Friends Like These M&L [TEEN] (Complete)

[WR]

Friends Like These

Disclaimer: Characters that appeared in the series and/or the books are not mine. They belong to Melinda Metz, UPN, etc, etc. I'm just borrowing them to give them a little culture.
Based on a play.

Category: AU. No Aliens. M&L. SOME UC but nothing unbearable.

Rating: Teen

Author's note: As always, a big thank you to my Beta team, BelevnDreamsToo and Smac, who in spite of their own hectice schedules, have given me their time, freely and willingly. Their comments and corrections have become so important to me, I would be lost without them. They are my sounding board and my source for those little bits of information Google never seems to find. Thank you ladies. I hope fate smiles on me one day and allows me to treat you both to dinner.

Summary: Summer time and the living is easy. Fish are biting and the cotton is high. But the path of true love is never smooth, especially if her Daddy's rich and her Mother's good looking.





Prologue


Summertime,
And the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin'
And the cotton is high

Your daddy's rich
And your mamma's good lookin'
So hush little baby
Don't you cry

One of these mornings
You're going to rise up singing
Then you'll spread your wings
And you'll take to the sky

But till that morning
There's a'nothing can harm you
With daddy and mamma standing by

Summertime,
And the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin'
And the cotton is high

Your daddy's rich
And your mamma's good lookin'
So hush little baby
Don't you cry

Summertime by George Gershwin


I think Charles Dickens summed it up best when in 'The Tale of Two Cities', he said that it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Looking back now, at the time when all of what I am about to tell you took place, I think that I really understand where Charlie-boy was coming from.

It was that fateful summer - so many years ago, now, it seems - the summer before our collegiate Senior Year, our last summer holidays before the old gang would return to our respective colleges and complete our final year of study and graduate - hopefully 'summa cum laude'. Yeah, right. After that, we would doubtless scatter to the four corners of the country and take our places in society, helping to build and shape the future. Our future! Who knew that the coming summer would have already taken care of that?

It was always the four of us. Best buds, amigos, friends to the end. We grew up together, among the streets and playgrounds of Sacramento, California where our friendship grew and cemented until it had bonds we thought no man could break. Our first day in education, the first day of kindergarten was where the four of us met. Mrs. Fields' class at the Pleasant Grove Elementary School. It was hard to imagine then, four snotty nosed brats each vying to become the big man on campus... as big as five-year-old punks can be, that we would become such fast and loyal friends. Once we were old enough to devise a name for our little group, and had learned what the term actually meant, we called ourselves the 'Four Horsemen', even though only one of us had a horse. Many were the arguments we had, vying over who was which horseman. No one wanted to be Pestilence.

It's strange to look back upon that time, when really, our innocence was all we had. Well, except for Alex who was the only one of us that came from money. 'Real' money, I mean. Like most kids who come from money, and Alex's parents were loaded, Alex liked to brag about it. But, he still shared his candies with us and invited us all to spend lazy, hot days playing in his massive yard, or in his amazing swimming pool. Even though they made sure we understood the status quo, we were always welcome in his home. We didn't care that we were seen to be subservient to Alex. All we wanted to do was swim in his pool, and play in the old barns and sheds that were out in his back forty.

Alexander Whitman was a man destined to have it all. In fact, when we graduated High School, he was voted 'Man Most Likely to Either Replace Bill Gates and Become the Richest Man on the Planet and Have Any Woman He Wants... or Get Bumped Off By A Jealous Husband'. Yeah. Me, Max and Jesse made that one up ourselves. Alex got all four votes - yes, even his.

Mr. Whitman, his father, owns orange and lemon groves, hundreds and hundreds of acres of them. He lives in a huge mansion over in Verona, about fifteen miles to the north-west of here. To a wild and growing band of tearaways, those groves were playgrounds in their purest sense. One day, they were Martian lunarscapes where we were Flash Gordon or Space Ghost, the next, the jungles of deepest Africa when they reverberated to the terrible calls of Tarzan. The day after that, they became Gotham City or Metropolis or the skyscraper lined streets of New York where there were four Supermen, Batmen and of course, four Spidermen. We had active imaginations, and access to the Cartoon Network. In those days, of course, we had no room for Lois Lane, Selina Kyle or MJ. By the time we would have been interested in finding our own versions of those soft and shapely sidekicks, we had stopped watching cartoons and reading comic books in favor of ESPN and Busty Biker Babes.

Always considered a top dog, Alex would never have been considered a jock, and in hindsight, it was only his money that gave him his "A" status. Thanks mainly in part to that very same money and the fact that he was a whiz with computers, Alex was always a very confident and popular young man. Alex was the first of our group to actually date a girl. Even though everyone said it was just a rumor, I honestly believe that he really did lose his virginity to Caroline Hopkins, his babysitter, when he was just thirteen. Alex was that kind of guy. I don't think he ever dated a girl that he didn't end up getting his way with. Having all that money sure didn't hinder him any.

As we stood back then, so close to the final year of our education, Alex had the brightest future of all of us. Well, it helps when you have money behind you, and his brains sure didn't hold him back any. Interestingly enough, although he had the most - almost everything in fact - he was the one I envied least. At least, right at that moment. He really didn't have anything that I wanted. Boy, would THAT ever change.

We all thought that Alex would end up MIT bound. But he surprised us when, after years of claiming he would never follow his father's footsteps, he actually accepted a place at his father's Alma Mater, Berkeley.

After Alex, I guess Jesse would be considered the second in the pecking order. His father being a lawyer, the Ramirez family was very well connected, and in California, that gave you automatic 'A' group status. Jesse was a quietly confident young man. When we used to argue which of the horsemen we were going to be, each claiming War or Death, he would always claim to be Famine. He thought it was cool that Famine rode a black horse. His bicycles were always black and even his first car was black. His Mom was a terrific cook and if anyone should not have been famine, it was Jesse. Still, to each, his own.

Jesse Ramirez always seemed to be the secretive one among us. We could easily see him one day working for the authorities in some manner, maybe the FBI, or even the Secret Service. He always did enjoy the games that found us being CIA undercover agents, or James Bond. His imagination always seemed to be captured more by Tom Clancy and Lee Childs than by Stan Lee or Jerry Siegel. He was always a Jack and never a Peter or a Clark.

Everyone knew that he would follow his father into law, but we were nevertheless disappointed when he chose to attend Harvard, all the way on the East Coast. We all accepted it, of course. We all knew that we had our own trails to blaze. We couldn't always be the Four Horsemen. Famine's hunger was greater than ours.

Then there was Max. Max Evans. What can I say about the guy I consider to have been my best friend, even if he does consider Alex to be his? Max is our free spirit. He was the guy who would do our thinking for us, the guy who came up with our games, our adventures, our activities. I guess you could say that in many ways, Max was our real leader. He certainly controlled everyone better than any one else. When there was the inevitable fall out and subsequent fisticuffs, Max was always the one to calm everyone down, often with just a wave of his hand, it seemed. Having come from a broken home, Max spent most of his childhood hiding out at Alex's, just to avoid his drunken step-father. I didn't learn until much later that Max's family were on welfare and with his step-father being an alcoholic, it's amazing that Max turned out as 'normal' as he did.

We did have our doubts about Max's sexuality from time to time, especially given his disposition to sleeping on Alex's floor so often. When we all started dating, trying to smooth our way into our date's bras, or hopefully, her panties, Max never seemed to worry about those things. Sure, he dated. But never the same girl twice. And not once did he brag about which base he had reached with whom. And he certainly never showed any concern that, unlike the rest of us, he had never slid home. Maybe he just didn't like to talk about it. I must confess, that listening to Alex talk about his exploits did become a little tiresome at times, and Max's silence was, well... refreshing. Especially since I am the only one of us that knows that Max reached at least third base the night we all got drunk at our Graduation Party, and with the town's only female virgin, no less, Maria Deluca. Theirs was a short lived affair and they decided the very next morning that they made better friends than lovers... thankfully. I have never been more jealous of Max than I was that night.

Yes. I have a thing for Maria.

Max did have a passion, however. Sailing. Jesse's dad took us to a nearby lake for his tenth birthday party, and we got to play in these little sailboats. Max took to sailing like a duck... you get my meaning. He turned out to be a natural and was guiding his little boat anywhere he wanted to go. Anyway, he really loved sailing, and even joined a club to learn more. The funny thing about Max and sailing is that although he was easily the best sailor in the club he later joined, he never once entered a competition. Alex said it was because he had a fear of losing. I think it was because Max sailed purely for the enjoyment of it, and turning it into some contest to prove someone was better than anyone else took away the fun.

And finally, there is me. Michael. Michael Guerin. I wouldn't have even made it into the group if Max hadn't stuck up for me that first day in Kindergarten. Alex didn't want me to join the gang, because my mom had sent me to school with a Barney lunchbox.
Alex thought Barney wasn't cool enough; that he was for kids. Max simply shrugged and reminded Alex that we 'were' kids and told me to sit next to him. When I took them all some home-made peanut butter cookies my mom baked, the following day, Alex had no further doubts about my membership. Alex loved PB cookies, and my mom loved to bake them. I honestly believe that until the advent of zits, I was Alex's best friend.

I liked Max straight away, he didn't care what other people thought of him. And I accepted his 'welfare' status, and unlike everyone else at school, including Alex and Jessie, I never once used his poverty against him. In fact, I even let Max use my house for his dates, so that he wouldn't have to embarrass himself with any girls he liked, by letting them see the crappy trailer he lived in. That's how I know about him and Maria. I think Alex liked him because it provided him with a stark contrast, kind of like how some good looking girls hang out with dogs, to make them look better.


So that was us. The Four Horsemen. We attended Senior Prom, the four of us arriving in a huge Limo Alex's dad rented for us, and promptly used to score with our dates. At least, I like to think that Max scored with his. He took his turn out there, just like the rest of us, and his date certainly didn't look disappointed. Naturally, Max never said a word even though the three of us were bragging like crazy. Yes, I scored with my date. We graduated together and had our pictures taken in one large group, promising faithfully that we would not let the fact that we were departing to different Colleges break up the posse.

We had a blast that summer. Parties, fun, games, lazing away hot afternoons, and... girls. Alex was trying to work through the entire class, it seemed. Me and Jesse each had a steady, and Max... well, Max shook his head at our antics and simply said that love was for lesser beings; that he would never allow himself to be snared by any one woman. Yeah, we all thought he was full of shit, too. It's not like he was a womanizer or anything. We dunked him in the river for that one.

So, summer ended and when September came, we each departed for our respective Colleges. Jesse left first, heading for Boston and the Cambridge Campus of Harvard. Alex and I left the next day, Alex heading for the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco and the University of California, Berkeley while I headed further down the coast to UCSD. Max? With his lack of finances, Max was forced to attend the Sacramento City College. He hoped, one day, to have the finances and the grades to transfer to somewhere a little more prestigious in the future. We promised one another faithfully, that each summer until we graduated, we would gather together, the Four Horsemen, and ride until Apocalypse came, or College restarted, whichever came first.

True to our word, the first day of each summer, we all met up and made plans for as much fun as we could cram into the holidays. Sure, we had to compromise with each other, with Max wanting to sail and Alex needing to help with the fruit harvest. Alex's plans seemed to somehow involve him trying to hook up with Maria DeLuca, a feisty blond that to date, no one seems to have bagged, Max's near miss notwithstanding. If I thought for one moment she would even look at me, I might try to give Alex a run for his money. Yeah, right. Maria DeLuca, from one of the top five wealthy families in the Sacramento area hooking up with Michael Guerin. That'll work. We're not exactly poor, but the Rockefeller's, we're not. I often wondered if Max's wealth, or lack thereof, was what had brought Maria to her senses.


Still, we always managed to fill our summers with fun. And finally, our last summer vacation before we would return to college. Our last hurrah. Our last chance to sow our wild oats, the last of our summer wine. Were we going to have fun that summer, or what?

And then Max had to go and spoil it all.


* * *

[WR]

Friends Like These.

Chapter 1



Guess who just got back today?
Them wild-eyed boys that had been away
Haven't changed, haven't much to say
But man, I still think them cats are crazy

They were asking if you were around
How you was, where you could be found
Told them you were living downtown
Driving all the old men crazy

The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
I said
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town

You know that chick that used to dance a lot
Every night she'd be on the floor shaking what she'd got
Man when I tell you she was cool, she was red hot
I mean she was steaming

And that time over at Johnny's place
Well this chick got up and she slapped Johnny's face
Man we just fell about the place
If that chick don't want to know, forget her

The boys are back in town
I said
The boys are back in town

Spread the word around
Guess who's back in town

You spread the word around

Friday night they'll be dressed to kill
Down at Dino's bar and grill
The drink will flow and blood will spill
And if the boys want to fight, you'd better let them

That jukebox in the corner blasting out my favorite song
The nights are getting warmer, it won't be long
Won't be long till summer comes
Now that the boys are here again

The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
Spread the word around
The boys are back in town
The boys are back in town
The boy's are back, the boys are back

The boy's are back in town again
Been hangin' down at Dino's
The boy's are back in town again

The Boys Are Back In Town by Thin Lizzy


That first day of the summer holidays, we were to meet, as usual, at Minto's, the Italian café on Beaker Street. From as early as Junior High, we always hung out at Minto's. It became 'our' place. Although I have to say, that as the kids that hang there now are looking younger every year, we're starting to feel out of place in 'our' place. Just like the scene at the end of St Elmo's Fire, when the gang all get together and look into 'their' place, seeing the new batch of freshmen students sitting at 'their' table. It's a metaphor for growing up, I think.

Am I really older than the waitress who just took my order? We used to aspire to date these waitresses. And now they are younger than us? Damn.

Well, anyway, Alex was the first of us to arrive. He was already waiting inside when I turned up, and he was already flirting with Maria as I walked in. I don't mean the silly flirting we all used to do with any girl that came into the place, but 'seriously' flirting. And she was flirting right back. That was when I started to actually envy Alex. He looked like he was finally going to have something I wanted.


* * *


"Michael!" Alex spotted Michael entering the bar and rose to greet him.

"Hey, Alex, amigo," the two men gave one another a double high five, both hands clasping the other's high in the air, followed by a manly hug with lots of back slapping. "How was your year?"

"Tough, tiring, traumatic..." Michael grinned.

"Typical," Alex laughed.

"Tragic," Michael shrugged. "Hey, Maria," Michael acknowledged the blonde.

"Hey, Mikey," Maria nodded back with a smile. "Long time no see."

"Seen Max, yet?" Michael smiled at the blonde and turned to Alex.

"Nah," Alex shook his head. "You'd think with him still living here in Sacramento and all, he'd have been the first to arrive."

"He's probably got work, or something," Michael excused his friend's absence. "You know, him not having the luxury of money like you, he still has to work for a living. He's probably at work over at Wal-Mart. I'm sure he'll be by later. Heard from Jesse?"

"Jesse didn't get in till late last night," Alex gave a shrug. "He won't be by till later, too. So... are we gonna have fun this summer, or what?"

"What," Michael forced his grin.


* * *


'What' was right. I didn't have the heart to tell him what was happening that summer. Not without Max there for backup. It was, after all, his idea, not mine. Yes, I had agreed to it, but I think it was Max's place to tell Alex. Max deals with Alex better than I do, anyway.

Alex and I hung with Maria for a while before I started to feel a little green around the gills, not to mention the impression I was this third wheel or something, and left to get myself another coffee. I know they have waitress service at Minto's but watching Alex with Maria was doing things to my stomach. I was jealous, okay? Do you have any idea how much catching Max with Maria that time ate me up? I was so relieved when Max stopped them from going further, telling her that he couldn't do that to her while they were both drunk. And with Alex, Maria seemed to be lapping his attention up. I really think she's going to give in to him this summer. And who wouldn't? Like I said, the guy's a rising star, and it makes so much sense that the two families unite. Excuse me while I stick my finger down my throat.

Jesse turned up a little after lunchtime and Max rolled from his early morning shift at Wal-Mart an hour after that. Maria, feeling a little bit outnumbered, not to mention in the way, departed for friend or friends unknown, leaving the four of us to ourselves. The Four Horsemen were reunited. And would you believe it? Before we have settled in, even before Alex can start with his ideas for the summer, almost the first thing Max brings up is...

'THE' plan.

I was hoping to ease Alex into the idea, spring it on him gently, but it turned out that circumstances were beyond our control.


* * *


"So tell me, Alex," Max grinned after the four young men finish their greetings. "Are you and Maria finally going to get it together this summer?"

"Maybe," Alex gave a non-committal shrug that was spoiled by his smug grin.

"Maybe?" Jesse laughed out loud. "Come on. The two of you have been flirting around each other for years now. I mean, I've heard of playing it cool but continental drift moves faster than you two."

"Well, then," Alex gave a sly smile. "I do have reason to believe that, yes, Maria and I will be getting together, sooner rather than later. And why not? I mean, she's feisty, she's intelligent..."

"She has a killer bod," Jesse leered.

"The fact of which Max can attest to," Michael smirked, liking that his barb hit the target.

"He only got to second," Alex's growl fell an octave. "She wouldn't have gone any farther."

Michael chose to remain silent while Max fidgeted uncomfortably. Michael knew exactly how close Max had come to scoring a home run with Maria.

"So you finally get to do the horizontal polka with her, huh?" Jesse blazed on.

"No, no," Alex shook his head. "Well, hopefully. But it's more than that, you guys. It's much more."

"More?" Max smirked. "You? Mr. Get-What-I-Can-and-Leave Whitman"

"Uh huh," Alex nodded. "More. I think I'm in love with her."

