Hi Ruth, welcome!
Hi everyone! How are you all? It was my birthday the other day and it was fantastic, hired a limo--I like to celebrate in style lol! It was heaps of fun, got a wee bit sloshed. I hope you like the new part, I'll be posting the conclusion on Behind the Glamour by the end of the week!
11
Naples 2018
It was Saturday night and Max was in the kitchen making dinner. Liz was in the lounge watching a movie but she kept getting up to help him.
“How many times do I have to tell you?” he said, getting annoyed. “Go away! Would you be insulted if I didn’t trust you to cook? I think so.” He whipped her bottom with a tea towel.
Liz grudgingly went back to the couch but when Natalie came out of her room she said quietly, “Can you go help your father cook dinner please? If you feel like eating tonight.”
“Okay,” Natalie said.
Alexander came and sat down, Liz watched him fidgeting out of the corner of her eye. He obviously wanted to say something but didn’t know how to do it. She left him in his misery for a little while but then realized she was being mean and asked, “What do you want?”
He sighed loudly. “My friend is having this party tonight…”
Liz smiled to herself. Typical. “Parents there?”
“Well…no. But an older sister who’s twenty-three.” His eyes were pleading. “I’ll be home by midnight.”
“Eleven and we have a deal,” Liz shifted so she was lying on her back.
“Eleven-thirty.”
“We aren’t negotiating on this one,” she told him.
“Grr! Fine,” he stood up from his chair and headed towards his room to get ready.
“Thanks mom! You’re so great mom!” she called after him. He rolled his eyes at her and she shook her head and settled down into her cushion. Now, where was she? Johnny Depp? Oh that’s right. How could she forget?
Max was sulking when he came and sat down beside her. “I don’t know why I even try to help.”
“Shh,” Liz said. Trying to hear the television.
Max grabbed a pillow and placed it over her head, pretending to suffocate her. “LISTEN TO ME, woman!” When he pulled it away she looked at him disapprovingly and turned back to the TV.
“You are a bad cook Max, deal with it,” she said. “Did Natalie take over?”
“Yes.” He spread her legs apart and lay in-between them on his stomach. He rested his head on her chest and wrapped his arms around her waist. “What are you watching?”
Liz ran her fingers through his hair. “Chocolat.“
“Johnny Depp?” he groaned.
“What can I say? I love him,” she grinned even as she said it. She knew how Max would reply to that.
“There’s only room in the marriage for two people, you’re going to have to pick, me or him?” He paused for a second and then added, “Would you like to be known as Mrs Depp? What kind of a name is that anyway?”
“Max, he’s the dream, you’re the reality,” she teased. “I know not to expect the stars.”
“HA!” Max huffed and went to get up but she held him in place.
Liz laughed loudly. “Honey, I was just kidding. Serves you right for being so insecure.” She pulled his chin towards hers so she could kiss him. “I love you…”
“Ergh,” Thomas groaned as he walked past and plonked down onto the sofa chair. “You’re too old to be kissing like that. You’re so disgusting.”
“Oh shh,” Liz said. The telephone started to ring and no one moved to get it. About five rings passed before Natalie came stomping out of the kitchen, yelling at all of them and saying they were a bunch of lazy bums. “Hello?” there was a pause and then, “Oh HEY Aunty Isabel!”
Liz and Max both glanced over. Sure enough, “Mom, Aunty Isabel wants to talk to you.”
“You? Why you?” Max sighed. “What is her own brother not good enough for her?”
“Obviously not,” Liz teased. “Hand me the portable please darling.” Natalie brought it over and handed it over. Max watched their conversation with deep curiosity, he had no idea what they were talking about but Liz wasn’t smiling any more and she was being secretive. When she hung up fifteen minutes later she swallowed and glanced at him.
“What is it? Has something happened?”
“Max, Philip died a couple of hours ago.”
Max nodded slowly. He was silent for a few moments and then said, “About time.”
“Max!” Liz hissed.
“What are you surprised for?” Thomas asked. “Granddad was a fucking ass.”
“Hey!” Max yelled loudly, making Liz jump. “That may be true but I will not have you swearing in my house.”
“Granddad’s dead?” Natalie asked.
“Yeah,” Liz answered.
She seemed momentarily distressed. “So that’s both of them gone now? We’re practically grand-parent orphans.”
Max frowned. “That makes no sense,” he turned to Liz. “Did you drop her and not tell me?”
Natalie was offended but didn’t get a chance to yell at him because the smoke alarm went off in the kitchen. “OH shit!” a few seconds later she’d switched it off and called out, “Not to worry! It’s only the onions in the pan, dinners not burnt.”
“Max,” Liz said. “We’re going to have to go to the funeral.”
“Wahoo we’re going to New York!” Natalie cried excitedly from the kitchen.
“No you’re not,” Max said.
“Max,” Liz looked at him sternly.
“The kids are staying here, I’ll go to the funeral alone just to console my mother and Isabel.”
“Do I have a say in this?”
“This sucks!” Thomas said.
“What if I would like to go to New York?” Liz asked.
“Do you?” he raised his eye brows. “Someone has to look after the kids. Besides, it will take two days tops to clear everything up and then I’ll be back. Perhaps I should invite mom to come and stay for a while?”
“How long?” Liz bit her lip, unsure.
“Have a heart.”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course she can stay, Max. I’m not that insensitive. What I mean is: are we talking months?”
“No,” he answered. “Just a couple of weeks, for some bizarre reason she loved Philip to death and is probably devastated. It might do her good to be around her grandchildren.”
“It would,” Liz agreed.
“Can I turn this off?” Thomas motioned to the movie on the TV.
“No,” Liz said and then turned back to Max. “When will you go?”
“Earliest flight I guess. It’s good because tomorrow’s Sunday so I’ll only have to miss a couple of days of work. I’ll go on line and check out the flight schedule.” He got up and headed away, only to come back seconds later to ask, “Why did Isabel ask for you and not me?”
“She didn’t want to break it to you over the phone, thought it would be better if I told you.”
“Why? It’s not like I’ll mourn for him or anything.”
When Alexander found out the first thing he asked was, “Hey wasn’t granddad a millionaire?”
Liz yelled at him for being insensitive and Max yelled at him for calling Philip ‘Granddad’ when he was nothing to them and that wasn’t going to change now.
Later that night when Liz was in bed and Max was packing she was trying to get him to actually show some grief for his father. She knew he must have it in him, just like she had when Jeffery had died. She’d never have admitted it at the time but it turned out some part of her had felt a small blow. “Max,” she said. “You must feel at least a little sad. He was your father. Think of your good memories with him.”
“What are you trying to do?” he started to get mad at her. “Make me sad? What kind of a wife are you?”
Liz sighed loudly. “I’m not trying to make you sad; I just don’t want you to think you have to hide it if you actually do feel something.”
“Well cut it out. I don’t have to talk about every little feeling I have,” Max snapped. “Philip was a jerk, I never got on with him and I never loved him, that’s it. End of story.”
“Max…”
“What?!” he yelled. “Why are you pushing this? Can’t you just drop it for once? Just once Liz, you always do this, pick, pick, pick.”
“Stop yelling at me! I’m not doing anything wrong,” Liz cried.
“What do you want to hear?” he stomped across the room so he was standing in front of her. “I suppose you expect me to say I loved him and I miss him and I can’t believe he’s gone. Well I’m not going to, because though you live in this world where you have all these ideas about how things are supposed to be, this is one you’re just going to have to grow to understand. I didn’t care about him.”
“I’m not going to talk to you when you’re like this; you’re just taking your mood out on me.” Liz pushed on his chest to get him to back away. “Don’t even think about coming to bed until you calm down.”
Max went back to his suit case. “Don’t say a word more and I’ll calm down.”
They stared at each other from across the room. He was challenging her to say more with his eyes. She bit her lip to keep from doing it, he waited, she burst out with, “You’re just replacing your grief with anger so no one will know it’s there but I know you Max and though you’re trying to act cold hearted towards this, you aren’t.”
He growled angrily. “You’re wrong!”
“You’re being a jerk!” She lay down on her side and pulled her covers up to her neck. “And I’m going to sleep. Have a good flight; don’t bother to wake me up in the morning when you leave, unless it’s to apologise.”
Much to her surprise he didn’t try to wake her up at five in the morning when he had to leave for the airport. He always was stubborn like that. She was awake, she had been for a while, waiting for him to get up. He kissed her forehead, unaware she was awake, and then closed the door after him.
………………….
Naples 1999
With a cigarette hanging out of the corner of his mouth, Max watched as a young Italian woman went about her job putting coffee on the tables of her customers. She had wavy auburn hair that hung around her shoulders and to keep it out of her face she had placed a simple silver clip on her left side. Her figure was fairly incredible he had to admit. She had quite large breasts, round hips and flat stomach. Her legs were shapely and her feet small.
“Am I interrupting something?” Maria asked as she came up behind him. She raised an amused eye brow.
“Not yet you aren’t,” he replied and stubbed out his cigarette. “Where have you been? You’re late.”
Maria glanced at her watch, then back at him. “I am not. Have you ordered? I want mushroom pasta; I’ve been craving it something horrible!” She could see he wasn’t paying attention to her so she snapped her fingers in front of his face. “Max Evans.”
“Hmm?” he looked away from the waitress and tried to cover his smile by sipping his coffee. “I ordered a pizza.”
“I want pasta,” Maria said.
His answer to the situation was, “Then I’ll eat the whole thing.”
“The whole thing?” she asked in disbelief. “Well, alright. Waitress! Maybe the woman who has your attention will serve me?”
“Let’s hope so,” said Max.
“I got you something,” Maria reached into her handbag. “It’s a late birthday gift from Michael and me. I think you’ll like it.”
Max was surprised. “Hey thanks a lot. I didn’t need anything.” He took the little bag from her hands and peaked inside.
“Well I know you don’t need anything, but I got it anyway. And you’re welcome.” The waitress came over and took Maria’s order. Max read her name tag and said, “I’d love another coffee thanks, Filomena. Did I pronounce that right?”
She blushed. “Yes, that’s right, I’ll bring your coffee right over.”
When she was gone Max pulled out the CD Maria had given him. “The Eagles greatest hits?”
“You seem like an Eagles kind of guy,” Maria smiled brightly. “Am I right?”
Max nodded. “Yeah, they’re alright. Thanks.” He lit another cigarette. “Well, how’s Michael enjoying his new job?”
Maria put her elbows on the table and propped her head up with her hands. “He likes it. But he’s not home a lot so I don’t. He told me that your mom rang again and pleaded with you to come home?”
“Yes,” Max said. “Her exact words were, “If you don’t come home I’ll have to hire someone to come and get you,” what is she going to do? Send the mafia after me? I’m twenty–six years old.”
“Perhaps you should consider giving them a visit?” Maria offered hesitantly. She knew what he’d say but it was worth a try.
To her surprise he didn’t say anything at all. Filomena came back with his coffee and pizza, soon followed by Maria’s pasta. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask,” she said. Her Italian was beautiful.
Max asked what time she finished work and asked if she’d like to join him for dinner. She said she couldn’t tonight but would be glad to tomorrow night. They made a date. When she was gone Maria was looking at him amusedly. “What?” he asked smiling. “Nothing? Well keep your looks to yourself young lady.”
“What look?” she shook her head in disbelief.
…………
Naples 2004
“Hi.”
“Hi,” Max said into the phone, “there is someone here who is dying to talk to you.”
“Is that right? Do they have tiny feet and pink pyjamas?” Liz asked with a smile on her face.
There was a pause. “No, not today—blue and I’m not sure I have tiny feet…”
“Max!” Liz rolled her eyes.
“Okay, okay, here she is.” Max handed the phone over to his three year old daughter and watched with amusement as she pressed her lips to the little holes.
“Can you hear me?” she asked with excitement.
“I can,” Liz answered.
“And you are in England?” she asked.
“Well…no, France, but it’s still a very long way a way.”
“Oh!” she seemed baffled by it all, “that’s amazing.”
Liz laughed. She could just imagine Max’s face at the moment. “If you’re sure. I don’t know what the time is there but I’m pretty sure it’s way past your bedtime.”
“Daddy wanted me—I mean I wanted to sleep in you and daddies bed.”
“Oh is that right?” Liz shifted on her hotel bed and pulled the covers tighter around her body. “Have you brushed your teeth?”
“I have,” she said.
“Have you really? I can ask your father.”
“I haven’t,” she admitted.
“Go do it now, put daddy on the phone. I’ll talk to you again when you get back.”
“Liz,” Max said as he watched his daughter run from the room. “I miss you, can’t you come home?”
“Tomorrow,” she replied, “Max have you somehow conned our daughter into sharing a bed with you tonight?”
“No, of course not. She practically begged me to—”
“Liar.” Her amusement was evident in her voice. “How’s my beautiful son?”
“Fast asleep, I cannot tell you how glad I am that he’s a quiet one,” Max leaned back against the headboard. “He wants you home though. It’s hard to be without your mom when you’re ten months old.”
“I know, we discussed this Max, it’s only for one night! I’ll be home tomorrow.” She had gone from being happy to exasperated quickly. Maria’s mother had been in Europe for the week on business and Maria had begged her to come to France with her so she could meet her. They’d never met before and it was very important to her so Liz had agreed, even if it meant being away from her very young son for two days.
“I know,” Max said quietly. “So what did you think of Mrs Deluca?”
“I now know what you mean by her being exactly like Maria,” Liz laughed. “She is incredible! I can hardly believe it.”
“I know they’re fantastic aren’t they?” Natalie ran back into the room and jumped onto the bed. “My turn again! My turn again!” she cried.
“Shhh,” Max said. “What have I told you about whispering when your brother’s asleep?”
“Sorry.” She snatched the phone away and started telling every detail of her day to Liz. Max lay back on Liz’s pillow and watched her. After nearly fifteen minutes Max insisted she got into bed now and say goodnight. He spoke to Liz again before hanging up.
“I love you,” he said.
“I love you too, I’m going to have dinner now,” she told him. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yes you will. Bye love.”
The Talented Mrs Evans (AU,M/L,TEEN) Pt 21- 04/27/05 [WIP]
Moderators: Anniepoo98, ISLANDGIRL5, truelovepooh, Forum Moderators
12
New York 2018
Isabel sat with her arms around Max’s neck and her head on his shoulder. “You don’t visit enough,” she murmured. “If I knew any better I’d say you hated your family.” Max swallowed. What could he say to that? “I know we aren’t picture purfuct,” her voice slurred. “But that does not mwean we don’t luff you.”
“Luff?” Max asked amused. “Just how much did you have to drink?” He couldn’t understand how she could have gotten so wound up over Philip’s death that it would cause her to get drunk. The funeral had just finished at three-thirty and they were at the after party at his mother’s house. On the couch Max was looking after Isabel while her husband went and put their daughter down to rest. “Isabel I do ‘Luff’ you. You’re being silly. I just didn’t particularly luff Philip.”
Isabel’s eyes were red and her cheeks puffy. “He’s our faffer,” she started to sob quietly again. “And I don’t have any gawd memories of us. I don’t fink I tried hawd enuff.” Max dabbed her eyes with a tissue. “I used to twy and take him to dinner. He was so busy all the time.”
“It wasn’t your fault, you tried too hard. It was him who didn’t try hard enough,” Max tried to explain. “He was a horrible dad, that’s all there is to it.”
Kyle came back and helped her to her feet. “Thanks Max. I’ll take her our room now, try and sober her up a bit. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, see ya.”
Max remained on the couch for a while, sipping his wine. He wished he hadn’t been so stubborn and had just let Liz and the kids come. He really wanted them with him right now. It wasn’t that he was sad and mourning; it was just being around funerals made you want to cling to everyone you still had and never ever let them out of your sight. He talked to a few of his Aunts and Uncles and then headed towards his room to call his family.
On his way he stopped at his mother’s room and opened the door. Inside he found her sitting on her bed sobbing into her hands. “Mom, I thought you were out in the party,” he said softly and closed the door behind him. “How are you doing, alright?”
She looked up and dabbed her eyes with a kerchief. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I know it’s horrible to see your parent’s cry. When I was young I found my mother crying into the soup she was cooking on the stove. I was traumatized. Makes you realize they are actually people that have lives.”
Max sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “You are allowed to cry. I’m a big boy I think I can handle it.”
His lips tightened and her chin trembled then she started to sob again. “I know you all think I’m silly for loving him as much as I do,” she said.
“No I don’t,” Max lied.
“You used to tell me all the time,” she said. “Max, I know he cheated on me.” Max said nothing, just held her tighter. “I would have to be blind not to know. He constantly came home smelling of perfume and so on.”
Max swallowed, “I’m so sorry.” He wiped her eyes for her.
“He did love me you know, even though you never thought so.” Diane rested her head on his chest. “He just didn’t know how to keep his gherkin to himself.”
Max snorted in disbelief. “God mom.”
“I’ll be alright,” she said. “You go; I don’t want to upset you.”
“You aren’t upsetting me. I was thinking, why don’t you come back and stay we me and Liz and the kids? It might be good for you to get away from here for a while. Just for a couple of weeks? I know the kids would love to see you.”
“I don’t need looking after,” Diane said.
”No, it’s nothing like that,” he told her. “It would be great to have you. It’s cooling down a bit now so the beach won’t be an option but I’m sure there are other things you could do. You could stay for Christmas?”
“That would be nice.”
“Great, so you’ll come?” he wanted to confirm.
“All right.”
Diane fixed her make up and returned to the party and Max went to his room to ring Liz. It was Natalie that answered the phone. “Hey, I hope the house hasn’t burnt down?”
“Why would it have done that?” Natalie asked. “You’re so weird, it’s not like we’re three years old. We can survive without you.”
“Really?” Max said. “That’s surprising. I have some news; your Grandmother is coming to visit for a while. So you’ll have to give up your room.”
“You’re kidding,” Natalie cried. “I’m glad she’s coming but my room?! Why not Alex’s or Thomas’s?”
“Well number one they aren’t as clean as yours…” Max teased.
“Argh,” Natalie grunted. “How was the funeral anyway?”
“Huge, hundreds of people,” Max said simply. “Where’s your mother?”
“On the porch with Marie,” Natalie answered. “Here she is.”
“Hello, Max?”
“Hi love,” he said. “What time is it there?”
“About ten-twenty PM,” she answered.
It was nearly half past four in afternoon in New York. “I suppose you’re dying of loneliness while I’m away?”
“Ah, yeah…sure,” Liz laughed. “How was the funeral?”
“Big,” he repeated. “Who would have known the old bastard had so many friends?”
“Max,” Liz said warningly.
Max lay back on his bed. “Mom’s going to come stay,” he told her. “I asked her a few moments ago.”
“Alright, I’ll make something big for dinner when you two return. When will that be?” she asked.
“I don’t know, I’ll ring and fill you in,” he wanted to say something to her. He missed her, you’d think after nearly twenty years of living together he’d be glad to have a couple of night’s away.
“What’s wrong?” she asked. “Are you alright?”
How did she know him so well? “I’m alright,” he rubbed his eyes. “Just want to come home that’s all.”
“I told you we should have come,” Liz said. “You’ll just have to be lonely for the time being.” Max wished she was there with him. He needed the warmth of her body so much. “Don’t say goodbye.”
“Okay,” Liz’s voice was soft and caring. “How’s Isabel’s little girl? Still as beautiful as always?”
“Of course,” Max answered. “I’ll take a few pictures and bring them back. Isabel was disappointed you didn’t come; I think it would have helped her to have you here. She’s a little drunk right now.”
“Oh the poor girl,” Liz said. “Tell her I love her and I hope she’s okay.”
“What about me? Do you love me and hope I’m okay?” he smirked; he could just imagine her face at that moment.
“Yes every day,” she answered truthfully, surprising him. Maybe she missed him to? “Natalie had her drivers test today.”
“Oh yes! I remember! Did she get it?” Max asked.
“I’m surprised she didn’t tell you, she’s been flashing her new licence around all day saying, ‘I’m a licence driver!’ she thinks we should buy her a car now, ha!” Max could hear Thomas talking in the background, “Mom, can Philo stay over tonight?”
“Yes, do you want to speak to your father?”
“I can’t, Philo’s waiting. Tell him I said hi.” Max rolled his eyes to himself, his son couldn’t find two minutes to talk to him.
“Max, I have to go,” Liz said. “I love you, come home soon.”
“I love you too,” he closed his eyes and imagined her. “Goodbye.”
……………………
Naples 1999
Max took Filomena to a bar twenty minutes away from his house, just in the centre of the city. She wore a yellow strapless dress and white heels and Max thought she looked good enough to eat.
There was sport on the small screen above the bar and everyone was rowdy, including Max and Filomena who spoke in high pitched Italian all evening. Max spoke the language almost flawlessly now and frequently chose to go weeks without speaking a word of English.
Filomena insisted they dance in the street with the hundreds of others enjoying the live band that was in town for one night only, so they did. Max found her entertaining and fun and hoped he would see her again. “Come back to my place?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No, no Max.”
“No?” his hands were on her hips, bringing her close against him. “Your place then.”
“No, as in, not tonight,” she grinned, knowing she was driving him insane. “I should be going now.”
“Tomorrow night?” he held her in place.
“Alright, alright.” She cupped his cheeks and gave him a chaste kiss. “See you, dear.”
Max found her teasing infuriating it only further fuelled his desire for her. He let her go, having no intention to leave her alone.
…………………………………
Naples 2004
It was a gloriously hot evening and everyone was scorching beneath their bed sheets. Max and Liz lay on their backs, not touching, with their covers on the floor. The French doors and windows were all open wide, allowing the non-existent breeze to flutter in.
Max was almost asleep but Liz was far from it and kept shifting, she was unable to find comfort.
“Liz!” Max groaned. “Stop moving!”
Liz stopped moving but not for long. She was on her back and then on her side with her legs bent, then straight, then on her stomach, then…
“Liz, for the love of Christ!”
She tried to stay still, she really did but she just couldn’t remain in one spot. She bent her legs in the air, put her hands behind her head, moved the, shifted right, shifted left…
“Oh my. God!” Max grabbed her, laid her on her side, patted her shoulder, “Stay, please.”
Liz remained in that position for a total of five minutes and then she tried to shift gently so maybe he wouldn’t notice—
“Are you trying to drive me insane?” Max hissed. “I have work early, please—stay still—for me, so I can sleep.”
Liz breathed out loudly. “Don’t you think if I could, I would…?”
Max grunted, his heavy eyes lids catching on his heavy eye balls. “Please…try.”
Liz tried. And when she saw that she could not take it she tugged off her panties and camisole. Pressing up to Max, she purred, “I’m naked…” his flesh was scorching.
“Too hot,” Max mumbled, inviting no room for any arguments.
Disgruntled Liz lay flat on her back, not touching him, naked, not touching him.
His breathing was even, he started to drift off…
“Love?”
Max sprung up. “For heaven’s sake, what else could there possibly be?”
Liz bit her lip. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m going to sleep on the couch.” Max started to move.
“No, please don’t. I’m sorry. I’ll be good.”
Had enough, Max fell back onto the mattress and closed his eyes. Liz would not move, she could not allow herself to. Then her feet started to prickle and she clenched her toes, willing herself to ignore it. Her hands grasped the sheets until her palms burned. She shifted…
“That’s it.” Max picked up his pillow and was gone, into the lounge.
Liz remained in bed, free to move around as she wished, yet she still felt no better. After ten minutes she got up and went into the lounge. On the was she saw that baby Natalie and Alexander were both asleep so they were no longer using the only two fans in the house. She carried one of them into the lounge and positioned it in front of the couch, turning it on full. Max opened his eyes and mutely accepted her when she la down on top of him with her thighs in-between his and her head on his bare chest.
She knew he’d forgiven her when she kissed her forehead. Soon, they fell asleep…
……………..
Naples 1999
Max saw Filomena the next night and—just as he’d wished—they went to the cinema and then—even more as he’d wished—went back to her place. They spent the night together and in the morning Max didn’t leave in the immense hurry that was his normal style. He hung around instead, having breakfast with her.
He didn’t know what his intentions were for Filomena. He hadn’t had a girlfriend in the longest time and he didn’t know if he could treat her the way she deserved. She was a wonderful person with a small, soft body and he liked her enough to try something but not enough to get into a serious relationship with her. She didn’t make him feel like Angie used to make him feel and though he didn’t know if that was exactly what he was looking for, he didn’t know if he wanted to screw around either. He thought maybe it was best if he just stayed away from females for a while so he told her, after a few more dates, that he no longer wanted to see her any more.
She did not take no for an answer and they ended up sleeping together once more. He told her no and it seemed to fuel her want to be around him. He was lying on the beach one sunny day on a beach chair and next thing he knew it she was occupying the space next to him. She always seemed to show up in places without invitation or forward call.
“Hello Filomena,” he said, briefly glancing at her.
“Max,” she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I was hoping you would call me last night.”
”Filomena, you know I—” he suddenly saw no point in continuing, she just didn’t seem to get it and he couldn’t be bothered pushing her away. “It’s a nice day today, isn’t it?”
“It’s a beautiful day today,” she let go of him and slumped back into the beach chair. “How about we have dinner tonight?”
“No,” he said. “I think I might just catch an early night.”
She laughed, “Really? I don’t think you will.”
Max glanced at her bemusedly and then turned his face else where, enjoying the rays of sun on his face. There were beautiful women everywhere of all different shapes and sizes and he was having a feast with his eyes until one of them approached him and said, “Max Evans?”
Naturally, he was confused and thought, oh no, is she someone he had a ravenous night with in Venice? He studied her closely and decided no, he would have remembered her face. “Yes?” he asked.
It turned out that she was from New York and her name was Liz Parker. She laid on him the shocking news that she would be living with him while she was on holiday, his father had offered! His father! That bastard!. Though having Liz Parker stay with him wouldn’t be such a horrible thing. She was polite and good looking and even amused him when she called Filomena by the wrong name.
Filomena went insane with Max once Liz was gone. She demanded that he call his father instantly and sort this thing out. She was clearly jealous and didn’t want him to take an interest in Liz but there was nothing he could do, not that he really wanted to kick her out anyway. When he got back to the house she was lying on the couch mouthing Italian phrases to herself and he took that as an opportunity to ring his mother and ask what was going on,
As he thought it would, Liz’s story checked out, although he thought there was more to it then his mother told him. He ended up asking Liz, “Do you like Jazz?” and inviting her out that evening. He thought he may as well make friends with her and if something else happened, well, lucky him.
hi Everyone, just a quick note to thank everyone. I saw my name on the voting page a couple of times and was incredibly touched. I'm so relieved you guys think I'm good enough to stand for something on this board and also thank you for your patience. I hope you liked the new part.
