Un-beta'ed so sorry for any mistakes. Nibbles made me post it!!!
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Part Eleven
Liz pulled herself straighter against her pillows and tried not to wince at the unforgivingly bright light coming in through the open curtains. Squinting at Maria she studied her face, and sighed.
“Get on with it Maria before you burst a blood vessel trying to keep quiet.”
Maria smiled, her voice deceptively soft and cajoling, “I think we need to have a conversation about you ogling Max’s goodies all evening.”
“Maria! I did not.”
“You so did. I swear at one point I almost reached for a Kleenex to wipe the drool off your chin, and that was before you were stinking drunk.”
Liz spluttered in reply. “I was not that bad.”
Maria fixed her with her ‘stare’ and they held eye contact for several moments in silence. ‘The stare’ never failed, and Liz caved quickly to its potency.
“Oh God I was that bad, wasn’t I.” Liz groaned, burying her face into her knees. “I was cringe worthy wasn’t I? No-no, don’t answer that, please.”
“Yep, that’s all I’m trying to say.” Maria replied with sham solemnity, but spoiled it by breaking into peals of giggles at the expensive of a now beetroot red Liz.
Surrounded by vibrant music and energetically dancing bodies, Maria and Liz returned to their original table and a fresh round of drinks. The nightclub was beginning to get busy, and it was warm despite the building’s air-conditioning working hard to chill the air.
“I don’t know what’s in this,” Liz said, indicating her cocktail, “but it’s really good.” The fruit juice concoction felt refreshingly cooling as it slipped down her throat.
“Too fancy for me,” Maria replied, “I’m happy with white wine. I’m a chardonnay girl.”
“Do you even know if that’s chardonnay?” Liz teased, and Maria pulled a cheeky face in reply.
“It’s doesn’t matter, it’s wet and tastes good!”
Despite the stresses of the evening, Liz was feeling a new determination regarding her non-relationship with Tess. The hostility between them was a problem, but she was not going to allow it to dominate her new life as it had in the past. Liz was drawing a line in the sand tonight and intended to stick to the boundaries she would be setting.
Trying to casually scan the room for Max, Liz let her gaze drift around the room. When she finally spotted him he was talking to Isabel some distance away. With what she hoped was a subtle, Maria proof plan she tried to study him over the rim of her glass while she drank. He was standing in profile to Liz, but, disappointingly, her view was blocked partially by Isabel’s body.
As she watched Isabel and Max appeared to finish their conversation and Isabel walked away. Liz straightened where she sat, eagerly anticipating Max’s return to the table, but let out a disappointed huffing noise when she saw him stop, and remove his cell phone from his pocket. He turned his back toward Liz and away from the noise of the dance floor, most likely so that he could hear his telephone conversation better.
Maria’s chuckling caught Liz’s attention and she turned back to Maria trying to understand the source of her amusement.
“What’s so funny?”
“You should really try to be less obviously eager. You know?” she chided gently.
Liz pulled a face at Maria. She was disgruntled to have been caught in the first place and irked by Maria’s amused scolding even though she recognised that there was sense in what Maria was saying. Still, it annoyed Liz that Maria didn’t seem to trust her to know how to handle herself.
Liz was sensible enough to understand that she had no idea from where the intensity of her reaction to Max originated, or where it might go, but she was certain of one thing; she wanted to follow through on what she was feeling. Despite Maria’s concerns and despite the sensible little voice inside her head that was trying to convince her to slow down. College was over, and with it a new life stretched in front of Liz, and she was ready to embrace the possibilities with open arms.
“Did you just pout at me?” Maria broke into peals of laughter, causing Liz to scowl at her harder.
“That’s not very nice Maria.”
“Chill grumpy Liz, I’ll play nice. It’s just that you look so cute when you’re thwarted. I’m pretty sure Max will be back soon.”
Liz turned again towards Max who stood with his back to her still talking on his cell. Disappointed by his absence, she was easily placated with the rather pleasant view of his strong back and…
“Liz, are you checking out his ass?” Maria demanded in a loud voice, making Liz jump guiltily
“What, no!” Unfortunately the flash of red creeping across Liz’s face and neck totally gave her away.
“Man, I’ve seen it all, Liz Parker checking out a boy’s assets.” Liz’s scowl was back, Maria noted with amusement.
“Maria, I have had boyfriends, you know.” She muttered aggrieved on Max’s behalf as calling him a ‘boy’ seemed something of a disservice.