There was a sudden silence at this statement.

"Love?" Michael couldn't help his face looking sick. "For real?"

"Are you shitting us, Whitman?" Jesse demanded.

"I shit you not," Alex hook his head. "You know, when I started to flirt with Maria, it was like, yeah, I just wanted to bang her like the others. Only she's not like the others. Christ, she's made me work for it. And the harder I had to work the more I came to... respect her. Until... this morning, I saw her... and POW! I'm in love."

"How do you know it's love?" Jesse nudged him with his elbow. "And not just horn dogged lust?"

"It's love," Alex gave a distant look. "When I saw her, my stomach started to just... flip flop. And my heart just started to pound, you know? Boom boom, boom boom." Alex beat his fist against his chest for emphasis.

"Flip flop?" Michael raised his eyebrows.

"Boom boom, boom boom?" Jesse smirked.

"And now, she's not around," Alex ignored them, "and all I do is look for her, and count the minutes till I see her again."

"Spare me the details," Max held his hand in the air, his palm out like some kind of shield. "I think I'm gonna yak. Sounds like you're coming down with something."

"A bad case of the luuuv bug," Jesse laughed.

"Right. Listen to Max-never-even-scored-with-even-the-town-bicycle," Alex sneered. "What would you know about love?"

"Only that it's not something I plan to fall into," Max shrugged. "Remember how all those guys in high school fell in 'love' and were lead around campus by invisible rings in their noses? The matching wardrobe? And those stupid looks on their faces? Those sappy sighs every time their slaver walked by? Yes, dear. No, dear. Three bags full dear. I mean, just take a look what it has done to you, Alex. No, sir. I will never fall in love." He gave a soft snort. "Love just keeps a man from reaching his true potential, kind of like a dog on a leash."

"You mean, you don't want someone to share your life with, Max?" Jesse narrowed his eyes.

"Why buy a book," Max shrugged, "when you can join the library?"

The guys all laughed with Max.

"You know what, Max?" Alex recovered from his laughter. "That line would sound better if we saw you in the library once in a while, checking out a book or two. But you make a monk look over-sexed. So anyway! Enough of this frippery. Plans! Summer's here and we gotta make 'em. So, what are we going to do this year? A road trip, maybe? Vegas?"

"Ah," Max looked at the ground and drew a line on the tiles with his shoe. "As tempting as your plan sounds, I... I'm afraid I'm going to have to pass on that."

"What?" Both Alex and Jesse cast him a suspicious glance.

"Why?" Alex finished.

"I, uh, I need to earn a stack of money this summer, you guys," Max looked up with an apologetic look. "This is my last chance to transfer and unless I can raise the necessary capital, I'll be graduating from a community college. I'd like to do better. And with my situation..."

"What?" Alex finally spoke after a long silence. "What are you saying?"

"I got a job for the summer," Max spoke quietly. "A full time job."

"But you'll still be around, right?" Alex demanded "I mean, we can still party at night, right? Right? Road trip's out but we can still par-tay." He paused. Noting Max's reaction, or lack of one.

"Right?"

The bell above the door to Minto's rang out. As they always did, the four guys looked to see who was entering.

"Hiya, Dad," Alex called to his father in a neutral manner, his mind still with the current dilemma.

"Hey, Mr. Whitman," the three friends called to Alex's father.

Hello, kids," he gave them a nod. "A Latte Grande," he called to the barista before turning to the four young men. "Max. I hear you have a job lined up at Milan Heights Country Club, over on Lake Tahoe for the summer."

"You heard right, Mr. Whitman," Max nodded. "How did you know about that?"

"Owner's a good friend of mine," the tall, thin man looked down his nose. "Jeff Parker and I go way back. We were at College together, same Fraternity, in fact. So, are you going to spend your summer bussing tables?"

"No," Max shook his head with a chuckle. "No bussing tables for me. I have a job teaching the guests how to sail."

"That's right," Mr. Whitman nodded. "You're a pretty competent sail... person. That's gotta be better than bussing tables, that's for sure. You'll probably do really well, too. I bet you could double your salary in tips."

"That's the plan," Max grinned.

"Well, good luck," Alex's father dropped some money on the counter and collected his coffee. "And don't embarrass me in front of my old buddy, will you? Tell him I said hello."

"Will do, Mr. Whitman," Max gave a short salute as he left.


The table remained silent for a long time after Mr. Whitman had left the café.

"Say it ain't so," Alex groaned at last. "You mean it's only going to be the Three Horsemen this summer?"

"At least we don't have to fight over who'll be Pestilence," Jesse cracked.

"Actually," Michael held up his hand. "I'm afraid it's only going to have to be the, uh... Two Horsemen. I'm uh... I'm going with him."

Both Alex and Jessie looked stunned. They shared disappointed looks with one another.


"So..." Jesse managed to collect himself together, first. "How long have we got? We get some time together, right?"

"Soon," Max's voice was almost a whisper. "Real soon."

"You can't do this!" Alex complained. "We're the Four fucking Horsemen! This was supposed to be our last hurrah. Our last shout. This was going to be 'our' summer."

"We're still best friends, dude," Max held himself upright. "But I have... no, I 'need' to do this. Nothing, and I mean nothing can come between us. Friends for life; that's us. And no matter what path we choose to follow, our roots are right here. We are each other's roots. The Four Horsemen for the rest of our lives."

"I can't believe it," Alex shook his head a little despondently. "It's always been the four of us. Always."


* * *


But things change. Always.

When Max first broached the idea of working at the Country Club over on Lake Tahoe, I was a little apprehensive. I knew that Alex was going to react like he had. Although my family was nowhere near as poor as Max's, I had to admit that I could really use some extra cash, too. I also wanted to be there for Max, like he had been there for me so many times in the past. I knew that Max wanted to graduate from a better college, or die trying - metaphorically speaking - and he desperately needed the cash to go on. Money was always useful, and after finding out about Alex and Maria... let's just say that I was glad that I had accepted Max's offer to join him. Especially since I suspected that Maria was as attracted to Alex as he was to her. I mean, Maria? Michael who? And if I had been privy to a conversation that very evening between Maria and her best friend, Tess Harding, I think I might have pressed Max into leaving for Yosemite that very night.


* * *


"So," Tess Harding looked up from her position in front of the mirror to look at Maria. "What are our options this summer?"

Tess was a well built, petite young woman with curly blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. There was scarcely a guy in town that would not look at her cleavage, prominent as it was.

"I mean, the guys are all back in town, and are as yet, still single by all accounts. Strange how no one at their college has snagged them. Okay, I can understand Max not having anyone, even with his hot looks..."

"You saying you have the hots for Max and his hot bod?" Maria looked up from painting her toenails.

"No," Tess denied. "Well, no more than any other hot blooded female around. I mean, can you honestly say your panties stay dry when he's around? Oh, yeah." Tess started to smirk. "I forgot. They weren't."

"Okay," Maria rolled her eyes. "Sure, I can certify that Max Evans is a veritable hunk, who knows his way around the female form... but I'm not into this one off type relationship he seems to prefer. He is going to end up one lonely old man."

"I know what you mean," Tess nodded. "But still... I wouldn't mind testing his mattress with him."

"I bet you wouldn't," Maria smirked.

"But it's not Max who has your motor running, huh?" Tess started to brush her hair in the mirror. "I saw you and Alex flirting today."

"You did not!" Maria objected too vigorously.

Maria's cell phone chose that moment to give a little chime indicating that a message had arrived. Both girls stared at it.

"Well?" Tess gave the phone a nod.

Maria picked it up and stared at the screen as she navigated to the text message.

"It's from Alex," she started to blush. "He wants me to meet up for coffee tomorrow."

"Like a date?" Tess started to grin.

"No," Maria denied with a red face. "Not like a date. Just two friends meeting for some coffee."

"Uh huh," Tess smirked. "My roomies bring their friends back to the dorm for coffee all the time. It must be one hell of a religious experience because they all end up calling to God and Jesus."

"It's not a date," Maria denied again.

"Mind you," Tess shrugged. "Out of that little gang, and even as hot as Evans is, I think Alex is the guy I would go for. Of course, him being so rich kind of helps."

"You find someone else, skank," Maria growled.

Tess started to laugh.

"So, this is true love, huh?" she giggled.

"Tess," Maria warned.

"Alex and Maria," Tess started to sing, "sitting in the tree...K - I - S - S - I - N - G..."

"What are you? Seven years old?" Maria shook her head. "You know what? If it bothers you that much, look. Message deleted. Now I can't reply. There. How do you like them apples, huh?"

"What?" Tess was astonished. "You didn't send him a reply?"

"Right," Maria rolled her eyes. "Like I'm going to go out with him, now."

"Why not?" Tess demanded. "You know you like him. And you know that I was just messing with you.""

Maria remained stony faced.

"Oh, well," Tess shrugged. "Don't blame me when he moves on 'cause you never replied to his text. And don't ask me for his number because I don't have his new one." Tess checked her watch. "Look, I gotta split. Mom's expecting me home early tonight. See you tomorrow."

"See ya, Tess," Maria watched her go.

When she heard the front door close, Maria picked up her phone, opened the address book and selected Alex's number, already saved.

"See you at twelve," she typed with her thumbs. "Don't be late."


* * *

[WR]

Friends Like These.

Chapter 2



That's great, it starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes,
an aeroplane - Lenny Bruce is not afraid.
Eye of a hurricane, listen to yourself churn,
world serves its own needs, dummy serve your own needs.
Feed it off an aux speak,, grunt, no, strength,
The ladder starts to clatter with fear fight down height.
Wire in a fire, representing seven games, a government for hire and a combat site.
Left of west and coming in a hurry with the furies breathing down your neck.
Team by team reporters baffled, trumped, tethered cropped.
Look at that low playing!
Fine, then.
Uh oh, overflow, population, common food, but it'll do.
Save yourself, serve yourself. World serves its own needs, listen to your heart bleed dummy with the rapture and the revered and the right - right.
You vitriolic, patriotic, slam, fight, bright light, feeling pretty psyched.

It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine.

Six o'clock - TV hour. Don't get caught in foreign towers.
Slash and burn, return, listen to yourself churn.
Locking in, uniforming, book burning, blood letting.
Every motive escalate. Automotive incinerate.
Light a candle, light a votive. Step down, step down.
Watch your heel crush, crushed. Uh-oh, this means no fear cavalier.
Renegade steer clear! A tournament, a tournament, a tournament of lies.
Offer me solutions, offer me alternatives and I decline.

It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it. (It's time I had some time alone)
It's the end of the world as we know it (It's time I had some time alone) and I feel fine.
(I feel fine)

The other night I dreamt of knives, continental drift divide. Mountains sit in a line
Leonard Bernstein. Leonid Brezhnev. Lenny Bruce and Lester Bangs.
Birthday party, cheesecake, jelly bean, boom!
You symbiotic, patriotic, slam book neck, right? Right.

It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it (It's time I had some time alone) and I feel fine.

It's The End Of the World by REM


The air was still crisp and cold when Michael stood next to his motorcycle at the entrance to the Trailer Park where Max lived. Half sitting against his bike, he watched as his friend crept down the rotting wooden steps that led from an old, rusting RV. He had a small bag slung over his shoulder. With an unhurried gait, Max sauntered across the dry, dusty lot.

"Ready?" Michael asked his friend as he drew near.

"Yeah," Max nodded, securing his bag to the back of the motorbike, on top of Michael's own bag. "All set."

Michael could not help casting a last look back toward town, a look that did not go unnoticed by the other young man. With a slight shake of his head, Max took a breath.

"Hurts, huh?"

"What does?" Michael looked at Max, his face coloring.

"Alex and Maria."

"Don't know what you're talking about," Michael shrugged. He then released his breath in resignation. "Yeah, I guess. But Alex and Maria... it's kind of inevitable, isn't it?"

"Maybe," Max nodded. "But I know you like her. You like her a lot. I never really said this before, but that was the main reason of why I stopped, you know. That night with her. I kept thinking to myself... Michael likes her."

"It wouldn't have bothered me," Michael lied, shaking his head.

"It would have bothered me," Max shrugged. "Friends don't do that to friends."

Michael stared at Max for a few quiet moments.

"Well, it's not like she would ever give me a second glance, anyway. Then, or now. And now her and Alex... Besides, I'd have preferred you to be her first over Alex, any day."

"Sorry," Max spoke softly. "I'll understand if you want to stay. Maybe you and her..."

"Are we done with this shit now?" Michael tossed him a crash helmet and climbed onto the bike as he waited for Max to pull it on. "'Cause it's time we blew this Popsicle stand."

Max pulled on the helmet and fastened the catch to the side of the helmet. He straddled the seat, sitting behind Michael, his hands holding onto the luggage rack behind him. Kicking the bike into life, Michael gave a few short revs before he placed the bike into gear. The wheel spun momentarily in the dirt, kicking up a cloud of dust. Then the wheel bit and the bike roared off into the early morning sun.


* * *


It was only one hundred and thirty miles to the Milan Heights Country Club, nestled on the western edge of Lake Tahoe, and in spite of us being told that we didn't have to turn up until later that day, we had decided to make an early start. Really early. I was waiting for Max outside that trailer park at five a.m. sharp.

When we had originally made the plans for this job, I got the impression that Max couldn't wait to leave. I think that's why he's so determined to transfer to a better college for the next year. I think he's hoping for San Francisco State, so he can be near his best friend, Alex. I know Max misses us, Alex most of all but what he really wants so badly is to get away from his home life.

All alone as he is, with his step-father beating on him... Not that his step-father would try to beat on him, physically, you understand. See, Max is fit. As in, physically fit. Push ups, pull ups... strong. If his step-father was stupid enough to try to hit Max... I would truly pity the older guy. Instead, he attacks Max verbally, calling him names, belittling him, trying to make himself look tougher and meaner than he really is, knowing that Max will not defend himself, to avoid upsetting his mom.

But, without us there, it must be so very hard on him. It can't be much fun being the One Horseman. No, Max wanted to get the hell out of Dodge. The sooner, the better. And as a good friend, I do whatever I can to help.

So, for the next one and three quarter hours, Max and I flew east along the 'I-80', climbing up into the mountains, with only a few trucks and even fewer cars for company. And we felt so free, the wind blowing through our hair... not literally, you understand. That's one reason why I prefer bikes to cars. That and they are cheaper to run and easier to fix when they inevitably break down.

Well before Reno, we turned right and headed south-east, toward the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe. I'm not normally one to wax poetically about the scenery around us as we roared down the road with the lake to our right and all those trees around us, but man, was it a moving experience? How prophetic, really, because our time here at Lake Tahoe would prove to be the most moving experience of our young lives. As in earth moving, and I am not talking quakes.


Although we had previously been informed that we did not have to check into the employee's center until twelve noon, giving time for everyone who had to rely on public transport to arrive, both Max and I wanted to arrive really early, to kind of scope out the place first. And it turned out to be a pretty good decision.


It was almost seven o'clock when I finally parked the bike in the parking lot by the center. There were already quite a few people sitting on their cars in the early sun, waiting. That alone suggested to us that an early start was a good idea. Especially as, during the course of that morning, more and more people turned up early. Max and I were given numbered tickets, twelve and thirteen, so that we would not all have to stand around in line, but could relax in the morning sun. When the busses from Carson City, almost ten miles to the north, started to arrive, it was noticeable that nearly one third of the people coming to work there had turned up early.

And the reason?

Under the first come, first served basis they seemed to employ, the early birds were allocated the few two bedroom apartments, rather than having to share with the rest of the peons who were allocated the twelve-to-a-room dormitories that the later arrivals had to make do with. A room full of snoring, smelly guys I don't know or a room with an old friend I trust with my life. Man, what a difficult choice. It also guaranteed your pick of the jobs. Although Max didn't have to worry, as he had already been allocated his role.

After we had filled in all of our paperwork, we were ushered in to a large dining room, where a couple of people stood up on a stage and gave us an orientation speech. We were given a brief overview of the Country Club and a not-so-brief run down of what was expected of us. You know the thing, the dos and don'ts of serving people with more money than sense. Still, they didn't ram it down our throats that we were subservient or anything, so it wasn't too bad.

After that, we broke out into smaller groups where we were given our uniforms, issued our photo ID badges and then taken through the induction. At last, those of us who had not been specifically hired to fill a position were allocated our jobs. Some people, like Max, were lucky enough to already know what job they would have, based on their skills or, in the case of those who had worked here before, their previous experience. The rest of us had to hope for our first choices.

Naturally, Max found himself with the duty of sailing instructor, and I, as his trusty sidekick would assist him with the running of the clubhouse. That was not my first choice. In fact, it wasn't my second or third, either. Nope. Not fourth. We didn't have a fifth. I guess, because we were buddies, they teamed us up. And because Mr. Whitman had already called his old friend to tell him about us, Mr. Jeff Parker himself was leading us through the Country Club grounds to our station. I remember thinking, then, what a decent guy he appeared to be. And it was obvious, right from the start, that this guy was loaded. I mean, even more so than the Whitmans.


So, after dropping our bags in our room, we changed into the uniform that would be home for the next ten weeks. It consisted of tan shorts and white polo shirts. Above the left breast of the polo shirt, Milan Heights Country Club' had been embroidered in green and gold, above an image of trees by a lakeside. Suitably attired, Max and I headed for the admin block where we would meet our guide, who would escort us to our 'station' where we would spend out summer and brief us on our duties.


