Timelord31 - now that would be telling wouldn't it?
tesquathisy - I guess being good students has it's advantages maybe? Glad you enjoyed the chapter though and thanks for the wishing me luck with my exams, they're all over now of course, but now it's a case of waiting
. Sorry for the long wait, but I do have a new chapter finally so maybe you'll forgive me. Thanks for being patient and hope anyone reading is still enjoying the story. Here's the new chapter.
~Kat~
Chapter 21
“Hey Liz…”
Liz smiled brightly as her boyfriend greeted her, leaning over the counter to give him a quick kiss as he sat down. “Hey Max…”
“I just thought I’d pop in on the way home…see how you were doing…” Max said by way of explanation.
Liz raised an eyebrow in amusement. “Yeah right...” She shook her head. “Max, I do appreciate the concern really, but I’m okay…I had a stomach bug, it was nasty at the time, but I’m fine now, honest…”
He gave a sheepish shrug. “Sorry, didn’t mean to be too obvious…I was just…”
“Worried…” She finished for him with a smile. “I know, but honestly I’m good… Do you want a drink…?”
Max nodded. “Yeah, sure, that’d be great thanks…”
Responding silently, Liz smiled, fixing him a cherry coke quickly and setting it down in front of him before heading over to see what the guy who had just called from table three wanted.
It turned out to be a simple drinks order, and once she had fixed and delivered it, Liz returned to the counter with a smile on her face. After days stuck in bed, it was just so nice to be up and about, to say nothing of the rather pleasant addition that Max being here made to her shift.
“You look happy…” Max observed as he watched her moving behind the counter, her shiny brown hair tied back in a ponytail which was bobbing up and down as she moved back and forth working.
His comment was rewarded with another big smile as Liz turned towards him and nodded. “Yeah well I guess I have a lot to be happy about…” She responded softly as she stepped forward and leant over the counter again, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “After all, I have this great guy for starters who is pretty amazing…”
“Really…anyone I know…?” He asked playfully
She laughed and shook her head. “Oh, yeah, I think you just might…”
Grinning, her boyfriend looked back at her. “Well, you know I think this guy, whoever he is, is a very lucky guy…” His tone had now lowered and taken on a serious edge as he looked into her eyes.
“Not as lucky as me…” Liz returned in an equally serious manner as their gazes became locked into one another, the outside world seemingly ceasing to exist for the couple for a moment, and neither seemed to move until a cough sounded from behind, alerting them to the presence of Mr Parker who was stood behind…
Liz swallowed. “Oh dad, hey…” She pulled back from her boyfriend and straightened her skirt. “I was just...talking to Max…”
Jeff nodded. “So I see… Maybe you’d like to go see to table eight though, I think they’re just about ready to order…”
His daughter nodded quickly. “Oh, yeah, sure…sorry…” She grabbed an order pad from the front of her apron and slipped out from behind the counter, fixing a smile on her face as she headed to the customer’s table just as her father had requested.
“Hey Mr Parker…” Max raised his hand awkwardly in greeting as he reached for his drink.
“Afternoon Max…” Mr Parker nodded again as he moved behind the counter to get something he needed. Looking over to where his daughter was busy with the customers, he seemed to think for a moment before looking back at the young man in front of him. He had tried to reassure his wife when it came to her misgivings about the relationship which his daughter was in, but he had to admit that until he had walked into the diner a few moments before, he hadn’t realised the true extent of that relationship.
The two teens seemed…besotted with one another… He had known for a long time that his daughter’s feelings were strong of course, and the way Max looked at her to him confirmed that he felt the same, but this was something quite different and far more serious than he would have expected for his seventeen year old daughter….
At Liz’s request, he had kept his ‘interrogations’ to a minimum with Max in the past, but he was beginning to wonder if it was time to say a little more…
The question of course was how to broach such a subject, although perhaps the way that Max had just turned to watch Liz again gave him an opening… “I’m sure she’ll be back soon enough…”
Turning in his seat, Max appeared distinctly uncomfortable as he realised that he was being watched. “Oh, yes…sorry…” He murmured, considering for a moment making a quick exit, but soon dismissing the idea since it probably wouldn’t help the situation and would besides, necessitate his leaving his girlfriend which was something he had no desire to do…
Jeff noted each movement carefully, considering before speaking again. “You and Liz are very serious about one another aren’t you…?”
“Yes Mr Parker…I believe we are…” The young man being questioned nodded, his tone calm and sincere. “I love your daughter very much…” He added after a moment’s concideration, looking up to meet the other man’s gaze in the hopes that this might help show that he wasn’t saying this for effect.
“So she seems to believe…” Mr Parker responded evenly, declining to say anything more for the moment as the petite brunette at the centre of this questioning arrived back at the counter and excusing himself from the teens once more as he headed back towards the office.
