The Talented Miss Parker - AU M/L ADULT [COMPLETE]

[nicola]

Author: Nicola Clarke
Disclaimer: Roswell is not mine nor are any of the characters
Rating: ADULT
Category: M/L

My funny Valentine, sweet comic Valentine,
You make me smile with my heart,
Your looks are laughable, un-photographical,
Yet you're my favourite work of art . . .
Is your figure less than Greek ?
Is your mouth a little weak?
When you open it to speak, are you smiling?
But don't change a hair for me,
Not if you care for me.
Stay little valentine, stay!
Each day is Valentine's Day . . .
Each day is Valentine's Day . . .


Whenever she thought back to the room, she remembered it to be brown. Brown, but tastefully decorated with leather couches and black vases with nothing in them. The secretary was dressed in a tidy suit with a white tie and black jacket; her hair was up in a tight bun. No one else was waiting to be called and that added to Liz’s uneasy attitude to being there. The corporation was more ‘close-mouthed’ then she was used to and to her knowledge, she found that only the most trusted got invited inside.
Diane Evans was the only reason Liz was here.
She had heard about Liz from Mrs. Nancy Parker at lunch one afternoon. Instantly Diane had urged her to convince Liz to go have an interview with Mr. Philip Evans. Liz had readily agreed, up for anything, and turned up two days later dressed professionally and optimistic about her chances
“Liz Parker?” The secretary said, politely pulling Liz out of her daze. “Mr. Evans will see you know. If you’d please follow me.”
They headed down a long hallway with a checkered marble floor, their heals clicking together as they went. Nearing the end of the passage Liz could see a set of doors with the words Master Evans imprinted in gold across the wood.
The secretary knocked on the doors twice with her knuckles and then opened them to reveal a large room with a wonderful view of the city below. An impressive desk sat in the middle of the room and a man, Liz guessed was in his late fifties, was positioned in an expensive chair behind it.
The secretary asked if she would like anything.
“I’m fine,” Liz replied. “Thank you.”
Once she was gone and the doors were closed behind her, Mr. Evans cut to the chase, not even worrying to exchange pleasantries.
“Would you mind removing your jacket?” He asked.
Liz’s eyes widened in shock and she quickly got up from her seat.
“Excuse me?” She asked. “Obviously this isn’t the job I presumed it to be. I think I’ll just be going—“
Mr. Evans was clearly amused. A deep, manly, chuckle escaped his mouth and he shook his head from side to side.
Soon he spoke in a failed attempt to console her, “I swear my intentions are nothing but half decent Miss Parker. I think I should tell you the truth, you deserve as much. I am not looking to employ staff for my company.”
Liz contemplated leaving but her curiosity kept her feet in place.
“Have you ever been to Europe Liz?”
Philip Evans rose from his chair and placed his hands on his desk.
Liz bit the corner of her mouth. “Which part are you referring to?” She asked.
“Italy, actually,” he replied.
“Then the answer to your question would be no. I have not been to Italy Mr. Evan’s.” Liz looked him directly in the eye, never afraid to stand tall in front of larger species.
“Would you like to go?” He asked.
Liz looked down at her chair and wondered whether she should sit down again. She decided against it and turned her attention back to the man in front of her.
“You have my attention,” she said.
Mr. Evans laughed. “I’m sure I do,” he said. “Well?”
“Are you offering?” Liz asked.
More laughs. Then, “I like you Miss Parker. You have spunk; my son will appreciate that as I do. That is, if you except my proposal to go get him for me.”
Liz waited for him to deliver the rest of information before replying.
“He is in Naples, you see. He has been there for quite a while and he is using his main talent to amuse him,” He explained. “Spending his fathers money.”
Liz couldn’t help but chuckle.
Mr. Evans didn’t smile. “Will you, go get him?” He asked.
Liz wondered why he trusted her with such a task, she guessed her mother had talked fondly of her to Mrs. Evans and they now trusted her.
“Forgive me for asking,” she said. “But why don’t you get him yourself and what makes you think he will listen to me?”
“Listen?” Mr. Evans asked. “He has a great love of females, if you get what I mean. I’ve tried myself; I can’t get him home. I’ve sent his sister and he won’t listen to her. You are our last hope. Seduce him, make him fall in love with you, become one of his best friends, I don’t care, just get him home. That is your job.”
Liz thought about her options for a few minutes. She could take it, go enjoy a holiday in beautiful Italy for free, or she could go get a job in the pet store down the road. What did she have to loose?
“I’ll pay you,” Mr. Evans added. “One Thousand dollars for each month you are there.”
Liz didn’t need to think a second longer, as if going to Italy wasn’t enough!
“I’ll do it,” she said.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

I

The airport was packed and everyone was pushing and shoving, caring manly about themselves and no one else.
Liz sat on a plastic chair wearing her black sunglasses and waiting patiently for her plane to start boarding passengers. In her hand, she held an Italian phrase book with a photo as a bookmark. Mrs. Evans had given it to her. It was a portrait, of none other than the male she was heading to Italy for.
He had brown hair and hazel eyes, a distinct jaw line and unmissable ears.
With a slight smile Liz, thought, somewhat relieved, about how lucky she was that Max Evans was good looking at least. From what she’d heard from his parents, he could be a bit of a spoilt brat sometimes but was known to be just as charming and light on the tongue.
Liz’s mother said that she had never met him but from some people at her country club, she had heard quite bad things about him. He was a cheeky boy, apparently. Liz figured that anyone with a light heart and a good sense of humor would be thought of as ‘cheeky’ at the country club.
Well, she had to get used to him no matter what if she was going to be living with him.

Her flight was finally called and she got up from her seat slowly and headed down to the boarding gate. No one was there to say goodbye to her, her parents were too busy and the little amount of friends she had had said goodbye to her earlier.
When she reached her seat on the plane she fell asleep and didn’t wake up until she was in Italy.

It was very hot, extremely hot actually. She stepped out of the air-conditioned airport and was hit with this muggy, deep heat that she hadn’t felt against her skin in years.
So hot, she contemplated dropping her bags and just sprinting down the road to the golden beaches.
Almost as if it were a sign, a cab pulled up right in front of her. She reminded herself, "business before pleasure," and climbed aboard.
The drive wasn't very long, but the cab smelt revoltingly and she couldn't wait to get out of it.

The house was huge and luxurious and Liz was glad she was able to enjoy it without being interrupted by the person living there.
The housekeeper explained that Max was down at the beach. That was just where Liz wanted him to be.
She explained that she would be staying for a while and requested a bedroom be made up for her. The housekeeper was hesitant to follow orders from her at first.
“I’m here on request of Max’s father,” Liz explained. “But Max does not know I was coming. Don’t worry, all will be sorted out when he gets back.”
While she made up the room Liz took advantage of the bathroom. She sorted through her things and pulled out her two swimsuits.
One was a black triangle bikini with thong bottoms and the other was a white tank top with hipster bottoms. She wondered which one to go for. The more revealing or the more innocent? Based of what she’d heard of Maxwell, she chose the black and quickly got changed.
Before leaving the house she checked out the room, she would be staying in. It was larger then half of her apartment back home. The colour scheme was red, light reds and dark reds, mixed with white furniture and a white bedspread. She liked it very much and could definitely find herself getting comfortable in it.

The housekeeper got her a dark blue towel to rap around her waist and mentioned that there was a short cut to the beach through the garden.
“If I’m going to be staying here, I’d love to know your name,” Liz said.
“My name is Margaret.”
“Well Margaret, I’m Liz. Will you show me where to go?” She asked.
Margaret led her out to the garden and motioned to the paved path that flowed down between two large trees.
“Well look at that,” Liz said, smiling. “Thank you Margaret.”
Margaret shrugged. “That’s okay. Will you be here for dinner?”
“I imagine so,” Liz nodded. “See you soon.”
Margaret went back inside and Liz headed down to the beach with a small skip in her step. She couldn’t believe she was actually here and doing this.
The beach was packed, there seemed to be a person occupying every little bit of sand. Liz put on her sunglasses and scanned their faces for one that matched the one in her photo. She didn’t have very much luck so she dropped her towel next a tree and headed out to the water, hopping maybe she’d be able to spot him eventually.
This spot was near his place so it seemed logical that he would be here. She didn’t want him to go back to the house and find her things before she got to meet him.

When the water splashed up against her feet, she let out a moan.
“Oh my good God,” she said.
The water was so warm; she fought the urge to go frolicking in it. For a few minutes she closed her eyes and threw her head back in bliss, this was the life!
In addition, she was being paid!
She opened her eyes and roamed around again.
Aha!
Max Evans was lying back on a white beach chair with his eye closed. Next to him lay a skinny, brunette wearing sunglasses and a…one piece?
Did any one even wear those anymore?
Obviously, they did in Italy.
She was leaning over and whispering something in his ear; a smile seeped across his lips.
Oh, no. Liz thought. She was going to have competition.
In her head, she had thought about that being a possibility but dismissed it because the way Max had been described to her, she had guessed he was a player. She didn’t think he’d actually be involved with someone.
Maybe he had just met her today?
The best way to find out was just to strut up there and ask so that’s what she did. And, on the way Maxie boy noticed her.
He seemed satisfied with what he saw, his eyes were devouring the bare skin she was showing and Liz smiled at him in response.
He didn’t look away; in fact, much to Liz’s pleasure he smiled back.
She stopped walking right in front of him.
“Max Evans?” She asked, pretending it was a surprise.
He looked at her, confused. “Yes?”
His little female friend raked her eyes over Liz’s body in disapproval.
“As in Mr. Philip Evans son?” She asked. It was definitely him.
Maxwell sighed. Almost like he was expecting her to start lecturing him. “That would be me,” he said.
She smiled. “I’m Liz Parker,” she said. She held her hand out for him to shake and he took it.
“Do I know you?” He asked.
His ‘girl’ friend watched the whole exchange.
“Well… no,” Liz explained. “But you are sharing a house with me now, I hope you don’t mind.”
Their eyes widened.
“What?” The girl demanded.
Liz smiled. “Mr. Evans was kind enough to offer me a place to stay on my…get away trip. He didn’t know if you were still occupying it but I said I didn’t mind sharing.”
Max gritted his teeth. “Oh that is so like him. And who are you? One of his bimbos?”
“Why I never,” Liz said, shocked. She calmed down her firing temper and smiled. “No, I’m not. Actually my mother is a friend of your mothers.”
Max’s face softened. “Oh,” he said. “I apologise.”
“That’s okay,” Liz said.
The girl next to him nudged his side and cleared her throat.
“Oh, right,” Max said. “Um this is Filomena, my girlfr… uh a friend of mine.”
The girls eyes widened in disbelief.
Liz smiled to herself and held her hand out for the girl to shake. She did, very hesitantly.
“Are you from New York?” Max asked.
Liz nodded. “I am indeed. It’s a nice change to be in such a beautiful place,” she said.
Max nodded in agreement.
His ‘friend’ cut in. “I hate New York,” she said.
Liz continued to look at Max. “So… I guess I’ll see you back at the house? It was nice to meet you Max, Flimingo.”
“Its Filomena,” the girl corrected her.
“Oh, right, sorry,” Liz said. “See you.”
“Yeah,” Max said. “Bye.”
She smiled, then turned around and headed away. She could feel his eyes all over her back.
“I hate her!” Filomena said. “She can’t stay in that house with you!”
“She was nice,” Max said, watching her as she walked into the water. “And its not like I can just kick her out.”

…………………………………………………………………………………………

II)


When Max walked in through the door to his house, Liz was sitting one of the couches reading her Italian phrase book and mouthing the foreign words to herself.
She looked up and smiled at him. His friend wasn’t with him.
When she got back from the beach she had had a shower and then dressed in a low-cut summer dress. By his appreciation towards her swim suit, she guessed it would be a good move to continue revealing skin.
And it’s not as if it wasn’t hot enough.
Her breath caught in her throat when she saw him, he was standing in his little black swimming shorts and his hair was wet from swimming.
He was so tanned and muscled, she could just—
“How long are you going to be staying for?” He asked.
Liz bit her lip. ‘As long as I want,’ she wanted to say. Instead, she said, “I’m not sure.”
He eyed her suspiciously for a second then picked up the portable telephone off the coffee table in front of her. She watched him silently as he pounded a number into it.
When he spoke into it, he wasn’t exactly polite. Maybe part of what she heard was, in fact, correct?
“Yeah, hi, is Diane there please?”
She bit her lip and pretended not to be listening.
“Yeah, it’s me mom,” he muttered. Inscrutable
His mother’s shrill reply could be heard, even from where Liz was.
“Oh Max! How nice to hear from you! How are you darling?”
Max glanced at Liz and she quickly looked down, hoping she wasn’t caught gawking at his abs.
“Yeah I’m fine mom. Look, do you know a Mrs. Parker?”
“Of course!” Came her reply.
Liz couldn’t hear any more of what Diane Evan’s was saying but she could see Max intently listening to her. He turned around and stared out the glass doors.
What an ass, Liz thought with a devilish grin.
After several moments Max turned back towards her and placed the telephone back down on its cradle. Liz was about to open her mouth to ask him what she said when he pressed speakerphone bottom. Opps, I mean BUTTON.
“Hi Liz!” Diane exclaimed.
“Don’t yell mom,” Max said, rolling his eyes. “She can hear you perfectly fine.”
Liz stifled a laugh. “Hi Diane,” she said.
“Oh Liz, so glad you made it there safely, your mother can rest at ease now. She’s driving me insane. So are you having fun? I hope my son is being hospitable?”
Liz tucked her hair behind her ears. “The flight was long but I fell asleep so it wasn’t too bad. Your son? Well what can I say about him…”
“That I’m a wonderful darling,” offered Max.
“Yeah right,” Diane said laughing at the ridiculousness of it.
Liz smiled. “The house is beautiful, the weather is unbelievably hot and sunny, and everything is wonderful.”
Diane sighed. “I’m so glad. Well I have to go, talk to you later. Don’t put up with any shit my son sends your way.”
Liz was shocked by her choice of words.
“I’ll tell your mother your fine. Have fun!”
Max turned the telephone off and crossed his arms over his chest.
They were having a silence.
How can we be having a silence? Liz wondered. We’ve barely met.
Max must have sensed it because he quickly put an end to their awkwardness.
“Do you like jazz?” He asked.
Liz played the game the best way she could. “I love jazz.”
I HATE jazz.
“Good. Because you can accompany me to a Jazz club tonight. I’ll show you around.”
“Great,” Liz said, smiling. “I’m sure it’s wonderful.”

……………………………………………………………………………………………

“This place is vulgar,” Liz complained. “Why didn’t you bring Flamingo?”
“Its Filomena,” Max corrected her, laughing. “And she has the same opinion of this place as you do.”
Liz sighed. “I think I suddenly like her a whole lot more.”
Max leaned back in his chair and lit a cigarette. “You don’t mind if I smoke?” He asked.
“It’s not my problem if you like to poison your lungs. Smoke away.”
He smoked it slowly as he asked her questions and listened to the music. Liz could tell he had a deep passion for what he was hearing.
Half way through asking where she worked he paused and held his hand up in the air. “I love this part,” he said.
Liz found she was becoming rather intrigued by him. Entranced was too strong a word just yet.
“I don’t have a stable job,” Liz answered his question. “I don’t like routine, I like to change my way of life every three months.”
Max studied her face. “Is that right?” He asked.
“Yes,” Liz answered.
“What’s that like?”
“It…” Liz trailed off. “It keeps me entertained.”
He swallowed back the saliva in his mouth. After several seconds he spoke, “that could be traced back to a mental problem you know.”
“Oh,” Liz said. “And your running away from home could be traced back to a dysfunctional relationship with your father.”
Max stared into her eyes seriously and then suddenly doubled over with laughter.
Liz stifled her own laugh.
“I suppose my mother told you that?” He asked.
Liz shrugged. “You could say that,” she muttered.
“Would you like another drink?” Max asked. “Compliments of my father.”
“I’d love one. Thank you.”

They walked home. Max was quite drunk. Liz found it amusing.
He was singing and smoking as he balanced himself on the curb.
“You know, they say a bond is formed when you get drunk with someone,” Liz commented.
“Your not drunk,” Max pointed out.
“But you are.”
“Hmm,” he said smiling. “I am so. That means I am not accountable for my actions.”
“Nope sorry, what ever you say or do tonight I will hold against you for the rest of my life. You’re supposed to be making a first impression, are you not?”
Max slipped on the curve and tumbled into her. She grabbed his arm to steady him.
“Will you sleep with me?” He asked. “I like you.”
“Charming.”
He started to sing at the top of his lungs. “Your looks are laughable, un-photographical, Yet you're my favourite work of art . . .
“Oh no, please stop,” Liz said. “Is it possible to hate someone you barely know?”
“Does that mean you’ll leave my house?” Max asked.
“No.”
He started to sing again. “But don't change a hair for me, Not if you care for me!”
“It will not work.”
“Stay little valentine, stay!”
“STOP! Would you? Please,” Liz exclaimed.
Max laughed. “I’ve never been known to be an annoying person but there is a first for everything right?”
Liz stared at him dumbfounded. “Definitely,” she agreed.
“So you won’t sleep with me?”
Liz sighed. “No. I didn’t come to your house to hook up. And besides you have a girlfriend remember, Flamingo?”
“That’s not funny anymore. One day I might accidentally call her that and I’ll be in big trouble,” he said.
Liz smiled. “What’s up with her name anyway?” She asked.
“It’s Italian, like her,” Max said.
“Wonderful.”
When they reached the house, they both sat down at a table outside near the beach. They stared up at the stars in the big black sky.
“Why Italy?” Asked Liz.
“I love Europe.”
“So do I, so—“
“Romantic?”
“I guess.”
The next thing Max said didn’t shock Liz very much. “Are you really here on holiday or did my father send you?”
She sighed. “If I tell you now are you going to remember in the morning?”
“Definitely not,” Max said. “I won’t remember anything.”
“I’m not going to sleep with you.”
“Damn.”
“Are you really like this, or is it just you drunk?” Liz asked.
“It’s just me drunk. When I’m sober I’m actually quite a decent fellow,” Max said.
Liz smiled. “I don’t know if I should believe you.”
“Go on.”
“Okay. I was sent by your father.”
“I thought so,” Max said. “I would have bet money on it.”
Liz looked over at him. “That predictable huh?”
“Hmm,” he muttered. “I’m not going home,” he said. Then he got up and went inside to bed.

………………………………………………………………………………………

[nicola]

III

It was when Liz was siting at breakfast the next morning she realised there could be a consequence to her actions. She started wondering if Max would remember what she admitted last night. Alternatively, even worse then that, if he had been pretending to be drunk to begin with.
Why would he do that?
She suddenly felt her stomach flop, had she failed in her job already? She wasn’t ready to go home, she wasn’t ready to give up her holiday.
“Good morning.”
His deep voice pulled her out of her thoughts and she got such a shock the coffee cup in her hand shook and spilt coffee all over the bench.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he said. “Is something wrong?”
Liz built up the courage to look at him; he was studying her face sincerely. She put on a brave face and said in the fullest voice she could conjure up, “You gave me a freight that’s all.”
He nodded. “Sorry.”
When he stepped up very close to her and lifted his arm, Liz thought he was going to kiss her and frowned. He looked into her eyes and with amusement in his voice said, “coffee? Is there any left?” he motioned to the coffee pot behind her.
Liz let out a breath.
How embarrassing!
What was wrong with her?
“Hmm? Yeah, I mean yes there is, here.” She grabbed the pot and shoved it into his hands, then walked over to the table, as far away from him as possible. Once she was seated and getting a grip she looked at him.
He looked very nice. He was wearing a grey button down shirt with the top two buttons undone, revealing the tanned skin of his neck. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, showing his muscular, shapely wrists. The black pants he wore were topped off with his gorgeous bare feet that gently pattered their way around the floor.
In a small voice, she managed to ask, “Do you, um, remember last night at all?”
His face dropped and worry washed over his features. “Oh God,” he said. “We didn’t… I mean we didn’t—“
“No!” Liz cried. “No, we didn’t, it’s just a question.”
“Oh,” Max said. “Thank God. I mean Thank God!”
Huh? Insulting much? Liz thought.
He noticed her frowning and quickly reassured her. “I mean, if it DID happen and I couldn’t remember it, that would suck.”
Liz blushed. “You have nothing to worry about,” she said.
Max cleaned up the coffee she spilt with a cloth and then put his cup down on the table opposite her. When he left the room for a second Liz mentally whacked herself over the head. She couldn’t believe how pathetic she was acting. She figured it must have been the worry over her cover being blown. Why did she even tell him to begin with?
She could be so dense sometimes.
When Max came back, he had a packet of cigarettes and a newspaper in his hand. He took a seat across from her and sipped his coffee while glancing at something on the front page of his newspaper.
She noticed that it was English and wondered where he got it.
“Do you want a smoke?” He asked suddenly, holding the box out to her.
Normally she would say no, but after the morning she was having, she couldn’t refuse. She took one and thanked him.
She put it in her mouth and he leaned over and lit it with a lighter he produced out of his pocket.
“I didn’t think you smoked?” He asked.
“I’m trying to give up,” she replied. “But I’m not having much luck.”
“Oh, I apologise for making it harder,” he said. “When was the last time you had one?”
Liz took in a deep drag, from her cigarette and after she puffed out the smoke, she replied. “Four months.”
Max laughed. “This is your first one in four months?” He asked.
Liz nodded, smiling. “It feels so good,” she said.
Max shook his head and continued laughing.
“I don’t know why I gave up,” she admitted. His laugh was contagious; she had to fight the urge to chuckle with him.
“You gave up because it’s extremely bad for you,” he said. “Which is good, I mean I could never do it.”
Liz bit her lip. “I’m willing to give all my work up for one in a second, which is pretty bad. I think I may as well still be doing it.”
Max stubbed out the cigarette he had been smoking. “At least you can say you did it,” he said.
“I guess.”
Liz watched him sip his coffee, his Adam’s apple moved up and down as he swallowed. She found it hard to believe how shamefully attracted she was to him, who wouldn’t be. She usually had self-control but right now, she wanted to do things she had been aching to do for quite a while.
The last time she had a boyfriend— she couldn’t even remember when.
She was so ready.
Max put down his cup of coffee and picked up his paper again. Liz crossed her legs under the table and sighed, not yet, she told herself. It’s not part of the plan.
Maybe she could add it into the plan?
“So, what do you do here all day?” She asked.
Max glanced at her. “Anything I want,” he replied.
Liz licked her lips. “Oh,” she said. “Well do you have any suggestions on what I could do today?”
He grinned.
What a dirty mind I have, she thought. This is so unlike me.
Max cleared his throat and sipped his coffee again. “I don’t know, you’re a female, different things would entertain you. You could go shopping I guess?”
“I could,” she said. “But I have plenty of time for that. I think I want to do some sight seeing today.”
Sight seeing? Why did everything seem to have a naughty thought attached to it?
She really needed to calm down.
Max caught her eyes and didn’t look away until there was a noise in the doorway and he looked up to see who it was.
Filomena stood leaning against the door-frame watching them with a disgusted expression.
“Hi,” Max said suddenly. “What are you doing here?”
“Hmm,” she said, “I wonder.”
“Hello,” Liz said glaring at her.
She bit her lip. “Hi Liz. How are you enjoying your stay?”
Liz grinned. “Max has been making sure it’s wonderful for me so I have nothing to complain about.”
She snickered.
Max gulped down the rest of his coffee and got up from the table to rinse his cup. Liz remained sitting, and looked away from Filomena and towards him.
He smiled friendly at her then walked over to his friend and placed a kiss on her lips. A kiss that lingered for utterly too long in Liz’s opinion.
When he broke away he walked into the other room and Filomena smiled devilishly at Liz before following him.
She could hear then talking in the other room.
“So?”
“What?” Max asked.
“What did you two do last night?” Filomena demanded.
Max sighed. “Calm down, we didn’t do anything. I took her to the Jazz club and showed her around, you know, harmless fun.”
“Harmless?” Filomena snorted. “With her? I doubt that some how. I’m telling you Max, the girl wants in your pants!”
Max smiled. “She does?” He asked.
Filomena whacked his arm. “She’s a skank!”
“Well that’s not very nice, you don’t even know her.”
Liz was laughing into her coffee cup when Max walked back into the room. He picked a banana up out of the fruit bowel and then turned to her.
“I was thinking about going out on my yacht this afternoon. Are you interested in coming?” He asked.
Liz thought about it long enough for him to take one step towards the door.
“I’d love to come,” she said.

………………………………………………………………………………………

Liz sat on a wooden plank near the side of Max’s yacht. The sun was shining across the water making it glisten like thousands of silver sequins stringed together in a blanket.
It was beautiful. She couldn’t remember the last time she had just sat back and enjoyed all the beauty around her. This job was definitely paying off in many ways. She needed this more then she had realized.
“Oh shh, shh everyone! This is the best part!”
That was Maria Deluca. She was one of Max’s closest friends and he had invited her and her boyfriend, another one of his best friends, along for the yacht ride.
Liz turned her head and watched Maria as she turned up her little radio as loud as it would go. The lyrics blasted across the boat—
Come a little closer, over here
Close enough to look in my eyes, Sharona
Keep a little mystery, kissin' me
Runnin' down the length of my thigh, Sharona
“Okay, you can be noisy again!” Maria cried, turning her radio back down. Liz found her very amusing and instantly liked her. She had never met someone so outgoing in her country-club-life. She suspected that was why Max was friends with her too.
Maria had met her boyfriend, Michael Guerin, in a dance club one night. She made her living as a singer traveling from club to club, and Michael had been entranced by her beautiful voice. Slyly, or so he thought, he followed her to every club she performed in. Until one day Maria whacked him over the head with her purse and demanded that he stopped stalking her and buy her a drink. They had been together ever since.
A splash of water flickered across Liz’s face and she squinted and wiped the drops out of her eyes. When she turned her head to inspect who had been so annoying, she saw Max down in the water grinning up at her.
“What are you doing?” She asked, irritably. He was too cute and she didn’t like it.
He looked proud of himself. “Swimming, what are you doing?”
“Being annoyed with you for disturbing me. Go away fish-boy.”
He laughed. “Okay, grumpy-girl.”
Liz watched him swim away and then turned back to look at Maria who was staring at her. Filomena was sitting next to her wearing sunglasses and reading an Italian woman’s magazine.
Maria got up from her seat and walked over to Liz. She took a seat right next to her and smiled friendly.
“You should loosen up and go for a swim,” she said. “No ones going to bite your head off or anything. I know it must be hard considering you are from New York. It normally takes a while for the stick up New Yorkers asses to dissolve so they can have some fun.”
Liz laughed. “I don’t have a stick up my ass. I’m just slowly adjusting to the freedom of being away from every day life.”
“Yeah,” Maria said. “As I said, it’s the stick up your ass.”
Liz rolled her eyes. When she glanced back at Filomena, she saw that Max was leaning in front of her and they were kissing. She watched as he pulled her to her feet and led her down under the deck, closing the door behind them.
When she looked back at Maria, she caught her staring at her.
“What?” Liz asked.
“Nothing,” Maria said, smiling slightly. “Like I said, go have some fun.”
Liz blinked. “I am having fun.”
“Right,” Maria said. “If this is what you call having fun I’d hate to see what being boring is. We are going dancing tonight by the way.”
“We are?” Liz asked.
“Hmm, you look like you’d be a good dancer,” Maria said.
“Well actually—
“So we are going then,” Maria said in a voice that invited no argument.
A load moan came from underneath them in the cabin below. Maria laughed and Liz felt her stomach churn.
“God those two,” Maria commented.
Another moan.
“Is he killing her down there?” Liz asked.
Another moan, and another.
“Killing her in a way we all want to endure,” Maria replied.
Michael appeared at the side of the yacht. “Maria babe are you going to come for a swim?” He asked.
“No, I’m trying to soak in some rays Mickey, sorry.”
Liz stood up and pulled off her shirt. “I’m coming,” she said. She pulled off her rap around skirt and secured the tie on her bikini before diving in.
“Now that is the way to dress!” Maria exclaimed, laughing. “Thong and all! Way to go Lizzie.”
Liz swam around for a while, then found a large rock near the cliffs that she could sit on. She watched the boat and saw Max emerge from the cabin rubbing his head and stretching. He walked over to Maria and said something causing her to laugh and then motion him to sit down.
He didn’t. He said something else and Maria pointed to Liz and then replied something.
Liz wondered what they were saying.


Max walked over to Maria and said in a proud voice, “now that is why I call this boat, the love’in boat.”
Maria laughed and told him to sit down and keep her company.
He wanted to go for a swim again so he declined her offer. “Where’s Liz?” He asked.
Maria motioned to where Liz was sitting on her newfound rock, combing her fingers through her hair.
“She’s like a little mermaid,” Maria pointed out.
Max watched Liz.
“What’s up with you and her anyway?”
He looked back at Maria. “What? Nothing, she’s just staying in my house.”
“She’s gorgeous Max, and you are a sexually driven male. I hope you know what you’re getting into.”
“Getting into? It’s not like I have a choice,” he said.
Maria smiled. “You could find her somewhere else to stay, you could talk your parent’s into insisting she left— but you don’t. I think you like her.”
“She’s fun,” he said.
“But you know what you’re doing?”
Max nodded. “I know what I’m doing.”
……………………………………………………………………………………

“Change of plans Liz, instead of going dancing we’re going to go to a few clubs with Michael and Max.”
Liz dried her wet hair with her towel. “Not that grotesque Jazz place again?” She asked.
Maria laughed. “He took you there? Everyone hates it the first time. It grows on you, trust me.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
Maria really liked Liz. “We’re not going there, not tonight. So you up for whatever I throw your way?”
Max walked past and without Liz realizing it let his eyes linger on the smooth, tanned, cheeks of her bare ass. Maria raised her eyebrows at him so he quickly moved on.
“I’m up for anything you throw my way,” Liz said.

……………………………………………………………………

IV

While Liz and Maria made their way into the quaint little live music club near the beach, Liz wondered aloud. “Why isn’t Flamingo coming?”
Maria’s eyes widened in surprise. “You mean Filomena, right?”
Liz nodded. “Yeah,” she admitted.
“I didn’t tell her we were going out,” Maria said, sneakily. “I never did like her much.”
The four of them took a seat at a round table just to the left of the stage, Maria next to Michael and Max next to Liz.
Maria spoke, “people, I plan to get completely hammered so one of you has to stay sober so you can drive me home.”
Michael snorted. “Yeah right Maria.”

A couple of hours later and everyone was drunk except Max who had decided to be the one who stayed focused this evening. He watched the other three with amusement—especially Liz.
She was a quiet drunk; she would just sit there smiling and tapping her hands against the table as if she was dying to dance. She seemed focused on anything but what was around her and when he would say something to her she would give him a short answer and not try to keep conversation going at all.
Max could admit that tonight he was becoming very infatuated with staring at her perfect face.
After a while he decided he wanted to see her loosen up a bit more, so he went up onto the stage where the band was sitting having their break. He had met the lead singer quite a few times before and had even bought a drink for him at the bar once.
“Ah Max! Hi man!”
His name was Fredrik and he was a year older then Max, at twenty-five.
“Hey Fredrik, how’s it going?” Max shoved his hands in his pocket.
“It’s going excellent. We are just about to start our next song, care to join in?”
Max shook his head. “No not again—“
“Oh come on, why so mature tonight?”
“I haven’t had enough to drink,” Max admitted, grinning.
Fredrik grabbed the microphone and announced the next song would be sung with an old friends help. The drummer banged on the drums and the guitarist added to the smooth sound by strumming his guitar.
“Come on,” Fredrik said. “You know this one.”
Max rolled his eyes and shook his head.
Fredrik sang—Hey, hey baby. I wanna know if you’ll be my girl— and then Max came in with the next line—
—Hey, hey baby. I wanna know if you’ll be my girl.
When I saw you walking down the street. I said that’s the kinda girl I’d like to meet.
—She’s so pretty, lord she’s so fine. I’m gonna make her mine Oh mine.
Liz, Michael, and Maria were laughing their heads off the whole time.
“Well he has a good voice,” Liz commented.
“He has a beautiful singing voice,” Maria said. “I beg him constantly to sing a song with me at one of my gigs but he never does.”
Liz frowned. “Why not?”
“I dunno,” Maria said. She started swaying side to side and clapping her hands with the song. Liz joined in.
—Hey, hey baby. I wanna know if you’ll be my girl.
After the song ended Max brought Liz up onto the stage and then went back and took his seat. She turned bright red and hissed at him.
“What do you think you are doing?”
Fredrik laughed and spoke into the microphone. “Liz is going to entertain us now, everyone give a big encouraging applaud!”
The crowed clapped and whistled and Liz stood there looking like a lost puppy. Max was SO going to get it for this.
Quickly glancing around, looking for something to help her out she spotted an old piano sitting at the foot of the stage near their table. She walked over to it, lifted the cover and tried to think of a song quickly.
She chose the first one that came into her head.
The crowed went silent with anticipation.
Shyly, Liz tucked her long brown hair behind her ear, shot a glance at a smug Max, and started playing.
The first song that had came to her head had happened to be— my funny valentine.

Max raised his eyebrows at her choice of song and watched her hands and face intently.
She hummed the lyrics along with her playing and the members of the audience who knew the lyrics sang with her.
He couldn’t keep his eyes off her; everything about her at that moment just… entrapped him.
Maria noticed his staring and whispered to Michael to look. When he did, he turned back to Maria with a look of wonder.
Her chocolate hair cascaded across her face and she couldn’t brush it back so that’s where it stayed. Her long thick lashes fluttered when she blinked, and her glistening white teeth nibbled on her bottom lip because of her concentration.
When she finished she stood up and bowed to the clapping audience.
On her way back to the table, she whacked Max up the back of his head.
“OW! Hey,” he complained.
She whacked him again. “I can’t believe you did that! Don’t ever embarrass me like that again Mr. Evans!”
“Oh why so grumpy? You did great didn’t you?” Max rubbed his head where she had hit him. “Maria, Mike, she did great didn’t sh—
Michael and Maria were gone.
Liz sighed and sat back down. Sulkily she sipped her tropical fruit alcohol drink and searched the room for them.
“I wonder where they went,” Max said.
Liz glanced at him. “I’ll give you two guesses.”
“Michael and Maria leave to…” Max cut himself off. Shaking his head he added, “no, not them that’s not like them.”
“But it’s like you right?” Liz commented, remembering the yacht.
Was it just Max or was there anger in her voice?
He didn’t say anything in reply.
After a little while, he stood up and reached into his pocket. “I need a cigarette,” he said.
Liz got up as well. “I need one too,” she said. She was wobbly on her feet and Max had to guide her to the door by putting his hand on her back.
They stood outside in an alley behind the club. There was a dim light stuck to a brick wall, so they stood under it so they weren’t in the complete dark. There they smoked and talked.
Liz was woozy. “I had too much to drink,” she said.
Max smiled. “I can tell,” he said.
Liz smiled back.
“Do you know how long you are going to stay in Italy for?” He asked. “Your job must want you back sometime, right?”
Liz’s eyelids drooped so they were half-open. She leaned back against the wall and blew the smoke from her cigarette out through her nose and then mumbled, “hmm, what?”
Max’s smile grew larger. “Home? When are you going back? Are you in there Liz Parker?”
“I like it when you say my name,” she said. “I’ve never heard someone say my name like you do.”
“Um… okay,” Max said. “You should stick around—“
He leaned against the wall next to her. “I mean if you like it here. You’re welcome in my house as long as you like.”
Liz opened her eyes and stared at him intently.
Further down the alley, the door to the kitchen opened and a woman in a tight white waitress uniform stepped out. The music from inside the club filled the alley, breaking the airy silence. It was one of Liz’s favorite songs but she was too gone to notice.