* * *


"Okay, boys," Jeff Parker, nodded at Max and Michael to follow him. "I understand you were one of the early birds this morning and got one of the rooms. Have you checked in okay? Everything all right?"

"Yes, thanks, Mr. Parker," Max nodded.

"So you know where the employee's quarters are," he pointed at the building where the workers lived, nestled behind a thick patch of trees. "Now, over there is the Administration center. Take any problems or queries you have there, okay? They'll do everything they can to help you. And if they can't help, then they'll pass it to me to see what I can do. That building over there, is the Employee's club. Now, as long as you are suitably dressed, you are quite welcome to make use of the customer facilities, but priority must always go to the customer, even though you have to pay the full rate, okay? Most employees hang out at their club, though. They get enough of the customers when they're working. There's nothing worse that having a meal and some customer comes up and treats you like, well, a worker."

He led them along a red paved path that wound it's way between the freshly manicured lawns, through some trees and flower borders, emerging by a cluster of white buildings.

"The main lodges and chalets are over there," Jeff pointed at a small cluster of hills. "They're tucked away amongst the trees, and the whole setting is kind of rustic but with a luxurious feel to it."

The two young men nodded, following Mr. Parker's outstretched arm.

"Main customer complex," Jeff pointed to one side. "Clubs, restaurants, cafés, the cinema, bowling alley... the ballroom... Oh, the stores are there, too. You're quite welcome to buy stuff yourself but most of the staff prefer to head into town and buy stuff there. It's probably cheaper. I think you guys have a kettle, a microwave and a refrigerator in your room, right?"

"Yeah," Michael nodded.

"You can cook in your room if you want, but the meals in the staff club are pretty reasonable. And no washing up after unless you pulled kitchen duty," he gave a chuckle. "Pools," Jeff continued, pointing out the large, stereotypical kidney shaped swimming pool. At one end, there was an array of diving boards. Behind that was a smaller pool, clearly designed for younger children. "Over there, behind the tree line are the stables. There are some wonderful trails that lead up into the hills. They're pretty well marked so try to make time to have a look at them. Down that path to the left is the tennis complex. Do either of you play?"

"Nope," Michael chuckled.

"I've knocked a few balls around," Max shrugged. "I can play a bit, I guess. Good enough."

"Through there," Jeff pointed beyond the tennis courts, "is the golf course. Thirty six holes of beautiful scenery."

"A good walk, spoiled," Michael smirked.

"You know your Mark Twain," Jeff chuckled.

"Nah," Michael shook his head with a smirk. "I know my golf."

"That bad, huh?" Max asked. "I play army golf, myself."

"Army golf?" Jeff frowned.

"You know. Left. Right. Left. Right."

"Well," Jeff started to laugh. "Maybe you can work out a deal with the golf pro for some golf lessons in exchange for sailing lessons. There's also a café, a bar and a games room in that building, along with the clubhouse, the pro-shop, and of course, changing rooms and showers."

They continued to follow a path that led parallel to the path that went to the tennis and golf complex. The lakeside was less then twenty yards beyond a copse of trees.

"Ah, here we are," he stopped by the side of a wooden building standing on the lake's edge. "This will be your home from home for the next few months."

They were on a long boardwalk that ran along the lakeside. Two short jetties reached out onto the lake. Tied to both sides of the jetties, a dozen sailboats had been moored, their sails tightly furled around the masts.

"Now, Michael," Jeff turned to him. "Your job is to run the clubhouse. That's where people will book and pay for their lessons, as well as rent boats. Plus we have soda and snack machines in there along with a coffee maker. I hope you know how to make Lattes and Cappuccinos. Frappes are popular, too. I can arrange for someone to train you, if you need it. Oh, and tea. Some of our clientele like tea." Jeff shrugged. "There are a few tables, chairs and umbrellas which need to be put out in the morning and put away in the evening. The storeroom out back holds the stock for the machines, along with whatever you'll need for tea and coffee. You need to keep the vending machines topped up with snacks, too. Oh, one of them holds sandwiches, salads and other light fresh meals. That one gets refilled by the kitchen staff, so you won't need to worry about it.

"The two of you will have to make sure the boats are secured each night, which will include removing the tillers, cushions, and whatever else might walk. We, uh... A few miles up the shore, we have a park full of delinquent kids. Some kind of inner city outreach center or something. Anyway, if it can walk, it will. So that means that you will also have to set the boats up first thing in the morning.

"You don't have to be open until ten and you close at five. The last lesson of the day you can book is four. All boats have to be off the lake by five. It shouldn't take the two of you half an hour to set things up, and to close down, so your day will last from nine-thirty till five-thirty. It's up to you if you want to take a lunch break or not, Max. I mean, no lesson, no tips, right? I don't mind, either way. You're in charge of the bookings, so take your break when you want. Michael, if you want to take a break, then let the kitchen manager know and she'll send someone over to cover you. Any questions?"

"Uh, talking about tips?" Max raised his hand. "Do we have some kind of policy about sharing them with everyone else or anything?" Max asked.

"That's entirely up to you boys," Jeff smiled. "I mean, would you expect a share of the tips from the waitresses?"

"Hell, no," Max shook his head. "They earned them. Let them keep them."

"I'm sure the waitresses will work out their own deal, Max. Now if you and Michael want to share your tips, that's entirely up to you. From what I've heard, you're really good with people. You already give lessons back home, huh?"

"Yeah," Max nodded.

"And you have a nice manner about you. I should think you could double your salary with tips. Especially from the women," he winked.

Max started to burn while Michael chuckled and nudged him.

"Now one thing I want you to remember," Jeff gave them both a serious look. "I'm not just the manager of this place, I'm the owner, too. I have worked damned hard to build up a fine reputation for this place and the clientele who come here have paid a lot of money for the privilege. And they are shelling out even more to partake of the sports facilities. So treat them like gods and goddesses. Upset anyone and you're out. Got it?"

"Yes, Mr. Parker."

"And no matter how tempting, please remember that the female clientele are wives or daughters of the male clients. Flirt, by all means, but no hanky-panky with the customers."

"Right," both boys nodded.

"Now, likewise, I don't want my employees to feel uncomfortable around the clientele. If someone makes you feel uncomfortable... I mean, like if some of the women... or men... comes on a little too strong..."

Michael started to chuckle.

"Hey," Jeff shrugged. "It happens. Granted, it's usually the girls who are getting hit on by the guys, but if it happens, give the customer a polite 'no' and come see me or my assistant right away, okay? That way, I'll be aware of the situation should the customer try to make any kind of false allegations. Any questions?"

Both young men looked at one another and shook their heads.

"So, welcome aboard, gentlemen," Jeff smiled. "And don't forget. You are allowed to have fun while you're here. Have a great summer."


Michael watched as Jeff Parker walked away, returning to the employee's center.

"He seems a stand up guy," he commented. "Not every day the owner will greet his new employees personally."

"You're right," Max stood beside him. "He's a really nice guy. And being friends with Mr. Whitman helps. Come on. Lets see how long it takes us to set the club and boats up, and close everything up. Then we can check out the hut and see what needs doing to get that ready. We open tomorrow and I really need to make sure we rake in the tips."


* * *


Max, I found to my disgust, is a slave driver. It took us half an hour to get the boats ready and twenty minutes to open up the store. Because of the state it was in, we also had to indulge in a spot of spring-cleaning. Then, the stock arrived and we had to get it priced up and set out. Once we had that sorted out, Max then made us shut everything down. That was pretty good, I thought. I even felt that we had time for a spot of 'R and R'.

Max, however, had other ideas.

'No,' he said to me. 'We have to get this right. We have to have everything ready by nine each day.'

So what does he do? We opened up, and closed down. Over and over again. Yes, we did manage to finally fine tune it so that opening up and getting the boats ready took us only thirty minutes, but we had that nailed after the third attempt. Doing a fourth and fifth time, though? I was ready to kill him after the sixth. Was that really necessary? Who knew Max had control issues?


* * *


"Remind me to bring more sun block, tomorrow," Max prodded a patch of bright red skin on his upper arm. "Man, it's hot out here."

The day over, Max and Michael were heading for their room.

"Do you just want to crash, tonight?" Michael asked. "Or do you want to check out the club? See if there are any girls worth hitching up with?"

"We should check out the club," Max agreed. "Meet our colleagues. Otherwise, they're going to think we're a couple of snobs. Or that we're gay or something."

"Right," Michael smirked. "'Cause I always knew you were a snob, with your trailer park, 'better than you' attitude."

"Hey," Max shrugged. "I can't help being born with a rusty spoon in my mouth. But it's better than me being a closet gay, huh?"

"Still not convinced you're not," Michael smirked.

"Don't bend over in the shower, then," Max gave Michael a grin.

Michael shook his head.

"Talking of which, I have first dibs on that shower," Michael demanded. "Seeing as you drove me so hard today. Jeez, I smell worse than your locker at high school."

"You always smell like that," Max laughed.

"Jerk," Michael tried to catch Max's heel with his foot so that he would trip up. He only managed to catch the back of Max's sneakers, pulling it from his heel.

"Back at 'cha," Max rolled his eyes in fake annoyance as he stopped to pull his shoe back on.

It was when he stood back up that Max saw her. Down the path that led to the tennis courts, dressed in the uniform of the club, three young ladies were strolling along as though they didn't have a care in the world, laughing and talking rather animatedly.

For anyone else, their eyes would have been drawn towards either of the two that were complete stunners. Long, tall, shapely, and with cleavage reminiscent of Alpine valleys... honey blonde hair and blue eyes. The only word that anyone would truly use on them was... 'Beautiful'.

The third woman, however, was a little smaller in stature, and also in the valley department, but had rich brown hair and brown eyes. She didn't appear to be all that special, her hair being pinned up and sporting smaller breasts, almost non-existent by comparison to the blondes. None of that mattered to Max and it was to her that his eyes snapped. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her. She was... she was cute... in a gorgeous sort of way. And the two blonde babes beside her might just as well have been invisible. The only word that he could truly use on her was...

"Wow."

It came out as a hoarse whisper.

Love at first sight was not something Max believed in. In fact, Max really had never fallen in love before. Sure, he had been attracted to any number of females in his life, but not one had ever affected him in such a way as to make him feel like his heart had stopped. Until now. He was starting to feel strange inside. A feeling that was very foreign to Max. He had fallen in love. The head over heels type of love. For the first time. And at first sight.

Hard.

"We'll grab a bite to eat there, yeah?" Michael continued talking, oblivious to his friend's sudden vision. "Maybe we can play pool or something. God, I hope there's something to do here in the evenings."

"Me too," Max nodded, his eyes following the girl of his dreams, even though he had never realized that he even had a girl of his dreams.

"You okay?" Michael looked back at his friend.

"Fine," Max blinked. The girls had disappeared behind a small building. "Absolutely wonderful," he started to grin, whistling through his teeth as he continued along the path, hurrying a little to catch up to his friend.

Michael could only shake his head and follow him, completely oblivious to the three girls he had missed.


* * *

[WR]

Friends Like These.

Chapter 3


My Lady d'Arbanville, why do you sleep so still?
I'll wake you tomorrow
and you will be my fill, yes, you will be my fill.

My Lady d'Arbanville why does it grieve me so?
But your heart seems so silent.
Why do you breathe so low, why do you breathe so low,

My Lady d'Arbanville why do you sleep so still?
I'll wake you tomorrow
and you will be my fill, yes, you will be my fill.

My Lady d'Arbanville, you look so cold tonight.
Your lips feel like winter,
your skin has turned to white, your skin has turned to white.

My Lady d'Arbanville, why do you sleep so still?
I'll wake you tomorrow
and you will be my fill, yes, you will be my fill.

La la la la la....

My Lady d'Arbanville why does it grieve me so?
But your heart seems so silent.
Why do you breathe so low, why do you breathe so low,

I loved you my lady, though in your grave you lie,
I'll always be with you
This rose will never die, this rose will never die.

I loved you my lady, though in your grave you lie,
I'll always be with you
This rose will never die, this rose will never die.

Lady d'Arbanville by Cat Stevens


The dark haired girl held his hand tightly as she walked at Max's side, their slow, leisurely pace allowing them to keep their bodies pressed together. After every other step, they would both turn and look at one another. With a smile of pleasure on their faces, they meandered along the boardwalk to the large 'beach catamaran' that was moored at the end, past all the training dinghies. Holding her hand, like she was the most precious thing in the world to him, Max helped the lovely young woman onto the boat, helping her to settle on the net-like platform that stretched between the two hulls. She gazed up in adoration at him.

While Max worked to free the boat from it's mooring, the dark haired lovely was already peeling her "Milan Heights" T-Shirt from her body, revealing her smaller, yet perfectly formed bosom, clad in a wonderfully small black top. While Max beheld her loveliness, her shorts followed suit, leaving her in a little black bikini. As Max pushed off from the wharf and worked the sails to catch the little wind there was on this glorious day, the woman of his dreams was already applying a sheen of oil to her fabulously tanned and toned body. The wind filled the sails, taking them further out onto the lake.

"This is lovely, Max," his vision spoke to him. Her voice was soft and warm; vibrant. "But you know what's missing?"

"What?" Max wondered with a little breathlessness.

"Why aren't you kissing me?" she climbed to her knees and started to make her way, catlike as she crawled across the tightly stretched net toward him with a look of hunger in her eyes, her soft warm lips glistening with her desire.

Securing the boom, and the tiller, Max peeled off his T-Shirt, revealing his own toned, athletic body to her. She positively purred with delight.

"Like what you see?" he gave her a little smirk.

"Yummy," her eyes burned bright. "I think I might look good wearing a body like that."

"No," Max shook his head. "You look much better wearing a body like yours."

"You like?" she returned his smirk.

"Hell, yeah," Max nodded. "I like a lot. And the things I'm going to do to that body. The things I'm going to do to you."

"Mmmmm," she licked her lips. "Sounds like I might be overdressed for the occasion."

"I think you might be," Max nodded. "Let me help you out of that bikini."

"Sounds like a plan," her face was filled with lust as she reached behind her back. "You gonna be much longer?"

Her voice changed. It was deep, and masculine.

"What?" Max blinked.

"I said," Michael called from the door, pounding on it. "You gonna be much longer?"

"Huh?" Max stared at a blurred image of himself in the bathroom mirror. He blinked several times, bringing himself back from his trip on the lake with the raven haired beauty. The rather large tent poking from under his towel was the only evidence she had ever been there. "Yeah, just finishing my shave," he called back.

Wiping the condensation from the mirror, Max saw that he had barely started his shave. A layer of white foam was still spread across his face. Shaking his head, Max used the towel to wipe the foam from his face. Perhaps he didn't really need to shave, after all.

"Be out in a sec."

What the heck was happening to him? He never daydreamed about girls. Never.

"Come on, dude!" Michael called from the door. "I'm dying of starvation out here."

"Keep your shirt on," Max sighed. "Five minutes."


* * *


The staff club was both more spacious and much better than either Max or Michael had first thought. Expecting a cramped, run down dive, it turned out to be spacious, bright and looked fit for use by the Country Club's customers rather than the staff.

There was a bar in one corner, ID's had to be shown of course, and a food counter next to it where hot, and cold food could be ordered. The room was filled with tables and chairs and to one side there was a number of pool tables and even a dartboard up on the wall. A large Jukebox was pumping out a steady rock beat. A few of the younger employees were already dancing. There was a lively atmosphere in the club.

"Hey," Michael nodded approvingly as they stood by the door appraising the room. They both tapped their feet to the latest tune. "This place is pretty cool."

"Yeah," Max nodded, looking at the young people who were making use of the club. "Not too bad."

"Where we gonna sit?" Michael glanced around.

"Over there," Max indicated a longer table that was filled with a group of guys. The table had a few empty spaces. "Let's go meet some of our co-workers."

Michael started to head to the table, following Max.

"Hey," Max nodded at the guys. "Max. Max Evans."

"Michael Guerin," Michael added.

The boys at the table all said their names as Max and Michael sat down with them.

"You guys new?" one of them, Tony, asked. "Haven't seen you before."

"First time," Max nodded.

"We've all been here at least once before," another, Adrian added, looking around the table at the assembled guys. "It's an awesome place to work."

"Sure seems it," Michael nodded. "We met Mr. Parker this morning..."

"You mean, Duke," someone told him.

"Excuse me?" Max laughed.

"Duke. Mr. Parker likes to be called 'Duke'. As in the Duke of Milan Heights."

"He seems like a nice guy," Michael finished.

"Yeah, he is," one of the guys, Will, nodded. "He loves it when his guests become regulars, you know? Like, when they come back a second or third time? He loves it even more when his employees do, too. He says it proves he has the perfect working environment. A happy employee makes for happy guests."

"Cool," Max nodded.

"And, the best part is, he invites all the employees to the July Fourth ball, and hires caterers for the event."

"Awesome," Michael and Max said together.

"I think we're going to like it here," Max added.

"What jobs did you get?" Tony asked.

"Sailing instructor," Max informed them.

"I'm his clubhouse flunky," Michael added.

"Cool," Adrian nodded in admiration. "Last year, the sailing coach made a freaking fortune in tips. Some of the ladies tip big if you flirt a little with them. And all those rich Daddies with their petulant off spring... Impress them and they'll tip you a hundred bucks, easy. And the clubhouse guy didn't do so bad, either."

"Thanks for the heads up," Max nodded in approval. "So what do you guys do?"

"Catering," Adrian shrugged. "Last year, I bussed tables. This year, I'm a waiter. Waiters get better tips than bus boys."