New York 2018
Isabel sat with her arms around Max’s neck and her head on his shoulder. “You don’t visit enough,” she murmured. “If I knew any better I’d say you hated your family.” Max swallowed. What could he say to that? “I know we aren’t picture purfuct,” her voice slurred. “But that does not mwean we don’t luff you.”
“Luff?” Max asked amused. “Just how much did you have to drink?” He couldn’t understand how she could have gotten so wound up over Philip’s death that it would cause her to get drunk. The funeral had just finished at three-thirty and they were at the after party at his mother’s house. On the couch Max was looking after Isabel while her husband went and put their daughter down to rest. “Isabel I do ‘Luff’ you. You’re being silly. I just didn’t particularly luff Philip.”
Isabel’s eyes were red and her cheeks puffy. “He’s our faffer,” she started to sob quietly again. “And I don’t have any gawd memories of us. I don’t fink I tried hawd enuff.” Max dabbed her eyes with a tissue. “I used to twy and take him to dinner. He was so busy all the time.”
“It wasn’t your fault, you tried too hard. It was him who didn’t try hard enough,” Max tried to explain. “He was a horrible dad, that’s all there is to it.”
Kyle came back and helped her to her feet. “Thanks Max. I’ll take her our room now, try and sober her up a bit. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, see ya.”
Max remained on the couch for a while, sipping his wine. He wished he hadn’t been so stubborn and had just let Liz and the kids come. He really wanted them with him right now. It wasn’t that he was sad and mourning; it was just being around funerals made you want to cling to everyone you still had and never ever let them out of your sight. He talked to a few of his Aunts and Uncles and then headed towards his room to call his family.
On his way he stopped at his mother’s room and opened the door. Inside he found her sitting on her bed sobbing into her hands. “Mom, I thought you were out in the party,” he said softly and closed the door behind him. “How are you doing, alright?”
She looked up and dabbed her eyes with a kerchief. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I know it’s horrible to see your parent’s cry. When I was young I found my mother crying into the soup she was cooking on the stove. I was traumatized. Makes you realize they are actually people that have lives.”
Max sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “You are allowed to cry. I’m a big boy I think I can handle it.”
His lips tightened and her chin trembled then she started to sob again. “I know you all think I’m silly for loving him as much as I do,” she said.
“No I don’t,” Max lied.
“You used to tell me all the time,” she said. “Max, I know he cheated on me.” Max said nothing, just held her tighter. “I would have to be blind not to know. He constantly came home smelling of perfume and so on.”
Max swallowed, “I’m so sorry.” He wiped her eyes for her.
“He did love me you know, even though you never thought so.” Diane rested her head on his chest. “He just didn’t know how to keep his gherkin to himself.”
Max snorted in disbelief. “God mom.”
“I’ll be alright,” she said. “You go; I don’t want to upset you.”
“You aren’t upsetting me. I was thinking, why don’t you come back and stay we me and Liz and the kids? It might be good for you to get away from here for a while. Just for a couple of weeks? I know the kids would love to see you.”
“I don’t need looking after,” Diane said.
”No, it’s nothing like that,” he told her. “It would be great to have you. It’s cooling down a bit now so the beach won’t be an option but I’m sure there are other things you could do. You could stay for Christmas?”
“That would be nice.”
“Great, so you’ll come?” he wanted to confirm.
“All right.”
Diane fixed her make up and returned to the party and Max went to his room to ring Liz. It was Natalie that answered the phone. “Hey, I hope the house hasn’t burnt down?”
“Why would it have done that?” Natalie asked. “You’re so weird, it’s not like we’re three years old. We can survive without you.”
“Really?” Max said. “That’s surprising. I have some news; your Grandmother is coming to visit for a while. So you’ll have to give up your room.”
“You’re kidding,” Natalie cried. “I’m glad she’s coming but my room?! Why not Alex’s or Thomas’s?”
“Well number one they aren’t as clean as yours…” Max teased.
“Argh,” Natalie grunted. “How was the funeral anyway?”
“Huge, hundreds of people,” Max said simply. “Where’s your mother?”
“On the porch with Marie,” Natalie answered. “Here she is.”
“Hello, Max?”
“Hi love,” he said. “What time is it there?”
“About ten-twenty PM,” she answered.
It was nearly half past four in afternoon in New York. “I suppose you’re dying of loneliness while I’m away?”
“Ah, yeah…sure,” Liz laughed. “How was the funeral?”
“Big,” he repeated. “Who would have known the old bastard had so many friends?”
“Max,” Liz said warningly.
Max lay back on his bed. “Mom’s going to come stay,” he told her. “I asked her a few moments ago.”
“Alright, I’ll make something big for dinner when you two return. When will that be?” she asked.
“I don’t know, I’ll ring and fill you in,” he wanted to say something to her. He missed her, you’d think after nearly twenty years of living together he’d be glad to have a couple of night’s away.
“What’s wrong?” she asked. “Are you alright?”
How did she know him so well? “I’m alright,” he rubbed his eyes. “Just want to come home that’s all.”
“I told you we should have come,” Liz said. “You’ll just have to be lonely for the time being.” Max wished she was there with him. He needed the warmth of her body so much. “Don’t say goodbye.”
“Okay,” Liz’s voice was soft and caring. “How’s Isabel’s little girl? Still as beautiful as always?”
“Of course,” Max answered. “I’ll take a few pictures and bring them back. Isabel was disappointed you didn’t come; I think it would have helped her to have you here. She’s a little drunk right now.”
“Oh the poor girl,” Liz said. “Tell her I love her and I hope she’s okay.”
“What about me? Do you love me and hope I’m okay?” he smirked; he could just imagine her face at that moment.
“Yes every day,” she answered truthfully, surprising him. Maybe she missed him to? “Natalie had her drivers test today.”
“Oh yes! I remember! Did she get it?” Max asked.
“I’m surprised she didn’t tell you, she’s been flashing her new licence around all day saying, ‘I’m a licence driver!’ she thinks we should buy her a car now, ha!” Max could hear Thomas talking in the background, “Mom, can Philo stay over tonight?”
“Yes, do you want to speak to your father?”
“I can’t, Philo’s waiting. Tell him I said hi.” Max rolled his eyes to himself, his son couldn’t find two minutes to talk to him.
“Max, I have to go,” Liz said. “I love you, come home soon.”
“I love you too,” he closed his eyes and imagined her. “Goodbye.”
……………………
Naples 1999
Max took Filomena to a bar twenty minutes away from his house, just in the centre of the city. She wore a yellow strapless dress and white heels and Max thought she looked good enough to eat.
There was sport on the small screen above the bar and everyone was rowdy, including Max and Filomena who spoke in high pitched Italian all evening. Max spoke the language almost flawlessly now and frequently chose to go weeks without speaking a word of English.
Filomena insisted they dance in the street with the hundreds of others enjoying the live band that was in town for one night only, so they did. Max found her entertaining and fun and hoped he would see her again. “Come back to my place?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No, no Max.”
“No?” his hands were on her hips, bringing her close against him. “Your place then.”
“No, as in, not tonight,” she grinned, knowing she was driving him insane. “I should be going now.”
“Tomorrow night?” he held her in place.
“Alright, alright.” She cupped his cheeks and gave him a chaste kiss. “See you, dear.”
Max found her teasing infuriating it only further fuelled his desire for her. He let her go, having no intention to leave her alone.
…………………………………
Naples 2004
It was a gloriously hot evening and everyone was scorching beneath their bed sheets. Max and Liz lay on their backs, not touching, with their covers on the floor. The French doors and windows were all open wide, allowing the non-existent breeze to flutter in.
Max was almost asleep but Liz was far from it and kept shifting, she was unable to find comfort.
“Liz!” Max groaned. “Stop moving!”
Liz stopped moving but not for long. She was on her back and then on her side with her legs bent, then straight, then on her stomach, then…
“Liz, for the love of Christ!”
She tried to stay still, she really did but she just couldn’t remain in one spot. She bent her legs in the air, put her hands behind her head, moved the, shifted right, shifted left…
“Oh my. God!” Max grabbed her, laid her on her side, patted her shoulder, “Stay, please.”
Liz remained in that position for a total of five minutes and then she tried to shift gently so maybe he wouldn’t notice—
“Are you trying to drive me insane?” Max hissed. “I have work early, please—stay still—for me, so I can sleep.”
Liz breathed out loudly. “Don’t you think if I could, I would…?”
Max grunted, his heavy eyes lids catching on his heavy eye balls. “Please…try.”
Liz tried. And when she saw that she could not take it she tugged off her panties and camisole. Pressing up to Max, she purred, “I’m naked…” his flesh was scorching.
“Too hot,” Max mumbled, inviting no room for any arguments.
Disgruntled Liz lay flat on her back, not touching him, naked, not touching him.
His breathing was even, he started to drift off…
“Love?”
Max sprung up. “For heaven’s sake, what else could there possibly be?”
Liz bit her lip. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m going to sleep on the couch.” Max started to move.
“No, please don’t. I’m sorry. I’ll be good.”
Had enough, Max fell back onto the mattress and closed his eyes. Liz would not move, she could not allow herself to. Then her feet started to prickle and she clenched her toes, willing herself to ignore it. Her hands grasped the sheets until her palms burned. She shifted…
“That’s it.” Max picked up his pillow and was gone, into the lounge.
Liz remained in bed, free to move around as she wished, yet she still felt no better. After ten minutes she got up and went into the lounge. On the was she saw that baby Natalie and Alexander were both asleep so they were no longer using the only two fans in the house. She carried one of them into the lounge and positioned it in front of the couch, turning it on full. Max opened his eyes and mutely accepted her when she la down on top of him with her thighs in-between his and her head on his bare chest.
She knew he’d forgiven her when she kissed her forehead. Soon, they fell asleep…
……………..
Naples 1999
Max saw Filomena the next night and—just as he’d wished—they went to the cinema and then—even more as he’d wished—went back to her place. They spent the night together and in the morning Max didn’t leave in the immense hurry that was his normal style. He hung around instead, having breakfast with her.
He didn’t know what his intentions were for Filomena. He hadn’t had a girlfriend in the longest time and he didn’t know if he could treat her the way she deserved. She was a wonderful person with a small, soft body and he liked her enough to try something but not enough to get into a serious relationship with her. She didn’t make him feel like Angie used to make him feel and though he didn’t know if that was exactly what he was looking for, he didn’t know if he wanted to screw around either. He thought maybe it was best if he just stayed away from females for a while so he told her, after a few more dates, that he no longer wanted to see her any more.
She did not take no for an answer and they ended up sleeping together once more. He told her no and it seemed to fuel her want to be around him. He was lying on the beach one sunny day on a beach chair and next thing he knew it she was occupying the space next to him. She always seemed to show up in places without invitation or forward call.
“Hello Filomena,” he said, briefly glancing at her.
“Max,” she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I was hoping you would call me last night.”
”Filomena, you know I—” he suddenly saw no point in continuing, she just didn’t seem to get it and he couldn’t be bothered pushing her away. “It’s a nice day today, isn’t it?”
“It’s a beautiful day today,” she let go of him and slumped back into the beach chair. “How about we have dinner tonight?”
“No,” he said. “I think I might just catch an early night.”
She laughed, “Really? I don’t think you will.”
Max glanced at her bemusedly and then turned his face else where, enjoying the rays of sun on his face. There were beautiful women everywhere of all different shapes and sizes and he was having a feast with his eyes until one of them approached him and said, “Max Evans?”
Naturally, he was confused and thought, oh no, is she someone he had a ravenous night with in Venice? He studied her closely and decided no, he would have remembered her face. “Yes?” he asked.
It turned out that she was from New York and her name was Liz Parker. She laid on him the shocking news that she would be living with him while she was on holiday, his father had offered! His father! That bastard!. Though having Liz Parker stay with him wouldn’t be such a horrible thing. She was polite and good looking and even amused him when she called Filomena by the wrong name.
Filomena went insane with Max once Liz was gone. She demanded that he call his father instantly and sort this thing out. She was clearly jealous and didn’t want him to take an interest in Liz but there was nothing he could do, not that he really wanted to kick her out anyway. When he got back to the house she was lying on the couch mouthing Italian phrases to herself and he took that as an opportunity to ring his mother and ask what was going on,
As he thought it would, Liz’s story checked out, although he thought there was more to it then his mother told him. He ended up asking Liz, “Do you like Jazz?” and inviting her out that evening. He thought he may as well make friends with her and if something else happened, well, lucky him.
hi Everyone, just a quick note to thank everyone. I saw my name on the voting page a couple of times and was incredibly touched. I'm so relieved you guys think I'm good enough to stand for something on this board and also thank you for your patience. I hope you liked the new part.
13.
Naples 2018
It took Max five days to finally come home from New York. Liz, Thomas and Natalie went to meet him at the air port and were left waiting for a long time because the flight was delayed. Natalie gave in to boredom and went looking around the shops.
When Max finally got of the plane and walked towards the departing gate the first thing he saw was Liz and Thomas sitting waiting on the plastic chairs.
“Oh look,” his mother said. “Now doesn’t Thomas look old?”
“He’s turning thirteen in January,” Max told her.
Liz spotted them and got up anxiously, tugging on Thomas to get up too.
Max smiled. “Miss me?” he asked.
Liz hugged him and kissed him. And then kissed him some more. “Is that enough of an answer for you?” she mumbled quietly against his mouth.
Diane hugged Thomas. “I’ve got something for you,” she said. “Max tells me you are his favourite son.”
“Mom,” Max warned. “I love all of my children the same.”
“Yes, you just like Thomas best,” Diane teased.
Max rolled his eyes. “The other two not come?”
“Natalie’s here,” Liz told him and took his hand. “Somewhere.”
They left the airport after they’d collected their bags. Liz drove with Diane in the passenger seat. “You look really good Liz. I love your hair short.”
Liz put her sunglasses on. “Really? Thank you so much Diane. You look good too.”
“Well as good as I can for my age,” Diane smiled. “I’m starving, Max told me…no assured me a delicious meal would be waiting for us.”
“Of course,” Liz said.
Max sat in the backseat next to Thomas and Natalie. Natalie asked, “Did you buy us anything from duty free?”
“Yes,” Max told her. “That perfume you asked no DEMANDED I get.”
“Baby Doll?” she asked. “Great! Thanks!”
“What about me?” Thomas asked.
“Yes, just wait.”
At home Alexander was setting the table. Max commented that they seemed to be on particularly good behaviour and Liz whispered that she’d given them a God awful lecture on being good.
They sat down to a pleasant family meal and Diane couldn’t stop talking and asking the kids questions on school etc. Max and Liz sat side by side, smiling in amusement and happy to be touching again. Liz knew that being away from his family for a week had taken a toll on Max and she planned to stay close by his side all evening.
When they finished eating Diane asked excitedly, “What’s for dessert?”
Liz bit her lip embarrassedly. “Diane, I’m sorry I didn’t have time to make any. I was called into work this afternoon unexpectedly. I can run to the shop or there’s ice cream in the freezer.”
“No, no,” Diane said. “Do not worry.”
“You’ve out done yourself already,” Max grinned. “That was delicious. I’m so full I only have room for coffee.”
Alexander sighed. “So you aren’t going to get any dessert?”
“Alexander,” Max warned.
“It’s alright, I’ll go,” Liz started to get up.
Max got up too. “Fine. But I’m going to have a shower. Excuse me mom.”
Once he was gone Diane said, “Liz, how about instead I go and take the kids someplace nice. You must be tired and you already have done so much. You put your feet up and we’ll bring you something back.”
“Great idea,” Natalie grinned.
“Okay, only if you don’t mind. I’ll go and get my purse—”
“My shout,” Diane told her.
Liz watched them leave and then trotted into the bathroom where Max was showering. She looked at him for a while with soft eyes and then she took off her clothes. Max, with just as soft eyes, held open the glass door for her and she stepped in carefully so as not to slip.
“They went out,” she said, looking into his eyes. “I—”
Max mumbled, “Shhhh…” and cupped her face in his hands. “I missed you this week,” he said.
She smiled softly and leaned to his ear so he could hear her over the noise of the water. “I know you did, darling.”
They kissed softly and passionately, taking their time to feel every sensation that roamed their veins. Max’s hand reached down to run up the back of Liz’s thigh then her bottom to her back. She stepped closer to him so her breasts were against him and he kissed her deeper with his eyes tightly closed.
“Hmm…” a sigh escaped Liz—it was of contentment, satisfaction and fulfilment. In her mind she cried gently, please, please let me live through this…just one more time, let me feel him and have him and live through him one more time…it was so emotionally exercising sometimes, she just wasn’t sure so could take it.
Max’s back arched stiffly when Liz ran her little hands up his thighs and took his arousal in her palms. “Are you okay?” she whispered, rubbing him up and down, looking up into his contorted face. His eyes were so tightly closed and his jaw so straight and set. He nodded without opening his lids and dragged her closer.
Liz rubbed him harder and then, fed up with the lack of involvement from the rest of her body, got down onto her knees and took him into her mouth. He groaned louder then, running his fingers through her scalp, clutching it tightly. She moved her lips along him and her tongue and reached up to stroke him as well. Her eyes were closed and she was thinking about their life together and how many times she’d done this for him, how many times he’d done it for her.
When he was just about there she pressed him into her breasts, rubbing back and forth gently and then cleaned herself off when he finally climaxed. He helped her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his face into his neck. “I love you…” his voice was so full of pain. “I’m sorry…” he clutched her tighter. “I didn’t mean it…”
He was talking about their argument before he left for New York—she knew it without asking. “It’s forgotten,” she told him, her eyes were closed too. “I’m worried about you.”
“Don’t think about me,” he said.
They turned off the shower and dried themselves. It was when they got their room and lay down together Max started to touch her all over. With every part of him. Liz reeled at the feeling, being taken to incredible heights. It had been so long since they had had a chance to be together so intimate with each other without worry about the rest of their lives. They had made love—they just hadn’t been able to enjoy elongated foreplay. The time when they could roam each other’s bodies with full concentration on pleasure spots and that was all.
Max was kissing her breasts and stomach when he broke some rather alarming news to her, “We got inheritance…”
She could barely focus, floating as she was. “Hmm? Tell me later.”
He smiled and rubbed himself in-between her thighs. He was ready to enter her, aching, in fact. They had been putting it off, but he was ready now, she was too. Moving back up her body, he pressed his lips to her cheek, near her ear. “It’s a lot…” he purred.
“Later,” Liz said more adamantly, her eyes closed. Max’s big hands were on the back of her thighs and he forced her to wrap her legs right around his waist, and tightly. His arousal was pressed very snugly against her warmth now so he had no choice but to enter her. Her body came up off the bed when he drew back into a kneeling position. His hands were on her bottom, controlling their movements.
Liz was like putty in his hands, she was so engrossed in what he was doing to her she had lost her brain. Max’s eyes were wide open, watching her. He had more control then her, whereas she just absolutely could not keep her eyes open, he wanted to and therefore did. He pressed into her and withdrew and then pressed into her and then withdrew…
It was he who ended the passionate embrace when he—with a deep thrust—let go. She was lowered back onto the bed and after recovering; Max found her nub of pleasure and gave her the same relief.
It was when they were both lying on their sides with their foreheads together and their eyes closed the family got home. “Mom!” Thomas called. “Dad! We brought you bailey’s cheese cake, your favourite…”
Diane said, “They’ve had a hard day, I imagine they’re asleep. Put it in the fridge and they’ll eat it tomorrow.”
The lights were off in their bedroom and Liz whispered to Max, “I love your mother being here.”
If it was possible, she heard him smile. “I know what you mean.”
He was drifting off but she had something else to say, “What were you saying about inheritance?”
“Six mill,” he mumbled.
………………
Naples 2000
Liz Parker was doing crazy things to his head. Max was swimming with Michael and she was sitting on the yacht sunbathing. It had been only one day. He had to do something to get her off his freakin’ mind but last night when they had been out at the jazz club she had been incredibly…alluring. She’d accidentally let it slip that she was working for his father and it had angered him all night while he was in bed and then in the morning when he saw her sitting in the kitchen he forgot. It wasn’t her fault she was working for Satan.
Climbing up onto the boat, Max walked towards Filomena—who had somehow managed to come along again. She looked up at him when she saw him, a smile gracing her lips.
“Come down stairs with me,” he said and took her hands, tugging her to her feet. She came willingly and they went under the deck, closing the door behind them. “I know you want me,” Filomena said, “I told you.”
He put his hand over her mouth and lay her down, reaching for her tog ties. He had nothing to say about her comment, simply discarding it.
When he was done with her, he left her to rest and went back up top. He talked to Marie for a while and then the sky started to get cloudier so they decided to head back. Liz came over and he watched her walk past in her skimpy bikini—she had an incredible body, like you couldn’t imagine. Marie made plans for them all to go out that evening. Max wasn’t so sure that was a great idea but went anyway. He stayed sober, watching his friends as they became more and more intoxicated. Liz was great to watch, she was so quiet for some reason.
It loosened her up by announcing she was going to perform on stage. She played the piano and then came back and hit him on the head for putting her on the spot like that. She was smiling though and he knew she didn’t care. It was later when they were outside getting fresh air alone together they both couldn’t help it and he had the sweetest kiss of his whole life. She felt so wonderful to touch and when she was sick he was a little disappointed but worried, too. For the rest of the evening he was aching to touch her again but when he got home he rung Filomena and asked her to come around. He knew he shouldn’t and he knew he was only using her but he incredibly aroused now and had to have someone, if not Liz.
………………
Naples 2004
Liz was pregnant again. They hadn’t planned it this time and they had their hands full with a four year old Natalie and a two year old Alexander. Nevertheless they were both happy and decided to somehow make it work.
“I think we should renovate the house,” Liz said one day. “I want to section off the dinning area—it’ll make the lounge smaller but we’ll—”
“Liz, with what?” Max asked. “We don’t have enough money with a child on the way.”
She sighed dramatically and grumbled, “I think we can afford it.”
Max wasn’t persuaded and stopped talking about it. This made Liz unhappy but she knew they’d end up doing it eventually. It was a Saturday and she went and sat on the beach so Natalie could run around and splash in the water. Half an hour later Max came out with Alexander who had been asleep but was now wide awake. “I can’t get any work done,” he said. “Can he stay out here for a while?”
“Hmm,” Liz mumbled, putting her sunglasses on the top of her head. “What are you working on anyway?”
“Lecture plan for next week. When I’m finished I’ll come out.”
Natalie had been in the water briefly and then had rolled around in the sand, making herself as filthy as possible. Then to make matters worse she rubbed herself all over Alexander who was chuckling and clapping his hands together in joy. Natalie loved her brother, she crawled around with him and started to make a sand castle with him but then he broke it and she went ballistic—screaming bloody murder. “Natalie,” Liz said sternly. “You know Alexander is younger then you, he didn’t mean to break it. Go give him a kiss; you see how sad he is?”
“But mama…”
“Go.”
Liz watched them. Alexander had tears in his eyes and he said, “Swrry,” but Natalie was stubborn. She made her sand castle by herself and kept talking about how much better hers was then his. Alexander was just too pleased that she was back and kept patting the sand with his tiny hands and giggling, chuckling and clapping.
The water was inviting but Liz couldn’t go in the ocean with the two kids, it was too risky, and besides she didn’t have her swimsuit. She stretched her legs out and dug her toes deep in the ground, enjoying the feeling of it slinking across her skin.
When Max joined her he was grumpy and fed up, it was because he hated to work on a Saturday, she knew that. He lay down on his back with his sunglasses on and yawned.
“Daddy!” Natalie screamed. “Look what I made!”
Liz smiled and kissed his cheek and told him his children wanted him so he leisurely made his way towards them. “Alexander,” he said. “What kind of a sand castle is this? You’re a man, you have to be better then girls.”
“Boys aren’t better then girls,” Natalie demanded.
“Oh really?” Max asked.
“Yes!”
Alexander started to scoop handfuls of sand all over Max’s lap and tried to build a sandcastle there. Natalie told him off and Max said, “No it’s alright, Nat. Leave him be.”
----------
I can't believe how long it's been since I posted a part on this, I'm so sorry. Thanks everyone and this parts for Sarah
Naples 2018
It took Max five days to finally come home from New York. Liz, Thomas and Natalie went to meet him at the air port and were left waiting for a long time because the flight was delayed. Natalie gave in to boredom and went looking around the shops.
When Max finally got of the plane and walked towards the departing gate the first thing he saw was Liz and Thomas sitting waiting on the plastic chairs.
“Oh look,” his mother said. “Now doesn’t Thomas look old?”
“He’s turning thirteen in January,” Max told her.
Liz spotted them and got up anxiously, tugging on Thomas to get up too.
Max smiled. “Miss me?” he asked.
Liz hugged him and kissed him. And then kissed him some more. “Is that enough of an answer for you?” she mumbled quietly against his mouth.
Diane hugged Thomas. “I’ve got something for you,” she said. “Max tells me you are his favourite son.”
“Mom,” Max warned. “I love all of my children the same.”
“Yes, you just like Thomas best,” Diane teased.
Max rolled his eyes. “The other two not come?”
“Natalie’s here,” Liz told him and took his hand. “Somewhere.”
They left the airport after they’d collected their bags. Liz drove with Diane in the passenger seat. “You look really good Liz. I love your hair short.”
Liz put her sunglasses on. “Really? Thank you so much Diane. You look good too.”
“Well as good as I can for my age,” Diane smiled. “I’m starving, Max told me…no assured me a delicious meal would be waiting for us.”
“Of course,” Liz said.
Max sat in the backseat next to Thomas and Natalie. Natalie asked, “Did you buy us anything from duty free?”
“Yes,” Max told her. “That perfume you asked no DEMANDED I get.”
“Baby Doll?” she asked. “Great! Thanks!”
“What about me?” Thomas asked.
“Yes, just wait.”
At home Alexander was setting the table. Max commented that they seemed to be on particularly good behaviour and Liz whispered that she’d given them a God awful lecture on being good.
They sat down to a pleasant family meal and Diane couldn’t stop talking and asking the kids questions on school etc. Max and Liz sat side by side, smiling in amusement and happy to be touching again. Liz knew that being away from his family for a week had taken a toll on Max and she planned to stay close by his side all evening.
When they finished eating Diane asked excitedly, “What’s for dessert?”
Liz bit her lip embarrassedly. “Diane, I’m sorry I didn’t have time to make any. I was called into work this afternoon unexpectedly. I can run to the shop or there’s ice cream in the freezer.”
“No, no,” Diane said. “Do not worry.”
“You’ve out done yourself already,” Max grinned. “That was delicious. I’m so full I only have room for coffee.”
Alexander sighed. “So you aren’t going to get any dessert?”
“Alexander,” Max warned.
“It’s alright, I’ll go,” Liz started to get up.
Max got up too. “Fine. But I’m going to have a shower. Excuse me mom.”
Once he was gone Diane said, “Liz, how about instead I go and take the kids someplace nice. You must be tired and you already have done so much. You put your feet up and we’ll bring you something back.”
