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"You're going out with him
again? Maria says surprised.
"Yeah." I say a little embarrassed.
I know somewhere down the line I'll regret telling her this.
"This is getting pretty serious huh? Soon you'll be double dating with me and Micheal. I can't wait." She says all excited.
Whoa!
"Okay, Maria...you're way ahead of me here. It's just a second date alright. Don't go planning our nuptials." I say fixing my hair.
"So, who's this Max again?" Alex says turning his attention away from the television where a geico commercial's playing.
"He's just this guy I work with." I say briefly.
"Oh
Please! Alex, that was the abbreviated version." She says rolling her eyes. "Let me tell you who he
really is."
"He wouldn't happen to be a drug dealer would he?" Alex says with a suspicious frown on his face.
"No!" I say quickly. "Why would you even think that?"
Shrugging his shoulders, he says, "I don't know, it's just a thought. This is Brooklyn after all."
"Well anyway, he was like this totally cocky sexy ass guy that Liz would complain about every day and then he just put the moves on her out of
nowhere and now she's like addicted to him...you should see her when she talks about him...It's like christmas." She finishes with a smile.
"So I go away for one month, and Liz is in love already?" Alex says in disbelief.
What? I am not in love!
"I am
not in love with him!" I laugh out nervously. "Maria is totally exaggerating...Believe me Alex."
"Oh really, I am?" She says with a raised eyebrow. "Why don't you tell Alex about him serenading you on the phone last night?" She says wickedly.
"He serenaded you?" Alex says with wide eyes. "Guys do that?"
Nodding her head, Maria continues, "Apparently Max does...And she loved every minute of it. Didn't you Liz?" She winks at me through the mirror.
"You guys are unbelievable." I mutter out, applying some shiny gloss to my lips.
"So everyone's dating someone here?" Alex says.
"I'm not dating him yet." I say louder.
God, am I invisible?
"Noticed how she said
yet." Maria points out.
"I mean, i'm not totally female repellant. You guys like me." Alex says thinkingly.
"But we're your friends Alex." I say with a smile. "We have to like you."
"Yeah, but come on...." He sighs dramatically. "So what if I don't have piercings and huge muscles and lots of money...I have morals and I'm smart. Any girl would be lucky to have me as a boyfriend." He finishes with a proud smile.
"You know, Max has a sister." Maria pats his shoulder.
"Uh, I don't think that'll help much." I say apprehensively. The remembrance of Isabel is clearly etched into my memory. She doesn't seem like she'd give Alex the time of day.
"Why do you say that?" Maria says.
"She's beautiful and she has manicured nails and blonde hair and...and big breasts....she's just not your type." I say dismissively.
"That's not my type? Liz, that's every guy's type." Alex says matter of factly.
"I know, but she just doesn't seem like the girl for you."
"A beautiful girl isn't the one for me?" He says with a frown.
Okay, he's not getting the point.
"No Alex...What I'm saying is that, from my point of view, she seemed superficial and a bit high strung. I don't mean to judge and I hardly know the girl but it's just a first impression. I could be completely wrong." I say reassuringly.
"Yeah you could Liz." Maria adds in. "You of all people should know how much things aren't exactly what they appear to be. Look at Max....Now you're going on a second date with the guy... Is my point made?" She says with a smirk.
Thinking to myself how right she is, I answer her slightly distracted, "Yeah, you are."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You alright?" Max says touching my shoulder lightly.
Nodding my head, I smile at him before replying. "Yeah, I am...Thanks for such a wonderful time Max." I say honestly.
It really was an amazing date. He took me to this pier just outside of the Hudson River. We walked around and looked at all the sites just before dining at this really low key restaurant with a magnificent view of the city skyline. We even watched the sun set lighting the sky with an orange tint. It was beauftiful. Now we're walking on a border near the river with the stars giving the water a silver glow. I never knew the city could be so magical.
Looking at me gazingly, he returns my smile and replies, "Your welcome."
He looks as if he has something else to say. I give him the initiative.
"What Max?....It looked like you wanted to say something." I say quietly.