"Lifeguard," Will, who had the look of a surfer dude about him, smiled. "I don't get many tips, but the girls all adore me and I get to ogle them all day, every day."

"How about you?" Michael asked Tony.

"Grounds," he shrugged. "I might not get any tips, it might not sound glamorous, but trust me. I'm in heaven. I'm majoring in landscaping. The Duke lets me do my own thing, so I get to experiment, have fun and get some serious work towards my degree done as well."

"Cool," Max and Michael looked suitably impressed.

"So where you guys from?"

And so the conversation went. They talked about their hometowns, which colleges they were attending, their majors, their minors and what they were doing there at the resort. They even started to talk about childhood. It was a full and enjoyable conversation... until Max tuned out.

His attention had been captured by something else. Or, more accurately, some 'one' else. The petite dark haired lovely he had seen earlier had just entered the club, accompanied by a blonde bombshell, and two other, less attractive though still good looking young ladies. Max, however, had already zoned the other three out and was watching the girl who had captured his...

Max blinked in astonishment. There was no denying it. He had fallen in love. A girl had captured his heart. He had surrendered with hardly raising a finger. If only she knew about it.

While the guys around him continued to swap stories of past adventures and indiscretions that had happened at the Country Club, Max was watching the conqueroress of his heart. The woman who now held him, right in the palm of her tiny little hand.

And if he had thought her merely 'cute' earlier that day, then tonight, she had been promoted to ravishing. She was wearing a red mini-dress that fitted her form, which was more shapely than he had at first thought, quite snuggly and her long dark hair cascaded about her face like a waterfall, a tumble of curls and waves. Her long tanned legs ended in red high-heeled sandals. She was absolutely gorgeous. Max could actually feel his heart starting to pound in his chest and his hands grew damp.


"You ready to eat, Max?" Michael asked, that one sentence pulling Max from his vigil. He turned to the others again. "So, what's good to eat here?

Max was glad of the distraction. Watching this girl might prove to be his unmaking.

"Pretty much all of it," Tony replied. "Most of it is the same stuff they cook for the guests. When you order it, they fetch it from the main kitchens."

"Well, a guy's gotta eat," Michael chuckled. "You coming, Maxwell?"

"Uh huh," Max nodded, mutely following Michael to the food counter, his eyes surreptitiously watching the knockout brunette.


While they ate, the group continued to talk. Mostly, it was about girls.

"Any of them already taken?" Michel inquired.

"One or two," Will nodded. "A few couples come back to work here, but you can easily spot them. They're never apart. Best thing is to just go up and ask someone. If they're not single and say no, and you just back off, no one is going to get pissed."

"So," Michael looked around the room. "Which ones have you guys got your eye on?"

While the guys were discussing the charms and delights of the various girls of their choosing, Max noticed that no one paid homage to his own particular choice. The fact surprised him, because while she was not the most beautiful girl in the room, she was a lot better than many. She was easily in the top five or six. It seemed he alone had an interest in her. He chose, however, to remain silent, only mumbling something about keeping his options open. He didn't want anyone, least of all Michael, to know whom he had in his sights.

And what a sight it was. She was lovely and Max found it harder and harder to keep his eyes off of her, even if he was watching her in secret. As she talked with her friends, she laughed quite frequently. He marveled at her laugh. It was like the tinkling of a bell, at times. She was clearly enjoying the company of the other girls. Would that she might enjoy his company as much.

"Max?" Michael nudged him.

"Huh?" Max blinked. "What?"

"I said, I'm beat," Michael informed him. "What with our early morning start, and you driving me like a freaking slave today, opening up and closing down over and over again... I think I'm going to turn in. You coming with?"

"Uh," Max sneaked a quick glance at the girl. "No, that's okay. You go, I'm going to stay a while, wind down."

"Whatever," Michael shrugged. "You have the easy job, sitting in a boat all day. I actually have to work."

"My heart bleeds," Max rolled his eyes.


"You've got a room?" Adrian's mouth dropped open. "Man, you are so lucky. That means when you both get a girl, you can take turns taking them back to your room and have some privacy for a little one on one. Try doing that in the dorm."

"Yeah," Max nodded as he looked again at the raven beauty. "A little private one on one would be fun."


* * *


It took Max another hour for him to pluck up the courage to approach her. Rather, it took an hour for the right opportunity to appear. There was no way he was going to approach her while she was surrounded by other girls. At last, a moment opened up where she was not accompanied by her gaggle of friends. Moving as casually as he could, he walked up to the girl. She was watching the people on the dance floor, her body was swaying to the beat.

"Hello," Max smiled at her, his heart pounding wildly. For the tenth time, he wiped his sweating palm on his thighs. "Uhm... can I buy you a drink?"

She gave him a cool, level look.

"No, thank you," she gave him a polite smile. "I already have one."

She held up a bottle of cola for emphasis and returned to watching the dancers.

"Right, right," Max nodded, his planned routine suddenly disappearing. "Uh, do you come here often?"

The young woman turned to face him, a wry smile on her face. She gave a sad shake of her head.

"Is that the best pick up line you could come up with?" she cocked an eyebrow.

"Uh," Max's ego deflated faster than a balloon with a huge hole in it. "Well, if you do... uhm..." he started to back away. "I'll uh... I guess I'll see you around."

He quickly turned and walked away, his face burning with humiliation and embarrassment.

"Probably," she sighed, already sounding bored.


Max didn't stop walking until he had left the clubhouse and reached his room. Standing outside, leaning his head against the door, he closed his eyes, trying to push away the feelings of ignominy.

"Idiot," he banged his head against the doorjamb. "Idiot, idiot, idiot."

He emphasized each repetition of his derisive name with another bang of his head to the jamb.

"Why the hell didn't you just ask her to dance?" he demanded while shaking his head, his forehead pressed against the wood.


* * *

[WR]

Friends Like These.

Chapter 4


My love must be a kind of blind love
I can't see anyone but you
And dear, I wonder if you find love
An optical illusion, too?

Are the stars out tonight?
I don't know if it's cloudy or bright
'cause I only have eyes for you, dear
The moon may be high
But I can't see a thing in the sky
'cause I only have eyes for you.

I don't know if we're in a garden
Or on a crowded avenue
You are here, so am I
Maybe millions of people go by
But they all disappear from view
And I only have eyes for you.

I Only Have Eyes for You by Warren and Dubin


"Did you get lucky, last night?" Michael asked as he and Max followed the red path that led toward the sailing clubhouse.

"Lucky?" Max gave a confused frown.

"Yeah," Michael nodded. "I saw you leering after those blondes."

"I was not leering," Max shook his head. He dropped his voice to a near whisper that Michael would not hear. "And certainly after no blonde."

"Uh huh," Michael smirked. "I guess you struck out then. Situation normal."

"Are you suggesting I can't get a girl?" Max raised an eyebrow.

"No," his friend shook his head. "Not that you can't. You won't."

"Hey, I...." he started to object.

"Come on, Max," Michael waved his arms in exasperation. "How many girls have you dated since puberty? Three? I bet you don't go out on dates when we are all away at college."

While Michel was ranting, two girls appeared on the path that ran parallel to them, slightly down the hill. One of these young ladies was Max's dark angel. They were walking away from the main complex, towards the golf course, looking like they were heading for work.

"Maybe," Max spoke softly, "I've been waiting for the right girl."

The girls vanished behind a small building by the tennis courts.

"Uh huh," Michael snorted, still oblivious to Max's... obsession.

"And what did you do last night?" Max turned it around.

"Watched a little T.V.," Michael shrugged. "And then went to bed early."

"I hope this isn't setting a precedent," Max grinned. "You watching T.V. and going out to bed early and me striking out..."

He regretted it the moment it left his lips.

"Hah!" Michael grinned. "I so knew the blonde blew you off. Know what your problem is?"

"What's that?" Max released his breath.

"Lack of practice. You, my friend, need to let Professor Guerin guide you in the art of picking up girls."

"Yes, sensei," Max smirked, giving a mocking Oriental bow. "Come on. We need to pick up our pace."


While Michael unlocked the clubhouse, Max was unlocking the securing chains that locked the boats to the wharf. Then, Max helped Michael lift out the table and chairs, arranging them on the decking so that people could sit in the sun and watch the boats. Together, they set up inside, including restocking the vending machines. When the clubhouse was finished, the pair turned to the boats. Michael carried out the sails and the detachable tillers while Max clambered on board each one and attached the prefixed masts with the sails attached and inserted the tillers. They were ready well before Max's first lesson of the day.


* * *


"Thank you, Mrs. Adderstone," he called at the lady who was walking back toward the main clubhouse, dressed in her white shorts, her blue and white hooped top and white canvas shoes. She looked every inch the commensurate sailor. "See you tomorrow."

The woman gave a wave of her hand. Counting a small stack of dollar bills, Max entered the sailing clubhouse.

"She gave us fifty bucks," Max nodded with approval, holding five tens out for Michael to see.

"She gave 'you' fifty bucks, you mean," Michael shook his head.

"I thought we agreed," Max frowned. "Half and half."

"You need it more than I do," Michael shrugged.

"No," Max shook his head. "You've never pulled that shit on me before, so don't start now, okay? Half and half."

He again held out the money.

"Half and half," Michael nodded with reluctance as he took the offered cash.

Little did Max know that Michael would simply hand him back the twenty five dollars later, claiming it was his half of the tips that Michael had received, along with half of the tips Michael really had received. While Michael never had 'pulled that kind of shit' on Max before, this was different. Max would get his transfer if Michael had anything to do with it.


"Hello?" a soft, female voice called from outside.

"Can't be my next lesson," Max looked up. "It's supposed to be an Eric Cole."

"Better go check," Michael laughed. "Maybe it's that blonde from last night come to beg you to give her a second chance."

"You never know," Max shrugged, leaving the clubhouse.

It was quite a surprise to find that in fact, it was the blonde who had blown him off the previous evening. Except that she was only blonde in Michael's mind.

"Hello," Max smiled at her.

"Ah, there you are," she looked annoyed. "This is Eric." A pimply faced teenager stepped out from behind the petite girl, which was a surprise to Max because she looked too small for anyone to hide behind. "He has a sailing lesson now."

"Okay," Max nodded as the girl turned and started to walk away. "Thanks." He turned to Eric. "You want to go inside and get yourself a life jacket?"

Max continued to watch the dark haired vision walk away while Eric went in to the clubhouse. Suddenly, he ran after her, catching her before she vanished behind the trees.

"Hey," he called as he approached her. "Uhm, look. Sorry about last night, but uh... I was, you know, kind of..." He wiped his palms against his shorts. "Anyway, I was wondering if maybe if you weren't doing anything or something that maybe we could you know, go out or something."

"Oh," she gave him a bored smile. "You know what? I'm kind of doing anything or something."

"Oh," was all Max could say as she walked away from him. He couldn't help blinking in bewilderment.


"Forget about her," someone called from a cluster of freshly planted flowerbeds.

A head popped out from behind some rhododendrons. It was Tony, from last night.

"What do you mean?" Max frowned, looking back to where his dream girl had disappeared from sight. "Is she taken already?"

"Sort of," he nodded. "That was Elizabeth Parker. Liz. You know, the boss's only daughter. Hands off, verboten."

"Right," Max nodded, still watching the spot where the girl had vanished. "Liz, huh? Thanks. Uh, for the heads up, I mean."

"Evans!" Michael yelled from the sailing clubhouse. "You gonna get your scrawny ass down here and give this guy his sailing lesson or what?"


* * *


It was well past midnight when the dark Lexus pulled to a stop in front of the large house with only one light burning downstairs. After a few moments, the car lights went off, followed almost immediately by the car's engine. Inside, the two occupants looked at one another.

"Thank you, Alex," Maria smiled at him, reaching out and placing her hand on Alex's arm. "I had a great time tonight."

"I did, too," Alex smiled, placing his other hand on top of hers. "I'm really enjoying all this time we spend together."

"Me too," Maria nodded.

"I just wish we had hooked up and started dating ages ago."

"Right," Maria laughed. "You were way too busy doing other... things."

"Well," Alex grinned, his face coloring in the dark. "I only have eyes for you, now."

"So you say," she chuckled.

"So, the beach, tomorrow?" Alex looked at her.

"Sure," Maria gave a nod. "I have a hot new bikini I want to wear."

"Anything you wear is hot," Alex waggled his eyebrows.

He leaned over and kissed her on the lips. Moving back a little, he looked to make sure it was okay before he moved in again, this time, locking his lips to hers. As their make out intensified, so too did Alex's hands. They quickly found the swell of her breasts and he was soon driving her to moans of pleasure. When his hand dipped to her thigh, however, Maria broke away.

"No," she whispered a little softly. "I'm not doing this in the back of a car."

"Well, technically, we're in front."

"Alex," Maria groaned.

"We could always take this inside," he nodded at her house.

"No," Maria shook her head. "My parents..."

"Yeah," Alex grumbled. "Mine too. You'd think that since we're already twenty one now, we'd be treated as adults."

"My parents are going on vacation, soon," Maria suggested. "I'll have the house to myself. We can make it a special occasion."

"Yeah?" Alex brightened up. "When?"

"Next week sometime," Maria smiled. "You can wait 'til then, right?"

"I can if you can," he grinned. "Come on. I'll walk you to your door."

At the door, the young couple exchanged a goodnight kiss and Maria entered her house with a smile of love. Heading back for his car, Alex had a similarly huge, happy smile.

Yes, life was great.


* * *


It was only just daylight when Max entered the room he shared with Michael. He was wearing shorts, a capped sleeve t-shirt and his running shoes. His hair was damp, as was his skin, a sheen of perspiration causing it to glisten. He was breathing hard.

"Either you just got home from the best sex of your life," Michael grumbled from his bed where Max had woken him, "or you still go running every morning. And I know you slept in your own bed last night."

"I still go running," Max shrugged. "Just gonna hit the showers."

"What's it like out?"

"Need you ask?" Max smirked. "Same as yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that..."

"Just once," Michael started to pull his pillow over his eyes, "I'd like to have to work in the rain."

"It would still be hot," Max peeled off his shirt and headed for the bathroom.


* * *


Liz, the dark haired beauty, approached her locker in the small block between the golf course and the tennis courts. She momentarily paused when she found a red rose taped to the door of her locker. Looking around to see if maybe her admirer was watching, she carefully peeled the bloom away from the door. She checked for a note, but there was none. With a wry smile, she shook her head. After checking for non-existent thorns, she pushed the flower through her hair, tucking it behind her ear. Smiling, she entered her combination and opened her locker door.

From the path he was walking along, with Michael, heading for work, Max watched as she tucked the flower in her hair. He started to grin.

"What's up with you?" Michael frowned.

"Nothing," Max started to chuckle. "Just thinking how beautiful this day is turning.

"Huh!" Michael grumbled. "Tell me after I've had some more coffee."


* * *


The day over, the two young men were heading for their room. Max spotted Liz down by the lockers again, although she had long since lost her rose. She was alone this time, too.

"Oh, you know what?" Max suddenly said to Michael, backing away. "I forgot something. You head on back, I'll catch up."

"Whatever," Michael shrugged and continued to head for the staff quarters. "Means I get the shower first. It'll be nice having a hot one for a change."

Doubling back to avoid Michael seeing him, Max came up on Liz from the opposite side.

"Hello," he gave her his best smile as he leaned against the lockers with an air of nonchalance.

She looked at him, a cool, level and steady glare.

"Are you lost?" she finally broke the silence.

"No," Max shook his head. "I'm found, now. And I would like to reward my rescuer with dinner. Say, tonight? At eight?"

She continued with the silent, cool glare.

"I'm washing my hair," she shrugged and turned away from him.

"Can I get a rain check?" he called at her retreating form, his face a mask of disappointed sadness.

As Liz walked away from him, her face broke into a large, amused smile. She gave a very small, unnoticeable rueful shake of her head.


* * *


"So, how you guys settling in?" Will asked when Max and Michael joined the gang that evening.

"Pretty good," Max nodded. "It's not too hard doing what I'm doing. The hardest thing is remembering to keep enough sun block on. And reminding the customers to do the same. The water throws the sun up something fierce."

"And it's not too hard serving coffee and taking bookings for lessons," Michael added. "Toughest part of our job is counting the tips."

"I hear ya," Adrian laughed. "Serving people their big expensive meals all day isn't the most exciting job, but I sure get some good tips."

"Seen any girls you like?" Will asked.

"One or two," Michael nodded.

At that moment, Liz walked into the clubhouse, on the arm of another young man. A handsome, well built young man.

"So much for washing her hair," Max said to himself, his face dropping.

"That's Kyle Valenti," Tony observed. "Practically family. Everyone knows Liz is going to marry the guy. And why not? Harvard, studying business, money, looks, and if rumor is to be believed, an estate in Italy somewhere. I heard he's a count."

"He's something," Max muttered to himself.

"Man," Will shook his head. "What I wouldn't give to be him,"

The rest of the conversation was all noise as Max could not help watching how his rival moved with ease around her, touching her, holding her, and she looked like she was having so much fun, taking as much pleasure from his company as Kyle took from hers. His heart started to break. She looked like she was having the time of her life.

"I think I got too much sun today," Max stood up from his chair. "I think I'm going to grab an early night."

Yeah, life sure sucked.


* * *

[WR]

Friends Like These.

Chapter 5



I've seen you twice, in a short time
Only a week since we started
It seems to me, for every time
I'm getting more open-hearted

I was an impossible case
No-one ever could reach me
But I think I can see in your face
There's a lot you can teach me
So I wanna know......