“Great idea,” Natalie grinned.
“Okay, only if you don’t mind. I’ll go and get my purse—”
“My shout,” Diane told her.
Liz watched them leave and then trotted into the bathroom where Max was showering. She looked at him for a while with soft eyes and then she took off her clothes. Max, with just as soft eyes, held open the glass door for her and she stepped in carefully so as not to slip.
“They went out,” she said, looking into his eyes. “I—”
Max mumbled, “Shhhh…” and cupped her face in his hands. “I missed you this week,” he said.
She smiled softly and leaned to his ear so he could hear her over the noise of the water. “I know you did, darling.”
They kissed softly and passionately, taking their time to feel every sensation that roamed their veins. Max’s hand reached down to run up the back of Liz’s thigh then her bottom to her back. She stepped closer to him so her breasts were against him and he kissed her deeper with his eyes tightly closed.
“Hmm…” a sigh escaped Liz—it was of contentment, satisfaction and fulfilment. In her mind she cried gently, please, please let me live through this…just one more time, let me feel him and have him and live through him one more time…it was so emotionally exercising sometimes, she just wasn’t sure so could take it.
Max’s back arched stiffly when Liz ran her little hands up his thighs and took his arousal in her palms. “Are you okay?” she whispered, rubbing him up and down, looking up into his contorted face. His eyes were so tightly closed and his jaw so straight and set. He nodded without opening his lids and dragged her closer.
Liz rubbed him harder and then, fed up with the lack of involvement from the rest of her body, got down onto her knees and took him into her mouth. He groaned louder then, running his fingers through her scalp, clutching it tightly. She moved her lips along him and her tongue and reached up to stroke him as well. Her eyes were closed and she was thinking about their life together and how many times she’d done this for him, how many times he’d done it for her.
When he was just about there she pressed him into her breasts, rubbing back and forth gently and then cleaned herself off when he finally climaxed. He helped her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his face into his neck. “I love you…” his voice was so full of pain. “I’m sorry…” he clutched her tighter. “I didn’t mean it…”
He was talking about their argument before he left for New York—she knew it without asking. “It’s forgotten,” she told him, her eyes were closed too. “I’m worried about you.”
“Don’t think about me,” he said.
They turned off the shower and dried themselves. It was when they got their room and lay down together Max started to touch her all over. With every part of him. Liz reeled at the feeling, being taken to incredible heights. It had been so long since they had had a chance to be together so intimate with each other without worry about the rest of their lives. They had made love—they just hadn’t been able to enjoy elongated foreplay. The time when they could roam each other’s bodies with full concentration on pleasure spots and that was all.
Max was kissing her breasts and stomach when he broke some rather alarming news to her, “We got inheritance…”
She could barely focus, floating as she was. “Hmm? Tell me later.”
He smiled and rubbed himself in-between her thighs. He was ready to enter her, aching, in fact. They had been putting it off, but he was ready now, she was too. Moving back up her body, he pressed his lips to her cheek, near her ear. “It’s a lot…” he purred.
“Later,” Liz said more adamantly, her eyes closed. Max’s big hands were on the back of her thighs and he forced her to wrap her legs right around his waist, and tightly. His arousal was pressed very snugly against her warmth now so he had no choice but to enter her. Her body came up off the bed when he drew back into a kneeling position. His hands were on her bottom, controlling their movements.
Liz was like putty in his hands, she was so engrossed in what he was doing to her she had lost her brain. Max’s eyes were wide open, watching her. He had more control then her, whereas she just absolutely could not keep her eyes open, he wanted to and therefore did. He pressed into her and withdrew and then pressed into her and then withdrew…
It was he who ended the passionate embrace when he—with a deep thrust—let go. She was lowered back onto the bed and after recovering; Max found her nub of pleasure and gave her the same relief.
It was when they were both lying on their sides with their foreheads together and their eyes closed the family got home. “Mom!” Thomas called. “Dad! We brought you bailey’s cheese cake, your favourite…”
Diane said, “They’ve had a hard day, I imagine they’re asleep. Put it in the fridge and they’ll eat it tomorrow.”
The lights were off in their bedroom and Liz whispered to Max, “I love your mother being here.”
If it was possible, she heard him smile. “I know what you mean.”
He was drifting off but she had something else to say, “What were you saying about inheritance?”
“Six mill,” he mumbled.
………………
Naples 2000
Liz Parker was doing crazy things to his head. Max was swimming with Michael and she was sitting on the yacht sunbathing. It had been only one day. He had to do something to get her off his freakin’ mind but last night when they had been out at the jazz club she had been incredibly…alluring. She’d accidentally let it slip that she was working for his father and it had angered him all night while he was in bed and then in the morning when he saw her sitting in the kitchen he forgot. It wasn’t her fault she was working for Satan.
Climbing up onto the boat, Max walked towards Filomena—who had somehow managed to come along again. She looked up at him when she saw him, a smile gracing her lips.
“Come down stairs with me,” he said and took her hands, tugging her to her feet. She came willingly and they went under the deck, closing the door behind them. “I know you want me,” Filomena said, “I told you.”
He put his hand over her mouth and lay her down, reaching for her tog ties. He had nothing to say about her comment, simply discarding it.
When he was done with her, he left her to rest and went back up top. He talked to Marie for a while and then the sky started to get cloudier so they decided to head back. Liz came over and he watched her walk past in her skimpy bikini—she had an incredible body, like you couldn’t imagine. Marie made plans for them all to go out that evening. Max wasn’t so sure that was a great idea but went anyway. He stayed sober, watching his friends as they became more and more intoxicated. Liz was great to watch, she was so quiet for some reason.
It loosened her up by announcing she was going to perform on stage. She played the piano and then came back and hit him on the head for putting her on the spot like that. She was smiling though and he knew she didn’t care. It was later when they were outside getting fresh air alone together they both couldn’t help it and he had the sweetest kiss of his whole life. She felt so wonderful to touch and when she was sick he was a little disappointed but worried, too. For the rest of the evening he was aching to touch her again but when he got home he rung Filomena and asked her to come around. He knew he shouldn’t and he knew he was only using her but he incredibly aroused now and had to have someone, if not Liz.
………………
Naples 2004
Liz was pregnant again. They hadn’t planned it this time and they had their hands full with a four year old Natalie and a two year old Alexander. Nevertheless they were both happy and decided to somehow make it work.
“I think we should renovate the house,” Liz said one day. “I want to section off the dinning area—it’ll make the lounge smaller but we’ll—”
“Liz, with what?” Max asked. “We don’t have enough money with a child on the way.”
She sighed dramatically and grumbled, “I think we can afford it.”
Max wasn’t persuaded and stopped talking about it. This made Liz unhappy but she knew they’d end up doing it eventually. It was a Saturday and she went and sat on the beach so Natalie could run around and splash in the water. Half an hour later Max came out with Alexander who had been asleep but was now wide awake. “I can’t get any work done,” he said. “Can he stay out here for a while?”
“Hmm,” Liz mumbled, putting her sunglasses on the top of her head. “What are you working on anyway?”
“Lecture plan for next week. When I’m finished I’ll come out.”
Natalie had been in the water briefly and then had rolled around in the sand, making herself as filthy as possible. Then to make matters worse she rubbed herself all over Alexander who was chuckling and clapping his hands together in joy. Natalie loved her brother, she crawled around with him and started to make a sand castle with him but then he broke it and she went ballistic—screaming bloody murder. “Natalie,” Liz said sternly. “You know Alexander is younger then you, he didn’t mean to break it. Go give him a kiss; you see how sad he is?”
“But mama…”
“Go.”
Liz watched them. Alexander had tears in his eyes and he said, “Swrry,” but Natalie was stubborn. She made her sand castle by herself and kept talking about how much better hers was then his. Alexander was just too pleased that she was back and kept patting the sand with his tiny hands and giggling, chuckling and clapping.
The water was inviting but Liz couldn’t go in the ocean with the two kids, it was too risky, and besides she didn’t have her swimsuit. She stretched her legs out and dug her toes deep in the ground, enjoying the feeling of it slinking across her skin.
When Max joined her he was grumpy and fed up, it was because he hated to work on a Saturday, she knew that. He lay down on his back with his sunglasses on and yawned.
“Daddy!” Natalie screamed. “Look what I made!”
Liz smiled and kissed his cheek and told him his children wanted him so he leisurely made his way towards them. “Alexander,” he said. “What kind of a sand castle is this? You’re a man, you have to be better then girls.”
“Boys aren’t better then girls,” Natalie demanded.
“Oh really?” Max asked.
“Yes!”
Alexander started to scoop handfuls of sand all over Max’s lap and tried to build a sandcastle there. Natalie told him off and Max said, “No it’s alright, Nat. Leave him be.”
----------
I can't believe how long it's been since I posted a part on this, I'm so sorry. Thanks everyone and this parts for Sarah
100% Pure New Zealand Beef
14.
Naples 2000
“It occurs to me,” Liz said, “You think quite highly of yourself.”
Max opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her. He was sunbathing and somehow she had managed to sit down in the shade near him, without him even realizing it. How was she so quiet all the time? “Excuse me?” he asked. How long had she been sitting there?
She took a grape out of the bowl she was holding and studied him cockily. “I think you know what I mean.”
“Don’t you have someone else you can bother?” he asked and then closed his eyes again. “When are you going home anyway?”
Liz rolled her eyes and leaned back into the tree she was sitting by. “Never.”
“Then you’ll have to start paying rent,” he told her gruffly.
“You wouldn’t want that,” she replied. “Then you wouldn’t have anything to argue with me about. Or hold against me.”
Max didn’t reply, he couldn’t be bothered having this out right now. He was too sexually frustrated for his own good and worried that he might end up ravishing her right there. Dirty images started to dance across his mind…damn it! Now was not the time to be getting a boner—with her watching his every move! He didn’t want to do anything with her until she admitted she was working for his father.
Filomena wasn’t coming around any more; he’d stopped that for good. It was wrong of him to use her for sex.
He opened one eye and peaked at Liz to see what she was doing. He nearly groaned out loud when he saw that she had stretched out with her eyes closed, lazily plopping grapes in her mouth. She was wearing the shortest shorts in the history of shorts.
“Would you like me to make dinner?” she asked.
“No I’m going out,” he suddenly decided and lit a cigarette.
Her eyes opened unexpectedly and he looked away before she caught him staring. “With whom?” she asked curiously.
“Some people,” he said casually and let out a puff of smoke. God he was sad, why didn’t he just tell her he liked her and fuck her senseless? No, that would be too easy—it was too what he was used to. He wanted Liz to be different. But how?
“Oh, alright then.” Did she look disappointed or was it just his imagination?
A few minutes later he heard her get up and climb the stairs to the house. Loud music came flooding out of the lounge soon after. It was Ruba Flamenco—Spanish. He thought Spanish music was damn sexy and it only made him want her more. Gritting his teeth, he eased off the beach chair and walked towards the house. What he saw when he got there nearly caused him to cream his pants.
Liz with her back to him had taken her bra and shorts off and was slipping a dress over her shoulders. “Don’t you have a bedroom for that?” he asked angrily.
She spun around, startled. “I thought you were outside.”
“I decided to come in,” he charged past her, heading straight for the bathroom.
…………
Naples 2004
“Max, I’m so tired,” Liz complained. “I just can’t explain it. I feel so down lately, I am restless and uncomfortable.”
Max held his wife’s hands in his. “What can I do to help?”
She closed her eyes and tilted her head back. “I just don’t know what would help, I really don’t.” His hands were soothing, massaging hers. “I just want to feel my normal self again.”
He kissed the insides of her arms. “Is it because you need a break?”
“No,” she said. “That’s the last thing I need.”
“Well, I’m out of ideas love,” he told her. “Maybe it’s just a phase, maybe you’ll feel better in a couple of days?”
“I hope so.” She got up and collapsed onto his lap. “This baby…I feel as if it doesn’t like me much!”
He tucked her hair behind her ears and smiled down into her face. “The baby loves you Liz, all three months of it, don’t be silly.”
She let out a loud sigh. “You know what I need right now? Pizz—”
Suddenly they were interrupted by the door opening. Natalie walked in with Alexander in toe. He was holding onto her pyjama’s in his tiny fists and his cheeks were puffy. “He won’t stop crying,” Natalie said and then she burst into tears too.
“Oh honey!” Liz ran to the two of them and picked them both up—even if they were so heavy now. “Alex probably just needs a diaper change, don’t be upset.”
“Maybe something wrong with him?” Natalie cried more.
Liz handed her over to Max while she soothed Alexander. “Nothing wrong with Alexander Nat,” Max said. “Look, mom’s just going to change his diaper and he’ll be fine. Did he wake you up?”
“Yes,” Natalie pouted.
Max wiped her eyes with his thumb and kissed her forehead. “Do you want me to come into your room for a while?”
She shook her head. “I want to sleep here.”
Liz pulled off Alexander’s diaper and rolled it up. “Yip…Alex just went for a rather large pooh.” She looked up at Max sheepishly. “A very, very, very large pooh.”
He laughed. “See Nat?”
She scrunched her nose up. “That stinks! Pwhh!”
“You can say that again,” Liz said and rolled Alexander over onto his stomach. “What a shocker! Where do you keep it all huh?”
Alexander giggled.
“Yes well you would find it funny. You don’t have to clean it up!” she tickled him. “Stay still while I go get the baby wipes. Max—make sure he doesn’t move and get pooh all over the bedspread.”
“Argh! Charming Liz!” Max said. “Nat, go hold your brother down, I think we may need medical masks pronto! Liz, where do we keep the rubber gloves?”
“We aren’t performing an operation Max,” she laughed and left the room, clutching her robe to her chest. “What’s wrong with you? I think the problem is you don’t change his diaper enough—you need more practice.”
“Yeah right!” he glanced at his daughter. “Well, in the least we’re going to need air fresher. Poooooo-weeeeeeeeeeee it stinks in here!”
“Yuck,” she said simply and ruffled her brother’s hair.
Suddenly they heard a smash in the other room and Max shot up from the bed. “Liz?” he called.
“Max!” she cried out.
“Stay here, Nat, watch your brother.” Max ran into the lounge, switching on the lights as he went. He found Liz bent over in agony with her hands on her stomach. “Liz? God, what’s wrong?”
“Call the doctor Max,” she groaned out. “Argh, it hurts so much.”
Then she fainted.
----------------------
Naples 2018
Max somehow found it easy to fall asleep after he’d given her the startling news of their inheritance. She, however, did not feel the same way. She sat up and pounded him on his chest. “But why?” she asked.
He grumbled. “We’ll talk about this in the morning.”
“But why would he give us anything? We hated him and I was certain the feeling was mutual.” She was dumbfounded. “What are we going to do with six million dollars?”
“Retire,” he smiled. “Lay down will you?”
She did as he asked and rested her head on his chest; he put his arms around her. “So you’ll stop working?” she was surprised.
“Most likely,” he grumbled, burying his head in her hair.
Liz said, “I thought you liked working.”
He replied simply, “I’d rather be doing something else.”
“Huh,” she paused, listening to his breathing and then added, “Will we tell the kids?”
“Liz, love, in the morning,” he sighed. “It’s been a long day. We’ll talk this to death in the morning.”
“How can I possibly sleep now?”
“Find a way.”
She grinned. “Did I exhaust you?”
“Yes, and I didn’t get any sleep on the plane.”
In the morning Max was up first and went to have a shower. Liz slept in for a while and then when he came in to get changed she lay on her side and watched him. “Oh God,” she moaned while trying to sniff at the same time. “Did you buy new cologne while you were in New York? From Duty Free?”
“Hmm,” he mumbled. “Do you like it?”
“Do I like it?” she inhaled deeply. “You’re going to kill me—it’s fantastic! What is it?”
“YvesSaintLaurent, rive gauche,” he answered, smiling at her reaction.
She got up off the bed and wandered over to him. “I don’t know what’d wrong with me, I just can’t seem to think of anything but—” she ran her hands along his shoulders and arms. “Sex.”
He laughed loudly. “It’s called being horny. Or randy if you’d like.”
She buried her face in his chest. “Let’s go away, just the two of us and rent a cabin or something in the middle of no where. We’ll do nothing but have loud, rowdy sex and—”
“I just got back babe. We all did…did you forget Hawaii a month ago? And besides Diane’s here and what about Christmas?” he cupped her cheek. “Other then all that, the rowdy sex does definitely sound appealing.”
Liz groaned. “I barely see you anymore it seems.” She kissed his on the mouth and wrapped his arms around her. She wanted him and he knew it so he pulled off the briefs he’d just put on and lifted her onto his waist.
He entered her swiftly and pressed her back against the wall. They both knew they couldn’t stay in that position—they were getting older now and it was just damn uncomfortable. Liz wasn’t as lithe as she used to be. “What are you talking about?” Max asked, eyeing her affectionately. “We wee each other constantly. What’s wrong?”
All she did was moan and beg him to make her come instantly. “Now, Max, now,” she cried.
Max carried her over to the bed and did as he was told, making her come quickly. They panted together loudly afterwards, with their heads back.
He thought he heard her mumble, “thank you,” quietly before she shifted from underneath him and went to have a shower. Out in the dinning room everyone was cheerful. “Grandma let me drive the car last night,” Natalie said.
“Oh yeah?” Max asked. “How’s the licence going any way?”
“Who knows, mom never let’s me drive. I need a car of my own. Grandma maybe you should buy me one?”
“Maybe your father should buy you one?” Diane said.
Max shook his head at his mother, telling her this wasn’t the time to inform them of the inheritance.
“Dad won’t buy me one,” Natalie complained, “I don’t see why not, either.”
“Maybe we could go take a look around for something,” Max sipped some water and watched everyone look at him with shock.
“What?” Natalie cried. “I thought you didn’t have enough money?”
“We may have a little tucked away,” Max said simply.
His kids weren’t stupid; Alexander didn’t take two minutes to say, “You got inheritance!”
“A little but,” Liz said as she came into the dinning room. “Just a little…” She shot a look at Max.
“How much?” Thomas asked.
“A few hundred thousand,” Max lied. Diane raised her eye brows at the two.
“Wow! You should give us a hundred grand each,” Natalie said.
“We’ll see,” Liz grunted. “Where’s my coffee?”
Max handed her a steaming cup and she thanked him and then said, “I’m going to sit outside. Diane would you like to join me?”
Diane came and as soon as they sat down, the first thing Liz asked was, “Did he cry at the funeral?”
“He won’t talk to you about it?” Diane asked understandingly. “He and his father had a difficult relationship, I’m afraid.”
“Yeah, I know,” Liz nodded. “He has been acting as though it means nothing that Philip died but I think that he probably does care but won’t allow himself to feel it.”
Diane nodded vigorously. “Well, what can I tell you? He didn’t cry but he was very grumpy and I looked over at him once and his jaw was set, as if he was trying not to.”
“I knew it,” Liz said. “Diane why can’t he just talk about it with me? Sometimes he does this—I tell him everything, why can’t he do the same?”
“I don’t know Liz,” Diane said. “Perhaps he will in time?”
“I hope so.”
………………
Ah! it's a new part! I know, shock horror!! Everyone, please have a safe and happy easter and thank you for you patience. I seem to be asking for that a lot don't I? I promise I haven't forgotten about this story! Thank you all again!
~nicola
Naples 2000
“It occurs to me,” Liz said, “You think quite highly of yourself.”
Max opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her. He was sunbathing and somehow she had managed to sit down in the shade near him, without him even realizing it. How was she so quiet all the time? “Excuse me?” he asked. How long had she been sitting there?
She took a grape out of the bowl she was holding and studied him cockily. “I think you know what I mean.”
“Don’t you have someone else you can bother?” he asked and then closed his eyes again. “When are you going home anyway?”
Liz rolled her eyes and leaned back into the tree she was sitting by. “Never.”
“Then you’ll have to start paying rent,” he told her gruffly.
“You wouldn’t want that,” she replied. “Then you wouldn’t have anything to argue with me about. Or hold against me.”
Max didn’t reply, he couldn’t be bothered having this out right now. He was too sexually frustrated for his own good and worried that he might end up ravishing her right there. Dirty images started to dance across his mind…damn it! Now was not the time to be getting a boner—with her watching his every move! He didn’t want to do anything with her until she admitted she was working for his father.
Filomena wasn’t coming around any more; he’d stopped that for good. It was wrong of him to use her for sex.
He opened one eye and peaked at Liz to see what she was doing. He nearly groaned out loud when he saw that she had stretched out with her eyes closed, lazily plopping grapes in her mouth. She was wearing the shortest shorts in the history of shorts.
“Would you like me to make dinner?” she asked.
“No I’m going out,” he suddenly decided and lit a cigarette.
Her eyes opened unexpectedly and he looked away before she caught him staring. “With whom?” she asked curiously.
“Some people,” he said casually and let out a puff of smoke. God he was sad, why didn’t he just tell her he liked her and fuck her senseless? No, that would be too easy—it was too what he was used to. He wanted Liz to be different. But how?
“Oh, alright then.” Did she look disappointed or was it just his imagination?
A few minutes later he heard her get up and climb the stairs to the house. Loud music came flooding out of the lounge soon after. It was Ruba Flamenco—Spanish. He thought Spanish music was damn sexy and it only made him want her more. Gritting his teeth, he eased off the beach chair and walked towards the house. What he saw when he got there nearly caused him to cream his pants.
Liz with her back to him had taken her bra and shorts off and was slipping a dress over her shoulders. “Don’t you have a bedroom for that?” he asked angrily.
She spun around, startled. “I thought you were outside.”
“I decided to come in,” he charged past her, heading straight for the bathroom.
…………
Naples 2004
“Max, I’m so tired,” Liz complained. “I just can’t explain it. I feel so down lately, I am restless and uncomfortable.”
Max held his wife’s hands in his. “What can I do to help?”
She closed her eyes and tilted her head back. “I just don’t know what would help, I really don’t.” His hands were soothing, massaging hers. “I just want to feel my normal self again.”
He kissed the insides of her arms. “Is it because you need a break?”
“No,” she said. “That’s the last thing I need.”
“Well, I’m out of ideas love,” he told her. “Maybe it’s just a phase, maybe you’ll feel better in a couple of days?”
“I hope so.” She got up and collapsed onto his lap. “This baby…I feel as if it doesn’t like me much!”
He tucked her hair behind her ears and smiled down into her face. “The baby loves you Liz, all three months of it, don’t be silly.”
She let out a loud sigh. “You know what I need right now? Pizz—”
Suddenly they were interrupted by the door opening. Natalie walked in with Alexander in toe. He was holding onto her pyjama’s in his tiny fists and his cheeks were puffy. “He won’t stop crying,” Natalie said and then she burst into tears too.
“Oh honey!” Liz ran to the two of them and picked them both up—even if they were so heavy now. “Alex probably just needs a diaper change, don’t be upset.”
“Maybe something wrong with him?” Natalie cried more.
Liz handed her over to Max while she soothed Alexander. “Nothing wrong with Alexander Nat,” Max said. “Look, mom’s just going to change his diaper and he’ll be fine. Did he wake you up?”
“Yes,” Natalie pouted.
Max wiped her eyes with his thumb and kissed her forehead. “Do you want me to come into your room for a while?”
She shook her head. “I want to sleep here.”
Liz pulled off Alexander’s diaper and rolled it up. “Yip…Alex just went for a rather large pooh.” She looked up at Max sheepishly. “A very, very, very large pooh.”
He laughed. “See Nat?”
She scrunched her nose up. “That stinks! Pwhh!”
“You can say that again,” Liz said and rolled Alexander over onto his stomach. “What a shocker! Where do you keep it all huh?”
Alexander giggled.
“Yes well you would find it funny. You don’t have to clean it up!” she tickled him. “Stay still while I go get the baby wipes. Max—make sure he doesn’t move and get pooh all over the bedspread.”
“Argh! Charming Liz!” Max said. “Nat, go hold your brother down, I think we may need medical masks pronto! Liz, where do we keep the rubber gloves?”
“We aren’t performing an operation Max,” she laughed and left the room, clutching her robe to her chest. “What’s wrong with you? I think the problem is you don’t change his diaper enough—you need more practice.”
“Yeah right!” he glanced at his daughter. “Well, in the least we’re going to need air fresher. Poooooo-weeeeeeeeeeee it stinks in here!”
“Yuck,” she said simply and ruffled her brother’s hair.
Suddenly they heard a smash in the other room and Max shot up from the bed. “Liz?” he called.
“Max!” she cried out.
“Stay here, Nat, watch your brother.” Max ran into the lounge, switching on the lights as he went. He found Liz bent over in agony with her hands on her stomach. “Liz? God, what’s wrong?”
“Call the doctor Max,” she groaned out. “Argh, it hurts so much.”
Then she fainted.
----------------------
Naples 2018
Max somehow found it easy to fall asleep after he’d given her the startling news of their inheritance. She, however, did not feel the same way. She sat up and pounded him on his chest. “But why?” she asked.
He grumbled. “We’ll talk about this in the morning.”
“But why would he give us anything? We hated him and I was certain the feeling was mutual.” She was dumbfounded. “What are we going to do with six million dollars?”
“Retire,” he smiled. “Lay down will you?”
She did as he asked and rested her head on his chest; he put his arms around her. “So you’ll stop working?” she was surprised.
“Most likely,” he grumbled, burying his head in her hair.
Liz said, “I thought you liked working.”
He replied simply, “I’d rather be doing something else.”
“Huh,” she paused, listening to his breathing and then added, “Will we tell the kids?”
“Liz, love, in the morning,” he sighed. “It’s been a long day. We’ll talk this to death in the morning.”
“How can I possibly sleep now?”
“Find a way.”
She grinned. “Did I exhaust you?”
“Yes, and I didn’t get any sleep on the plane.”
In the morning Max was up first and went to have a shower. Liz slept in for a while and then when he came in to get changed she lay on her side and watched him. “Oh God,” she moaned while trying to sniff at the same time. “Did you buy new cologne while you were in New York? From Duty Free?”
“Hmm,” he mumbled. “Do you like it?”
“Do I like it?” she inhaled deeply. “You’re going to kill me—it’s fantastic! What is it?”
“YvesSaintLaurent, rive gauche,” he answered, smiling at her reaction.
She got up off the bed and wandered over to him. “I don’t know what’d wrong with me, I just can’t seem to think of anything but—” she ran her hands along his shoulders and arms. “Sex.”
He laughed loudly. “It’s called being horny. Or randy if you’d like.”
She buried her face in his chest. “Let’s go away, just the two of us and rent a cabin or something in the middle of no where. We’ll do nothing but have loud, rowdy sex and—”
“I just got back babe. We all did…did you forget Hawaii a month ago? And besides Diane’s here and what about Christmas?” he cupped her cheek. “Other then all that, the rowdy sex does definitely sound appealing.”