He stops us from walking, and gestures that we sit down on a nearby bench. I turn to him thinking that what he has to say might be serious.
"Liz, we had an amazing night so far. It went exactly how I planned it." He says peering at me intently.
"But...." I say, knowing instinctively the word was next to be uttered.
Smiling a little at my admission, he continues, "
But, I've felt like you've been somewhere else entirely. I mean you're here, right next to me....but...." He trails off most likely to gauge my reaction.
I look down because I know exactly what he means. My mind has been so far away for the most part of the evening. I just couldn't help thinking about the last words Maria said to me before I left earlier. She was more than accurate. Max has completely exceeded my expectations and I guess that scares me more than I'd like to admit.
I had him chalked up to be this arrogant prick who'd never garner my attention and that was just fine because it was clear that we'd never mesh with one another. But as it turns out, we more than mesh. We get along so well and I like him so much that if we ever got together and it worked out perfectly, I can't imagine what it would feel like to have him leave me behind when he goes off doing his own thing and I'm starting college in the fall. Do I really wanna start something I can't finish and cause all of this heartache and confusion that's bound to happen? Is it really worth it....is he really worth it?
Looking back up at his face, I know that he deserves to hear the truth.
"Yeah...you're absolutely right and I'm sorry for that. It's just that...I've been thinking." I say slowly.
Taking my hand in his, he moves closer to me. "Thinking about what?" He whispers.
"About you and me...And where this
thing between us might be going." I say looking into his eyes. I see a joyful sparkle in their depths when I said
us.
"Where do you want it to go?" He says apprehensively.
"I don't know." I say shrugging my shoulders. "I'm just really confused."
"Liz, I like you. I like you a lot." He says with a deep smile. "I may be going out on a limb here, but I've never felt like this with a girl
ever. I don't think you have either." He says in a non cocky way. Another first from him.
Gazing into his eyes with a besotted smile, I whisper, "How do you feel?"
Holding my stare, he lifts one hand to cup my cheek. "Like the more I'm with you, the faster I seem to be falling....Falling into this euphoria, this place I never thought I'd end up and I can't stop it. I don't think I want to." He whispers, inching his face closer to mine.
Knowing that he's going to kiss me, I look down and fiddle with the fabric of my top. He sighs and lifts my chin up with his hand to look into my eyes.
"What are you afraid of?" He says intensely. "I'd never hurt you."
"I'm starting college in the fall Max. I don't know where you'll be. If your staying here or not....I just know that really soon, my life is going to change and I'm not sure if I'm prepared for all of that along with a relationship with you." I say frantically.
"Liz, all I'm asking for is a chance. We have something...something so rare when we're together. I don't wanna know what it would feel like to never having taking that oppurtunity with you... I feel it in my heart Liz...I feel how right this is. Don't you?" He whispers with both of his hands cradling my face.
"But what about......" I try again with what little restraint I have left.
Placing a finger to my lips, he continues with, "We'll cross that bridge when we get there Liz. Just take it one day at a time....Trust me, you won't regret this. I promise you."
Hearing the sincerity in his words, and the intensity of how bad I want this, I whisper, "Okay."
The smile that lights up his face was almost blinding. It's contagious and I can't help but return it.
"Can I kiss you now?" He says with emphasis.
Nodding my head, he leans forward and touches my lips lightly with his own. He opens his mouth slightly wider, waiting for my permission to deepen the kiss. Taking the signal, I run my hands up his shoulders to the nape of his neck and pull him closer.
Deepening the contact, he groans softly as I maneuver my tongue into his mouth to tangle with his own. It's the explosion of all kisses. I've kissed guys before, but it's
never been this good. He tastes like nothing I've ever had before.
Pulling away slowly when catching my breathe became more than imperative, I open my eyes to see him staring at me with an adorable look on his face. I smile at how cute he looks with my lip gloss on his lips.
"You're a really great kisser." I say in all honesty.
His eyes light up with my profession and he leans forward to kiss me again. With his lips so close to mine, he whispers, "I know."
Rolling my eyes at his response, I smile despite myself before sealing our lips once again.
There's no way this could go wrong. It feels to damn right.
TBC....
Crystal
