” Rita said. She shot a glance at Liz and then smiled at Max. “I hear you’ll be staying with us for a few days?”
“If that’s alright with you.”
“Can you cook?” she asked. Max opened his mouth to say no but she chuckled and waved him off. “I’m kidding. Of course you’re welcome here. Do you two want the lounge? I was just about to go to bed.”
“No that’s okay. We’ll just go into my room,” Liz said. No one could help themselves from grinning when she said that. Especially Max.
“Goodnight then.”
It was just after eleven when they arrived home. They’d spent a couple of hours out and about, looking around the city. Since their talk, things had been a little less strained but nothing had been resolved.
Liz closed her bedroom door behind them and started taking off her shoes. Max put down his things and went straight to the Devils Gold poster hanging on the wall.
“So I take it you like the picture?” he asked. “I thought it was pretty fuckin’ stupid the first time I saw it.”
“It’s great,” she said. She turned on her bedside lamp and switched off the main light. “I’ll never take it down.”
After putting her shoes away she sat down on the end of her bed and watched him. He looked through her records and chuckled when he saw his new album.
“Such a dedicated fan,” he muttered.
“I already told you I bought it,” she said. “Max…”
He turned around and looked at her.
Suddenly she couldn’t ask what she wanted to. Instead she said, “What do you think of my home?”
“It’s nice,” he smiled. “Modest but cosy.”
He came and sat down next to her and put his hands on his knees. She leaned into him…
“Liz,” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t want you to sleep with me just because you think you have to. Just because I came all the way down here…”
“Ha! Are you kidding?”
She reached behind her back and unzipped her dress. After pushing the straps down her shoulders and letting it slip to her waist she said, “I haven’t been with anyone since I left Brooklyn Max. Why do you think I want to sleep with you?”
He breathed out.
“Trust me.” She unclipped her bra and took it off. “I couldn’t want anything more.”
He didn’t hesitate when she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. His hands touched her bare waist and moved up her smooth back.
“I’ve missed you Liz.”
“Hmmm…” she sighed in agreement.
When he was naked and stretched out on his back she curled into his side, unable to stop kissing him. His hands grasped her skin.
“We have to be quiet…” she whispered, reaching down to take hold of his arousal. “I don’t want Rita to hear.”
Max squirmed beneath her and his breath quickened as she moved her fingers up and down. His eyes and mouth were open and he was staring at her.
“You think you can manage that?” she smiled and gave his chest as kiss.
He moaned.
Liz let go of him and lay back with her legs open. He spread out over top of her and kissed her breasts and stroked her all over. She grinded into him, urging him to enter her.
“Please…” she whispered.
He spread her legs further and quickly entered front on. She arched upwards and threw one arm above her head. The other went around his shoulders to hold him close.
They couldn’t get close enough. His skin was against hers but it wasn’t enough.
In desperation he moved in and out of her quickly, racing towards relief. Liz closed her eyes and pretended the moment wouldn’t end. She pretended they didn’t have any problems and there was nothing but the burning sensation that was so fulfilling and warm and perfect…
Max bit into her neck because he knew she’d like it. She reopened her eyes wide and panted into his hair.
God, she thought, there is no better feeling…
She felt so stretched and full and it was too much for her. The friction and his warm, hard body against hers was enough to send her spiralling out of control. She tried to hold onto the burn for as long as she could but despite her efforts it slowly trickled away and the warmth disappeared…
Max stiffened above her and then collapsed.
They were silent for a few breathless moments and then Max shifted so he was lying in between her legs and his head was on her stomach. He closed his eyes and said, “Before you left Brooklyn you were constantly telling me I couldn’t leave the band. Now you’re making it seem like I should. What changed your mind?”
“I spent months without you,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. I am ashamed to admit this but I was thinking only about myself earlier tonight. Not you. I just got so wound up and I want you to stay so badly…but it’s your decision, not mine. You shouldn’t let me influence you. It should completely be about what you want.”
He sighed.
Liz felt tears burn her eyes. She’d become such a wimp lately. Everything made her cry. “But there’s something else I need to tell you before you make up your mind.”
He looked up with his chin resting on her belly. “What’s that?”
“When I left Brooklyn…” she gulped, “I didn’t know it. But I was pregnant.”
Max didn’t say anything at first but soon a look of horror covered his face. “Did you get an…an abortion?”
Liz shook her head. “No, no of course not! I would never have done that without telling you. No, I miscarried.”
He looked away from her and swallowed. “That must have been hard for you.”
“Harder than I thought it would be,” she said. “I’d only just gotten used to the idea of being pregnant and I was planning on coming back to Brooklyn but then…”
“You should have told me anyway,” he sighed. “You should have called Liz.”
“I wanted to tell you in person, and now I have.”
“Well you should have come and told me in person then,” he said and rubbed his eyes. “But now it doesn’t matter anymore. What can I say?”
“Don’t say anything. I’m sorry. I thought you deserved to know, that’s all.”
He sat up and ran his hands though his hair. “God!” he said. “This is insane! All of it! You know…the guys thought I was crazy for coming here.”
Liz’s brown crinkled. “They did?”
“Well I must be,” he said. “Who goes and sees a girl—a groupie—after they’ve been gone for so long?”
“There’s no need to be mean. You make being a groupie sound like a bad thing.”
“Well isn’t it?” he asked, “It wasn’t good enough for you. That’s why you left isn’t it?”
“I suppose.”
Liz couldn’t tell if he was mad or not. She studied his face and body intently, trying to get some idea of what he was thinking. Did he suddenly regret coming?
“Max…” she reached out and put her hands on his.
When he looked at her he recognised the panic her panic and quickly tried to comfort her. Tenderly, he lay back down and wrapped her in his arms. “The truth is,” he said. “I really admire you for coming here on your own.”
She stared into his eyes sadly.
“You were really brave you know?” he stroked her cheek. “You saw what you needed and you did it. You came here with nothing.”
She kissed the corner of his mouth. She thought she might burst from all the love she felt.
“I’m really proud of you,” he said. “And even more now that I know how much trouble you went through. Not many people could have done what you did. I don’t think I could have.”
“I think you could have. If you needed to.”
He looked doubtful. “I came here because of what you did. I thought—I need someone strong like that in my life. That and I missed you, obviously.” He laughed. “The guys told me I should move on.”
“God Max,” she shifted closer to him and buried her face in his neck.
“What do you think?” he asked and kissed the top of her head. “Should I move on?”
Quickly she looked up and shook her head. “Don’t, please,” she said.
~*~
Liz had to work the next morning so she left Max in bed to rest. He didn’t wake up before she left which was good because she would have found it a lot harder to get out the door.
She only had to work until after lunch because she’d asked for some time off. The whole morning she was dancing around and humming happily.
“This must be some visitor,” Diane commented. She had a hair pin hanging out of her mouth. She was doing hair for a young girl going to a wedding. “You’re all but floating.”
“He is some visitor,” Liz sighed. “And Kylie would agree with me.”
“Why would I agree with you?” Kylie asked.
“Wait and you’ll see.”
“Oh so she’ll get to meet him?” Diane cried. “What about me?”
Liz shrugged. “If you want.”
The morning took far too long in her opinion. Finally Diane got exasperated and told her to leave already. She practically ran to her car.
Back at the house she found Rita and Max sitting at the kitchen table talking. Unbelievably, she had Max cutting up vegetables for her. Apparently she wanted to make a soup for dinner.
In shock Liz put down her hand bag, keys and sunglasses and walked towards them.
“He doesn’t look like he’d be very domestic does he?” Rita laughed. “Turns out he might just be.”
Max grinned at her. “Of course I can cut a fucking carrot Rita. Don’t get carried away.”
Rita rolled her eyes. “Oh he’s just embarrassed that you caught him.”
“Nice uniform Brownie,” he teased.
Liz didn’t know what to say. She had never expected to come home and find this. Who knew Max the rock star would get on with Rita the stern divorcee?
“Um…” she scratched her head. “Right. I’ll just go…get changed I think.”
Max followed her to her room. When she asked what he’d been doing all morning he told her he’d only gotten up and hour and a half ago. “You don’t know how long it’s been since I slept in late.”
“I have some idea,” she said. “What do you want to do all afternoon?”
“Why do we have to do anything?” he asked, looking at her. She pulled out a skirt and tank top to put on. “Why can’t we just hang out here?”
“We can if you want,” she replied. “I just thought you’d like to see more of the city.”
“No. I’m not here to see the city,” he said sweetly.
She smiled and looked down at her feet. He came closer and put his hands on her arms. When she got the courage to look up they kissed softly.
“I need to have a shower,” he said. “Can I do that?”
“Of course. Come…” They went into the bathroom. “Do you want a shower or a bath? When was the last time you had a bath?” she chuckled.
“When I was six,” he said.
“Have a bath now,” she said. “Just relax. This is your time off. You should do nothing but relax…”
She put the plug in and turned the taps on. He seductively asked if she’d join him and touched her hip.
“No,” she said, getting flustered and moving away. “Rita’s here.” She breathed in deeply. “Do you want lavender bubble bath?”
“No thank you,” he laughed.
“Yeah I didn’t think so.”