She said, I don’t know if I’ve ever been good enough, I’m a little bit rusty and I think my head is caving in. And, I don’t know if I’ve ever been really loved, by a hand that’s touched me. And, I feel like something’s going to give, and I’m a little bit angry…
Well this ain’t over, no not here.

Liz watched as the woman lit the cigarette in her mouth and leaned her head back in delight when the sticky bad substance entered her lungs. The woman turned her head a few seconds later and looked down at Max and Liz with a smile. She winked at Liz then turned away.
When Liz looked back at Max, he was staring at her with dark eyes. His breathing left his mouth in short spasms.
Through her drunken haze, all caught up in the moment and unaware of what she was doing; she moved closer to him so her breast was resting on his arm. She chucked her cigarette down on the ground and stubbed it out with the heal of her boot then picked up his hand and did the same with his. He watched her and didn’t say anything.
When she looked back up at him he took his hand back from her grip and reached forward to brush a strand of hair away from her face. She closed her eyes and bit her lip, enjoying the feeling of his fingers on her cheek.
You could cut the tension around them with a knife.

Don’t rush this baby; don’t rush this baby, baby. I wanna push you way round, well I will, well I will. I wanna push you way down; I wanna take you for granted. I wanna, I wanna. I will, I will. I wanna push you way down…

She felt his fingers slip down her cheek and over her chin, then down her neck. When she opened her eyes, he was leaning his head forward—
Good God, he thought. In a second, I’m going to feel her lips.
She lifted her chin, breaking the distance.
Pure warmth.
There was no perfect word to describe the utter passion Max felt. He knew what he was doing, he knew she was drunk and he shouldn’t take advantage of her, but he didn’t seem to want to give a damn…
Feeling, fire, intensity, sentiment, rapture, ecstasy…
With a sweet sweep of his tongue Max opened her mouth and begun his exploration of her depths. At first, it was gentle and innocent, until Liz ran her hand along his back drawing his body up against hers. Max then, raised his hand to cup her cheek, pressing her lips firmly against his.
“Oh God,” he mumbled gripping at the soft skin of her face. His other hand rested on her hip, but not for long, he caressed his way down so he was clenching her firm ass in his hand.
Intoxication, arousal, lust…
Max couldn’t believe his fleshly desire for her, he wanted to tear her clothes off right there.
Liz covered his hand on her cheek with her own and teasingly, she moved it so it was grasping her round, full breast. They broke the kiss long enough to suck in one deep rugged breath and blink once.
Blink twice.
“Oh God,” Liz said, suddenly tearing away from him. “I think I’m going to be sick!”
“Well that’s just what every male likes to hear after—“
Liz keeled over and wrenched all over the pavement. Max held her hair back for her and rubbed her back when she stood upright again.
“Max! Liz!”
Max turned to see Maria and Michael heading down the alley towards them.
“Liz? You okay?” He asked.
Liz nodded her head. “Yeah, I’m a lot better now.”
“We disappear for two minutes and you leave?” Maria asked. Once she saw Liz’s face, she apologized. “You okay Lizzie? Come on let’s go get you freshened up kay?”
The two females left and Max heaved back again the wall and tried to catch his breath.
Michael asked, “what happened?”
Max looked at him seriously for two seconds and then suddenly broke into a laugh. “Nothing,” he said.
“Okay,” Michael said, staring at him puzzled.
Max headed off down the alley laughing loudly. “Nothing at all!” He exclaimed.

………………………………………………………………………………………

When Liz emerged from her room the next morning, she had a splitting headache. She walked down the hall rubbing her eyes and just as she was walking, past Max’s room Filomena walked out wearing a towel.
She glared at Liz then leaned back into the room and called to Max, “I’ll get the tub ready for us honey!”
“Okay!” Came his reply.
Liz felt like she was going to be sick again.
She went into the kitchen and started drinking glasses of water. She remembered last night very clearly. She couldn’t believe she had been so drunk as to give into temptation and practically mall Max on the alley wall.
However, it had gone both ways.
A few minutes later, and about six glasses of water, Max walked into the kitchen searching for something.
When he walked past Liz the hairs on her arms stood on end and a chill crept over her back.
“Morning,” he said politely.
She turned around and replied much the same way. “Morning.”
While he searched, they were silent but then he stopped and turned to her. “About last night…” he started.
“Yeah,” Liz said. “It was a mistake. I was drunk, it shouldn’t have happened.”
Max sighed. “Right.”
Liz thought she heard disappointment in his voice but she guessed she had just misheard.
“Anyway, you don’t have to worry about me telling Filomena or anything, I won’t,” she said.
He smiled. “Now you call her Filomena.”
Liz smiled back. “Ah well, you know… I’ve grown a little respect for the girl.”
Max shook his head at her then headed towards the door. On his way out Liz called out to him:
“Max, you were drunk too right?”
He turned around and lied. “Yeah I was.”
“Well then,” Liz said. “We can blame it on the alcohol.”

……………………………………………………………………………

V

Liz decided she needed to try something else. Ever since what happened between them, Filomena was always there next to Max. She doubted Max had told her about the evening but Filomena decided she needed to flaunt more of what Liz was missing out on.
That was Max.
One afternoon when the sun was setting in the sky, Liz was sitting outside on the porch admiring it and indulging her taste buds with peach flavored yogurt ice cream. The colors of the sky muchly resembled the colors of her choice of food, creamy oranges, whites and patches of tan.
Liz’s head was thrown back in ecstasy, and her bare feet were stretched out in front of, adding to her complete look of relaxation. Occasionally, she would lick her lips, close her eyes, and move her head from side to side in bliss.
“Looks good,” Max commented as he walked out the French doors behind her and headed down the wooden steps to the garden below.
Liz smiled to herself then teasingly, leaned over the rail to watch him below. “What?” She asked. “Me or the ice cream?”
He looked up at her and grinned. Without a seconds thought he said, “both.”
She licked her lips and her eyes twinkled. “Want a taste?” She asked seductively.
Max turned on the hose and started spraying the garden. Over the noise of the hose, he spoke back, “of which one?”
Liz gulped back the growing heat forming in her stomach. When he looked up, waiting for her reply, she tightened her hold on the rail so her knuckles were white.
In a daring voice she answered, “both.”
Max’s eyes widened and she smiled.
Just as he was about to open his mouth to say something Liz heard someone clear their throat behind her. She spun around embarrassedly, not knowing whom to expect.
“Wow,” Maria said. “Did I just interrupt some steamy flirting or what!”
Liz grinned. “Actually you kind of did—how are you Maria?”
“I’m great,” Maria replied. “But obviously not as good as you.” She leaned over the balcony and. “Hi Maxie!” She called.
“Hello Maria.”
Maria looked back and forth between red faced Max and Liz and smiled. “Wow is it just me or is it boiling hot out here?”
Before either of them could reply she added, “oh, silly me—of course I’m not the only one.”
Coughs—averted eyes.
“So!” Maria said suddenly. “You two up for going out tonight?”
Liz bit her lip. “I was rather looking forward to staying home tonight,” she said.
“Oh please!” Maria exclaimed. “I’m singing, I need moral support. You don’t have to come until ten-thirty.”
Liz smiled. “Okay, I’ll come, I want to see you perform anyway.”
“Yay!” Maria cried. She leaned back over the balcony. “What about you Max?”
Max was hesitant. “Maria I don’t know, as much as I love hearing you sing I am not really in the mood to go out.”
“Oh God, you aren’t having Filomena over are you? Well too bad for her, you don’t have a choice. You are going to be Liz’s date. She can’t sit by herself now can she?”
“What about Michael?” Liz asked.
“He’s not coming, he has too much work to do. That’s why I need you two. I have to go now, so I’ll see you tonight! It’s a French bar, called la Beaute’ avoir Lavie. Dress nice, it’s a flashy place.”
Then she was gone back through the door she emerged from not long ago.
Liz chuckled to herself and then sunk back into her chair and finished eating her ice cream. When Max was done watering the garden he came up and with a glint his eyes, bent down and scooped some ice cream onto his tongue.
Liz didn’t take her eyes off his. “Is it so good Max?” She asked.
He swallowed then licked his lips. Staring into her eyes he replied, “it’s so good Liz.”
Then he went back inside, leaving Liz to catch her breath.

……………………………………………………………………

So typical, Liz thought as she glanced over her book at Max watching sport on the television.
“Isn’t there something more productive you could be doing?” She asked.
He managed to unglue his eyes from the screen for two seconds to answer her. “Am I annoying you? Do you need peace to read in?”
Liz shook her head. “No I don’t, just thought that maybe you could cook dinner or something? I don’t know, anything, other then be so—inactive.”
Max laughed. “I take it you don’t like sports television?” He asked.
“I don’t like television in general,” she said. “What’s the point in it? You don’t even use your brain while you sit there, seems useless.”
Max rolled his eyes and then switched off the television. “Argh!” He sighed. Slowly he got up off the couch. “Okay, what do you want?”
At first Liz, thought she had misheard him and all sorts of dirty thoughts entered her mind. Before she could reply, she quickly remembered dinner. Right! Dinner! She thought.
“Do you even know how to cook?” She asked.
He smiled. “Barely, but I’ll give it a go,” he said.
Liz shook her head in disbelief. “Okay something easy. Why don’t you try macaroni cheese?”
“That I can probably do,” Max said. He headed off into the kitchen and on the way he yelled, “wish me luck!”
“I think you’ll probably need it,” she mumbled.
She must have read the page in front of her a hundred times, and not one word had registered in her mind. She couldn’t focus at all and she had a feeling she knew why.
Oh Max, she thought. Why’d you have to be so damn charming?
“Um,” She heard him call. “What does the second knob to the left on the oven do?”
She stifled a laugh. Willingly she got up and went into the kitchen. “You’ve got to be kidding me right? How long have you been living here?”
“Just because I don’t know how to use the stove doesn’t mean anything. Just… help!”
Liz shook her head. “What a mess! How did you manage to cause a bomb to go off? I think all that sports television has rotted your mind,” she said.
“Probably,” Max agreed. “That or the drinking, or the cigarettes or—
“Stop!” Liz said. “I don’t need to know. Why don’t you get the milk out of the refrigerator for me?”
While he did that, Liz squatted down and rummaged through the cupboards for a plastic bowel. Of course, being tight jeans they slid down and her shirt moved up, revealing the smooth skin of her lower back.
Max, of course, noticed this and had to hold himself back from attacking her. He didn’t like the spell she had over him.
Liz caught his staring and bit her lip. Could she want a man more? She didn’t think so.
This was so hard! Damn job, maybe if she’d met him earlier—
“Hi everybody!”
DAMNIT! Liz wanted to yell. “Hi Filomena,” she mumbled, instead.
Max handed Liz the milk then turned to his ‘friend’. “Hey, what are you doing here?” He asked.
“I came to see you babe.” She walked over to him and placed a kiss on his lips. “Let’s go out to dinner or something?”
Liz continued milling around the kitchen, preparing food, and trying to pretend the bird wasn’t there.
“Not tonight,” Max said. “I’m too tired to go out. In fact, I’m just going to go to bed in a few minutes.”
Filomena pouted her lips. “Then I’ll come tuck you in,” she said.
“Not tonight,” Max repeated harsher. Sighing he ran his hand through his hair. “Babe, I’m sorry, I just need to sleep.”
Filomena put her hand on his forehead. “Are you sick?” She asked.
Max pulled her hand away. “Could be, I don’t know. I’ll see you tomorrow okay?”
She sighed, deeply discouraged. “Okay, go to bed now. And rest up, we can’t have you sick now can we?”
She kissed him again and before leaving, she glanced at Liz who smiled proudly and asked Max if he could come over and help her. Filomena shot her an annoyed look and then left sulkily.
Max offered to make a salad. “Maybe that’s something I can do?” He wondered.
Liz leaned against the bench. “I thought you were going to bed?” She asked.
Max looked at her in disbelief. “What, are you kidding?” He asked. “It’s eight-thirty!”
She laughed. “Lying to the girlfriend, that’s not very good Max.”
“I didn’t lie,” Max said. “I just… made her feel better about me not wanting her here.”
“Bullshit.”

Later while they walked out to the car on the way to the bar. Liz asked why Max hadn’t invited Filomena along.
Max smiled down at her. “I don’t know if you noticed but she has been rather… clingy lately.”
I noticed, Liz thought.

……………………………………………………………………………………

[nicola]

VI

Dear, Mr. Philip Evans

Thank you for your patience in awaiting my reply to your previous email. I am happy to inform you of the success of my task, which I am foretelling, but certain of.
Your son and I have formed a friendship and in short time I assure you it will not take much for me to pursued him back home.
There was a short delay to my plan but I know that my obstacle will be out of the way in no time. Have no worries of your choice in me, I will not steer you wrong.
I guarantee you results.

Liz reread her email several times before sending it. Was that enough? Was that what he wanted to hear?
She wasn’t sure that it was adequate for such a professional man such as Mr. Evans.
With a sigh, Liz fell back onto her bed pillows and rubbed her eyes. She was starting to have second thoughts about this job. Maybe she wasn’t the right person for such a personal task; she couldn’t even become a friend of a male without growing feelings for him. The mere thought that she was only here for this job, and that he would be very annoyed when he found out, sickened her.
She really enjoyed what they had between them although she didn’t know quite how to describe it because she didn’t know what it was, but she didn’t particularly want to loose it.
They had fun, in a close sort of way, without the physical touching. That was something Liz had never felt before.
Sure, she wanted the physical part to sweep into their lives but if that couldn’t be which for now it couldn’t, she didn’t want to go without him.
She liked seeing his face—she loved hearing his voice.
Moreover, she loved their harmless teasing.

Max popped his head in through the creek of her door. His eyes swept over the laptop on the bed and her lying back staring at the ceiling.
“What are you doing?” He wondered.
Liz gasped, startled by his appearance and quickly told him off. “Haven’t you ever heard of knocking? What if I had been naked!” She demanded.
Max smiled. “All the more reason to look,” he said.
Liz shook her head I disbelief. “Such a prude. You know I’m starting to believe what the country club members warned about you.”
He walked into the room and flopped back onto the bed. “Oh? And what have the old bats with too much time on their hands say about me now?”
Liz quickly clicked the send button on her laptop before he could read the mail. When she saw that he wasn’t focusing on the computer anyway she sighed in relief.
Now she answered his question, “they said you were a cheeky boy.”
Max laughed and rolled onto his side. He propped himself up on his elbow and said, “is that right? So Liz, am I a cheeky boy in your opinion?”
“You certainly have a way with words,” she said. She started packing up her computer while he watched her.
“Is that a good thing?” He asked.
Liz didn’t reply for a long while. “Well you’ll have to ask Flamingo that, now won’t you?”
Max got up and headed back out the door. “I guess so,” he replied on his way out.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

One month after going to see Maria perform, and still no action. Max figured there must be something wrong with him. He had never been able to last that long with a woman he liked before. This was different.
And it worried him greatly.
He didn't want her in his house because of what she did to him, she was unlike anyone had ever met, but then again, he couldn't bear the thought of her leaving.
Was it just him, or was it her personal goal to look breathtaking every day and drive him insane, from first thing in the morning right through to the evening?
He didn't know how much more he could take of this.

One morning when he was heading out for a run along the beach, Liz sat in the garden wearing little grey shorts and a white tank top. A see-through white tank top.
With no bra
Max had to bite his lip to keep from groaning out.
The outlines of her big, pink, strawberry nipples were tantalizingly visible and tantalizingly in reach. Oh to be able to—
"Where are you going?" She asked.
She was eating fruit salad from a little blue bowel and her long brown hair fell around her shoulders like a silky cloak.
Max drank from his water bottle to clear his suddenly dry throat, and then replied, "the beach. To run, see you." Maybe if he got away quickly...
"Oh! Can I come?"
DAMNIT
Max sucked in a breath and built up all his self control (which was zilch) and will power. He clenched his hands and walked up to her. "I don't know if you'll be able to keep up with me," he said.
Liz's eyes widened. "What a jerk. I can so, give me two seconds, I'll get my sneakers," she said.
She handed him her bowel and spoon then stood up and headed off up the steps to the house.
Max couldn't help it, he had to say something: "If you plan on coming with me," he called. "Please put on a bra."
Liz turned and flashed him a large smile, showing all her teeth, and he didn't know quite what to make of it.
When she came back she had sneakers on and, thankfully, a bra. Her hair was tied up in a pony tale and in a sweet voice she asked, "Are we going to take the short cut to the beach?"
Max sucked in a deep breath, clearing his head from all the little Liz's dancing around inside it. "No," he replied.
"Okay then, I'll race you there," she said, grinning. "Ready?"
Max raised a questioning eyebrow at her. "What are you, eight?”
“Nine and a half,” she replied with the most serious face she could conjure up.
She was just…special.
“Ready?” She repeated.
Max nodded. “I’m ready,” he said.
Liz spread her legs apart and leaned forward. “On your marks,” she said. “GO!”
Then she was off, around the house before he had even managed to suck in a breath. “You missed GET SET!” He yelled running after her.
He easily caught up to her at the end of the driveway. “You’re a cheater,” he said.
“I am not,” she argued.
They ran down the paved road as fast as they could, right next to each other. When they reached the beach, Liz sprinted off a head of him and won the ‘race’.
Max could hardly believe he had a lost.
“Yes I know,” Liz said. “I’m wonderful, you can admit. You know it’s true.”
It’s true. “What does the winner get?” He asked.
Liz’s eyes widened in delight. “The winner gets to ride on the losers back,” she said.
“A piggy back ride?” Max asked. Shit.
She walked behind him. “Bend down,” she instructed. “So I can climb on.”
Max squatted and she climbed on and rapped her arms around his neck.
“Now what?” Max asked.
“Now you run like you normally would,” she said.
“With you on my back?”
“Yes,” she said. “And afterwards you can thank me for helping you get a better work out.”
Max shook his head. “You aren’t very heavy,” he said.
“Well then, it’s like running wearing a back pack.”
“Not quite—“
“Go Horsey go!”
Max began an easy jog with Liz bobbing up and down on his back. He couldn’t believe he was doing this.
Further, down the beach they ran into Michael and Maria walking hand in hand.
“Max?” Maria asked, shocked. “Liz? Why are you on his back?”
“I won our running race,” Liz explained.
“What are you, six?” Michael asked.
Max helped Liz off his back. “Nine and a half,” he answered for her.
Michael and Maria looked at them, puzzled.
Max told them not to worry and wiped his hand across his forehead. “Were you heading to see me?” He asked.
“Well actually, we were,” Maria said.
They all walked together back to Max’s house and on the way Liz bragged about how much faster she was then Max and how much his ego must have shrunk because of his loosing.
“That’s it,” Max said. He grabbed Liz, chucked her over his shoulder and headed toward the water.
Maria and Michael watched, amused. “He so loves it,” Michael commented.
“So does,” Maria agreed.
“NO!” Liz screeched. “No! Stop right there! I don’t feel like getting wet! No MAX! NO!”
Max threw her into the water and strutted back over to Michael and Maria. “Let’s go, shall we?”
Liz caught up to them later and squeezed the water from her hair down Max’s neck. “You are so evil,” she commented.
Max could feel his arousal swell at the sight of her wet clothes clinging to her golden body.
When they reached the house, Filomena was sitting outside waiting for them. The others went inside while he talked to her.
Liz watched them from her bedroom window up stairs. Filomena was crying and Max was soothing her.
She wondered what was wrong.
When he came back inside, alone, he smiled and said in a cheerful voice, “I think I’m going to throw a weekend party.”

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Liz stood in the corner of the room watching Max mingle with all his friends. She had just come down from her room after getting ready and she didn’t know anyone that filled the house. It made her feel a little bit shy. Just a lit bit, not much.
She was waiting for Max to notice her so he could introduce her to some of his guests.
Tonight, she looked particularly stunning. She was wearing a clingy black dress that was v-necked down between her breasts. Her hair was clipped up at the back of her head and she wore a jewel necklace around her neck.
When Max finally noticed her, she hopped he would be breathless.
Michael and Maria weren’t there yet so she didn’t even have them to talk to.
Finally, Max headed over to her and his eyes roamed over her body with approval. “Nice dress,” he commented.
Liz smiled. “Thank you.”
“Let me introduce you to some friends of mine,” he said. Soon she had met, John, Tracy, Samuel, Ray, Hayden, Michael, Rochelle, Alice, Chris, Greg, Michael #2, Dean, Hayley, Kristen…
Basically half of the people occupying the room.
Max kept her at his side the whole time and claimed she was his new best friend.
Liz excused herself for a second and when she came back Max was standing with some female. She was laughing and said in a high pitched voice. “Oh Max, you are so annoying!”
Max noticed Liz and said, so she would hear, “I’ve never been known to be an annoying person but there is a first for everything right?”
Liz’s eyes widened. “What did you just say?” She demanded. Remembering the first night she got there.
Max gave her a look she had never seen before.
“You know!” She exclaimed, shocked.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

VII

Liz stared at Max in shock.
Why had he done it?
Why hadn’t he just kicked her out?
Pure fury flooded her senses. “You liar!” She exclaimed. “I can’t believe you’d have the nerve!”
“Liz calm down, don’t make a scene,” Max said. He lifted his two hands, almost in surrender; almost as if he was afraid she would charge at him.
“It’s a little too late,” Liz spat out.
Everyone in the room had gone silent and steered their attention towards the new friend of Max’s.
Max swallowed. “Excuse us for a minute,” he said. He grabbed Liz’s arm and tugged her outside to the garden for some privacy.
Liz was going at him instantly. “You weren’t drunk were you? Why the hell would you be such a jerk?”
“Don’t you think you are overreacting a little bit?”
“I don’t think you have the right to judge that!” Liz yelled. “Why would you pretend to be drunk? You know that is really low.”
Max crossed his arms over his chest.
Why did he look genuinely amused by her?
“How dumb do you think I am? As soon as I spoke to my mother on the telephone, I knew you were sent by my father. I just needed to be absolutely certain,” Max explained.
“But you were a total sleaze!”
“I was a little tipsy,” Max admitted. “But I knew what was going on, and I wasn’t far gone enough to forget the evening.”
Liz got so annoyed with his smitten look that she shoved his chest with her hands. “Stop looking at me like that!”
“Calm down Liz.” Max grabbed her hands and held them away from his chest. “Why are you stressing out so much?”
“Because I gave your father my word!” She yelled. She sucked in a breath and added quietly, “and now I have to go home a failure.”
She turned on her heels and stormed away from him. She didn’t plan to come out of her room for the rest of the party so she climbed under her covers and watched movies on her laptop.
Max tried talking to her from outside her locked bedroom door but she wouldn’t reply.
“Come on Liz, come down stairs. You don’t have to go home, you can stay here as long as you like.”
Then when that didn’t work:
“I want to dance with you; there are more people I want you to meet.”
And then when he was getting annoyed:
“I shouldn’t have to bust down the door in my own house!”
Liz yelled back, “Then don’t! GO AWAY!”
She heard him walk away but several minutes later she heard a knock on the door again. “Didn’t I just tell you to go away?” She asked.
“It’s me, Maria.”
Liz got up from her bed and walked over to the door to let Maria in.
“Oh you look great Liz, that dress is so hot on you.”
Liz smiled. “Thank you.”
“It’s a shame no one gets to see it,” Maria said.
Liz closed the door and walked back over to the bed. “I’m not that worried,” she said.
Maria sat down on the bed. “What are you watching?” She asked.
“Just this movie with Jude Law and Matt Damon, not sure what it’s called,” Liz answered.
“Yum, maybe you are having better time in here then I thought.”
“No, actually I can’t concentrate on the movie much when all I can hear is the pulsing music coming from down stairs.”
“Are you sure it’s the music?” Maria asked.
Liz frowned. “What else would it be?”
Maria looked at Liz with confusion. “Max told me about you and what you were here for, before he introduced us but I don’t think he realized he’d actually fall for you.”
“What?”
“Oh come on, you two have been pretending for long enough. Go out there, dance with the desperate boy and then fuck his brains out like you are both dying for.”
“He has a girlfriend, he can fuck her all he wants,” Liz said.
“Oh come on, you aren’t that dumb are you? He has been broken up with her for three weeks.”
“No, that’s not true. She comes over all the time,” Liz said.
Maria snorted. “Yeah she keeps begging for him to take her back. After you were here for a week and half Max dumped her and convinced himself it was because she was clingy when really he wants you!”
Liz shook her head. “Oh yeah, well why hasn’t he made a move already? I’ve been here over a month.”
Maria replied, “Because he’s been waiting until you break down and tell him the truth about why you’re here.”
“Why would he do that?”
“I don’t know, he’s weird. Maybe he wanted you to fall for him like he’s fallen for you,” Maria said. “So come on, let’s get out there and have fun!”
Liz thought about it a second. “Okay then,” she finally said. She looked at the movie, “bye Jude,” she muttered.
Maria waited while she freshened up and then together they went back downstairs arm in arm.
“Where is he?” Liz asked.
“Over there, go get him,” Maria said, grinning. She walked away, leaving Liz to by herself.
Before Max noticed her she walked up behind him and bit his ear lobe playfully. In a quite, seductive voice she whispered, “I want you addicted to my perfume.”

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Liz stared out at the sun sinking slowly from its high position in the sky. There was still quite a bit of daylight left so she decided she’d disappear from the party for a little while. She had walked down to the beach and spotted the dock with Max’s yacht tied up to it so she went and climbed aboard. Now she sat on a beach chair at the head of the boat with her feet spread out in front of her and the last sunshine on her face.
Besides what Maria had said, she had a feeling that her time here was coming to an end and she wanted to bathe in all she could before she left.
She grabbed all her hair in between her palms and fingers and twisted it up so it was off her neck and shoulders. She held it there; enjoying the feeling of the breeze on her newly exposed flesh.
Because Max knew why she was here, there was no point in her staying anymore; she couldn’t complete her job. Of course, she was still curious as to why he had lied to begin with. Why had he kept her around, why had he pretended?
Maria’s words rung in her head and she wondered in maybe they were true. Did he feel for her, as she was sure she felt for him?
“Hey.”
Liz jumped in shock. “Oh my goodness you have to stop sneaking up on me,” she said.
Max picked up the folded up beach chair near her and set it up so he could sit down. “What are you doing out here?” He asked.
“I wanted some fresh air,” she answered. “And it would be a shame to miss the sun going down beneath the water.”
“You’re very inspirational; maybe you should be a writer.”
Liz smiled. “Next career choice maybe?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you drunk?” She asked. Just making sure—
He smiled. “I haven’t had a single alcoholic beverage,” he replied.
They were silent for several moments; Liz sensed he had something to say to her.
“Talk to me,” she said.
Max sucked in a breath. “I can’t talk to you,” he admitted.
“Why not?” Liz asked, turning so she was facing him. “Come on. Pretend I’m Michael, you have my full attention.”
Max looked down at his hands as if he was expecting to see the meaning of life written on them. When he looked at her, his eyes were softer then she’d ever seen them.
“I’m sorry about lying to you,” he said.
“I’m still a little confused as to why you did,” Liz replied. “And I’m a little depressed I have to go home. I guess I knew it would be inevitable sooner or later.”
“You don’t have to go home,” Max said. “In fact, I insist you stay.”
“But you won’t go back to New York?”
“But I won’t go back to New York,” Max said. “Sorry.”
Liz sighed. “Can’t say I didn’t try.”
“No you can’t,” he agreed. He opened his mouth to say something then closed it again. Liz watched him with amusement, what is he trying to tell me, she wondered?
“Why are males easier to talk to then females?” He suddenly asked.
“Do you have trouble talking to me Max?” Liz asked. “I’m Michael.”
In a bad imitation of Michael she said, “hey Max, you look kind of stressed, what’s wrong?”
Max laughed. “Are you serious?”
“Definitely,” Liz said.
“Okay,” Max replied. “Well Michael, there’s this girl.”
“Ahhh,” Liz said. “Filomena?”
“No,” Max said. “This girls different, she’s special.”
Liz smiled. “Do I know her?”
“You know her well enough,” Max answered. “She’s nothing like anyone I’ve ever met. When I’m with her… I can’t explain it. She seems to be beautiful, no stunning every second of the day.”
“Sounds like you’re in love,” Liz said quietly, almost in a whisper.
“I am,” he said. “And that’s the problem, because it’s completely uncalled for. And anyway, this girl, she seems to light the room and to hear her laugh—it’s like music to my ears.”
Liz felt tears sting her eyes. “This doesn’t sound very much like the ‘player’ Max, I know,” she said.
“I’m not a ‘player’,” Max said. “But yes, I know it doesn’t sound like me at all. That’s because I’ve never felt like this before, I feel like I’m becoming a better person just because I’m with her.”
“Like your growing?” Liz asked.
“In a way,” Max answered honestly. “It’s like I’m appreciating everything a lot more. Like I’m a new person.”
Liz nodded.
“The problem is,” Max said. “I don’t think I have a chance with her. And even if I did, I don’t know if I’m worthy of her.”
“Have you tried asking?”
“To be honest, I’m a little afraid of being with her. Of being in love.”
Liz sucked in a breath. “Aren’t you even curious to know if she feels the same way? That she’s never felt it before?”
“Someone as beautiful as her must have felt it before.”
Liz got up from her seat and stood in front of him. He looked up at her with a shy expression, like she was seeing him naked and defenseless, as if she was seeing more then he had let anyone see before.
Without a second thought, she climbed onto him so she was straddling his hips. She tilted her head down like she was going to kiss him but instead she spoke, her eyes never leaving his. “If you tell me your talking about me, I will fuck you like I’ve never—
Max silenced her by laughing. “No sorry, Michael, it’s not you.”
“No,” Liz said. “Liz.”
“Oh,” Max said. “Liz? Yes that’s her.”
Liz’s eyes roamed over his lips and then down his neck. When she was able to catch his eyes again, she whispered, “and you love her?”
Max rested his forehead against hers. “I’d be surprised to learn it was something else,” he said.
Liz closed her eyes and brought her mouth down on his—

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

[nicola]

VIII

—Max could still remember the feel of her lips on his that night she was drunk—how could he forget? —That had been wonderful but that was nothing like this. In comparison that had been a friendly peck compared to what she was throwing at him right now. He couldn’t believe it, for the first time in his sexual life; Max Evans didn’t know what to do with himself.
Liz moved her hips up and down against his lower body and the feel of his arousal rubbing her thighs made her not just wet, but saturated.
“Oh God, Liz,” Max mumbled. One of his arms rapped around her waist holding her against him and the other cupped her cheek tenderly. He needed to catch up, because to her, there was nothing tender about this moment.
She didn’t waist any time whatsoever, her petite hands begun undoing the tiny black buttons on his dark grey shirt. As more skin was revealed the more skin her lips had to travel over.
As passionate as the moment was, there was something about it that made it more about the emotional state Max and Liz were in.
Max, deeply aching, longing, for Liz like he had been for several weeks, was questioning whether he wanted their first time to be like this. That was highly unlike him—as in any other situation with any other person he would have been sweet on the marble floor of Buckingham Palace while the queen cheered him on.
Why he wanted more for Liz, he knew exactly. She was his first real love.
He decided there was only one way to make himself certain of what was about to take place. And that was to ask himself a question he would most certainly find himself asking again at some other point in time.
Was Liz okay with it?
She seemed to be.
So, so was he.
Liz was more then okay with it. Why, how, who, where, when, this seemed to be perfect. She wasn't unsure of her feelings for him.
“Max?” She suddenly mumbled. “Is something wrong?”
Is something wrong? Was she insane? Everything was wonderful!
“No,” Max said.
Liz pushed his shirt off his shoulders and chucked it behind her. “You just seem kind of distant?”
Max pulled her mouth back down on his and seductively his left hand pushed down the strap on her shoulder. In between breaths he whispered, “do I still feel distant?”
She shook her head, no.