What's the name of the game?
Does it mean anything to you?
What's the name of the game?
Can you feel it the way I do?
Tell me please, cause I have to know
I'm a bashful child, beginning to grow

And you make me talk
And you make me feel
And you make me show
What I'm trying to conceal
If I trust in you, would you let me down?
Would you laugh at me, if I said I care for you?
Could you feel the same way too?
I wanna know......

The name of the game

I have no friends, no-one to see
And I am never invited
Now I am here, talking to you
No wonder I get excited

Your smile, and the sound of your voice
And the way you see through me
Got a feeling, you give me no choice
But it means a lot to me
So I wanna know......

What's the name of the game?
(your smile and the sound of your voice)
Does it mean anything to you?
(got a feeling you give me no choice)
(but it means a lot)
What's the name of the game?
(your smile and the sound of your voice)
Can you feel it the way I do?
Tell me please, cause I have to know
I'm a bashful child, beginning to grow

And you make me talk
And you make me feel
And you make me show
What I'm trying to conceal
If I trust in you, would you let me down?
Would you laugh at me, if I said I care for you?
Could you feel the same way too?
I wanna know......
Oh yes I wanna know......

The name of the game
(I was an impossible case)
Does it mean anything to you?
(but I think I can see in your face)
(that it means a lot)
What's the name of the game?
(your smile and the sound of your voice)
Can you feel it the way I do?
(got a feeling you give me no choice)
(but it means a lot)
What's the name of the game?
(I was an impossible case)
Does it mean anything to you?
(but I think I can see in your face)
(that it means a lot)

The Name of the Game by ABBA


Max had lost all of his enthusiasm for the job. In fact, he had lost all of his enthusiasm, period. He struggled to get up early the next morning and had only run half his usual distance. He was quiet as he and Michael ate breakfast and he hardly said a word as the two friends walked to work. He couldn't help thinking about Liz, and her relationship with this Kyle guy.

How typical was it that the first time he fell in love, the girl would be in love with someone else?

It promised to be a lousy day.

He went though the motions, helping set up the clubhouse and then the sailing dinghies. There was no lesson booked for the first hour so he set about tidying up the area, trying to keep himself busy. In the background, someone was already out in the lake; he could hear the steady rhythm of someone swimming.

"You up for a change of scenery tonight?" Michael asked him as he coiled up some rope.

"Yeah," Max answered. "Sure."

"I thought we could go to town or something."

"Whatever," Max shrugged.

"You okay?" Michael paused.

"Sure," Max nodded. Why shouldn't I be? I finally meet a girl I really like only to find she's with another guy. "I'm fine."

"You seem a little..." Michael shrugged and returned to the clubhouse.

Down the wharf, some movement caught his eye. The swimmer was climbing out of the water using the ladder. Max turned and blinked. It was Liz. It was Liz, climbing up from the lake with a sensuous grace the reminded Max of a hunting panther, wearing a black bikini that was smaller even than the one he had her wearing in his daydream. She looked positively gorgeous. Max's jaw dropped. Liz stood straight, not even noticing Max, and flicked her long, dark hair back, spraying water in a wide arc over the back of her. Drops of water formed on her and rolled down her warm colored skin. Without noticing him, she walked away, pausing only to step into a pair of heeled sandles. The shoes stretched her legs and caused her backside to sway even more as she left. Max couldn't see her eyes moving as though she were trying to look through the back of her head, nor the smile she had on her face as she moved her hips with a little more exaggeration, knowing that his eyes were fixed on her.

"Damn," Max drooled. "If I didn't know better, I would say that she did all that on purpose."


* * *


Three lessons later and a hundred dollars in tips richer, Max sat inside the clubhouse eating his lunch while Michael continued to serve guests. Unless someone booked a lesson for the next hour, Max would cover for Michael when it was his turn to eat.

"You know," Michael leaned up against the counter. "As much as I think Duke is an alright guy, I can't help thinking he's a prick with his daughter. I sure wouldn't like to be in her shoes."

"Oh?" Max's interest was piqued. "How come?"

"Well, the guys were saying that Mr. Parker is pressuring Liz into marrying that Italian dude, even though she doesn't love him."

"Didn't look that way to me," Max grumbled. "Looked to me like she liked the guy."

"Yeah," Michael nodded. "That's exactly what I said. I thought she was totally into him. That she was happy to be with him. Only Tony says that she's like that with everyone. Apparently she's such a sweetheart, always being nice to everyone. She's just not able to be rude to anyone."

You could have fooled me, Max considered.

"So anyway," Michael continued, "she plays nice to keep her father happy and to keep Kyle happy... but what about her? Does she get to be happy?"

"Maybe," Max smiled, hope rising in his heart again. "You never know."

The day had suddenly turned beautiful again.


* * *


"Hello again," Max appeared beside Liz at her locker as she was getting ready to quit for the day.

Liz again leveled a cool, steady glare at him.

"Lovely weather we've been having, huh?"

She remained quiet a few more moments.

"Lovely," she confirmed in a non-committal, bored fashion.

"Ideal weather for a resort like this," Max continued.

"Yes," she nodded. There was a short pause. "Although I would imagine you would like a little more wind to push your boats along."

"Oh, I don't know," Max shrugged. "I gave a lesson to Mrs. Bloomfield earlier. She talked about her three grandsons so much, we were zipping up and down the lake on all her hot air alone."

Liz looked at him for a moment before she started to laugh. It was a lovely sound. It sounded even better than it had when she laughed with Kyle, last night. It sounded... genuine. This served only to embolden Max.

"Would you have dinner with me?" he gave her an imploring look. "Please?"

Watching him carefully, Liz thought for a moment or two.

"Tell you what," she gave him an encouraging smile. "I'll give you a chance to win a date. Okay? A competition. If I beat you, you have to stop asking me out, okay?"

"And if I beat you?" Max raised his eyebrows.

Liz started to laugh again.

"Right... if you beat me, then you can take me to dinner."

"Bring it on," Max grinned.

"Okay," Liz nodded with an amused smile. "Meet me here tonight, at eight o'clock."

"Right," Max nodded. "Right. For the competition? Or shall we just say it's a forgone conclusion and skip straight to the date?"

"The competition," she rolled her eyes. "If you want that date so badly, you're going to have to earn it."

"Okay," Max chuckled. "So what are we playing? Chess? Poker? Halo? John Maddens NFL?" He paused. "One-on-one basketball?"

"Just meet me here at eight."

"Yeah," he nodded. "But what are we playing? I might need to prepare myself."

"Tennis," she smiled a little impishly as she left.

"Tennis," Max nodded. "Right. How hard can that be?"


* * *


"So you're turning down a fun filled adventure in town with the guys for a game of tennis?" Michael raised an eyebrow.

"That's right," Max nodded. "I'm sorry. It's kind of like a bet."

"And who are you playing against?"

"A girl, actually."

"A girl?" Michael raised an eyebrow. "You're joking, right? A girl challenged you to a game of tennis?"

"That's right."

"Are you any good?"

"It's a girl, Michael," Max rolled his eyes. "And tennis is a game of physical strength and fitness. I'll just overpower her and run her ragged."

"Doesn't sound like a fun game to me," Michael shook his head. "Is it that blonde? Will she even be able to move around a court with those boobs?"

"I'm sure she can move around just fine," Max grinned. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"No problem," Michael nodded. "I'm still going into town, though."

"Have fun," Max smiled, picking up the loaner tennis racquet that he had obtained.


* * *


Dressed in cutoff denim shorts, a pale blue polo shirt and his sneakers, Max stood by the lockers, bouncing the tennis racquet against his hand. He saw someone heading toward him, along the path. Wearing a white tennis skirt, a white polo top with pink trimming and white tennis shoes, Liz moved toward him. Over her shoulder was a large bag. She wore a pink headband to keep the hair she had pulled into a ponytail out of her eyes. She looked, Max thought, adorable.

Until she dropped the bag at her feet.

The bag Liz had carried was a tennis bag, it's profile shaped like an oversized tennis racquet. Max swallowed hard when she unzipped her bag to reveal half a dozen racquets. She took out two of them, tested the strings before placing one of them back in the bag. She then produced a couple of bright yellow tennis balls from a long tube.

"Ready?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Ready," Max nodded, trying to look more cool - and confident - by giving his racquet a couple of test swings.

Liz opened the door to one of the courts and stepped inside. She flicked a switch and the court was flooded with light. Max walked to the far end of the court and bounced up and down on his feet for a moment, taking a few practice swings. For the next five minutes, the pair warmed up by knocking the ball back and forth.

"Not too bad," Max nodded as each time he returned the ball to her, it landed pretty much where he wanted. "Might not be so hard after all. She sure doesn't look like she has much power. I mean, come on. I am so much stronger than her. A good wind could blow her away. Yeah. I can do this."

"Best of three?" Liz called as she tossed him the balls. "You can serve first."

"Okay," Max nodded as he picked up the balls. "Best of three. Ready?"

"Ready," Liz nodded, standing on the baseline, balanced on her feet, holding her racquet ready for Max's serve.


Max stepped up to the line, bounced the ball a few times and then held it against the strings of his racquet. Looking at the spot he wanted the ball to go, right in the back corner, Max lobbed the ball into the air, coiled his body and unleashed his full strength against the little yellow object.

"Yes," Max silently approved as he watched the ball rocket towards the spot he had aimed for and stepped forward, ready, just in case Liz managed to make a return. "Let's see her get that."

Where there had been only air before, Liz was there. She poised on her lovely legs, swung her racquet, forehand against the ball and Max could only watch as it came back towards his side. Except that she had hit it right down the side and Max had to hurry to get across to make his own return. Did that ball really move in the air like a pitcher's curveball? And did it really bounce slightly offline, as though it had some spin on it? He nevertheless felt a moment of pride when he felt the ball connect with his racquet and fly over the net. He was a little dismayed at the fact that she was already standing in the space where he had hit it. Liz smoothly swung her backhand against the ball and drove it to the opposite side of the court. Still trying to recover from his last stretching return, Max raced across the court only to see the yellow ball bounce out of his reach.

"Love, fifteen," Liz smiled sweetly.

She had moved maybe four or five steps while Max had raced twice the width of the court.


That was only the beginning. Every time Max made his serve, Liz was there, returning it. Sometimes, he managed to get to the return, but most of the time he did not. Whenever he hit it, it seemed that Liz was already there, waiting, and she somehow managed to put the ball right at the farthest point from where he was. Sometimes, she dropped the ball short, just over the net making Max dash forward and then she would lob it over his head, making him race back. Max was covering a lot of ground. And it seemed whenever he tried to anticipate her, and started to move for that point, he got it wrong and had to double back sharply.

Love fifteen turned to love thirty, then love forty and then, game. Liz was one game to love up. When Liz served, it was even worse. Mostly, she served an ace. If Max was lucky enough to get to the ball, it invariably bounced wildly off of his racquet and into some random direction off court. There was tremendous force in her serves. The relatively few times he managed to get it to stay in bounds, Liz was there, driving it back to his side, to the point farthest from where he was at the moment. One game to love became two games to love. Regardless of who was serving, the little yellow balls went zipping past Max every time. Liz took the first set, six games to love.

The second set was pretty much a repeat of the first. Max was run ragged. Whatever hope he had of winning a point, let alone the match, had long ago vanished. He was no longer playing for a date. He was playing for his pride. Max's ego was taking a bashing. He wasn't just being beaten by the girl. He was being creamed.

"So," Liz stood at her baseline with the ball, ready to serve. She looked as fresh as when she had first arrived. She gave him a sweet smile. "That's one set to love, five games to love in the second set, forty love. I guess this is match point, huh?"

Max, sweating profusely, looking like he had just run a marathon, nodded weakly. Smirking, Liz bounced the ball on the court, lobbed the ball up and her whole body arced as she coiled to release her energy. The ball was a blur to Max and he could hardly even react to it. It was out of reach in any case. Liz has served a final ace. Another one.

"Game, set and match," she smiled, approaching the net to give the customary handshake.

Liz looked like after a quick change of clothes, she could go out to a club or something. She had hardly broken a sweat.

"Well pla..." Max struggled to catch his breath. "Well pla... Good game."

"Thanks," Liz chirped brightly.

"Liz," a deep masculine voice called from the gloom. "Is that you?"

"Hey, Daddy," Liz returned the call with a smile, making her way to the fence where her father stood.

Jeff Parker emerged from the darkness and walked up to the chain link fencing.

"Did you have a good game, hon?"

"Yeah," she nodded as Max approached them. "It was fun."

"She's pretty good," Jeff looked at Max. "Isn't she?"

"She is," Max nodded, still trying to catch his breath. "I never won a single point."

"Oh, you did okay," Liz smiled. "I had fun."

"She's had lessons since she was three years old," Jeff informed him. "She plays tennis for her college. She's not even there on a tennis scholarship and she's probably the best player Berkeley has ever seen."

He was chuckling to himself as he walked away, leaving the two to continue.


"Well," Max pulled the bottom of his polo shirt up to wipe the sweat from his face. Dropping his shirt, he didn't see Liz's eyes flicker back up to his face. Neither did he see that her eyes had darkened. "A deal's a deal." He paused. "Enjoy your summer."

Liz started to grin at him as Max started to walk away.

"Meet me here, tomorrow night at eight o'clock," she called before he had got very far.

"Why?" Max stopped and turned to face her. He held the racquet over his shoulder. His face was one of disgust. "So you can humiliate me some more?"

"No," Liz started to laugh as she hefted her bag over her shoulder. She started to walk away but stopped and turned to look back. "So you can take me to dinner."

Max stared at her, his jaw dropped in shock. He continued to stare after her even though she had long since left. Finally, he started to smile. A few moments later, when he managed to send nerve impulses the right direction, his legs started to move and he skipped like a little girl, all the way back to his room, with the biggest grin on his face, ever.


* * *

[WR]

Friends Like These.

Chapter 6


So she said what's the problem baby
What's the problem I don't know
Well maybe I'm in love (love)
Think about it every time
I think about it
Can't stop thinking 'bout it

How much longer will it take to cure this
Just to cure it cause I can't ignore it if it's love (love)
Makes me wanna turn around and face me but I don't know nothing 'bout love

Come on, come on
Turn a little faster
Come on, come on
The world will follow after
Come on, come on
Cause everybody's after love

So I said I'm a snowball running
Running down into the spring that's coming all this love
Melting under blue skies
Belting out sunlight
Shimmering love

Well baby I surrender
To the strawberry ice cream
Never ever end of all this love
Well I didn't mean to do it
But there's no escaping your love

These lines of lightning
Mean we're never alone,
Never alone, no, no

Come on, Come on
Move a little closer
Come on, Come on
I want to hear you whisper
Come on, Come on
Settle down inside my love

Come on, come on
Jump a little higher
Come on, come on
If you feel a little lighter
Come on, come on
We were once
Upon a time in love

We're accidentally in love
Accidentally in love...

I'm In Love, I'm in Love,
I'm in Love, I'm in Love,
I'm in Love, I'm in Love,
Accidentally [x2]

Come on, come on
Spin a little tighter
Come on, come on
And the world's a little brighter
Come on, come on
Just get yourself inside her

Love ...I'm in love

Accidentally In Love by Counting Crows


"How did the game go last night?" Michael asked as they ate breakfast that morning.

Max looked up, a little thoughtful.

"I think I won," he nodded, struggling to contain his smile.

"You think?" Michael frowned. "Either you did or you didn't."

"Well," Max shrugged. "I guess it depends on your idea of winning. I mean, I came away with the result I wanted, so I guess that means I won."

"Huh?" Michael shook his head. "Were you playing for money, or something?"

"Well," Max nodded. "I think there was a little hustling involved, yes."

"Is that even allowed?" Michael wondered. "I mean, jeez, Max. Don't go and do something stupid that gets your ass thrown out of this place."

"We weren't playing for money," Max shook his head. "So relax. Hey! What's it like in town?"

Max was pleased at how he changed the subject.


"Zephyr Cove is kinda small," Michael shrugged. "But it's got some nice bars and a few diners, a restaurant or two but that's about all. The cinema plays stuff that's been out a while and the bowling alley gets packed. It's a change from the staff club, though. I told the guys we'd go again tonight. It's cheaper if enough of us share a cab."

"Ah," Max looked somewhat abashed. "Sorry. Can't. I, uh... I've made plans."

"Don't tell me," Michael rolled his eyes. "A rematch?"

"Something like that," Max nodded. "Something like that."

"Do we need to set up some sort of signal?" Michael raised an eyebrow. "Like a sock on the door handle?"

"Huh?" Max blinked.

"It's what we do at college," Michael shrugged. "To let your roommate know you're..." Michael looked at Max and paused. "Never mind."


* * *


Max approached the tennis courts, where Liz had told him to meet her, with a spring in his step that had been there all day. Even cleaning up the mess that little Simon Robinson had left in the bilge hadn't affected his mood. He could still hardly believe that Liz had agreed to go out on a date with him.

"She said 'no' so many times," his head gave a shake as he remembered her constantly brushing him off. "And then she goes and says yes even after she beat me fair and square and I said I would leave her alone."

Max started to smile even brighter.

"She must like me as much as I like her."


* * *


As he had expected, Liz had not yet arrived at the designated meeting point. He was hardly surprised at that fact, given that he was a full ten minutes early. He even checked his watch, just in case time had miraculously jumped forward to eight o'clock. Then he had a momentary panic, wondering if maybe his watch had somehow lost time, between when he had checked it with the radio only half an hour ago and now. He might be late and she would have left thinking he stood her up...