Liz groaned. “I barely see you anymore it seems.” She kissed his on the mouth and wrapped his arms around her. She wanted him and he knew it so he pulled off the briefs he’d just put on and lifted her onto his waist.
He entered her swiftly and pressed her back against the wall. They both knew they couldn’t stay in that position—they were getting older now and it was just damn uncomfortable. Liz wasn’t as lithe as she used to be. “What are you talking about?” Max asked, eyeing her affectionately. “We wee each other constantly. What’s wrong?”
All she did was moan and beg him to make her come instantly. “Now, Max, now,” she cried.
Max carried her over to the bed and did as he was told, making her come quickly. They panted together loudly afterwards, with their heads back.
He thought he heard her mumble, “thank you,” quietly before she shifted from underneath him and went to have a shower. Out in the dinning room everyone was cheerful. “Grandma let me drive the car last night,” Natalie said.
“Oh yeah?” Max asked. “How’s the licence going any way?”
“Who knows, mom never let’s me drive. I need a car of my own. Grandma maybe you should buy me one?”
“Maybe your father should buy you one?” Diane said.
Max shook his head at his mother, telling her this wasn’t the time to inform them of the inheritance.
“Dad won’t buy me one,” Natalie complained, “I don’t see why not, either.”
“Maybe we could go take a look around for something,” Max sipped some water and watched everyone look at him with shock.
“What?” Natalie cried. “I thought you didn’t have enough money?”
“We may have a little tucked away,” Max said simply.
His kids weren’t stupid; Alexander didn’t take two minutes to say, “You got inheritance!”
“A little but,” Liz said as she came into the dinning room. “Just a little…” She shot a look at Max.
“How much?” Thomas asked.
“A few hundred thousand,” Max lied. Diane raised her eye brows at the two.
“Wow! You should give us a hundred grand each,” Natalie said.
“We’ll see,” Liz grunted. “Where’s my coffee?”
Max handed her a steaming cup and she thanked him and then said, “I’m going to sit outside. Diane would you like to join me?”
Diane came and as soon as they sat down, the first thing Liz asked was, “Did he cry at the funeral?”
“He won’t talk to you about it?” Diane asked understandingly. “He and his father had a difficult relationship, I’m afraid.”
“Yeah, I know,” Liz nodded. “He has been acting as though it means nothing that Philip died but I think that he probably does care but won’t allow himself to feel it.”
Diane nodded vigorously. “Well, what can I tell you? He didn’t cry but he was very grumpy and I looked over at him once and his jaw was set, as if he was trying not to.”
“I knew it,” Liz said. “Diane why can’t he just talk about it with me? Sometimes he does this—I tell him everything, why can’t he do the same?”
“I don’t know Liz,” Diane said. “Perhaps he will in time?”
“I hope so.”
………………
Ah! it's a new part! I know, shock horror!! Everyone, please have a safe and happy easter and thank you for you patience. I seem to be asking for that a lot don't I? I promise I haven't forgotten about this story! Thank you all again!
~nicola
100% Pure New Zealand Beef
15.
Naples 2004
Max sat anxiously in the waiting room for the doctor to come out. He’d dropped Natalie and Alexander off at Maria’s house so he wouldn’t have to worry about them while worrying about Liz at the same time.
He rubbed his temples and let out a loud breath. Please let the baby be okay…
It took twenty minutes of waiting before the doctor finally came to speak to him. “I’m sorry,” was the first thing that passed from his lips. “You lost the baby. Miscarriages happen quite frequently for no particular reason, but that doesn’t make them any less awful to deal with. The good new is, no damage was done in the passing away and she will be able to have children again…”
Max slumped back into the chair and clutched his hands tightly against his thighs. “Does she know?”
“I haven’t spoken to her,” the doctor said. “She may have guessed.”
“When does she have to stay until?”
“She can leave right away if that’s what you would like,” he explained.
“Yes, thank you.”
“I’m very sorry, sir. If I can do anything to help, please let me know.”
Max nodded. This whole thing was just unreal.
He took a few moments to collect himself before he went to see Liz. How would she take the news? He didn’t know how to take it and it would be worse for her. He rubbed his eyes, urging himself to calm down and not get upset for her; she needed him to be strong. A tear formed in his eye and he was amazed that, though the baby had only been with them for three months it felt like they were losing so much.
Finally, he got up from the chair and walked towards the room she was in. She was sitting on the bed staring into her lap when he came in. “Liz…”
She looked up and when she saw him her eyes filled up. “Oh Max!” She sobbed and held her arms up for him to come and hug her. He clutched her tightly against him, pressing his face into her hair.
“I’m so sorry Liz,” he whispered. “I know how much this baby meant to you.”
She looked at him. “Both of us Max, it meant a lot to both of us.”
“We’ll have another one, it’ll be alright.”
Liz couldn’t even think of having another child right then. She nodded mutely and they made their way to the car. “I can’t believe three hours ago I had a baby inside of me and now I don’t…”
Max put his hands on her shoulders. “Do you feel okay? Are you in any pain?”
“I’m alright now,” she answered. “I just want to go and get Nat and Alex then go home.”
He’d planned to leave the kids at Maria’s for the night but he drove there anyway because Liz needed them. “Do you still want pizza?” he asked. “We can get it while we’re out.”
Despite her sadness, she laughed. “No, I don’t want pizza Max.”
~*~
Naples 2018
Liz’s face was buried deep in a good book while she lay comfortably on the lounge sofa with a woollen blanket over her. A glass of hot chocolate sat steaming on the coffee table and the house was so blissfully silent that she could hear herself breathing... It had been a long time since she’d had nothing but her own company to entertain her.
Suddenly it was all destroyed by the sound of the jeep pulling up the driveway. A groan escaped her and her head fell back against the cushion she was propped up on. One hour—that’s all she’d had.
First she heard Thomas’s footsteps as he made his way through the garage to grab his skate board and then she heard Alexander and Natalie ripping their way up across the porch to the front door. Max and his mother soon followed, talking quietly to each other.
When the door opened she didn’t look up, just tried to focus on reading once more. However it was impossible when there were people swarming around. Max kissed the top of her head as he walked past and then disappeared into the bathroom. Diane stopped to say that she was going to have a rest and would get up around two, just leave lunch for her in the fridge.
Alexander patted her head and said that for Christmas he was going to paint her portrait. “I had the idea last night when I was in bed. Or would you prefer something else?”
“Anything you paint will be beautiful darling,” Liz simply smiled up at him. “You have enough artistic talent in your little finger to outdo the whole family.”
He bowed mockingly. “Thank you, thank you. You’re kindness is overwhelming.”
“Off you go now.”
Natalie wandered around, bored and then, leaned over the couch and asked, “Whatcha readin’?”
“Just an old favourite, why don’t you go and make lunch?” Liz suggested and was struck momentarily by her daughter prettiness. Her bleached blonde hair didn’t do much to compliment her but her shaped cheekbones and dark eyelashes couldn’t be spoilt.
“Can’t we just buy something from the bakery?”
“I don’t feel like driving all the way into town…”
Natalie pouted. “Pu-pu-pu-please?”
Max came out of the bathroom and Liz noticed he still his jacket on. “Are you going somewhere?” she asked.
“Hmm…” he leaned over the couch next to Natalie. “I was going to ask you to come. I’m going to stop by the university to pick something up.”
“Oh! I’m coming too!”
Both Max and Liz looked at Natalie and then back at each other. “Alright, I’ll just go change my pants.”
“What?” Max groaned. “Why? You look fine, just put some shoes on.”
Liz looked at her daughter for understanding. “Max I do not look fine, I’m wearing grey track pants. I’ll only be a moment.”
“Oh really? I think I should just sit down and start a movie…”
“Don’t be silly. Go wait in the car.”
Ten minutes later and they were on their way. “Did you change your shirt too? Oh for Christ sake, did you put make up on?”
“What are you talking about? Of course not, I’m just naturally this stunning.”
“No you’re not,” he teased.
Natalie and Liz walked around the college grounds while they waited for him. Natalie kept sighing and breathing in loudly like she wanted to ask something but didn’t know how. “Okay, what is it?”
“Mom, you know how about three months ago you told me that when I wanted to have sex I should tell you so you can put me of the pill?” Liz stopped walking and scrunched her eyes up tight. “Mom?”
She swallowed and then resumed walking. “Natalie, I didn’t know you had a boyfriend.”
“Well I don’t…”
“You want to have sex with some stranger?”
“No, some friend,” Natalie explained. “Look, it obviously took me a lot to ask you this but in the end I did, aren’t you thankful? Stop looking at me like that. Leon is my good friend and I want to be with someone I’m comfortable with.”
Liz looked at her pleadingly. “Why not wait for someone you love?”
“I want to know what to do so when I do find someone I love, I won’t be clumsy and embarrassed! Please mom?”
She didn’t want to but she nodded and agreed anyway.
“Oh and please don’t tell dad.”
“You know I have to. Max and I don’t have any secrets.”
“Well surely one won’t matter—”
Liz simply shook her head and continued walking.
Meanwhile Max was in his boss’s office. “I completely understand your need for time off; it’s not easy when a parent dies…”
“No, I’ve had enough time off, I’ll be back tomorrow,” Max said. “But maybe not for long…I’m thinking about handing in my notice.”
He was shocked. “Pardon?”
Max explained that he hadn’t completely decided what he was going to do and then told him about the inheritance. His response was, “Well then, lucky you.”
Max nodded and then asked, “Do you mind if we discuss this further tomorrow? My wife and daughter are waiting in the car…”
”Of course.”
Outside he found then sitting on some concrete steps in dead silence. He smirked and asked if something was wrong and they both just shook their heads.
“Bakery now,” Natalie said as she got up.
“Did you see…?” Liz trailed off.
“Hmm…” Max mumbled and helped her to her feet. “Nothings decided, I just mentioned the possibility.”
“Oh.”
…………………………..
Naples 2000
Max had just been outside with Filomena because she’d dropped by unexpectedly, upset because he hadn’t called her—which meant he was serious about them not seeing each other anymore and how could he do that to her?
He consoled her and said he was sorry but she had to move on and then she left angrily. Back inside he went upstairs and found Liz in her bedroom writing something on her laptop.
“Here’s the deal,” he placed his hands on the table in front of her, startling her nearly to death. She quickly shut her lap top and he realized he’d probably interrupted her correspondence with his father or something. “I’m throwing a party,” he finished.
“Oh? Cool,” she nodded. “Did you need help with something?”
“Nope, just thought I’d give you the heads up.”
“Okay, thanks.”
It was a couple of days later and there were lots of unfamiliar people there. It was a little into the party when Liz was talking with him and someone else and then she started going ballistic and crying, ‘You know! You know!’
At first he’d absolutely no idea what she was talking about and then he came to his senses and took her outside where he told her to calm down. She wanted to know why he hadn’t told her that he knew that she was working for his father.
“What made you think I know?” he asked, shocked.
“You said, ‘I’ve never been known to be an annoying person but there is a first for everything right?’ And you said that on the night I first got here.”
”Are you completely insane? That’s why?” Of all the reasons! She had obviously just been waiting for him admit it—secretly knowing all along.
In the end she ended up locking herself in her room and he had to coax her to come back down. He was unsuccessful so he sent Maria up there and finally she rejoined the party. It was weird because all of a sudden she was acting all flirty with him like she wanted him to take her upstairs and get butt naked.
He would have done that in a second of course, but when he was going to suggest it all of a sudden she disappeared and he had to go looking for her. It turned out she was sitting on his yacht and it was nerve-wracking as he approached her because now that there wasn’t a big secret wedge between they could give things a go between them. That scared the hell out of him.
When he sat down she asked him to talk to her and he couldn’t but then, eventually—after much sweet-talk—he told her he was in love with her. Her response was a little different to how he expected. She climbed on top of him and said she was going to fuck his brains out.
When they did have sex, right there on the boat, it was pretty damn amazing in his opinion. He forgot all about his party and everything else and just thrust into her, loosing himself like he’d been absolutely dying to do. The ache he’d felt was slowly but surely eased and then they lay around looking at the stars for the whole night. They talked like he hadn’t really done with anyone and then in the morning the perfection was completely ruined by Roy Burden.
Roy had a gun and had tried to steal the boat with them sleeping under deck. There was a huge scene and Max shot him in Liz’s defense. They were both horrified and shocked by his bloodied body and Liz kept asking, “What are we going to do now?” and, “I’m too young to go to jail!”
In a moment of desperation they did the stupidest thing they could have and tossed him over board. They regretted it instantly but it was too late.
When they got back to the house Maria and Michael had cleaned up the party and weren’t too happy with the two of them for disappearing.
Liz went to bed and he had a shower, trying to come to grips with everything that had just happened.
~*~
Naples 2018
“We have to remember that when we first got married we tried to get away from your fathers money and make it on our own,” Liz said. “Now that he’s passed away…”
“Liz,” Diane said. “You two should think of this as an apology for the way he was. He wouldn’t have left anything for Max if he hadn’t felt regretful about your relationship with him.”
Max was silent, deep in thought.
“I suppose you’re right, but it’s not really enough to mend anything. If he had just rung—Diane I now realize that Max must have got his stubbornness of him.”
“Please do not talk about me as if I’m not here,” he grumbled. “I didn’t get anything off him and Liz, this money was owed to us as far as I’m concerned.”
“Well I don’t think I want the kids knowing about it,” she said. “Natalie barely has enough inspiration to work or make something of her life now—just imagine what it will be like if she knows she’ll be very safe financially no matter what happens?”
“Hmm…but how are we supposed to keep something like six million dollars a secret?”
“You could keep working…” she said. “Not full time, but maybe just a reliever again?”
Diane looked in-between the two and then at her watch. It was nearly ten and they should get back to the house soon. The staff looked like they wanted their table back.
“Are we sure keeping it from them is the best idea?”
“They are already spoilt, imagine them with even more?” Liz looked at her husband pleadingly. “I don’t want them growing up selfish and demanding.”
“I suppose you are right,” he said. “But we’d have to tell them eventually.”
“A trust find is a good idea,” Diane commented. “They can know when they’re twenty five.”
Max and Liz nodded. “I think that’s what we were leaning towards.”
~*~
Hi everyone! I don't know what it is, but I can't seem to get into this lately. I'm going to try and get it finished I think, hope it's okay! Thanks a lot for everything,
~nicola
Naples 2004
Max sat anxiously in the waiting room for the doctor to come out. He’d dropped Natalie and Alexander off at Maria’s house so he wouldn’t have to worry about them while worrying about Liz at the same time.
He rubbed his temples and let out a loud breath. Please let the baby be okay…
It took twenty minutes of waiting before the doctor finally came to speak to him. “I’m sorry,” was the first thing that passed from his lips. “You lost the baby. Miscarriages happen quite frequently for no particular reason, but that doesn’t make them any less awful to deal with. The good new is, no damage was done in the passing away and she will be able to have children again…”
Max slumped back into the chair and clutched his hands tightly against his thighs. “Does she know?”
“I haven’t spoken to her,” the doctor said. “She may have guessed.”
“When does she have to stay until?”
“She can leave right away if that’s what you would like,” he explained.
“Yes, thank you.”
“I’m very sorry, sir. If I can do anything to help, please let me know.”
Max nodded. This whole thing was just unreal.
He took a few moments to collect himself before he went to see Liz. How would she take the news? He didn’t know how to take it and it would be worse for her. He rubbed his eyes, urging himself to calm down and not get upset for her; she needed him to be strong. A tear formed in his eye and he was amazed that, though the baby had only been with them for three months it felt like they were losing so much.
Finally, he got up from the chair and walked towards the room she was in. She was sitting on the bed staring into her lap when he came in. “Liz…”
She looked up and when she saw him her eyes filled up. “Oh Max!” She sobbed and held her arms up for him to come and hug her. He clutched her tightly against him, pressing his face into her hair.
“I’m so sorry Liz,” he whispered. “I know how much this baby meant to you.”
She looked at him. “Both of us Max, it meant a lot to both of us.”
“We’ll have another one, it’ll be alright.”
Liz couldn’t even think of having another child right then. She nodded mutely and they made their way to the car. “I can’t believe three hours ago I had a baby inside of me and now I don’t…”
Max put his hands on her shoulders. “Do you feel okay? Are you in any pain?”
“I’m alright now,” she answered. “I just want to go and get Nat and Alex then go home.”
He’d planned to leave the kids at Maria’s for the night but he drove there anyway because Liz needed them. “Do you still want pizza?” he asked. “We can get it while we’re out.”
Despite her sadness, she laughed. “No, I don’t want pizza Max.”
~*~
Naples 2018
Liz’s face was buried deep in a good book while she lay comfortably on the lounge sofa with a woollen blanket over her. A glass of hot chocolate sat steaming on the coffee table and the house was so blissfully silent that she could hear herself breathing... It had been a long time since she’d had nothing but her own company to entertain her.
Suddenly it was all destroyed by the sound of the jeep pulling up the driveway. A groan escaped her and her head fell back against the cushion she was propped up on. One hour—that’s all she’d had.
First she heard Thomas’s footsteps as he made his way through the garage to grab his skate board and then she heard Alexander and Natalie ripping their way up across the porch to the front door. Max and his mother soon followed, talking quietly to each other.
When the door opened she didn’t look up, just tried to focus on reading once more. However it was impossible when there were people swarming around. Max kissed the top of her head as he walked past and then disappeared into the bathroom. Diane stopped to say that she was going to have a rest and would get up around two, just leave lunch for her in the fridge.
Alexander patted her head and said that for Christmas he was going to paint her portrait. “I had the idea last night when I was in bed. Or would you prefer something else?”
“Anything you paint will be beautiful darling,” Liz simply smiled up at him. “You have enough artistic talent in your little finger to outdo the whole family.”
He bowed mockingly. “Thank you, thank you. You’re kindness is overwhelming.”
“Off you go now.”
Natalie wandered around, bored and then, leaned over the couch and asked, “Whatcha readin’?”
“Just an old favourite, why don’t you go and make lunch?” Liz suggested and was struck momentarily by her daughter prettiness. Her bleached blonde hair didn’t do much to compliment her but her shaped cheekbones and dark eyelashes couldn’t be spoilt.
“Can’t we just buy something from the bakery?”
“I don’t feel like driving all the way into town…”
Natalie pouted. “Pu-pu-pu-please?”
Max came out of the bathroom and Liz noticed he still his jacket on. “Are you going somewhere?” she asked.
“Hmm…” he leaned over the couch next to Natalie. “I was going to ask you to come. I’m going to stop by the university to pick something up.”
“Oh! I’m coming too!”
Both Max and Liz looked at Natalie and then back at each other. “Alright, I’ll just go change my pants.”
“What?” Max groaned. “Why? You look fine, just put some shoes on.”
Liz looked at her daughter for understanding. “Max I do not look fine, I’m wearing grey track pants. I’ll only be a moment.”
“Oh really? I think I should just sit down and start a movie…”
“Don’t be silly. Go wait in the car.”
Ten minutes later and they were on their way. “Did you change your shirt too? Oh for Christ sake, did you put make up on?”
“What are you talking about? Of course not, I’m just naturally this stunning.”
“No you’re not,” he teased.
Natalie and Liz walked around the college grounds while they waited for him. Natalie kept sighing and breathing in loudly like she wanted to ask something but didn’t know how. “Okay, what is it?”
“Mom, you know how about three months ago you told me that when I wanted to have sex I should tell you so you can put me of the pill?” Liz stopped walking and scrunched her eyes up tight. “Mom?”
She swallowed and then resumed walking. “Natalie, I didn’t know you had a boyfriend.”
“Well I don’t…”
“You want to have sex with some stranger?”
“No, some friend,” Natalie explained. “Look, it obviously took me a lot to ask you this but in the end I did, aren’t you thankful? Stop looking at me like that. Leon is my good friend and I want to be with someone I’m comfortable with.”
Liz looked at her pleadingly. “Why not wait for someone you love?”
“I want to know what to do so when I do find someone I love, I won’t be clumsy and embarrassed! Please mom?”
She didn’t want to but she nodded and agreed anyway.
“Oh and please don’t tell dad.”
“You know I have to. Max and I don’t have any secrets.”
“Well surely one won’t matter—”
Liz simply shook her head and continued walking.
Meanwhile Max was in his boss’s office. “I completely understand your need for time off; it’s not easy when a parent dies…”
“No, I’ve had enough time off, I’ll be back tomorrow,” Max said. “But maybe not for long…I’m thinking about handing in my notice.”
He was shocked. “Pardon?”
Max explained that he hadn’t completely decided what he was going to do and then told him about the inheritance. His response was, “Well then, lucky you.”
Max nodded and then asked, “Do you mind if we discuss this further tomorrow? My wife and daughter are waiting in the car…”
”Of course.”
Outside he found then sitting on some concrete steps in dead silence. He smirked and asked if something was wrong and they both just shook their heads.
“Bakery now,” Natalie said as she got up.
“Did you see…?” Liz trailed off.
“Hmm…” Max mumbled and helped her to her feet. “Nothings decided, I just mentioned the possibility.”
“Oh.”
…………………………..
Naples 2000
Max had just been outside with Filomena because she’d dropped by unexpectedly, upset because he hadn’t called her—which meant he was serious about them not seeing each other anymore and how could he do that to her?
He consoled her and said he was sorry but she had to move on and then she left angrily. Back inside he went upstairs and found Liz in her bedroom writing something on her laptop.
“Here’s the deal,” he placed his hands on the table in front of her, startling her nearly to death. She quickly shut her lap top and he realized he’d probably interrupted her correspondence with his father or something. “I’m throwing a party,” he finished.
“Oh? Cool,” she nodded. “Did you need help with something?”
“Nope, just thought I’d give you the heads up.”
“Okay, thanks.”
It was a couple of days later and there were lots of unfamiliar people there. It was a little into the party when Liz was talking with him and someone else and then she started going ballistic and crying, ‘You know! You know!’
At first he’d absolutely no idea what she was talking about and then he came to his senses and took her outside where he told her to calm down. She wanted to know why he hadn’t told her that he knew that she was working for his father.
“What made you think I know?” he asked, shocked.
“You said, ‘I’ve never been known to be an annoying person but there is a first for everything right?’ And you said that on the night I first got here.”
”Are you completely insane? That’s why?” Of all the reasons! She had obviously just been waiting for him admit it—secretly knowing all along.
In the end she ended up locking herself in her room and he had to coax her to come back down. He was unsuccessful so he sent Maria up there and finally she rejoined the party. It was weird because all of a sudden she was acting all flirty with him like she wanted him to take her upstairs and get butt naked.
He would have done that in a second of course, but when he was going to suggest it all of a sudden she disappeared and he had to go looking for her. It turned out she was sitting on his yacht and it was nerve-wracking as he approached her because now that there wasn’t a big secret wedge between they could give things a go between them. That scared the hell out of him.
When he sat down she asked him to talk to her and he couldn’t but then, eventually—after much sweet-talk—he told her he was in love with her. Her response was a little different to how he expected. She climbed on top of him and said she was going to fuck his brains out.
When they did have sex, right there on the boat, it was pretty damn amazing in his opinion. He forgot all about his party and everything else and just thrust into her, loosing himself like he’d been absolutely dying to do. The ache he’d felt was slowly but surely eased and then they lay around looking at the stars for the whole night. They talked like he hadn’t really done with anyone and then in the morning the perfection was completely ruined by Roy Burden.
Roy had a gun and had tried to steal the boat with them sleeping under deck. There was a huge scene and Max shot him in Liz’s defense. They were both horrified and shocked by his bloodied body and Liz kept asking, “What are we going to do now?” and, “I’m too young to go to jail!”
In a moment of desperation they did the stupidest thing they could have and tossed him over board. They regretted it instantly but it was too late.
When they got back to the house Maria and Michael had cleaned up the party and weren’t too happy with the two of them for disappearing.
Liz went to bed and he had a shower, trying to come to grips with everything that had just happened.
~*~
Naples 2018
“We have to remember that when we first got married we tried to get away from your fathers money and make it on our own,” Liz said. “Now that he’s passed away…”
“Liz,” Diane said. “You two should think of this as an apology for the way he was. He wouldn’t have left anything for Max if he hadn’t felt regretful about your relationship with him.”
Max was silent, deep in thought.
“I suppose you’re right, but it’s not really enough to mend anything. If he had just rung—Diane I now realize that Max must have got his stubbornness of him.”
“Please do not talk about me as if I’m not here,” he grumbled. “I didn’t get anything off him and Liz, this money was owed to us as far as I’m concerned.”
“Well I don’t think I want the kids knowing about it,” she said. “Natalie barely has enough inspiration to work or make something of her life now—just imagine what it will be like if she knows she’ll be very safe financially no matter what happens?”
“Hmm…but how are we supposed to keep something like six million dollars a secret?”
“You could keep working…” she said. “Not full time, but maybe just a reliever again?”
Diane looked in-between the two and then at her watch. It was nearly ten and they should get back to the house soon. The staff looked like they wanted their table back.
“Are we sure keeping it from them is the best idea?”
“They are already spoilt, imagine them with even more?” Liz looked at her husband pleadingly. “I don’t want them growing up selfish and demanding.”
“I suppose you are right,” he said. “But we’d have to tell them eventually.”
“A trust find is a good idea,” Diane commented. “They can know when they’re twenty five.”
Max and Liz nodded. “I think that’s what we were leaning towards.”
~*~
Hi everyone! I don't know what it is, but I can't seem to get into this lately. I'm going to try and get it finished I think, hope it's okay! Thanks a lot for everything,
~nicola
100% Pure New Zealand Beef
16.
Naples 2000
Somehow Max and Liz’s lives were thrown completely off track. When they should have been celebrating their new relationship and enjoying the bliss of being together they were thrown into hell. Literally.
Jeff parker was a money hungry bastard and would do anything for the stability it could give. Everything—including kidnap his daughter and her new—wealthy—boyfriend. In an abandoned church on the top of a cliff at the bottom of Germany, Max and Liz were held prisoner while Jeff demanded ransom from their poor, unsuspecting parents.
Because their lives now undeniably revolved solely around each other they slowly drove each other insane while falling deeply in love at the same time. There was nothing to do but talk and think which they did a lot of, and on some occasions they gave into sexual frustration—each time worried that a baby would come of it because there was no protection available.
After what seemed like a million days of being bored and claustrophobic they finally escaped through a hole in the wall which they had made with eating utensils. The next few days were spent making their way, very discreetly, down the cliff and sleeping under the stars with nothing but each other for comfort and warmth.
Sometimes they argued and sometimes they couldn’t get enough of each other—either way they were irrefutably stuck together.