His hands ran up her thighs, enjoying the smoothness of her skin against his fingertips. When the material of her dress pooled over her hipbones he sighed and moved it up quickly, annoyed it was blocking more of the real, pure, natural silk.
Her taut, brown stomach came into view and then, up, up, up, and the white of her breasts exposed themselves like vanilla ice cream scoops. She lifted her arms allowing him full removal and when it was gone she took his hand and rested it on her cheek. He looked into her eyes for several minutes and in a voice full of emotion he asked, "Do you feel the same way?"
Liz bit her lip. In a trembling voice she whispered, "Max, I feel." She kissed his fingertips, "what you want me to feel."
She ran his hand over her neck and then down her chest to cup her bare breast. Max watched her eyes flutter closed and for just a moment, he thanked God for this moment.
He leaned forward and pressed his lips in-between her breasts then slowly he moved his mouth to the left, up her mould and over her nipple. He heard her sharp intake of breath urging him on, and teasingly he opened his mouth over her nipple, sucking in gently—then harder.
His hands rested on her sides and moved lower over her hipbones, stopping at the black lace of her underwear. His fingers played with the material and then after several seconds, he finally let one hand slip down into her black curls.
Liz moaned and dropped her head back, ready for him, so ready. Max could feel how wet she was under his fingertips. He easily slipped his index finger in-between her lips and bathed in the warmth. His mouth continued to suckle her breast and not stopping his torture, he dipped his finger into her centre, she lurched, he groaned, they needed more.
His finger moved around and up and down, and then he slid it out and ran it over her nub, rubbing it gently to see how great her response would be.
The response he got was exactly what he had expected. Liz pressed her chest into his and buried her face in his neck, groaning loudly in a way that begged him not stop.
He stopped. He didn’t want it to be over for her before it even began, so he slipped his hand out and started tugging her underwear down. She hissed at him for getting her so close and then not finishing, but she got up onto her feet so he could finish removing her last item of clothing.
When she was standing naked before him, Max couldn’t help but moan deep in his throat, he didn’t know he’d managed to wait this long to do this to her.
She leaned forward and unbuttoned his pants quickly. Max was surprised by her speedy approach to the moment; it made his ego grow to know she had obviously been wanting this as much as him. He lifted his bottom so she could pull them from his hips slide them down his thighs.
Liz let her eyes roam over his newly exposed lower body, taking in the sight of him in his naked glory. He looked like one of those men from the Greek God Vase. She was definitely impressed; she climbed back on top of him and kissed his lips long and hard.
His arousal pressed into her bare bottom and she took a deep breath, trying to control her emotions, she wanted to enjoy this moment for a little while before he plunged into her. She leaned into his mouth and rubbed her bare chest against his, the feel of her erect nipples running over his smooth skin was breathtaking.
Her arms went around his neck and she pressed her inner thighs harder into his hips, rubbing them sexily up and down.
She could feel one of his hands rubbing her lower back and the other rested on her leg, caressing and enjoying its feel. When she was ready she reached down and took hold of him. She took a few moments to feel the silky hardness of his shaft between her fingers before she lifted her lower body and lowered it over him.
He entered her slowly, getting comfortable with the feel of her warm, wet walls around him. He could feel Liz’s hands clutching his hair and skin at the back of his head so he checked her face to make sure she was enjoying it. Her eyes were closed and her lips were slightly parted, bliss was plastered all over her features.
She was completely in charge of the situation, and that made Max enjoy it more. The idea of her controlling him was strangely arousing.
She lifted her lower body up, sliding him out of her and then she pressed back down again roughly. They both groaned, and almost instantaneously leaned forward for a passionate kiss.
While they kissed, Liz thrust down on him again and the large chair creaked because of her movement. She let out a puff of air and breathed his name into his mouth. In reply he moaned and slid his hands down to grasp each one of her ass cheeks. He helped her move up and down, up and down.
“Oh God.” Liz panted; she thrust down on him again and felt her walls start to tighten. She was nearly there…
“Don’t stop,” Max said, clutching her body again his.
Liz came down on him again and he erupted, filling her with his hot liquid. She swam after him, floating on a cloud for several seconds before plunging back down to the ground.
They panted together, burying their faces in one another’s neck smelling their mixed aromas.
When their hearts started to calm down and their breath started coming back they looked down at themselves with surprise. They couldn’t believe where they had just done that.
Liz blinked. Max bit his lip to keep from smiling.
“I need a cigarette,” they both said.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Liz sighed and rubbed her eyes as soon as she woke up. On her lips rested a content smile of satisfaction which was definitely a reaction caused by last nights episode.
The soft of her pillow had changed texture today; her sheets made from cotton could no longer be felt under her chest.
Instead, below was a hard, warm, bare skinned chest of the man she loved.
There she said it.
The man she loved.
Again—
The man she loved.
When she used to date back in New York it had been the mornings after that made her feel the most satisfied. For several minutes when she broke from sleep and could feel the comfort of the man holding onto her, she would feel loved and pretend she was as lucky as a person could get.
She hadn’t been of course.
None of them had loved her but this man did. And this morning she knew the feeling would not fade.
Last evening, she and Max had gone under deck and gathered a large rug to spread across the front of the yacht. Then, they had lay down and watched the sun go down. For the rest of the evening, they had spent many hours making love and experimenting with the different feelings of being together in the closest way possible.
She had wanted to ask him a question that had been bugging her since she had been given this job but she hadn’t gotten around to it. What had happened to cause him to run away from New York to begin with?
Maybe now that they were closer, he would answer her truthfully.
She lifted her head and blinked back the emotions she felt when she saw his resting face. His lips were slightly parted and with every puff of air that departed his body, his chest rose and fell. His long eyelashes curled out, thick and dark, and his forehead held no creases from frustration or stress.
When the sky had got dark, they had stared at the stars for a long time.
Liz had shivered against him when the cool breeze brushed against her naked body. She curled into him more and buried her face in his neck. His body was so warm.
“Are you cold?” He had asked.
“A little bit,” she replied.
He got up and helped her to her feet. “Let’s go down under deck,” he said.
Liz had gone with him and they had fallen asleep intertwined together under the sheets of the single bed down below.
It had been a wonderful night and Liz knew she would remember it for a long time.
Gently, careful not to wake him, she pulled her hand from his grip at their side and brushed her long brown hair behind her ears. For several moments she just watched his face and then rested her cheek back down on his breast, just above his nipple.
She slid her hand back into his and smiled when she felt him instantly grip it tightly.
Suddenly, jerking her out of her thoughts the yacht lurched and what hadn’t been so apparent a few minutes ago, suddenly became very obvious. The boat was moving.
She sat up again and shook Max gently but urgently, pulling him out of his slumber.
He rubbed his eyes and looked up at her with a dreamy expression. “What’s wrong?” He asked.
“The yacht,” she said. “Max it’s, moving.”
He frowned. “It can’t be why would it?”
“Well I don’t know!” Liz hissed. “Go have a look Max, I know it is.”
Max sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Just stay here, I’ll be right back,” he said. He didn’t even bother putting his pants on, he just climbed the little wooden steps up to the deck. The little door was closed and he opened it slightly and poked his head through to peer out.
He didn’t expect to a see a male standing with his back to them, humming to himself, while steering the moving yacht. He was quite shocked, obviously, and quickly closed the door.
“What’s wrong?” Liz asked. She was standing; half dressed, waiting for him.
Max swallowed. “Nothing, just… stay here.”
He grabbed his pants and shoved them on, then went over to his cabinet and pulled something out.
“What is that?” Liz asked, trying to get around him. “Max,” she said.
“Liz,” he replied, shoving the object into his pants. “I’m serious, stay here okay?” He leaned forward and kissed her lips. “Trust me.”
Liz looked into his eyes. “What’s going on?” She asked.
“Hopefully, nothing.”
He sat her down on the bed and kissed her forehead. “Stay,” he repeated. Then he climbed the steps again and headed out onto the deck.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………


IX

Liz, of course, did not listen to Max’s demands and quickly put on her dress that she had worn last evening. She pulled her hair up into her clip so it wouldn’t bother her and then she went up the stairs after him.

Max walked up behind the intruder with his hand clenching his emergency gun in his trousers. He didn’t want to use it if it wasn’t completely necessary. Maybe just flash it to scare the guy.
He was medium size, not tall but was alarming because of his bulky physique. He appeared to be strong and his hair was shaved short in a tidy, presentable fashion.
Little did Max know, the man already knew he was creeping up on him, he had seen his reflection in the metal frame on the wood above him. In his hand he too clenched a gun, and was more then willing to use it if he had too.
Before Max could even register what was happening, the man spun around and held his gun directly up in front of Max’s face. He spoke, “I wouldn’t move if I were you.”
Max gulped; he was totally caught of guard. “What are you doing on my yacht?” He asked. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Liz creeping out from down under deck and taking cover behind the sail. He cursed under his breath.
Max noticed that the hand holding the gun was trembling slightly, he was obviously nervous.
“Take your hand away from the gun in your pants and raise it so I can see it properly,” he instructed.
Max did as he was told. He tried to come up with a plan of action but before he could Liz came up behind the man and whacked him over the head with a wooden plank. The man swore as his legs crumbled and he hit the floor with a thud.
Liz beamed, proud of herself, and leaned down to look at the man to see if he was conscious. He didn’t appear to be.
“Oh, my God Liz,” Max said.
“You like that?” She asked.
Max shook his head but couldn’t help but laugh.
“You know you could have been killed,” she boasted.
“I know, I know, but let’s not tell anyone that a girl saved the day,” he said.
Liz stepped over the man so she was standing next to Max with her hands on his hips. “Did you recognize him at all?” She asked.
Max shook his head. “Nah, I think he was just trying to steal my baby and got caught in action.”
Liz looked up at him. “Did you just call your yacht, your baby?” She asked, amused by his silliness.
Max chuckled. “This yacht is my pride and joy,” he said.
“I thought I was your pride and joy?” She asked sarcastically.
“Who said that?” Max asked.
“It comes in the ‘I love you’ package,” Liz answered. She squatted down and opened the mans jean jacket.
“What are you doing?” Max asked.
Liz shoved her hands his pockets and fingered around for something. “Looking for his wallet, of course.”
“You’re going to steal from a crook?”
“No smart ass,” Liz said, standing up right again. “I’m looking for some form of identification so we can radio the police.”
Max looked at her in disbelief. “Who are you?” He asked.
“I’m Liz,” she answered, not looking at him. “The woman you love, remember?”
“I remember.”
Liz sorted through his wallet. “What are we going to do with him for now?” She asked.
“We could tie him up,” Max suggested. “I’ll go get some rope.”
She looked down at the wallet in her hands and noticed the business cards tucked into the flap behind his credit cards. Liz pulled them out and read the name. Roy Burden assistant MANAGER REDREX CORP.
Redrex, Liz wondered. Where had she heard that before? It seemed familiar to her but she had no idea where it came from. She bet if she asked her mother she would know.
A movement in front of her jerked her out of her thoughts and before she knew it, Roy Burden had his hands on her ankles and heaved her legs forward so she went flying onto her back. She groaned in pain and tried to yell out to Max but the man pinned her under him. He gagged her with a scrap piece of material that had obviously been used for cleaning the yacht because it was drenched with cleaning fluids. They made Liz feel light headed and she barely registered the fact he was heaving her to her feet.
He rapped one arm around her waist and when she tried to get away he prodded his gun into her neck and said, “If you don’t want your brains splattered over the sail you’ll do whatever the fuck I want.”
When Max came back he froze and assessed the situation before him. What the hell was he supposed to do now?
“Don’t move if you want her to live,” Roy yelled.
“What if I don’t?” Max asked sarcastically.
Liz yelled something at him but he couldn’t tell what it was because of her gag. She even tried to kick him but he was too far away.
“What was that?” Max asked.
Roy pulled away her gag and Liz yelled at Max. “You fucking ASS HOLE! You’re not just going to let me die. I saved your ass, damn it.”
“Liz I was kidding.”
“Um, hello?” Roy spoke. “Shut the hell up.”
Liz snorted, “Jeez someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morn—
“LIZ!” Max yelled. “SHUT UP would you?”
“Okay, jeez, take a fucking chill pi—
Roy jabbed her harder with his gun. “What the hell is wrong with you? I’m gonna gag you again if you don’t fucking get a grip.”
Liz looked at him dumbfounded. “What you just expect me to stand here and let your stinky ass hold me hostage without saying anything. You are sadly mistaken Mr. You are gonna get a whole lot more shit outta me—
“That’s I’m gagging you again!” Roy exclaimed.
“No!” Liz yelled. “Okay, I’ll be good, I’ll be good.”
Max reached into his pocket and clenched the gun in his pants. “Look, what could you possibly get out of this—
“Roy,” Liz told him.
“Roy,” Max said. “So why don’t you let me steer us back to land and you can get off and we’ll get off and we’ll never have to see each other again. We won’t press charges.”
“Like hell,” Roy said. “You are going to get back down under deck with your little friend and you’re gonna stay down their till I come up with what to do with your sorry asses, now go.”
Roy stumbled on the side of the boat and Liz took that moment to tear away from him and make a run for cover. He spun around after her with his gun in the air.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Max said. When Roy glanced back, he saw the gun in Max’s hands directed at him.
Liz looked back and forth between the two men.
Max spoke, “no Roy, we aren’t going to get down there under deck, you are and you’re gonna leave you gun right there on the floor next to you.”
When Roy didn’t move Max got angry. “NOW!” He yelled.
Liz even jumped.
Roy squatted down and put the gun on the ground.
Max walked up behind him and pressed the gun into his neck. “I want you to apologize to Liz now, for causing her unneeded stress.”
“Oh Max that’s so sweet,” Liz said.
“Roy!” Max said. “I’m not kidding, do it now.”
Roy swallowed. “I’m sorry Liz,” he said.
“Good. Now stand up.”
Max stepped backwards and cocked his gun, ready to use it whenever he needed to.
Roy didn’t move from his spot, and his hand still rested on his gun. Quicker then the blink of an eye, he lifted his leg and kicked backward into Max’s knee so he buckled and hit the floor. Roy raised his gun and shot at Liz but hit the metal rode next to her head; she cried out in shock.
He shot again but missed and Max, not knowing what else to do, pulled the trigger on his gun and shot Roy in the back of the head, he slumped forward and hit the floor with a thud. His blood spewed out all over the white ground.
Liz screamed and held her hands over her mouth.
Max let the gun in his hands drop to the floor and he closed his eyes. Almost wishing that had all been a nightmare and now he was going to wake up after his wonderful night last night and make love to the woman he loved again.
Liz sat down on the floor where she was and drew her legs up to her chest. She put her head down on her knees and rapped her arms around herself, rocking back and forth.
“Liz,” Max said. “Liz, Liz…” He got up and went over to her to make sure she was okay. He rapped his arms around her and tried to reassure her everything was going to be okay.
“At least he won’t bother us again,” Max said.
“This isn’t fucking funny okay!” Liz yelled. “What the fuck are we going to do now? I’m too young to go to jail, I can’t miss my twenties because fucking Roy Burden assistant manager from REDREX wanted to steal a yacht and didn’t get lucky!”
“We aren’t going to go to jail,” Max said. “I shot him in self defense.”
Liz got up and tried not to look at Roy lying on the ground with his brains spewing out all over the place. She started to pace back and forth. “What are we going to do with his body?” She asked.
“I don’t know, take it to the police?”
“They aren’t going to believe us Max. We are the only two here who witnessed it, that means they’ll have our word and that’s it. We’ll be locked up for sure.” Liz nibbled on her thumb nervously. “We should dump it,” she suddenly said.
“What?” Max asked. “Liz that’s crazy, what do you think they won’t find it? They always find these things out.”
“What other choice do we have? At least this way our future isn’t definitely determined like I know it will be if we take him in.”
“This is crazy,” Max said.
Liz was silent for several minutes. “We’ll have to tie something heavy to him so he goes straight to the bottom and doesn’t float to shore.”
Max got up and went down under deck to get something, when he came back he was carrying a large black thing.
“What is that?” Liz asked.
“It’s something heavy,” Max answered. “Help me tie it to him.”
Liz sucked in a deep breath and grabbed the rope up off the ground. They attached it to his stomach and then they lifted him and walked over to the side of the yacht. They were far enough away from land not to be seen so they quickly heaved him over the side into the water.
He made a large splash and they watched as his body sunk to the bottom, leaving a red trail of blood in the water.
Max rapped his arm around Liz’s waist and kissed her forehead. “It will be okay,” he said.
Liz sucked in a breath, glanced at him for a second and then went and got a cigarette. She didn’t speak again for the ride back to land and just watched Max mop the floor and got rid of all the blood while she smoked.
When they reached home she helped him tie the boat to the dock and then they walked together back along the beach to the house.
“Oh the party,” Max suddenly remembered as they approached the back door. They could see Michael and Maria cleaning up inside.
“Way to disappear from your own party!” Maria exclaimed as soon as she saw them.
“Was it good?” Max asked.
“Hell yes,” Michael replied.
Liz didn’t say anything; she just walked past them and down to her room.
“What’s wrong?” Maria asked, looking at Max. “Oh Max, what did you do?”’

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

When Max went after Liz, expecting to find her in her room, he found her in his, tucked under the blankets in his bed. She had her back to him and her long hair cascaded around her over the dark blue colored pillows.
He couldn’t help but get a fluttering stomach because she was in his bed.
He climbed on and scooted close to her so he could stroke her hair. She sniffled and rolled over so she could rest her head on his lap.
“Max, what are we going to do?” She asked.
“Nothing, we don’t have to do anything,” he answered.
Liz sighed. “What if he has a family at home waiting for him? A wife, children?” Her voice cracked on children. “We killed him.”
“I killed him because he was going to kill you,” Max reminded her. “He shouldn’t have been there to begin with.”
He tucked her hair behind her ear and leaned down to kiss her temple. “Try not to think about it okay?”
Liz closed her eyes and rapped her arms around his waist. “I’ll try but I don’t know if it will do any good.”
“It will,” Max said.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

X

Max stood in the shower with his head back letting the water pound on his throat and chest. He closed his eyes, ran his hands through his hair, and sucked in a deep breath. This was the first peaceful moment he’d had in the last few hours and his muscles were slowing untying and loosening up.
When he had left Liz to rest in his bed, he had helped Maria and Michael clean up and then made them some coffee and sat outside with them.
They were concerned about Liz but Max had explained she was just tired and would probably talk to them later. After they had left he went and checked on her again and found her fast asleep curled on her side. She was troubled even in sleep and Max wished he could do something to make her feel better but didn’t know what.
He couldn’t help when he didn’t even know how to stop the loud pounding of his chest and the sound of a gun penetrating Roy’s skull.
Max shut off the shower and grabbed a towel of the rack to dry himself with. While he stood in front of the fogged up mirror trying to shave, he had to fight off the constant want to slip into a state of paralyzed thought. He didn’t want the movie to be repeated over; he was fighting it off like someone fighting off sleep to keep from having a repeated nightmare.
When he walked back into his bedroom, he quietly got dressed into some comfortable clothes that he could relax in. He may not be able to think properly but he had to look as if he did for Liz.
He went and made some food and then came back and gently shook Liz out of her slumber.
“Liz,” he said. “Liz, wake up.”
She slowly opened her eyes and yawned. “What’s the time?” She mumbled.
“Around three in the afternoon,” he answered.
Liz sighed and rolled onto her back. When she looked up at him, she smiled slightly. “I’m sorry I took over your bed,” she said.
“That’s okay,” he said. “Are you hungry?”
When she didn’t answer he added, “You didn’t have dinner last night and you missed breakfast this morning. I’ve made a late lunch.”
“I’ve been kind of put off eating,” she admitted. She tucked her hair behind her ears and sat up. She was still wearing her dress from last night and decided she must have looked a freight at this particular moment. “I desperately need a shower,” she didn’t mean to say that aloud.
Max chuckled. “Come and eat first,” he said.
“Okay.”
They went out into the kitchen and sat down at the table that Max had already set.
“You went to so much trouble,” Liz said. “Thank you.”
“I like to eat in style,” Max replied, grinning.
They didn’t talk while they ate but when they were finished that sat across from one another having a conversation with their eyes. Liz drew one of her legs up to her chest and rested her head on her knee.
“I need you not to tell me you aren’t as worried and afraid as I am,” she said.
“Okay,” Max replied.
Liz bit her lip and continued to watch his face. She was checking his eyes, and though he said he wasn’t worried his eyes told a whole different story.
“We panicked,” Max suddenly said. “It’s not our fault.”
“You know you are completely right,” Liz agreed. “And it’s not like he wasn’t asking for it, I mean he tried to steal from you.”
“In a way we’ve done the world a favor.”
“Hell yes,” Liz said. “So now we should just go on with life as normal and not worry. We should only start to worry if the police some around here asking questions.”
“Which won’t be for a few days at least,” Max added.
“Yeah,” Liz said. “So we can just, try and relax?”
“Yes.”
“What helps you relax?”
Even in the tense moment, passion flickered past Max’s eyes.
Liz couldn’t help but smile. “It’s a shame you already had a shower,” she commented.
“I actually think I could go for another.”
Liz got up from her seat and when she reached the door she turned her head and said, “I was hoping you’d say that.”
Max went after her and though they both knew, they were trying to cover their fears with passion—anything to help them forget—they were definitely okay with it.
Unfortunately for Max just as he was going after Liz the telephone rang and he had to go get it.
He tried not to sound too irritated when he picked it up off the receiver. “Hello?”
“Hello? Hi, I’m Sara; One of Liz’s friends. Is she there by any chance?”
Max sighed. He looked towards the bathroom to see Liz step out through the door in nothing but her black lace panties. She leaned against the doorframe and put one of her hands on her hips seductively. Max bit his lip to keep from groaning.
“She’s uh, kind of busy right now can I get her to ring you back?” He asked.
“Tell her it’s Sara and that I’m demanding she come to phone because it’s been too damn long since we’ve talked. I won’t take no for an answer, what could she be doing that’s more interesting then me anyway?”
Liz fondled with her underwear and started dragging one side of the material down her thigh.
Max’s mouth went dry and he spoke to her in a husky voice. “It’s uh Sara, she said you have to talk to her, she won’t take no for an answer.”
Liz rolled her eyes and headed towards him. Max watched her perky breasts bounce as she walked and he groaned deep in his throat. She smiled and took the telephone off him.
“Hi Sara, how are you?”
Max pulled his T-shirt over his head and chucked it down on the floor behind him, Liz couldn’t help but lick his lips at the sight of her toned body. She started backing towards the couch and when she reached it, she lay down on her back with her legs open.
Max was quickly next to her, and then propped up above her. His lips started their sweet torture on neck and slowly descended down in between her breasts.
“Sara you wouldn’t be able to ring back later would you?”
“No way Liz! Do you realize it’s been over a month and half since you left? How long are you going to be gone?”
Liz started to pant when Max sucked and gnawed on her nipple. His hands ran up and down her thighs and finally removed her underwear, sliding them slowly down past her knees and then over her ankles.
“Liz? Are you there? Liz?”
“I’m here,” Liz whispered, her eyes closed and her head drifted back onto the cushion. “What have you been up to?”
Could she care less?
“No I want to hear about what you’re doing! Who was the guy that answered the telephone? Was that Max? He sounds yum.”
Liz smiled. “He uh, is if you like his type. Um what am I doing? I’m uh… just starting my exercise.”
Max ran his tongue over her belly and started kissing and sucking the skin around her navel. Liz opened her eyes and looked down at his hands that were massaging their way up the insides of her thighs.
“Well you can exercise later,” Sara complained. “So what’s Italy like?”
“It’s OH!” Liz bucked into Max’s hand when he dipped a finger inside her. Max smiled up at her. “It’s stunning,” she finished.
“Oh you are so lucky, I wish I was there,” Sara said. “I hate working, but daddy says I have to become independent and not live off his money. Ha yeah right! I would come and see you if I could.”
Max stroked his finger up and down and then slipped his middle finger inside her as well. His thumb started rubbing her nub, around and around…
“I don’t know how long I’ll be here,” Liz panted into the telephone. “I don’t miss New York much though.”
She reached for the button on Max’s pants and he shifted so she could reach. She unzipped them and then not even bothering pulling them down, pushed her hands under the waistband of his briefs and started stroking his swollen member in return.
“Liz? Are you okay? You are breathing kind of heavy.”
Liz sighed. “I’m a… I’m FINE! OH GOD!” She clenched her teeth and closed her eyes again. Max pulled his pants and briefs off in one swift motion and threw them down on the floor.
“Sara, I really got to go. I’ll call you back later okay?”
Max spread her legs apart and started sliding in her. He didn’t really care if her friend heard everything at this point.
“But Liz…” Sara began.
“Bye!” Liz hanged up and chucked the telephone away quickly. She returned her attention back to Max and rapped her legs around his waist drawing his body closer. He brought his lips down onto hers and their tongues dueled as he thrust in and out of her.
“Oh Max,” Liz moaned. “Ah! Don’t stop!”
Her hands gripped at the hair on the back of his neck and her toes clenched in satisfaction. She could hear Max’s groans he let escape into her open mouth and she knew he was nearly there. She was nearly there too.
Her thighs tightened their grip around his waist and in response, he squeezed her hipbones harder underneath his fingers. With one deeper, hard thrust he emptied himself inside her.
They moth cried out into the others mouth and then collapsed in a satisfied bare heap.
Ring Ring!
The telephone started screeching again and both of them ignored it.
Liz smiled up at Max and he smiled back and kissed her lips, pouring all his love into her.
“Max,” she whispered over the sound of the telephone. “I still need to go have a shower.”
“Hmm,” he mumbled. “Do you want me to help you clean?”
“I’d love you to,” Liz whispered back, pulling his lips down back down on hers.
“Liz! Where are you?”
Max sprung up at the sound of Liz’s mothers voice. He was relieved to find it was just the answering machine, and quickly moved so Liz could go pick up the telephone. She sighed, went, and picked it up from its position on the floor where she had thrown it.
“Hi Mom, I’m here,” she said.
“Oh good Lizzie, how are you?”
Max waited for Liz to come and sit back down so he could rap his arms around her, she came quickly and rested her head on his chest.
He stroked her hair while she talked to her mother about what she was up to. “You wouldn’t believe how beautiful it is here mom; the beaches are just packed because the weather is so wonderful! What? Yeah I’m fine; yes I’m eating my vegetables.”
Max chuckled.
“Yeah Max is here, you want to talk to him? Why? I don’t know if that’s a good idea. Okay, fine but not for long.”
Liz handed the telephone to Max and said, “I’d be afraid if I were you.”
Max didn’t look panicked at all. “Hi Miss Parker, okay, Nancy, how are you?”
Liz studied his face while he talked; she could look at him for a long time. Was she falling? Was that what this feeling was? She didn’t know if she was okay with becoming reliant on Max Evans, he didn’t seem like the boyfriend type. However, she couldn’t help herself; she wanted to be with him like this. She liked his lips on hers.
“Um yes, I am looking after her,” Max said. “You want me to what? No I like her company; you’re going to have to do without her for a while longer. I promise she’ll visit eventually. You want to talk to her again, okay here she is.”
Liz took the telephone from him. “Were you interrogating him mom? Be nice for heavens sake. Yes say hi to Jim, oh that’s nice I’m glad he’s doing well. Yeah Sara rang earlier, we didn’t talk much.”
Max started kissing Liz’s neck and behind her ears. Liz shuddered against his touch.
Liz’s voice suddenly turned serious. “Uh mom, do you by any chance know what the REDREX Corp. is? It sounds familiar but I don’t know where I heard it.”
There was a long pause.
Max saw Liz’s lower lip tremble and he studied her face worriedly. “Liz?” He asked.
“Oh,” she mumbled. After she was done she hung up and put the phone done. She was very quiet and stared out the window at nothing in particular.
“Liz?” Max asked. “What’s wrong, what’s REDREX?”
“It’s the company Roy Burden worked for,” Liz replied. She knew that name would be branded in her mind forever and that chilled her to the bones.
“Yes, and?”
“That company is owned by my father.”

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

[nicola]

XI


Liz got up off the couch, picked up her underwear off the floor, and headed towards the bedroom. Max followed her, also picking up his belongings as he went.
“Your father?” He asked puzzled. “But why-
“Maybe it’s just a coincidence, I mean maybe Roy was just here on holiday and he stealing the boat had nothing to do with my father.”
Max grabbed her arm and stopped her from walking. "Liz? Are you kidding me? A coincidence? I don't think so. Why didn't you just ask your mom to ask him if he knew a Roy Burden?"
"My dad lives in Germany, my mom divorced him when I was fourteen," Liz said. She shrugged her arm away from his hold and walked into the bedroom.
"Oh," Max said. "Well we could ring him."
"I don't exactly have a good relationship with him so that would be a waste of time," Liz explained. She covered her body by rapping a towel around herself. "At first when he left he would write to me occasionally but then he got rich—
"He got wealthy?" Max asked.
"Yes, REDREX was a multimillion dollar company," Liz explained. "My mother remarried when I turned sixteen, his name is Nathan and he comes from a very wealthy family. I hated him but now I consider him more of a father then Jeffery ever was. I just wish my mother liked him as much, there is not a doubt in my mind that she married him only for his money."
Max rapped his arms around her waist. He could tell her father still upset her. "Are they still married now?" He asked.
"Yeah, Nathan and I get on very well and I've become the daughter he never got to have and he is the father I never had, it's a perfect relationship. I'm enough to keep him around I think, he doesn't want to see anything bad happen to me."
Max smiled adorably. "I like him."
Liz smiled back sheepishly and then kissed his lips lovingly.
When she pulled away Max opened his eyes again and said, "Did I hear you say your father's company was a million dollar company?"
Liz looked up at him. "Yeah, four years ago his company started going down hill and now it's not doing so well. It's barely worth anything."
Max frowned. "When was the last time you heard from him?" He asked.
Liz snorted. "I think it would have to be when I was fifteen?"
"I'm sorry," Max said quietly.
"I don't care about him," Liz replied. "You have nothing to be sorry about."
Max looked at her with knowing eyes.
"Max! No don't look at me like that, I couldn't care less about him..." She pulled away from him. "Well if you're going to be like that then I'll be having a shower by myself."
“Go ahead.”
“Fine, I will,” Liz said. She headed towards the door and Max called out to her.
“Hey, we never decided what to do about your father!”
Liz popped her head back in through the door. “You can think about our plan while you don’t get laid.”

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

“Would you go away?” Liz asked. “I can’t do this with you doing indecent things to me.”
“I can’t leave you alone when you are butt naked.” Max rubbed his arousal in-between her thighs and shuddered in delight.
Liz shoved him away so he rolled onto his back beside her. “It’s disturbing that you would want to do anything while I’m writing to your father,” she said.
Max lifted her hair away from her neck and started sucking and nibbling on the skin behind her ear.
“Max please,” she mumbled. “I have to do this.”
“Do it later,” Max argued.
Liz paused her typing. “Don’t give me that! If you would just go back to New York I wouldn’t have to be doing this!”
“ I don’t want to go back to New York,” he said. He ran his hand down her back and then over her ass. With the other hand he spread her legs apart and dipped one finger inside her saturated center. “And I can tell you don’t either…” He teased.
Liz closed her eyes but then realizing she was falling under his spell, she shoved his hand away. “Max!” She cried. “STOP!” She paused. “I know… why don’t you help me write it and then it will be done quicker.”
Max sighed. “Okay, okay… let’s see what you have written,” he said. He leaned over her and read the email she was writing. “Things are moving along smoothly… hmm they sure are,” he teased.
Liz pinched his nipple and he jumped.
“Okay! Okay! I’ll be serious… how about this.” He leaned over her and started typing. I have formed a new plan to bring him home; hopefully seducing him will have more of an effect…
“Max why don’t you want to go home?” Liz asked.
Max didn’t answer, he just continued typing. Liz continued talking. “I think we should go back now… I can’t stop thinking about Roy and I… I just think that maybe it can help me forget if I’m not stuck in the same place that it happened in. I can’t even think of going to the beach anymore, just the thought of swimming in that water just…” she shuddered.
Max stopped typing and studied her face. “I’m not going back and nothing you or anyone else says is going to change that.”
Liz frowned and moved away from him. “What is wrong with you? Why won’t you tell me what happened to keep you away?”
“Because it’s none of your business,” Max snapped. There was a long pause and then Max apologized. “Look I’m sorry, I just don’t want to talk about it.”
Liz got up off the bed. “Well that’s just perfect,” she said. She left the room in a huff and Max swore under his breath. He re-wrote the email and then sent it before going after her.
He found her outside on the porch smoking. She didn’t look at him when he sat down.
“Liz,” he said.
“What?” She snapped.
He sucked in a breath. “If you want to go back to New York I think you should,” he said.
Liz looked at him in disbelief.
“What happened to Roy, that’s not something that you are easily going to forget… neither am I but if it will help you, you should go back.”
“But you won’t?” Liz asked.
“No.”
Liz looked away. Max got up from the chair and just as he was walking back inside Liz spoke again.
“All those things that you said to me that night, you were just trying to get me to fuck you weren’t you?” Her voice was cold and thick with emotion.
“No,” he replied before walking away.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………


Liz could smell petrol when she woke up the next morning. She sniffled and rubbed her eyes but snuggled back into Max’s chest… she wasn’t quite ready to emerge from the warm embrace he was holding her in. Yes, they had gone to bed in not-so-good-terms and yes, they had had many arguments the day before but she still wanted to be held by him.
Wait a minute, she suddenly thought. Petrol?
She opened her eyes and stared at the concrete ceiling with dripping pipes running along it. That was definitely not Max’s bedroom ceiling. She sat up and looked around. This was definitely not Max’s bedroom.
“Shit!” She exclaimed at the top of her lungs. What else could she say?
Max grunted next to her and squeezed her hips closer to his. She started to panic and shook Max until he finally woke up.
“What?” He sighed. “What’s wrong?”
“Take a look around you,” Liz said. “Oh God…”
Max sat in shock when his brain finally registered. “Where the hell are we?” He asked.
The room was small and concrete, like a cell. The ceiling was dripping a soapy smelly substance onto the ground and there was one window, which had bars in place. There was a steal door will bolts the size of your wrist but other then that, there was no indication as to where they were or how they got there.
“We didn’t get drunk last night did we?” Liz asked groggily, her heart rate increasing rapidly.
“Even if we did, I wouldn’t remember,” Max said. “But I don’t think we did.”
Liz jumped up off the mattress that was resting on the ground. “Good God that mattress is disgusting!” She yelled. There were awful spots of whatever all over it and there were no blankets.
Max got up quickly after her. This was when realization finally hit them; they were being held prisoner!
Liz ran over to the steal door and tried pulling it and sliding it but it wouldn’t budge. “Oh fuck,” she muttered. “Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck…”
Max muttered Christ’s name.
“How did we get here?” Liz cried. “How is it possible we didn’t wake up…?”
The door opened and in stepped a man in a tacky dark green suit.
“Dad?” Liz said, shocked.
Max fought the urge to throttle the bastard.
He smiled. Liz noticed he looked remarkably different since the last time she had seen him. His hair was dark grey, light in some places; it was short and spiked up at the front… much like Max’s. His face was wrinkled in all the typical places, his forehead, around his eyes… He looked older then he should at his age, Liz thought.
Instincts before anything else, she started to yell at him in frustration. “YOU BASTARD! What have you gone and done now? You just had to make an appearance in my life again didn’t you? You couldn’t just FUCK OFF! What did you think I would be happy to see you… think again buddy!”
Max noticed Liz yelled anything if she thought it would have an effect. He wouldn’t admit it but it kind of turned him on how she stood up for herself like that…
“Where the hell are we? How did we get here and WHY the fuck do you look old enough to be my dying grandfather?”
Jeffery seemed a little shocked by his daughter’s outburst but he didn’t step back or show weakness.
“Oh Liz, you’ve grown to be so beautiful,” was the first thing he said.
“And sound like one too! You stupid ass!” Liz paused. “Wait a minute, what?”
Max stepped close to Liz and a little bit in front, to protect her.
“You look so much like your mother you have no idea…” Jeffery smiled.
“I know I do!” Liz hissed. “But I don’t want you trying to butter me up with sweet comments. Tell me where we are!”
“Well you’re in Garmisch-Partenkirchen,” Jeffery answered matter-of-factly.
“Excuse me?” Liz asked. “Garma-Par-whacha-call-it?”
“We are in Germany,” Max informed her. Her turned to Jeffery and lost his temper, also. “What the hell are we doing in Germany?”
“Germany?” Liz exclaimed.
“YES!” Both the men cried in unison.
Liz crossed her arms over her chest. “Bastard,” she hissed.
Jeffery sighed. “You two are something you know?” He almost laughed. “I can’t believe you actually killed Ray and didn’t go to the police… Lizzie I thought you’d have more sense then that.”
Their eyes both widened.
“Do you have any idea how much hassle I went through to cover his death up without the state getting involved?”