With a heavy sigh, Max tried to take his mind off of things by looking out onto the tennis court. The court on which she had so soundly thrashed him just last evening.

"God, but she looked so cute," he remembered with a smile.

Self consciously, he started to adjust his shirt, tugging at the collas to perhaps straighten it. He ran his tongue along his teeth, first across the front side, and then the back, both top and bottom. Just to be on the safe side, he cupped his hands together in front of his mouth and breathed out. Max wasn't really sure if that truly worked, but he was willing to go on trust right now. Better to be safe than sorry and the last thing he wanted was to ruin his night with a bad case of halitosis. He had already devoured a pack of breath mints.


Max checked his watch again.

"Only five minutes?" he complained. "Oh, come on! I bet the time I spend with her tonight flies by way faster than it's crawling right now!"

In frustration, he kicked at the small stone embedded in the dirt.


Time did pass, however, and soon, his watch informed him that it was now eight o'clock. Max kept glancing along the path that she had appeared on last night, anticipating her arrival, visualizing it in his mind.

"Oh, god," he blinked. "What if she's stood me up?"

His nerves started to get the better of him.

"Or what if this is some kind of joke?" he asked himself. "What if this is her way of letting me know she's not interested?"

He was starting to get irrational.

"What if she never intended on coming but she's told everyone how I'll be standing here like some... stupid... lovesick..."

He could imagine her friends, hiding among the trees, sniggering at him from a distance. He even looked at the darkened tree line, trying to discern if anyone was in fact, hiding there. Max glanced at his watch. It was only five minutes after eight.

"They're always late," he assured himself, looking less stressed. "It's their prerogative, right? The guys are always saying how the girls are always late. I mean, five minutes isn't so much, is it?"

He looked along the path again. There was still no sign of her.

"Heck. Even ten minutes isn't so bad."

By a quarter past eight, when Liz had still not turned up, his mood had descended.

"She's the one who specified the time," he growled. "The least she could do is be on time."

Max shook his head and again, looked up the path.

"I mean, who does she think she is? Some kind of prima donna daddy's girl?"

There was still no sign of her.

"She'll probably breeze in, late, and be all 'oh, I'm sorry I'm late' and expect me to say 'it's all right, don't worry about it.' Hah! As if. In fact, even before she can speak, I'm going to let her know that she can't treat me like I don't matter. I'm going to tell her straight. I'm going to say to her, 'Yyou are late!'"

"Hi, Max," he heard her voice behind him.

His anger still burning, Max spun to face her.

"You're l..." he started to scold her, but his train of thought took a major detour.

Liz was wearing a yellow mini dress, with a pleated skirt. Her dark hair tumbled in a mass of curls, framing her lovely face. She wore a pair of yellow, high-heeled shoes.

"...ovely," Max finished, all his ill temper evaporating in the night air.

"Thank you," Liz smiled in delight, her light make-up doing little to hide her faint blush that colored her cheeks. "I'm so sorry I'm late, Max."

"It's all right," Max shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

"It's not all right," Liz exhaled. "I decided what time we'd meet. It's up to me to at least get here on time. But my Dad stopped me just as I was leaving, complaining how I should be spending more time with Kyle. I mean, Max, I don't want you thinking I'm some kind of prima donna or anything."

His face burning, Max could only blink.

"You, uh, don't read minds," he looked at her sideways. "Do you?"

"No," Liz looked confused. "Why?"

"Uh, no reason," Max shook his head. "Uh, it's just, uh...Right. So... What did you want to do?"

"I believe," she smiled, happy to change the subject, "that dinner was mentioned. Once or twice."

"Yes," Max nodded with eagerness. "Yes, it was. So... any preferences?"

"Actually..." Liz paused. "Under the, uh, circumstances, I'd prefer it if we went somewhere where it won't get back to my Dad. He can be a bit tiresome when it comes to me seeing people who aren't Kyle."

"Right," Max found himself nodding. "Nowhere local. Check. So, uh... do you often see other people who aren't Kyle?"

"Oh, sure," Liz gave an emphatic nod. "In the last year alone, you would be the, uh... first."

"Really?" Max's eyes widened in astonishment.

"In fact," she continued. "Since being introduced to Kyle, three years ago, this will be my third ever date with some who is not Kyle. One was with the brother of a friend and the other, a blind date that I won't even go into because it lasted all of two hours and I had to pull the old fictitious-emergency-text-message-from-home excuse just to get away. Dating is not something I do a lot."

"Because your dad gives you such a hard time when you do?"

"Yeah, and let's not even mention Kyle's attitude."

"Liz?" Max frowned. "Are you and Kyle an item? I mean, am I rocking a boat or anything?"

"If you ask my Dad, or Kyle that question, they would give you an answer different to mine. But my answer is no. Kyle and I are not an item and just because my dad likes him doesn't mean that I like him any more than... Look, I 'like' Kyle," she shrugged. "As a friend. But as a potential partner? Nuh uh. All that high society fake smiles and air kisses? I want to live my life, not walk through it faking everything. And that means my relationships, too. Besides..." she reached out and touched Max's hand and started to grin. "I would have thought that you would be the perfect person to rock any boat."

Even Max's ears blushed.

"Sooo..." Liz continued. "Dinner."

"Dinner," Max agreed. "Uh, where to?"

"Let's go to Carson City," Liz suggested. "We can be there in half an hour."

"Uh," Max nodded. "We could... if I had a car to take you in."

"We can take mine," Liz smiled. "Come on. This way."


As Liz led the way to her car, with Max walking at her side, they talked of little things, such as how their day went. Max found himself wondering if Liz would mind him taking her hand. He wanted to. He wanted to hold her, to convince himself that this wasn't some kind of dream, even if it was a good one. And as they walked and talked, she kept on looking up at him. Didn't that mean something, he wondered? Did she want him to take her hand? All too soon, however, Liz stopped walking.

"Here we are," she nodded at a parked car.

"Is this yours?" Max blinked at the bright red Audi A6.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Well, I suppose it's Daddy's, technically. He bought it for me, it's in his name, but yeah, it's mine."

"Nice," Max gave the car a good looking over.

"Want to drive?" Liz held out the keys.


* * *

[WR]

Friends Like These.

Chapter 7


Sweet wonderful you,
You make me happy with the things you do,
Oh, can it be so,
This feeling follows me wherever I go.

I never did believe in miracles,
But I've a feeling it's time to try.
I never did believe in the ways of magic,
But I'm beginning to wonder why.

Don't, don't break the spell,
It would be different and you know it will,
You, you make loving fun,
And I don't have to tell you you're the only one.

You make loving fun.
You make loving fun.

You Make Loving Fun by Fleetwood Mac


"So," Liz looked up from the plate of Linguine Primavera and gave Max a big smile. "Tell me about your family, Max."

"My family?" he blinked. Panic started to rise. "Uh... well... They're like any other family, really. Just, you know, my Mom and my, uh, stepdad."

"Oh," her face colored. "Sorry. I uh... Sorry."

She looked down at her plate, focusing on a baby carrot.

"No, it's okay," Max shook away her embarrassment. He felt bad that he had made her feel bad. "It's cool."

"I have a step-mom," Liz confessed, still not looking up. "Nancy."

"Oh?" Max raised an eyebrow. "Is she there, at the club? Have I seen her?"

"I doubt it," she gave a soft snort. She looked up at Max, now, feeling more comfortable. "My mom died when I was eight. Car accident."

"I'm sorry," Max momentarily reached his hand out but drew it back again.

"That's okay," Liz shrugged, giving a teasing smile. "I'm sure it wasn't your fault, right?"

"What was she like?" Max asked with a gentle voice.

"Mom was great," she replied with a wistful smile. "We did everything together. Here. I have her picture."

Reaching for her purse, Liz pulled out a small photograph, perhaps two inches square. Max accepted the picture, looking at the two dimensional image of a beautiful, young dark haired woman who looked back at him, unblinking.

"Wow," Max nodded with approval. "I can see where you got your looks from. You are both very beautiful."

Liz took the picture back and tucked it away in safety, blushing at the compliment.

"How do you get along with your step-mom?" Max continued.

"I try to avoid her," she tried to hide the disgust from her voice. "She only married Daddy for his money. And now, she's trying to drink it all."

"Sorry," it was Max's turn to look down at his plate. Her own confession, however, steeled him. "My, uh, Dad died when I was... uh, four. Cancer."

"Oh, Max," Liz gasped, her hand reaching forward for a brief moment before retreating again.

"He, uh... Anyway, my mom remarried. She... she uh, couldn't cope with my dad's death and kind of lost her way. She started... drinking. And... erm, she uh, took up with this drunk from the bar she was hanging out in. The next thing I know is she comes home from Reno with a step-dad for me. We never got on. God," he gave a chuckle. "We have something in common."

"Yeah," Liz gave a sad nod. "So was he after your mom's money?"


"Uh, I guess you could say that," Max looked away for a moment. "So, you go to Berkeley, huh."

"Yeah," Liz nodded. "It was my dad's Alma Mater and he really wanted me to go there, too. I resisted at first but I'm having such a great time there, so I guess it was the right choice. I've got such a good bunch of friends, there."

"One of my best friends' goes to Berkeley, too," Max nodded. "Alex. Alex Whitman."

"It's a big place, Max," Liz grinned at him. "I'm hardly likely to know everyone."

"I know that," Max turned scarlet. "I was just wondering... if maybe, you know... So what do you major in?"

"Ah, well," Liz took a sip of her cola. "I major in Business Studies. But that's just because my Dad... and Kyle, expect it of me. I'd really love to major in Education, which is my minor."

"No way!" Max exclaimed with a huge grin.

"Yes way," Liz raised her eyebrows. "Why? What?"

"That's what I'm studying," Max enthused.

"Really?" she smiled. "Wow. That's just so..."

"Yeah," he agreed, twirling some linguini around his fork. "And it's something else we have in common."

"I'd kind of like to be a teacher," Liz shrugged. "But I'm probably destined to run my Dad's businesses."

"There are worse things to do," Max smiled. "I mean, the club is so awesome, it's a fun place to work."

"I suppose," Liz agreed. "So what college do you go to, Max?"

Max's hand paused midway between the plate and his mouth. He lowered it, placed his knife and fork down on his plate and leaned back.

"Liz?" his voice fell. "I was going to tell you this white lie and tell you that I went to UCLA. But..." he looked up. "I really like you, Liz, so I'm just going to be completely honest here, and if that changes your opinion of me, well, better you don't like me for a reason other than I lied to you. See..." He took a deep breath. "The thing is, I, uh... only go to a community college. In Sacramento. We don't have any money. I live in a trailer park with my Mom, who has thankfully dried herself out, and my still drunken step-father. My Dad died of Cancer because he refused treatment. He knew we couldn't afford it. He kept his condition secret from us because he knew we would make him take his treatment. My step-father thought my dad had a huge insurance policy... he didn't. So he's kind of bitter, reckons he was duped... I'm here trying to earn enough money so that I can transfer out and study for my last year at a real college. I'm, uh, hoping for UCLA."

Liz looked at him for a moment, her eyes unreadable.

"Well?" Max could not take her silence any longer. He was expecting the worst and his voice indicated this. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

"Yeah," Liz nodded, as she used her fork to gather more pasta. "It's lucky for you that we're going Dutch, then."

"What?" Max blinked. "Liz, no! I asked you out. It's..."

"And next time," Liz ignored his protests, "we can go somewhere less expensive. You know, Max... I like places like Denny's as much as places like this. It's all about the company you keep."

Max could only stare at her and blink.

"Did you really think that I accepted your invitation because I thought you were rich, or something?" she shook her head.

Max's mouth opened and closed but no sounds came out.

"If I wanted rich, then there are fewer who have more wealth than Kyle Valenti. Did you think I was that shallow?"

"I didn't know what to think, Liz," Max finally found his voice. "All I knew was that I have never met anyone like you. I've never met anyone that actually made me feel uncomfortable with my roots. And it's not just because you come from money. Just looking at you and I... I want to be more than myself. You make me want more for myself than I wanted before. I know that makes no sense at all... but then this... you... me... this makes no sense to me at all. I have never been attracted to anyone as much as I am attracted to you."

There was silence as they both gazed into one another's eyes. Max broke away, starting to blush.

"That's not the sort of things you want to hear on a first date, huh?" Max looked down at the table, afraid he had just blown it.

"Probably not," Liz nodded. "But it's kind of nice to hear someone talking so honestly. Even if he does say things that should make no sense at all, yet still makes complete sense."

"Yeah?" Max looked up, hope in his eyes.

"I like you, too, Max," she smiled. "And for the record, I already knew that you didn't exactly come from money. But I wish I had known that you were trying to save your money for your education. I would never have let you bring me here."

"I wanted to impress you," Max shook his head. "I wanted to take you out on a really nice date... so that if it didn't work out, it would be because of 'me' and not because of my... situation."

"It would never have not worked out because of you, Max," Liz chuckled.

"Wait," Max narrowed his eyes. "You said you already knew about me? How? Did you talk to Michael?"

"Hello," Liz raised her hand. "Boss's daughter doubling as tennis coach and administrator. Access to the employee files. After you asked me out that first time, I kind of wanted to know who you were."

"You did?" Max blinked.

"Sure," she smirked. "I wanted to check out the dork who still used the corny pick up line, 'do you come here often?'"


* * *


"How did your rematch go?" Michael smirked as he and Max walked along the path that led to the lake. "Did you win?"

Max was clearly still half asleep.

"It went..." Max paused, inclining his head as if in thought. "It was a tie."

Yes, the night had gone fantastic. After their dinner, they had found a club and went dancing. They talked and danced and talked some more. And on the drive home, they talked still more. They had connected. They had each bared their souls to one another. Max honestly believed that there was not a thing either did not know about the other.

But for all that, there had been a slight problem. He had not worked up the courage to kiss her. Oh, the inclination had been there. In fact, the desire... the 'need' to kiss her was burning him up. But he somehow could not work out how to do it, in spite of her confession that she liked him. His problem, he deduced, was his inexperience. Maybe he should have just relaxed and gone with the flow. But Max had never worked out just how to do that. His only previous successful exploits had been clouded by alcohol.

It had been nearly three a.m. when he returned to his room.


"Tie?" Michael blinked. "You can't tie in tennis."

"Go figure," Max yawned, jamming his hand in his pockets.

"I figured," Michael smirked. "Especially since you weren't in the room when I got home. Did you go for a tiebreak?"

"What's this?" Tony, walking with them that morning, heading for some shrubs behind the sailing clubhouse. "Did you get lucky, Max?"

"Max has been playing... tennis," Michael snorted. "With some blonde. You know, Love all and that."

"A blonde, huh?" Tony chuckled. "Which one? Better not be Penny. I've kind of got my eye on her, myself."

Max was scarcely aware of the conversation going on around him. He had been distracted ages ago by a group of girls walking on the path parallel to theirs, making their way for the tennis complex. Only one of the girls, however, held his gaze. Liz, his dark haired beauty was among them, looking at him, ignoring her own friends while they gave each other a secret, intimate smile.

"No," Max shook his head as Liz vanished from his view. "It's not Penny." He paused. "Uh, who's Penny?"


* * *


"It's lovely out here, Liz," Max gazed in adoration at Liz.

She was sitting on the opposite side of a blanket to him. Between them, Liz had just finished laying out an assortment of finger snacks. Max could not take his eyes off of her. The sun was starting to dip behind the trees on the opposite side of the lake. The glare of the setting sun was highlighting her hair, a kaleidoscope of autumnal colors; reds, oranges and browns. Self conscious of his attention, Liz was busying herself with laying out the picnic that she had prepared for them. There was a smile of pleasure on her face.

They had decided on a picnic as their second date; it being cheap, easy and they really only wanted to spend time in each other's company, anyway. It really didn't mater what the setting was. Even so, this setting was simply delightful, a clearing on the edge of the lake, a mile or two away from the resort.

"It's lovely spending time with you," he continued. "And you are just so... lovely."

She looked up, smiling, her face flushed.

"Are you sure you're as inexperienced as you say you are?" she gazed at him with affection. "'Cause you talk like you've been using those lines since forever."

"It's you," he gave her a small indulgent smile. "Perhaps you bring out the best in me."

"Of course I do," she smirked. She started to chuckle as she shook her head. "Do you come here often, indeed."

"Not gonna live that one down, huh?" Max was pleased that she felt so at ease with him that she could make jokes at his expense like that.

"No more than the fact that you got your ass whipped at tennis by a girl," Liz laughed with a twinkle in her eye.


* * *


"Okay," Max leaned over and took the rope from Liz's hands. "We're going to turn so that the wind is following, okay?"

"Following," Liz nodded. "That means it's coming from behind. Right. And that's when we can raise the... uh..."

"Jib," Max smiled. "Right. We raise the jib. That will give us maximum sail and we'll practically fly along the lake."

"Will there be a boom?" she leaned into him, looked up and smiled.

"Huh?" Max frowned. "Liz, we won't go that fast. We won't break the sound barrier."

"Oh," she frowned in disappointment. "But they always talk about it. And I so wanted to hear it."

"What?" Max frowned in confusion. "Who always talks about it? Breaking the sound barrier? In a sail boat?"

"I guess," she shrugged. Her eyes started to dance with mirth and the corners of her lips twitched. "I mean, don't they always say, watch out for the boom?"

Max blinked a few times before he shook his head.

"I should make you walk the plank for that one," he chuckled.

"How can you tell if you're a pirate?" Liz looked at him, her face all innocent.