She left the room and went to get changed. Then she went into the kitchen to get a drink. Rita was still sitting at the table putting vegetables into a pot.
“Max is just going to have a bath,” she said.
“Oh ok,” Rita smiled up at her. “Did you get him a towel?”
“Oh, no I didn’t.”
When Liz walked into the bathroom Max was naked and standing over the tub, waiting to hop in. She breathed in deeply and tried not to make her emotions blatantly obvious.
“Here you go,” she said and put the towel down for him. “Do you need anything else?”
He got in and eased back. It was a large tub but he was still a bit big for it. A moan escaped his lips. “God…”
She smiled and went to leave but he called out to her.
“Can’t you stay and talk to me?” he asked. “Sit down here on the towel.”
She hesitated but in the end did what he asked. “Nice?” she asked.
He smiled. “Nice."
~*~
There you go! Thanks everyone!
~nicola
P.S guys are bum (just in case you didn't know)
100% Pure New Zealand Beef
Twenty-Seven
Max became increasingly affectionate with Liz during his last twenty-four hours in Vegas. Whenever they were in the same room he didn’t take his hands off her. Liz wasn’t used to being stroked, kissed and hugged.
He came and visited her while she was at work and asked her to cut his hair. She didn’t want to at first (she liked his hair how it was) but relented in the end. It was while she was putting the apron on that Kylie caught her first glimpse of him.
There was a crash and they turned to see her gaping in their direction. She’d dropped her tin of cutting tools on the ground from shock.
“Max,” Liz said, “This is Kylie. I told you about her.”
“This can’t be your guest,” Kylie moaned. “This is Max Evans!” she took a deep breath and whispered harshly—“The lead singer of Devils Gold!”
“Ah…yeah,” he said and held his hand out for her to shake. “Nice to meet you.”
Liz beamed with pride. She knew Kylie would be impressed.
Kylie nearly died when her hand touched Max’s. Her whole face went bright red and she couldn’t catch his eyes. Liz chuckled.
“Why didn’t you tell me you knew him?” Kylie asked looking at her incredulously. “I can’t believe you kept that from me!”
“What, and miss your expression right now?” Liz grinned. “I don’t think so.”
“You meany! Diane! Diane come look!”
Diane didn’t know anything about Devils Gold but she was impressed anyway. She shook Max’s hand and said, “Aren’t you just the cutest thing? Liz, no wonder you’ve been floating around here on cloud nine! I could just eat both of you right up.”
Max’s new hair was short (to the nape of his neck) and scruffy. He still looked like a rock star.
They somehow managed to spend the whole day together without once mentioning what was going to happen when he left. Liz was getting fed up but she still kept it to herself.
It was after five on Tuesday and they were both lying on the couch together when Rita got home from work. Max was lying on his back with Liz curled half into his side, half draped over his chest. She had her eyes closed and she was thinking about when she’d been on the road with Devils Gold.
“I’ve stayed in some of the shittiest motels in America with you,” she said.
Max chuckled and she liked the vibrations it caused against her cheek. “And some of the nicest.”
“Hello people!” Rita said cheerfully. “Have a nice day?”
Liz went to get up. She wasn’t comfortable with Rita seeing her and Max lying all over each other. “Oh…hey…”
“Don’t get up. I don’t want to interrupt,” Rita said. “I’m going out tonight. Just came home to change.”
Liz quirked a brow. “Where are you going?”
“Just having dinner with some people from work.”
Max tugged her back into a lying position. Rita disappeared into the bathroom.
“We should start thinking about our dinner.”
“Not just yet,” Max sighed.
His visit wasn’t what Liz had expected. She thought it would be more about sex but he seemed more content to lounge around in her company.
“I haven’t been this relaxed in years,” he said softly.
“You guys really should get more breaks,” Liz mumbled.
She didn’t realize how much time could pass without you noticing. And how nice it was just to be physically close to someone. She heard Rita leave and looked at the clock. It was just after six.
“Alright, I’m starving,” she decided.
Max let her get up and she went into the kitchen. It didn’t take him long to get up himself. He put on Rita’s Beatles record so it was loud throughout the whole house and then he came into the kitchen.
She was going through the pantry when suddenly he knelt down in front of her and started to lift her skirt.
“Max!” she hissed and smacked his hands away. “What are you doing? Get up!”
He grinned. “Not a chance.”
Despite her attempts to stop them, his naughty fingers looped under her knickers and pulled them down. Her knees almost buckled when he leaned forward and pressed his lips to her lips.
“Max,” she sighed. It was supposed to be a warning but ended up being a moan. Her hands touched his head and held on tight.
It was the first time since he’d arrived that he’d done anything that. There had been no foreplay in the sex, it seemed Max was more excited by the main event and then what came afterwards. It was strange for Liz; the Brooklyn Max had not been like that at all.
She couldn’t remain standing as his tongue darted out of his mouth and ran along her entrance. Seeing this, his arms went around her thighs and he lifted her up and carried her to the table. There he lay her on her back and spread her legs to finish.
Liz used the freedom of an empty house to moan as loudly as she could. He enjoyed it when she was vocal and as she grew even more excited her noises became more feverish.
After she was done he gave her warm thigh a kiss and straightened up. She opened her closed eyes.
“Wow,” she breathed.
“You liked that then?” he grinned and stepped forward so he was standing between her still open legs. With his eyes on her he started to undo his pants.
“Max no…not on the table…” she bit her lip, shaking her head from side to side. She didn’t know why she said it. She couldn’t have stopped him if she’d wanted to.
He dropped his pants to his knees and used one hand to steady her as he thrust in. Her hips rose as he moved, allowing him to fully penetrate her.
He leant forward a little and then paused and raised an eyebrow at her. She couldn’t wipe the grin off her face when he started to sing along with the record, “She’s got a ticket to riiii-hide, she’s got a ticket to riii-hide… but she don’t care…”
He smirked and moved his hips to thrust in and out of her. She didn’t even care that her back was digging onto the hard surface.
Max was being extremely cocky in taking her. He was humming along to the song and moving his head from side to side….
“Max…” she moaned, her heart pounding erratically, “I love you.”
He stopped humming and leaned further into her. While continuing to grin and take her in teasing thrusts he said, “I think you mean: I love this.”
Her head fell from side to side. “No…” she closed her eyes and arched her head back in extreme pleasure, “I love you.”
~*~
Liz was woken up several times by Max during the night. He would be stroking and kissing her and want to have sex again. They didn’t talk about the next morning when he was leaving. She didn’t know about him, but she probably couldn’t have anyway. Going back to ordinary life was devastating to her.
How could that be when just days ago it’s exactly what she’d wanted?
“Have you had any sleep?” she asked breathlessly when he rolled her onto her stomach and took her from behind.
With his hands on his hips he simply grunted, “fuck sleep.”
Later, at a time Liz couldn’t guess he whispered to her, “I can’t find anything bad about you,” and he seemed so annoyed about it. She snuggled into his big, warm, bare body and closed her eyes. Her hands found his in the dark.
It was amazing that, on those nights when you can’t sleep time seems to pass so excruciatingly slowly but tonight it raced.
In the morning Max was almost grumpy with her. When Liz opened her eyes from dozing he was sitting at the end of the bed, bent over doing up his shoes. She pulled the blanket around her shoulders and sat up silently.
“You’re not coming to the airport,” he said and turned to look at her gruffly. “You’ve got to get to work anyway.”
“I don’t think they’d mind if I was a little la—”
“I’ve already called a cab.”
When Liz turned her head she saw he’d also already got his things together. Panic pricked her entire body. Why was he leaving in such a rush?
Why had she slept?
When he stood and checked he had everything she wanted to cry. It didn’t take long until he’d picked up his guitar and rested the strap of his bag on his shoulder.
He opened the door.
“Are you not even going to kiss me goodbye then?” she whimpered.
He looked back at her, sitting in the middle of the big bed crying. Unable to be cold and harsh he walked towards the side of the bed and she got up onto her knees and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“I meant what I said yesterday,” she cried against his mouth, “I’m gonna think about you every day.”
He didn’t say anything, just looked her.
“Every hour, every minute, every second—” she pressed her forehead to his cheek. “Even when I’m sleeping. And I won’t be happy until you’re back.”
When she finally let go and slumped back on the mattress she saw the uncontrollable desperation in his eyes. She saw he was so torn and lost and had no idea how to find his way.
“What ever decisions you make,” she said passionately, “Whenever you make them. I’m gonna back you.”
He bit his lip and nodded reluctantly. He didn’t glance back at her at the door.
~*~
Life had been bearable before he ever came. Now she was dissatisfied with just living. Before routine had been everything but now she knew even more about what she was missing.
He’d never said he loved her back but it didn’t matter.
“So there’s a love story we never even knew about,” Rita said the morning Max left. She saw Liz’s sadness and could only assume her heart break. “At first I thought you two were just having some fun but now I’m not so convinced.” She sipped her tea and pondered over her friend’s life. “Let me see…you want to be with him but he’s a big star and you can’t…”
Liz didn’t say anything. She stared into her muddy brown reflection in the coffee.
“But why not? You must have come here for a reason.”
Sitting on the back doorstep Rita said she hoped Liz didn’t mind her pondering. She apparently had no life of her own.