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………


XII

Max sat with his elbows on his knees and his hands holding up his heavy head. Liz refused to come anywhere near him and he had been trying to reconcile her for the last half an hour.
“Liz, come here…” He muttered for the hundredth time. “What do you want from me?”
Liz didn’t move and she didn’t reply either. She continued to stare out through the window at the pounding rain. It seemed to Max like she was holding up the wall.
“Liz,” he groaned. “How long can you be silent when you are trapped in a cell with me?” He didn’t like her being quiet, she was never quiet usually, and she always seemed to have something to say. When she was silent it just told Max that something was definitely wrong.
She sighed but didn’t say anything or look at him.
“Okay I’ll talk to myself,” Max said. “Hey Max, how can we get out of here?”
“Stop it,” Liz hissed. “Just shut up would you?”
Max licked his lips and appeared to be thinking about it. Finally he said, “Not going to happen, sorry.”
Liz moved away from the window and came to stand in front of him. “You are an ass you know that?” She exclaimed.
Max grabbed her before she had a chance to know it was coming and flung her down on the mattress. He climbed on top of her and pinned her underneath him. She struggled to get away and cursed.
“Talk to me,” he said smugly.
Liz stuck her tongue out at him and turned her head to the left away from his.
“Well that’s real mature,” Max commented. “Liz, I said I am sorry, what else can I do?”
Liz’s eyes flared. “You are sorry?” She yelled. “What has that got to do with anything! This is about you not fucking opening up to me about your past when I told you everything! You don’t do that to something you supposedly love you stupid ass.”
Max tickled her sides and she squirmed and bit her lip trying not to laugh. “When you calm down,” Max said. “And then talk to me properly.” He lifted her black tank top so her stomach was revealed. “I will leave you alone,” he finished.
Liz couldn’t hold it in; a fit of giggles erupted from her mouth.
Max stopped tickling her.
“Good,” he said.
Liz’s eyes filled with tears and she tried to turn her face away from him so he wouldn’t see her cry.
“Oh Liz,” he said turning her face back to him. “Don’t cry.”
He sat up and she tried to get away but he snaked his arm around her waist and forced her head down on his shoulder. He kissed her forehead and tucked her hair behind her ears.
“Liz,” he said. “I do love you. Can you not see it when I look at you? I can’t believe such a tiny person managed to have such a huge impact on my life. I want to tell you everything about my past but I can’t yet… I will, I promise but when I feel the time is right and you won’t run away. Please trust me and don’t doubt what I feel, because not even I can imagine how far gone I am for you.”
Liz sniffled and looked up at him. He wiped the tears from her eyes and leaned forward to kiss her lips. “I love you unbearably,” he whispered into her mouth. “But there are things that happened that I’m not proud of and I have trouble talking about. Be patient with me, because if you allow me to I plan to stick around you.”
As much as it hurt Liz that he couldn’t open up to her, she was going to be patient because there were things they hadn’t discussed about their pasts and weren’t ready to. They were still beginning, she reminded herself and they were walking on egg shells for at least the next week.
Liz sighed and rapped her arms around his neck pulling him closer. He ran his hand through her hair and wove his fingers through the silky strands.
When he pulled away and looked at Liz who still had her eyes closed, she licked her lips and said, “Hmm Morning breath, lovely.”
He laughed and kissed her again. “Well nobodies perfect,” he reminded her.
“I feel light headed,” Liz whispered.
“When I kiss people it tends to have that effect,” Max said sarcastically.
Liz pinched his arm. “I’m serious; my head feels like its heavy.”
“Come to think about it so does mine.”
“Do you think it’s the drugs he probably used to get us here without us knowing?” Liz asked. “But how did he give them to us?”
“Maybe in our food?” Max suggested.
“Yeah that food you made for dinner did taste kind of funny,” she teased.
“No that’s just my cooking.” Max let out a sigh.
“It wasn’t that bad.” Liz laughed.
Max raised his eyebrows at her.
“Okay it was… but you are still learning.” Liz bit her lip.
“I’m thinking it would probably have been put into a conventional food like milk? Something he knew for certain we would use eventually,” Max said.
Liz nodded. “Yeah you are probably right,” she agreed. She put her head back down on his shoulder and after a few seconds she muttered, “now we have to figure out how to get out of here.”
“Yeah we do, have any suggestions?” Max asked. He ran his hand up and down her arm soothingly hoping to make her feel better about their situation.
“My father is neither a wealthy man or a smart one,” Liz said. “It shouldn’t be that hard to outsmart him. In his planning he has to have slipped up somewhere…”
“If we knew what he wanted with us this would be a hell of a lot easier,” Max said. “Why would he kidnap us?”
“Well why does anyone kidnap someone?” Liz asked.
“Money.”
“Exactly,” Liz said.
“But it’s not like either of us have that much…” Max trailed off when realization hit him. “You don’t think he’s going to demand ransom from our parent’s for our freedom do you?”
Liz raised her eyebrows at him. “That’s exactly what he’s doing,” she said.
“By why both of us?” Max wondered. “Do you think he had first planned to just take you but then when he found out about the millions I come from he knew he could raise the stakes?”
“Well that depends on how long he’s been planning this,” Liz replied. When Max rapped his arm around her shoulders she intertwined her fingers through his and kissed his knuckles. “I’m sorry for dragging you into this,” she murmured.
“Don’t worry, we’ll get out for this. And besides, this whole thing is kind of adventurous.”
“Some adventure,” Liz said purred at the feel of Max’s lips on her forehead, it felt so nice.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

“I’m cold,” Liz whined. “And hungry!” She rubbed her bare arms with her hands and shivered. “Trust Jeff to kidnap us when we are in our night wear, I don’t even have a damn bra.”
Max looked down at his gray track pants and white T-shirt. “At least we weren’t naked. But I know what you mean, I would love to get dressed. Or even have a shower.”
“At least you don’t have to walk around with your boobs on view for all to see,” Liz said.
“Well at least you can keep your feet warm, I wish I had socks,” Max commented. “And besides, I was under the impression you didn’t have a problem with not wearing a bra. You never wore one around my house.”
Liz giggled. “That’s because it was part of my job,” she said. “To be as sexy as hell and have you begging to have your way with me.”
The door suddenly unclasped and slid open to reveal a man holding two big bags of Mc Donald’s. Liz instantly stood up and approached him. “Look you disgusting maggot of a man, it is obvious to us that you aren’t planning on letting us out of here for a long time so I have a few requests—
Before she could finish the man thrust the bags into her arms and turned to walk out, not even bothering to acknowledge her voice. He slammed the door shut behind him and Liz screamed out in anger and frustration.
“Liz,” Max said. “Do you know how hot you are when you’re mad?”
“Yes,” Liz mumbled. “Here have some ‘food’.” She threw the bags at him and then stomped over to the window.
“I don’t eat Mc Donald’s,” Max said.
“Well neither do I, so when we start starving to death I plan to kill you and eat you first because you have more muscle then me.”
Max laughed. “Ha yeah right.”
Liz couldn’t help but smile at him. “I bet you’d taste really nice,” she teased.
“I’d be honored if you’d do an experiment to find out if I do,” Max teased back.
Liz tucked her hair behind her ears. “Oh Max wants head, it’s a shame we are locked in here because other wise I’d give you what you want.”
Max gulped. “Damn.”
The door to their cell opened again and this time Jeffery walked in. “Liz, Liz, Liz I’m hearing very rude things about you from my men. What is it you want now?”
Liz stomped over to him. “There are many things I want Jeff. You can’t just lock us in here without giving us the basic things for humans’ needs. Number one, you can’t expect us to sleep on that moldy disgusting mattress that smells like its been locked in a back room of a fertilizer factory for ten years. Second, it’s freezing in here; how about you give us some blankets to sleep with? Third, you can’t keep us in our night clothing! Max wants some jeans, some shoes, some socks, you know normal things? I want a goddamn bra too! Shoes would be nice too.” Liz sucked in a breath. “And fourth, you can’t feed us Mc Donald’s, who the hell even eats that crap? Proper food and pronto Mr.”
Jeffery looked amused. “What makes you think I will actually give you these things?”
“Because if you plan on getting any money of mom or Max’s parent’s, you’ll need us to be alive!” Liz said.
After Jeffery left Liz went and sat with Max.
“Stop it,” Max said. “I’m used to being the leader in the relationship, I feel like a wimp.”
Liz laughed. “Max you aren’t a wimp, it’s just that’s my ‘father’ so I he’ll have a soft spot in there somewhere for me and it will make him feel compelled to do what I tell him.”

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

XIII
“I am so bored,” Liz said. “I don’t think I have ever been this bored in my entire life.”
Max laughed. “I know what we can do to pass time…” he climbed onto the mattress and straddled her as he lifted her shirt.
“No way,” Liz said. She grabbed his hands and pushed them away. “Number one, I would never ever sleep on this mattress let alone have sex on it. Number two, I didn’t have my birth control pills in my pajama pants so unless you want to add condoms to our list of demands for my father, you aren’t going to be getting any, any time soon.” She leaned up and kissed his lips. “Sorry Max,” she whispered.
“We did get a rug to put over the mattress…”
“The smell alone is enough to get me out of the mood,” Liz argued.
Max sighed. “I don’t think I’ve ever gone this long without…”
“Without spilling your seeds?” Liz laughed. “Oh Max you are so cute, I love you.”
Max’s eyes darkened. “You do?” He asked.
“Yes,” she said. She kissed him again. “I do.”
“I never heard you say that to me before,” he said. “I was worried I was the only one who felt—
The door clicked and Max got up off Liz before they were caught in an intimate position. Liz sat up and grinned as two men came in carrying a new clean mattress and blankets! She and Max got up off the grotty one and watched happily as it was carried away and then replaced with the new one. Liz’s eyes darkened when she noticed something about the concrete under the mattress but before she could get a proper look they put the new mattress down and chucked blankets down on it.
“Thanks for offering to make the bed,” Liz said as they left. Once the door closed again Liz started pulling the mattress out from the wall.
“What are you doing?” Max asked.
“I thought I saw something,” she said. She ran her fingers over the crack in the wall right near the ground. “Look Max, this concrete is really soft and powdery, do you think maybe it’s like that all the way through?”
“Liz, what are you suggesting? We dig our way out of here? I think you’ve seen the movie Shaw shank Redemption too many times,” Max said.
“Do you have any better ideas?” Liz said. She wracked her nails over the concrete and sighed. “We need a knife or something to scrape at it with; do you think maybe he’ll give us metal utensils with lunch?”
“I don’t know,” Max said. He squatted down next to her. “Liz… do you know how long it would take to break through that with a fork?”
“Yes,” Liz said. “But I don’t see any other hints as to how we are going to be getting out of this so maybe you could try being a little bit more supportive?”
“Okay,” Max said. He touched the crack with his hands crumbled chucks of it away with much effort. “This building must be very old for it to be this weak,” he commented.
Liz put her hands on his thigh. “Do you see what I mean? We could totally dig our way out of here.”
“I don’t know Liz, I mean we don’t know what’s below this room, it could be the ground, or a basement.”
“Can we at least find out? I can’t stand this place, anything is better then nothing!”
Max glanced at her. “If you want to, but it just seems to be a little bit unrealistic.”
Liz got up and told him to move so she could push the mattress back.
“Liz…”
“Move would you?” She hissed.
“Liz.”
“MOVE.”
Max got up and walked over to her. Tenderly he rapped his arms around her and held her close. “It’s okay Liz, we’re going to get out of here. Somehow we’ll find a way.”
She tried to break away from him but he wouldn’t let her. Suddenly a sob escaped Liz’s lips and she started to cry. “I want to go home,” she whimpered. “I’m sick of eating yuck food and not brushing my teeth. I want to shower and change my clothing. I want to go outside and go for a run. I want to…”
“I know,” Max kissed her forehead. He picked her up and sat down on the bed with her on his lap.
Suddenly the door clicked open and neither Max nor Liz attempted to move, they were past caring anymore.
“Oh isn’t that sweet,” Jeff’s sour voice interrupted their moment.
Liz sighed and wiped her eyes, refusing to look at her stupid monstrous father. Max looked over at him standing smugly in the doorway.
“How’s it going?” He asked.
“How do you think it’s going?” Max snapped.
Liz buried her face in Max’s neck and held on to him tightly. He rubbed her back comfortingly.
“I brought you something,” Jeffery said. “Just what you wanted.” One of his men walked in and put some clothing and shoes down on the bed. He left without glancing at them or saying anything.
“Oh we are so thankful,” Max said sarcastically. “How can we ever thank you?”
“AND!” Jeff said gleefully ignoring Max’s comments. “You get to talk to your parents!”
He pulled out a cell phone and pounded a number into it. When it was ringing he tossed it to Max who caught it and looked at him in disbelief. “You think we are going to go along with your plan? Think again,” Max said. He switched the phone off and threw it at the wall, hoping to smash it or at least break it. It fell to the floor with a crack and a piece of plastic flew across the room and hit Jeffery in the foot.
“You are going to wish you never did that,” Jeffery said. He went and picked up the phone and then left with a slam of the door.
Max started to regret what he did.
“I’m glad you did that,” Liz whispered breaking his thoughts. “You are my hero.”
Max smiled down at her. Gently he wiped the tears from under her eyes and kissed her eyelids. “Now that we have a clean mattress maybe you should try and get some sleep?”
“Maybe,” Liz said.
Max got up and made the bed for her while she looked through the clothes. “He is just a budget prick,” Liz commented. “Second hand clothing, oh joy! We are so lucky! Thank the stars above!”
She had nothing against second hand clothing; in fact she knew that you could find some very cool stuff in thrift shops, but the crap nature of the clothing he had obviously not even cared enough to look at infuriated Liz. She found come dark green cargo pants for Max, along with a jacket that was a dark grey color, and some army boots. Liz glanced at Max and then back at the clothes. “You are going to look like you’ve just come out of Vietnam in these clothes,” she said.
Max smiled. “As long as I can get changed I don’t care,” he said.
Liz didn’t find much for herself. Some decent sneakers, a woolen cardigan, some three-quarter tan colored pants and a black bra that only just fit her. At least he had the decency to buy that new.
She crawled under the blankets and snuggled into the pillow. “This smells funny,” she groaned.
Max turned and looked at her in disbelief.
“Just kidding!” Liz joked. I SO am not.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Liz woke up in the middle of the night and looked around the dark cell. Max shifted beside her and she groaned when his heavy thigh pinned her leg to the bed so she couldn’t move. She strained to shove him away but her hands slipped and whacked his sex. Max groaned and Liz bit her lip. “Wow that would have hurt,” she said.
“Um yeah!” Max said as he woke up.
“Sorry!” Liz cried.
Max rolled onto his back and ran his hands through his hair. Liz kissed his bare shoulder and buried her face in his neck, even though they hadn’t had a shower in days Liz marveled at how Max’s skin still held that nice masculine smell.
Max sighed and wove his hand through her long hair drawing lazy patterns on the back of her head causing purrs from her. “That feels so nice,” she mumbled. She shifted so half of her body was on top of his, her breasts were against his chest and her thigh was in-between his legs. Both of them marveled at how quickly passion ignited within them, it was almost instantaneous. Liz knew straight away what she wanted to do.
“Liz,” Max whispered, he didn’t even recognize his own voice, it was thick with longing, saying come, come, come to me.
Liz lifted her head and their lips found each other’s in the dark, they made love to each other with their tongues, not caring that they couldn’t go any further because of the possible consequences.
Instinctively, their hips started moving together, up and down, up and down, causing the burning flame to spread through their lower halves. Liz broke the kiss and moved her lips to his jaw where she ran her tongue down his skin stopping at his neck. He moaned and ran his hands down her back, and stopped when they reached her ass. His hands made their way under the elastic of her underwear where he fondled her and spread her legs apart so he could have easier access.
It was Liz’s turn to moan but Max covered her mouth with his own so she couldn’t breathe then slipped one finger inside her. She shuddered in delight and flicked her tongue over his, she couldn’t think and she didn’t want to, all she wanted was to feel.
His finger rubbed her inside walls that were getting wetter with every movement that took place, he pulled it out and slipped another two in with hope to satisfy her further.
His thumb began rubbing her nub in circles and Liz’s breath started coming out in loud pants, urging him not to stop. She felt her walls tightening against his hand as she neared the end, she had been waiting so long for this that her energy had built up, and she was really fall quickly.
“Oh Max!” She cried. He kissed her as her orgasm hit and held her tight against his body when she was calming down. She let out a satisfied puff of air when he removed his hand from under her clothing leaving her lonely again. She rubbed her thighs together and pressed her chest hard against Max’s.
Without saying anything Liz smiled at Max and kissed his mouth for a long time. Finally, her lips trailed over his skin leaving an arousal trail of passion-inflicted goose bumps on his chest. He waited, ready for her to continue her tantalizing torment, but also as helpless as a child, not knowing what to do with his hands or where to put them.
Her tongue flowed down his rippled stomach like a stream running to its final destination. Max held his collective breath awaiting her arrival, begging, pleading, yearning, dying, for it to move along at a speeder pace.
She nibbled at his skin, tugging, building his need for her—she knew the effect she was having on him and it made her feel a substantial amount more powerful.
“Max,” she breathed. “How much do you want it?”
Max groaned. “I want it so bad Liz, please?”
Her slim, loving body shifted down so her breasts were pressing into his inner thighs. “I want you to feel Max,” she said.
He lifted his hips so she could pull down his pants and then when his ass was back on the blankets she kissed his hip bone and flicked her tongue against his skin. Max’s breathing became rapid as he waited for her to move lower.
Finally, her lips touched the end of his tower and his knees buckled; she liked his response, it urged her on; she kissed his wet end like she would his mouth, and then opened her mouth to bring her tongue into the movement. Her mouth opened wider and wider as she came down on him, bringing more of him into her depths.
His pre-pleasure liquid tasted warm and salty on her tongue and she did want more—she wanted to drink him. Max’s hips moved up urging her to take more into her mouth and she did, willingly.
“Oh God,” he moaned. “Liz, babe I’m going to…”
“So do it,” she said. She ran her lips up and down him; driving him insane until finally his legs bucked and he emptied himself within her. Max panted into the cold air with his eyes closed while Liz wiped her mouth and then pulled his pants back up.
When she snuggled back into his chest she heard him whisper, “I want to make love to you so much.”
“We can’t,” she replied.
“I know.”
He kissed the top of her head and rapped his arms around her.
“When do you think we’ll get out of here?” She asked.
“I don’t know,” he responded. “But let’s hope it’s soon.”

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

[nicola]

XVI

Max just couldn’t stop touching her; he needed to kiss her constantly. The profound need to just be near her was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. Here they were, trapped in a cell together for every second of every day and all he could do was fall in love with her more and more with every minute that passed. He knew that had he been trapped with any other person he would have been about ready to tear their hair out—or at least his own.
He just couldn’t get bored when he was with her, when she wasn’t talking it was just enough for him to watch her. Everything about her was just magical to Max; she entranced him with everything she did.
One of his hands rested on her hip and the other ran through her hair, massaging her scalp soothingly. Liz lay on her side with her back to him. She was breaking off little bits of concrete from the crack in the wall to pass time. She wasn’t getting much done with her hands but she just knew if she had a fork or something she could get though the wall.
“I don’t think they are going to feed us today,” Liz mumbled. “Oh jeez Jeff, what a punishment! You know most people would just hold a gun to our heads and demand we ring our parents. But nooooo not Jeff, we’ll just starve you!”
Max pressed his face into the back of Liz’s head and chuckled. His hand stroked behind her ears and up her scalp to the top of her head, in lines, circles…
“That feels so nice,” Liz cooed. “I feel myself falling asleep.”
He lifted up her long hair and touched his mouth the bone at the beginning of her neck, his lips kissed her skin up to her hairline and then across behind her ears to her jaw. He sucked gently on the smooth skin there before moving downwards again to her shoulder.
His other hand stroked her hipbone and stomach through her shirt but obviously, he didn’t like that so he moved her shirt up and rubbed his fingers over her skin.
“Max,” Liz purred.
“Hmm?” He mumbled causing his lips to vibrate against her skin.
“I’m so glad you are here with me,” she said. Slowly, she eased onto her back so her body was pressed against his. He moved his hands, his lips, his whole body away from hers and stared down at her questioningly.
“I don’t know what I’d do if I was here by myself.” She stared back at him. “I know I should feel bad for dragging you into this but I don’t. I’m glad you are here, I wouldn’t want to be trapped here with anyone else. I’ve never been able to stand people for too long but with you, it’s different. Is that all right to say?”
Max’s lips tightened as he smiled. “It’s all right to say,” he said.
She smiled back. “You jerk,” she muttered. “I don’t like needing someone.”
He started kissing her neck again. “Your need me around?” he asked against her skin.
“Is that all right to say?”
Max moved his mouth along her chin to her mouth. Her mouth opened to welcome his tongue and his lips and his everything inside. He breathed into her mouth and whispered, “it’s all right to say.” He rapped his arms tightly around her and lay half on top of her. “I need you too,” he said.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

He was watching her again. That’s what he did now to pass the time, and also because he couldn’t stop. He watched her intently, noting her every move and trying to regulate his heart beat again. She was breathtaking, even when she was tired, unclean, and grumpy.
“Stop looking at me,” she snapped at him. “Just stop watching me would you?”
He couldn’t tear his eyes away even if he tried.
“I know I look disgusting and smell like a cows ass and you watching me is embarrassing. Can’t you just stare at the wall?”
He sucked in a breath—his lips were in a constant cheerful state—“I want to kiss you,” he simple said.
“Even when I smell like an animals rear end?” she asked in awe. “How bizarre of you.” She sighed and got up off the floor. “I really can’t stand this place,” she complained.
The door clicked open and her father and another man holding a tray of food walked in. The man put the food down on the floor and then left.
“How are we today? Hungry? I would be after a day deprived of food,” Jeff said.
“Whose fault is that?” Max muttered.
Jeff ignored him. “I suspect you’ll be satisfied with today’s food. Is there anything else you need?” he asked.
“A sledge hammer,” Liz replied.
Jeff snorted. “Realistically.”
“A shower, a toothbrush, toothpaste,” Liz said.
Jeff laughed. “It really has started to stink in here,” he commented.
“It has been over a week,” Max said.
“I’ll see what I can do,” Jeff paused, “…IF you talk to your parents.”
Max and Liz glanced at each other. They really wanted a shower. Max spoke up, “it’s a deal, how soon can we do this?”
“Well I can ring your parents right away, but the shower will have to wait for tomorrow because you are very picky, the two of you, and we’ll have to make a trip to get the things you need.”
Jeff pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and handed it to Liz. She handed it to Max because she knew she wouldn’t be able to go through with it and he dialed the number of his parents house. Five rings later the maid picked up and greeted him.
“Hi,” Max said slowly. “Is Diane home at the moment?”
“No I’m sorry—oh look you’ve just caught her. May I ask who’s calling?”
“Her son,” Max said blankly.
Liz sat down beside him on the bed and rested her hands on his thigh. Max glanced at her and she bit her lip. “It’s okay,” he mouthed, before leaning forward to kiss her. So her father wouldn’t hear he whispered, “we’ll figure something out,” into her mouth.
“Max? Is that you?” Diane’s voice was laced with worry.
Max sighed. “Yeah it’s me mom.”
“Oh Max where are you? We have been so worried. Michael and Maria rang and said you’ve been missing for over a week! Everyone has been so worried; Liz’s mother and father have been panicked to near death! This better not be some act of stupidity on your half!”
Max glanced at Jeff who swung a gun around in his fingers. He mouthed, ‘don’t say anything you’ll regret’ and cocked the gun. Max closed his eyes. “It’s not mom. Listen, we are in a little bit of trouble.”
“Oh no Max… oh is Liz all right?” Diane asked.
“Yeah, she’s okay,” Max said. “You won’t believe where we are…”
Jeff shook his head at Max.
“Oh, I can’t tell you, but mom we need your help.”
“Anything Max, tell me what’s wrong? What’s going on?” Diane sobbed.
Jeff took the phone off Max and said, “I’ll take it from here,” before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.
Max sucked in a deep painful breath and rested his head in his hands.
“Well that’s it then,” Liz said. She rapped her arm around his back. “We did our best to keep them out of this, we did all we could.”
Max fell back onto the bed and pulled Liz down next to him. He held her tightly to him, clenched his eyes shut, and didn’t say anything. Liz kissed his forehead. “Shh,” she whispered. “It’s okay.”

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Liz stabbed at the wall with the metal knife that had come with lunch; bits of concrete fell away to the floor behind the mattress. She was determined and she needed this—this was her only hope, and she would not give that up.
When she heard the door slide open she dropped the knife behind the mattress and rolled onto her back. Two men motioned for Max and her to follow them and they eagerly went. They were lead down a corridor past the toilet they usually used, and into another room. The floor was wooden and the walls were an old white, with dusty stained glass windows and cobwebs on the beautiful wood ceiling. Liz gasped when she realized where they were being kept. An old, obviously abandoned, church!
She glanced at Max to see if he noticed too and he nodded the shock evident in his eyes. They were lead out the large entrance and down out onto a dirt path. This was the first time they had been outside in over a week and they rejoiced at the feeling of fresh air attacking their lungs.
The path split into three leading to different cabins, they went down the middle one and stopped in front of a small brick building.
“You have twenty minutes,” one of the German men said in heavy accented English.
Max and Liz walked in and the door slammed behind them.
“Oh YES!” Liz cried. A shower!
Max looked around. There were three shower stalls and three sinks, on the sinks rested a hairbrush, two toothbrushes, a tube of toothpaste, a bottle of German shampoo and conditioner in one, and two bars of soap. There was even a clean pair of cotton boxers for Max and a pair of underwear for Liz. Two green towels hung on a rack next to the long mirror on the wall.
“Thank God,” Liz said going up to the things and staring at them as if she had been given a million dollars.
“This is an Old Catholic children’s camp,” Max said. “Can you believe it?”
Liz walked up to a shower and turned it on. “I would expect nothing less of my pathetic father. Only he would have the nerve to use such a religious place for something so morally wrong.”
She grabbed a bar of soap, a toothbrush, the bottle of shampoo and conditioner and the tooth paste and put it in her shower. In one swift movement, she tugged the tank top she was wearing over her head and unhooked the bra she had been given.
When she was naked, she looked at her reflection in the mirror briefly. “I look like shit,” she said simply.
She didn’t waste anytime getting under the warm water and chucking her head back in delight. “Oh Max, this is incredible. I never thought I would love a shower so much!”
Max went in the stall next to hers and turned the water on. They both new that if they shared a shower they would do more then clean each other, the temptation was too great, but the risk clouded their thoughts. They were both no where ready to have a child.
First Liz washed her hair so Max could use the bottle after her and then she peaked into his stall and handed it to him. He grinned at her and thanked her and she smiled happily back.
This was the first real content they had both experienced since they arrived; it was so bizarre that it caused them both to laugh. After rubbing the soap all over her body, Liz scrubbed at her teeth with the toothbrush and squeezed heaps of the toothpaste into her mouth, not even bothering to put it on the brush. This time when she leaned into Max’s stall, to hand him the toothpaste she stopped to admire his body. He had his back to her and his hands were on the wall in front of him, the water poured onto his head and dripped down his back and down his back. His muscled figure was magnificent to look at; to Liz he seemed sculptured perfectly.
She cleared her throat and he turned his head to look at her with a smile.
“To…toothpaste,” she stuttered. “Here.” She handed him the tube and quickly disappeared into her stall again. She had to get a grip.
Her mind was clouded with dirty thoughts of him taking her against the shower wall and just before she was going to give in and join him in his stall, he stepped into hers. They shared a smile and instantly stepped into one another. Liz rapped her arms around Max’s neck and leaned up to kiss his lips. She leaned into his ear, “pull out before you cum, or I’ll kill you,” she said.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

XVII

Max hadn’t been lying whenever he told her he loved her but now the extent of his feelings terrified him. He wished he had someone to tell just how much he was feeling so whoever could remind him that it was normal.
He had once thought he was in love with a woman named Sarah Grey but that was nothing compared to this. When Liz cuddled into him while they were in bed he tried to fight off sleep just so he could hair her quite breathing.
“Mmm,” Liz mumbled rubbing her hands over his muscles. “Max make love to me please.”
Max froze when her hand dropped lower. He didn’t know how to feel considering, Liz was fast asleep and obviously dreaming about them together. Gently he reached down and moved her hand away.
He rolled her onto her side and rapped his arms around her waist from behind. He pressed his face into her neck and smelled her wonderful, fresh, clean scent. That had to be his favorite smell. Nothing could compare to her smell. He lay like that for a long time just listening to her breathing and her occasional moan and his name being muttered and purred. Then he realized he wasn’t going to get any sleep any time soon and climbed out from under the blankets. He sat on the edge of the bed and determination set in when he noticed the fork on the ground and the hole in the wall.
Liz had been so certain that they could make a hole that they could get out through but to him the idea seemed unrealistic. He knew she just needed some hope, something that she could hold on to make her feel better as they sat in this cell and watched days of their youth waste away. He decided he should have been a little nicer towards him when she presented the idea towards him. He should have at least humored her.
He felt bad, so he picked up the fork and started breaking away the bits of concrete. It was unusually brittle and Max knew that one earthquake and the place would collapse like wet paper. Maybe that’s why it was an abandoned camp, he thought. He was surprised at the little effort it took him to budge large bits away from the wall. He continued doing it for several hours and didn’t stop until Liz woke up just as the sun was coming up.
She rolled onto her side and pressed her breasts into his lower back. “What are you doing?” She grumbled while rubbing her eyes. When she saw she exclaimed, “Oh my God! You are nearly right through the wall!”
Max nodded. “I am in this part here but look there’s something wooden pushed up against the other side… something easily pushed away, like a heater or chair or—“
Liz sat up and rapped her arms around his neck from behind. “How long have you been doing that?” She asked.
“I don’t know,” he responded. “But you were right—if we make the hole big enough was can crawl through into the next room and maybe get out!” He sounded enthused. “We just have to cover the hole on our side with pillows so when they bring us food they won’t notice. It’s a miracle that the other side is covering the hole with whatever it is. Liz do you hear me. We might actually get out through this!”
“Yes I hear you,” Liz asked, getting as enthralled as him. “But what if they are in that room next door? Is it even a room? What if it’s a corridor?”
“We can wait till the middle of the night when they are either gone or asleep then check it out.”
Liz kissed his neck happily. “You’ve been sitting here coming up with plan during the night haven’t you?”
“Yes,” he replied.
“Thank you,” she said quietly. Max nodded and when she continued to hold onto him he turned around and kissed her lips.
“I should have listened to you when you were first telling me—“
“Don’t worry about it! Just dig.” She was grinning. “I love you,” she said.
Max gave her small body a little squeeze. “I love you too,” he said.
“I know,” she teased.
“No, I don’t think you do,” he said. “I have never felt this way before, ever, in my whole life. What are you doing to me?”
“What do you mean?” She asked.
“I just don’t think I’m going to survive you,” he said not able to catch her eyes. “I just don’t know how to act around you because I’m afraid you’ll see something you don’t like and run away…”
“Does it look like either of us are going anywhere?” She joked. She knew it was the wrong thing to say straight afterwards. He was completely serious.
He swallowed and went to turn back to the wall but she grabbed him. “Kiss me,” she said.
“That’s just it,” he said. “I don’t want to, I’m terrified.”
“Of me?” She asked.
“No! Of what you are doing to me,” he replied. “I want to kiss you, but I want it too much.”
For a moment Liz’s heart swelled with love so much she didn’t even care if she got out of their stupid cell. She held him close to her. “You know I feel the same way…” she said.
“Do you?” He asked.
Liz nodded. She leaned in and kissed his lips slowly, passionately, filled with everything she felt for him. “Feel my lips,” she whispered. “Feel how much I love you…”
He groaned.
“Aren’t my lips telling you how much I need you?” She flicked her tongue over his and nibbled on his lower lip. “Can’t you feel how much I want you?”
“Yes,” he moaned.
She ran her hands up his back and under his shirt. “My hands…” she whispered, panting a little. She ran them over his muscles, stroking, massaging, and caressing…. “Feel,” she moaned. “Are they not telling you how much I love you with every gesture they make?”
Without realizing it, Max started drifting down onto his back. Liz came down with him, pressing her chest into his, her hips into his—
“God Liz,” he moaned. “Don’t stop.”
“I won’t,” she panted back.
“Convince me a little more,” he said running one hand up under her shirt and grabbing her ass with the other. She shifted so she was fully on top of him and dug her hips into his, moving them up and down…
Suddenly digging their way out through the wall wasn’t as important. Only for this minute. Liz lifted his shirt up over his head and kissed his chest, his nipples, and the deep ridges of muscle. She sucked on his neck, nibbled on his ears, and ran her hands through his hair passionately.
She couldn’t get enough of him, she wanted to just crawl inside his body and live inside his warmth. She loved him so much… how could he not know that. A little part of her mind told her she needed to tell him more often and act more grateful toward him—she listened to it.
“I love you so much Max,” she said. “So much, please don’t doubt that.” Her lips returned to his and they kissed as if their life depended on it. They kissed as each other as if in fever, touching every part of each others mouth with their own.
“I won’t,” Max moaned back. He pulled her shirt over her head and cupped her bare breasts with his hands. He didn’t want to stop but he knew they really should…
Liz ached for his touch; she begged him not to stop and pressed her breasts into his chest. He was so warm why was he always like an oven. Had she told him how much she loved that?
The only other thing she was wearing was her underwear, Max was wearing his cotton boxers and his arousal was hard and pressing against her begging to be touched. She ran her hands down his chest and slipped one hand under the elastic to grasp him. He gasped with pleasure and arched into her hands wanting more. She rubbed him up and down but stopped before he could release… she wanted him inside her.
“Liz,” he said. “We can’t…” Always so in control.
“I know,” she replied. She continued to kiss him, her hands continued to stroke him. “I don’t care. I need you, please…”
PROTECTION BE DAMNED! She wanted to scream.
“What if—?”
Liz pulled off his boxers and rubbed her wet underwear up against his bare arousal. “Please,” she moaned.
Max did have control, but he didn’t have that much control. He couldn’t argue anymore, he flipped them over and attacked Liz’s mouth with such passion.
She panted and her nails clawed at his back leaving red marks. Neither of them cared. Max’s hands ran up the insides of her thighs, spreading them further apart on the way. He ran his finger over the wetness of the material before finally sliding them down her legs and chucking them away. Liz lifted her ass up off the bed and rubbed herself against him, panting and continuing to beg. Her self-control was long gone.
They both knew what the consequence of their actions could be but they just couldn’t stop. Besides, if she didn’t get pregnant from this, it didn’t she mean she wouldn’t from the time in the shower. Well, the two times… in the shower.
Max kissed her neck and then brought one of her nipples into his mouth and sucked on it gently. His teeth ran over her now hard nubs causing her to shiver with pleasure.
“Max!” Liz cried. “Please! Make love to me…”
Max kissed her lips again and while he made love to her mouth, he finally pushed himself within her. His lips didn’t leave hers as he moved in and out of her little body making her mouth with every thrust. Her hands clutched at the hair on the back of his neck and her toes curled, them too waiting for release to come…Finally she let go before him, he came tumbling after her only a millisecond later.
They fell back in a satisfied heap or bare flesh, sweat and wetness and clung to each other, not entirely ready to let go yet. Max mumbled sweet words of love into Liz’s ear and she blew on the sweat on his forehead.
“Oh God,” she mumbled. “I just loose my head when I’m with you Max.”
“I know,” he agreed.
They didn’t move for several minutes but when they did, they crawled back under the covers and snuggled for a few hours until breakfast came. Of course, Max made sure to cover his nights work with a blanket so they couldn’t find out.
They stayed under the covers, their bodies pressed together, and fed the food to each other and while they did, they realized they could hear the talking from the room next door through the hole. It was quite clear.
Liz rested her head on Max’s chest as they listened.
“You mean they actually accepted your random?” One man said. He sounded young, around twenty years old.
Jeff’s father spoke next. They would recognize that voice anywhere. “Yes, what do you expect? Between the two families, they have so much money not only their grandchildren, but their great, great, great, great, grandchildren will be sweet for years.”
They shared a laugh. “So how long till they hand it over?” Another man entered the conversation.
“Three days max.”
“We are going to be rich!” Someone said gleefully.
Liz swallowed.
Max leaned down to whisper to her just in case they could hear them too. “We have to get out of here tonight.”
She nodded in agreement.
“I kind of feel bad for them two being locked in there all the time,” one man said.
“Oh like they can’t handle a little time away from complete luxury! I don’t give a shit,” another man argued. “Kids with parent’s as well off as them are stuck up little pricks.”
“Charming,” Jeff commented.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