When they reached the closest little town they couldn’t do anything because of their lack of money. They were then told that the police station wasn’t even within walking distance. It was in the next city and while walking down the motorway they came across a small pub that was having a talent contest. Max took a lot of persuading but in the end Liz managed to get him to enter in the talent contest with her and he sang while she played the guitar. The came in third—winning two hundred dollars—which they promptly used to pay for some food, a phone call and a room to sleep in for the night.
Liz got in touch with her mom and told her all about what happened. Nancy then she said she’d be on the next flight there to pick them up. They would have stayed there until she arrived if only Jeff hadn’t found them and they had to run for it.
They were on their way again, walking along the motorway with Liz grumbling and groaning the whole time. In the end she stuck out her thumb to hitch hike a ride, which Max deeply opposed off until a Ute arrived.
…………………..
Naples 2004
“Are you okay?”
Liz looked up from where she was standing on the balcony and found Max watching her in the doorway. She nodded silently and then turned back to look out over the beach once more. The moon was shinning on the water and it was absolutely beautiful to her.
“It’s cold,” he commented. “You should have a jacket on, love.”
Her arms were wrapped around herself to prevent the breeze from attacking her too harshly. “I’m alright,” she said was a shrug. “I just can’t sleep—as you can imagine.”
“Hmm…” he stepped out into the night and wrapped his arms around her. “It’s been three days Liz.”
“I know,” she nodded. “But I can’t seem to forget just yet, I feel such…I don’t know, regret.”
“I do too,” he said.
They stood in silence, hugging tightly and then Liz let out a loud breath and said, “I don’t know if I want to have another child Max. I don’t think I can and it’s not just because we lost this one, but the whole pregnancy and then the giving birth, not to mention the first year of getting up during the night—I’m just not sure I can do it all again. It’s too tiring.”
He swallowed, “Shh, it’s alright. We don’t have to talk about this now.”
She looked up at him. “I’m serious Max. I know you might want another but—”
“I want what you want,” he smiled. “And if you say that you aren’t happy with going through it all again, then that’s fine. It’s not like I’m going to make you.”
Her face showed her utter admiration. “I love you.”
“I love you. Now come in out of the cold.”
“Not yet,” she sighed. “Max, you know what I absolutely love? I’m sure it’s quite strange but to me it’s lovely…”
“Yeah, what is it?”
“When I have bare feet and Nat or Alex stand on top of them with their bare feet,” she chuckled. “I like to see how little their toes are in comparison to mine.”
“Okay.” He didn’t understand but could see it meant a lot to her.
“And you know, I forgot to tell you but do you remember the other night when we were on the beach and I went and sat in the water with Alexander?”
“Hmmm…” he nodded.
“Well you know how if you look down the beach to the left there’s that cliff? Well, it was so dark that you couldn’t even see that but you could see the lights of the houses on it and Alexander said, “Look mom, there’s houses in the sky.” I thought it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.” Suddenly Liz started to cry softly. “I think he’s going to be an artist Max.”
He held her tighter to him and kissed the top of her head. “Shhh, it’s going to be okay babe. Shhhh.”
………………..
Naples 2018
“Max, I’m going to put Natalie on the pill.”
She couldn’t keep it from him any longer, it just wouldn’t be right. She braced herself for his angry reply and sure enough, it soon came, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I’m not, it’s the right time.”
They were sitting on the couch together late one evening and the fire was blazing in front of them. “I’m not going to talk about this,” Max simply decided. “I’m just going to pretend you did not just say that.”
“Max,” Liz said sternly. “Come on. You know she’s far from stupid and if she says she’s ready then she’s ready.”
“I’m not talking about this.”
Unhappily, Liz slumped back onto the couch and let out a loud huff. “Fine, well I refuse to talk to you about anything else.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
They were silent for around twenty minutes when Liz couldn’t take it anymore and slapped down her magazine. “I’m going to bed, I cannot stand your incorrigible company another second.”
Max didn’t even reply, just continued reading the answers book for tomorrows exam. Liz stared at him dumbfounded, unable to believe that he could be that stubborn. “I thought you were going to bed?” he finally asked when she didn’t move.
“Grr!” she pulled the cushion she was sitting on out from underneath her and then started whacking it against his head with all her might. He grabbed it and wrestled it out of her hands but she was tough and angry so he had to hold her down with his thigh and yank it from her.
Then he grinned down at her. “What’s your problem?”
“Max, you need to talk to me about this. I am your wife and you are my husband.”
He continued to hold her down. “So?”
“Max.”
Finally he groaned and sat up. “What do you want me to say? I personally don’t believe she’s old enough to be having sex, but what would I know, right?”
“We can’t stop her from doing it, but we can make sure that she’s safe,” Liz said. Her hair was all messy so she quickly brushed it down with her hands. “I don’t like the idea of her having sex as much as you but we have to be practical about this.”
He then shocked her by saying, “Okay.”
Her eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
“You’re right—we can’t stop her because we’ve done it ourselves. We should be glad that she waited this long. I know of people, who were thirteen, fourteen…”
Liz sighed. “I know.”
“I’m her father and I don’t want her to and I’ll let her know that but it’s her choice.” It sounded to Liz that he was trying hard to convince himself of that as much as her. “I wish you hadn’t told me. There are some things that you can just keep to yourself.”
“Like you do, you mean?”
Max wasn’t so cheerful all of a sudden. “What are you talking about?” he asked bitterly.
She shrugged and picked up her magazine once more. “Nothing.”
“No.” He slapped the pages closed. “What are you talking about?”
She reopened it and said defiantly, “nothing.”
He had to yank it from her hands and throw it across the room to get her to take him seriously. “Liz, what the fuck…?”
“Oh great, so you’re going to start swearing now?”
With gritted teeth he mumbled under his breath in angry Italian, “ L'inferno di Fucking, non dovrei sopportare questo shit.”
Liz gasped. “Max! Don’t speak to me like that!”
He chucked his book on the floor and sat up straight. “What have I done wrong now?”
“I think you know. You can’t even talk to me about your father when we’ve been married for nearly twenty years. You’d think I’d have earned that by now but you’re just as stubborn as ever.”
“Earned it?” he spat out. “So being married to me is a burden?”
She swallowed and calmed herself down. “No, Max of course it’s not. That’s not what I meant.”
“Why do you keep pushing this Liz?”
With all the tenderness she could muster she hugged him and said, “Because even though you feel the need to pretend I don’t, I do know you better then you know yourself. I don’t want you beating yourself up over your father’s death.”
He pulled out of her embrace and said quietly, “I’m not.”
“Please Max,” she begged. “I can’t take you lying. How can you still feel the need to have silly pride when you’re with me?”
Max was silent for a long moment. “The only thing,” he finally said, “that is plaguing me about my father’s death is that he left us inheritance. Why would he do that unless…?”
“Unless he regretted everything that happened between you?”
He nodded.
“Oh Max,” she looked at him sympathetically and lovingly. “The money was just his way of telling you that despite everything, he loved you and you were his only son. That what you were doing meant something to him. Your mom wasn’t the only one who wanted you to go home from Italy.”
“I can’t listen to this,” he said painfully.
She stroked his fingers and palms tenderly. “It’ll feel better if you just admit that you loved him.”
“No it won’t.”
“It’s just me,” she spoke softly. “Me, Liz. No ones around, no one can hear you.”
He looked at the fire, anywhere but at her. “I may…” he swallowed. “Regret that we never fixed our problems. But he was just so cold and never tried. I don’t think it’s fair that it was my responsibility to do it when he was supposed to be looking after me.”
“Philip didn’t know how,” Liz said. “That’s neither of your faults.”
“He didn’t even try,” Max’s voice cracked.
She kissed his hands. “It’s okay love.”
“Hmm…” he nodded. “Liz, I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“Okay.” She wasn’t going to push him any further, he’d said what she’d suspected and that was enough. “But don’t close of to me anymore about it. I’m here for you to talk to.”
He nodded and then changed the subject. “There is one thing I need to bring to your attention,” he said. “I know we said that we don’t want to tell the kids about the money but I don’t want to keep working and I don’t think I should have to.”
“Alright.” She said. “That’s fair.”
“Good.”
Suddenly a smile broke out on his face and he pulled her to him, placing kisses all over her lips and cheeks. “There’s one more thing…”
She looked at him surprised. “Max…what else…?”
“I want to make love to you,” he grinned and started undoing her shirt. “And then tomorrow I want to go out and spend some money.”
“Oh!” she chuckled. “Alright if you want.”
He was just undoing her pants when they heard shuffling. Max flung up in shock and cried, “We weren’t doing anything!”
Alexander pursed his lips in disgust. “Bbbbblurrrrrrrrrrkkkkkkkkkkkk! Ew, were you guys having sex?”
Liz held her shirt together. “No!” she cried.
“Yuck! I’ll never get up for a glass of water in the night, ever again.”
Max laughed and threw a cushion at him. “Oh shut up!”
~*~
See?! I'm going to update more frequently now! lol! Thanks so much, I especially loved your feedback for the last part. You're all so good to me
~nicola
Naples 2000
Somehow Max and Liz’s lives were thrown completely off track. When they should have been celebrating their new relationship and enjoying the bliss of being together they were thrown into hell. Literally.
Jeff parker was a money hungry bastard and would do anything for the stability it could give. Everything—including kidnap his daughter and her new—wealthy—boyfriend. In an abandoned church on the top of a cliff at the bottom of Germany, Max and Liz were held prisoner while Jeff demanded ransom from their poor, unsuspecting parents.
Because their lives now undeniably revolved solely around each other they slowly drove each other insane while falling deeply in love at the same time. There was nothing to do but talk and think which they did a lot of, and on some occasions they gave into sexual frustration—each time worried that a baby would come of it because there was no protection available.
After what seemed like a million days of being bored and claustrophobic they finally escaped through a hole in the wall which they had made with eating utensils. The next few days were spent making their way, very discreetly, down the cliff and sleeping under the stars with nothing but each other for comfort and warmth.
Sometimes they argued and sometimes they couldn’t get enough of each other—either way they were irrefutably stuck together.
When they reached the closest little town they couldn’t do anything because of their lack of money. They were then told that the police station wasn’t even within walking distance. It was in the next city and while walking down the motorway they came across a small pub that was having a talent contest. Max took a lot of persuading but in the end Liz managed to get him to enter in the talent contest with her and he sang while she played the guitar. The came in third—winning two hundred dollars—which they promptly used to pay for some food, a phone call and a room to sleep in for the night.
Liz got in touch with her mom and told her all about what happened. Nancy then she said she’d be on the next flight there to pick them up. They would have stayed there until she arrived if only Jeff hadn’t found them and they had to run for it.
They were on their way again, walking along the motorway with Liz grumbling and groaning the whole time. In the end she stuck out her thumb to hitch hike a ride, which Max deeply opposed off until a Ute arrived.
…………………..
Naples 2004
“Are you okay?”
Liz looked up from where she was standing on the balcony and found Max watching her in the doorway. She nodded silently and then turned back to look out over the beach once more. The moon was shinning on the water and it was absolutely beautiful to her.
“It’s cold,” he commented. “You should have a jacket on, love.”
Her arms were wrapped around herself to prevent the breeze from attacking her too harshly. “I’m alright,” she said was a shrug. “I just can’t sleep—as you can imagine.”
“Hmm…” he stepped out into the night and wrapped his arms around her. “It’s been three days Liz.”
“I know,” she nodded. “But I can’t seem to forget just yet, I feel such…I don’t know, regret.”
“I do too,” he said.
They stood in silence, hugging tightly and then Liz let out a loud breath and said, “I don’t know if I want to have another child Max. I don’t think I can and it’s not just because we lost this one, but the whole pregnancy and then the giving birth, not to mention the first year of getting up during the night—I’m just not sure I can do it all again. It’s too tiring.”
He swallowed, “Shh, it’s alright. We don’t have to talk about this now.”
She looked up at him. “I’m serious Max. I know you might want another but—”
“I want what you want,” he smiled. “And if you say that you aren’t happy with going through it all again, then that’s fine. It’s not like I’m going to make you.”
Her face showed her utter admiration. “I love you.”
“I love you. Now come in out of the cold.”
“Not yet,” she sighed. “Max, you know what I absolutely love? I’m sure it’s quite strange but to me it’s lovely…”
“Yeah, what is it?”
“When I have bare feet and Nat or Alex stand on top of them with their bare feet,” she chuckled. “I like to see how little their toes are in comparison to mine.”
“Okay.” He didn’t understand but could see it meant a lot to her.
“And you know, I forgot to tell you but do you remember the other night when we were on the beach and I went and sat in the water with Alexander?”
“Hmmm…” he nodded.
“Well you know how if you look down the beach to the left there’s that cliff? Well, it was so dark that you couldn’t even see that but you could see the lights of the houses on it and Alexander said, “Look mom, there’s houses in the sky.” I thought it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.” Suddenly Liz started to cry softly. “I think he’s going to be an artist Max.”
He held her tighter to him and kissed the top of her head. “Shhh, it’s going to be okay babe. Shhhh.”
………………..
Naples 2018
“Max, I’m going to put Natalie on the pill.”
She couldn’t keep it from him any longer, it just wouldn’t be right. She braced herself for his angry reply and sure enough, it soon came, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I’m not, it’s the right time.”
They were sitting on the couch together late one evening and the fire was blazing in front of them. “I’m not going to talk about this,” Max simply decided. “I’m just going to pretend you did not just say that.”
“Max,” Liz said sternly. “Come on. You know she’s far from stupid and if she says she’s ready then she’s ready.”
“I’m not talking about this.”
Unhappily, Liz slumped back onto the couch and let out a loud huff. “Fine, well I refuse to talk to you about anything else.”
“Fine.”
“Fine.”
They were silent for around twenty minutes when Liz couldn’t take it anymore and slapped down her magazine. “I’m going to bed, I cannot stand your incorrigible company another second.”
Max didn’t even reply, just continued reading the answers book for tomorrows exam. Liz stared at him dumbfounded, unable to believe that he could be that stubborn. “I thought you were going to bed?” he finally asked when she didn’t move.
“Grr!” she pulled the cushion she was sitting on out from underneath her and then started whacking it against his head with all her might. He grabbed it and wrestled it out of her hands but she was tough and angry so he had to hold her down with his thigh and yank it from her.
Then he grinned down at her. “What’s your problem?”
“Max, you need to talk to me about this. I am your wife and you are my husband.”
He continued to hold her down. “So?”
“Max.”
Finally he groaned and sat up. “What do you want me to say? I personally don’t believe she’s old enough to be having sex, but what would I know, right?”
“We can’t stop her from doing it, but we can make sure that she’s safe,” Liz said. Her hair was all messy so she quickly brushed it down with her hands. “I don’t like the idea of her having sex as much as you but we have to be practical about this.”
He then shocked her by saying, “Okay.”
Her eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
“You’re right—we can’t stop her because we’ve done it ourselves. We should be glad that she waited this long. I know of people, who were thirteen, fourteen…”
Liz sighed. “I know.”
“I’m her father and I don’t want her to and I’ll let her know that but it’s her choice.” It sounded to Liz that he was trying hard to convince himself of that as much as her. “I wish you hadn’t told me. There are some things that you can just keep to yourself.”
“Like you do, you mean?”
Max wasn’t so cheerful all of a sudden. “What are you talking about?” he asked bitterly.
She shrugged and picked up her magazine once more. “Nothing.”
“No.” He slapped the pages closed. “What are you talking about?”
She reopened it and said defiantly, “nothing.”
He had to yank it from her hands and throw it across the room to get her to take him seriously. “Liz, what the fuck…?”
“Oh great, so you’re going to start swearing now?”
With gritted teeth he mumbled under his breath in angry Italian, “ L'inferno di Fucking, non dovrei sopportare questo shit.”
Liz gasped. “Max! Don’t speak to me like that!”
He chucked his book on the floor and sat up straight. “What have I done wrong now?”
“I think you know. You can’t even talk to me about your father when we’ve been married for nearly twenty years. You’d think I’d have earned that by now but you’re just as stubborn as ever.”
“Earned it?” he spat out. “So being married to me is a burden?”
She swallowed and calmed herself down. “No, Max of course it’s not. That’s not what I meant.”
“Why do you keep pushing this Liz?”
With all the tenderness she could muster she hugged him and said, “Because even though you feel the need to pretend I don’t, I do know you better then you know yourself. I don’t want you beating yourself up over your father’s death.”
He pulled out of her embrace and said quietly, “I’m not.”
“Please Max,” she begged. “I can’t take you lying. How can you still feel the need to have silly pride when you’re with me?”
Max was silent for a long moment. “The only thing,” he finally said, “that is plaguing me about my father’s death is that he left us inheritance. Why would he do that unless…?”
“Unless he regretted everything that happened between you?”
He nodded.
“Oh Max,” she looked at him sympathetically and lovingly. “The money was just his way of telling you that despite everything, he loved you and you were his only son. That what you were doing meant something to him. Your mom wasn’t the only one who wanted you to go home from Italy.”
“I can’t listen to this,” he said painfully.
She stroked his fingers and palms tenderly. “It’ll feel better if you just admit that you loved him.”
“No it won’t.”
“It’s just me,” she spoke softly. “Me, Liz. No ones around, no one can hear you.”
He looked at the fire, anywhere but at her. “I may…” he swallowed. “Regret that we never fixed our problems. But he was just so cold and never tried. I don’t think it’s fair that it was my responsibility to do it when he was supposed to be looking after me.”
“Philip didn’t know how,” Liz said. “That’s neither of your faults.”
“He didn’t even try,” Max’s voice cracked.
She kissed his hands. “It’s okay love.”
“Hmm…” he nodded. “Liz, I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“Okay.” She wasn’t going to push him any further, he’d said what she’d suspected and that was enough. “But don’t close of to me anymore about it. I’m here for you to talk to.”
He nodded and then changed the subject. “There is one thing I need to bring to your attention,” he said. “I know we said that we don’t want to tell the kids about the money but I don’t want to keep working and I don’t think I should have to.”
“Alright.” She said. “That’s fair.”
“Good.”
Suddenly a smile broke out on his face and he pulled her to him, placing kisses all over her lips and cheeks. “There’s one more thing…”
She looked at him surprised. “Max…what else…?”
“I want to make love to you,” he grinned and started undoing her shirt. “And then tomorrow I want to go out and spend some money.”
“Oh!” she chuckled. “Alright if you want.”
He was just undoing her pants when they heard shuffling. Max flung up in shock and cried, “We weren’t doing anything!”
Alexander pursed his lips in disgust. “Bbbbblurrrrrrrrrrkkkkkkkkkkkk! Ew, were you guys having sex?”
Liz held her shirt together. “No!” she cried.
“Yuck! I’ll never get up for a glass of water in the night, ever again.”
Max laughed and threw a cushion at him. “Oh shut up!”
~*~
See?! I'm going to update more frequently now! lol! Thanks so much, I especially loved your feedback for the last part. You're all so good to me
~nicola
100% Pure New Zealand Beef
17.
Naples 2018
“I can’t believe how lucky you two are,” Maria said while sipping her coffee. “You should be taken outside and shot.”
Liz looked across the table at her and smiled. “Max and I have decided to buy you a car.”
Max was leaning against the kitchen cabinets and when he saw his friend’s response he laughed. She sat their breathless for a moment and then cried, “No! I can’t take a car off you two. That’s a horrible idea.”
“Nonsense,” Max said. “We’re rolling in money, it would be our pleasure. And anyway you’re bound to kill yourself one day in that piece of junk you drive around in now.”
“No way,” Maria shook her head. “That’s too much.”
Suddenly Diane came into the room, still in her pajamas and robe. “Good morning,” she said.
“Morning mom,” Max kissed her cheek. “You remember Maria right?”
“From a long time ago,” Diane replied. “How are you Maria? You’re looking good dear.”
“Thanks Mrs. Evans, so are you. I’m sorry about your husband.”
Diane mumbled thank you and Liz got up from her chair and cleared away the breakfast dishes. “Can I make you some tea Diane?”
“Yes please love, thank you. Where are the kids?”
Liz switched on the kettle and then leaned against the bench next to Max. “Umm…Natalie’s on the computer in the study, Alexander’s drawing in his room and Thomas is watching a movie on our bed.”
“They are such wonderful kids, I absolutely love them,” Diane sat down and cut up a piece of fruit. “So what do we have planned for today? Max, do you not have work?”
“Not on a Saturday I don’t,” he smiled. “We’re all going into town to spend some money.”
“And get groceries,” Liz reminded him.
“So is most of the money in shares and so on?” Maria asked.
Max shook his head, “Actually, Isabel and Kyle in charge of all that because they’re the business brains.”
“Marie, you’re coming shopping too?” Diane asked.
“Yes she is,” Liz told her. “But she won’t let us spoil her for some reason.”
“Oh go on,” Diane patted Maria’s hand. “Not everyone is as lucky to have millionaire friends.”
Liz handed her the tea and then remained standing next to Max with his arm around her waist. “We want to get her a car, when you see her one outside you’ll understand why.”
Diane chuckled.
Thomas came into the crowded kitchen then and asked when they were leaving. “In about an hour,” Max told him. “Tell the other two to start getting ready if you like.”
He picked up a piece of fruit out off the table and then left again.
“I need to have a shower,” Liz yawned. “Max why don’t you show Maria that catalogue we were looking through. You remember that one I picked out for her?”
“Yeah.”
When they finally left the house, Maria took Natalie and Diane in her car and everyone else went in the jeep.
At the shopping centre Maria went off with Natalie, Alexander and Thomas disappeared and Diane went for a walk and Max and Liz were left alone. They sat down on a bench and looked around expectantly. “Are we alone?”
“Yes, shocking isn’t it?” Liz smiled and took his hands in hers.
“What can I buy you my love?”
She shrugged. “I thought I’d think of something when I got here but I can’t. What can I buy you?”
He shrugged too. “I can’t think. I’m happy with making you happy.”
They chuckled together. All this money and they didn’t want anything.
“It was your idea to come here. Maybe if we walk we will see something,” Liz stood up and they headed off hand in hand.
When they were approaching the jewelry store Max paused and said, “Now, I know there must be something in here that you want…”
She thought about it, considering the possibilities and then sighed, “Nope.”
“Drat.”
Half an hour passed and they hadn’t spent a cent. Although, as they passed the travel agency Max stopped and stared in the window. “What is it?” Liz smiled.
“This,” he replied. “I think this is what I want.”
She rested her head on his shoulder and peered in. “Anywhere in particular?”
“The sign on the window looks mighty good,” he chuckled.
Liz read the print and looked at the picture. “You want to go on a Mediterranean cruise? As in, a ship?”
Max cleared his throat. “It’s not a ship; it’s a luxury liner with bars, swimming pools and cinemas. And, privacy.”
She opened her mouth to say something and a simple ‘oh’ came out instead.
He turned to face her and wrapped his arms around her waist so she was pressed against him. “As in we’d get two weeks of no children, no cooking, no cleaning, no worrying…just relaxation, sunlight, and being in love.”
She snorted. “It sounds too good to be true.”
He kissed her lips softly and paused, wanting to elongate the feeling. “Let’s go buy tickets…”
She pulled away. “What? Right now?”
“Hand me the phone for a moment.”
Max dialed a number and then smiled when Maria picked up. “Maria dear, will you look after the kids for two weeks next year at the end of May?”
“Sure thing babe, as long as I get to sleep in your bed.”
“Of course.”
When he hung up, he took Liz’s hand and led her inside the store.
……
Naples 2004
Max tapped his fingers against his desk silently and glanced at his watch for the one hundredth time. When would it hurry up and be the end of the lecture? His pupils were pretty quiet, working away on the work he’d assigned them so they didn’t notice his extreme discomfort.
He let out a loud breath and resisted the urge to bang his head down roughly on the tabletop. He was so horny! And not the kind that you can just ignore and go on smiling as if nothings niggling at you—the kind where if you don’t orgasm in two seconds you are going to burst!
Thank God he could go home after this. It was his last lecture for the day and even though he did have a few things he needed to work on in his office—they would just have to wait. A loud grunt escaped him and shot to his feet. “That’s it for today! Everyone go home, early.”
No one questioned him; they just glanced up, shrugged and started to gather their things. Most left quickly but, to his horror, a couple of students lingered behind to ask him questions. He answered them gruffly with sweat dripping down his temples and then shoved on his coat and went racing towards his car.
At home Liz was sitting on the floor in the lounge with Alexander. They were playing with some colored blocks that he accidentally knocked over when he picked up his son. He headed directly to the bedroom without saying one word of greeting.
“Buddy, you’re going to take a little nap okay?” he said and then lay him down on the bed and tucked him in.
“I not tired.”
“Yeah you are,” Max nodded and then kissed his forehead. “It’s past your nap time.”
“Bu—”
“Night, night, but only for a little while—I love you.”
Max shut the door after him and then headed back into the lounge where he found Liz just getting up off the floor. She looked at him and opened her mouth to ask what he was doing when his lips swooped down on hers and his arms clasped around her waist.
“Ah…oh,” Liz mumbled. “Max, what’s gotten into you?”
His fingers clenched and his hips grinded roughly against hers. “I’m a bad father aren’t I? Oh God, right now I just don’t care. I need to fuck.”
Liz gasped quietly but didn’t protest when he lifted her off her feet and carried her to their room. He put her down on the bed and pulled at her linen pants and underwear while she stared at him dumbfounded, shocked and unsure whether or not to say something.
“Fuck…” he hissed between gritted teeth and then finally got his pants off. “Jesus. Oh God.”
“Max…?”
He pressed his bare arousal up against her bare heat and rubbed gently, hoping to make her wet. It didn’t happen fast enough so after crawling up to their bedside cabinet, he spread some lubricant all over her and him, and then dived in furiously. The whole thing had taken less then two minutes and they were both breathless before he even started!
“Ah…” Liz mumbled.
His movements were fast and furious. They were both still dressed hips upwards so sweat prickled under their shirts but Max didn’t notice, or care. He thrust inwards repeatedly before letting out a loud moan and climaxing quickly.
Liz lay there dead still, looking up at his very relieved face and fought the urge to laugh. “Ah…Max…?”
Finally he caught his breath. “Hi, how was your day?”
“Pffttt…” she ran her hand through her hair. “It was…you know, okay. What’s going on?”
He pulled out of her and put his pants on, followed by hers. “I was just about ready to burst…that’s all.”
“I can tell, two minute man,” she teased. “I was just about to start enjoying it and then…poop and gone.”
“Please don’t ever use the word poop after we’ve had sex,” he groaned.
She laughed. “Sorry.”
“Let me finish what I started…” he reached inside her underwear and rubbed erotically until she let out a loud moan and slumped back in satisfaction. “Better?”
She cupped his cheeks and kissed him. “Much. Thank you. Now can I go and check on my son?”
“Please do.”
………………….
Garmisch-Partenkirchen 2000
It was on the day that Nancy was flying to get them that Max finally told Liz about what had happened with Angie. She was very supportive and even loved him more for it.