“Well don’t worry dearie,” she said, patting Liz’s head, “There’s always a solution for all heart aches. They’re just hard to see.”
Without responding to any of her statements, Liz got up off the step and went back inside. She drained her coffee and left it on the sink. No one saw her pained expression when she allowed a glance at the kitchen table before going to put on her shoes.
At work Kylie’s questions did not make her feel better. She wanted to know all about Liz’s past history with Devils Gold and Max.
“Not today,” Liz said simply. “I can’t today. Maybe another time.”
“Oh no but that’s just not fair!” Kylie exclaimed. “I have to know. I just have to.”
“Not today!” Liz yelled angrily—her shoulders shaking. She sighed and undid her apron. “Diane, I’m going to have a cigarette.”
On her way out Diane grumbled at Kyle, “Leave the girl alone for goodness sake. You can see she’s upset.”
He didn’t call from Brooklyn for three days. She was only just getting home when she heard the telephone and quickly ran to unlock the door and get in before he hung up. She left the keys in the lock on her mad dash.
“Hello!” she said breathlessly. She prayed it was him.
He answered with his ever-cool voice, “Hey.”
She’d hoped he would tell her what he decided about their future but he didn’t. Rationally, she’d known it would take him a little longer to make such a big decision. Nevertheless, it would have been nice to know straight away.
“I miss you,” he said. “The guys told me I’m being a fucking asshole again.”
“Do they like your new hair cut?” she smiled.
He laughed. “Don’t think they even fuckin’ noticed.”
There wasn’t much to report but they still managed to fill Max’s spare twenty minutes.
“When are you going to call me again?” Liz asked.
“Soon,” he answered. “I promise.”
~*~
There you go!
Jesus, that flu nearly bloody killed me. I'm still not fully recovered. The worst I've ever had. Nevertheless, I have to carry on again. It's kind of weird having to rejoin civilisation after nearly a week in a bed in a dark room!
hope you enjoyed it!
~nicola
Max became increasingly affectionate with Liz during his last twenty-four hours in Vegas. Whenever they were in the same room he didn’t take his hands off her. Liz wasn’t used to being stroked, kissed and hugged.
He came and visited her while she was at work and asked her to cut his hair. She didn’t want to at first (she liked his hair how it was) but relented in the end. It was while she was putting the apron on that Kylie caught her first glimpse of him.
There was a crash and they turned to see her gaping in their direction. She’d dropped her tin of cutting tools on the ground from shock.
“Max,” Liz said, “This is Kylie. I told you about her.”
“This can’t be your guest,” Kylie moaned. “This is Max Evans!” she took a deep breath and whispered harshly—“The lead singer of Devils Gold!”
“Ah…yeah,” he said and held his hand out for her to shake. “Nice to meet you.”
Liz beamed with pride. She knew Kylie would be impressed.
Kylie nearly died when her hand touched Max’s. Her whole face went bright red and she couldn’t catch his eyes. Liz chuckled.
“Why didn’t you tell me you knew him?” Kylie asked looking at her incredulously. “I can’t believe you kept that from me!”
“What, and miss your expression right now?” Liz grinned. “I don’t think so.”
“You meany! Diane! Diane come look!”
Diane didn’t know anything about Devils Gold but she was impressed anyway. She shook Max’s hand and said, “Aren’t you just the cutest thing? Liz, no wonder you’ve been floating around here on cloud nine! I could just eat both of you right up.”
Max’s new hair was short (to the nape of his neck) and scruffy. He still looked like a rock star.
They somehow managed to spend the whole day together without once mentioning what was going to happen when he left. Liz was getting fed up but she still kept it to herself.
It was after five on Tuesday and they were both lying on the couch together when Rita got home from work. Max was lying on his back with Liz curled half into his side, half draped over his chest. She had her eyes closed and she was thinking about when she’d been on the road with Devils Gold.
“I’ve stayed in some of the shittiest motels in America with you,” she said.
Max chuckled and she liked the vibrations it caused against her cheek. “And some of the nicest.”
“Hello people!” Rita said cheerfully. “Have a nice day?”
Liz went to get up. She wasn’t comfortable with Rita seeing her and Max lying all over each other. “Oh…hey…”
“Don’t get up. I don’t want to interrupt,” Rita said. “I’m going out tonight. Just came home to change.”
Liz quirked a brow. “Where are you going?”
“Just having dinner with some people from work.”
Max tugged her back into a lying position. Rita disappeared into the bathroom.
“We should start thinking about our dinner.”
“Not just yet,” Max sighed.
His visit wasn’t what Liz had expected. She thought it would be more about sex but he seemed more content to lounge around in her company.
“I haven’t been this relaxed in years,” he said softly.
“You guys really should get more breaks,” Liz mumbled.
She didn’t realize how much time could pass without you noticing. And how nice it was just to be physically close to someone. She heard Rita leave and looked at the clock. It was just after six.
“Alright, I’m starving,” she decided.
Max let her get up and she went into the kitchen. It didn’t take him long to get up himself. He put on Rita’s Beatles record so it was loud throughout the whole house and then he came into the kitchen.
She was going through the pantry when suddenly he knelt down in front of her and started to lift her skirt.
“Max!” she hissed and smacked his hands away. “What are you doing? Get up!”
He grinned. “Not a chance.”
Despite her attempts to stop them, his naughty fingers looped under her knickers and pulled them down. Her knees almost buckled when he leaned forward and pressed his lips to her lips.
“Max,” she sighed. It was supposed to be a warning but ended up being a moan. Her hands touched his head and held on tight.
It was the first time since he’d arrived that he’d done anything that. There had been no foreplay in the sex, it seemed Max was more excited by the main event and then what came afterwards. It was strange for Liz; the Brooklyn Max had not been like that at all.
She couldn’t remain standing as his tongue darted out of his mouth and ran along her entrance. Seeing this, his arms went around her thighs and he lifted her up and carried her to the table. There he lay her on her back and spread her legs to finish.
Liz used the freedom of an empty house to moan as loudly as she could. He enjoyed it when she was vocal and as she grew even more excited her noises became more feverish.
After she was done he gave her warm thigh a kiss and straightened up. She opened her closed eyes.
“Wow,” she breathed.
“You liked that then?” he grinned and stepped forward so he was standing between her still open legs. With his eyes on her he started to undo his pants.
“Max no…not on the table…” she bit her lip, shaking her head from side to side. She didn’t know why she said it. She couldn’t have stopped him if she’d wanted to.
He dropped his pants to his knees and used one hand to steady her as he thrust in. Her hips rose as he moved, allowing him to fully penetrate her.
He leant forward a little and then paused and raised an eyebrow at her. She couldn’t wipe the grin off her face when he started to sing along with the record, “She’s got a ticket to riiii-hide, she’s got a ticket to riii-hide… but she don’t care…”
He smirked and moved his hips to thrust in and out of her. She didn’t even care that her back was digging onto the hard surface.
Max was being extremely cocky in taking her. He was humming along to the song and moving his head from side to side….
“Max…” she moaned, her heart pounding erratically, “I love you.”
He stopped humming and leaned further into her. While continuing to grin and take her in teasing thrusts he said, “I think you mean: I love this.”
Her head fell from side to side. “No…” she closed her eyes and arched her head back in extreme pleasure, “I love you.”
~*~
Liz was woken up several times by Max during the night. He would be stroking and kissing her and want to have sex again. They didn’t talk about the next morning when he was leaving. She didn’t know about him, but she probably couldn’t have anyway. Going back to ordinary life was devastating to her.
How could that be when just days ago it’s exactly what she’d wanted?
“Have you had any sleep?” she asked breathlessly when he rolled her onto her stomach and took her from behind.
With his hands on his hips he simply grunted, “fuck sleep.”
Later, at a time Liz couldn’t guess he whispered to her, “I can’t find anything bad about you,” and he seemed so annoyed about it. She snuggled into his big, warm, bare body and closed her eyes. Her hands found his in the dark.
It was amazing that, on those nights when you can’t sleep time seems to pass so excruciatingly slowly but tonight it raced.
In the morning Max was almost grumpy with her. When Liz opened her eyes from dozing he was sitting at the end of the bed, bent over doing up his shoes. She pulled the blanket around her shoulders and sat up silently.
“You’re not coming to the airport,” he said and turned to look at her gruffly. “You’ve got to get to work anyway.”
“I don’t think they’d mind if I was a little la—”
“I’ve already called a cab.”
When Liz turned her head she saw he’d also already got his things together. Panic pricked her entire body. Why was he leaving in such a rush?
Why had she slept?
When he stood and checked he had everything she wanted to cry. It didn’t take long until he’d picked up his guitar and rested the strap of his bag on his shoulder.
He opened the door.
“Are you not even going to kiss me goodbye then?” she whimpered.
He looked back at her, sitting in the middle of the big bed crying. Unable to be cold and harsh he walked towards the side of the bed and she got up onto her knees and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“I meant what I said yesterday,” she cried against his mouth, “I’m gonna think about you every day.”
He didn’t say anything, just looked her.
“Every hour, every minute, every second—” she pressed her forehead to his cheek. “Even when I’m sleeping. And I won’t be happy until you’re back.”