They lay listening to their conversations all-day and braking more away on their hole. Liz was disgusted by how vulgar the men holding them were.
Max laughed when she told him. “Sweetie that’s not because they are sinister, it’s because they are men.”
“Are you meaning to tell me you talk like that?” She asked.
Max bit his lip. “Only when I’m wasted and with my male mates.” He thought it was a good save but Liz saw right through him.
“Yeah right,” she said. “You are disgusting.”
Towards the evening, they were surprised to learn that after they had been feed and their leftovers were removed their ‘guards’ went home. They could hear the men saying their goodbyes and shuttling around. Liz wanted to know where her father had slipped up in his plans—well there, it was. They weren’t certain everyone was gone but they had gotten so tired of doing nothing that they started to bang on the wall and break away the pieces. They didn’t even bother trying to be quiet. Once the hole was the size of two fists Max reached through and pushed the wood thing that was blocking their way. It fell forward with a crash.
“This is going to take forever,” Liz said agitated.
“We need something big to break away more of the concrete. You see how it’s gotten harder to break here around the edges? That means this was probably a hole to begin with and they’ve just filled it up.”
“Do you think my father would have done it? Filled it up I mean?” Liz asked.
“I don’t know. But if we don’t get a move on we will never get out of here.”
They worked together, breaking away chunks. When it was big enough for a small animal to get through Liz poked her head out to see what was in the next room. It was rather boring. There was a small wooden table in the center of the room and a refrigerator, basin, and oven against the wall. A light bulb hung from the ceiling and the room smelt like cleaning products.
Around three am it was just big enough for Liz to get through on her stomach with her hand out in front of her. They decided that she would go out and go and try to find the key or something to help break the wall easier so Max could get out.
Max watched as she searched around the room but when she didn’t find the key she found a gun in the top draw and headed towards Max with determination. “Max get away from the way,” she said.
“Liz, are you crazy? Put the gun down!”
“No, Max just go stand by the door, I don’t want you to get hurt. This will work.”
“It WILL NOT work, Liz please, put the gun down.”
“No.”
“Put the GUN DOWN!”
“No!” She yelled. “Do you want to get out or not, go get next to the door.”
Max gritted his teeth and got up. “Fine but if you hurt yourself I swear to God…”
Liz cocked the gun and shot at the crumbling wall. Plaster and concrete went flying everywhere. She did it repeatedly and then went and put the gun back. When she came back Max was kicking at the wall and huge chunks fell down.
“Didn’t I tell you?” Liz asked.
“Call me old fashioned,” he said. “But guns are dangerous and you could have killed yourself.”
“Just crawl through, I really don’t want to be here when someone arrives.”
Max pushed the bits and crawled through to the other side. When he got up Liz grabbed his arm and started tugging him towards the door. Outside was a corridor that they could follow to either the left or the right.
“To the right is our cell so if we go down that hall it will lead us out to those cabins won’t it?” Liz asked.
“Yes, let’s go,” Max said. They ran down past their cell and out into the large hall with the stained glass windows. As expected, all the doors were locked so they broke a stained glass window and climbed out.
It was warm outside but pitch black; there were no lights around. They ran along the grass down to the car park, which was empty and then out down the road. It became obvious that they were on a mountain and would be going down, nevertheless they ran as fast as they could away from the place they never ever wanted to see again.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

XVIII

“When I agreed that we should walk all night to get as far away from that place as possible, I don’t think I realized how tired I was. Maybe it was just the pure ecstatic joy to be free again speaking.”
Max glanced back at her dragging her feet behind her as they walked. “Do you want to stop? The sun is going to come up soon.”
Liz yawned. “I know we can’t but unless you piggy back ride me I don’t think I can make it.” Her legs buckled and she crumbled to the grass below with a thud.
Max walked up to her. “Can you get up?” He asked.
She looked up at him. “Yes,” she lied.
“Right,” Max said putting his hands under her armpits. “Up we go.” Once she was on her feet he walked her over to the side of the creek that they had been walking along side for the last three hours. He found a spot hidden by a large bush and then lay out his jacket so she could lie down on it.
“Are you comfortable?” He asked squatting down beside her.
Liz lay down on her back and snuggled into the jacket. “I’m as comfortable as I’m going to get lying on the ground. Max you should have your jacket you’ll get cold—“
“Oh yes and what will you do?” He moved so he was sitting with his back against a tree trunk so she could sleep with her head on his lap. Liz didn’t have the strength to argue so she just snuggled into his legs. She wanted to make sure he was comfortable so he could get some sleep but she just didn’t know where to find the strength. She drifted off quickly…
“Liz,” Max woke her up two hours later. “Liz, darling wake up.”
She yawned. “No, I don’t want to,” she mumbled.
Max chuckled. “We have to get going, the suns coming up. We need to get further away before they find out we are gone.”
Liz didn’t get nearly enough sleep but with Max’s help, she was on her feet again. He kissed her forehead and said he loved her and knew she could do it and she felt better.
As they walked Liz asked if he had gotten any sleep whatsoever.
“Yes, just a little bit,” he replied. Actually, he hadn’t gotten any at all; he had just watched her angel face at peace and thought for a long time. He decided that if they ever got away from here and had a normal life he wanted to marry her. His Liz, he didn’t want to be with anyone else.
Liz knew he was lying and silently took his hand in hers. What would she do without him?
They stayed away from the single road that had no traffic and walked through the bush and trees at the side of the road. It was thick shrubbery but there was enough room for them to walk in single file out of view.
They walked at a fast pace for three hours until they came to a large pond hidden by a grass and tall trees.
“I’m going to clean up,” Liz said. Max nodded and slumped down onto the grass to rest his eyes for a few minutes. He didn’t know how long he was asleep for but when he opened his eyes, it was to see the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Liz was sitting by the side of the pond with one leg in the water and the other up against her chest. She was only wearing her white tank top and underwear she was running her fingers through her wet hair. The sun was shining down on her and the pond and she just shined with glittery light. His heart swelled at the sight.
When she noticed that he was awake, she smiled. “Good morning sleepy head,” she said.
Max yawned. “How long have I been asleep?” He asked.
“Only an hour or less,” she said. “Do you think we better get going?”
“Yes,” he replied rubbing his eyes. “But first I want you to come here.”
“Why?” She was trying not to grin with happiness. She got up and walked over to him with her long hair dripping down her back. When she reached him he grabbed her and pulled her down to kneel in front of him. “Kiss me,” he demanded.
“Only if you say please,” she teased.
“Please.”
She leaned forward and pressed her mouth to his but pulled away before he could deepen it.
“What was that supposed to be?” He asked.
“A kiss, I’m sorry it’s not to your usual standard but it can’t get out of hand. Now get up, let’s go.”
She got up, went, and put on her pants, cardigan and shoes. “I cleaned my socks the best I could, but now they are damp,” she whined.
They walked in silence for several minutes then Liz started to panic. “Max what are we going to do? We have absolutely no money, there is no one we know—I don’t know about you but I am getting very hungry. We can’t just go up to someone and ask him or her to help us, that is IF we ever find a town. This is Germany, what if no one at all speaks English!”
“Liz calm down, we’ll figure something out.”
“How do you know? We are going to die of starvation, I just know it.”
Max shook his head. What was he supposed to say to make her feel better. “I will find you some food, I promise. Look on the bright side, we are out now aren’t we?”
“Yes, but now what?” She asked.
“Now we go back home.”
Liz mumbled. “I want to go back to New York, I miss my little comfy apartment.”
Max didn’t say anything.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

They walked all-day and then stopped at the edge of a town. There was a small farm and they were delighted to find the man of the house spoke English. He let them stay in the barn and even promised that if someone came looking for them they would say they knew nothing. They gave them some bread, jam, fruit, and then sent them on their way in the morning.
The town wasn’t too large, but it was large enough and there were phone booths—but they had no money. Max and Liz stared longingly at the telephones as they walked past them. They were very careful to stay hidden as they walked around. At one point Liz got so frustrated she refused to go any further and demanded that he go find the police station and leave her there.
“Liz, come on we’ll find it eventually.”
“No.”
“Liz.”
“NO!”
“Liz shut up!” Max said getting very agitated. “Yelling will not help you this time. Not with me, I know you well enough not to listen. Now get of your God damn ass and come here!”
Liz looked at him with surprise and then sauntered over to him.
“I know you are frustrated but I am too and—“
“You know it’s not very nice talking to a lady like that,” some man reading a newspaper commented.
Max and Liz both spun around to look at him. “You speak English?” They demanded.
“Yes, and you my man are quite rude.”
“Yeah okay what ever,” Liz said. “Can you please tell us where the police station is?”
“We don’t have one in this town, you have to go to the next one over. It’s about forty KMs away.”
Liz looked up at Max with complete and utter sadness and then fainted.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

“Here I got you some food,” Max said handing Liz two apples.
“Where did you get that?” She asked.
“That tree,” Max motioned the to the fruit tree they had just passed. “How long do you think it’ll take us to walk to the next town?”
“Three-“ Liz sighed. “Hundred days.”
“Be realistic.”
“I am, that is how I feel. It will take me three-hundred days to walk there.”
“Then I’ll drag you.”
“Charming,” Liz mumbled.
They were walking down the only road out of town eight at night their arms bumping into the others with each step. Liz looked up at Max and she could make out his face a little. When a car drove past the headlights would reveal his whole face and she would smile.
“Max you are so pretty,” she said.
“Pretty? You really must be tired. Maybe we should stop.”
Liz touched his arm. “No those lights up a head are getting closer. We’ll be there soon.”
“If we run we’ll get there quicker?”
“You have energy to run?” He asked.
“No, but I’d like to give it a try anyway.” Liz leaned up and kissed his neck. “I’ll race you. Pretend those evil goons are chasing us and it’ll make us move quicker. When you’re scared you sprint. On your marks,” she said.
“Are you going to skip get set this time?”
“No,” Liz said. “Get set—“
Max ran off and Liz called after him. “I hadn’t said GO yet!” She screamed.
Ten minutes later a very tired Liz and Max found themselves standing in front of a hotel/ bar with a sign on the window in German and English, and Italian and French, for that matter. It said, Tonight! Talent Quest! $1,000 for the winner, $500 for second place and $200 for third place. Come on in!
“Oh yes,” Liz said with a glint in her eyes. “How lucky can we get?”
“What?” Max asked.
“Oh yes!” she cried. “Oh sweet!”
“What—? Oh shit no. I don’t think so Liz, no way. I am not entering a talent quest.”
Liz grabbed his hand and tugged him up to the front doors. “You are and I’ll make it worth your while if you do… come on! We might win and be able to eat and stay in a hotel room!”
Max was thinking about the possibilities. “Fine, okay—but what the hell are we going to do?”
“We? No, not we. You. You Max, my man, my knight in shining armor—you are going to sing.”

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

[nicola]

XIV

The bar was completely packed with people. Some were drunk off their faces and others were on their way. Max and Liz walked up to the bar and Liz asked where they could sign up for the contest. The bar man smiled and called his wife over. She was a large American woman and could speak all the languages from the poster. She was beautiful with long black hair and an animated face.
“Well hello there,” she greeted them with a big smile. “My husband tells me you want to enter the contest?”
“Yes,” Liz said grinning. “Can we still do that?”
“Of course you can, the entry fee is $10.00,” she said.
Liz’s face dropped Max’s heart leaped with glee. Yes! He wouldn’t have to sing!
“By the look on your face I take it you don’t have any money on you,” the woman said. “Well just because it looks like you guys have been through a rough time—“
“You have no idea,” Liz mumbled.
“I’ll let it slip, but don’t tell anyone,” the woman said.
Damnit, Max thought. Damnit, damnit.
“Oh thank you!” Liz cried. “Thank you so much.”
“Don’t mention it. So what do you two plan to do?”
“Max here,” Liz said rapping her arm around his shoulders. “Is going to sing.”
“Sing! How wonderful.”
“Do you have a guitar I could use?” Liz asked curiously. “Maybe I could contribute a little….”
The woman nodded. “Most certainly. Everything on the stage can be used. You’ll be last since we have already started so just write you names here and go take a seat.”
Liz wrote down their names and thanked the lady once more. She walked away smiling and Max and Liz took a seat at the bar.
“I don’t want to sing,” Max complained. “I know why don’t you sing? I sound terrible…”
Liz shook her head. “No don’t even try to lie to me. I saw you sing in that bar we went to with Michael and Maria, or don’t you remember? You were excellent. Maria agrees with me, we know you have talent just bubbling to get out.”
“I do not have talent,” Max said.
Liz kissed his cheek. “I know you can do it love. Now what do you want to sing… oh I know the perfect song!”
“Oh no.”
“Yes, I do.”
It took him a little bit of convincing but finally he caved and said he would sing her song. He left to go to the toilet and while she sat there watching the other bands a man came up and offered to buy her a drink. Liz was glad there were people around who spoke English since they didn’t know any German songs.
She was about to turn down his offer but then paused and licked her lips. She really wanted a drink. Max wouldn’t mind would he? It’s not as if she actually wanted this guy. She couldn’t imagine being with anyone but Max…
“I’d love one, thank you,” she told the man. The man tried to chat her up while she sipped her bottle of beer but she wasn’t paying attention. When Max came back he didn’t notice the man and slipped into the other seat next to her. He spun her chair around to face him and pressed his forehead to hers. “God Liz,” he said. “This reminds me of back in Naples, do you remember that night on in the back alley…?” he put his two warm hands on her knees and she wanted to moan.
“How could I forget, I’m still mad about you pretending to be too drunk to remember it the next day. You dork.”
Max laughed. “I had good intentions.”
A throat cleared behind them and Max looked over Liz’s shoulder. “Yes?” He asked the man.
The man glared at Max and then Liz and then sighed. It was obvious he had been had. He snarled and got up from his stool and walked away.
Liz called after him. “Thank you for the drink!”
“What?” Max frowned.
Liz looked at him innocently. “He offered,” she said. “I was really thirsty. Want some?” She held up the bottle of beer.
Max rolled his eyes.
“Have a drink,” she said. “I know you want one.”
Max took a sip and then put it back on the bench. “You know what I really want? A cigarette.”
“How long has it been?” She asked. “And you’ve lasted, why don’t you give up before you get lung cancer?”
“I don’t know…”
“Come on,” Liz argued. “I’ll take your mind of it.”
“How?”
“This,” she mumbled. “Is how.” She cupped his cheeks and kissed his lips. At first slowly and then she opened her mouth and kissed him more passionately.
“Hmm,” he mumbled. “Okay… I’ll give up. For you—“
“Good,” she mumbled back. She nibbled on his bottom lip and ran her fingers through his hair. “I love you.”
“I love you t—“
“Last contestants for this evening everyone! Max and Liz Evans!”
Max raised his eyebrows at Liz. “Evans?” He asked.
“I thought it would be cuter that way,” Liz said. “Now come on!” She jumped up off the stool and dragged him up to the stage. “You know the words right?”
“I know the words,” Max said.
Max and Liz sat down on chairs on the stage and Liz adjusted the microphone so it was in front of the guitar. Max held a microphone in his hand and glared at Liz with a ‘you are going to pay for this’ look and then turned back to the crowed. They cheered and then Liz started strumming the guitar.
Max started singing into the microphone. “You’ve got your ball, you’ve got your chain. Tied to me tight, tie me up again. Who’s got their claws in you my friend? Into your heart I’ll beat again.”
Liz smiled at Max and he smiled back.
“Sweet like candy to my soul. Sweet you rock, and sweet you roll. Lost for you, I'm so lost for you. Oh, and you come crash into me. And I come into you, and I come into you, in a boy's dream, In a boy's dream. Touch your lips just so I know. In your eyes, love, it glows so I'm bare-boned and crazy... for you.”
When they finished the women all stared at Max with awe and all the men drooled over Liz because any girl with a guitar is hot. Nevertheless, everyone cheered and ‘Mr. and Mrs. Evans’ ended up coming third place. It wasn’t as much money say they would have hoped but it was something and they could stay in the hotel and eat properly for the first time in days.
The restaurant wasn’t open so they could only buy food from the vending machine at the bottom of the steps. They stocked up on whatever and then climbed the stairs and found their room number.
Outside the door Liz rapped her arms around Max’s neck and kissed him. “Max you have the most beautiful voice, how can you hide it like you do?”
“Liz—I—I,” he stuttered. “It’s not something I’m passionate about.”
Liz pressed her forehead against his. “Will you sing for me when I ask you?”
He thought about it for a second. “Now?” He asked.
“No, when I ask you,” she said.
“Okay,” he said. “Only for you.”
“Thank you,” she said smiling. “Let’s go inside. A bed! A double bed, not a single mattress!”
Max unlocked the door and they stumbled in and turned the lights on. Liz sighed contentedly and threw her vending machine food on the bed before heading towards the bathroom. When she came out she was wearing only the bathroom robe supplied. She turned off the lights and headed over to Max who sat on the end of the bed rubbing his eyes. When he looked up, she was standing in front of him with a grin and a foil package in her hand. “Guess what?” She asked. “There’s a condom machine in the bathroom.”
Max laughed.
She climbed on him so her legs were around his waist. She kissed his passionately and he groaned and ran his hands up and down her body.
“Make love to me Max,” she purred. He lay back on the bed and the bag of potato chips on the bed popped under his back. They both laughed into each other mouths.
“God Liz,” Max moaned when he ran his hand under her robe to feel her bare body. “I love you,” he moaned.
“Hmm,” she said. “Me too, me too…”

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

XV

“Oh, my.”
Liz closed her eyes and moaned deep in her throat.
“Oh that is good,” she murmured.
She rubbed her feet over the bedspread and tossed her head back and forth.
“I missed this so much,” she purred.
Max sighed. “Would you stop that please?” He asked.
“Stop what?” she grinned devilishly.
“Getting turned on more by that chocolate bar then what me!” Max lifted his head up from her stomach and glared at her. “It’s insulting.”
Liz laughed loudly then smiled at him and continued eating her chocolate bar. “You are very insecure Max Evans.” She finished her treat and then threw the rapping away.
“Well when it comes to being with you, I have every right to be,” he said.
“What is that supposed to mean?” She asked.
Max licked his lips and lay his head back down on her flat belly. “Nothing,” he replied.
“Like hell,” she muttered. “Max… Max…” She cooed. When he didn’t look up she ran her fingers through his hair. “What’s wrong darling? What have I done?”
“Nothing,” he admitted. “It’s me… just don’t worry.”
Liz tugged on his arms wanting him face to face with her. Wanting his eyes on her.
Max sighed and finally shifted so his face was hovering above hers.
“Max,” she said. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m just being paranoid that’s all.” He put his forehead on hers and closed his eyes. “Paranoid of you… not…” He shifted uncomfortably.
“Does this have to do with the candy bar?” She asked.
“No.”
“Can you tell me?” She asked.
“No. You’ll laugh at me.”
“Try me,” she said. When he didn’t say anything she said, “can I guess?”
She felt Max’s hand glide up her thigh and stop at her hipbone. “Okay,” he whispered.
“Does this have to do with why you won’t go back to New York?”
He didn’t respond.
Aha.
“Does this have to do with your father?”
He didn’t respond.
Aha.
“Does this have to do with your reluctance to sing in public like Maria said?” Liz touched his shoulder. He shivered. I want to help him, she thought. How can I help him?
“No I just get embarrassed singing,” Max muttered. “It reminds me of those male pop groups and they freak me out because they are so…gay.”
Liz laughed. God she loved him, she wanted to crawl inside him and become him.
When they went silent, again she continued her questions.
“Does this have to do with Filomena?” She asked.
“No,” Max said. “Don’t think about her.”
“Okay.” Liz smiled. He only loves me. “Well then does this have something to do with me I mean… oh God I don’t know. Please tell me,” she said.
“It has to do with you and my jealousy and insecurity… that’s all I’ll say.”
Liz sighed. Suddenly realizing part of what this must be about. “Is this to do with the man at the bar?” She asked.
He didn’t respond.
Aha!
That still didn’t explain the link with why he left New York. “Max,” she said. “Open your eyes.”
Max opened his eyes.
“I love you,” she said. “You are being very paranoid aren’t you? Don’t you see that I am here with you. I have no idea how you can STILL be worried I am going to run off. It’s not going to happen.”
Max smiled. “I know you aren’t, I won’t let you.” LIAR! Liz thought.
He rapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her chest. She rapped her arms around his shoulders.
“No you are still worried.” Liz knew his worries must have something to do with his past but since he didn’t look like he was going to tell her yet again she would just have to be the best she could be. “Maybe I should just show you how much I love you until we both can’t go away anyway because we will be mentally and physically e.x.h.a.u.s.t.e.d.”
Max chuckled. “I’d like that….”
“Of course you would,” Liz grinned. “It is, in fact, you we are talking about. Mr. Max Evans’ man whore.”
“I am not a man whore.”
Liz laughed as if it was the funniest thing she had ever heard. “You are so. I am the one that should be worried about you straying to another woman. One day you will won’t you? When I am no longer intriguing.”
“Never,” he said.
“Liar,” she said with a hint of…sadness? “All men cheat.”
“I don’t want to,” Max murmured. “But the questions is, would you forgive me if I did?”
“No.”
“Ah see, I’m paranoid about loosing you so why would I do something to risk that fate?”
“Touché,” Liz said.
Max sighed. “Laugh again,” he said.
“What?” She asked. “Why?”
“Because I like the feeling of your chest going up and down against my cheek,” he explained.
“Your prickly cheek,” Liz purred. “You are beginning to look like a pirate with a long beard. We should buy you a raiser so I can see your face again.”
“We should,” he agreed. “But not right now. Neither of us is moving from this spot until after we have recovered from being physically and mentally exhausted. Remember? You promised me.”
“I remember,” she whispered. He brought his face up to hers and she kissed the side of his mouth without closing her eyes. She then kissed the skin behind his ear and trailed her nose along his cheek. After she had kissed his eyelid, he repeated the movements on her. She smiled up at him with admiration and silently opened her legs for him. He reached over onto the dresser and picked up the third foil package of the evening. They stared into each others eyes as he slid into her and then moaned together when he was fully inside of her.
They kissed each others lips and without having to ask, Liz felt Max slip his hand into hers and intertwine his fingers through hers. There was nothing hungry about this moment. It was only about committing themselves to each other in the most intimate way possible.
“Oh Max,” Liz whispered tears stinging her eyes. She rapped her arms around his shoulders and he brought his mouth down on hers. They pressed their foreheads together as he pulled out of her and thrust back in—with each movement Liz’s toes bunched and her fingertips gripped at Max’s back.
Max rubbed his nose over hers and she licked his lips. “Again Max…”
He thrust into her again and they floated together in the passion infused bliss before collapsing with relief.
“I love you,” Liz whispered. “So much.”
“I love you too.”
They slept for an hour and then got up to have a shower. Liz closed her eyes and just marveled at the exquisite feeling of the warm water running down her front and Max’s hard back pressed against her back.
He ran his hands up and down her sides and then lathered her stomach and beasts with soap. He was placing feather light kissed on her neck and behind her ears. Apparently they were both very tired and couldn’t be bothered moving.
Liz sighed and took the soap off him. She wanted to taste him but she didn’t know if she had the strength to get down on her knees. She watched Max open the little motel shampoo bottle and pour some on his hands. He was taking such good care of her; the least she could do was…
After he had washed her hair she finally got down onto her knees and took him into her mouth. Max jumped in surprise but groaned in delight too. He put his hands on her head and clutched her hair as she took more and more of him into her mouth. Her hands moved up to rub his sacks and he had to lean back against the shower wall to keep from falling down.
She could barely hear his groans over the sound of the water pounding down but she knew he was enjoying what she was doing and moved her head back and fourth so he was making love to her mouth. When he came, she gulped down all his fluid before standing back up and hugging him to her. When they got out of the shower they went back into the room and slept through the night cuddling each other close.
They were woken up in the morning by a knocking at the door and Max got up and went to see who it was. It was the motel owner and she was rocking back and forth on her feet nervously.
“What’s up?” Max asked.
“Look…” she said. “These men were just downstairs looking for you two.”
Max’s eyes widened in shock. “Oh shit… did you tell them we were here?”
“No,” she said. “You look like you are in some trouble and it’s none of my business so I won’t ask but maybe its best if you move on from here. You have some winnings left and you can collect the rest downstairs before you take off.”
“Okay, sure. Thank you,” Max said.
She smiled and nodded her head. “And um… good luck to you.”
“Yeah thank you so much,” Max said. He closed the door and walked over to the bed where Liz was still sleeping. “Liz,” he said tucking her hair behind her ears. “Liz, babe wake up.”
She sighed and snuggled into him.
“Wake up sweetheart,” Max kissed her lips and she opened her eyes finally. “It’s time to go,” he said.
“What? Why?” She mumbled. “Can’t we stay here for a while?”
Max shook his head. “The manager was just here, she said that some men were here looking for us. We have to keep moving.”
Liz sat up. “Really? Damn!” She rubbed her eyes. “We have to ring our parents before we leave,” she reminded him.
“Yeah, let’s get dressed and then go downstairs.”
When they finally went down, they made the toll call to Liz’s mother. She was frantic and screeching into the telephone.
“Where are you? That son of a bitch Jeffery said he had you captured…”
“He did mom, we got away.”
“Where are you?” She demanded. “I’m hoping on a plane to come and get you right now, tell me where you are and…”
“We are in Garmisch-Partenkirchen,” Liz said. She looked at the motel owner. “Where’s the nearest airport?” She asked.
“Next town over, the main city” she said.
“Well we can’t get a new VISA issued…” Liz said to her mother.
“That’s why I’ll come and I’ll bring you home. Can you get to the next town over?” She asked. “We’ll figure out passports and everything when I get there. I’ll ring the…”
“Will you sort everything out?”
“Yes I will darling, you’ll be out of there in the next few days I promise.”
“Thank you so much mom.”
“Okay, I’m flying there tonight. Get there as soon as you can.”
“Okay mom, oh and ring Max’s parents’ will you?”
“Yes of course! I’ll see you soon darling! I am so glad you are okay.”
When Liz hung up, she glanced over at Max who was sitting on a chair with his head in his hands. “I’m not going back to New York,” he said.
Liz kneeled down in front of him. “Then we’ll go to Italy again, okay… we just can’t stay here, you know that.”
“I know that.”
“We have to get going, we have to get to the city,” Liz said. “We’ll have to walk.”
“Hmm,” he mumbled. “Let’s get some food first.”

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

XVI

“I’ve decided,” Liz said. “I will not walk.”
Max was several large strides ahead of her and turned around to see what she was doing. “What do you mean?”
“I am not walking to the city, I will not.” She said it as if he should already know that.
“Then what do you propose we do?” Max asked getting agitated. She could be so damn stubborn sometimes.
“Hitchhike,” she said matter-of-factly.
“No,” he said. He walked up to her, grabbed her arm and started tugging her along. She tried to break away but she was no match for him.
“Let me go!” she cried. “Let me go right now!”
“No, you are not hitchhiking. It is too dangerous and besides, what if the person who pulls up just happens to be your father?”
“I don’t care, I am not walking in this heat a second longer. I will die. Do you want me to kick you in the nuts? Because I will to stop you from dragging me along like this.”
“I am beginning to think the only reason you were put on this earth was to say NO to me! Anything I say you have to disagree with. Why is that? Do you have this bizarre goal in life to PISS ME OFF?”
“Oh Max that is just charming, really it is. Of course you would think that. Just because I don’t want to walk all the damn way…”
“No Max I won’t put down the gun, no Max you HAVE TO compete in a damn talent contest, no Max I won’t do this, I won’t do that…”
“You know you are just making a fool of yourself because each time I have suggested something it has turned out to be a good thing. Did we not have food and a place to sleep last night? Did we not get out of the fucking cell?”
“Oh I have a good one,” he said. “Max, we can’t take his body to the police they won’t believe us.”
Liz stared at him in shock and he knew straight away that he shouldn’t have said that.
“Liz I’m sorry… I didn’t mean that.”
Liz bit her lip and looked away. “Yes you did or else you wouldn’t have said it. You blame me don’t you? You think it’s all my fault.” She sucked in a deep breath. “You’re right, you are. This is all my fault.”
“No it’s not Liz, sweetheart, I was just annoyed I didn’t mean it,” he said. He rapped his arms around her waist.
Liz turned around and pounded on his chest weakly. “I’m sorry for screwing up your life Max. You had luxury and a girlfriend that wasn’t crazy and didn’t know about your issues with your father. That wasn’t always prying for information. You had everything and I just came along and ruined everything in a month!”
“I think it was my decision to loose the girlfriend and if I hadn’t I would have you and as for all this, have I complained much? In a weird twisted way I am enjoying this. It’s like our own mini adventure.”
Liz laughed. “That is twisted.”
“The only thing I would like is for you to listen to me occasionally. Do I have a say in anything we do?”
“Yes of course you do,” she said.
Max smiled. “Prove that to me some time,” he said. “Now lets go, we have a long way to go.”
“What?” She frowned. “No I already told you I am NOT walking there.”
Max looked at her in disbelief and then spun away from her and stomped his feet and threw his arms around in a huff. “FINE! Stay here, see if I care, I am walking.” Liz couldn’t help the little chuckle that escaped her mouth when seeing his little hissy fit.
He starting storming off thinking she would follow but when he was several strides down the road he looked back and saw that she wasn’t. She was taking off her cardigan and pulling down her tank top to reveal more of the tops of her breasts. He walked backwards in horror as she put her thumb out to a nearing car. They tooted at her but didn’t stop and he could see that she wasn’t discouraged and pulled her long hair out of her pony tale so it was blowing around her face in the breeze.
Max gritted his teeth. She was just insatiable!
A ute stopped in front of her and she leaned in through the window to talk to them and then jumped once in glee and hopped in. They drove towards him and then stopped a little bit in front of him. Liz jumped out and slammed the door. “Look, you can thank me later. We can ride in the back, they’ll take us to the outskirts of the city!”
They climbed in the back and sat with their backs against the side. There was no covering so they had to hold onto the sides. Liz grinned at Max.
“What?” he asked.
She continued to grin.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that you crazy woman?”
“You can say it now,” she said. “Go on, I’m waiting.”
“Say what?” he asked.
“Thank you Liz, I love you, what would I do without you?” She held her long hair away from her face as the wind blew past them.
“I will not thank you for something I told you not to do,” he argued.
Liz snorted in disbelief. “Are we not getting a ride? We are going to get there much quicker though you still do not admit I was right. What’s your problem?”
Max sighed. “I have no ‘problem’. I just wish that occasionally, you know just every now and then you would actually listen to what I have to say instead of doing the complete opposite just to annoy me.”
“I do not do the complete opposite to what you tell me and when I do it is not to annoy you! I know you are just being over protective Max and that is when I have to do what I think is right because other wise you would treat me like I’m tree years old! Max I love it how you feel the need to protect me but I don’t need protecting from every little thing. You have to remember this is the twentieth century, I can take care of myself.”
Max looked at her with a blank face.
“Can we please stop arguing now? We have more pressing issues to worry about. Like getting out of the country before my psycho father finds us.” She rapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him. “I love you Max, and don’t think I don’t listen to you because I do. I listen to everything you say because I love you.” She kissed his lips. “When we get to a place of our own again, you owe me make up sex and don’t think I’ll forget.”

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

“Come on Liz, let’s swim,” Max said.
“What? No, are you crazy? Its pitch black outside, we’ll drown!” Liz sat down with her back up against a tree trunk. There was a little bit of light coming from the building across the road but the bushes blocked most of it. Liz could see Max start pulling off his clothing because of the moon glowing behind him.
“Oh. My. God. You are mad, I can’t believe you,” Liz said. He stopped when he stood before her in nothing but his little checkered boxes.
“You can sit there by yourself, have fun, I’m going to get some exercise,” Max said. He ran towards the deep pond and dived in. This place was obviously a place where families came to swim when it was hot. There was a rope tied to a tree to Liz’s left and a swing set to her right. She got up, went, and sat down on it. She could see Max doing laps in the water and smiled dreamily. It didn’t seem to matter to her that tonight they would have to sleep outside on the ground, all she could think about Max’s muscles as they moved with his arms. She closed her eyes and when she opened them several minutes later, Max was standing in front of her.
“What are you doing?” She asked.
“Looking at you.”
“That’s nice. See anything interesting?”
“Hmm,” he mumbled. “Plenty.” He walked over to the big cluster of rocks by the side of the pond and climbed up them to the highest one.
“Don’t Max, it’s not safe! It might be too shallow!” Liz jumped up. “Max!”
“Calm down, it’s deep over here, I’ll be fine,” Max called down. He smiled, “watch me dive,” he said.
Perfectly he dived in, barely making a splash and Liz called out, “great, ten out of ten, wonderful, now can you please get out? I don’t like being out here by myself.”
Silence.
“Max?”
Silence. Liz strained her ears to hear a ripple of water, anything.
“Max? This isn’t funny, get out right now.”
Silence.
“Max! MAX!” She screamed. She stood at the side of the pond looking in to spot him. “Max! Not funny! Ha ha, the jokes over… Max? Max come on…”
Liz started to panic. “You are scaring me,” Liz cried. “Get out right now!”
Silence.
Tears started to fill Liz’s eyes. “Max?” She whimpered.
She gave in and jumped into the water. “Max!”
Shuffling behind her caused her to scream.
“Liz?” Max asked looking smug already half dressed. “I thought you didn’t want to go for a swim.”
Liz looked at him in shock and she climbed out of the water. “Oh my God,” she cried. “What the FUCK is wrong with you?” Liz screeched stomping up to him. “Were you trying to give me a heart attack? Is that it? Do you want to get rid of me because you can do that right now very easily… no witnesses!”
Max stopped smiling when he saw how pale and terrified she looked. “Calm down Liz, it was only a joke.”
“Not fucking funny!”
Max touched her arm and felt her tremors. “God Liz you’re shaking.”
“No I’m not,” she said turning away from him. Tears filled her eyes; she had never been so scared in her life. She was still trying to calm down her heart.
“I didn’t mean to—“
“Too late,” She cried. She slumped down onto the ground at her tree.
Max got down next to her and pulled her onto his lap. “Come here,” he mumbled quietly. “I’m sorry.”
Liz rapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest. “Please don’t scare me like that ever again.” She sounded so defeated.
“I won’t,” he said.