Watching her father as he headed through into the back, Liz turned to her boyfriend. “What was that all about…?” She questioned softly, careful this time not to get distracted, but keep busy as she waited for his response.
“Honestly…I think maybe your dad is getting more than a little concerned about you…” Max responded after a moment. He gave her a wry smile. “I don’t suppose the whole ‘zoning’ thing helped…”
Liz nodded, chewing on her lip in a nervous fashion as she grabbed a cloth and began to wipe down the work surfaces for lack of anything else to do around him. “It’s getting worse you know…it’s one thing to do it in the jeep, or even at school, but here…” She shook her head uncertainly, obviously trying, and failing, to make sense of the strange ‘symptoms’ the two of them had been experiencing recently.
“I know…” He knew she was right of course, ‘at school’ usually meant the eraser room, and that, like in the jeep, was somewhat private… This had been extremely public though, and Max knew that it would have done nothing to endear him to Liz’s parents… Her mother was already somewhat hostile, feeling things had happened too fast, and now her father had his questions too… “We’ll work this out though, I promise…”
**********
“Do you ever go home?” Liz questioned in amusement as, for the second day in three, her boyfriend arrived at the Crashdown while she was working.
“Anyone would think that you didn’t want to see me you know…” Max commented with a pout. “I could feel hurt…”
“Oh no, I don’t want to see you, of course not…” She stuck out her tongue playfully, waving away his comments with a tone which showed exactly what she thought of them. “It couldn’t be instead that I was hoping you might go straight home so that you would do your homework and we could maybe do something after my shift…?”
“Really?” The teasing edge disappeared completely from Max’s voice as he heard this suggestion although after a moment’s consideration his response was rather more subdued than it might have been. “Are you sure you should be going out though…?” He questioned gently. He didn’t want to cause problems, but couldn’t deny that he wondered if she was taking everything on too soon after being off sick. Already she was back to normal shifts, and had been working hard later in the evenings on catch-up work which she needed to complete. Much as he liked the idea of going out with her, he wondered if they would be better waiting until the weekend…
“Now who sounds like they don’t want to see who?” Liz responded in a teasing manner, shaking her head and laughing. “Honestly Max, I’m fine!” She repeated the same statement she had made over and over to so many people since returning to school that week.
“I just don’t want you to do too much too soon… We could wait until Friday if you wanted…”
His girlfriend groaned. “I don’t…what I would really like is to go out with you tonight…I want to spend some time with just you…now…” Leaning into his arms, she rested her head against his chest for a moment and looked up at him. “What do you say…?”
Some time with her…just the two of them… Max couldn’t help thinking that sounded very appealing… And it was so hard to deny Liz anything when she was looking at him like that… He could feel his objections fading away as he thought about the time they could have together and finally he nodded a smile adorning his face as he looked back at his girlfriend. “Okay, yes, of course I want to if you’re sure… What time do you finish…?”
Liz smiled. “Seven…maybe you could pick me up about half past…?” She suggested softly.
“Sure…” He nodded. “Do you know what you want to do…? We could go to the cinema maybe…?”
“Not the cinema…there’s nothing good on you know…”
Max grinned. “Well, I wasn’t necessarily thinking of watching…”
“MAX!” Liz’s eyes widened as she shook her head, her cheeks flushing deeply at the suggestive tone of his voice.
“Sorry…” He shrugged awkwardly, not completely sure where that came from... “We could just go for a drive though…if you wanted…?”
“Yeah…I’d like that…it sounds really good…” His girlfriend responded softly, pausing a moment and then opening her mouth to say more but stopping as she heard a call from one of the tables. Knowing what had happened earlier in the week, she knew that she couldn’t afford to get distracted from her work, and flashing an apologetic look in Max’s direction, she excused herself quickly to see what was wanted.
Max nodded understandingly. “Okay, so I’ll see you later than…about half seven…?”
“Unless you want to hang around just a little longer…” Liz turned briefly to him again with a smile that was meant just for him. “Just I’m due for a break in about quarter of an hour…If you can wait that long, I could maybe come and sit with you for a bit…?” She suggested sweetly with a look which gave the impression that butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth.
Smiling as he settled back on his seat Max shook his head as he watched her moving across the diner floor. As though she needed to ask…of course he’d still be there…
**********
“Max…” Nancy nodded to the young man as he entered the diner.
“Hi Mrs Parker…” Max did his best to try and hide his discomfort as his girlfriend’s mother greeted him. He knew well enough by now that she was just looking for some reason to disapprove it seemed, and didn’t want to give her any excuse.
“I thought you were in earlier…what brings you back so soon…?”