When she finally let go and slumped back on the mattress she saw the uncontrollable desperation in his eyes. She saw he was so torn and lost and had no idea how to find his way.
“What ever decisions you make,” she said passionately, “Whenever you make them. I’m gonna back you.”
He bit his lip and nodded reluctantly. He didn’t glance back at her at the door.
~*~
Life had been bearable before he ever came. Now she was dissatisfied with just living. Before routine had been everything but now she knew even more about what she was missing.
He’d never said he loved her back but it didn’t matter.
“So there’s a love story we never even knew about,” Rita said the morning Max left. She saw Liz’s sadness and could only assume her heart break. “At first I thought you two were just having some fun but now I’m not so convinced.” She sipped her tea and pondered over her friend’s life. “Let me see…you want to be with him but he’s a big star and you can’t…”
Liz didn’t say anything. She stared into her muddy brown reflection in the coffee.
“But why not? You must have come here for a reason.”
Sitting on the back doorstep Rita said she hoped Liz didn’t mind her pondering. She apparently had no life of her own.
“Well don’t worry dearie,” she said, patting Liz’s head, “There’s always a solution for all heart aches. They’re just hard to see.”
Without responding to any of her statements, Liz got up off the step and went back inside. She drained her coffee and left it on the sink. No one saw her pained expression when she allowed a glance at the kitchen table before going to put on her shoes.
At work Kylie’s questions did not make her feel better. She wanted to know all about Liz’s past history with Devils Gold and Max.
“Not today,” Liz said simply. “I can’t today. Maybe another time.”
“Oh no but that’s just not fair!” Kylie exclaimed. “I have to know. I just have to.”
“Not today!” Liz yelled angrily—her shoulders shaking. She sighed and undid her apron. “Diane, I’m going to have a cigarette.”
On her way out Diane grumbled at Kyle, “Leave the girl alone for goodness sake. You can see she’s upset.”
He didn’t call from Brooklyn for three days. She was only just getting home when she heard the telephone and quickly ran to unlock the door and get in before he hung up. She left the keys in the lock on her mad dash.
“Hello!” she said breathlessly. She prayed it was him.
He answered with his ever-cool voice, “Hey.”
She’d hoped he would tell her what he decided about their future but he didn’t. Rationally, she’d known it would take him a little longer to make such a big decision. Nevertheless, it would have been nice to know straight away.
“I miss you,” he said. “The guys told me I’m being a fucking asshole again.”
“Do they like your new hair cut?” she smiled.
He laughed. “Don’t think they even fuckin’ noticed.”
There wasn’t much to report but they still managed to fill Max’s spare twenty minutes.
“When are you going to call me again?” Liz asked.
“Soon,” he answered. “I promise.”
~*~
There you go!
Jesus, that flu nearly bloody killed me. I'm still not fully recovered. The worst I've ever had. Nevertheless, I have to carry on again. It's kind of weird having to rejoin civilisation after nearly a week in a bed in a dark room!
hope you enjoyed it!
~nicola
100% Pure New Zealand Beef
TWENTY-EIGHT
A few weeks passed uneventfully and then one day Liz came home from work and Rita was gone. Her room was empty of her belongings and there was a note of explanation on the kitchen table.
It said that her ex-husband had come back begging her to forgive him. ‘I know I shouldn’t but I love him dreadfully—despite his many, many flaws. And what have I got to loose?’ Apparently he wanted her to move back to Albuquerque with him and so they’d left just after two PM. ‘The house is yours to look after until further notice. Fill my room if you need to.’
Liz sat at the table and stared dumbfounded at the note. There was an address to get in touch but no mention of returning. Liz couldn’t afford to live alone. She only made a small amount that was stretched even with Rita’s contributions to food and electricity. She’d have to fill one of the rooms to be able to pay for everything.
There was a knock at the door and she knew who it was before she answered. Her new friend Allen was taking her out for coffee. By the noises Liz knew that she hadn’t been able to leave the kids with her husband.
Liz met Allen because she had come into the salon to get her highlights done. She and her husband were struggling to get by but she still came in whenever she could. That’s the one thing Liz had learnt working there—the poorer ladies still felt it was extremely necessary to have nice hair. One day Allen ran into Liz while she was having her lunch break and they’d got to talking. Now they regularly went to cafes and for walks.
Allen was only twenty-five but she had two babies—one eleven month old girl and a two (nearly three) year old boy.
“COME ON IN!” Liz yelled to her. “THE DOORS OPEN!”
Allen was worn-out when she walked though to the kitchen. Actually, Liz couldn’t remember a time when she hadn’t seen Allen worn-out. Her hair was white blonde and she had fantastic sparkling blue eyes. She was taller than Liz by almost half a head and she was slim.
Liz told her about the note while her son ran to investigate the place.
“What are you gonna do?” she asked, her daughter resting on her hip.
“I suppose I’ll find someone to move in. Know anyone?”
She smiled. “I could leave Martin and move in with these two if you want.”
Liz got up and stuck the note to the fridge. “No thank you,” she said.
Allen and Liz went and had their coffee and it was pleasant because the kids were well behaved. However, at times Liz wasn’t the best company because she was worried about home. Allen was surprised that Liz wasn’t more annoyed with Rita for running off but Liz couldn’t bring herself to be. She was simply too happy for her friend.
“I’m disappointed she won’t be around anymore but I’m not angry. If being with her ex is what she wants then I’m glad she didn’t hold back worrying about me. I’ll find someone to live with eventually.”
That evening Liz decided to move all of her things into Rita’s old room. It was much bigger and nicer so she’d be silly to give it away to someone else. After a lonely dinner she transferred her things leisurely. It took her nearly two hours to have her new room completely sorted.
In the morning she would put a notice in the supermarket for a new room-mate. In the perfect world Max would be moving in with her and they’d keep the spare room bare. She’d cook him dinner every night and wash his back while he bathed…
This was not the perfect world.
Liz had never lived alone before and it was strange to have such deathly silence. When she was in bed she used to be able to hear Rita moving around in her room and snoring when she fell asleep…
The next morning at work she told the girls and they were kind but offered no solutions. No one knew anyone who needed a place to live.
She wished she could talk to Max about it. She hadn’t heard from him for over a week. Ever since he’d left they’d made it a point to speak every few days.
It was a nice surprise whenever he called because she usually wasn’t expecting it. However, when she did expect it to be him, it never was.
When he called a few nights later she had been hoping for it. She dragged the phone on its long chord outside and sat on a deck chair in the back garden under the stars. She had a glass of wine and a cigarette.
“When I was there,” Max commented, “I noticed you weren’t smoking as much. Are you giving up?”
Liz unconsciously glanced at the smoke in her hand. It was half ash already. “Not intentionally,” she said, “I just never seem to have a moment to—or the money. I only go through a pack or so a week now. Except if I’m drinking with Diane or something.”
“That’s good,” he said.
She told him about Rita’s disappearance and he was shocked.
“So you’re all alone?”
“Yeah, but its okay.”
“I don’t like the idea of you living alone. Can you afford it?”
“Not really but I’ll find someone to move in soon.”
“I can send you some money if you need it.”
Liz was surprised by his offer. It made her feel as if they were married or something and it was his job to support her. The feeling was strangely comforting.
“I don’t need you to send me anything,” she said. “But thank you.”
“It seems to me like you’re too young to have as much responsibility as you do.”
Not knowing what to say to that she simply changed the subject. “Have you been to see your parents lately?” she asked.
“Yeah, I saw my dad for the first time in months the other day. He’s got me into cigars.”
“Cigars!” Liz laughed. “How refined of you.”
“I know.” He laughed too.
After a moments silence she heard him sigh. “Fuck,” he said. “I want to see you pumpkin.”
Max usually never called her pet names. It was always ‘Liz’ or ‘Brownie’. She liked it when he let his guard down. She wanted to tell him to do it more often but she was scared he’d be in embarrassed and stop all together.
When they hung up she put her head in her hands and sighed unhappily. The want to see him filled her with such a dreadful ache she didn’t know what to do. She tried to stop thinking about it but it just made things worse.
No one in her whole life had been able to hold her attention like he did. Usually she’d have moved on by now but with Max she just couldn’t. She knew she would always have a soft spot for him, no matter what.
~*~
Rita called a week later and apologized to Liz for putting her in an awkward position. She truly sounded sorry too but Liz told her she’d never been mad in the first place.
Liz kept her financial worries to herself. A couple of people had answered her advert for a room mate but they weren’t suitable. In fact, she would never have lived with them in a million years. Not even if she was desperate.
There were barely any groceries in the house but she couldn’t afford to buy anymore until next week. The power bill had just arrived and she’d had to pay that first…
Diane didn’t have any extra work for her because she’d just hired a new male hairdresser. He was gay and had them all in hysterics all day long with his outrageous stories.
The worry was starting to get to her when suddenly she had some good news. On her way home from work she saw a huge poster on a bulletin board advertising Woodstock. She scanned the band listing fervently until she saw what she was looking for. Devils Gold! They’d be performing!
She jumped up and down right there in the street. She didn’t care who saw. She was so happy for the band she almost cried.
Just to make sure her eyes weren’t fooling her she read their name again and then ran home. Max might call to tell her the news.