Sunrise:
“Liz, wake up,” Max was shaking her.
Liz woke up with a start. “Hmm? What is it? Do we have to get going?”
“No,” Max said. He shifted so she was sitting in between his legs with her lazy head resting against his chest. “Look,” he said pointing to the lake. “Look at the sun coming up, isn’t it beautiful?”
“Yes,” Liz said. “Is this why I’m awake?”
Max was silent for several minutes and she began to think he wasn’t going to answer her.
“I haven’t been fair to you,” he said quietly. “You told me everything there is to know about you and I haven’t been as honest as you.”
Liz didn’t say anything.
“I should have told you sooner and I’ve been thinking about it and I should tell you. My father and I—we—“
“Max,” Liz spun around to face him. “You don’t have to tell me if you aren’t ready, I understand. I haven’t forced you into this in anyway…”
“I am ready, this is why I am telling you this.” Max kissed her forehead and motioned for her to sit as she was, she suspected he couldn’t look into her face while he spoke.
“When I was twenty-one I met a girl.” He paused. “Her name was Angie Holmes. Remember I told you I’d only ever been in love once before you? Well Angie was the girl.” Max kissed Liz’s hair. “She was twenty-three and worked in a café down from my apartment.” Max chuckled to help his nervousness. Liz felt him clutching her sides tightly. “You know she would never let me come any where near her, insisting she was waiting for marriage.”
Liz grabbed his hands and intertwined her fingers through his. “Was she beautiful?”
“She had red hair and green eyes,” Max replied. “She wasn’t as beautiful as you,” he whispered in her ear.
“Liar,” Liz teased. “Tell me the rest.”
“I was a gentleman back then so I respected her wishes and convinced myself I loved her.” Max snorted, “What a joke that was. You know, I went around to her house on a Thursday morning when she didn’t expect me and found her in bed with my father.”
Liz gasped. “Oh Max…”
“I never did get along with my father anyway. When I was little he was never around and eventually I gave up wondering whether he was going to be home for my birthday. That’s not what hurt me about it… I just keep asking myself how he could do that behind moms back. I wasn’t so worried about him doing it behind my back; I didn’t expect anything from him. He could be a complete stranger for all I care but behind moms? You should have heard her going on about him; she loves him so much. More then he could ever deserve.”
“Oh Max…”
“I just had to leave after that. I couldn’t face her, let alone him. I couldn’t watch her go on about how great he was and how much she loved him so I just left.” Max sniffled. “I got over Angie quickly, I saw her for what she really was and couldn’t care less. But I still can’t face my mother and I won’t go back to New York.”
Liz didn’t know what to say. She turned around and threw her arms around him. “Oh Max!” She said. “I’m so sorry for what happened!”

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

[nicola]

XVII

They walked towards the city in silence but both of them were very aware of the new air between them. It was as if they had suddenly became closer, more intimate and more aware of each other. The need to touch, even in the slightest way, was more of a matter of life and death. They walked close together, their arms bumping against each other. This would normally be an insignificant bump, but now it was important, even if it was so small. Liz spoke,
“When I was nine my mom pulled me out of school one random day because she decided she wanted to home school me. She claimed she could make learning more fun for me and she really did.”
Max looked down at her with a smile.
She looked up at him and let out a little laugh. “She would take me on field trips to museums and historical places around the city. She even brought textbooks!”
Liz watched her hand flow into Max’s and nearly disappear inside his big palm.
“My father went along with it until one day he came home and we were drinking pinot noir. You should have heard him, he was furious! He demanded to know what we were doing and mom simply explained that we were learning.
‘Learning?’ He exclaimed. ‘What the hell does drinking wine have to do with learning?’
Nancy smiled at her daughter who was grinning with her two front teeth missing. She patted her head and then turned back to her husband.
‘Why, darling,’ she explained. ‘We are learning about French culture.’
She said it as if it should have been the most obvious thing in the world.
‘Duhhhh,’ little Liz emphasized.
Max laughed honestly and Liz tightened her hold on his hand. “After that he made me go back to school,” she said.
“What a spoil sport,” Max commented.
“Yes,” Liz agreed. “If I ever have children I want to teach them myself. I learnt more when I was with my mom for a week then I did for a whole term in school. I think I would do a pretty good job.”
Max leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “I can just imagine a little girl looking exactly like you mouthing the ABCs’ while you pointed to a little black board with a stick.”
Liz elbowed him in the side. “Are you making fun of me? That’s not a good idea because you know I can kick your ass.”
“No you can’t,” Max said. “You can win a lot of things but not a physical fight with me. Thank God, because then I’d be in real trouble.”
“Jerk,” Liz mumbled. “Have you never heard the saying, ‘you can do anything if you set your mind to it?’ It’s not good to go around shattering peoples illusions.”
“Yes, especially not yours.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing at all,” he replied. He stopped walking and leaned down to kiss her. They were interrupted by a long fizzing noise and then a pop and shattering. Liz looked up to see fire works and laughed. “Oh someone’s having a party!”
They walked around the next corner and discovered a large opening which was packed with cars and people. It was a carnival.
Liz jumped once in glee as if she’d been on the desert dying of thirst and now had a bottle of ice cold water in front of her. She led him through the people towards the attractions and even waved hello to a clown holding balloons.
“Oh I love carnivals!” Liz cried.
“I can tell.”
Liz asked what the date was and when she found out she was shocked. “Oh, its been way over three months since I began this job to run off to Italy and drag your firm, nice, hot, bottom back to New York. I have totally broken my job ritual. I should have a new job by now!”
“This stopped being a job a long time ago,” Max argued.
“I’m still getting money off your father aren’t I?”
“Well, we don’t know if you are.”
“I bet I am,” she said.
Liz noticed a stall where you had to throw darts at a dart board to win a prize. She pulled Max towards it and said, “win me a prize, or I’ll kick your ass.”
The stall man laughed and said, “you better win, she sounds serious.”
“You have no idea,” Max joked. He pulled out some of the little amount of money they had left and handed it to the man. He hit the bulls eye with all the darts and won Liz a huge teddy bear that Max said was larger then she was.
“Maybe you should make the game harder for your next customers,” Liz commented. “Its too easy.”
“Never has been before!” Was the mans reply.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

“Oh thank God! Lizzie!” Nancy Parker threw her arms around her daughter and sobbed on her shoulder. “I am so glad to see you! Let’s go home.”
“How? We have no passports or…”
Nancy smiled brightly and reached into her bag and produced two wallets and two passports. “I went to the house in Naples before coming here! It was Mr. Evans’ idea and I am under strict orders that I must at once bring both of you home. And Liz you don’t have to worry about going back and getting your things, I already packed them all and took it across the road.”
Liz bit her lip and glanced at Max who was clenching his jaw and fists.
“I’m just going to go back to Naples,” he said trying to stay calm.
“But—“
“Mom, he doesn’t have to go back to New York. When’s our flight?” Liz asked.
“Tomorrow morning around 5am,” Nancy rolled her eyes. “Why it had to be that early, I’ll never know! Anyway, we are all staying at the hotel across the road for the night.”
Liz rapped her arm around her mothers shoulders. “Oh mom, what would we have done without you?” She got so emotional she felt tears sting her eyes. “I’m just going to go take a shower and then we are all going to have something to eat.” She got up onto her tippy toes and kissed Max’s cheek before heading towards the door.
That evening as Liz was getting ready for bed her mother asked what was going on between her and Max.
“We are…involved,” Liz explained.
“How…involved?” Nancy asked.
Liz sighed; she never was comfortable talking about these things with her mother.
“Have you had sex with him? I mean, I know you two have been through an awful lot and sometimes when two people are going through something traumatizing, they reach for the first bit of comfort. If you and Max were there for each other during this that’s okay but…”
“Mom,” Liz put a stop to her little speech. “What happens between Max and I isn’t any of your business. We did not get together here in Germany we were already together when we were in Italy.”
“Oh, well…” Nancy said. She looked like she still had something to say.
“What?” Liz asked.
“Well its just that…its Max Evans sweety. I don’t know if he’s the best person for you to get involved with. He’s just…”
“He’s what?” Liz asked. “He’s perfect for me? Because he is mom, he is perfect. You don’t even know him properly. All you know is what those Goddamn country club freaks say. Please just give him a chance, he makes me happier then I ever have been before. Besides, I am old enough to decide who I want to be with now.”
Nancy sat down on the end of her bed. “Well…you sound in love! Oh my! Are you going to marry him?”
“Well… yeah one day maybe. I don’t know, I want to but he… I don’t know. He has some stuff to deal with.”
Liz stood with her hands on her hips and she fidgeted with the material of her lace nightgown anxiously. She wanted to go to him.
“Go,” Nancy said.
Liz didn’t need to be told twice. She ran to the door and on her way out she said, “thank you!”
She didn’t bother knocking at Max’s door she just walked in. He wasn’t in the room and she wandered into the bathroom where he was lying the bathtub with his head back and his eyes closed.
“Hmm,” she mumbled.
He opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her. His eyes wandered over her baby pink and white night gown and groaned deep in his throat.
“What are you doing?” He asked.
“I’m…” Liz thought for a second as her eyes roamed over his bare upper body. “I’m waiting for you to make room for me in that tub.”
“But you’ve already had your shower,” Max teased. The steam in the bathroom was clinging to him…moistening his skin and making it more intriguing.
Liz shrugged. “I think you could clean me better,” she chuckled at herself. She can’t believe she actually said that!
Max chuckled too. He shifted so he was sitting up and watched as she pulled her nightgown over her shoulders. She pulled off her underwear and then lifted one leg into the water. She shivered. “That’s very hot,” she said.
“I like it that way,” he said watching her. With one leg up like that, he had a great view of what was in-between her legs. It aroused him immensely.
She lifted the other foot into the water and slowly lowered her bottom between his open legs. She sat back with her back against his chest and bent her head to kiss Max’s lips. He ran his hands through her hair as he kissed her.
“Liz…” he moaned. “What are we going to do?”
Liz massaged his tongue with her own. “I think you know what we are going to do,” she teased.
Max opened his eyes and broke the kiss hesitantly. “No… I mean about us. I am going back to Naples.”
“I know you are,” she said. “Max…” She ran her hands up and down his thighs under the water. “I have to go back to New York. You can run away and live life without worries like a fantasy but I can’t. I have things to get back to.”
“Well I suppose that’s it then,” his tone was sour.
Liz shivered. “What do you mean you crazy man? Like I’m going to let you go that easily.”
“Then what?”
“I don’t know…” she said. “Maybe I’ll just have to go home and come visit you at some other time.”
“That sucks,” he said. He licked the moisture off her neck. “It’s not good enough for me.”
Liz felt his firm arousal against her bottom and the familiar tingle between her legs as her want grew. “Well Max I don’t know what you want me to do. That’s really the only choice we have since you won’t come back to New York.”
“Yes, I guess it is,” he said with a sigh.
“Look we’ll figure it out…” she shifted so she could lift herself over his arousal and come down on him. “I’ll go back to New York and I guess we’ll just see from there…”
Max moaned as he moved into her center and she threw her head back on his shoulder and clenched her hands on his thighs. She panted as she spoke, “you know my mother asked about us.”
“Oh…” Max felt her raise her hips and slid down again. “Yeah?” He finished.
“Hmm,” she murmured. “She doesn’t think the best of you from what she’s…oh GOD! —She’s heard of you…oh right there, mmm.”
What was she saying? Max wondered. He couldn’t think, nothing made any sense to him past what she was doing to him. His hands curled around her hipbones as she rose up again thrust back down.
“Oh Max!” she cried as she neared the place she was dying to be.
He nibbled on her neck and pressed his forehead into her long hair. She smelt so good.
After they climaxed they cleaned each other with the hotel soap before getting out of the water and heading towards the bedroom. Liz slipped her nightgown back on and collapsed onto the bed with a soft thud.
“What were you saying before?” Max asked as he dried his hair.
“I don’t remember,” she smiled sheepishly at him.
“Oh, well then it can’t have been important,” he said. He turned off the lights and climbed under the blankets naked. “I called the airport earlier and found out the next flight to Italy is on Wednesday.”
“So you are going to stay here by yourself?” She asked.
“I guess so,” he said. The bed shuddered as Liz moved and climbed under the covers next to him.
“Max… you can’t hide forever.” She didn’t know how he would react to her saying that but she had to let it out. She had been trying to keep her mouth shut about his situation and only be supportive but it was true.
Max sighed. “Please don’t.”
“But—“
“Liz, don’t you think I know that? I don’t want to think about it right now. This is our last evening together and I want—“
BANG BANG BANG
Liz shot up and reached over Max to turn the bedside lamp on. “What the hell?” She panicked.
Max got up and pulled on some pants before walking over to the door. He opened it a little of the way before it was kicked open the rest of the way. Jeff and two of his men barged in with guns ready in their hands.
“Oh Christ,” Liz said, feeling nothing but annoyance.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

XVIII

“Well, well, well,” Jeffery said with a glint in his eye. “Looks like we finally found our runaways.”
Liz stayed where she was. The nightgown she was wearing didn’t leave much to the imagination and she didn’t ant to give the men in the room as eye full.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Max muttered. Obviously this was nothing but annoying for him too. Notice that neither of them was scared of the snake of a man in front of them?
Max stepped closer to the bed, in front of Liz who was sitting with the blanket clutched to her chest.
She yelled at them in hopes of getting her mothers attention in the next room. “Jeff when the hell will you give up? Your stupid ransom plan won’t work—our parents won’t give you shit so you will be holding us captive for nothing. I suggest you leave before the police arrive”
“Oh darling Liz,” Jeff hissed. “That mouth of yours—so crude. You must have got that off your mother.”
“Look,” Max said. “If you leave now, maybe we’ll think about not pressing charges against you.” Liz was so proud of him, standing there half-naked towering off her pathetic excuse for a father. He had his hands on his hips and his jaw clenched. “I suggest you apologize to Liz before I cause you some serious pain.”
Jeff laughed. “Is that right?” He said. “Well maybe you’d like to see just how much pain one of these will inflict on you.” He motioned to the gun behind him.
“You think I’m actually afraid of you?” Max looked down into Jeff’s face. “Don’t fuck with me, because I am really not in the mood to deal with any of you shit.”
Liz would have cheered for him if it were appropriate.
Down the hall, they heard a thud and footsteps. Before anyone knew it, three policemen and the hotel owner barged in.
“What’s going on here?” The owner asked in German.
“Arrest them!” Liz spat out motioning to her father and the men with the guns. “They tried to kidnap us to get ransom off our parents! They have been threatening to kill us!”
The policemen had already surrounded them. “Put the guns down, now!”
Max walked backwards across the room to see if Liz was okay. Jeffery was handcuffed and soon his men were too. “You two will have to come down to the station to answer some questions,” one of the larger policemen said. His voice was heavily accented and hard to understand.
Liz didn’t really want to leave but she knew they couldn’t keep her father in jail if she didn’t come and tell them all about what he had put them through. This was her last night with Max for heaven’s sake! The only she wanted to do was stay here and be naked!
Once the policemen dragged the others out of the room Max spoke to the owner of the hotel. He didn’t speak very well English but understood most of what Max said.
Max apologized for the disturbance and he said that when the men came into the lobby down stairs he knew to call the police because they looked like trouble. He had no idea it would be this serious. He offered to give them a lift to the police station and Max accepted but explained that they would have to get dressed first.
The owner left and closed the door after him.
“This is so annoying!” Liz hissed. She got out from under the blankets and walked towards Max. He opened his arms for her and she hugged him. “I just want to stay here,” she said.
“Hmm, so do I,” he said. He placed a kiss on her forehead and then broke away so he could put on a shirt. Liz went next door to her mothers room to get some of her clothes. Liz found it very amusing when she saw that her mother was fast asleep and her snores were the only noise coming from the dark room. She didn’t bother waking her but as she was heading out she woke up and asked what was going on. Liz explained and Nancy demanded to come to, she wanted to see her ex.
They didn’t get back from the police station until 2:30am and by then, everyone was exhausted.
“There really isn’t any point in going back to sleep, our flight is only a couple of hours away. I might go across the road and have some food in one of the cafés. Would you two like to come?” Nancy’s eyes roamed over their entangled hands and knew they weren’t going to come. They went back to their room and Nancy headed for the airport.
The realization that in a few hours they would no longer be around each other 24/7 was sinking in and a chill set over their hearts. Liz really didn’t know how she could go from being around Max all the time to not being near him at all. Max had a loud raging war going on inside him and he felt like he was going to vomit.
When they closed the door to their room, an awkward silence fell over them.
Liz bit her lip.
“Look Liz…” Max stepped in front of her and put his hands on her hips. “We will figure something out.”
“Will we?” She asked. “You’re just going to go back to Italy and probably find some new flamingo girl and forget all about me and why not? There are so many beautiful Italian wome—“
“Liz, what the hell are you talking about?” He asked. Didn’t she understand what she was to him? “Liz… you are it for me, you have no idea how much I—“
“If you love me so much then why won’t you come to New York with me?” She stepped away from him. “You can’t hide from your father forever and that’s what you are doing Max. You are living off him! You went to one of the most prestigious university’s in America and you could have some wonderful job as a doctor that makes you happy but instead you are letting him ruin your life. Just how long do plan to live this way?”
She regretted what she said as soon as she saw Max’s face.
“Is that what you think?” He asked dejectedly.
“Max,” she put her hands on his chest. “I think that you have so much talent and you are wasting it. It just… it’s such a shame to see you doing nothing with everything you know. I’m only saying this because I love you and I want the best for you.” She kissed him. “Don’t be mad at me…”
Max sighed and opened the door behind her. “I need to go for a walk and think… I’ll be back later.”
“But we only have—“
“I need this,” Max said. “I’m sorry.”
When he was gone Liz took off all over her clothes and climbed under the blankets on the bed. She lay there in the dark feeling completely hopeless. She was so mad at herself! Why did she have to go say those things to Max? What she said might have been the truth but this was hard for Max. Argh! She thought. Why couldn’t he have just stayed and finished this? She wanted to explain that she would be there for him no matter what…
She woke up at four when she felt Max climb into bed beside her. She figured he would be mad at her but when she rolled over her body brushed against his and she knew he was naked. She curled into his side and kissed his neck. “Are you okay?” She whispered in his ear sleepily.
He didn’t answer for a long time. “Yes,” he finally replied. “And I’ve decided that it’s a good thing that we are going to have some time apart.”
Liz stiffened. “What?” She asked. “For Gods sake… Max I didn’t mean to—“
“Let me finish,” she felt him smile against her neck. “I just think that if we have some time apart we can decide what we really want… and where we stand. Well, where we want to stand.”
Liz sighed. “Do you think you need that?” She asked.
“I know I do,” he said. “I need to sort myself out.”
Liz moved away from him and rolled back onto her side. “Okay then,” she mumbled.
“Liz don’t be upset,” he said.
Liz groaned.
“I love you but you are were completely right. You are too good for me right now.”
“Horse shit!” Liz spat out. “I didn’t mean that! I just…”
Max put his hand over her mouth. “I’m not breaking up with you Liz, don’t get upset, please. We are just going to get our lives back on track again so we can have a proper relationship. It’s going to be hard for me not being able to see you but I want to be sorted out for you before I screw up your life.”
“Oh?” She asked. “And how long will it take you to ‘fix’ your life? How many other males have said that to girls who don’t know better! You get what you want from us and then you just run off and find someone new.”
“Liz would you stop?” Max exclaimed. “Who would I run away too? I don’t want anyone else, don’t you understand that? I love you. I want to be with you, I want to marry you.”
“What?”
“I want to be with you,” he said.
“No, after that.”
“I… I…”
“You said you wanted to marry me,” she said. “Oh my God.”
Max’s hands slid over her waist and pulled her close to him. “Yes,” he purred. “When I’m sorted out. When I have a job.”
Liz was silent. Max was going insane. “Liz?”
“Holy shit.”
“What—?”
Liz rolled over and pressed her lips to his. “No… shh, don’t say anything. Don’t say anything at all,” she licked his tongue with hers. “Don’t ruin the moment.”
When Max made love to her, she felt something she had never felt before. She didn’t know how to describe it; it was more then passion and something-deeper then love, something that resembled an utter feeling of completion. Something that made tears fill her eyes when he emptied himself inside her.
She didn’t want him to get up off her when they were finished; she wanted to feel his whole body pressed against hers for longer. She couldn’t imagine a more amazing feeling then his bare skin against hers.
When they got dressed, they didn’t talk. They held hands as they crossed the road to the airport and stood close together as they waited for her boarding call.
“Well,” Nancy said putting on her sunglasses. “I must tell you Max, when your parents find our your not coming back with us they will be mighty pisse—“
“Mom, drop it,” Liz cut her off.
When it was time to leave Liz rapped her arms around Max’s waist and hugged him tight. “Please don’t leave me to wait long,” she begged.
“I’ll ring you when I get to Italy,” he said. “Liz don’t worry about me.”
“Hmm,” she mumbled. “Yeah right.” He squeezed her tight and kissed her lips. “God this is hard. I love you, don’t forget that.”
“Okay,” she mumbled.
“Come on now Liz,” Nancy said. “Don’t give these snoopy Germans’ a show.”
Liz looked up into Max’s eyes. “If I never hear from you again, I will hang myself over my bath tub.”
A look of complete terror passed over Max’s face. “Oh my God Liz!”
“Don’t make it come to that and you’ll have nothing to worry about,” she said.
“Please, stay away from bathtubs!” He said. Liz kissed him passionately. “I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too.” He motioned to her mother tapping her foot impatiently. “You better get going before she blows a fuse.”
“Yes, we can’t have that,” Liz said. She pulled out of his embrace. “I’ll see you,” she said.
“Yes, you will.”

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

“Didn’t Jeffery look so old?” Nancy exclaimed. “He was like a completely different man! You know when he was younger he was quite good looking.” She snorted. “What the hell happened?”
Liz closed her eyes and pulled the airplane blanket up to her chin.
“It’s a shame he had to end up this way. How long do you think they’ll lock him up for? A long time I hope. Don’t worry sweety, he won’t bother you again.”
Liz sighed. “I know.”
“I don’t know what possessed him to do such an idiotic thing. He used to have some sense. He is not the man I know at all.” Nancy kissed Liz’s cheek. “I wonder how he found out about you being at Max’s house.”
“I don’t know,” Liz said. “Mom I’m really tired…”
“Oh of course you are, I’m so sorry darling I’ll leave you alone. That movie looks quite good I’ll watch that. I am SO glad you are coming home.”
Liz slept the whole way home and then, not wanting to go home to any empty house she went and stayed at her mothers house. For two days she lazed around, ate, and acted depressed. Her mother looked after her and tried to get her to come out with her but she missed Max and ‘couldn’t be bothered’.
On the third day, she went home. She was glad to be there but everything around her that used to be her world, now seemed trivial. Her insides felt uninhabited or perhaps more so, deserted.
Trying to cheer up, she reminded herself that: Liz Parker loved her apartment.
She felt beautiful and elegant just because she owned it. She would fill her wardrobe with old-fashioned handsome garments, made with exquisite designs. Though they were tasteful, they weren’t in fashion. That’s what Liz seemed to enjoy the most about them.
Her large bedroom was her favorite room; the floor was covered with random gathered tiles. Her bedspread was a crisp white with embroided designs of flowers and everything that resembled delight. There was nothing unpleasant about her place; everything was charming and fine.
Liz looked around her home and forced a smile. She needed to feel the bloom and elegance she possessed within her once again. She needed to concentrate on nothing but feeling attractive. Her world had been turned upside down and right now she needed to flip it back into place, with a spatula if need be.
First she would have a bath, a long hot bubble bath in her sunshine bathroom including a fire place and Jacuzzi. Then she would cook and eat some finely made cuisine.
Yes, that is what she would do.
After her luxurious soak, Liz stood in front of her wardrobe in her best lace and cotton underwear and assessed her clothing. Nothing seemed elegant enough for her this evening and she made a mental note to purchase some new apparel tomorrow.
After several minutes she settles upon a light read gown that ran down her body to mid calf. It’s v-neck low cut front had tiny white stitching up along the hem to its thick straps on her shoulders.
Next she sat at her dresser in front of her mirror and did her hair. She parted it to the side and curled it before pinning it up in loose bunches to the back of her head. She left one long curly strand to hang from her neck and then moisturized her skin with a lavender cream. Next came make up, first eye liner and mascara, blush, lipstick—not too much.
Finally, sandalwood perfume dabbed on wrist. Neck.
There, she thought.
Wait shoes?
No, no shoes. She stood up and evaluated herself. She looked beautiful and only she was there to see it. Life was good.
“This should make the filthiness of being locked up for weeks go away,” she decided. She walked into the dinning room and put on her Norah Jones C.D, the soft beat of ‘come away with me’ flooded the house and finally she felt comfortable.
When dinner of steak, salad, wine and potatoes was almost done someone was rude enough to knock on the door and interrupt her. Ah, she thought, suddenly getting a headache when she saw whom it was. I don’t need this.
He commented on how good she looked and the wonderful smell of food cooking and let himself in. She couldn’t believe this guy used to be tolerable. He certainly wasn’t anymore.
“I was just about to eat dinner,” she explained. “So you’ll have to—“
“Good, I’ll join you,” he said.
Liz gritted her teeth and forced herself to nod. “Very well.”
10pm, and several wineglasses later the annoying man would still not leave. There was another knock at the door and Liz gladly excused herself from his company.
Ahhh! A savior. “Max?” She asked astonished. “What are you doing here?”
He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. “I was on the plane to—why do you look so stunning? —Italy and I realized that he is doing it again. He is taking you away from me without even having to try. Just like last time.”
What? “Who?” she asked.
“My father,” Max cupped her cheek to lean down and kiss her.
There were footsteps behind her.
“Was I mentioned?”
Max glanced over her shoulder in shock. “What the hell is he doing here?”

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

XIX

“You know I’ve been thinking,” Liz said. “Why is the word ‘abbreviate’ so long?”
Max did not look happy. “Don’t change the subject,” he yelled.
“Don’t yell at me!” Liz exclaimed. “Why don’t you ask him? I’m still trying to figure it out as well!”
Her heart was drowned in wine. She had just sat there on her pine wood chair with red velvet cushioning and the more she looked at Philip Evans the more she noticed the resemblance’s to Max and the more she missed him. The alcohol had been a welcoming relief from reality.
“I can’t believe this,” Max said. “I can’t believe this.”
“Believe what?” Liz asked. She was so drunk. Damn it.
Philip Evans crossed his arms over his chest. “Ahh so I see you did do your job. Well done Miss Parker. You’ll have to get a bonus in your pay check.”
Max opened the door and was about to head out when Liz grabbed his arm. “Don’t leave, I missed you so much,” she said.
“It doesn’t appear that way,” he said. “You found a substitute very quickly. Tell me, Philip, how is it you manage to get the attention of so many girls young enough to be your daughter?”
“Oh my God!” Liz yelled dramatically.
Max licked his lips. “I don’t want to intrude, I’ll leave you two alone.”
“You think…? Max you are so mean. Do you not remember three days ago in Germany I stood with my arms around you and my heart in my eyes and fucking begged you not to leave me and now you think I’m with you father?” Her voice slurred and she turned and walked towards her bedroom, nearly tripping over her own feet. “I’ll be in my room, if you decide you can grow up then I’ll be waiting, because I’m stupid enough to care for you.”
Her door closed with a slam and the music from her stereo was turned up loud.
Max went to go after her when his father spoke. “So I see you still aren’t very popular with the ladies.”
Max spun around. “Why did you even bother hiring Liz? You obviously think as little of me as you always did. So why would you want me home?”
“For your mother,” he said. “You were always my burden but she loves you and I love her.”
“Oh, I’m sorry I couldn’t see that through the memory of you fucking Angie branded in my mind!” He continued towards Liz’s door. “You can leave now, you aren’t welcome here.”
“So that’s why you left,” Philip said.
Max ignored him.
“I’ll be sure to tell your mother you’re here.”
The music turned off. Max turned around and looked at the man in front of him blankly. Really looked at him. He looked much older then the last time he had seen him. He had more grey hair and the color in his eyes seemed dimmer. His skin was wrinkled and his lips grey but he still wore the same expensive suits that were dry cleaned so that not a single crease could be seen in the material.
“How could you do it, how could you cheat on mom and me? She trusted you.” Max knew that Angie was not the only girl his father had taken liberties with.
“Like she trusted you to stay here and be the perfect son she always dreamed of? You are just as much a let down as I am.” Philip put his hands in his pockets. “It’s a harsh world Max, you can’t just run away when the going gets tough.”
“No the going didn’t get tough,” Max retorted. “It got a whole lot more complicated. And I didn’t run away I left so I wouldn’t have to face mom with your lies! Yours, not mine. You are making me pay for what you did, what you do.”
“Your mother,” Philip started. “Was devastated when you left and a little bit of her love for you faded. You know why? Because when Isabel left she stopped talking to her. Every time you’d call she’d pretend like she was normal on the phone.”
“How dare you.”
Their heads shot in the direction of the voice.
Liz made her appearance again and stomped up to Philip. She had had enough. “Get out of my house,” she said trying to stay calm. “Max is twice the man you’ve ever been and will be a hundred times the father. Don’t you dare try to make what you did his fault too. Don’t you DARE. I don’t want your Goddamn money and I don’t want you to come anywhere near us ever again. GET. OUT.”
“This has nothing to do with you Miss Parker.”
“It has everything to do with her,” Max argued loudly.
Liz put her hands on her hips. “It became my business when you hired me and when you came into MY house and ruined MY evening. I am going to tell you this one more TIME BEFORE I CALL THE POLICE.” Liz stepped backwards into Max. “Get. Out. Of. My. House.”
Philip glanced between the two silently and then with three clanks of his shoes on the marble floor walked to the door. “You can be sure that you were the worst thing I had the shame of saying I was apart of. Angie saw right through you too. My guess is, Liz Parker will come to her senses at some point or another.” With one swift movement the door clicked closed loudly and Max and Liz were left alone.
Liz turned around to face Max and saw that he was trying his hardest to stay composed. Liz got up onto her tiptoe and kissed his eyelids lovingly.
“Don’t ever be embarrassed in front of me,” she whispered. Then she ran her hands through his hair and drew his head down to rest on her breast. His arms wen around her waist and she sucked in a deep breath. “I’m so glad you came to me Max.” Her lips parted and her eyes drifted closed.
“So I guess you’re not mad at me anymore?” He whispered. “I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions, I just saw you dressed up and—“
“It’s okay,” she said. “I just needed to think. I am drunk.”
“You are a pretty collected drunk,” he said. He closed his eyes and sniffled, he couldn’t stop the one tear that Liz felt against her chest.
“You know,” she said. “This evening I got all dressed up to remind myself that I had a life before you. Maybe that’s what you need to do with your father. Remember you had good things that you enjoyed about New York.”
Max wiped his eyes and straitened up.
“You do know why your father is so mean to you don’t you?” Liz looked up at him he looked confused. “From what I heard when I was eves dropping it is obvious that he is jealous of your mothers devotion to her children, to you and Isabel. He is taking it out on you because you are the male and it is just wrong to treat a daughter that way.” Liz ran her hands inside his jacket. “Max, everything he is doing is because he wants to be loved. Poor him.”
“Poor him!” He yelled. “Yeah right! He can find all the love he needs in the teenagers he sleeps with.”
Liz shook her head slightly. “Let’s go out, I’m all dressed up and dying to dance. Let’s make you some new, New York memories.”
“Can I kiss you first? I haven’t kissed you in three days,” he said leaning down. “I’m sorry again, by the way.”
“Show me how sorry you are.”
Max’s lips covered hers in a romantic duel of affection. He massaged her tongue with his and let his hands wonder down to cup her ass and hold her against him. “Bedroom?” He mumbled.
“Hmm,” Liz moaned. “Yes.”
“Wait,” he said breaking the kiss. “My bags, they’re…” He opened the door and motioned to his suitcases sitting in the hallway. He picked up two of them and brought them inside.
“That’s a lot of bags,” Liz commented. “Plan on staying long?” her lips perked upwards.
“A long time,” he said laughing. He followed her to the bedroom and put his bags down by the bed. After he went and got the other three he collapsed onto her bed and ran his hands through his hair. “Do you still want to go out?” He asked.
“Yes.”
“I need to shower first.”
“Okay, I’ll get you a towel.”
Max followed her. “You look beautiful,” he said.
“Thank you.” She shoved a towel into his arms. “So did you see Michael and Maria when you were in Italy?”
“I was only there for a few hours, but they came to the airport to see me off.” Max watched as she turned on the shower. “This is a really nice place.”
“Thank you, I designed it myself.”
“Your talented,” he said. “In every way.”
“Hmm,” she grinned. “Speaking of talent, I have to start searching for a new job. I’ll go down to the store on the corner and get a paper while you’re in the shower okay?”
“Okay.”
She kissed him. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“I’m glad I’m here too.”
Max was just finished getting ready when she got back. He walked into the room smelling wonderful and wearing an expensive suit.
“You’ve shaved,” she said. She picked up the vase of flowers off the dinning room table and brought them into the kitchen. Max watched as she poured the water out and then throw the flowers away.
“What are you doing?” He finally asked.
Liz turned and smiled at him. “They were from your father. What kind of a man buys red roses for an employee? He is twisted.”
Max chuckled. “Liz, how well did you know my father before you came to Italy?”
“Not very well,” she explained. “But I met with your mother and him a few times at his house after my interview.”
“Oh.” Max came up behind her and rapped his arms around her waist. He nuzzled his face in her neck and kissed her skin. “You smell so good,” he said.
“So do you,” she sucked in a deep breath. Seeing that this was heading in a direction that would not have them leaving the house tonight, she quickly pulled away. “Come on let’s go,” she said.
When they were in the taxi Liz asked him to name the places, he had bad memories of.
“Hey,” she said. “I know Angie worked at a café, so we’ll have to go eat there so I can see her.”
“Are you kidding? No way!”
“Max,” she leaned over and kissed him. “Don’t you want her to see how good you are doing now? With a gorgeous girlfriend…”
Max laughed.
They went dancing at a club where everyone was over thirty and learning how to do the Gay Gordon. Afterwards they went to an ice cream bar and went for a walk in the park while they ate it.
“See?” Liz said.
“Huh?”
“New York can be great.” Liz threaded her arm through Max’s and put her head on his shoulder. “Max, are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
He was paying an awful lot of attention to his ice cream cone suddenly. “What your father said… it was really mean and it was just out of anger. He is wrong in so many ways. What he said about me seeing through you, you know that would never happen right?”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve seen inside you and that’s too wonderful to want to look past, does that make any sense?” She laughed.
“No,” he said smiling.
“Max, don’t think about your father. You’re here to see me right?”
“Yes.” He placed a kiss on her forehead.
“Then focus only on me and I will focus on healing you.”
When they waked by the fountain Max pulled her down onto a park bench to watch it. He was going to sit down next to her and then, suddenly got down onto his knee in front of her.
“You know,” he said taking her hands in his. “I never thought that I would go with tradition and get down on one knee like this.” He kissed her hands. “But, it seems appropriate because at this moment I feel I have to beg you to stay like this forever, caring so much for me.” He smiled at her. “I love you and you’re every little habit, even when you loose your temper. I didn’t think that I could ever find that, someone I could adore even when she’s yelling at me.”
Liz laughed.
“However, I have, and there is no way that I will allow it to just slip away from me. You are amazing, talented, and stunning and I know that no one will ever compare to you. You are sticking with me even through all my issues and that’s got to mean that you’ll be able to put up with me even when I’m old and ugly. I once heard someone say, age does not protect you from love but love to some extent protects you from age. I promise that if you say yes, and marry me, that I will put you before everything else in life because nothing matters to me anymore but you. When I first met you, I thought you were the most beautiful person I’d ever met and that was before I even saw inside you. We have been through a lot and I now know that anything that comes our way in the future we’ll be able to overcome it together. Please, Elizabeth Parker, do me the honor in being the one you come home to at night and being the last person you see before you go to sleep for the rest of your life.”
Max seemed to hold his breath as he waited her reply. Like she could even think of saying no!
Liz was surprised when he pulled a ring out of his pocket. It had a thick silver band, she had once told him she liked rings like that, and the four diamonds were inside the band. He put it on her finger and she wriggled her fingers in the air to see the diamonds glitter.
“If I marry you, will you buy me expensive jewelry on all my birthdays?” Liz asked.
Max laughed. “Only if you pick it out, I have bad taste.”
Liz pulled him up to sit next to her. “Max, I’m kidding. Of course I’ll marry you!” She threw her arms around his neck and pushed her lips onto his.