"Huh?" Max blinked. "I don't know. How?"

"You just arrrrr!" Liz giggled.


* * *


"No, Max," Liz shook her head, stepping close to him and taking his hand. "You're holding it all wrong. Look. Move you fingers... so. And hold it lower. It's not a club. There, wrap your fingers around it, that's it. No, don't squeeze it. Hold it a little more loose... like that. Feel it. You got it, now? Doesn't that feel much better?"

"Like this?" Max swung the tennis racket a few times. Feeling the way it felt more natural in his new grip.

"That's right," Liz nodded with a smile. "Okay, now when you hit a tennis ball, you have to step into it. You don't just... flail at it."

"Easy for you to say," Max snorted. "How can you step into it when you're chasing after it all the time?"

"That's just positioning, Max," Liz rolled her eyes. "We'll get to that later. But you need to learn how to hit the ball properly."

"Properly," he nodded, stepping closer to her. "So, step into it, huh?"

"Yeah," she smiled, looking up into his dark eyes. "Into it. Like in baseball."

"And then?" Their faces were inches apart.

They could feel one another's breath.

"And then," Liz's eyes started to drift closed. Her voice dropped. "You just go for it."

Laughter exploded from the surrounding darkness. Fearing that they had been caught, the young couple leapt apart. Two girls, oblivious to the tennis players entered the light, continuing a conversation that had started a while ago.

"He didn't," one girl squealed.

"He did," the other confirmed, talking about something that had caught their imagination. Neither noticed the couple on court. "And then, you'll never guess what he said afterwards."

"No, what?"

"He said..." and the girls vanished into the curtain of darkness again, continuing their journey, leaving Max and Liz none the wiser for who 'he' was or what he had said.

The moment, however, had passed.


* * *


The music pounded and the dance floor writhed with couples dancing to the beat. Lights flashed overhead, making the scene look like some Bacchanalian orgy, rather than a group of young adults having some simple, innocent fun.

"I've never been here, before," Liz yelled into Max's ear, hoping that he would hear her above the loud cacophony of the latest dance tunes. "I mean, I've driven past this club, like a hundred times. But I've never come in."

"It's great," Max nodded, leaning closer to her ear. "A bit crowded, though."

"Yeah," Liz agreed. "But that's what gives it such a great atmosphere."

"Atmosphere's great, and all," Max smiled. "But I'd prefer a little more intimacy."

"You would, huh?" Liz raised her eyebrows. This was it. They were going to share their first kiss. It had only taken them a week. "Why's that?"

"Because," he swallowed. "I want to kiss you. But I'm afraid that once I start, I won't want to stop. And then I'll end up embarrassing myself... and maybe you, too, in front of all these people. You know, them cheering us and everything."

"They might ignore us," Liz offered, hopefully, moistening her lips.

"Maybe," Max started to move his face closer. "But they might not."

And did he really care in any case?

"Only one way to find out," Liz was also closing the distance. "Maybe we won't care if we don't stop. I mean... I might like it just as much as you do. Maybe I won't want to stop, either."

"Then," their lips were almost touching. How on earth were they still hearing one another? "I guess we need to just... try it..."

"And see," Liz nodded.

Max closed his eyes and could almost feel her lips on his already.

"No!" Liz gasped.

"Huh?" Max blinked as Liz grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the dance floor.

Liz didn't stop pulling and neither did she stop to explain. Max was baffled as she dragged him to the exit, pulling him through the doors and out into the night air.

"Liz?" Max was more than a little concerned. "Is, uh, everything okay?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "No," she shook her head. "Kyle's in there."

"Kyle?" Max blinked, looking at the door. "Here?" And then, a horrible thought hit him. She saw Kyle, here, at a club. Was he with another girl and she realized that she was jealous? Did she harbor feelings for Kyle after all? "Liz?"

"Come on, Max," she started to pull him toward the car. "Let's get out of here."


* * *


After parking the car, Max hurried to her side and helped Liz out, holding her hand as he closed the door. The drive home had been in total silence. Each one had been keeping their thoughts to themselves. Max only knew that he did not like where his own thoughts had been leading him. He wondered where Liz's thoughts had been taking her. Was this the end of their short-lived relationship? With a silent sigh, he started to walk her to her home.

"Do you mind all this, Max?" she finally broke the silence. "I mean, keeping this relationship a secret?"

Was it still a relationship, he wondered? Max opened his mouth to reply, but Liz continued.

"I mean, I can totally understand that you might feel... used, or something. But, you know, I really don't want my dad to find out just yet. He can be a snob, sometimes, you know? And he really hopes I'm going to marry Kyle."

"So," Max managed to speak. "Back there, at the club. The fact that Kyle came in was what? Did you... were you..."

He couldn't say it.

"Was I...?" Liz wondered out loud. Realization dawned. "Was I jealous that he might be there with a girl?" She started to laugh. "God, I hope he was. 'Cause then maybe he will move on and forget about me. No, Max. I was not jealous. It's you I want to be with, not him. If he was there with another girl, then great! I'd be rootin' for the home team! But just so you know," she started to smirk. "If I ever catch you there... or anywhere with another girl... I'll show you another use for tennis rackets. Just with different sized balls."

"I'll remember that," he grinned.

"So you're okay with it?" her face fell again. "I mean, me using you like this?"

"I understand," Max nodded.

"I wish you didn't have to understand," Liz looked frustrated. "I wish... I wish..."

"Hey," Max wrapped his arms around her. "Don't worry about it, okay? I have everything I could wish for, right here."

"I'm sorry," she pressed her face against his chest. "Apart from the so called dates with Kyle, I'm kind of new to this dating experience where I actually have... feelings and... and it's a bit..."

"Intimidating?" Max raised an eyebrow.

"No, no," her head shook against him. "Not intimidating. I mean... Sure, I've been out on dates, but the thought of opening myself up and getting so intimate with someone... I mean... I'm so used to keeping myself closed, you know? And... We've been seeing each other like this for a week now..."

"The most amazing week of my life," Max added with a big smile.

"And we haven't even had our first kiss," she smiled up at him, hopefully.

"I'm sure, when it happens," Max nodded, his voice hushed and husky, "it will be special."

"God," Liz was amazed. "Can you be any more sweet?"

"I hope you mean that in a nice way," Max grinned.

"The nicest," she chuckled. "I like sweet things."

"Well," Max looked up at the large chalet, set back from the path. "Here we are." He gave her hand a squeeze and smiled at her. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

Max was already relaxing his grip, turning away in preparation to leave. Liz, however, had other ideas. She tightened her own grip, pulled him back to her and captured his face between her little hands.

"Everyone says you're supposed to remember your first kiss," she breathed against his mouth. "It's supposed to be something special. So don't let me down, 'kay?"

Their lips touched very briefly at first, the lightest of touches, as though a butterfly had landed on them instead. In perfect synchronization, both sets of lips parted as they pressed more firmly, yet still gently together. Still wider, the lips parted. Max's tongue moved forward to run against Liz's lips while she pressed herself tighter against Max's body, responding to his light teasing. While one arm pulled her into him, his other slid up her back, seeking the tresses that he loved so very much. Liz's hands left his face to slide behind his head, holding him to her. While their mouths danced against each other, his hand wormed through the dark locks and found the nape of her neck. His tongue no longer teased her lips but was caressing her tongue now. And still, they could not get close enough. How long they stood there locked in their intimate embrace, neither could say. They could not get enough of one another and as Max had predicted, he could not stop. Neither could Liz. Fireworks exploded around them. Somewhere, the mushroom cloud of a nuclear explosion must be growing because the earth was shaking beneath their feet. Every sweet moment of their week together flashed through their minds. They were both in heaven right now.

They could not keep it up for long, however. They both needed air just as much as each other, to live. Both Max and Liz seemed more than slightly dazed when their lips finally parted.

"Wow," Liz's hoarse voice squeaked.

"Yeah," Max gave a weak nod. "Wow."

They both remained silent for a moment.

"Well?" Max finally asked, his eyes full of hope? "Will you always remember our first kiss?"

"Just so long as it's not our last," Liz nodded, still a little breathless.

"Count on it," Max gave her a huge smile.

Liz reached up and gave Max a quick kiss on his lips.

"Good night," she whispered before turning and hurrying indoors.

Max watched her until the door closed, his fingers touching the spot she had just kissed him. He started to walk away, with the biggest cheese-eating grin, ever.

"Yes!" he pumped his fist. Max was on a high. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!"

He stopped and turned, facing her chalet. A light came on in an upstairs bedroom. Max gave another gentle smile.

"Good night, good night," he whispered. "Parting is such sweet sorrow. That I shall say goodnight till it be morrow."

He shook his head and still smiling, looked down at the ground.

"Face it Evans. You're whipped."


* * *

[WR]

Chapter 8


They say we're young and we don't know
Won't find out until we grow.
Well I don't know maybe that's true
'cause you got me baby I got you

Babe
I got you babe
I got you babe

They say our love won't pay the rent
Before it's earned our money's always spent
I guess that's so we don't have a lot
At least I'm sure of all the things we got

Babe
I got you babe
I got you babe

I got flowers in the spring
I got you to wear my ring.
And when I'm sad you're a clown
And when I get scared you're always around.

So let them say your hair's too long
I don't care with you I can't go wrong.
Then put your little hand in mine
There ain't no hill or mountain we can't climb.

Babe
I got you babe
I got you babe
I got you babe

I've got you to hold my hand - I've got you to understand.
I've got you to walk with me - I've got you to talk with me.
I got you to kiss good night - I got you to hold me tight.
I got you and I won't let go . I got you to love me so !

I got you babe. I got you babe. I got you babe.
I got you babe. I got you babe. I got you babe.
I got you babe. I got you babe. I got you babe.
I got you babe. I got you babe. I got you babe.
I got you babe. I got you babe.

I Got You Babe by UB40 feat Chrissie Hynde
(Not the other two. They split up, remember?)


The restaurant was small, intimate and very exclusive. The menu had no prices printed on it. It was the sort of establishment where, if you had to ask the price, you couldn't afford to eat there. There were only ten small tables, each of them seating only two, arranged in a horseshoe around the edge of the room. Every table was illuminated with a soft wall mounted light. There wasn't an empty table in the restaurant this evening. At one table closer to the apex of the horseshoe, a young couple were just finishing their desert.

Alexander Whitman reached across the small table and took Maria DeLuca's hand in his.

"Ever since we started flirting," he spoke softly, keeping his voice low so that no one else would hear him. Here was no real need as the restaurant had been designed with intimacy in mind. "My heart races every time I see you." He took a deep breath. "Over these past two weeks, since Max has left, my feelings have been growing for you."

"Oh, Alex," tears formed on Maria's eyelids like early morning dew on grass. "I feel exactly the same."

"I want to propose to you, Maria," Alex looked into her eyes. "But I know that my father would disapprove. Not over my choice, but because we would be getting engaged so soon... and so young. So I was wondering, if you wanted to maybe make a promise to each other... or something."

"Like a pre-engagement engagement?" she smiled, barely holding her emotions in check.

"Yes," Alex nodded. "A promise that one day, soon, we'll get engaged."

Maria was silent for a moment while she tried hard to control her vocal chords.

"Alex," she finally managed to squeak. "When we get around to upgrading our relationship from a pre engagement to an actual engagement..."

Maria reached around her neck and unfastened her necklace. She held it out to Alex. Dangling in the loop of the chain was an old-fashioned solitaire diamond ring.

"This is beautiful, Maria," Alex told her, accepting the chain and ring from her.

"It was my grandmother's," Maria informed him. "And it was her fondest wish that I wear it when I get engaged. So when you ask me, Alex... ask me with this ring. Please. You have no idea how much it would mean to me. You have no idea how much this ring means to me."

Alex placed the chain around his neck, allowing the ring to hang in plain sight.

"I'll wear it always," he smiled at her. "Next to my heart. To remind me of my other heart."

"Oh, Alex," Maria sighed, leaning across the table for a kiss.


* * *


Alex parked the car in front of the large house. Pulling the handbrake, he then switched off the ignition. Alex sat back and listened to the sounds of his car as it started to cool down. He had a big smile on his face. Taking the ring in his hand, he looked at it, glinting from the light from the house.

Climbing from the car, he shut the door and pressed the button on his key. The car chirped twice, the indicators flashing once. Walking through the front door, Alex stepped into the rather opulent hallway.

"Hey, Dad," Alex called to the huge living room. "I'm home."

"Hey, son," Mr. Whitman looked up from his laptop computer. "Have a good time?"

"Yeah," he replied, taking another look at the ring before he tucked it out of sight.

"Can you come in here for a moment?" his father called. "There's something I need to talk to you about."

"What's up, Dad?" Alex entered the room to join his father.

"I was conducting some business today," Mr. Whitman closed his laptop computer. "With Mr. Jeff Parker. He own the Milan Heights Country Club, over in Yosemite."

"Milan Heights?" Alex narrowed is eyes in concentration. "Isn't that where Max and Michael have jobs for the summer?"

"That's right," Mr. Whitman nodded. "Well, it seems that his golf course has really taken off this year and he has more bookings than ever. He's even running some competitions and he could use a little extra help. So I kind of said that as you and Jesse have nothing better to do, that perhaps the two of you would like to go and work for him for the rest of the summer."


* * *


Naturally, the first person that Alex called, even before calling Jesse to give him the news of his new employment, was Maria. Surprising, or perhaps not, she was taking the news a lot more calmly than Alex had expected.

"On the one hand," Alex explained. "I would like to team up with my buddies..."

"Yeah," Maria nodded at the other end of the phone. "You're missing Max."

"But I would miss you more," Alex admitted.

"Go," Maria smiled. "Have a blast. We can text and talk on the phone and it's not so far that I can't come over and visit sometime. And we go to the same college so we can be with each other the rest of the year."

"You're sure?" Alex raised his eyebrows.

"You should go," Maria surprised herself. "So when do you leave?"

"Day after tomorrow," Alex sighed.


* * *


Michael was laid back on his bed, his hands interlaced behind his head while he stared up at the ceiling.

"Do you realize that we have been working for eight straight days?" he asked out loud. "This is our first day off in over a week."

"Yeah," Max nodded. He was sitting on a chair, pulling on a pair of sports socks. "And I, for one, plan on making the most of it."

"What you got planned?" Michael sat up on the edge of the bed. He looked over his shoulder at Max, cocking an eyebrow. "Tennis?"

"Nah," Max started to look around the room. Although, he was considering going over to the courts and watch the tennis lessons. "I thought I'd start the day off by shooting a few hoops."

"Oh, right," Michael grinned. "Is that all you plan to do?"

"We'll see what the day brings," Max shrugged as he peered under their table. "Have you seen my sneakers?"

"Yeah," Michael nodded, standing up. "They're under your bed. Hang on. I'll get them."

Michael knelt down beside the bed and reached underneath, to grab Max's shoes. He came up holding a brassier. A dainty black and white brassier. Very lacey and very daring.

"Uh, Max?" Michael held it up by one end. He was smirking. "Is there something I should know?"

In stunned silence, Max went white first, then a very vivid scarlet. He remained silent for a moment, just staring at the bra.

"Oh, uh..." he stammered, "that's not mine."

"Well, I know that," Michael smirked. "It doesn't even look like it would fit, for one thing. Which begs the question, whose is it?"

"It's uhm..." Max couldn't help smiling through his embarrassment. "I uh...we... you came back too early and... It's Liz's."

"Liz?" Michael's eyebrows rose. "So that's who you've fallen in love with?"

"I have not fallen in love," Max denied indignantly. His face softened, his eyes narrowing. "Why do you say that?"

"Because," Michael shrugged, "all of a sudden, you listen to sentimental ballads. You keep on walking around and sighing. You have no appetite and when you're not busy, you stand there with your arms crossed and just stare into space with this sappy grin on your face. These love struck traits are as clear as the French mineral water they sell in the restaurant at overinflated prices. I mean, five bucks for a bottle of water? It's a license to print money."

Still smirking, Michael looked from an embarrassed Max to the bra. He furrowed his brow for a moment and then his face fell.

"Wait. Liz?" he looked up, a look of horror on his face. "No, no, no, no. Tell me you are not giving it to the boss's daughter. Max, are you crazy?"

"I am not 'giving it to her'," Max sat down. He nodded at the bra. "Second base is all we've reached."

"I ask again," Michael threw the bra at Max. "Are you insane?"

"Well," Max caught the bra and started to gently fold it. "If being insane is anything like being in love, then, yeah. I guess I am."

"Ok, ok," Michael held his hand up. "Boss's daughter aside... we'll get back to that in a minute, what about everything you said to Alex? About not falling in love. About being in love being like a leashed dog."

"Then," Max looked up from the bra and smiled with a faraway look in his eyes, "if Liz is holding the leash, then that's me. A leashed dog. I've been in love with her ever since I saw her, Michael. That first day we were here."

"Oh, god," Michael looked heavenwards. "First Alex falls in love. And now you... So what about Kyle? You heard how the Duke wants them to get engaged. What does he have to say about you dating her?"

"He doesn't know," Max's whole body seemed to collapse in on itself. "No one does. Except you, now. And Liz is not as fond of marrying Kyle as her father is. She only sees him to keep the peace."

"You know he's not going to like it when he finds out," Michael shook his head.

"Yeah," Max sat on the bed with a sigh. "Which is why we kind of keep it secret. And I really want everyone to know, Michael. I want to take her on real dates, and not sneak away from the country club to go to clubs in the next town over. She does, too. It's just..."

"Her father."

"Yeah."

"That bites."