He did. But he said a lot more than she thought he would.
“You’re going to have to get the next two weeks off work because I’ve already put your plane tickets in the mail. You leave on Saturday.”
She didn’t know what to say. A dumbfounded, “Wha…?” came out.
He laughed. “Thought that’d surprise you. Don’t worry; I won’t be working the whole time. I told the guys I don’t want the band to consume my whole fucking life anymore. They’re not very happy with me.”
“Oh?”
He cried excitedly, “You’re going to be here on Saturday night!”
“Max…I can’t afford to take two weeks off work. I can barely make it now…” she scratched her head. “But I want to come so bad…”
“Fuck money. It’s not important. I already have enough keeping you away from me and we can’t have that stopping us too.” He was very talkative tonight. He couldn’t stop. “You promised you’d come for Woodstock. It’s very important to me and I need you here.”
“It’s easy for you to say that. You’re used to tossing responsibility in the air.”
Max breathed in deeply. “What?”
“You don’t have a life like me Max. You don’t have responsibilities and have to worry about things like money and food and paying the damn bills!”
“You don’t know what you’re fucking talking about,” he spat out. “I may be in a band but I still have responsibilities. Sticking it out and performing is just one for you. I could have quit years ago.”
Liz couldn’t help but say, “Max, that’s your only responsibility and I happen to be under a lot of pressure right now.”
“So you’re saying you won’t come then?” he was no longer cheerful and excited.
“I didn’t say that. I just can’t ignore all these things going on here that I have to take care of. I am going to loose the house if I don’t find a way to make some money!”
“Call fucking Rita and tell her she owes it to you to pay the rent until you can find a replacement. Stop acting as if you’re so happy for her and tell her you can’t manage.”
“I can manage.”
“You’re totally contradicting yourself. Are you in trouble or are you not in trouble?”
Liz took deep breaths to calm herself. She was sitting at the kitchen table with her legs drawn up to her chest and her feet were bare. She started playing with her little toe nervously.
“Are you mad with me?” she asked. Her lips were very close to the receiver as if it would make her closer to him. “I don’t want to argue.”
“If you don’t want me to be mad with you then come to Brooklyn. I have to go.”
She closed her eyes tightly. “Oh Max…don’t…” she moaned in agony. “What am I going to do? Oh I need my mom…” she tried not to sob. “You’re right; I’m too young for this. I don’t know what to do.”
“Liz…Christ…”
“I’m sorry. You have enough to think about. Go, I’ll talk to you later.”
“Everything will be fine,” he said softly. “Will you come to Brooklyn?”
“We’ll see. Bye.”
Liz had a long shower and thought about what it would be like to go to Brooklyn again. She considered just dropping everything and being senseless again. She was still young after all…a little fun would probably be good for her. Maybe she could take Kylie with her?
It was crazy living this far away from Max. They really had to sort out some way to fix it. They either had to be together or they had to break up. Maybe going to Brooklyn would finally give her some resolution.
~*~
I'm sorry, I don't think this is very good. I should go over it more but I can't be bothered right now. I just want you guys to have something to read.
Thanks so much for the nominations! I'm crossing my fingers until Thursday when the winners are announced!
Thanks for being so patient!
~nicola
A few weeks passed uneventfully and then one day Liz came home from work and Rita was gone. Her room was empty of her belongings and there was a note of explanation on the kitchen table.
It said that her ex-husband had come back begging her to forgive him. ‘I know I shouldn’t but I love him dreadfully—despite his many, many flaws. And what have I got to loose?’ Apparently he wanted her to move back to Albuquerque with him and so they’d left just after two PM. ‘The house is yours to look after until further notice. Fill my room if you need to.’
Liz sat at the table and stared dumbfounded at the note. There was an address to get in touch but no mention of returning. Liz couldn’t afford to live alone. She only made a small amount that was stretched even with Rita’s contributions to food and electricity. She’d have to fill one of the rooms to be able to pay for everything.
There was a knock at the door and she knew who it was before she answered. Her new friend Allen was taking her out for coffee. By the noises Liz knew that she hadn’t been able to leave the kids with her husband.
Liz met Allen because she had come into the salon to get her highlights done. She and her husband were struggling to get by but she still came in whenever she could. That’s the one thing Liz had learnt working there—the poorer ladies still felt it was extremely necessary to have nice hair. One day Allen ran into Liz while she was having her lunch break and they’d got to talking. Now they regularly went to cafes and for walks.
Allen was only twenty-five but she had two babies—one eleven month old girl and a two (nearly three) year old boy.
“COME ON IN!” Liz yelled to her. “THE DOORS OPEN!”
Allen was worn-out when she walked though to the kitchen. Actually, Liz couldn’t remember a time when she hadn’t seen Allen worn-out. Her hair was white blonde and she had fantastic sparkling blue eyes. She was taller than Liz by almost half a head and she was slim.
Liz told her about the note while her son ran to investigate the place.
“What are you gonna do?” she asked, her daughter resting on her hip.
“I suppose I’ll find someone to move in. Know anyone?”
She smiled. “I could leave Martin and move in with these two if you want.”
Liz got up and stuck the note to the fridge. “No thank you,” she said.
Allen and Liz went and had their coffee and it was pleasant because the kids were well behaved. However, at times Liz wasn’t the best company because she was worried about home. Allen was surprised that Liz wasn’t more annoyed with Rita for running off but Liz couldn’t bring herself to be. She was simply too happy for her friend.
“I’m disappointed she won’t be around anymore but I’m not angry. If being with her ex is what she wants then I’m glad she didn’t hold back worrying about me. I’ll find someone to live with eventually.”
That evening Liz decided to move all of her things into Rita’s old room. It was much bigger and nicer so she’d be silly to give it away to someone else. After a lonely dinner she transferred her things leisurely. It took her nearly two hours to have her new room completely sorted.
In the morning she would put a notice in the supermarket for a new room-mate. In the perfect world Max would be moving in with her and they’d keep the spare room bare. She’d cook him dinner every night and wash his back while he bathed…
This was not the perfect world.
Liz had never lived alone before and it was strange to have such deathly silence. When she was in bed she used to be able to hear Rita moving around in her room and snoring when she fell asleep…
The next morning at work she told the girls and they were kind but offered no solutions. No one knew anyone who needed a place to live.
She wished she could talk to Max about it. She hadn’t heard from him for over a week. Ever since he’d left they’d made it a point to speak every few days.
It was a nice surprise whenever he called because she usually wasn’t expecting it. However, when she did expect it to be him, it never was.
When he called a few nights later she had been hoping for it. She dragged the phone on its long chord outside and sat on a deck chair in the back garden under the stars. She had a glass of wine and a cigarette.
“When I was there,” Max commented, “I noticed you weren’t smoking as much. Are you giving up?”
Liz unconsciously glanced at the smoke in her hand. It was half ash already. “Not intentionally,” she said, “I just never seem to have a moment to—or the money. I only go through a pack or so a week now. Except if I’m drinking with Diane or something.”
“That’s good,” he said.
She told him about Rita’s disappearance and he was shocked.
“So you’re all alone?”
“Yeah, but its okay.”
“I don’t like the idea of you living alone. Can you afford it?”
“Not really but I’ll find someone to move in soon.”
“I can send you some money if you need it.”
Liz was surprised by his offer. It made her feel as if they were married or something and it was his job to support her. The feeling was strangely comforting.
“I don’t need you to send me anything,” she said. “But thank you.”
“It seems to me like you’re too young to have as much responsibility as you do.”
Not knowing what to say to that she simply changed the subject. “Have you been to see your parents lately?” she asked.
“Yeah, I saw my dad for the first time in months the other day. He’s got me into cigars.”
“Cigars!” Liz laughed. “How refined of you.”
“I know.” He laughed too.
After a moments silence she heard him sigh. “Fuck,” he said. “I want to see you pumpkin.”
Max usually never called her pet names. It was always ‘Liz’ or ‘Brownie’. She liked it when he let his guard down. She wanted to tell him to do it more often but she was scared he’d be in embarrassed and stop all together.
When they hung up she put her head in her hands and sighed unhappily. The want to see him filled her with such a dreadful ache she didn’t know what to do. She tried to stop thinking about it but it just made things worse.
No one in her whole life had been able to hold her attention like he did. Usually she’d have moved on by now but with Max she just couldn’t. She knew she would always have a soft spot for him, no matter what.
~*~
Rita called a week later and apologized to Liz for putting her in an awkward position. She truly sounded sorry too but Liz told her she’d never been mad in the first place.
Liz kept her financial worries to herself. A couple of people had answered her advert for a room mate but they weren’t suitable. In fact, she would never have lived with them in a million years. Not even if she was desperate.
There were barely any groceries in the house but she couldn’t afford to buy anymore until next week. The power bill had just arrived and she’d had to pay that first…
Diane didn’t have any extra work for her because she’d just hired a new male hairdresser. He was gay and had them all in hysterics all day long with his outrageous stories.
The worry was starting to get to her when suddenly she had some good news. On her way home from work she saw a huge poster on a bulletin board advertising Woodstock. She scanned the band listing fervently until she saw what she was looking for. Devils Gold! They’d be performing!
She jumped up and down right there in the street. She didn’t care who saw. She was so happy for the band she almost cried.