[nicola]

XX
Have you met Miss Parker
Someone said as we shook hands
She was just Miss Parker to me
Then I said Miss Parker
You're a girl who understands
I'm a man who must be free.
And all at once I lost my breath
And all at once was scared to death
And all at once I own the earth and sky
Now I met Miss Parker
And well keep on meeting till we die

Liz woke up with a smile on her face and a song stuck in her head. Max was pretty proud of himself when he changed the name on the 'Miss Jones' song and all she did was laugh at him. He would be laughing at her now if he knew her dreams had been filled with that annoying thing. She rolled onto her back and stretched lazily. Where was her fiancee anyway? She modestly pulled the sheet up to cover her naked body and sucked in a deep breath.
Wait a minute, she thought. What is that I smell?
She couldn't believe it; he was making her breakfast in bed! She sat up and ran her hands through her hair so she wouldn't look half-asleep when her man came in. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and then peaked under the sheet to inspect her naked body. She decided she looked okay and propped herself up against the backboard and waited. Last night had been amazing. When they got home after walking around in the park, they had made love. Liz smiled when she thought of it.
It was the beautiful kind of sex that was so passionate and loving that it couldn't be described. The room had been dark with only the lamp near the wardrobe turned on. She had put an orange material over it so it only illuminated a little area with a soothing glow. On the bed she and Max had been crushed in a tight embrace of bare flesh and entangled limbs. Liz sighed, it was the kind of sex where you were so close and bound together you couldn't tell whose was whose. She heard the door bump open and Max walked in carrying a tray of food. He was wearing only his underwear and she watched his every move as he came closer. He smiled the smile he only reserved for her and she grinned.
"You made breakfast in bed?" She asked. He laughed as he plopped down onto the bed beside her.
"Don't be so surprised," he said.
“I just have only ever had breakfast in bed like once before because I was sick and if I moved I knew I would vomit. My mother doesn’t like mess and she had to vacuum my sheets afterwards.” Liz smiled at the food as if it were a Godsend. “Thank you,” she said.
“Thank your neighbor,” he said while he folded his legs underneath him. “I had to borrow eggs and milk. You have no food in your house.”
“Our house,” she corrected him romantically. “She wouldn’t have been too happy about giving you food, I had to ask her for several things last night to make my dinner and she basically bit my head off.”
“It was a he,” Max said. He watched as she leaned down and opened the draw in her bedside table. She pulled out a lavender colored silk nightgown with a low cut front that was lined with lace. She pulled it on; making sure he got a decent flash of her bare breasts as the sheet she had been clutching to her chest fell away.
When she was covered she leaned forward and kissed his lips passionately. She felt his hands wander, one up her back and the over her hip to grasp her ass and quickly pulled away. “Eat your food before it gets cold,” she said.
Max sighed like a told off little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “So you say it was a man huh? You can’t have gone to the apartment on the left then.”
Max sipped his coffee. “Actually, yes I did.”
Liz raised her eyebrows house. “But that’s little old Nara Jones’s house! She’s eighty-seven years old and as sour as a lemon. No men are ever at her house.”
“Well this morning there was,” Max said smiling. “He came to the door wearing, what I guess was her nightgown otherwise the man has some serious issues. He didn’t mind getting me the food at all.”
Liz shuddered. “Euh! That’s disturbing.”
“What, I think it’s cute. It proves that life doesn’t end when you get old.”
“I have gross mental images in my mind! Ew! So you’re saying you expect to still be making love to me when we are that old?”
“Yes, if we are still together.”
“If,” Liz hissed. “Excuse me?”
“I might tire of your body…” Max teased. “And the little freckle you have at the top of your thigh just under your bottom. And the scar on your elbow from hooking it into a wire fence when you were fifteen.”
Liz hit him with a pillow. “Shut up!” She said.
After they finished breakfast they went to the kitchen together and cleaned the dishes. “Why don’t you have a dishwasher?” Max asked as he handed her wet plates.
Liz sat on the counter kicking her feet back and forth with a tea towel in her hands. “I didn’t think it fitted the décor of my fabulous home. It’s usually only me so I don’t have to clean many dishes anyway. When I have a dinner party I hire someone to help.”
Liz ran her foot up and down Max’s thigh and noticed his reaction.
He paused and sucked in a deep breath and she laughed. “Will you still enjoy that when I’m forty and fat?”
“Yes,” Max replied.
“Well that’s not very good, we can’t have our children finding us in an awkward situation. It will be: Daddy why are you making mommy scream?”
“Speaking of children…” Max said. “Last night you said something and its stuck in my head. When you spoke to my father, you said ‘he’ll be a hundred times the father.’ Was that because you’re…? I mean you’re not…?”
“Pregnant?” Liz asked. She shook her head. “I’m not pregnant Max. Don’t you think I’d tell you?” she grabbed him and forced him to stand between her legs. “I’m back on the pill now, and when I got off the plane the first thing I did was take a day after pill. It’s possible but unlikely.”
Max rapped his arms around her. “Okay.”
“Did you want me to be?” She asked.
“No, well yes, I think maybe we should wait till after…”
“We’re married?” She said nodding. “I think so too.”
She ran her fingers along the waistband of his shorts and leaned her face into his. “You would make the most beautiful children,” she said.
“So would you.” They kissed slowly and lovingly and Liz slipped her hand down into Max’s boxers. She rapped her hand around his shaft and teased him by not moving it at all. He groaned.
“Liz…”
She giggled. “What will you do for me?” She asked.
“Did I not do enough for you last night?” He asked opening one eye.
“Never.”
Liz rapped her legs around his hips digging her heels into the backs of his thighs. “Kiss me like I love,” she said.
He kissed her slowly, tracing her lips with his tongue and she slowly started doing the same with her hand…
“OH MY GOD!”
Liz shot away from her fiancee and turned her head to see eight of her country club friends standing in the doorway looked flustered and embarrassed.
“Mia? Daria? Gerri?’ Liz asked shocked. “What are you guys doing here?”
Gerri spoke, her cheeks a deep red, “We’ll just go wait for you in the coffee room.” The girls all scattered away quickly and Max couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Why are you laughing?” Liz asked not amused. “Those girls spend day after day at the country club gossiping. My mother, your mother, everyone will hear about this.”
“Oh,” Max said not caring. “What a shame.”
Liz pulled her hand out of his shorts and jumped down off the counter. She walked back to the bedroom shaking her head and muttering under her breath. Max followed her.
He closed the bedroom door after them and leaned his back against it. “How long are they going to be here?” He asked.
“I don’t know, forever I guess,” Liz turned around and looked at him. She had left him high and dry and very prominent. She was the one to laugh now. “I guess you’ll have to go take a cold shower now,” she said grinning.
Max raised his eyebrows. “I don’t think so, you have to finish what you started.”
“No way! My friends are all sitting in the next room!”
“Your point?”
Max picked her up rapped her legs around his waist. “Have you never heard of a quickie? Wait a minute, I know you have.” He walked backwards over to the bed holding Liz to him.
“Put me down Max I have to get dressed, you’re crazy!”
He fell back onto the bed only to get the corner and tumble to the floor. Liz doubled over with laughter, her hair all over her face.
"You stupid ass!" She cried. “I hope this isn’t how you try to seduce other women.”
Max laughed. “It’s your fault not mine.” He flipped them over so he was above her and wasted no time pulling down his shorts and spreading her legs apart.
“No Max!” Liz said while laughing. “This can be classified as rape you know. I’ll sue your sorry ass…”
Max slid inside her and pulled her dress up above her chest so he could taste her breasts. “Rape? I don’t think so. As your fiancee I have certain alienable rights.”
The feeling of his rock hard arousal inside her slick wet, tight walls was enough to make Liz stop arguing and she threw her head back and waited. He sucked her nipple into his mouth and suckled on it causing her to moan his name. Finally he started moving inside her and it did not take long for him to ejaculate. Liz went to get up but Max stopped her. “Wait, but you didn’t…”
“No I don’t need to, I need to get dressed and get out there with my friends.” She patted his head. She rapped her night gown around her shoulders and pulled her hair into a pony tale before hurrying out of the room leaving a disgruntled Max.
Her friends were sitting on the sofas waiting for her and she plopped down onto her seat before them with a smile. “I’m sorry about that…”
A chorus of sorry’s came from the girls and liz shook her head. “Don’t worry.”
Angie changed the subject. “We’ve come to take you out to lunch! You’ve been gone so long and we are going to shout you to a YUM lunch at the new restaurant…”
“Your friend can come too,” Daria said. “Who is he anyway?”
“I know,” Kristen said. “It’s Max Evans. I met him once when I was at lunch with Mrs. Evans.”
“Max Evans!” The other girls cried.
“Oh!” Mia said. ‘So this is your ploy to get him back to New York huh?” She winked.
“Uh…” Liz didn’t know what to say. She didn’t want to tell these girls about the engagement and have them go spread it before she even had a chance to tell her mother. “No, we’re involved now.”
“Involved? Involved as in, fucking or involved as in, together in love, involved?”
“Can she reply, both?” Kristen said giggling. She was the youngest, only nineteen.
Liz sighed. “We’re together,” she said.
“Oh, sounds like a hand full,” Angie laughed at her own joke.
Oh God, had they seen that?
Max came out five minutes later after having a quick shower. He was dressed in a dark blue button down shirt and khaki pants. He kissed her and said he was going to the store to buy food.
“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” Mia asked.
“Okay,” Liz said. “Girls, this is Max, Max this is Kristen, Mia, Angie, Daria, Gerri, Trish, Renee and Cookie.”
“Nice to meet you,” Max said. “As much as I love to be in the presence of so many beautiful ladies I really have to get to the store. Liz?”
The women all cooed at his compliment. Liz rolled her eyes. “So you need any money?” She asked him.
“What do you take me for?” Max said. “No I don’t.” He kissed her again and when he tried to slip her some tongue she pulled away and looked at him warningly.
“Did he just try to French kiss her in front of us?” Kristen whispered to Mia.
Mia nodded vigorously. “That’s so wrong!”
“That’s so cute!” Angie exclaimed.
Max left after winking at Liz teasingly and she shook her head. Did he not understand she had to be a different person around her friends then what she was around him?
“Oh wow he is yummy,” Cookie commented.
“I agree,” Trish said.
“I am so jealous!”
Liz smiled to herself.
“Okay, you can tell us all about how this came into place. But first go have a shower Lizzie and then we’ll go eat and shop!”

……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……….

XXI

When Max came home with his arms full of shopping bags, Liz was not there but there was a note on the kitchen counter for him.
Max, gone out for lunch with girls, I’ll be back around two. I love you. xxxLiz
With a sigh, he put the note down and starting putting the groceries away. For lunch he made himself the tuna salad he was going to make Liz and buttered some pizza bread. He watched sport on the television while he ate and then decided he better go and see his mother. She was overwhelmed to see him and hugged for what felt like ten minutes.
“I can’t believe you’re actually home!” She cried. “Your father and I have missed you so much!”
Max wanted to say that he didn’t think his father cared at all but he didn’t. “It’s good to see you again. You look great, younger actually.”
“Ah ha ha, you liar,” she said. “Guess who is here.”
“Who?”
“Isabel! She flew up two days ago. I can’t believe my two babies are home. Are you going to be staying?” Diane tugged him by his arm through to the dinning room where she had been eating lunch a few moments ago.
“I’m staying at Liz’s,” Max said.
Isabel got up from her chair when she saw him. “Max? Oh my God!” She rushed around to hug him. “You came home! I knew you wouldn’t be selfish!” She slapped him. “That’s for waiting so long you son of a bitch!”
Max rubbed his hand over his cheek. “Hey!” He said.
“Well, you deserve it dear, I haven’t seen you in over a year.” Diane clutched his arm. “What’s this I hear about Liz Parker? Nancy came back from Germany and wouldn’t shut up about the budding relationship you’ve got going with her.”
“Yes Max, you’ve got us all excited. Have you actually met someone that isn’t a bimbo and only good for a lay? Words can not describe how happy I am that you aren’t will Filomena any more.”
Max scratched behind his ear. “Yes, Liz and I are…an item.”
“An item?” Isabel asked. “Well is it serious?”
Should he tell them? “Liz and I are engaged,” he said.
Diane screamed and Isabel gasped. “My brother engaged?” She said. “Who are you? You must be an impostor!”
“As unbelievable as it is, its true. I still have trouble believing it myself.”
Diane hugged him again. “Engaged! My son engaged! I never thought I’d see the day.”
“You didn’t?”
“Well no… don’t worry about that. You are and that’s all that matters.”
Isabel pulled Max over to the table and sat him down. “I have to meet this Liz, she must be a very brave girl!”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Max asked.
Isabel sipped her drink. “Well you’re not exactly…marriage material Max.”
“Why not?” Max asked.
Diane sat down next to him. “Well… you, you think with your penis, love.”
Isabel laughed. “No beating around the bush mom.”
“Well why should I? All we’ve seen of him for years is him sleeping with random girls, never having an actual relationship. He knows he's good looking and he uses it to his advantage.”
“I’m in the room,” Max said not believing what he was hearing. “Suddenly I’m regretting that I told you. Wait, no I’m regretting coming here.”
“Don’t be so sensitive Max. It’s obvious that you’ve changed now and are ready to finally be in a relationship. We couldn’t be more happy for you.” Isabel smiled. “So, you and Liz must come for dinner tonight.”
“No, we are eating in tonight. I’ve only been back since last night and I want to relax. Maybe tomorrow night?”
“What a party pooper,” Diane said. “But if you must, stay home. Nevertheless, expect a lot of attention now your back. Everyone will want to see you and ask you around for dinner. Not to mention Liz, she made quite a name for herself before met you, don’t forget that. She is very well known around town. Many people will demand a lot of her.”
“I know, I’ve already met eight of her friends.”
“She seems like a classy girl, I think I’ll like her.”
Max glanced at his watch. “Well she should be home now so if you want to come with me you can meet her.”
Isabel decided to come but Diane couldn’t because she was going to meet with some people. On the way she rambled on and on about her stay in Russia working as a family lawyer. When Max was growing up he never pictured Isabel as a lawyer, he thought a fashion designer or interior decorator was more her type of thing.
When they walked into the apartment Liz got up off the couch where she was sorting through her purchases and came out to see him. “Where have you been?” She asked.
“Liz I want you to meet someone.”
Isabel walked in after him and smiled. “Hi Liz, I’m Isabel Max’s sister.”
“Isabel?” Liz asked astounded. “Oh it’s so nice to meet you!” Liz hugged her as a sign of hopes for a future close friendship. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
“All good I hope?”
“Yes, of course,” Liz said. “Oh Max you should have rang ahead I could have made something…”
“No, that’s fine I can’t stay anyway. I have to go meet my husband at the airport.” Isabel looked Liz over. She was beautiful and dressed fashionably, yes; this girl was good enough for her brother. Maybe even too good for him?
“Your house is wonderful,” Isabel commented. “Did you design it yourself?”
“Yes I did, thank you.” Liz motioned her into the lounge. “Come, sit down. Do you want something to drink? Something to eat?”
“No I’m fine thank you Liz.”
As Isabel wandered into the lounge Liz quickly turned to Max and clutched his shirt with her fists. She got up onto her tippie toes and kissed him. “I’m so sorry about this morning, I just… you have understand I have to be something different when I’m around certain people.”
“Why?” Max asked. He paused, “wait, not now, we’ll talk after Isabel leaves.”
They walked into the lounge and found Isabel gazing down at the shopping bags spewed out everywhere. “Did you go shopping?” She asked with a glint in her eye.
“Yes I did,” Liz said smiling. “I may have gone a little over board…”
“No you didn’t!” Isabel said. “No one can ever go over board when they are shopping. So what did you buy?”
Liz sat down on the couch and showed her all of her purchases. Max left them alone, knowing he would just get bored anyway. “This isn’t exactly in style, but that’s the way I like to dress.”
“Uniquely? Well being unique IS in style so you have done very well.” Isabel glanced at the little Veronicas Closet bag sitting next to the couch. A glass of wine was sitting next to it and she apologized for interrupting her.
“No that’s fine, I was only sitting here looking through all this.”
“So what’s in that?” Isabel asked pointing to the little lingerie bag.
Liz blushed. “Ah nothing important.”
“Something for Max?”
Liz laughed. “Yes, I suppose it is.”
Isabel smiled showing all her pearly white teeth. “Speaking of my brother, can ask you what you think of him and why on earth you are with that bone head?”
Liz raised her eyebrows.
“Well, what I mean is. You know about his past don’t you?”
“Yes,” Liz said. “And… the way he is with me I can tell he won’t risk loosing me to get laid by some skanky hoe on a one night stand.”
“I’m glad you have finally tamed the beast.”
“It’s my greatest accomplishment,” Liz said laughing.
“Well its certainly something to be proud of,” Isabel said. “Well, it appears you aren’t going anywhere soon. So, welcome to the family. I’m sorry we aren’t picture perfect like on television but we are okay.”
“I know,” Liz said.
“Well, I must be going, it was lovely meeting you Liz.” Isabel got up and Liz walked her to the door. “One last thing before I go,” Isabel said.
“Anything,” Liz said.
“I don’t know if he’s said anything to you or not… but I just, well you probably know that I went to Italy and tried to get him back to New York myself but I failed. You are absolutely talented for being able to do so yourself.”
“Thank you.”
“And, well I was just wondering if you have any idea why he left in the first place? One night he just picked up and left and now bam he’s back again announcing he’s engaged. He left not long after he’d finished his course in University to become a science professor. For a while mom and I though maybe he just wanted to get away to celebrate finally having enough qualifications to be what he always wanted to be. After a while we gave up thinking that and wondered if he was even going to use his knowledge. The thing is, we still have no clue why he left. So, Liz, do you?”
Liz bit her lip. She would not betray Max by telling Isabel something that wasn’t hers to tell. “I don’t think that it’s my place to say anything. This really has nothing to do with me and if Max decides to tell you its his choice. I’m sorry I can’t tell you.”
Isabel sighed. “Yes, well, I understand. You really are just a wonderful influence on him and I really am ecstatic to hear you’ll be together hopefully forever. Oh, and if you need any help planning the wedding, I am your girl.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.”
“Okay!” Isabel said. “I really must be going. I’ll be seeing you again. I wanted you two to come for dinner but Max came up with something pathetic like not wanting to leave the house tonight because he’s too tired. What a woss! You’ll be the one to make him grow a backbone won’t you? I’ll see you later.”
“Yes, goodbye.” When Liz closed the door she wasted no time going straight to the bedroom where Max was lying on his back on the bed reading a car magazine he’d picked up when grocery shopping.
He put it down when she came in.
“What are you doing?” She asked.
“Breathing in your scent,” he replied.
“Oh yeah?” She climbed onto the bed and lay down beside him. “What do I smell like?”
“Sweet and spicy at the same time. Intoxicating.” Max rapped his arm around her and she rested her head on his chest.
“Max… you aren’t going to be happy with me but… I kind of told Mia we’d have dinner with them tonight. I’m sorry! I just…her mothers going to be there and if I am charming I will get a job as an assistant manager at Veronicas Closet.”
Max sighed.
“Isabel told me you didn’t want to go out tonight and I just felt instantly bad. We’ll only go for an hour…we’ll leave before desert?”
“No way, if I have to sit through dinner I will not leave before I have desert. Desert is the best part.”
Liz chuckled. “Okay then. Isabel also told me something else…” She propped herself up on her elbows so she could look at him. “You finished college and if you wanted to you could get a job as a professor?”
“Yes, that’s true.”
“Are you going to try now that you’re back?” Liz brushed away the hair on his forehead. “I would love to see you teach a bunch of students. Maybe I could come and sit in on your lectures?”
Max swallowed. “I was thinking about it.”
“Well it’s up to you, I just thought it would be good, you know get your mind off your father.” She pressed her lips to his temple.
Max ran one of his hands through her hair. “Liz, about this morning. Why do you feel the need to change yourself around your friends?”
She was silent for a moment. “Because…I always have. Max, you just… you won’t understand.”
“Why won’t I?”
“Because you’ve never had to do it. My mother tried so hard her whole life to get us to a position of such high class and the least I can do is be what she needs me to be. It’s not important to me but its important to her and I love her enough to do what she wants.”
Max looked into her eyes. “Do you even like your friends?”
Liz swallowed. “They aren’t what I consider fun, but they are okay. They wouldn’t be my first choice. I like Maria better then all of them.”
“Maria?” Max asked smiling.
“She’s outgoing and loud. She’s very fun,” Liz explained. “Can you just understand about what I need to do for my mother? Just pretend every thing is normal and wonderful when we are around them? Even if you don’t like the person I become?”
Max could see her pleading him with her eyes. Like he could ever deny her anything. “Okay,” he said. “But on one condition.”
“You don’t pull away from me when I try to kiss you in public. I need to be able to let the whole world know your mine. At least let me have that?”
Liz smiled. “Okay, but don’t try and slip me the tongue like this morning! You’ve made all my friends jealous of me!”
Max laughed. “So they all want a piece of Max?”
“Don’t even say that,” she said. She tickled his sides but he didn’t even acknowledge it. “I hate it that you aren’t ticklish!” She exclaimed.
Max grinned. “I love it how you are!” He pounced onto her and tickled her sides making her giggle uncontrollably.
“Okay! Okay I give up leave me alone you evil man.”
“What will you give me if I stop?” Max asked.
“A blow job?”
Max stopped tickling her. “You have yourself a deal my lady.”

…………………………………………………………………………………………………
………

Liz watched Max’s face as he piled food onto her plate. He was so handsome, how had she managed to end up with someone so good looking? After meeting, his sister she could tell his family didn’t think very highly of him. As if he was, still eight years old. Well, she thought. I will always appreciate him.
He turned to look at her and caught her staring. He smiled. “What? Is something wrong?” When she didn’t reply he said, “perhaps I should ask, did I do something wrong?”
She smiled. “No, you do everything right. Thank you.” As they walked away from the buffet table she rubbed his arm up and down. “I love you,” she said.
Max frowned and after putting the two plates in his hands, down he pulled her behind the room separator out of every ones view. “What’s wrong?” He asked.
Liz laughed. “Nothings wrong.”
Max studied her face. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.” She rested her forehead on his chest. “I love this suit on you.”
Max ran his hand down her shoulder. “I love that dress on you. If Mia’s mother doesn’t give you that job its because she sees its not good enough for you.” He took her hands. “Come on, let’s get back out there and finish eating so we can leave!”
They walked back over to the table and took their seats.
Liz noticed that Mia’s sister kept looking at Max and every time he said something she would laugh like it was the funniest thing she’d ever heard. What to do? She didn’t like the thought of other girls flirting with Max!
She watched the young girl all evening, she wasn’t completely sure why because Max hadn’t even noticed. When it was time to leave, she was more then happy.
“Liz!” Mia came running down the stairs as Max was putting on her coat. “My mom said you got the job! She said you were lovely and couldn’t wait to see what you could do for the company!”
Liz beamed. “Really?”
“Yes, really!” Mia hugged her. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you Mia!” Liz fought the urge to jump up and down.
“No problem. Now, I’ll see you two later. Max, it was wonderful meeting you. I hope you’ll be a permanent figure in Liz’s life.”
Max smiled.
“Bye Mia,” Liz said.
“Bye!”
“Wait!” Mia’s sister came running down the stairs. “I just wanted to say goodbye.” She threw her arms around Liz, hugged her quickly, and then hugged Max.
For entirely too long, Liz thought.
“I just loved meeting you Max. You are welcome here whenever you want.”
Slut! Liz took Max’s hand.
“Thank you,” Max said. “Let’s go Liz.”
Once they were in their cab Liz started complaining about her. “God, she couldn’t have been more obvious! I can’t believe you didn’t notice. She’s only twenty, who knew she had it in her?”
“Twenty isn’t that much younger then us, Liz.” Max smiled at her.
“What is that supposed to mean? Oh my God, you like her don’t you?”
Max laughed. “No, Liz calm down.” He kissed her forehead. “You have nothing to worry about.”
“Oh yes, right.”
“Trust me,” he said.
“She’s going to be trouble,” Liz said. “I just know it.”
“Liz, hello? Have we meet? Calm down! I love you, I want only you. Don’t start to drive us both insane.”
Max pulled her close to him. “Now,” he said. “Let’s never have a day like this one again huh?”

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

XXII

Liz pranced into the living room and spun around on her toes like a ballerina. “How do I look?” She asked. When she saw him she stopped dead. “Max Evans get your feet off the coffee table!”
Max looked up from the newspaper he was reading. “Why? What difference does it make? My socks are clean.”
“ARGH!” Liz yelled annoyed. “Off! Right now!”
Max grudgingly slid his feet off the table.
“Thank you,” Liz said. “Now, how do I look for the hundredth time.”
“The second time,” Max corrected her. “You look stunning, as always. Too good for work that’s for sure. Are you sure you aren’t going to meet a male?”
Liz brushed a piece of fluff off her black dress. She was going for the whole, Audery Hepburn ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ look. “Well I don’t know if there will be males there, there might be. Maybe they’ll ask me to model the lingerie for them, you know be their newest eye candy?”
When she saw Max’s blank face, she laughed.
“Oh yeah right Max. My job is going to be in the offices upstairs. Like I would do that anyway!” She walked over to the door and slipped her black high heal shoes on. “Do you want me to make you something to eat or drink before I leave?”
“I have coffee, thank you anyway.” Max got up off the couch, drank the last of his drink and then walked over to Liz. “What am I supposed to do with myself now that you aren’t going to be here?”
“I don’t know, clean? Pick up your underwear in the bathroom? Watch DVD’s? Go for a run? Make a romantic dinner with candles? Masturbate? Do whatever you want. You are a free man. But you know what would make me happy?” She pulled on her coat. “Looking for a job that will make you feel important. You seem unsatisfied being around here…I don’t know. I just want you to be…”
“Happy?”
“Yes.” Liz opened the front door. “You know that’s all I want for you, I’ll see you later.”
Max walked up to her. “What, are past the kissing each other goodbye stage already?”
“I will be late.” She turned around and smiled at him. “We are still in the, can’t just kiss because it will lead to something else stage.”
“Oh, that stage. Thank you for clearing that up for me.”
Liz pecked his lips. “Wish me luck.”
“Good luck.”

………………………………………………………………………………………………
………

Liz slipped under the covers slowly, not sure if Max was awake or asleep.
“What sort of time is this then?” He mumbled into his pillow.
“I’m sorry,” she said. She snuggled up close to him. When he didn’t make any attempts to be closer to her she frowned. “Is something wrong love?”
Max rolled over so he could see her in the dark. “Nothings wrong. How was work?”
“Wonderful, I love it there.” He could see her smile faintly. “I don’t know how I’ll give up in two months.”
Max sucked in a breath. “Don’t quit then.”
“You mean break my routine? I don’t think so.” She reached out and brushed the hair from his forehead. “Did you have dinner with Isabel?”
“Hmm,” Max closed his eyes. “She’s pregnant.”
“WHAT?” Liz cried. “Really? Wow.”
“Yes, wow,” Max said. He pulled the cover away from his face and reached over to rap his arm around her. His hand found bare skin. He moved it down, more bare skin. He sucked in a breath.
Liz shifted closer to him. “That really is excellent news for Kyle. Is he happy?”
“Yes, he’s very happy.” Max ran his hand over her hip and down her thigh. Yip, he was right. Naked, completely and utterly bare.
Liz moaned. “Max, this month—“
“Yes?” His hand slipped between her thighs.
“It’s been very hectic and,” she paused. He moved his hand away. “It’s been hard on you…I know it has. I have been busy, always with something to do since you got here and that’s not fair because you came here for me. We haven’t even talked about the wedding!”
Max rolled onto his back.
“I know you’ve been looking for a job but you haven’t found one you want yet and that’s fine. It’s just… you don’t seem to be happy here with me. I guess I just want to know…”
“You want to know what?”
“I want to know, are you done here? Have you come back, seen there is nothing here for you and now want to go back to Italy?” Liz felt tears sting her eyes. She had been thinking about this for the past week. Max was being so wonderful about everything but she knew he was unhappy. He needed something that she was afraid she couldn’t give him. All the dinner parties and friends coming around weren’t something he enjoyed but yet he did it anyway, for her. Those were the only times they really have to see each other and even then Liz was as distant as Europe was, putting on her posh façade. Their relationship that used to be so fun was struggling because she wasn’t the person he had fallen in love with. At least not when anyone was looking.
She waited for him to reply. Expecting the worst. Expecting him to tell her he was done with her silly expensive life. Even when she spoke to him now she was different, trying to stay at a distance as if he didn’t already know who she was. He knew her best, she’d shown him what no one else got to see and now she was forgetting she didn’t have to hide with him.
Max got up from the bed and walked across the room in the dark. Liz heard the door click open and then close again as he walked away. She didn’t expect him to come back but he did a few minutes later, holding something in his hand. She wiped away her tears and sat up clutching the blanket to her chest.
“Your right,” he said to the dark. “I do want to go back.” Well that was expected, he’d given up his life for her but she was denying him everyday but not giving up hers. “But I haven’t come here and seen that there is nothing here for me.”
Turn on the lamp, Liz wanted to say. I want to see if you are hurting while you say this.
“I have come here and seen that this is your life and it is shit. It is a load of bull crap Liz and you know it. This is pathetic, you get into your expensive clothing and you spend half an hour doing your hair when I know you don’t need to because you are stunning without all that. You plaster that fake smile to your face and then you change. They don’t give a shit what you look like but yet you do all that when you could be here wearing baggy pants and a T-shirt around here and have me drooling! For Gods sake, whom do you care more about? Your stupid job and fake friends or me? Well you better decide because I’m not going to hang around here everyday while you fuck off and expect me to be here when you get back.” He finally turned on the lamp and looked at her. His face softened as soon as he saw the tears on her cheeks. He climbed onto the bed and sat next to her. He held the photo up that he had gone to get seconds ago. “Where’s this Liz?” He asked. It was a photo of her in Italy sitting on his yacht in her black bikini. She was smiling up at Maria who stood next to her. “Where’s this Liz who was up for anything, where’s this Liz that would stand up for herself even in front of dangerous men that could hurt her easily? Where’s the Liz that paraded around the house in see through clothing and no underwear just to tease me? Where’s the Liz that used to laugh when I was near her? Where’s the Liz I fell in love with!”
Liz sniffled. “That wasn’t life Max, that was one big holiday that had to end. You were hiding from your father and I was having a break from this life I live here.”
“It was not!” Max said exasperated. “I was enjoying life for the first time in my life and if that’s what’s fake I don’t care because that’s what I want. I’ll do it without my fathers money now, because that’s what you’ve taught me. But if this is what you consider life, wasting your time with people you don’t like, then you stay and live it but I won’t. I won’t Liz, I’m not going to waste my time waiting for you to be done at work.”
Liz was silent for a long time. “Where did you get this photo?” She asked. She looked so happy.
“Maria sent it to me,” Max said. He cupped her cheek and kissed her. “Think Liz, think about what we were like in Italy. Remember the fun we had? That is what life is about. Live your life for you not for everyone else.” He got under the covers and lay down with his head next to her thigh. “Goodnight.” He drifted off while she sat there staring blankly at the photo in her hands. Where was that girl?
What did that girl want?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The next morning when Max woke up he was alone. He got dressed and then went and found Liz in the dinning room. She had just finished setting the table and motioned him to sit down.
While he poured himself some orange juice Liz went and got the food. She had made French toast and fruit salad. They didn’t speak as they ate but they kept shooting each other glances. Liz was wearing a white skirt with blue flowers on it; it had a pleat in the middle and went down to mid calf. Her shirt was white, v-neck and short sleeved. Around her neck, she wore some wooden beads and on her feet, she wore brown slip on sandals. Her hair was in a pony tale.
Max thought she looked too beautiful to be true. If he weren’t in such a sour mood, he wouldn’t have been able to keep his hands off her. She was dressed for a hot summer day but the weather was windy and if she went to work wearing that, she would get a chill. When they were both finished, Liz reached for Max’s hand that was resting on the table beside his plate. She held it for several minutes and then slipped her engagement ring into his palm and pulled her hand away. She smiled at him and then got up from her chair, picked up their dirty plates, and started leaving the room. Max sat frozen waiting for her to say something, she didn’t, but when she came back she walked over to him and kissed his lips passionately. Her tongue licked his and finally when she broke away she rapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Max didn’t know what to think. What was going on?
After that, she walked out of the room. Max could hear her sandals clink against the floor as she walked towards the door. They stopped for a little while, he guessed while she put on her coat and buttoned it up. Then he heard the door open and her footsteps walk out into the hallway then the door close again. All the while he sat there frozen still, staring blankly at the ring in his hand and still reeling from the taste of her on his lips.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………


Max started packing. He didn’t know what else to do. He did it in silence, moving around the room determinably and gracefully. He tried no to think while he did it, he was so confused that he knew if he did allow himself the liberty, it would all be a muddle of worries anyway.
At exactly one PM the front door opened and she walked in. She put her bag on the floor while she took off her coat and then picked it up again when she walked towards him. She wasn’t surprised when she found him packing. She walked over to the closet without saying a word to him and searched around for something inside it. When she emerged again, she was holding a huge suitcase. She walked over and placed it beside his on the bed and then started filling it with her own belongings. Max stopped moving when he saw this. She noticed and smiled at him, a full out, true smile that blew him away.
“What?” She said. “You didn’t think I would actually choose this life over one with you did you?”
She picked up her handbag and reached in. She pulled out two airplane tickets and waved them in front of his face. “I have had a very busy morning you know. I had to quit my job, get all our money changed in the bank, buy these tickets, go see your sister…” She trailed off when she saw he was still looking at her blankly. “Oh come on, you aren’t shocked are you? Like I am dressed for New York weather! I am dressed for Naples weather and that’s exactly where we are going at 6:15PM.”
Max reached into his pocket and pulled out her engagement ring. “But…?”
Liz laughed. “I gave that back to you so you can propose again, this time at our real home. Don’t think you’ll be keeping it, it’s still mine!” She saw his whole body relax and she leapt into his arms and kissed him. “I want you Max, you know that. You’re the life I want.”
“Oh my God,” Max said burying his face in her hair. “Oh my God… you had me so worried.”
Liz laughed. “Silly man.” They kissed again, this time more full of want and need. “You don’t know me well at all!”
“Yeah, this Liz I know well, the other one I don’t,” he said.
Liz pulled away from him. “We have a lot of packing to do, we really should start,” she said.
“Nah!” Max said. He picked her up and walked around the side of the bed before chucking her down on the mattress. He climbed on after her and kissed her senseless making her moan and try to get closer to him. When he broke the kiss he said, “has it been a week?”
“It’s been a week,” she said. She tugged at his shirt, trying to get it over his head and when it was finally tossed aside she lay him down on his back and ran her lips over him. Max kicked off his shoes and ran his hands through her hair that was always so soft a silky. Why was arousal such an abundant need that was so loud and evident that you couldn’t say no to it? One minute it wasn’t there and the next it flooded over you like warm water.
Max pulled off her shirt and his eyes roamed over her breasts that were tucked into her cute little white lace bra. Her body was so tiny, how could she be so tiny? He hooked his fingers into her shirt and tugged it down her legs only to find a not-so-innocent white g-string underneath. Oh God, he thought. She will be the death of me.
Liz unbuttoned his pants and waited impatiently as he removed them along with his boxes. She needed him so much; she couldn’t believe how much she needed him. He removed her g-string and not bothering to remove her bra, that would take more time, he spread her legs and did that job he did so well. Once inside her, he calmed down a little bit and slowly made love to her, not wanting to make the moment go to quickly. “Oh Max!” Liz moaned rubbing her hands up and down his back lovingly. Their lips clung together as he moved in and out, in and out. They had done this so many times, how did it still have the same wonderful effect?
Liz’s legs went round him; her head rolled back and her hands gripped at his skin anywhere she could reach. Like her friends could ever get in the way of her doing this with him! She thought. He was what was important to her; he was what was real. When they came together, they cried out each others names into each others mouths and held each other closer.
They stayed like that for a long time afterwards, stroking each other, brushing against each other, loving each other.
When they finally got up they had a shower and then started packing again.
“Food! I need food!” Liz cried as she carried the fourth suitcase out to the door. “I’m going to order some food, what do you want?”
“Chinese,” Max replied coming up behind her with the last suitcase. “Oh my goodness, are my eyes deceiving me? Did we fit all your belongings into four suitcases?”
“Its not all my belongings.”
There was a knock at the door and Liz opened it. “Daria? Trish? Renee? What are you doing here?”
“We came to see you of course! We want to take you out to dinner so go get changed.”
“Actually Max and I are going to get Chinese,” Liz said. “I was just about to go get it…”
“Oh,” Daria said. “Well I guess we’ll join you here then!”
The three women walked in and Trish asked what the suitcases were for. “We are going on holiday,” Liz said. “And this is going to be our last night in New York, so we want to spend it together. I have had dinner with you guys twice this week already so if you don’t mind…”
She turned to Max and smiled. “I’ll go get it, you want sweet and sour pork right? I know you love that stuff. I’ll be right back, will you finish checking to make sure we have everything?”
“Yeah.” Max smiled.
Liz kissed his lips and didn’t stop until she had felt his tongue against hers.
“Oh my God,” Renee whispered to Daria and Trish. “Did she just French kiss him in front of us?”
“Yes, I did,” Liz said. “And why do you guys even bother whispering to each other when we can hear you?” She patted Max’s ass. “Be right back Max. See you girls later.”
“There’s a lot of luggage for a holiday,” Daria commented before they left.
Max waited patiently for Liz to come back and when she finally did they sat down together on the couch and fed each other. It felt so good to be in love. Max was right of course; most of the time he was. This was what life was about.