“Me…” Liz responded for him as she re-entered the diner and walked up behind her mother. After finishing her shift, she had popped up to the apartment briefly to freshen up and get changed, and in place of her uniform was now wearing a skirt and top. Flashing a smile, she reached out to her boyfriend and looked back at her mom. “We were just going to catch a movie or something…if that’s okay…?”
Mrs Parker didn’t look too happy as took in her daughter’s appearance. “Don’t you think you should be resting, or catching up on schoolwork…?” She questioned, clearly unsatisfied with the explanation because as far as she was concerned, there was no way Liz should be going out that evening.
“I’ll make sure she’s not late back Mrs Parker…” Max did his best to try and help, squeezing his girlfriend’s hand gently, as he drew her closer to his side.
“And I’m practically caught up with schoolwork already, honest mom…” Liz’s voice took on a pleading tone, knowing all too well where her mother was going with this. “I think getting out after being cooped up all weekend would be good for me… I promise I’ll be back before my curfew!”
With all her objections effectively silenced, Nancy had little option but to nod. She could try and insist on her daughter remaining at home of course, but she was getting older, and it became more difficult as she did, to effectively treat her as a child. There was nothing literally wrong with the couple going out, and they had promised to be back at a reasonable time…
“I think that will be fine…” Jeff answered for his wife as he arrived in time to hear his daughter’s pleas.
Liz grinned as she turned to hug her father. “Thanks dad.”
He nodded. “Alright, but just remember to be home on time…”
“We will, thanks Mr Parker, Mrs Parker...have a good evening…” Max nodded politely as he took Liz’s hand in his and began to lead her towards the door which he then opened and held in a gentlemanly manner.
Smiling softly, Liz stepped outside and then waited for him to join her before the couple continued along and crossed the road. Climbing into the passenger seat as Max held open the door, Liz settled herself as her boyfriend came round the driver’s side.
“So, I don’t think I’ve told you how incredible you look tonight…” Max began as turned in his seat to look at her. Although he knew it probably wouldn’t have gone down very well with her mother, he had been unable to ignore how the delicate fabric of her skirt swished against her legs and the red top she had chosen clung to every curve. It was a simple v-neck, nothing particularly extraordinary, but red was his favourite colour on her, and she just looked so…
Blushing, his girlfriend held up a hand in protest. “Max…”
He looked back at her innocently. “What, I’m only telling the truth…”
“Thank you…” She responded in a voice so soft that he barely heard her.
Grinning, he leant forward, closing the distance between them to capture her lips in his for a moment before pulling back. “So… Are we going to the movies as you told your mom…?” He questioned mischievously. “Because I could have sworn you said that there was nothing on…”
A smile of amusement spread over her face as she looked back at him, her eyes twinkling. “Well I couldn’t exactly say I just wanted to spend time with you…you can imagine how that would have gone down can’t you…” She raised an eyebrow as she reached her point and then laughed. “Besides, I did say ‘or something’…just didn’t specify what the ‘or something’ might be…”
“So I take it movies are still out…?”
She smiled coyly. “Unless you want to…”
Max shook his head. “I think you know exactly what I want…but I don’t think staying here much longer is a very good idea considering that your mom or dad could look out anytime…”
His tone might have been teasing, but his message was completely serious and Liz nodded, agreeing that they should relocate at least, and reluctantly sitting back to strap herself in as they pulled away from the kerb and headed down the road.
“So, any thoughts on what you want to do…assuming that movies are out…?” Max glanced over at her briefly to ask before turning his attention back to the road ahead.
“Do we have to do anything really…?” In all honestly Liz couldn’t help but feel she would be perfectly happy just continuing to sit here with him… Assuming it came with a few more of those kisses of course…
Her boyfriend raised an eyebrow at her response, but said nothing as they continued to drive along for the moment.
It wasn’t too long before they selected a spot to stop… Just outside town, off the main road. Given the time of night there was little traffic, and neither really wanted to go any further knowing that the longer they travelled to get there, the longer time they had to allow for returning…
“So…” Liz turned in her seat as she unbuckled her belt once the engine had been turned off.
Max smiled. “So…” He echoed her as he too turned so that he was facing her and their heads dipped forward, mutually closing the distance between them from both sides. A moment later their lips met, hesitantly at first and then more fully as both deepened the kiss and Liz slipped her arms around his neck.
It didn’t take long for their positions in the jeep to change further, Liz sliding onto Max’s lap more fully as their arms and lips intertwined and they focused on just being together as the flashes began to flow between the two of them...
ETA: I finally hunted out the banner I made for this ages ago. I'm no artist so it's pretty simple, but I posted it on the first page if anyone's interested.
:D
well, you know me, don't like to have it get dull hehe. Anyway, thanks for reading hun and glad to see you're still enjoying the story.