Just to make sure her eyes weren’t fooling her she read their name again and then ran home. Max might call to tell her the news.
He did. But he said a lot more than she thought he would.
“You’re going to have to get the next two weeks off work because I’ve already put your plane tickets in the mail. You leave on Saturday.”
She didn’t know what to say. A dumbfounded, “Wha…?” came out.
He laughed. “Thought that’d surprise you. Don’t worry; I won’t be working the whole time. I told the guys I don’t want the band to consume my whole fucking life anymore. They’re not very happy with me.”
“Oh?”
He cried excitedly, “You’re going to be here on Saturday night!”
“Max…I can’t afford to take two weeks off work. I can barely make it now…” she scratched her head. “But I want to come so bad…”
“Fuck money. It’s not important. I already have enough keeping you away from me and we can’t have that stopping us too.” He was very talkative tonight. He couldn’t stop. “You promised you’d come for Woodstock. It’s very important to me and I need you here.”
“It’s easy for you to say that. You’re used to tossing responsibility in the air.”
Max breathed in deeply. “What?”
“You don’t have a life like me Max. You don’t have responsibilities and have to worry about things like money and food and paying the damn bills!”
“You don’t know what you’re fucking talking about,” he spat out. “I may be in a band but I still have responsibilities. Sticking it out and performing is just one for you. I could have quit years ago.”
Liz couldn’t help but say, “Max, that’s your only responsibility and I happen to be under a lot of pressure right now.”
“So you’re saying you won’t come then?” he was no longer cheerful and excited.
“I didn’t say that. I just can’t ignore all these things going on here that I have to take care of. I am going to loose the house if I don’t find a way to make some money!”
“Call fucking Rita and tell her she owes it to you to pay the rent until you can find a replacement. Stop acting as if you’re so happy for her and tell her you can’t manage.”
“I can manage.”
“You’re totally contradicting yourself. Are you in trouble or are you not in trouble?”
Liz took deep breaths to calm herself. She was sitting at the kitchen table with her legs drawn up to her chest and her feet were bare. She started playing with her little toe nervously.
“Are you mad with me?” she asked. Her lips were very close to the receiver as if it would make her closer to him. “I don’t want to argue.”
“If you don’t want me to be mad with you then come to Brooklyn. I have to go.”
She closed her eyes tightly. “Oh Max…don’t…” she moaned in agony. “What am I going to do? Oh I need my mom…” she tried not to sob. “You’re right; I’m too young for this. I don’t know what to do.”
“Liz…Christ…”
“I’m sorry. You have enough to think about. Go, I’ll talk to you later.”
“Everything will be fine,” he said softly. “Will you come to Brooklyn?”
“We’ll see. Bye.”
Liz had a long shower and thought about what it would be like to go to Brooklyn again. She considered just dropping everything and being senseless again. She was still young after all…a little fun would probably be good for her. Maybe she could take Kylie with her?
It was crazy living this far away from Max. They really had to sort out some way to fix it. They either had to be together or they had to break up. Maybe going to Brooklyn would finally give her some resolution.
~*~
I'm sorry, I don't think this is very good. I should go over it more but I can't be bothered right now. I just want you guys to have something to read.
Thanks so much for the nominations! I'm crossing my fingers until Thursday when the winners are announced!
Thanks for being so patient!
~nicola
100% Pure New Zealand Beef
TWENY-NINE
Liz went to Brooklyn but she did it the right way. Instead of just dropping everything and running away from her problems she thought long and hard about what her mother would do. In the end she got leave off work and wrote a letter to Rita. She told her she couldn’t possibly afford the house and all the bills on her own. She said that she was going to be away but when she got back she wanted some help until a border could be found.
Kylie decided she definitely wanted to come but Diane told her no. She could run the shop with one less staff but not two. It was a shame because Liz wanted Kylies support while she was away. A small part of her was worried she wouldn’t come back if she didn’t have someone to make her.
She didn’t call and leave a message with Max’s secretary to let him know she was coming. She decided she’d surprise him.
He said he’d be with her the whole visit but she wasn’t getting her hopes up. It seemed unlikely that that would happen. He did have to perform at Woodstock in half a week. Surely that meant practice, planning…?
It didn’t matter. Any time with him was better than none.
It was Friday night when Kylie arrived at her place with a suitcase in her hand. “Diane called an hour ago,” she said, “she felt bad about saying no to me so she asked her sister to come help for a week. I have to be back next Sunday.”
“Oh that’s great!” Liz cried. “But why the hurry to get here? You can’t have packed well in an hour.”
“What? I wanted to get here as quickly as possible! Isn’t the flight at midnight?”
Liz laughed. “Um, no. It’s at twelve tomorrow—as in lunch time.”
“Oh crud!”
“Crud?” Liz shook her head. “Kylie you’re not gonna get away with saying that in Brooklyn. Say fuck for me now. Fu-uh-ck.”
Kylie rolled her eyes. “I can say the F word any time.”
“The F word?” Liz turned and walked away. “Oh Jesus. This is gonna be interesting.”
She was taking a virgin into the lions den.
It turned out Max knew her better than she thought and there was a man waiting for her at the arrival gate in Brooklyn. She felt strange seeing her name written neatly across a piece of cardboard. Kylie was impressed too.
“Mr Evans expresses his apologies for not greeting you personally. I’ve been instructed to take you back to his place and he’ll join you in an hour. He said to make yourself at home.”
“Thanks,” Liz said in surprise. Apparently a lot had changed since she’d left.
The car waiting for her was a big shock also.
“A limo! Whoa!” Kylie patted Liz’s arm frantically. “I had no idea! I am so glad I came[/i].”
“I had no idea either,” Liz muttered.
She knew Max had moved out of the warehouse so it wasn’t a surprise when they stopped in front of an apartment building. It was very impressive looking but didn’t compare to inside. The whole time she walked around she was thinking, holy fuck.
“This is so the home of a rock star,” Kylie said. She chucked her bags down and flung herself onto the couch. “Maybe a bit too tidy but I love it.”
Kylie was oblivious to Liz’s own shock. Max’s large place spoke volumes about the status of the band now. On the wall a framed picture hung of him and the guys standing with the members of The Who.
Liz took a thorough look around while she waited for Max to turn up. The place was modern and had new furniture. The few posters of his music hero’s were framed.
The biggest surprise of all was Max’s room. In the middle of his bed there was a small present wrapped with enticing red wrapping paper. She figured it was for her but she didn’t open it just in case.
On the bedside table sat a picture of her. The infamous one of her sitting naked behind his guitar with a cheeky look of disapproval on her face. She fleetingly thought about how different a person she was now. How had she grown up so much so quickly?
“Liz!” Kylie yelled from the lounge. “Do you think he’d mind if I had a drink?”
“Help yourself!” she called back.
There was a picture of his daughter too. Liz sat down to look closely at it and then put it back exactly where she got it from. She didn’t want to move anything.
There was a second room filled to the brim with musical instruments. At least five guitars were lined up against the wall. There was a piano too and a desk covered with bits of paper. This was the only place in the house that wasn’t clean. She picked up a bit of refill and read it absentmindedly. Lyrics for a song were scribbled messily but he obviously wasn’t happy with it because there were crossed out lines everywhere.
She liked this room the best. It felt more like Max than the rest of the place. She suspected it was his haven and he spent many late nights hunched over at this desk. There was a telephone and she wondered if he’d called her in Vegas from this room before.
When she heard the front door click her heart sped up. She walked briskly down the hall and reached him before he’d even shut the door. Her arms went around his sides and she buried her face in his warm chest.
“You’re here,” he said happily. “I don’t know what I would have done if—”
She cut him off by kissing him desperately. He was clean shaven. She never saw him clean shaven.
He was surprised by her overflowing affection.
“This is because of the limo isn’t it?” he chuckled and wrapped his arms loosely around her waist. Now he could have a good look at her. “You look really nice Liz. Beautiful.”
There was something different about him. A good different. He usually never called her anything, let alone beautiful.
Suddenly a toilet flushed and she came out of her daze.
“What?” he asked. “Who’s that?”
She suddenly regretted bringing Kylie. But it was definitely a good thing that she did. Liz couldn’t bare letting go of Max right now, let alone flying back to Vegas!
“I brought Kylie,” she said. “You don’t mind do you?”
“No,” he shook his head. “As long as she doesn’t take up any of my time with you.” He kissed her again, slowly and left his mouth against hers for a long moment. She sighed happily.
“Oh hello!” Kylie said excitedly. “I just love your place Mr. Evans!”
“Mr. Evans?” Max asked Liz, “Is she for real?”
“Kylie, call him Max,” she chuckled.
The door opened behind them and Kyle stuck his head through the crack. “Is she here? Shit! She is!” he grabbed her and hugged her before she could utter a word. “Liz! How the fuck are you darling?”
“Kyle!” she cried,
“Oh my God!” Kylie was gasping and moving from foot to foot nervously. “Oh my God!”
“Who’s this?”
Liz said, “This is Kylie.”
Max punched Kyle’s arm. “I thought I told you to give me a minute? Everyone else could wait…”
“The guys are downstairs?”
“The guys?” Kylie asked.