"Tell me about it," Max groaned. "Tell me about it."


* * *


Swish.

The ball dropped through the net without even touching the rim.

"Eighteen-fourteen," Max grinned as Michael scooped the ball. "In my favor."

"Things change," Michael started to dribble the ball, looking for an opening.

He moved to his left, and then to his right, but both times, Max was doing a good job of covering him. And then it came. Max's eyes momentarily moved to the side, and stayed there a fraction of a second too long. Michael drove past him and Max was unable to prevent him scoring another two points.

"Eighteen-sixteen," Michael smirked.

He then noticed that Max didn't even care. His attention was elsewhere. And Michael was amazed to see that his friend's eyes were at once filled with affection, and animosity. Following his gaze, Michael looked to see Liz Parker heading their way, with Kyle Valenti holding on to her arm. He wondered if Max could see the look of boredom on her face. Max had been right. It appeared that Liz was not as enamored of Kyle as her father hoped.

"Hey, Max," Liz called out. Michael saw her eyes sparkle, coming to life as soon as she spotted him. It was a few seconds before she realized that Max was with someone. "Hi, Michael. What are you guys up to?"

"A little one on one," Michael shrugged, realizing that Max was struggling with some inner demons right now and couldn't speak. "We have the day off."

"Mind if we watch for a while?" she asked.

"Sure," Michael nodded and thrust the ball into Max's chest. "Come on, dude. You're up."

"Liz?" Kyle frowned. "We are not going to sit here and watch..." he looked up at the two young men with a look of distaste, "the hired help."

"Chill, Kyle," Liz rolled her eyes. "They're friends." She looked at Max. "Good friends."

Max's emotions cranked another notch when Kyle sat next to Liz and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. It didn't help that Liz casually removed it; the damage had already been done.


The dynamics of the game had changed, however. Where there were two friends, playing a friendly one on one, Max was doing his utmost to look good. So much so that he had become more physical, his elbows often connecting with Michael's anatomy. And Liz even clapped when Max scored. This prompted Kyle to try harder for a show of possession. Which drove Max on in the game.

"Talk about the evil eye," Michael gave a subtle nod toward Kyle as Max took the ball, ready to make another start after Michael's score. "If looks could kill."

"Yeah," Max grunted. "He's after Liz."

"No," Michael rolled his eyes in sarcasm. "D'ya think?"

Max barreled into Michael like a wrecking ball meeting a wall. While Max was scoring, Michael was sprawling across the floor.

"Look," he rose and dusted himself off. "Why don't you just go over there and punch 'his' lights out instead of taking it out on me."

"I want to," Max growled. "But if I did, I'd probably get fired. And then I couldn't see Liz."


"I fail to see what's so interesting here, Elizabeth," Kyle drawled. "It's not like they're even any good."

"Oh yeah?" Max recognized a challenge when he heard one. He threw a bounce pass to the guy. "Let's see what you got."

Kyle climbed from the bleachers and started to move toward the basketball court, dribbling the ball as he closed the gap. Any casual observer could see that this was not going to end well. The animosity between the two young men was growing by the second.

"Hello, Liz," Jeff Parker appeared from behind them.

"Hi, Daddy," Liz turned to face her father.

"Hello, precious," he smiled at her with a wink. "Seems like you've attracted quite a collection of admirers."

"Daddy!" Liz complained with a roll of her eyes. "Did you want something? Or did you come here simply to embarrass me?"

"Actually," he laughed at his daughter's antics. "I came to speak with Max and Michael."

The two friends exchanged nervous glances. Max dropped the ball and approached Jeff Parker with a worried frown. His eyes quickly sought out Liz's. She looked back at him with a 'don't-ask-me' look of panic. Had their relationship been discovered?

"I understand you boys are good friends with Alex Whitman," Jeff stated. "From Verona."

"Sure," Max nodded. "He's one of our best friends. We've known him since we were five. Why?"

"Well, it seems that he and another friend, Jesse... Ramirez? They're starting work today."

"Alex and Jesse?" Max's eyes widened and he turned to grin at Michael. He turned back to Mr. Parker. "They're coming here?"

"Sure are," the older man nodded. "Should be arriving soon. Kyle, can I speak with you for a moment?"

Talking in a hushed tone, Mr. Parker and Kyle wandered off together to discuss something, probably business.


"Man," Max turned to Liz with a huge smile. "This summer just gets better and better. Wait till you meet him, Liz. Alex is a really great guy, isn't he Michael."

"Yeah," Michael nodded. "And Jesse is cool, too."

"The Four Horsemen," Max grinned. "This is probably the last summer that we'll ever get to spend together, next year being seniors and all."

"It sounds like you'll have fun," Liz's smile was fake.

It looked too sad; too disappointed. And her voice sounded down.

"Oh, no," Max shook his head emphatically, realizing where her thoughts were taking her. "No, Liz. I'll still have time for you."

"Max!" Liz gasped with utter shock etched on her face.

"Oh," Max started to burn. "Uh, sorry, Liz. But yeah, uh... Michael knows about us. He, uh... found your bra under my bed."

"Oh, my god," Liz blushed, hiding her face in her hands. "I wondered where that had got to."

Michael started to laugh at their embarrassment. The young couple looked at him a little sheepish.

"Anyway," Max continued. "Will you come down to the staff club tonight? So I can introduce you to my friends?"

"Of course I will," she nodded, recovering from her discomfort.

"And, uh, you won't mind if I tell them about us, will you?" Max looked down at the ground. "It's just that I kind of teased Alex because he's fallen in love with this girl, Maria, back in Verona. And it's only fair that he gets to tease me back."

"I don't mind," she gave him an encouraging smile. "You can tell them. They're your friends and I know we can trust them."


* * *

[WR]

Chapter 9


I thought love was only true in fairy tales
Meant for someone else but not for me.
Love was out to get me
That's the way it seemed.
Disappointment haunted all my dreams.

Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer
Not a trace of doubt in my mind.
I'm in love, I'm a believer!
I couldn't leave her if I tried.

I thought love was more or less a given thing,
Seems the more I gave the less I got.
What's the use in trying?
All you get is pain.
When I needed sunshine I got rain.

Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer
Not a trace of doubt in my mind.
I'm in love, I'm a believer!
I couldn't leave her if I tried.

I'm a Believer by Neil Diamond


Later that evening, Max and Michael entered the staff clubhouse and stood just in front of the huge poster that advertised the Fourth of July Ball - everyone welcome - and scanned the room for the missing Two Horsemen. Michael nudged Max's arm and nodded toward the far corner of the room. Jesse and Alex were sitting at a table, talking. At that same moment, Jesse looked up and spotted them. He nudged Alex exactly how Michael had nudged Max.

"Alex," Max grinned as they neared. "Jesse."

The four guys exchanged their two handed, high five greetings and welcomed one another.

"Missed us that much you had to join us, huh?" Michael smirked.

"You kidding?" Alex laughed. "Me and Jesse were having such a great time in Verona that our parents decided it was criminal. This is our sentence, man."

"Besides," Jesse grinned. "Couldn't let you guys sweat the summer without us watching your backs."

"This has got to be the best summer, ever," Max was shaking his head in wonderment.

"Why?" Alex smirked. "'Cause 'you' missed me so much and now I'm here?"

"Yeah, right," Max rolled his eyes. "Get over yourself."

"Nah," Michael shook his head with a huge smirk. "It's because not only are we all here together, but uh... Max has fallen in love."

There was a moment of stunned silence before Alex and Jesse started to laugh. Knee slapping, bracing self against the table for support type laughter.

"For a moment there," Alex tried to control himself, "I thought you said that Max had fallen in love."

"I have," Max spoke very quietly, but very seriously.

His smile was soft and faraway. Almost dream like.

"For real?" Alex didn't stop laughing. Instead, he tried to mimic Max's voice, but raising it an octave or two. "I will never fall in love. Love keeps men from reaching our potential, like a leashed dog. Why buy a book when I can join a library?"

Jesse had tears rolling down his cheeks. He couldn't string a coherent sentence together.

"I know, I know," Max accepted it all in good nature. "Michael pretty much treated me the same way when he found out. But hey, she's worth every moment of your 'payback'."

"Is she?" Alex turned to Michael, still chuckling.

"Sure," Michael shrugged. "You know, if you like the overweight, mustachioed geek type girls who walk along dragging her knuckles on the floor."

Max rolled his eyes while his friend's laughed.

"She's quite the opposite, actually," Max stated. He then tilted his head in thought. "Although she certainly has the brains to be a geek. She, uh, goes to Berkeley."

"They say love is blind," Alex chuckled, "Maybe Michael's description is close to the truth and you're just blind."

"And you can kiss my ass," Max rolled his eyes.

"Nah," Alex shook his head. "I'll leave that to Queen Kong."

More laughter greeted Alex's comment.

"You'll get to meet her later," Max grinned. "Make your own minds up. But listen, guys. We're kind of being discreet for the moment, okay? So keep your ribbing for private."

"Got it," Alex and Jesse nodded.

"How come?" Alex added with a frown.

"Well... let's just say that I'm not exactly the guy her dad has picked out for her."

"Max," Michael shrugged. "Anyone can see she likes you. That's all that matters."

"I know," Max nodded. "And that's all that should matter. But I don't want her falling out with her father over this. So, yeah. We can move slowly. Let him get used to... you know."

"Yeah," Michael nodded.

"So, tell me," Max was eager to change the subject. "How are things back home?"

"Great," Alex gave a smile that was every bit as sappy as when Max was talking about Liz. "Just great."

"They sort of got engaged," Jesse smirked.

"How can you sort of get engaged?" It was Max's turn to frown.

He had noticed Michael's pained look and silently vowed to change the subject again.

"She's not...?" Michael left it hanging.

"No she's not," Alex was rather indignant. "We kind of made a promise," he turned serious. "I think she might be the one."

No sooner had Alex spoken those words, he saw her. An absolute vision had just entered the room and he was sure that she had just illuminated the club by another thousand watts with her presence alone. She was beautiful. She was stunning. She was... everything he wanted. Her poise, her style, her gracefulness... She just gave off this huge aura. She was everything, everything for him, and everything to him. And he wanted to be everything to her.

Alex couldn't take his eyes off of her as she looked around the room. He had zoned out his companion's conversation, so hard was he concentrating on her. When her eyes stopped at their table, and her face lit up with a smile of pure delight, Alex thought his heart would stop. When she started to make her way in their direction, he thought it had. Alex was almost starting to drool. He hoped that Michael or Max knew this angel enough to introduce her to him, because he just had to get to know her. And that smile just had to be for him, because it had only come to her face when she had looked in his direction. She had fallen for him just as he had fallen for her. And why not? He was Alexander Whitman, after all.

His jaw almost dropped to the floor when she stopped right next to his friend, Max and placed a hand on his shoulder. When Max put his hand on top of hers, he knew. This was the girl whom his best friend, Max had fallen in love with. And he could see why his friend had fallen for her. It was almost impossible not to. A surge of jealousy raged through Alex. Jealousy that he somehow managed to hide from his friends.

Max stood up next to her. Alex couldn't help noticing how their hands brushed against one another. To Max and Liz, it was a deliberate act, a statement, a gentle reminder that they loved one another, even if it had to be in secret. To Alex, however, it was as though Max was mauling her. He wanted nothing more than to pull Max away from her and protect her from his barbaric advances. Instead, he quickly tucked Maria's ring inside his shirt pocket.


"Liz," Max spoke her name with such reverence, it made Alex feel sick. "I'd like you to meet my good friends, Alex, and Jesse. Guys, this is Liz."

"Hi," Jesse stood up and took her hand, giving it a warm, friendly shake. "Heard a lot about you. Glad to see none of it's true."

Max rolled his eyes while Liz giggled.

"Uh, huh," she cast an arch look at Max, her eyebrow raising in query.

"I am enchanted," Alex held her hand in a soft grip but he did not leave it at a simple handshake.

He lifted Liz's hand to his mouth and placed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. Liz withdrew her hand feeling a little awkward, but Max just laughed it off.

"If Maria saw that," Max chuckled, "she'd turn you into a eunuch."

Alex chose not to reply.

"I'm sure you guys are going to have fun," Liz smiled at them. "I know Max and Michael have been looking forward to your arrival." Then her face fell. "Oh no. Kyle. I'd better go."

As Kyle entered the room, Max and Liz again softly touched hands.

"Love you," she whispered, walking away allowing her fingers to caress his body for as long as possible.

"Love you, too," he whispered back, his eyes watching her leave until he could no longer watch her without making it too obvious.

As Liz walked toward a very annoyed looking Kyle, Alex moved the necklace so that both chain and ring were hidden beneath his shirt.

* * *


Alex leaned over the pool table, lining up the cue over his hand and holding the tip close to the white ball. He looked along the cue's length, aiming to strike the white ball so that it hit just off the center of the blue ball he was lining up on.

"So?" Max stood to one side, holding his cue like he needed it for support. "What do you think?"

"About what?" Alex drew the stick back and forth over the bridge made by his hand like it was a saw.

"Duh," Max's eyes rolled as Alex struck the cue ball. "Liz."

Alex watched with satisfaction as the blue ball dropped into a pocket and then observed where the cue ball was going.

"She's okay," Alex shrugged, moving around the table. "Not my type, but she seems really nice."

"Yeah," Max nodded in agreement. "She's the 'nicest' person I've ever met."

"Except for Maria," Alex looked up with a grin.

"Says you," Max smirked.

"Anyway," Alex rubbed the square chalk against the tip of the cue. "She'd have to be nice to put up with an oaf like you."

"Which is why Maria is nicer than Liz, then," Max smirked. "'Cause she has way more to put up with than Liz does with me."


* * *


"So..." Michael looked up from the table where he and Jesse were talking while Alex and Max played pool. "How are things back home?"

"Same ol' same ol'," Jesse shrugged. "Things just weren't the same without you and Max there. And to be honest, I think even if you were there, it still wouldn't be the same. We've grown up. I hardly saw much of Alex. He was spending all his time with Maria. I don't think you and Max being there would have changed that."

"I bet Alex wasn't too happy about leaving Maria?" Michael looked down.

"Probably not," Jesse chuckled. "Especially with them being practically engaged."

"So that's for real, huh?"

"Well," Jesse shrugged. "It's not official or anything. Neither of them have told their parents yet. I think they're planning on waiting till after graduation. They really only discussed it a few nights before we left. He already has a ring, though."

"Already?" Michael raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah," Jesse nods. "He keeps getting it out and looking at it. He says it's like an heirloom. Haven't the faintest where he got it from."

"And now Max too, huh?" Michael looked up at the other two playing pool. "I think even he's starting to get a little serious."

"Now 'that' was a surprise," Jesse chuckled. "I still find it hard to believe. Looks like the Four Horsemen have met their own apocalypse. So, how about you? Any girls in your sights?"

"Well, there's this one," Michael took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "But she's getting engaged to another guy."

Jesse looked up at Michael and then over at Alex. He turned back to Michael with questioning eyes.

"Yup," Michael nodded.

"Oh, shit!"


* * *


"I meant to ask," Max whispered from beside Liz in the back row of the cinema in Carson City where they were watching the end of the recently released film, Get Smart. Max, 86, had just warned 99 that no one knew they were dating. Chief was just contradicting them. "What did you think of my friends?"

"They seem really nice," she started to giggle as 99 demanded her kiss from Max. It seemed like a good idea to Liz. "I'm glad that you have such good friends back home, making your life more bearable."

"Alex got a little annoyed with us when I told him that Michael and I were coming up here," Max smiled at 86's reaction to the small kiss he shared with 99. He wondered if 'her' name might be Liz. They never established that. "Alex wanted to spend time, you know... our last summer together. Only it's not like he would have wanted to spend much time with us, anyway."

"Oh," Liz asked as 86 and 99 started to walk along the hallway with the doors closing behind them. "Why not?"

"Maria," Max answered with a single shrug. On the screen, Max had started to try to fix the stuck door with the Swiss Army Knife he had been given. "He's going to singe his eyebrows or something with that flame thrower thing."

"Or not," Liz chuckled as the miniature harpoon bit into Maxwell Smart's cheek. "Who's Maria?"

"Maria," Max snorted at the onscreen antics. "Maria is this really lovely girl back home. She's really nice, Liz. You'd like her. She kind, and loyal to her friends even if she can get a little... hyper from time to time."

"I see," Liz's voice had a cold edge to it.

"Yeah," Max nodded. "And M... Wait. No, no, Liz. No! I don't think of Maria like that. I'm just describing her is all. She's really a nice person, but I'm not the one who has a thing for her."

"Alex does," she stated.

"Right," Max nodded. "I mean, back then, Liz? I was kind of... I don't know. Anti love, I guess. I never really dated anyone, you know? In fact, I even told the guys that I would never fall in love. That I never believed in it."

"And now?" Liz arched her eyebrows. "What do you believe now?"

Max thought for a moment.

"Now?" he said. Then he burst into song. "When I saw your face... I'm a believer. There's not a trace... of doubt in my mind. I'm in love, oooo, I'm a believer, I couldn't leave 'yer', if I tried."

"Max," she swatted his shoulder, laughing. "You're such a dork. Only you would think of a song written by the Monkees."

"Actually, it was written by Neil Diamond," Max smirked. "And luckily for you, this 'dork' is actually a diamond, too."

"Says you," Liz rolled her eyes.

The same eyes that showed that she agreed with him, totally.


* * *


Apologies to those who have not seen the film mentioned, and to let you know that the scenes depicted were the last scenes of the film.