They managed to get to the airport without being found by Jeff and his goons and Nancy filled them full of food at a local restaurant. Afterwards they separated at a hotel so Liz could talk with her mother and Max could go and bathe. “I love him,” she announced, “So much and I don’t care about his reputation.”
Her mom wasn’t one hundred percent convinced that their union was a good thing but she was supportive nevertheless. Eventually Liz went and joined Max in his room and they made love while thinking agonizingly about the fact that very soon they would be separated.
Max didn’t plan to chase her to New York, even though his feelings for her were so strong.
It was when they were lying in bed together that the most unexpected thing happed and Jeff barged in, ready and willing to take them hostage again. Luckily Nancy and the police came and he was put away so he couldn’t bother them again.
Then came the sad departure. It was very early in the morning and Liz was convinced that it would be over between her and Max now. She had to go back to New York, her whole life was waiting for her there, and he had to go back to Italy—he was convinced that’s where he was supposed to be.
In the end they said a tearful goodbye and went their separate ways, feeling a terrible rip in their hearts and an agonizing burn in their stomachs. Neither of them were sure if they’d see the other again.
~*~
AHHHH it's a new part! Shocking! You'd never have guessed!
hope you liked it, thanks for your support,
love and hugs, nicola
Naples 2018
“I can’t believe how lucky you two are,” Maria said while sipping her coffee. “You should be taken outside and shot.”
Liz looked across the table at her and smiled. “Max and I have decided to buy you a car.”
Max was leaning against the kitchen cabinets and when he saw his friend’s response he laughed. She sat their breathless for a moment and then cried, “No! I can’t take a car off you two. That’s a horrible idea.”
“Nonsense,” Max said. “We’re rolling in money, it would be our pleasure. And anyway you’re bound to kill yourself one day in that piece of junk you drive around in now.”
“No way,” Maria shook her head. “That’s too much.”
Suddenly Diane came into the room, still in her pajamas and robe. “Good morning,” she said.
“Morning mom,” Max kissed her cheek. “You remember Maria right?”
“From a long time ago,” Diane replied. “How are you Maria? You’re looking good dear.”
“Thanks Mrs. Evans, so are you. I’m sorry about your husband.”
Diane mumbled thank you and Liz got up from her chair and cleared away the breakfast dishes. “Can I make you some tea Diane?”
“Yes please love, thank you. Where are the kids?”
Liz switched on the kettle and then leaned against the bench next to Max. “Umm…Natalie’s on the computer in the study, Alexander’s drawing in his room and Thomas is watching a movie on our bed.”
“They are such wonderful kids, I absolutely love them,” Diane sat down and cut up a piece of fruit. “So what do we have planned for today? Max, do you not have work?”
“Not on a Saturday I don’t,” he smiled. “We’re all going into town to spend some money.”
“And get groceries,” Liz reminded him.
“So is most of the money in shares and so on?” Maria asked.
Max shook his head, “Actually, Isabel and Kyle in charge of all that because they’re the business brains.”
“Marie, you’re coming shopping too?” Diane asked.
“Yes she is,” Liz told her. “But she won’t let us spoil her for some reason.”
“Oh go on,” Diane patted Maria’s hand. “Not everyone is as lucky to have millionaire friends.”
Liz handed her the tea and then remained standing next to Max with his arm around her waist. “We want to get her a car, when you see her one outside you’ll understand why.”
Diane chuckled.
Thomas came into the crowded kitchen then and asked when they were leaving. “In about an hour,” Max told him. “Tell the other two to start getting ready if you like.”
He picked up a piece of fruit out off the table and then left again.
“I need to have a shower,” Liz yawned. “Max why don’t you show Maria that catalogue we were looking through. You remember that one I picked out for her?”
“Yeah.”
When they finally left the house, Maria took Natalie and Diane in her car and everyone else went in the jeep.
At the shopping centre Maria went off with Natalie, Alexander and Thomas disappeared and Diane went for a walk and Max and Liz were left alone. They sat down on a bench and looked around expectantly. “Are we alone?”
“Yes, shocking isn’t it?” Liz smiled and took his hands in hers.
“What can I buy you my love?”
She shrugged. “I thought I’d think of something when I got here but I can’t. What can I buy you?”
He shrugged too. “I can’t think. I’m happy with making you happy.”
They chuckled together. All this money and they didn’t want anything.
“It was your idea to come here. Maybe if we walk we will see something,” Liz stood up and they headed off hand in hand.
When they were approaching the jewelry store Max paused and said, “Now, I know there must be something in here that you want…”
She thought about it, considering the possibilities and then sighed, “Nope.”
“Drat.”
Half an hour passed and they hadn’t spent a cent. Although, as they passed the travel agency Max stopped and stared in the window. “What is it?” Liz smiled.
“This,” he replied. “I think this is what I want.”
She rested her head on his shoulder and peered in. “Anywhere in particular?”
“The sign on the window looks mighty good,” he chuckled.
Liz read the print and looked at the picture. “You want to go on a Mediterranean cruise? As in, a ship?”
Max cleared his throat. “It’s not a ship; it’s a luxury liner with bars, swimming pools and cinemas. And, privacy.”
She opened her mouth to say something and a simple ‘oh’ came out instead.
He turned to face her and wrapped his arms around her waist so she was pressed against him. “As in we’d get two weeks of no children, no cooking, no cleaning, no worrying…just relaxation, sunlight, and being in love.”
She snorted. “It sounds too good to be true.”
He kissed her lips softly and paused, wanting to elongate the feeling. “Let’s go buy tickets…”
She pulled away. “What? Right now?”
“Hand me the phone for a moment.”
Max dialed a number and then smiled when Maria picked up. “Maria dear, will you look after the kids for two weeks next year at the end of May?”
“Sure thing babe, as long as I get to sleep in your bed.”
“Of course.”
When he hung up, he took Liz’s hand and led her inside the store.
……
Naples 2004
Max tapped his fingers against his desk silently and glanced at his watch for the one hundredth time. When would it hurry up and be the end of the lecture? His pupils were pretty quiet, working away on the work he’d assigned them so they didn’t notice his extreme discomfort.
He let out a loud breath and resisted the urge to bang his head down roughly on the tabletop. He was so horny! And not the kind that you can just ignore and go on smiling as if nothings niggling at you—the kind where if you don’t orgasm in two seconds you are going to burst!
Thank God he could go home after this. It was his last lecture for the day and even though he did have a few things he needed to work on in his office—they would just have to wait. A loud grunt escaped him and shot to his feet. “That’s it for today! Everyone go home, early.”
No one questioned him; they just glanced up, shrugged and started to gather their things. Most left quickly but, to his horror, a couple of students lingered behind to ask him questions. He answered them gruffly with sweat dripping down his temples and then shoved on his coat and went racing towards his car.
At home Liz was sitting on the floor in the lounge with Alexander. They were playing with some colored blocks that he accidentally knocked over when he picked up his son. He headed directly to the bedroom without saying one word of greeting.
“Buddy, you’re going to take a little nap okay?” he said and then lay him down on the bed and tucked him in.
“I not tired.”
“Yeah you are,” Max nodded and then kissed his forehead. “It’s past your nap time.”
“Bu—”
“Night, night, but only for a little while—I love you.”
Max shut the door after him and then headed back into the lounge where he found Liz just getting up off the floor. She looked at him and opened her mouth to ask what he was doing when his lips swooped down on hers and his arms clasped around her waist.
“Ah…oh,” Liz mumbled. “Max, what’s gotten into you?”
His fingers clenched and his hips grinded roughly against hers. “I’m a bad father aren’t I? Oh God, right now I just don’t care. I need to fuck.”
Liz gasped quietly but didn’t protest when he lifted her off her feet and carried her to their room. He put her down on the bed and pulled at her linen pants and underwear while she stared at him dumbfounded, shocked and unsure whether or not to say something.
“Fuck…” he hissed between gritted teeth and then finally got his pants off. “Jesus. Oh God.”
“Max…?”
He pressed his bare arousal up against her bare heat and rubbed gently, hoping to make her wet. It didn’t happen fast enough so after crawling up to their bedside cabinet, he spread some lubricant all over her and him, and then dived in furiously. The whole thing had taken less then two minutes and they were both breathless before he even started!
“Ah…” Liz mumbled.
His movements were fast and furious. They were both still dressed hips upwards so sweat prickled under their shirts but Max didn’t notice, or care. He thrust inwards repeatedly before letting out a loud moan and climaxing quickly.
Liz lay there dead still, looking up at his very relieved face and fought the urge to laugh. “Ah…Max…?”
Finally he caught his breath. “Hi, how was your day?”
“Pffttt…” she ran her hand through her hair. “It was…you know, okay. What’s going on?”
He pulled out of her and put his pants on, followed by hers. “I was just about ready to burst…that’s all.”
“I can tell, two minute man,” she teased. “I was just about to start enjoying it and then…poop and gone.”
“Please don’t ever use the word poop after we’ve had sex,” he groaned.
She laughed. “Sorry.”
“Let me finish what I started…” he reached inside her underwear and rubbed erotically until she let out a loud moan and slumped back in satisfaction. “Better?”
She cupped his cheeks and kissed him. “Much. Thank you. Now can I go and check on my son?”
“Please do.”
………………….
Garmisch-Partenkirchen 2000
It was on the day that Nancy was flying to get them that Max finally told Liz about what had happened with Angie. She was very supportive and even loved him more for it.
They managed to get to the airport without being found by Jeff and his goons and Nancy filled them full of food at a local restaurant. Afterwards they separated at a hotel so Liz could talk with her mother and Max could go and bathe. “I love him,” she announced, “So much and I don’t care about his reputation.”
Her mom wasn’t one hundred percent convinced that their union was a good thing but she was supportive nevertheless. Eventually Liz went and joined Max in his room and they made love while thinking agonizingly about the fact that very soon they would be separated.
Max didn’t plan to chase her to New York, even though his feelings for her were so strong.
It was when they were lying in bed together that the most unexpected thing happed and Jeff barged in, ready and willing to take them hostage again. Luckily Nancy and the police came and he was put away so he couldn’t bother them again.
Then came the sad departure. It was very early in the morning and Liz was convinced that it would be over between her and Max now. She had to go back to New York, her whole life was waiting for her there, and he had to go back to Italy—he was convinced that’s where he was supposed to be.
In the end they said a tearful goodbye and went their separate ways, feeling a terrible rip in their hearts and an agonizing burn in their stomachs. Neither of them were sure if they’d see the other again.
~*~
AHHHH it's a new part! Shocking! You'd never have guessed!
hope you liked it, thanks for your support,
love and hugs, nicola
100% Pure New Zealand Beef
Eighteen.
Naples 2004
Liz had had a hellish afternoon. One of her friends from New York had stopped in while on holiday with her sister. At first they’d gone into town to have some lunch and look around and then they’d headed back to the house.
Liz began to wonder just what she’d seen in Renee as a friend. It became increasingly obvious that she was just plain rude and very self-centred. They had been walking down the street and a woman about their age was standing with her boy friend or husband and she smiled at Liz and said hello to be friendly.
They had never met before but Renee didn’t know that. That didn’t keep her from saying smugly, “Oh did you see that? She only said hello to you because you’re not competition.”
Liz had been incredibly hurt. Especially since she knew that her ‘not being competition’ had nothing to do with her being married.
“When did I stop being attractive Renee?” she asked, “After my first child or my second?”
Renee just giggled, waving her hand in dismissal of the question. “Oh well, you know what I mean!”
Liz didn’t know what she meant.
When they got to the house Max was there, sitting on the lounge floor playing with Natalie and Alexander. It was very hot so all of them were dressed in nothing but little shorts and their dark heads were bent over a large pile of multi-coloured Lego. It was a beautiful sight for Liz.
After Max had stood up to shake Renee’s hand and ask her how she was Liz quietly suggested he go and put a shirt on ‘please’. Although part of her took pride in the glances Renee was directing at him, a bigger part of her was annoyed.
It wasn’t until Renee was taking a seat at the dinning room table that she felt comfortable enough to quickly mumble sorry and give him a kiss hello, along with her two little angels.
“A coffee please Liz, two sugars?” Renee asked.
Liz shot Max a look that said, ‘Kill Me Now’ and then headed to the kitchen. She was thankful for the short break but it was cut short because she heard Renee very obviously flirting with Max and went to put him out of his misery.
“Nat, Alex are you two hungry?” she asked.
Natalie was and came and sat down in her high chair. Liz cut her some apple while she sat with Renee. She found herself wondering how long she’d have to put up with her.
“Really Liz, I’m surprised you let your family run around like that. They’re like little jungle people! Although…I can see why you like your husband to bare all, so to speak.”
Liz fought the urge to pull her hair out. “Oh…well, it’s very hot. Obviously they are normally clothed but Max probably took them down to the beach for a swim and I’ll give them a shower later so…” Why was she explaining herself anyway?
“Mommmmy!” Alexander suddenly cried. “Pee pee!”
“Oh! Excuse me!” Liz quickly jumped up and grabbed Alexander, tugging him by his hand towards the bathroom. Max was just coming out of their bedroom, with more clothing on, and got to witness Alexander use his potty for one of the first times on his own.
“Oh good job buddy!” he squatted gave him a little high five. “You going to make this a regular thing?”
“I went on my own,” Alexander beamed.
Liz crossed her arms over her chest and a smile spread across her lips. She didn’t want to be one of those emotional mothers that cried every time something cute happened but after the last few hours she couldn’t help the few tears that came to her eyes.
It wasn’t until Alex had gone running back into the lounge to tell his sister of his success that Max asked her if she was okay.
“It’s Renee…she’s just…” Liz didn’t want him to know how upset her friend was making her. “Not very nice.”
“Yeah? I thought she seemed like a bit of a baboon,” he ran a hand down her hair, “Want me to beat her up for you?”
Liz chuckled and sniffled at the same time. “No. Just give me a hug.”
“Always.” He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a loving squeeze. She closed her eyes when he pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“Am I not attractive anymore?” she asked unsurely.
“What? Of course you are—oh don’t tell me this is her doing. I’ll ask her to leave, has she been insulting you?”
“A little, but don’t worry. I can stick it out a little longer.”
“You shouldn’t have to stick it out babe.”
“Don’t worry. Can you clean up that?” she pointed to the potty.
He nodded. “If I hear her do one thing to upset you, I’ll—”
“I’m fine,” she said and then went back towards the table.
Max did end up kicking Renee out of the house. He’d been sitting on the couch reading the news paper when he heard Liz say, “Oh Max and I may be having another child. It wasn’t planned but…”
Renee then grimaced, “Oh, do you think that’s such a good idea? The other two have already done horrors to your figure. To think everyone used to be envious of you!”
He immediately stood up and marched towards them. “I’m sorry,” he said, “I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
Renee laughed unsurely. “I…pardon?”
“You’ve done nothing but insult and upset my wife since you got here and I won’t stand for it another second. I’d like you to leave please, and don’t come back unless it’s to apologize.”
Renee’s face went bright red and she quickly looked at Liz for help. Liz didn’t say anything.
“But…”
“I don’t want a scene in front of my children,” Max added.
Renee huffed and got to her feet. “Well, I’ve never…”
“Well now you have. You don’t need help finding your coat.”
After she’d gone Liz put her head in her hands and shook it from side to side. She was horrified.
“Much better,” he said. “Can I walk around naked now?”
Natalie giggled and slobbered all over her apple. “Nakey.”
“Max, you shouldn’t have done that.”
“You mean to tell me you aren’t relieved?” he stroked his daughters head with much affection and at the same time studied his wife’s face.
Liz swallowed. “She’s going to tell everyone in New York what just happened.”
“So? What do they matter now anyway?” he shrugged. “You don’t even talk to most of them.”
“Yeah but if I wanted to, I now couldn’t,” she stood up from her chair and began gathering up the tea cups. “I appreciate you standing up for me but I told you I could handle it.”
“Well I didn’t think you could.”
Liz went into the kitchen and began loading the dishwasher.
Max asked Natalie if she wanted to go for a swim.
“Yes!” she cried enthusiastically.
Liz snarled. “She just ate Max.”
“Not much. Nat, go ask your brother alright?” While she ran off he came up behind Liz and wrapped his arms around her. “Are you horribly angry at me?”
“No,” she said. “I just wish you would have let me handle that situation my own way.”
“Your way would have involved putting up with it for another two hours.” He pressed his lips to her neck. “I don’t like seeing you upset. And I like it even less when someone’s bullying you.”
Liz sighed. “Well I suppose its silly being angry over something I can’t change now.”
“Exactly. Do you want to come for a swim?”
“No, I think I’m just going to lie down.”
“Okay.”
~*~
Naples—New York 2000
Max did something that he definitely should not have done when he got back to Naples from Germany. He went straight to a bar with Michael and Maria, where he proceeded getting drunk off his head.
Then, during his daze, took a random girl to his house. The house that he’d been sharing with Liz before they’d been kidnapped.
At this point he didn’t think he’d ever see her again, even though they’d assured each other that they’d be together again. She was in New York, and he would not leave Naples—no way. How would that work?
It couldn’t.
His heart was hurting and he would do anything he could to make it stop.
While some sleazy blonde leaned over him, straddling his hips while unbuttoning her shirt all he saw was Liz’s face, the face that had managed to suck him into her heavenly abyss in such a short time.
“I don’t think I can do this,” he said to the girl, looking away in shame.
She paused. “What do you mean? Of course you can.”
He let her kiss him and he let her hands slip into his briefs—stroking him.
No. He couldn’t do this.
Did he say that out loud? He couldn’t tell. He was in too much pain.
Finally, he pushed the girl away and got up off the bed. She wouldn’t do it for him. She wasn’t what he wanted. “I’m sorry,” he tried to say.
She wasn’t happy and left in a huff.
When she was gone he sat with his head in his hands. What was going on with him? Did Liz really mean that much to him?
At first he considered picking up the phone and calling her. She’d be in New York by now. Perhaps if he heard her voice he’d know whether or not this was real.
The thought of hearing her speak made his insides turn into warm muck.
It was real. He loved her.
God he wanted to see her again. How long had it been? Not long…
Maybe he should just go there, he thought. He could visit her and leave again, without seeing his father or anyone else. Somehow while he was there, he would convince her to come and live with him permanently. He would tell her he loved her…
Would that be enough?
No, that wouldn’t be enough. It hadn’t been enough before.
He’d ask her to marry him.
Would that be enough?
~*~
Naples 2018
“Are you sure everything is going to be fine?”
Maria nodded her head firmly. “Of course everything’s going to be fine. What could go wrong?” she gave Liz a quick hug. “Have an awesome time. You two deserve it.”
“Thanks Maria,” Max said. “Nat, Alex please be good. Thomas…I expect you to tell me everything these two do while we’re gone.”
Alexander huffed. “Oh, like we’d do anything.”
“Yeah, I’ll say,” Natalie scoffed. “Your distrust hurts me deep inside dad. I fear a rift between us because of this.”
Liz and Maria laughed. “Oh listen to her,” they said, looking at each other with a roll of their eyes.
“There will be a rift alright, if you misbehave,” Max commented. “Alright, I want to go on board, sick of sight of all of you. See you in three weeks.”
They all gave each other a quick hug and then Max took Liz’s hand and led her towards the entrance. “Thanks again Maria!” he called.
“Anytime Max. Liz, see ya sweetie!”
“Bye mom, dad!” Alexander, Thomas and Natalie called.
It wasn’t until they were walking down the luxury-liner’s extravagant hallways that Max said with a heap of enthusiasm, “Halleluiah!”
Liz smiled and patted his back softly with her free hand. “Now those are your children you’re talking about, Mr Evans.”
“They’re not my children for three weeks,” he teased.
“You know you’ll be missing them in a couple of days.”
“Perhaps, perhaps not. What’s our room number again?”
She reached into her pocket and pulled out the key. “Thirty-two. It’s one of the king-suites. Imagine it, three weeks of pure luxury with no concern of money…”
“Or cooking meals, or cleaning, or work…” he felt like skipping. “Don’t you just feel twenty again?”
“Not quite,” she said with a smile. “But maybe I will later.”
They got to their room and unlocked the door, revealing a palace of luxury at their fingertips.
“We have a bathtub in our bedroom,” Liz commented. “That’s just…”
“Incredibly cool?” Max took off his shoes and flopped back onto the king-size bed. “I’m not going to want to go home.”
They had their own living room with lush red couches and heavy, white drapes. There was a large television and a view of the sparkling blue ocean that looked so good you practically salivated. There was a bar and fridge full of goodies…
Liz began unpacking their things and putting them into draws.
“Don’t do that now, Liz,” Max called. “Come and look at this bathroom. It’s fantastic.”
She smiled. His child-like enthusiasm made her stomach do fluttery twists and turns. Sometimes he would get so serious and when he was this carefree it made her want to dance and sing out.
He looked like he was going to jump up and down on the bed any moment.
“Don’t you feel a bit mean for depriving the kids of this?” she asked.
“No, not at all,” he replied. “And besides, this is more of a couples cruise. They wouldn’t have been allowed on board anyway.”
“I suppose.”
He came towards her. “Also…that would completely destroy the whole factor of privacy we have going on. Who’s going to bother us now?”
“You’re right.”
She leaned up and gave him a sweet kiss on the lips. “Would it be wrong to start now?”
He laughed. “No freakin’ way.”
Liz went to lead him to the bedroom but Max stopped her. “Let’s do it in here,” he said with a glister in his eyes. “When else will we have the freedom to go at it in the lounge?”
“Such a child,” she giggled. “Do it wherever you like, I don’t care. Just do it.”
Max laid her back on the couch and kissed her lips. “Mmmm…my wife….”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “But what if we get something on the sofa…?”
“We won’t.”
~*~
Ahhah a new part!!!! In how many months? I don't even know. Anyway, I hope you likeeeeeed it.
take care,
~nicola
Naples 2004
Liz had had a hellish afternoon. One of her friends from New York had stopped in while on holiday with her sister. At first they’d gone into town to have some lunch and look around and then they’d headed back to the house.
Liz began to wonder just what she’d seen in Renee as a friend. It became increasingly obvious that she was just plain rude and very self-centred. They had been walking down the street and a woman about their age was standing with her boy friend or husband and she smiled at Liz and said hello to be friendly.
They had never met before but Renee didn’t know that. That didn’t keep her from saying smugly, “Oh did you see that? She only said hello to you because you’re not competition.”
Liz had been incredibly hurt. Especially since she knew that her ‘not being competition’ had nothing to do with her being married.
“When did I stop being attractive Renee?” she asked, “After my first child or my second?”
Renee just giggled, waving her hand in dismissal of the question. “Oh well, you know what I mean!”
Liz didn’t know what she meant.
When they got to the house Max was there, sitting on the lounge floor playing with Natalie and Alexander. It was very hot so all of them were dressed in nothing but little shorts and their dark heads were bent over a large pile of multi-coloured Lego. It was a beautiful sight for Liz.
After Max had stood up to shake Renee’s hand and ask her how she was Liz quietly suggested he go and put a shirt on ‘please’. Although part of her took pride in the glances Renee was directing at him, a bigger part of her was annoyed.
It wasn’t until Renee was taking a seat at the dinning room table that she felt comfortable enough to quickly mumble sorry and give him a kiss hello, along with her two little angels.
“A coffee please Liz, two sugars?” Renee asked.
Liz shot Max a look that said, ‘Kill Me Now’ and then headed to the kitchen. She was thankful for the short break but it was cut short because she heard Renee very obviously flirting with Max and went to put him out of his misery.
“Nat, Alex are you two hungry?” she asked.
Natalie was and came and sat down in her high chair. Liz cut her some apple while she sat with Renee. She found herself wondering how long she’d have to put up with her.
“Really Liz, I’m surprised you let your family run around like that. They’re like little jungle people! Although…I can see why you like your husband to bare all, so to speak.”
Liz fought the urge to pull her hair out. “Oh…well, it’s very hot. Obviously they are normally clothed but Max probably took them down to the beach for a swim and I’ll give them a shower later so…” Why was she explaining herself anyway?
“Mommmmy!” Alexander suddenly cried. “Pee pee!”
“Oh! Excuse me!” Liz quickly jumped up and grabbed Alexander, tugging him by his hand towards the bathroom. Max was just coming out of their bedroom, with more clothing on, and got to witness Alexander use his potty for one of the first times on his own.
“Oh good job buddy!” he squatted gave him a little high five. “You going to make this a regular thing?”
“I went on my own,” Alexander beamed.
Liz crossed her arms over her chest and a smile spread across her lips. She didn’t want to be one of those emotional mothers that cried every time something cute happened but after the last few hours she couldn’t help the few tears that came to her eyes.
It wasn’t until Alex had gone running back into the lounge to tell his sister of his success that Max asked her if she was okay.
“It’s Renee…she’s just…” Liz didn’t want him to know how upset her friend was making her. “Not very nice.”
“Yeah? I thought she seemed like a bit of a baboon,” he ran a hand down her hair, “Want me to beat her up for you?”
Liz chuckled and sniffled at the same time. “No. Just give me a hug.”
“Always.” He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a loving squeeze. She closed her eyes when he pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“Am I not attractive anymore?” she asked unsurely.
“What? Of course you are—oh don’t tell me this is her doing. I’ll ask her to leave, has she been insulting you?”
“A little, but don’t worry. I can stick it out a little longer.”
“You shouldn’t have to stick it out babe.”
“Don’t worry. Can you clean up that?” she pointed to the potty.
He nodded. “If I hear her do one thing to upset you, I’ll—”
“I’m fine,” she said and then went back towards the table.
Max did end up kicking Renee out of the house. He’d been sitting on the couch reading the news paper when he heard Liz say, “Oh Max and I may be having another child. It wasn’t planned but…”
Renee then grimaced, “Oh, do you think that’s such a good idea? The other two have already done horrors to your figure. To think everyone used to be envious of you!”
He immediately stood up and marched towards them. “I’m sorry,” he said, “I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
Renee laughed unsurely. “I…pardon?”
“You’ve done nothing but insult and upset my wife since you got here and I won’t stand for it another second. I’d like you to leave please, and don’t come back unless it’s to apologize.”
Renee’s face went bright red and she quickly looked at Liz for help. Liz didn’t say anything.
“But…”
“I don’t want a scene in front of my children,” Max added.
Renee huffed and got to her feet. “Well, I’ve never…”
“Well now you have. You don’t need help finding your coat.”
After she’d gone Liz put her head in her hands and shook it from side to side. She was horrified.
“Much better,” he said. “Can I walk around naked now?”
Natalie giggled and slobbered all over her apple. “Nakey.”
“Max, you shouldn’t have done that.”
“You mean to tell me you aren’t relieved?” he stroked his daughters head with much affection and at the same time studied his wife’s face.