There were too many people all at once. Liz just wanted to give Max another hug. She asked Kyle to take Kylie downstairs to meet the rest of the band.
“I’m so relieved you came,” Max said once they’d left. His hands on her hips slid down to her ass and pressed her closer against him. “Thank God you came…” he gave her another soft kiss. “Thank fucking God…”
“Careful,” she smiled. “You’re starting to sound a little desperate.”
“I am desperate.”
It was so nice to feel his body close to hers again. Her breasts brushed his chest.
“Rock stars aren’t supposed to be desperate,” she said.
“Nevertheless, this one is.” They couldn’t stop staring at each other. “Did you see my present for you?”
“Oh so it is for me?”
“What?!” he exclaimed. “Of course it fucking is! Who else would it be for?”
“One of your other girlfriends.”
He stopped smiling. “I actually need to talk to you about that.”
She stopped smiling, too. “Um…okay?”
“Not now, we have to go. Later. You can open my gift later too.”
“Where are we going?”
~*~
They did what they used to do—hang out at the pub around a big table drinking and eating and laughing. It was nice to catch up with the guys and Kylie seemed so happy to be there she could burst. She started to get a bit drunk and Liz had to remind her of Rita’s bathroom that last time.
Isabel was no where to be seen—she’d finally decided to settle down and be the teacher she was trained to be. Apparently Tess married a rich guy and moved to Orange County.
Hours passed in the dark, smoky building.
Around midnight they all split up and Liz and Kylie went back to Max’s. Being a surprisingly good host, Max got Kylie some blankets for the couch and helped set her up.
“Thank you so much for letting me stay,” she said tiredly while rubbing her eyes. “This is the best thing I’ve ever done.”
He smirked. “Okay.”
Liz waited in his room spread out on the bed with the present in front of her. She was on her stomach with her chin resting in the palm of her hands. She’d already changed into her night gown.
Max closed the door behind him and crawled towards her and then collapsed, resting his head on the mattress. “She’s already asleep,” he chuckled, “she’s so funny. How can she be older than you?”
Liz stroked his hair. “What did you buy me?”
“Open it and see.”
Inside was a gold chain with a little diamond music note hanging from it. She tried not to tremble when he clasped it behind her neck.
“What’s this for?” she asked softly. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”
“I wanted to give you something, that’s all.” He smiled when he stared at his gift on her. “You really like it?”
“Yes. Very much.”
She sat up and crossed her legs while he took off his shoes. “Max…what did you want to talk to me about?”
He took off his shirt and chucked it at the laundry basket. “I just wanted to tell you…” he sat back down on the bed and faced her. “That there aren’t any other girlfriends.”
She stared at him.
“I haven’t had sex with anyone other than you since you originally left Brooklyn. I know you might not believe me but it’s the truth.”
It was hard to know what to say.
“But what are we going to do?” she asked.
“I spoke to the record company. They’re willing to pay for flights every two weeks from here to Vegas or from Vegas to here. I know it won’t be easy Liz,” he said, “but it would be better than it is now.”
“How long could that go on for Max?” she scratched her head and sighed. “I want to believe it would be fine. But you’re so busy…”
He dragged himself onto the bed so he was close to her. His hands touched her bare arms. “Not anymore. I told you there would be changes now…after Woodstock we get a few weeks holiday before we go on tour.”
She stared at him desperately.
“Am I not worth it?” he pouted. “Did you not tell me you loved me?”
“You didn’t tell me back Max.”
“I love you,” he said, “Obviously I love you.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. He fell back with her on top of him.
“I’m sorry you have to be a rock stars girl,” he put his hand on her lower back and caressed her through her nightie. “But I can’t leave this band. It’s become more and more obvious I can’t.”
“You promise things will be different?”
“Cross my heart.”
~*~
Liz straddled Max while he lay on his back with his eyes closed. “I’m going to fall asleep,” he said.
Her hands were drawing patterns on his chest. “No, stay awake. Stay awake. Keep talking to me.”
He opened one eye and looked at her. She had put her red nightie back on and her hair was down and messy. She looked beautiful.
“I saw your music room next door,” she said, “I really like it. Do you spend a lot of time in there?”
“A lot,” he mumbled, closing his eye again.
“It’s not as tidy as the rest of the place,” she smiled.
“A cleaning lady comes every couple of days. She is under strict orders not to go in there.”
She traced the line down his stomach to his navel and back up to his throat. She touched his adams apple and then leaned down to kiss it. It moved as he swallowed.
“Cleaning lady huh?” she asked. “One of the many perks of being a star.”
“I’ll get you one too if you like.”
“Could you?”
He laughed, “I don’t know. Maybe.”
She shifted so she was lying directly on top of him with her cheek against his. “Do you like living alone?” she asked.
His lips lightly brushed her ear as he spoke. “I like the quiet,” he said, “and being able to escape. There aren’t as many parties now because we all have our own places. I like that if there is a party I can choose if I want to be there or not.”
Liz remembered the noise at the warehouse. She remembered sitting up and not being able to sleep. She pressed her lips to Max’s temple. “That is different[/i].”
In the morning she wanted her usual breakfast of tea, toast and cigarette so Max got up and went to get some from the kitchen for her. He was really taking care of her and treating her like she was special. He said the limo and the necklace were just the start.
When he came back he laughed that he should have put a shirt on. Kylie couldn’t look at him without blushing when he said good morning.
Liz just smiled. She sat on a couch by the window and smoked her cigarette while staring at the view. Max asked if she was cold because she’d put a jersey on.
“I’m used to the muggy desolate tract that is Vegas,” she said, looking at him, “What do you think?”
He went to use the bathroom and then joined her for a cigarette by the window. “What do you want to do today?” he asked.
She looked at him, surprised. “I get to decide?” she asked.
She stared at him long and hard while he stretched and nodded. Finally he chuckled and said, “what?”
“I know what you’re trying to do,” she replied simply and looked away.
He feigned innocence but she knew. He was trying to get her to stay.
~*~
Wahoo! Wahoo! Wahoo!!!! You are now reading an award winning story! Words cannot express how proud I am! Thank you all so much for voting and nominating and then congratulating me! I can't believe it! And not just one but two! Best Period Piece and Best Au without Aliens! I simply cannot believe it. Thank you all so much again.
I so hope you enjoyed this part!
~nicola
Liz went to Brooklyn but she did it the right way. Instead of just dropping everything and running away from her problems she thought long and hard about what her mother would do. In the end she got leave off work and wrote a letter to Rita. She told her she couldn’t possibly afford the house and all the bills on her own. She said that she was going to be away but when she got back she wanted some help until a border could be found.
Kylie decided she definitely wanted to come but Diane told her no. She could run the shop with one less staff but not two. It was a shame because Liz wanted Kylies support while she was away. A small part of her was worried she wouldn’t come back if she didn’t have someone to make her.
She didn’t call and leave a message with Max’s secretary to let him know she was coming. She decided she’d surprise him.
He said he’d be with her the whole visit but she wasn’t getting her hopes up. It seemed unlikely that that would happen. He did have to perform at Woodstock in half a week. Surely that meant practice, planning…?
It didn’t matter. Any time with him was better than none.
It was Friday night when Kylie arrived at her place with a suitcase in her hand. “Diane called an hour ago,” she said, “she felt bad about saying no to me so she asked her sister to come help for a week. I have to be back next Sunday.”
“Oh that’s great!” Liz cried. “But why the hurry to get here? You can’t have packed well in an hour.”
“What? I wanted to get here as quickly as possible! Isn’t the flight at midnight?”
Liz laughed. “Um, no. It’s at twelve tomorrow—as in lunch time.”
“Oh crud!”
“Crud?” Liz shook her head. “Kylie you’re not gonna get away with saying that in Brooklyn. Say fuck for me now. Fu-uh-ck.”
Kylie rolled her eyes. “I can say the F word any time.”
“The F word?” Liz turned and walked away. “Oh Jesus. This is gonna be interesting.”
She was taking a virgin into the lions den.
It turned out Max knew her better than she thought and there was a man waiting for her at the arrival gate in Brooklyn. She felt strange seeing her name written neatly across a piece of cardboard. Kylie was impressed too.
“Mr Evans expresses his apologies for not greeting you personally. I’ve been instructed to take you back to his place and he’ll join you in an hour. He said to make yourself at home.”
“Thanks,” Liz said in surprise. Apparently a lot had changed since she’d left.
The car waiting for her was a big shock also.
“A limo! Whoa!” Kylie patted Liz’s arm frantically. “I had no idea! I am so glad I came[/i].”
“I had no idea either,” Liz muttered.
She knew Max had moved out of the warehouse so it wasn’t a surprise when they stopped in front of an apartment building. It was very impressive looking but didn’t compare to inside. The whole time she walked around she was thinking, holy fuck.
“This is so the home of a rock star,” Kylie said. She chucked her bags down and flung herself onto the couch. “Maybe a bit too tidy but I love it.”
Kylie was oblivious to Liz’s own shock. Max’s large place spoke volumes about the status of the band now. On the wall a framed picture hung of him and the guys standing with the members of The Who.
Liz took a thorough look around while she waited for Max to turn up. The place was modern and had new furniture. The few posters of his music hero’s were framed.