[nicola]

XXIII

“Okay, so we have seen your mother, my mother and now we only have one more place to go.”
Max glanced over at Liz sitting in her grey knee length jacket so she wouldn’t freeze in her ‘Italy’ attire. “Where else do we have to go? Our plane leaves soon,” he reminded her.
Liz smiled. “You may object but it’s only for your good and very, very important.” She took his hands in hers. “You’ll thank me later.”
Max’s eyes narrowed. “Tell me where we are going,” he said.
She held his hands tightly in hers. “We’re going to THE café,” she said.
“THE café? What the hell does that mean?”
Liz smiled sheepishly. “We are going to THE café, as in the café Angie works in. You know where you met her?”
Max’s face dropped. “Liz…”
“Max...” Liz purred. “As your soul mate, your bonded mate I have certain obligations to you. This includes me seeing something wrong and fixing it when you are avoiding it yourself.”
Max just laughed.
Liz rolled her eyes. “So you don’t mind? Good.”
“We don’t even know if she works there anymore Liz, it’s been a long time.”
The cab stopped. “Oh, she works here, I know she does,” Liz said. She opened her door and stepped out. “Come on now darling, it’s time to show this Angie what she’s missing out on.”
“Oh no,” Max said. He climbed out after her. “What have you been up to?”
Liz battered her eyelashes innocently. “Nothing my love, nothing at all!” She took his hand and walked slightly in front of him, leading the way. “Ready?” She asked before opening the door.
“Do I have a choice?”
“Of course not.” She tugged him inside and they took a seat near the window. Liz looked around the room, criticizing everything about it. “This place is just so crass, why did you used to come here?”
“When I was studying I liked to smoke and drink coffee here.” Max held her hand across the small table. “Liz, we don’t really have time for this.”
“Yes we do. Speaking of smoking, when was the last time you had a cigarette? I haven’t seen you have one in a while.”
“I had one today, I have cut down a lot though, only one packet a week, what about you?” He kissed her knuckles. “I want you to put my ring back on.”
“Okay but only while we are here,” she said. He pulled it out of his pocket and slid it back onto her finger. “And in answer to your question, no, I haven’t had a cigarette in a long time. Last time had to be at work, it was this stupid girl named Nancy’s fault though.”
Max smiled. “Yes, right.”
“I’m not as bad as you,” she said. “And just because we are going back to Italy doesn’t give us an excuse to start again.”
“I agree,” Max said. “Besides, I don’t want to have bad breath for you, now do I?”
“You already do,” Liz teased.
“What?” Max asked.
“I’m kidding,” she said. “Where the hell is the service around here, quite appalling really.”
Max shook his head with delight evident all over his face. “Hmm, God I love you.”
“Thank you,” she said. “Why?”
Max frowned. “What, now I have to have a reason?”
“Hi, my names Angie, how can I help you?”
“Angie!” Liz exclaimed. “What a lovely name.” She smiled at the girl. She was a pretty girl, tall and slim but she had wrinkles already, seemed very tired, and over worked.
She smiled the smile of a beaten girl who had been on her feet all day. “Thank you,” she said.
She glanced at Max and then stopped, then stared. “You look familiar, do I know you?”
Max glanced at Liz who raised her eyebrows at him. “Yeah, yeah you do. Max, Max Evans?” He said.
Her eyes widened and her hand flew up over her mouth. “Max Evans?”
“Yeah,” Liz said trying to hold in giggles. “Max Evans.”
Max wanted to hug her.
“Oh and you two, you’re…?”
“Married,” Liz said before Max could say anything. “I’m Mrs. Evans. So how do you two know each other?”
“Oh, right…oh,” she said. “Max and I… we dated once didn’t we?”
“Once, yes,” Max said.
“Max, honey what did you want to order again?” Liz asked. “Ice cream wasn’t it? Yes… Angie, could we please have a chocolate fudge sundae? Extra Large, two spoons?”
Max was trying not laugh, what on earth was she up to?
“Of course,” Angie said. “You look good Max, really good. I can’t believe your married. Wow!”
“Yeah,” Max said. “Almost two years now.”
“Really?” Liz said. “Has it been that long? Time just flies by doesn’t it?”
“Hmm,” Max grinned at her.
“I’ll go get your sundae, it was nice seeing you again Max…how’s your father by the way?”
Liz’s eyes bulged out of her sockets and Max nearly choked. He coughed loudly. “He’s a, an ass hole as usual.”
She frowned, then nodded and walked away.
“Oh My Go-!” Liz broke him off by kissing his lips passionately. When he pulled away shocked, she rested her forehead on his. “She’s watching, the plan is to make her regret what she did to you Max. By the way, you are so cute.”
“Huh?” Max said. What was going on? What did she say? What just happened?
“You, I love you.”
“I love you too,” he said. They kissed again, this time for themselves. “Liz, I don’t need to be here. I am with you, I have put all that behind me and I just want to live this life loving,” he kissed her, “and enjoying you.”
“Well,” Liz said. “We are here for my amusement then.”
Max laughed.
“Can you believe she actually asked about your father? The nerve!” Liz ran her hand through his hair. “You need a hair cut by the way.”
“No I don’t.”
“Oh yeah?” Liz said. “Your cute little sticking up bit at the front is getting too long to stick up properly.”
“What are you my mother?”
Liz kicked him under the table. “No, I’m your wife—of two years remember?”
Max laughed. “Yes, that’s right.” He cupped her cheeks and kissed her on the mouth.
Angie came back with their ice cream interrupting them. She put the ice cream down on the table and bit he lip. “So… are you living here in New York still?”
“No,” Max said. “We live in Naples, Italy…”
“Wow, that’s cool,” she said. “So are you a professor like you always used to want to be.”
Max blinked. “You remember that?” he glanced at Liz. “Yes I am, teaching physics.”
“Well then, you seem to be doing very well,” Angie said. Her joy was forced.
“What about you?” Liz asked. “What have you been up to since you made the bad mistake of giving my wonderful husband up?” Liz fed Max a spoonful of ice cream.
“Actually I don’t actually remember breaking up with him, he just up and disappeared!” Angie said.
Max nearly choked on his ice cream. It was a good thing his mouth was full otherwise he would have said something about his father.
“But, yeah I have a daughter, she’s only four months old. She’s staying with my mother while I work.”
Liz frowned. “You aren’t married?”
“No, the father was a jerk,” Angie said.
“Oh,” Liz said. Max seemed fazed.
“Well, I have to get back to work. It was nice seeing you again Max, nice meeting you Liz. Congratulations by the way.” Angie started to walk away.
“Thank you,” Liz said. “Bye.”
She looked over at Max and could see that he didn’t know what to say.
“Max…”
He swallowed. “You don’t think…I mean her child, it’s not my fathe…God I can’t even say it.” He really couldn’t, he looked pale.
“Max, I’m sure it isn’t,” Liz said. “I mean…”
“Liz, it could be.” He put some money down on the table and got up. “Come on, let’s go. We’re going to miss our flight.”
“Max…”
“Come on,” he said more sternly this time.
Liz got up from her seat biting her lip. Maybe they never should have come here after all.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

XXIV

Max was silent throughout the duration of the flight. His head was held up only with the support of the headrest on the back of his chair. His hands were neatly folded on his lap and his feet were sitting flat against the ground. Liz thought his posture somewhat resembled a robot. She wanted to comfort him but each time she attempted to show him some physical affection, by running her hand through his hair or kissing his neck and resting her head on his shoulder, he would remain unmoved.
She was not used to this lack of attention from him. Finally, when the flight attendant announced that they were going to be landing in an hour she punched his arm roughly.
“Max Evans’ we are officially in Italy. Don’t you owe me some kind of proposal now?” She bit his ear. “If you don’t give me my ring back right now I’m going to start to cry.”
He swallowed. “Tomorrow morning, that’s when I will give it back to you,” he said.
“Tomorrow?” She said in disbelief.
“You at least deserve me to give it to you when I am in a good mood, right now I might just throw it at you.”
“Well then,” Liz said suddenly very grumpy herself. “That’s just great.”
When the plane landed it were two very unhappy people that collected their bags and made their way outside to find a taxi. No one was waiting to welcome them home at the big empty house that hadn’t been occupied in several weeks.
Barely uttering two words to each other, they went their separate ways. It wasn’t because they were particularly displeased with one another but was more a strange form of affection for they did not want their tempers to be taken out on the other. Max removed all his clothing and headed straight for the shower whilst Liz unpacked her belongings and added them to his drawers. When she was done she closed the curtains in the bedroom, took off her clothing then climbed into bed, and snuggled into the pillow that had a slight smell of dust. When Max joined her, smelling sweetly of after-shave, soap, shampoo, and masculinity, she was already fast asleep.
Max did not fall asleep so easily. He lay awake for hours on his back with his hands behind his head and Liz tucked into his side. Her chest would move up and down as her breath puffed in and out and normally that would be enough to rouse him into wanting to join her in the undisturbed haven. Tonight was different. His thoughts remained on Angie, the girl that now had a life consisting of three things, her work, her daughter, and her contempt towards the father that would have no part in her life. Would not, or could not?
He could not part from his thoughts. There was a disturbing chance of her being the mother of his possible sister. It was disgustingly wrong.
When he fell asleep, he dreamt that he and Liz had a child and it had an uncanny resemblance to his father. It just wouldn’t end and Max couldn’t wake up. Liz ended up pulling him out of the hell he had created for himself and announcing that it was now morning and she wanted her ring. She knew he had been having a bad dream and decided not to confront him about it until later. She wanted him to be his normal content self-this morning.
Max groaned. “What is the meaning of this, wicked girl? It is only—“ He glanced at the bedside clock. “8:07.”
“That’s right, don’t you owe me something?” She was sitting up with the blanket clutched to her chest. “I want it now.”
Max ran his hand through his hair and closed his eyes again. “I love you, please be my wife. Your ring is in my pants on the floor.” He rolled onto his stomach and buried his face in the pillow. “If you love me back you’ll let me sleep.”
Liz snorted. “Well then, if that’s how your going to ask me my reply is fuck off, I will not marry you.”
“Okay then, get out of my bed,” Max teased in a low grumble. The blankets on the bed only just reached his lower waist, showing a glimpse of the top of his tanned buttocks and the whole expanse of his muscled back.
Liz ran his finger up and down his spine causing small tremors throughout his body. She whined his name. “This is very important to me,” she said impatiently. Her voice strongly resembled that of a little girl who didn’t want to wait until her parents got up to open her Christmas presents.
“Liz, babe, I know, I just…I’m very tired. I got barely no sleep and just want to be able to stay up late tonight.”
Liz perked up. “Why would you need to stay up late tonight?” She asked.
“So we can celebrate,” he mumbled. “You know we haven’t actually gone out to celebrate our engagement yet. I think we are in serious need of some time out.”
“Yes!” Liz exclaimed. “Oh YES! I so need to go and dance all night long. Maria and Michael just have to come.”
She leapt up and started jumping up and down on the bed not caring that she was butt naked. She bounced off the bed and stretched her arms up in the air. “I’m going to take a shower then we need to go grocery shopping and job hunting and house hunting.”
“Hmm,” Max agreed still not attempting to lift his head out from under his pillow. While Liz danced around the bathroom waiting for the shower water to heat up, she tried to think of a thank you gift to send her mother. She was doing a lot for her; it was because of her this she trip was possible. She was going to talk to the landlord and tell him someone else could have the apartment. Liz didn’t even need to worry about all her furniture because her mom was going to make sure it was sent as soon as she and Max found a new place. Everything was being taken care of for her and Liz wanted to make sure her mother was thanked adequately for it.
While she was washing her hair, she noticed the bathroom door open and Max saunter into the room scratching the back of his head. He stopped at the basin and searched around in the cupboard for something, which Liz quickly identified as mouthwash. After he had cleaned his mouth he headed in her direction and was standing in front of the glass door, opening it and then stepping in.
Liz smiled up at him. “I thought you wanted to sleep in?” She said.
“I couldn’t get back to sleep,” he said his eyes roaming over her body. His hands sought out her hips and he pulled her up against him. “Liz,” he purred into her ear.
“Go on,” she said. “Take me like you want. Like I love.”
Her eyes fluttered closed and she prepared herself for him to enter her. Sure enough, he lifted her up onto him and rapped her legs around his waist. The shower wall pressed against her back when he entered her and she arched her head back in ecstasy when she felt his lips on her breasts. His tongue darted out over her large nipples and he sucked on her tasting the water and her sweet skin on his lips.
“Don’t stop,” Liz gurgled her mouth filling with water as it opened letting out moans and cries. Max panted as he dove into her, taking her against the shower wall roughly and passionately. “Keep going Max, God keep going!”
Her moans urged him on, enlightening more passion to blossom within them. When Max arched up onto his toes to kiss her their chests rubbed against each other, sending shivers of delight to flood through their bodies. “Ah Liz,” Max moaned against her mouth. “I love you, Oh Liz!”
Max’s powerful thighs shook under his convulsive climax. His rippled body fought to stay upright as the final roars of heat spread throughout him.
When they both released, they fell against each other rasping for breath. After a couple of seconds Liz reached behind her and turned the shower off. “Max,” she whispered nipping at his neck. “Bed, now.”
“Easy for you to say,” he whispered back running his hands up and down her slippery back. “Try walking after that.”
Liz rubbed her breasts into his chest and clenched her thighs bringing them closer together. When they stumbled to the bedroom, they fell back onto the bed as one big mass of wet, bare skin and clung together in a fierce passionate embrace. Liz lay on top kissing and sucking Max’s neck and chest while grinding up and down on his arousal that was swelling again inside her. Her thighs moved up and down his hips as she moved and her wet hair clung to her neck and cheeks.
“Liz,” Max moaned loudly. “Oh God you’re going to kill me.”
His hands grasped her breasts needing her nipples between his fingers and wanting them in his mouth. After driving him to an impressive climax Liz kept moving wanting her own relief, she could feel it just ahead but she couldn’t reach it. Max reached down and started rubbing her nub while nibbling on her neck and slowly but finally she cried out as she flew over the edge. She collapsed onto his chest and sighed contentedly whispering her love and then drifted off for a few extra moments of slumber.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

While having breakfast at a small café by the beach, Max finally gave Liz her ring back. He tucked her hair behind her ear, cupped her cheek and looked into her eyes before speaking quietly to her in his deep sexy voice. You are perfect, you always will be to me and sharing my life with you is so wonderful I find it hard to separate the reality from the dream. He slipped her ring back onto her finger and kissed her lips. Liz said that he was getting really good at proposing and hugged him, thanking him for being so wonderful to her. She noticed that he wasn’t bringing up Angie or the baby and knew that he was trying not think about it for her. She had wanted to get away from New York to live happily and he was trying to give that to her without worries. Inside, she knew it was tearing him apart with worry. After they left, they went to Michael and Maria’s apartment. Maria answered the door and jumped on Liz when she saw her.
“OH my goodness! You’re back! I knew you guys couldn’t live without us!” She exclaimed. She hugged Liz tightly. “Liz, babe you have no idea how much I need to go out with you, I’m dying to go dancing all night long. All my other friends just can’t keep up like you can!”
Liz smiled. “Good, so you’ll up for going out tonight?”
“I have to perform tonight,” Maria said her face clearing showing her disappointment.
Liz smiled. “So? We’ll come.”
Michael was sitting in the lounge eating a Big Mac and watching cartoons. Liz found it hard to believe he was eating that at this time in the morning.
“It’s disgusting isn’t it?” Maria said. “He always eats them before he goes to work. Do you guys want anything to drink or eat?”
“No thank you,” Max said. Liz took a seat next to Michael on the couch and he rapped a friendly arm around her and hugged her to his side. “Welcome back,” he said his eyes still glued to the screen.
“Um yes, thank you,” Liz said scrunching her face up in disgust at his choice of food. Max sat down next to her and relaxed into the chair. “Guys, tonight is important we need to celebrate.”
“Celebrate?” Maria asked fixing her hair in the mirror on the wall. “Your return you mean?”
“No, our engagement,” Liz said. “Max, I thought you’d told them?”
“Nope,” Max said.
“Engaged!” Maria screamed. “Max Evan’s engaged? Has hell frozen over!”
Max did not look amused. “Why does everyone find that so hard to believe?”
“Let me see the ring,” Maria said running over to Liz. “I hope you spent a heap on it Mr. Evans…” Liz held up her hand with a smile.
“He bought the type I said I liked, with the diamonds inside the band…isn’t it lovely?”
“Oh Max you sweetie, it is nice! I like it, Michael if you ever marry me I want that one, see.”
Michael grunted.
“Charming,” Maria said with a sigh. “There is hope for you two but not for us I’m afraid. So what do you two have planned for the day?”
“We have to job hunt and house hunt,” Max said.
“House hunt?” Michael chose this moment to join the conversation. “Why?”
Liz smiled. “We are going to be independent,” she explained.
“Independent? As in, no more spending parents money?” Maria asked. “Boy Liz, you really do have a good influence on him. We’ve been trying to get him out there for so long!”
“He’s going to be a professor,” Liz said. “Physics.”
Michael snored. “Oh boy,” he said. “Wait a minute…what about the yacht? You aren’t going to get rid of the yacht right?”
Max’s eyes widened. “No way.”
“What?” Liz asked. “Of course we are…”
Max looked at her shocked. “Liz, no way in hell.”
“We’ll see,” Maria said straightening up. “Lizzie will get her way. I’m so proud.”
“Once you get a job, you’ll be able to get a new one that will be more rewarding because you earned it yourself,” Liz said.
“The only boat Max will be able to buy with his own money will be a dinghy!” Michael exclaimed.
She glanced at her watch. “We really have to get to the grocery store.”
Max grudgingly sat up.
“So, we’ll ring you tonight around seven and meet you at the club? I’m singing with another girl tonight, you know that ‘tell him’ song by Celine and Barbara? We are going to sing that! So cool, I can’t wait.” Maria said. “I’m so glad you guys are back. So are you here to stay?”
“Definitely,” Max said. He hugged her again. “We’ll see you tonight.”
“Yes,” Liz said. “Tonight.”
On their way out Maria cried, “Congratulations by the way! I am so happy for you guys!”
When they were walking through the market buying food Max spoke, “Liz, my yacht? Are you kidding?”
“Max, you brought it with your fathers money. How hypocritical would it be if you kept it?”
Max said shoved his hand into the back pocket on her board shorts and moved closer to her. “I’m keeping the yacht babe.”
Liz felt his fingers massaging her ass through the thin material of her shorts. “But…”
“No,” Max said. “I’m putting my foot down on this one. I earned that boat.” He stepped in front of her and looked down at her. She swallowed at the look in his eyes and closed her eyes so she wouldn’t loose this fight. He leaned down and kissed her lips passionately and not caring that they were in public raised his hand to rub over her nipple.
Liz stuttered, “Just…just, how, how did you, you earn it?”
Max smiled; he was so going to get to keep the boat. “He gave me nothing for years, it was my birthday present for the last twenty years of my life. Now Liz, what would you like for dinner?”
He pulled his hand away, his lips away; his body away and walked over to the vegetable stall. “You look a little flustered, are you okay?”
“Damn you,” Liz muttered.
“You like the yacht, it’s my baby Liz!” Max looked so adorable to Liz with his face all youthful and carefree that she couldn’t even bring herself to be annoyed with him for getting to her like he did.
“Just keep the damn boat,” she hissed storming off towards the ice cream cart.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

XXV

Liz lay at Max’s side with her head on his chest and a folded up newspaper in her hand. “What about this one?” She asked. “It’s on the beach, for you, a large kitchen, for me, it has two bedrooms, a study, and a small garden.”
One of Max’s hands held up the employment pages of the newspaper and the other lazily drew patterns back and forth on Liz’s upper arm that rested in between him and the couch. He sighed loudly and closed his eyes. “I have a great idea.”
“What?” Liz asked.
“How about we don’t move?”
Liz snorted. “No, we can’t stay here.”
“Why not? I love this house,” Max said. “It’s perfect, it’s going to be hard to find anywhere that will beat it.”
Liz swallowed. “Don’t you want to find a new home that we can call our own? Besides, I will feel more comfortable if I know that you haven’t been with many other girls in the same room as your making love to me in. Maybe we should buy a new bed too—or we could just use the one in my old room.”
“Uh,” Max said guilty. “That won’t be completely free of…”
“Oh God Max! That’s just awful! Do we have to replace every bit of furniture in this house?”
“Not everything…” Max trailed off. “But if you want to get rid of everything I’ve had sex on, we better get rid of this couch…the dining room table…. All the beds…my office desk…”
“Stop!” Liz said putting her hands over her ears. “If you aren’t careful you’ll change my mind about marrying you. I can’t believe it Max, jeez!”
“I’m sorry!” Max said.
“You should be,” Liz said sadly. After a few seconds she asked, “is there any jobs in there?” She motioned to the paper in his hand.
“The only teaching job is a primary school one…or there’s this teacher reliever one, when professors are sick.”
“Well that’s okay, why don’t you ring them?” She asked.
“I will,” Max said. “And for you, since you’ll basically do anything there are plenty of jobs. A lot of them require you to speak Italian though. You might like these two, ones a fashion designers assistant and the other is working in a science lab. I think it’s got something to do with finding cures for incurable diseases.”
“Oh,” Liz said. “Well they both sound good. I’ll ring both.”
“Good.” Max sniffled. “Do I smell burning?” He asked.
Liz shot up. “Oh shit! No!” She ran off towards the kitchen and Max could hear her cursing from where he was in the lounge.
“Oh hell, oh why does this always happen to me? Christ oh mighty, bloody hell!” There was a loud clatter of pots and then the smoke alarm went off. “Fuck! Bugger! SHIT!”
Max stifled a laugh. “Liz darling is everything all right?” He called out.
“NO!” She cried.
Max got up and walked into the kitchen. After turning off the smoke alarm, he turned to find Liz sitting on the floor against the cupboards sucking her knuckles and sniffling. His amusement quickly turned to concern, “what happened?” He asked squatting down in front of her.
“I burnt myself, can you get that stupid crap out of the oven and throw it away? We’ll have to eat something else.” Liz’s eyes stung.
“Why haven’t you got your hand in water for heavens sake?” Max pulled her up and turned to tap on, once he checked it was cold with his fingers he put her hand under it. “I’m sure dinners fine,” he said.
“Take a look for yourself,” she muttered.
Max got the lasagna out of the oven with a tea towel and put it down on the cutting board. “It looks fine,” he said. If it meant it would make her happy, he would eat the whole damn thing. “You don’t have to eat it, but I will.”
Liz turned around and was about to say something but Max stopped her. “Keep your hand under the water!” He demanded.
She did as she was told. “Max you don’t have to eat it. Don’t do that for me.”
“For you? It’s for me, I’m STAR-ving.” He cut it up and served it onto two plates. “We have salad too…”
He took the plates out to the dinning table and then came back for the bottle of wine in the refrigerator. Liz watched with her hand under the tap and a small adoring, smitten, happy, in love smile on her lips. Finally when her hand was going numb from the cold she dried it with a tea towel, went, and took a seat at the table. Max was playing with the stereo and after he’d put a CD on he came and joined her.
She could admit, this house did have benefits she didn’t want to give up but she was certain it was important that they moved on.
She poured them both some wine and when he asked, held her hand out for him to see the burn. “It’s not that bad,” she said. “I’m just a big woss and my periods due in the next two days so I’m all pathetic and annoying.”
“It looks sore,” he said. “There’s burn cream in the bathroom cabinet, I’ll go get it…” He started to get up but Liz stopped him.
“No, sit, it can wait,” she said. She watched him take his first bite of lasagna, he didn’t realize she was watching and she caught his quick scrunched up nose. “You hate it, don’t eat it, we’ll order pizza or something…”
“I love it,” Max said smiling and trying to swallow it. “Really I do, I do! It’s delicious!”
Liz laughed. “Max, you’re a liar.”
“I’m not lying, its very yum.”
Liz shook her head in disbelief. “Fine, give yourself food poisoning, I’m going to go make myself a sandwich.” When she came back with a loaf of bread and peanut butter, she went to put the bread down on the wood and then paused. “So this table huh?” She asked pulling the place mat over so she didn’t have to butter her bread on the bare surface.
Max chewed profusely trying to swallow the disgusting attempt at dinner. When he was about to speak, he was cut off by the telephone ringing. “I’ll get it,” he said. He grabbed the portable telephone off the coffee table in front of the couch and came back speaking to Maria. “Yeah, okay, yeah…so eight, Outside? We’ll be there. Maria…fine I’ll tell her.” He hanged up and sat back down.
“Tell me what?” Liz asked biting into her sandwich.
“She said to wear something ridiculously revealing and fun,” Max said stabbing his food with his fork. “What’s this?” He asked picking it to pieces.
Liz peered at the food on his fork. “I think… I think it may be cheese.”
“That is cheese?” Max asked. “Okay.”
“Please don’t eat it, your embarrassing me,” she chuckled. After she’d finished her bread, she got up. “Okay, I’m going to get changed into something ridiculously revealing and fun. Oh! And I’m going to pick what you’re going to wear.”
“Do I have to get changed?”
“Yes,” Liz said heading away.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Liz got out of Max’s Porsche and straightened out her leather skirt. “Max, do I look okay? I’m suddenly not liking this outfit anymore.”
“Yes, I like it very much…especially that shirt.” He closed his door and ran his hand over the door. “Is that a scratch?”
“Does it matter? This babies going back to the car yard,” she said. She eyed her low cut red shirt and sighed, “I just don’t know about this…”
Max whimpered. “My car!”
“Darling, let’s go, they are waiting!” Liz took his hand and they walked towards the buzzing club. There was a huge line but they just walked straight up to the door where Maria was standing and she let them straight in.
“Liz you look stunning, I am so jealous,” Maria hugged her.
“Are you sure?” Liz asked fingering her red sheer scarf.
“Absolutely,” Maria said.
“I told you,” Max reminded her. He kissed Maria’s cheek. “When are you on?”
“Twenty minutes,” she replied. “Michael’s got a table near the bar, come on.”
There was a round stage with white steps leading down into the dance area where a blonde girl was singing to the band behind her. “That’s Ismeralda, she’s the woman I’m going to be singing with tonight,” Maria explained.
“She’s Italian?” Liz asked.
“Yes,” Maria replied.
They took a seat at the table and it was only a matter of moments before Maria was off again to prepare for her performance. Liz got up saying she had to go dance before she combusted into a big ball of flaming energy. “Can you order me a—?”
“Yeah,” Max said. “I know, a margarita.”
“Thank you,” she pecked his lips and then walked off into the dancing bodies.
“You’re not going to go with her?” Michael asked sipping his beer.
Max shook his head. “I could never keep up with her even if I wanted to,” he explained.
Michael laughed. “Well okay then, but don’t complain to me when men start rubbing up against her instead of just—“
Max cut him off. “I have nothing to worry about,” he said.
“If your sure,” Michael said. “So, engaged huh? Does that mean it’s the end to your extra curricular activities or, knowing you, have you not given them up yet?”
Max called the waitress over. “I couldn’t do that to Liz,” he said. “I can’t explain it, it’s like she got me in this spell…”
“What, is she a witch now Maxwell?”
“No,” Max said. “Maybe a demon sent down to kill me in the sack…”
“WO!” Michael suddenly exclaimed. “Hold up right there, in the sack? Holy shit…oh man, who can I tell this too? I have to tell someone…”
“Shut up you crazy bastard,” Max said.
“Can I get you anything?” The waitress finally made an appearance.
“Yeah, I’ll have a Jim and Cola and a Margarita thanks, Nikki.”
She smiled. “Great, I’ll be right back with them.”
They watched her walk away leaving Michael grinning like an idiot and biting on his fist. “Well you still look, that’s for sure.”
Max shook his head and laughed.
“So Liz, she’s a little fire cracker huh? I should have known when I first saw her in that thong bikini…”
“Michael,” Max warned. “That’s my wife-to-be you’re talking about.”
“I just find this hard to believe! Wait till I tell everyone, Max Evans has finally met his match!” Michael gulped down the rest of his beer. “No one will believe me…”
“It’s not just about the sex,” Max said. “It’s the first time since, you know who, I’ve actually felt something more then just attraction before. She’s the one, God remember we used to tease the shit out of everyone who said that? Michael I love her, she’s everything I have ever loved in a woman. She makes me laugh—“
“I make you laugh, why don’t you marry me?” Michael teased.
Max looked at him blankly. “Michael…”
Michael frowned. ‘”Okay, don’t get your underwear in a bunch. What’s up with you? You’ve changed.”
“I’ve grown up,” Max said. “A lot has happened since you saw me last.”
“Well,” Michael said. “Mr. Grown up, your girl is getting felt up by that blonde headed perve over there…”
Max shot up from his chair. “Maybe I’ll just go dance, after all.”
Michael laughed. “Yeah, maybe you’ll just go kick someone’s ass after all.”

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

“This song is for my best friends that are going to get married soon. I love you guys,” Maria spoke into her microphone, smiling when she saw Max and Liz’s shocked faces.
“I'm scared
So afraid to show I care
Will he think me weak
If I tremble when I speak
Oooh - what if
There's another one he's thinking of
Maybe he's in love
I'd feel like a fool
Life can be so cruel
I don't know what to do.”
“Let’s go dance,” Max whispered in Liz’s ear. She swallowed the last of her drink and then got up and followed him out to the dance floor. He rapped his arms around her petite frame and she rapped her arms around his neck drawing him close.
“I love this song,” she whispered.
“Hmm,” Max mumbled pressing his lips to the skin behind her ear. “You smell so sweet,” he breathed. He caught Michael’s eyes across the room and watched him raise his eyebrows and grin. Max closed his eyes and held Liz closer, what he felt for her was not something he expected Michael to understand. He couldn’t and wouldn’t try to explain what he felt to any of his old friends; they would just laugh at him.
“I've been there
With my heart out in my hand
But what you must understand
You can't let the chance
To love him pass you by.”
Liz swayed back and forth with him. “You’re my best friend, you know,” she whispered.
“Your mine babe,” Max kissed her lips chastely.
“Tell him
Tell him that the sun and moon
Rise in his eyes
Reach out to him
And whisper
Tender words so soft and sweet
Hold him close to feel his heart beat
Love will be the gift you give yourself.”
Once the song was over they decided to go home and thanked Maria, said goodbye to Michael then walked out to the car holding hands.
“Max, if you don’t want to we don’t have to get rid of any of your things, I know you don’t want to and I’m just being this big hassle…” Liz opened her car door and hopped in.
Max got into the drivers seat. “Are you kidding me?” He asked. “Everything you’ve been saying is right but I don’t have the strength to do it on my own. So don’t go backing out now, I just need big pushes in the right direction.”
Liz smiled at him. “Your serious.”
“Don’t ask me,” he said. “I’ll tell you no and lock you out of my house so I can keep all my things.”
Liz chuckled. “Okay then, I won’t ask and I’ll slowly start taking things away and you’ll ask me why everything’s disappearing.”
“Great, so now we have a plan.”
“A plan,” Liz said. “Good.”

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