Liz swallowed. “She’s going to tell everyone in New York what just happened.”
“So? What do they matter now anyway?” he shrugged. “You don’t even talk to most of them.”
“Yeah but if I wanted to, I now couldn’t,” she stood up from her chair and began gathering up the tea cups. “I appreciate you standing up for me but I told you I could handle it.”
“Well I didn’t think you could.”
Liz went into the kitchen and began loading the dishwasher.
Max asked Natalie if she wanted to go for a swim.
“Yes!” she cried enthusiastically.
Liz snarled. “She just ate Max.”
“Not much. Nat, go ask your brother alright?” While she ran off he came up behind Liz and wrapped his arms around her. “Are you horribly angry at me?”
“No,” she said. “I just wish you would have let me handle that situation my own way.”
“Your way would have involved putting up with it for another two hours.” He pressed his lips to her neck. “I don’t like seeing you upset. And I like it even less when someone’s bullying you.”
Liz sighed. “Well I suppose its silly being angry over something I can’t change now.”
“Exactly. Do you want to come for a swim?”
“No, I think I’m just going to lie down.”
“Okay.”
~*~
Naples—New York 2000
Max did something that he definitely should not have done when he got back to Naples from Germany. He went straight to a bar with Michael and Maria, where he proceeded getting drunk off his head.
Then, during his daze, took a random girl to his house. The house that he’d been sharing with Liz before they’d been kidnapped.
At this point he didn’t think he’d ever see her again, even though they’d assured each other that they’d be together again. She was in New York, and he would not leave Naples—no way. How would that work?
It couldn’t.
His heart was hurting and he would do anything he could to make it stop.
While some sleazy blonde leaned over him, straddling his hips while unbuttoning her shirt all he saw was Liz’s face, the face that had managed to suck him into her heavenly abyss in such a short time.
“I don’t think I can do this,” he said to the girl, looking away in shame.
She paused. “What do you mean? Of course you can.”
He let her kiss him and he let her hands slip into his briefs—stroking him.
No. He couldn’t do this.
Did he say that out loud? He couldn’t tell. He was in too much pain.
Finally, he pushed the girl away and got up off the bed. She wouldn’t do it for him. She wasn’t what he wanted. “I’m sorry,” he tried to say.
She wasn’t happy and left in a huff.
When she was gone he sat with his head in his hands. What was going on with him? Did Liz really mean that much to him?
At first he considered picking up the phone and calling her. She’d be in New York by now. Perhaps if he heard her voice he’d know whether or not this was real.
The thought of hearing her speak made his insides turn into warm muck.
It was real. He loved her.
God he wanted to see her again. How long had it been? Not long…
Maybe he should just go there, he thought. He could visit her and leave again, without seeing his father or anyone else. Somehow while he was there, he would convince her to come and live with him permanently. He would tell her he loved her…
Would that be enough?
No, that wouldn’t be enough. It hadn’t been enough before.
He’d ask her to marry him.
Would that be enough?
~*~
Naples 2018
“Are you sure everything is going to be fine?”
Maria nodded her head firmly. “Of course everything’s going to be fine. What could go wrong?” she gave Liz a quick hug. “Have an awesome time. You two deserve it.”
“Thanks Maria,” Max said. “Nat, Alex please be good. Thomas…I expect you to tell me everything these two do while we’re gone.”
Alexander huffed. “Oh, like we’d do anything.”
“Yeah, I’ll say,” Natalie scoffed. “Your distrust hurts me deep inside dad. I fear a rift between us because of this.”
Liz and Maria laughed. “Oh listen to her,” they said, looking at each other with a roll of their eyes.
“There will be a rift alright, if you misbehave,” Max commented. “Alright, I want to go on board, sick of sight of all of you. See you in three weeks.”
They all gave each other a quick hug and then Max took Liz’s hand and led her towards the entrance. “Thanks again Maria!” he called.
“Anytime Max. Liz, see ya sweetie!”
“Bye mom, dad!” Alexander, Thomas and Natalie called.
It wasn’t until they were walking down the luxury-liner’s extravagant hallways that Max said with a heap of enthusiasm, “Halleluiah!”
Liz smiled and patted his back softly with her free hand. “Now those are your children you’re talking about, Mr Evans.”
“They’re not my children for three weeks,” he teased.
“You know you’ll be missing them in a couple of days.”
“Perhaps, perhaps not. What’s our room number again?”
She reached into her pocket and pulled out the key. “Thirty-two. It’s one of the king-suites. Imagine it, three weeks of pure luxury with no concern of money…”
“Or cooking meals, or cleaning, or work…” he felt like skipping. “Don’t you just feel twenty again?”
“Not quite,” she said with a smile. “But maybe I will later.”
They got to their room and unlocked the door, revealing a palace of luxury at their fingertips.
“We have a bathtub in our bedroom,” Liz commented. “That’s just…”
“Incredibly cool?” Max took off his shoes and flopped back onto the king-size bed. “I’m not going to want to go home.”
They had their own living room with lush red couches and heavy, white drapes. There was a large television and a view of the sparkling blue ocean that looked so good you practically salivated. There was a bar and fridge full of goodies…
Liz began unpacking their things and putting them into draws.
“Don’t do that now, Liz,” Max called. “Come and look at this bathroom. It’s fantastic.”
She smiled. His child-like enthusiasm made her stomach do fluttery twists and turns. Sometimes he would get so serious and when he was this carefree it made her want to dance and sing out.
He looked like he was going to jump up and down on the bed any moment.
“Don’t you feel a bit mean for depriving the kids of this?” she asked.
“No, not at all,” he replied. “And besides, this is more of a couples cruise. They wouldn’t have been allowed on board anyway.”
“I suppose.”
He came towards her. “Also…that would completely destroy the whole factor of privacy we have going on. Who’s going to bother us now?”
“You’re right.”
She leaned up and gave him a sweet kiss on the lips. “Would it be wrong to start now?”
He laughed. “No freakin’ way.”
Liz went to lead him to the bedroom but Max stopped her. “Let’s do it in here,” he said with a glister in his eyes. “When else will we have the freedom to go at it in the lounge?”
“Such a child,” she giggled. “Do it wherever you like, I don’t care. Just do it.”
Max laid her back on the couch and kissed her lips. “Mmmm…my wife….”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “But what if we get something on the sofa…?”
“We won’t.”
~*~
Ahhah a new part!!!! In how many months? I don't even know. Anyway, I hope you likeeeeeed it.
take care,
~nicola
NINETEEN
Mediterranean Cruise 2019
“Ah…Max?”
He swallowed. “Yeah?”
“Why isn’t it…up?” Liz’s brow creased. “Is something wrong? Am I not…doing it for you right now?”
“Of course you are!” he hissed. “I think I’m just tired.”
“Tired? That’s never really stopped it before,” she said.
Max sat up and ran a hand through his hair. “Maybe we shouldn’t do this right now.”
“Well it doesn’t look we can do it right now,” she mumbled to herself. “Max, this hasn’t ever happened before has it?”
“What? Nothings wrong Liz! I just said I’m tried and that’s it.”
“But Max…” she groaned. “Oh God do you think they have emergency Viagra on the ship?”
“Viagra!” Max howled. “I don’t need Viagra! I’m tired woman, that’s all!”
Liz watched him get up from the couch and pull his pants back on. “I’m going to nap,” he said.
“Max…shouldn’t we…uh, talk about this?”
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
Liz remained on the couch for a long moment, staring at the carpet. Obviously Max was as disappointed by what just happened as she was. Part of her wanted to go after him and stroke his bruised ego (and hopefully hers) but she knew it could possibly make things worse. They’d talk about it later.
The hall they had dinner in that night was just as extravagant as the rest of the ship, if not more. The food should have been delicious and the music relaxing, but Max and Liz were both too silent and anxious to enjoy it.
Finally, after dessert and coffee Max asked, “Do you want to dance babe?”
She shook her head. “No, not tonight. Max, you know that I love you and that will never, ever change—no matter what. You can tell me anything so if you’re worried about…”
He silenced her. “I don’t need that speech right now, alright?”
She pressed her lips together. “Fine.”
Back in their room Liz went about her own thing, unpacking their clothing and putting it away. He sat and read a book on the couch silently. He was still sitting there when she got changed for bed and went and brushed her teeth.
“Honey?” she poked her head out the door. “Come to bed?”
He knew that she didn’t like to sleep in a new place on her own. She’d always been that way.
He looked up. “I’ll be in soon. I just want to finish this chapter.”
When she climbed under the covers she was very concerned. She lay there, staring out the window that over-looked the moon-lit sea and prayed this day wasn’t an indication of what the rest of their trip would be like…
He finally came into the bedroom ten minutes later and slid in next to her. Immediately his arms went around her waist. “It’s a beautiful view isn’t it?”
“Too beautiful. I can’t close my eyes. Will you draw the curtains?”
He chuckled. “Alright.”
Once they were closed, the room was a lot darker. They could hear people walking up and down the hallway and, most of all, the waves rippling against the boats waist.
Liz rolled over so that she was facing him. His eyes were closed.
“Max?”
“Hmm?”
“You can tell me if I’m the problem. I’ll understand.”
“There is no problem,” he grumbled impatiently. “And if there was, it definitely wouldn’t be you.”
She swallowed and said, “Okay.” Even if she didn’t fully believe it.
The next morning Liz woke up to Max kissing her neck and rubbing his hand up and down her hip. The curtains were open again, indicating he’d been awake for a while, and the sunlight was seeping across the bed.
“Good morning,” he mumbled with a very happy smile. Too happy.
She rubbed her eyes and yawned…and then she felt it. He was…excited, so to speak. “Ah…” she tried to say something but just started laughing.
“Did I or did I not tell you that I was just tired?”
“Oh God Max,” she buried her face in the pillow and shook her head. “You never change.”
“You’re relieved aren’t you?”
“Oh...a little.”
~*~
Naples 2006
Max Evans watched with pride as his daughter stepped up to the plate with a bulky baseball bat trailing behind her. He thought that it looked much too heavy for his five year old but if the other kids could do it, so would Natalie.
His wife’s hand squeezed his thigh and he heard her yell out, “You can do it baby!”
Before Natalie turned to face the field she glanced at his parents and smiled. They both gave her the thumbs up and nodded their heads enthusiastically. With her face set, she placed her feet apart and held the bat up by her shoulder just like her dad had shown her. She waited and then…swung and tried to hit the ball off the pipe.
“Stiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirike one!” the ref yelled, thinking he was funny. The ball remained in place.
Natalie sighed and grudgingly hoped the second time she would have more luck. She heard the parents in the stands yelling out and cheering her on and it only succeeded in making her feel more nervous. She gritted her teeth, pretended they weren’t there and swung, hitting the ball straight ahead and into her opponent’s groin. Peter fell to the ground and started to cry at the top of his lungs. Should she go and help him Natalie wondered? Her question was answered when she heard the people in the stands start the yell, “RUN! RUN!”
She ran around the small diamond easily and then back to home base. The small crowd roared. Natalie looked for Peter and found him sitting down on the bench. “Sorry Peter,” she said.
“T’is okay,” Peter replied sourly.
Her coach patted her on the back, “Well done Nat.”
She dared sneak a glance at her parents who were clapping and whistling wildly.
Liz Evans pulled her baseball cap further down onto her head and watched as her daughter took a seat on the bench. It was when she was talking to her friends that she looked away.
“She’s going to be famous,” Max said with pride, trying to dig into Liz’s purse while holding Alexander on his lap. “Natalie Evans, the famous t-ball player.”
“Baseball player,” Liz chuckled. She grabbed the sunscreen for him and then popped the lid open. “I’m pretty sure once you reach age nine you can’t play t-ball anymore.”
Alexander cut in. “Momma, I’m thirsty.”
“Okay sweety, I’ll get the water bottle from the car in a second. Max, don’t forget to put it on the tops of his ears, they were so red last week…”
“Do you want me to go get it?”
“No, I need to stretch my legs.”
It was embarrassing for Liz to squeeze past everyone on the stands. Her very pregnant belly would constantly bump into people’s heads and she’d have to apologize every two seconds. Max found it very amusing and laughed at her as she went.
When she was gone, he turned his attention to his son. He bobbed him up and down on his knee and held his hands in his. “Bounce, bounce, bounce,” he said. “Alex do you like t-ball? You’re going to play too when you’re old enough?”
Alexander yawned in response and put his head back against his father’s chest.
“Are you tired?” Max asked shifting his hand so he could stroke his son’s warm forehead.
“Yeah,” he murmured in return.
“The game will be over soon and we’ll go home and you can have a nap.”
Alexander fell asleep on his lap and Max realized Liz still hadn’t returned. He looked towards the car park, hoping to spot her but she wasn’t anywhere in sight. He couldn’t see the car but he was sure he should be able to see her by now…
He waited another five minutes and then decided he better go figure out where she was. Carefully, he scooped Alexander up in his arms and carried him down the stands to the car park. Liz was lying on the backseat of their car panting loudly.
“Liz? Shit, are you having contractions?”
Max quickly put Alexander down in the front seat and then leaned in the back and took his wife’s hand. “Babe, why didn’t you come and get me?”
“I tried, I…I can’t move. Oh, God…Max, I think we need to get to the hospital.”
“Are you sure? Are you sure it’s not a—?”
“It’s the real thing,” she nodded, her eyes screwing up in pain. “Go get Natalie?”
“Will you be alright?”
Liz groaned. “Yes…just go…”
Max ran as fast as he could to the field. The coach spotted him before he reached the kids. “I’m going to have to take Natalie. It’s a family emergency.”
“Dad?” she said with surprise.
“Of course,” the coach said. “I hope everything’s okay?”
“Natalie, we have to go. I’m sorry you’re going to miss the end of your game…” he took her hand and tugged her along, trying to get her to run faster. In the end he picked her up and ran with her on his back.
“I don’t want to leave dad,” she said.
“Yeah, I’m sorry sweetie but you know how I told you about getting a new baby brother?”
“Yes,” Natalie replied. “Are we going to get him?”
Max smiled. “Yes Nat, we’re going to get him.”
~*~
Mediterranean Cruise 2019
“Mmmm Max…let me go brush my teeth?” she tried to squirm away from his prying hands. He grumbled in protest.
“You don’t need to brush your teeth, I don’t care…”
“Well I do,” she replied and jumped up, smoothing down her night dress. “I’ll be right back.”
When she came back, he was still lying on his back waiting for her with a tent pitched under the blanket. She chuckled at the sight and crawled in beside him. He instantly pounced on her and covered her mouth with kisses.
His hand went to her thigh and then came up underneath her baggy t-shirt. Gone were the days when she wore sexy nightgowns to bed—she felt too old for that now—but Max didn’t seem to mind. It was only on special occasions that she put on something skimpy…and that wasn’t too often anymore. It was so hard to find time with the kids constantly around.
He was peeling her underwear off when she realized she had brought a nice night gown on the ship, thinking this was a special occasion. However, last night hadn’t been a very sexy night and so she hadn’t thought to put it on.
Max sensed she wasn’t thinking about what he was doing and stopped kissing her. “What are you pondering over?” he asked breathlessly.
She chuckled. “Oh the silliest thing. Just…what I’m wearing, I’m sorry it’s not very…hmm…attractive.”
“Like I give a toss,” he laughed. “It’s what’s underneath that counts.”
“Hmmm…” she reached down in-between them to grasp the erection that he was, at this moment, very proud of. “I completely agree,” she finished.
Max shrugged the blankets off their shoulders and while she stroked his already very strained member, he ran his hands over her body that he loved so much and always would.
She’d changed a bit over the years, her body maturing and developing with child birth, but he loved that he was the only one to know those changes intimately. He paid more attention to her body then she did and every little part of it was cherished—even with its imperfections.
He kissed her breasts and readied himself to enter her. Liz wriggled beneath him and bent of her knees into the air. “I keep thinking—hurry—the kids might come home!” she suddenly murmured. “It’ll take a little getting used to.”
“I know…isn’t it fantastic?” he smiled and rubbed the end of his lower body into hers. “Maybe we need to have foreplay to appreciate it? No…no, I can’t.”
He attempted to make love to her slowly but he was too excited that nothing was wrong with him. They rolled over so he was on his back and she situated herself on top. One of his hands was on her lower back and the other on her bottom—Liz could feel the warm band his gold wedding ring on her skin, leaving a mark.
“Oh God…” he moaned, arching his head back as they moved together.
Their legs were entangled together, and then in the sheets when they rolled over again. Liz was surprised to be on her back once more and moaned in pleasure when he thrust extra roughly. He was one away from completion and just as he was letting go he covered her mouth with his, kissing her with all the love he felt.
After bringing her release too, they lay together cooling down and resting. “I think I need a nap,” Max said with amusement. “And I just woke up.”
“How sad,” she smiled. She moved so she could put her head on his chest and lifted her free hand to play with the hairs under his naval. “Maybe we should just stay here all day?”
“And miss breakfast? I think not,” he kissed the top of her warm head and closed his eyes. “We should take a walk on the deck before we eat.”
“That sounds nice…” she murmured.
~*~
Hello! It's a new part!
Lol, I wanted to be the first person in dreamer fanfiction history to give Max erection problems. I think I’m the first, but if I’m not—please let me know. Anyway, I‘m not making fun, erection problems are very serious and it is not a laughing matter. I’m trying to express a very important issue. This is dedicated to all those poor men (and women I suppose) out there.
Hope you liked it, hehe
~nicola (proving how immature she really is)
Mediterranean Cruise 2019
“Ah…Max?”
He swallowed. “Yeah?”
“Why isn’t it…up?” Liz’s brow creased. “Is something wrong? Am I not…doing it for you right now?”
“Of course you are!” he hissed. “I think I’m just tired.”
“Tired? That’s never really stopped it before,” she said.
Max sat up and ran a hand through his hair. “Maybe we shouldn’t do this right now.”
“Well it doesn’t look we can do it right now,” she mumbled to herself. “Max, this hasn’t ever happened before has it?”
“What? Nothings wrong Liz! I just said I’m tried and that’s it.”
“But Max…” she groaned. “Oh God do you think they have emergency Viagra on the ship?”
“Viagra!” Max howled. “I don’t need Viagra! I’m tired woman, that’s all!”
Liz watched him get up from the couch and pull his pants back on. “I’m going to nap,” he said.
“Max…shouldn’t we…uh, talk about this?”
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
Liz remained on the couch for a long moment, staring at the carpet. Obviously Max was as disappointed by what just happened as she was. Part of her wanted to go after him and stroke his bruised ego (and hopefully hers) but she knew it could possibly make things worse. They’d talk about it later.
The hall they had dinner in that night was just as extravagant as the rest of the ship, if not more. The food should have been delicious and the music relaxing, but Max and Liz were both too silent and anxious to enjoy it.
Finally, after dessert and coffee Max asked, “Do you want to dance babe?”
She shook her head. “No, not tonight. Max, you know that I love you and that will never, ever change—no matter what. You can tell me anything so if you’re worried about…”
He silenced her. “I don’t need that speech right now, alright?”
She pressed her lips together. “Fine.”
Back in their room Liz went about her own thing, unpacking their clothing and putting it away. He sat and read a book on the couch silently. He was still sitting there when she got changed for bed and went and brushed her teeth.
“Honey?” she poked her head out the door. “Come to bed?”
He knew that she didn’t like to sleep in a new place on her own. She’d always been that way.
He looked up. “I’ll be in soon. I just want to finish this chapter.”
When she climbed under the covers she was very concerned. She lay there, staring out the window that over-looked the moon-lit sea and prayed this day wasn’t an indication of what the rest of their trip would be like…
He finally came into the bedroom ten minutes later and slid in next to her. Immediately his arms went around her waist. “It’s a beautiful view isn’t it?”
“Too beautiful. I can’t close my eyes. Will you draw the curtains?”
He chuckled. “Alright.”
Once they were closed, the room was a lot darker. They could hear people walking up and down the hallway and, most of all, the waves rippling against the boats waist.
Liz rolled over so that she was facing him. His eyes were closed.
“Max?”
“Hmm?”
“You can tell me if I’m the problem. I’ll understand.”
“There is no problem,” he grumbled impatiently. “And if there was, it definitely wouldn’t be you.”
She swallowed and said, “Okay.” Even if she didn’t fully believe it.
The next morning Liz woke up to Max kissing her neck and rubbing his hand up and down her hip. The curtains were open again, indicating he’d been awake for a while, and the sunlight was seeping across the bed.
“Good morning,” he mumbled with a very happy smile. Too happy.
She rubbed her eyes and yawned…and then she felt it. He was…excited, so to speak. “Ah…” she tried to say something but just started laughing.
“Did I or did I not tell you that I was just tired?”
“Oh God Max,” she buried her face in the pillow and shook her head. “You never change.”
“You’re relieved aren’t you?”
“Oh...a little.”
~*~
Naples 2006
Max Evans watched with pride as his daughter stepped up to the plate with a bulky baseball bat trailing behind her. He thought that it looked much too heavy for his five year old but if the other kids could do it, so would Natalie.
His wife’s hand squeezed his thigh and he heard her yell out, “You can do it baby!”
Before Natalie turned to face the field she glanced at his parents and smiled. They both gave her the thumbs up and nodded their heads enthusiastically. With her face set, she placed her feet apart and held the bat up by her shoulder just like her dad had shown her. She waited and then…swung and tried to hit the ball off the pipe.
“Stiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirike one!” the ref yelled, thinking he was funny. The ball remained in place.
Natalie sighed and grudgingly hoped the second time she would have more luck. She heard the parents in the stands yelling out and cheering her on and it only succeeded in making her feel more nervous. She gritted her teeth, pretended they weren’t there and swung, hitting the ball straight ahead and into her opponent’s groin. Peter fell to the ground and started to cry at the top of his lungs. Should she go and help him Natalie wondered? Her question was answered when she heard the people in the stands start the yell, “RUN! RUN!”
She ran around the small diamond easily and then back to home base. The small crowd roared. Natalie looked for Peter and found him sitting down on the bench. “Sorry Peter,” she said.
“T’is okay,” Peter replied sourly.
Her coach patted her on the back, “Well done Nat.”
She dared sneak a glance at her parents who were clapping and whistling wildly.
Liz Evans pulled her baseball cap further down onto her head and watched as her daughter took a seat on the bench. It was when she was talking to her friends that she looked away.
“She’s going to be famous,” Max said with pride, trying to dig into Liz’s purse while holding Alexander on his lap. “Natalie Evans, the famous t-ball player.”
“Baseball player,” Liz chuckled. She grabbed the sunscreen for him and then popped the lid open. “I’m pretty sure once you reach age nine you can’t play t-ball anymore.”
Alexander cut in. “Momma, I’m thirsty.”
“Okay sweety, I’ll get the water bottle from the car in a second. Max, don’t forget to put it on the tops of his ears, they were so red last week…”
“Do you want me to go get it?”
“No, I need to stretch my legs.”
It was embarrassing for Liz to squeeze past everyone on the stands. Her very pregnant belly would constantly bump into people’s heads and she’d have to apologize every two seconds. Max found it very amusing and laughed at her as she went.
When she was gone, he turned his attention to his son. He bobbed him up and down on his knee and held his hands in his. “Bounce, bounce, bounce,” he said. “Alex do you like t-ball? You’re going to play too when you’re old enough?”
Alexander yawned in response and put his head back against his father’s chest.
“Are you tired?” Max asked shifting his hand so he could stroke his son’s warm forehead.
“Yeah,” he murmured in return.
“The game will be over soon and we’ll go home and you can have a nap.”
Alexander fell asleep on his lap and Max realized Liz still hadn’t returned. He looked towards the car park, hoping to spot her but she wasn’t anywhere in sight. He couldn’t see the car but he was sure he should be able to see her by now…
He waited another five minutes and then decided he better go figure out where she was. Carefully, he scooped Alexander up in his arms and carried him down the stands to the car park. Liz was lying on the backseat of their car panting loudly.
“Liz? Shit, are you having contractions?”
Max quickly put Alexander down in the front seat and then leaned in the back and took his wife’s hand. “Babe, why didn’t you come and get me?”
“I tried, I…I can’t move. Oh, God…Max, I think we need to get to the hospital.”
“Are you sure? Are you sure it’s not a—?”
“It’s the real thing,” she nodded, her eyes screwing up in pain. “Go get Natalie?”
“Will you be alright?”
Liz groaned. “Yes…just go…”
Max ran as fast as he could to the field. The coach spotted him before he reached the kids. “I’m going to have to take Natalie. It’s a family emergency.”
“Dad?” she said with surprise.
“Of course,” the coach said. “I hope everything’s okay?”
“Natalie, we have to go. I’m sorry you’re going to miss the end of your game…” he took her hand and tugged her along, trying to get her to run faster. In the end he picked her up and ran with her on his back.
“I don’t want to leave dad,” she said.
“Yeah, I’m sorry sweetie but you know how I told you about getting a new baby brother?”
“Yes,” Natalie replied. “Are we going to get him?”
Max smiled. “Yes Nat, we’re going to get him.”
~*~
Mediterranean Cruise 2019
“Mmmm Max…let me go brush my teeth?” she tried to squirm away from his prying hands. He grumbled in protest.
“You don’t need to brush your teeth, I don’t care…”
“Well I do,” she replied and jumped up, smoothing down her night dress. “I’ll be right back.”
When she came back, he was still lying on his back waiting for her with a tent pitched under the blanket. She chuckled at the sight and crawled in beside him. He instantly pounced on her and covered her mouth with kisses.
His hand went to her thigh and then came up underneath her baggy t-shirt. Gone were the days when she wore sexy nightgowns to bed—she felt too old for that now—but Max didn’t seem to mind. It was only on special occasions that she put on something skimpy…and that wasn’t too often anymore. It was so hard to find time with the kids constantly around.
He was peeling her underwear off when she realized she had brought a nice night gown on the ship, thinking this was a special occasion. However, last night hadn’t been a very sexy night and so she hadn’t thought to put it on.
Max sensed she wasn’t thinking about what he was doing and stopped kissing her. “What are you pondering over?” he asked breathlessly.
She chuckled. “Oh the silliest thing. Just…what I’m wearing, I’m sorry it’s not very…hmm…attractive.”
“Like I give a toss,” he laughed. “It’s what’s underneath that counts.”
“Hmmm…” she reached down in-between them to grasp the erection that he was, at this moment, very proud of. “I completely agree,” she finished.
Max shrugged the blankets off their shoulders and while she stroked his already very strained member, he ran his hands over her body that he loved so much and always would.
She’d changed a bit over the years, her body maturing and developing with child birth, but he loved that he was the only one to know those changes intimately. He paid more attention to her body then she did and every little part of it was cherished—even with its imperfections.
He kissed her breasts and readied himself to enter her. Liz wriggled beneath him and bent of her knees into the air. “I keep thinking—hurry—the kids might come home!” she suddenly murmured. “It’ll take a little getting used to.”