The biggest surprise of all was Max’s room. In the middle of his bed there was a small present wrapped with enticing red wrapping paper. She figured it was for her but she didn’t open it just in case.
On the bedside table sat a picture of her. The infamous one of her sitting naked behind his guitar with a cheeky look of disapproval on her face. She fleetingly thought about how different a person she was now. How had she grown up so much so quickly?
“Liz!” Kylie yelled from the lounge. “Do you think he’d mind if I had a drink?”
“Help yourself!” she called back.
There was a picture of his daughter too. Liz sat down to look closely at it and then put it back exactly where she got it from. She didn’t want to move anything.
There was a second room filled to the brim with musical instruments. At least five guitars were lined up against the wall. There was a piano too and a desk covered with bits of paper. This was the only place in the house that wasn’t clean. She picked up a bit of refill and read it absentmindedly. Lyrics for a song were scribbled messily but he obviously wasn’t happy with it because there were crossed out lines everywhere.
She liked this room the best. It felt more like Max than the rest of the place. She suspected it was his haven and he spent many late nights hunched over at this desk. There was a telephone and she wondered if he’d called her in Vegas from this room before.
When she heard the front door click her heart sped up. She walked briskly down the hall and reached him before he’d even shut the door. Her arms went around his sides and she buried her face in his warm chest.
“You’re here,” he said happily. “I don’t know what I would have done if—”
She cut him off by kissing him desperately. He was clean shaven. She never saw him clean shaven.
He was surprised by her overflowing affection.
“This is because of the limo isn’t it?” he chuckled and wrapped his arms loosely around her waist. Now he could have a good look at her. “You look really nice Liz. Beautiful.”
There was something different about him. A good different. He usually never called her anything, let alone beautiful.
Suddenly a toilet flushed and she came out of her daze.
“What?” he asked. “Who’s that?”
She suddenly regretted bringing Kylie. But it was definitely a good thing that she did. Liz couldn’t bare letting go of Max right now, let alone flying back to Vegas!
“I brought Kylie,” she said. “You don’t mind do you?”
“No,” he shook his head. “As long as she doesn’t take up any of my time with you.” He kissed her again, slowly and left his mouth against hers for a long moment. She sighed happily.
“Oh hello!” Kylie said excitedly. “I just love your place Mr. Evans!”
“Mr. Evans?” Max asked Liz, “Is she for real?”
“Kylie, call him Max,” she chuckled.
The door opened behind them and Kyle stuck his head through the crack. “Is she here? Shit! She is!” he grabbed her and hugged her before she could utter a word. “Liz! How the fuck are you darling?”
“Kyle!” she cried,
“Oh my God!” Kylie was gasping and moving from foot to foot nervously. “Oh my God!”
“Who’s this?”
Liz said, “This is Kylie.”
Max punched Kyle’s arm. “I thought I told you to give me a minute? Everyone else could wait…”
“The guys are downstairs?”
“The guys?” Kylie asked.
There were too many people all at once. Liz just wanted to give Max another hug. She asked Kyle to take Kylie downstairs to meet the rest of the band.
“I’m so relieved you came,” Max said once they’d left. His hands on her hips slid down to her ass and pressed her closer against him. “Thank God you came…” he gave her another soft kiss. “Thank fucking God…”
“Careful,” she smiled. “You’re starting to sound a little desperate.”
“I am desperate.”
It was so nice to feel his body close to hers again. Her breasts brushed his chest.
“Rock stars aren’t supposed to be desperate,” she said.
“Nevertheless, this one is.” They couldn’t stop staring at each other. “Did you see my present for you?”
“Oh so it is for me?”
“What?!” he exclaimed. “Of course it fucking is! Who else would it be for?”
“One of your other girlfriends.”
He stopped smiling. “I actually need to talk to you about that.”
She stopped smiling, too. “Um…okay?”
“Not now, we have to go. Later. You can open my gift later too.”
“Where are we going?”
~*~
They did what they used to do—hang out at the pub around a big table drinking and eating and laughing. It was nice to catch up with the guys and Kylie seemed so happy to be there she could burst. She started to get a bit drunk and Liz had to remind her of Rita’s bathroom that last time.
Isabel was no where to be seen—she’d finally decided to settle down and be the teacher she was trained to be. Apparently Tess married a rich guy and moved to Orange County.
Hours passed in the dark, smoky building.
Around midnight they all split up and Liz and Kylie went back to Max’s. Being a surprisingly good host, Max got Kylie some blankets for the couch and helped set her up.
“Thank you so much for letting me stay,” she said tiredly while rubbing her eyes. “This is the best thing I’ve ever done.”
He smirked. “Okay.”
Liz waited in his room spread out on the bed with the present in front of her. She was on her stomach with her chin resting in the palm of her hands. She’d already changed into her night gown.
Max closed the door behind him and crawled towards her and then collapsed, resting his head on the mattress. “She’s already asleep,” he chuckled, “she’s so funny. How can she be older than you?”
Liz stroked his hair. “What did you buy me?”
“Open it and see.”
Inside was a gold chain with a little diamond music note hanging from it. She tried not to tremble when he clasped it behind her neck.
“What’s this for?” she asked softly. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”
“I wanted to give you something, that’s all.” He smiled when he stared at his gift on her. “You really like it?”
“Yes. Very much.”
She sat up and crossed her legs while he took off his shoes. “Max…what did you want to talk to me about?”
He took off his shirt and chucked it at the laundry basket. “I just wanted to tell you…” he sat back down on the bed and faced her. “That there aren’t any other girlfriends.”
She stared at him.
“I haven’t had sex with anyone other than you since you originally left Brooklyn. I know you might not believe me but it’s the truth.”
It was hard to know what to say.
“But what are we going to do?” she asked.
“I spoke to the record company. They’re willing to pay for flights every two weeks from here to Vegas or from Vegas to here. I know it won’t be easy Liz,” he said, “but it would be better than it is now.”
“How long could that go on for Max?” she scratched her head and sighed. “I want to believe it would be fine. But you’re so busy…”
He dragged himself onto the bed so he was close to her. His hands touched her bare arms. “Not anymore. I told you there would be changes now…after Woodstock we get a few weeks holiday before we go on tour.”
She stared at him desperately.
“Am I not worth it?” he pouted. “Did you not tell me you loved me?”
“You didn’t tell me back Max.”
“I love you,” he said, “Obviously I love you.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. He fell back with her on top of him.
“I’m sorry you have to be a rock stars girl,” he put his hand on her lower back and caressed her through her nightie. “But I can’t leave this band. It’s become more and more obvious I can’t.”
“You promise things will be different?”
“Cross my heart.”
~*~
Liz straddled Max while he lay on his back with his eyes closed. “I’m going to fall asleep,” he said.
Her hands were drawing patterns on his chest. “No, stay awake. Stay awake. Keep talking to me.”
He opened one eye and looked at her. She had put her red nightie back on and her hair was down and messy. She looked beautiful.
“I saw your music room next door,” she said, “I really like it. Do you spend a lot of time in there?”
“A lot,” he mumbled, closing his eye again.
“It’s not as tidy as the rest of the place,” she smiled.
“A cleaning lady comes every couple of days. She is under strict orders not to go in there.”
She traced the line down his stomach to his navel and back up to his throat. She touched his adams apple and then leaned down to kiss it. It moved as he swallowed.
“Cleaning lady huh?” she asked. “One of the many perks of being a star.”
“I’ll get you one too if you like.”
“Could you?”
He laughed, “I don’t know. Maybe.”
She shifted so she was lying directly on top of him with her cheek against his. “Do you like living alone?” she asked.
His lips lightly brushed her ear as he spoke. “I like the quiet,” he said, “and being able to escape. There aren’t as many parties now because we all have our own places. I like that if there is a party I can choose if I want to be there or not.”
Liz remembered the noise at the warehouse. She remembered sitting up and not being able to sleep. She pressed her lips to Max’s temple. “That is different[/i].”
In the morning she wanted her usual breakfast of tea, toast and cigarette so Max got up and went to get some from the kitchen for her. He was really taking care of her and treating her like she was special. He said the limo and the necklace were just the start.
When he came back he laughed that he should have put a shirt on. Kylie couldn’t look at him without blushing when he said good morning.
Liz just smiled. She sat on a couch by the window and smoked her cigarette while staring at the view. Max asked if she was cold because she’d put a jersey on.
“I’m used to the muggy desolate tract that is Vegas,” she said, looking at him, “What do you think?”
He went to use the bathroom and then joined her for a cigarette by the window. “What do you want to do today?” he asked.
She looked at him, surprised. “I get to decide?” she asked.
She stared at him long and hard while he stretched and nodded. Finally he chuckled and said, “what?”
“I know what you’re trying to do,” she replied simply and looked away.
He feigned innocence but she knew. He was trying to get her to stay.
~*~
Wahoo! Wahoo! Wahoo!!!! You are now reading an award winning story! Words cannot express how proud I am! Thank you all so much for voting and nominating and then congratulating me! I can't believe it! And not just one but two! Best Period Piece and Best Au without Aliens! I simply cannot believe it. Thank you all so much again.
I so hope you enjoyed this part!
~nicola
100% Pure New Zealand Beef