“I know…isn’t it fantastic?” he smiled and rubbed the end of his lower body into hers. “Maybe we need to have foreplay to appreciate it? No…no, I can’t.”
He attempted to make love to her slowly but he was too excited that nothing was wrong with him. They rolled over so he was on his back and she situated herself on top. One of his hands was on her lower back and the other on her bottom—Liz could feel the warm band his gold wedding ring on her skin, leaving a mark.
“Oh God…” he moaned, arching his head back as they moved together.
Their legs were entangled together, and then in the sheets when they rolled over again. Liz was surprised to be on her back once more and moaned in pleasure when he thrust extra roughly. He was one away from completion and just as he was letting go he covered her mouth with his, kissing her with all the love he felt.
After bringing her release too, they lay together cooling down and resting. “I think I need a nap,” Max said with amusement. “And I just woke up.”
“How sad,” she smiled. She moved so she could put her head on his chest and lifted her free hand to play with the hairs under his naval. “Maybe we should just stay here all day?”
“And miss breakfast? I think not,” he kissed the top of her warm head and closed his eyes. “We should take a walk on the deck before we eat.”
“That sounds nice…” she murmured.
~*~
Hello! It's a new part!
Lol, I wanted to be the first person in dreamer fanfiction history to give Max erection problems. I think I’m the first, but if I’m not—please let me know. Anyway, I‘m not making fun, erection problems are very serious and it is not a laughing matter. I’m trying to express a very important issue. This is dedicated to all those poor men (and women I suppose) out there.
Hope you liked it, hehe
~nicola (proving how immature she really is)
100% Pure New Zealand Beef
Mediterranean Cruise 2019
The ship stopped for a day in a small city on the west coast of Greece and Max and Liz spent their free time strolling around the markets and shops. It had been a week since they’d left Naples and though they were happy to be away, they were missing the kids.
When they found a phone booth Liz called Maria to check on them. Max sat back on a brick fence and stared at the beautiful landscape. Though he loved their home in Italy, he was tempted to move on. They’d lived in the same place throughout their whole marriage and he was probably more attached to it than he thought but that didn’t stop him considering new opportunities.
“Oh my God!” Liz suddenly cried into the phone. “Is he there? Put him on.”
Max looked at her questioningly and she just raised her eye brows.
“Well you just tell him he’ll be hearing about this when we get home. I’m sorry you had to deal with that Maria.” She chuckled. “Yeah, yeah. Okay, thanks for everything. See you later.”
“What’s he done?” Max asked, “Its Alexander isn’t it?”
“Of course,” Liz answered. She sat down beside him. “Maria caught him having sex.”
Max bit his lip to keep from smiling and tried very hard to look seriously concerned. He was so proud!
Liz rested her sunglasses on her lap and rubbed her eyes. “That’s not all,” she said. “She came home after lunch and didn’t even realize he was there because he was supposed to be at school. But…she heard a noise coming from our room and…”
“Wait a minute,” Max suddenly didn’t have any trouble being annoyed. “Our fucking room? He had sex on our bed?”
“Yes,” Liz cringed. “Max, Alexander is too young to be having sex.”
“He did it on our bed!” Max howled. “The sex I don’t care about but when he does something as disrespectful as using the bed I sleep on! Oh no, he’s dead.”
Liz looked at him. “Wait a minute, you don’t care?”
“Well Liz…”
“Don’t ‘well Liz’ me. If it was Natalie we were talking about things would be much different wouldn’t they?”
“But we’re not talking about her. Thank God.”
She shot to her feet and put her hands on her hips. “Max. Alexander should not be—”
Max lifted his hands up. “Calm down Liz, he’s a guy and it’s pretty normal for him to be...”
“Normal!” Liz cried. “And how old do you think the girl is? His age Max, that’s like Natalie having sex at his age. She has parents too.”
“It’s different when it’s a guy.”
Liz shook her head. “You’re unbelievable. Give me my bag.”
Max handed her her purse and asked where they were going.
“I’m going back to ship, you can do whatever you damn well please.”
Max watched her storm through the crowd of shoppers and shook his head. He was in trouble. Maybe he would give her an hour or two to cool down and then he’d go find her. He seriously did not see what the problem was. His Alexander was becoming a man, what was wrong with that?
He missed his son then. Lately they didn’t get on as well as they could have but they used to go for runs on the beach together and his art work never ceased to amaze Max. He felt like talking to him again and remembered the first time he gave him a sip of his beer and he didn’t like it.
Max strolled around for a while and then went and stood on the beach with his feet in the water. The sun was shining brightly and his scalp started to get hot under his dark mop of hair. He decided he was sick of gorgeous weather; all he ever had was gorgeous weather. He wanted to go somewhere where it rained and was freezing cold.
The good thing about freezing cold was sitting in front of the fire with a glass of wine. Whenever it got even a little bit chilly he and Liz would start loading in wood and get the fire going. The kids told them they were insane but they liked to share chocolate cake and relax on a pile of pillows.
Now he missed Liz, thinking about her warm little body by the fire. He sighed and went back to the ship but he didn’t find her in their room. She was in the gym on a bike. It took him forever to find her there.
“It’s nearly dinner time,” he said, trying to be as soft spoken and kind as possible. He didn’t want to set her off again. “Do you want to go get ready?”
“I’ll come soon,” she panted. Her face was red and her hair was sticking to her forehead.
“Are you still mad?” he asked.
“I just need another moment; I haven’t been in here long enough. See you soon.”
Max left her alone and went to the room to have a shower. He’d allowed himself to grow quite stubbly while on this trip and decided it was probably time to shave.
He had just got out of the shower and was standing in front of the mirror applying shaving cream when Liz walked in. She came and stood next to him. “Maybe I overreacted a bit,” she said. “But only a bit.”
“And I shouldn’t be so aloof about him having sex…I suppose,” Max smiled at her. “Ah well, we’ll deal with it when we get home I say. Let’s go have a beautiful dinner on the deck.”
“Hmmm,” Liz started to take out her earrings. “I’ll just have a shower.”
She left her ring, watch and earrings on the sink like always and then stripped off and got into the shower. Max remained at the sink, shaving his face.
“Why are you getting rid of the stubble anyway?” she asked. “You know I like it.”
“Well,” Max shot a look at her, “I feel like a pirate for one thing.”
Liz let the water run over her face. She closed her eyes and ran her hands through her hair and down her neck. It was then that she felt a familiar lump, once again.
She froze and ran her fingers back over the same spot, just to check. She was right, the lump was back. She told Max and he opened the shower door and felt her neck.
“Maybe the doctor missed a spot?” he asked with concern. “It’s probably not serious. You may just need to get it removed again—this time properly.”
Liz bit her lip. “But what if not? He said he got it all.”
“Don’t worry about it just yet,” Max said, trying to be supportive. “We’ll get it checked out again when we dock again.”
“Okay.”
For the rest of her shower she kept running her fingers over it again and again. She couldn’t help it; she was extremely paranoid when it came to health issues.
She tried not to let it ruin their dinner.
“Wow…” Max said when he saw her outfit. “You look really nice. I haven’t seen that dress before.”
“That’s because I bought it today,” she replied. “So you like it?”
It was white and strapless and flowed down just past her knees in many silky layers. He put his hands on her hips and leaned back to examine her appreciatively. “Heck yes, you’ve gotten so brown on this trip.”
“I know,” she smiled. “You look nice too.”
They kissed softly and Liz wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you,” she said.
“I love you too,” he said and smiled down at her. “But the first thing we have to do when we get back home is buy a new bed.”
“How about three?”
“Why not, we can afford it. In fact, we could buy a whole new bedroom.”
~*~
Naples 2011
Liz covered the floor in front of the fireplace with pillows and sat down with a coffee and a book. It was raining outside and she was nice and warm in her bedroom with her favourite CD on the stereo.
Natalie and Alexander were watching cartoons in the lounge and Thomas was having a nap. She left the door open so she could hear if they needed anything but she thought that if she didn’t have a few moments to herself she would go bonkers. Today had been incredibly hectic.
She had just got a job at a small bookstore in town and though it wasn’t imperative that she work (Max brought in enough money to pay the bills) she liked to have something to fill her mornings. Alexander and Natalie were both at school now and Thomas was in day care so she worked from eight-thirty until two four days a week.
After work today she’d planned to pick up Thomas and rush to the supermarket before the other two got out. However, this didn’t work out because she’d been held up and ended up having to take all three of them with her.
Taking three under-ten-year-olds to the supermarket was not an easy task. Thomas was crying, Alexander had walked off and Natalie was talking on and on and on about her day. Liz was saying “Yip, yip, yip” to Natalie, “Shhh, it’s okay darling” to Thomas and yelling, “Alexander get back here right now” at the same time—all while trying to find friggin’ soy sauce.
And some woman had the nerve to curse her in Italian and say, “Learn how to control your children!” at the checkout. It was all because Natalie and Alexander started to fill her trolley with candy saying, “She had too much gross stuff” and “Needed more sugar.”
Liz had curtly replied that, “She was doing her best,” only to have the lady reply with, “Well perhaps you shouldn’t have had more children then you could handle.”
Once home she got Natalie to help her unload the groceries and then had to make dinner while the kids played in the lounge. It was cooking right now and she just hoped Max would be home soon to take it out of the oven so she wouldn’t have to get up.
Her priers were answered when she heard the front door open and Max greet the kids. She pictured him kissing their heads and Natalie shrugging him off—she thought she was too old for kisses now—he’d put his keys on the table and take off his jacket. Today, because it was raining and they’d be wet, he’d bend down and unlace his shoes and then leave them in the most inconvenient place where anyone could trip over them. Later she’d have to move them to dry in the cupboard with the hot water cylinder.
If he was hungry he’d go and check the oven to see what was cooking and he might have a glass of water at the sink. Then he’d come and find her.
She waited and soon he was in the door. His gentle expression and smiling face was exactly what she wanted to see but it wasn’t gentle today. She could tell without even looking up from her book, it was easy to sense.
He had stress lines on his face and his expression was grouchy. He’d obviously had a hard afternoon, just like her.
He came and kissed her forehead. He always kissed her forehead when he was in a bad mood— lips if he was happy. She smiled at him, even if it was the beaten smile of an exhausted mother, and he smiled back and said hello.
“I’m tired,” he added, “And I need a hot shower.”
“I can tell,” she said, “Sit down with me for a few minutes.”
He did and she wrapped his arm around her and rested her head on his shoulder. Her book was tucked aside forgotten and her coffee was slowly cooling by her thigh.
“How was your afternoon?” he asked.
“About as bad as yours.” She told him about the lady in the supermarket and how she’d wanted to punch her lights out.
“You should have,” he said. “Silly cow. If I’d been there—“
“Yes I know what you would have done if you’d been there,” she smiled. “Are you hungry?”
“Yeah,” he nodded. “But I could stay here all night.”
“You can if you want.”
She didn’t care how busy her afternoon had been now. She wanted to take care of her husband whom she loved so much and couldn’t help but fawn over. She wanted to show him how much she loved his children and how much she loved everything they had together. “We can all have dinner right here and Natalie can do her homework right here too.”
He looked pleased by that idea and leaned down to give her a sweet kiss on the lips. Alexander turned up in the doorway.
“Mom when’s dinner? We’re hungry.”
“I know honey,” she said. “I’m just about to go dish it out now. Do you want to help me?”
She used Max’s shoulder to help her stand up and she put her hand on his head before walking away. She saw him take a sip of her coffee out of the corner of her eye.
They didn’t eat dinner in front of the fire and Max cleaned up while Liz gave Alexander and Thomas a bath. Natalie was old enough to look after herself now and soon Alexander would be too. He always said he was.
“Nat!” Liz yelled from the bathroom. “Get some pyjamas for Thomas would you?”
“Which ones?!” Natalie screamed back as loud as possible. Any excuse to shout and she would use it. She loved to shout.
“ANY!” Liz cried back.
“I want the ones with turtles,” Thomas said while splashing about with his toy submarine.
“THE ONE’S WITH TURTLES!” Liz yelled. She grabbed a towel out of the cupboard and told Thomas to stand up. He did, reluctantly.
“Don’t take the water out,” he said nervously. “I don’t like it.”
“I know…I won’t. I’ll do when you’re out okay?” Thomas hated the noise the bath made when it emptied down the drain. It scared him to death.
Natalie came into the bathroom with some pyjamas and Thomas wouldn’t put them on because they were the wrong ones. “I’ll go look,” he said and ran out the bathroom, butt naked. Liz went to follow him and noticed Alexander in the lounge, standing in front of the fire—also butt naked—watching TV.
“Alex,” Liz said, “I thought you’d got dressed. What are you doing?”
“It’s warm here, I like it,” he told her.
“Don’t burn yourself.”
The pyjamas Thomas wanted had been washed and were wet and he howled at her and said he wouldn’t wear anything else. Liz was too tired to argue and just ended up putting them in the drier. He sat down in front of the fire with Alexander and Max laughed when he saw them both watching cartoons naked.
Natalie told them they were gross. “Stupid boys.”
“Do you want a cup of tea?” Max asked Liz. She shook her head and told him he should go have a shower now.
The washing pile was huge and needed to be folded and put away but Liz was too exhausted so she just lay down on the couch with Natalie and watched TV. Cartoons weren’t very stimulating so before she knew it she’d fallen asleep and Max was waking her gently.
“Hmm…” she sighed. The television was off and the kids weren’t in sight. “What time is it?”
“You haven’t been asleep long,” he said, “Natalie wants you to go in and say goodnight. I’ve just put them all to bed.”
“Okay,” she nodded and slowly got up. Max put some wood on the fire while she went to the kids. The all kissed her goodnight and tried to get her to talk to them for ages so they wouldn’t have to go to sleep.
“You fell asleep on me,” Natalie laughed. “You could have squashed me. Dad told me not to wake you up.”
Liz smiled. “I’m sorry I fell asleep on you.”
Max was waiting for her on the pillow-patch by the fire when she left the bedrooms. He greeted her with open arms and she gladly folded into his clean-smelling warm chest. She sighed.
They didn’t speak. They didn’t need to.
~*~
Aha! It's amazing how you can get something finished with lots of people pushing you lol. There you go guys, I hope you liked it
thanks for everything
~nicola
The ship stopped for a day in a small city on the west coast of Greece and Max and Liz spent their free time strolling around the markets and shops. It had been a week since they’d left Naples and though they were happy to be away, they were missing the kids.
When they found a phone booth Liz called Maria to check on them. Max sat back on a brick fence and stared at the beautiful landscape. Though he loved their home in Italy, he was tempted to move on. They’d lived in the same place throughout their whole marriage and he was probably more attached to it than he thought but that didn’t stop him considering new opportunities.
“Oh my God!” Liz suddenly cried into the phone. “Is he there? Put him on.”
Max looked at her questioningly and she just raised her eye brows.
“Well you just tell him he’ll be hearing about this when we get home. I’m sorry you had to deal with that Maria.” She chuckled. “Yeah, yeah. Okay, thanks for everything. See you later.”
“What’s he done?” Max asked, “Its Alexander isn’t it?”
“Of course,” Liz answered. She sat down beside him. “Maria caught him having sex.”
Max bit his lip to keep from smiling and tried very hard to look seriously concerned. He was so proud!
Liz rested her sunglasses on her lap and rubbed her eyes. “That’s not all,” she said. “She came home after lunch and didn’t even realize he was there because he was supposed to be at school. But…she heard a noise coming from our room and…”
“Wait a minute,” Max suddenly didn’t have any trouble being annoyed. “Our fucking room? He had sex on our bed?”
“Yes,” Liz cringed. “Max, Alexander is too young to be having sex.”
“He did it on our bed!” Max howled. “The sex I don’t care about but when he does something as disrespectful as using the bed I sleep on! Oh no, he’s dead.”
Liz looked at him. “Wait a minute, you don’t care?”
“Well Liz…”
“Don’t ‘well Liz’ me. If it was Natalie we were talking about things would be much different wouldn’t they?”
“But we’re not talking about her. Thank God.”
She shot to her feet and put her hands on her hips. “Max. Alexander should not be—”
Max lifted his hands up. “Calm down Liz, he’s a guy and it’s pretty normal for him to be...”
“Normal!” Liz cried. “And how old do you think the girl is? His age Max, that’s like Natalie having sex at his age. She has parents too.”
“It’s different when it’s a guy.”
Liz shook her head. “You’re unbelievable. Give me my bag.”
Max handed her her purse and asked where they were going.
“I’m going back to ship, you can do whatever you damn well please.”
Max watched her storm through the crowd of shoppers and shook his head. He was in trouble. Maybe he would give her an hour or two to cool down and then he’d go find her. He seriously did not see what the problem was. His Alexander was becoming a man, what was wrong with that?
He missed his son then. Lately they didn’t get on as well as they could have but they used to go for runs on the beach together and his art work never ceased to amaze Max. He felt like talking to him again and remembered the first time he gave him a sip of his beer and he didn’t like it.
Max strolled around for a while and then went and stood on the beach with his feet in the water. The sun was shining brightly and his scalp started to get hot under his dark mop of hair. He decided he was sick of gorgeous weather; all he ever had was gorgeous weather. He wanted to go somewhere where it rained and was freezing cold.
The good thing about freezing cold was sitting in front of the fire with a glass of wine. Whenever it got even a little bit chilly he and Liz would start loading in wood and get the fire going. The kids told them they were insane but they liked to share chocolate cake and relax on a pile of pillows.
Now he missed Liz, thinking about her warm little body by the fire. He sighed and went back to the ship but he didn’t find her in their room. She was in the gym on a bike. It took him forever to find her there.
“It’s nearly dinner time,” he said, trying to be as soft spoken and kind as possible. He didn’t want to set her off again. “Do you want to go get ready?”
“I’ll come soon,” she panted. Her face was red and her hair was sticking to her forehead.
“Are you still mad?” he asked.
“I just need another moment; I haven’t been in here long enough. See you soon.”
Max left her alone and went to the room to have a shower. He’d allowed himself to grow quite stubbly while on this trip and decided it was probably time to shave.
He had just got out of the shower and was standing in front of the mirror applying shaving cream when Liz walked in. She came and stood next to him. “Maybe I overreacted a bit,” she said. “But only a bit.”
“And I shouldn’t be so aloof about him having sex…I suppose,” Max smiled at her. “Ah well, we’ll deal with it when we get home I say. Let’s go have a beautiful dinner on the deck.”
“Hmmm,” Liz started to take out her earrings. “I’ll just have a shower.”
She left her ring, watch and earrings on the sink like always and then stripped off and got into the shower. Max remained at the sink, shaving his face.
“Why are you getting rid of the stubble anyway?” she asked. “You know I like it.”
“Well,” Max shot a look at her, “I feel like a pirate for one thing.”
Liz let the water run over her face. She closed her eyes and ran her hands through her hair and down her neck. It was then that she felt a familiar lump, once again.
She froze and ran her fingers back over the same spot, just to check. She was right, the lump was back. She told Max and he opened the shower door and felt her neck.
“Maybe the doctor missed a spot?” he asked with concern. “It’s probably not serious. You may just need to get it removed again—this time properly.”
Liz bit her lip. “But what if not? He said he got it all.”
“Don’t worry about it just yet,” Max said, trying to be supportive. “We’ll get it checked out again when we dock again.”
“Okay.”
For the rest of her shower she kept running her fingers over it again and again. She couldn’t help it; she was extremely paranoid when it came to health issues.
She tried not to let it ruin their dinner.
“Wow…” Max said when he saw her outfit. “You look really nice. I haven’t seen that dress before.”
“That’s because I bought it today,” she replied. “So you like it?”
It was white and strapless and flowed down just past her knees in many silky layers. He put his hands on her hips and leaned back to examine her appreciatively. “Heck yes, you’ve gotten so brown on this trip.”
“I know,” she smiled. “You look nice too.”
They kissed softly and Liz wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you,” she said.
“I love you too,” he said and smiled down at her. “But the first thing we have to do when we get back home is buy a new bed.”
“How about three?”
“Why not, we can afford it. In fact, we could buy a whole new bedroom.”
~*~
Naples 2011
Liz covered the floor in front of the fireplace with pillows and sat down with a coffee and a book. It was raining outside and she was nice and warm in her bedroom with her favourite CD on the stereo.
Natalie and Alexander were watching cartoons in the lounge and Thomas was having a nap. She left the door open so she could hear if they needed anything but she thought that if she didn’t have a few moments to herself she would go bonkers. Today had been incredibly hectic.
She had just got a job at a small bookstore in town and though it wasn’t imperative that she work (Max brought in enough money to pay the bills) she liked to have something to fill her mornings. Alexander and Natalie were both at school now and Thomas was in day care so she worked from eight-thirty until two four days a week.
After work today she’d planned to pick up Thomas and rush to the supermarket before the other two got out. However, this didn’t work out because she’d been held up and ended up having to take all three of them with her.
Taking three under-ten-year-olds to the supermarket was not an easy task. Thomas was crying, Alexander had walked off and Natalie was talking on and on and on about her day. Liz was saying “Yip, yip, yip” to Natalie, “Shhh, it’s okay darling” to Thomas and yelling, “Alexander get back here right now” at the same time—all while trying to find friggin’ soy sauce.
And some woman had the nerve to curse her in Italian and say, “Learn how to control your children!” at the checkout. It was all because Natalie and Alexander started to fill her trolley with candy saying, “She had too much gross stuff” and “Needed more sugar.”
Liz had curtly replied that, “She was doing her best,” only to have the lady reply with, “Well perhaps you shouldn’t have had more children then you could handle.”
Once home she got Natalie to help her unload the groceries and then had to make dinner while the kids played in the lounge. It was cooking right now and she just hoped Max would be home soon to take it out of the oven so she wouldn’t have to get up.
Her priers were answered when she heard the front door open and Max greet the kids. She pictured him kissing their heads and Natalie shrugging him off—she thought she was too old for kisses now—he’d put his keys on the table and take off his jacket. Today, because it was raining and they’d be wet, he’d bend down and unlace his shoes and then leave them in the most inconvenient place where anyone could trip over them. Later she’d have to move them to dry in the cupboard with the hot water cylinder.
If he was hungry he’d go and check the oven to see what was cooking and he might have a glass of water at the sink. Then he’d come and find her.
She waited and soon he was in the door. His gentle expression and smiling face was exactly what she wanted to see but it wasn’t gentle today. She could tell without even looking up from her book, it was easy to sense.
He had stress lines on his face and his expression was grouchy. He’d obviously had a hard afternoon, just like her.
He came and kissed her forehead. He always kissed her forehead when he was in a bad mood— lips if he was happy. She smiled at him, even if it was the beaten smile of an exhausted mother, and he smiled back and said hello.
“I’m tired,” he added, “And I need a hot shower.”
“I can tell,” she said, “Sit down with me for a few minutes.”
He did and she wrapped his arm around her and rested her head on his shoulder. Her book was tucked aside forgotten and her coffee was slowly cooling by her thigh.
“How was your afternoon?” he asked.
“About as bad as yours.” She told him about the lady in the supermarket and how she’d wanted to punch her lights out.
“You should have,” he said. “Silly cow. If I’d been there—“
“Yes I know what you would have done if you’d been there,” she smiled. “Are you hungry?”
“Yeah,” he nodded. “But I could stay here all night.”
“You can if you want.”
She didn’t care how busy her afternoon had been now. She wanted to take care of her husband whom she loved so much and couldn’t help but fawn over. She wanted to show him how much she loved his children and how much she loved everything they had together. “We can all have dinner right here and Natalie can do her homework right here too.”
He looked pleased by that idea and leaned down to give her a sweet kiss on the lips. Alexander turned up in the doorway.
“Mom when’s dinner? We’re hungry.”
“I know honey,” she said. “I’m just about to go dish it out now. Do you want to help me?”
She used Max’s shoulder to help her stand up and she put her hand on his head before walking away. She saw him take a sip of her coffee out of the corner of her eye.
They didn’t eat dinner in front of the fire and Max cleaned up while Liz gave Alexander and Thomas a bath. Natalie was old enough to look after herself now and soon Alexander would be too. He always said he was.
“Nat!” Liz yelled from the bathroom. “Get some pyjamas for Thomas would you?”
“Which ones?!” Natalie screamed back as loud as possible. Any excuse to shout and she would use it. She loved to shout.
“ANY!” Liz cried back.
“I want the ones with turtles,” Thomas said while splashing about with his toy submarine.
“THE ONE’S WITH TURTLES!” Liz yelled. She grabbed a towel out of the cupboard and told Thomas to stand up. He did, reluctantly.
“Don’t take the water out,” he said nervously. “I don’t like it.”
“I know…I won’t. I’ll do when you’re out okay?” Thomas hated the noise the bath made when it emptied down the drain. It scared him to death.
Natalie came into the bathroom with some pyjamas and Thomas wouldn’t put them on because they were the wrong ones. “I’ll go look,” he said and ran out the bathroom, butt naked. Liz went to follow him and noticed Alexander in the lounge, standing in front of the fire—also butt naked—watching TV.
“Alex,” Liz said, “I thought you’d got dressed. What are you doing?”
“It’s warm here, I like it,” he told her.
“Don’t burn yourself.”
The pyjamas Thomas wanted had been washed and were wet and he howled at her and said he wouldn’t wear anything else. Liz was too tired to argue and just ended up putting them in the drier. He sat down in front of the fire with Alexander and Max laughed when he saw them both watching cartoons naked.
Natalie told them they were gross. “Stupid boys.”
“Do you want a cup of tea?” Max asked Liz. She shook her head and told him he should go have a shower now.
The washing pile was huge and needed to be folded and put away but Liz was too exhausted so she just lay down on the couch with Natalie and watched TV. Cartoons weren’t very stimulating so before she knew it she’d fallen asleep and Max was waking her gently.
“Hmm…” she sighed. The television was off and the kids weren’t in sight. “What time is it?”
“You haven’t been asleep long,” he said, “Natalie wants you to go in and say goodnight. I’ve just put them all to bed.”
“Okay,” she nodded and slowly got up. Max put some wood on the fire while she went to the kids. The all kissed her goodnight and tried to get her to talk to them for ages so they wouldn’t have to go to sleep.
“You fell asleep on me,” Natalie laughed. “You could have squashed me. Dad told me not to wake you up.”
Liz smiled. “I’m sorry I fell asleep on you.”
Max was waiting for her on the pillow-patch by the fire when she left the bedrooms. He greeted her with open arms and she gladly folded into his clean-smelling warm chest. She sighed.
They didn’t speak. They didn’t need to.
~*~
Aha! It's amazing how you can get something finished with lots of people pushing you lol. There you go guys, I hope you liked it
thanks for everything
~nicola
Last edited by nicola on Fri Mar 11, 2005 11:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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