“Yes, with the emphasis being on the word, ‘friend’.”
Liz couldn’t quite manage to look Maria in the eye, unhappy to be having this conversation at all, never mind in public.
“I did get up to a little more than holding hands you know.” She shot back defensively.
Maria quirked a carefully plucked eyebrow at her friend. “I don’t counting some furtive teenage fumbling behind the bleachers when you were still wearing a training bra, as sexual activity.”
“I dated more people than Kyle in High School, Maria.”
“I know that.” Maria tried to appease her insulted friend. “What I’m trying to say is that a couple of quasi-boyfriend relationships in college are very different from what you seem to be anticipating with Max Evans. He’s older than you, and much more alpha-male than you’ve ever gone for before.”
“There was Philip.” Liz’s blurted out angrily, and then instantly regretted her choice of rejoinder. This time it was Maria turn to scowl in response.
That set expression of determination on Maria’s face never boded well, Liz thought, as she desperately tried to work out a way to back out of this particular subject.
“So what about Phil, how much naughtiness did Liz get up to with that sex god?” Maria pursed her lips, and waited for a response.
“Phil who?”
“Don’t play with me girlie, Phil Werner, aka Phil ‘The Weiner’, the science nerd who followed you around like a sick puppy for most of freshman year until you gave in and went out with him.”
“He’s a bad example.”
“He was your example!” Maria replied. “I think he is a very good example to illustrate my point. Don’t get me wrong, Phil was a nice guy. A little bit shy, but genuinely a good person, but he was hardly what you would call sexually charismatic.”
“Great Maria, so you’re saying I can’t attract sexually attractive men?”
“No, far from it, I’m saying that the boys you have gone out with to date have in no way prepared you for the sex on legs that is Max Evans, who is very much attracted to you.”
Liz’s smiled broadly. “He is?”
Maria rolled her eyes at Liz’s clue-less-ness. If she hadn’t noticed the way he had been watching her for most of the evening, then she was beyond blind.
“Look before you climb back onto your Max-induced cloud nine, you need to understand. Max hasn’t lived as a monk. He’s had relationships, and they have all been ‘no strings attached’.” This had been true when she had been dating Michael and Maria could see no reason for why this relationship related habit would have changed to date.
Maria, spotting Isabel heading back to their table, hurriedly tried her best to wrap the conversation up before she was caught talking about her revered older brother.
“Yes, he’s a hunk of manly yumminess, but he’s also a player, and you’ve never come up against someone like that before.”
“Maria, you make it sound like we are about to declare war or something.”
Liz experienced another flash of frustrated at Maria. Maria’s habit of over-protectiveness was going to take some time unlearn. She wasn’t sure how to express to Maria that she wanted to takes some risks this time around, or why, but an honest reply seemed like the best approach.
“I want this, Maria, I want to learn to feel this. Maybe he is just the risk I need to take.”
“What risk is that?” Isabel asked as she sat down beside Liz.
“Oh nothing, we were just discussing Liz’s extracurricular college activities. She’s been trying to convince me how busy she’s been.” Maria replied a little too quickly.
“So you were a hard worker at college? No surprises there, you always were an overachiever!” Isabel teased.
Maria managed to choke back her natural amusement, but didn’t manage to contain her tongue. “Actually, no, but she’s intending to work very hard in the future.”
“Maria!” Liz shoved Maria on the shoulder as her mirth erupted with a dirty giggle, and Isabel realised that they were talking at cross-purposes.
It was a relief, actually, to have returned to a lighter conversation following her earlier argument with Maria. Fair enough, it was a case of denial, denial, denial, but if it was going to help her get through the rest of this evening Isabel was happy to embrace it.
“Where’s Max?” Isabel asked.
Liz turned and pointed to one side of the room, and Isabel was amused to see a small frown cross her face. “He was standing over there.”
“I’m sure he’ll reappear at some point.” Maria said with a roll of her eyes.
Isabel reached for her drink, and took a sip from what she was beginning to realise was a fairly lethal combination of spirits and fruit juice. The pleasant fuzziness it supplied was a usefully calming balm for her more than frayed nerves.
She let her eyes drift around the room, looking for Tess, and was guiltily relieved when she didn’t see her. She concluded that she was most likely with Xavi which was probably for the best.
Max’s absence suggested that more drama was either on its way or had already arrived. Her stomach tied in knots at the thought, but she was unwilling show her unease. So Isabel did what Isabel did best, she pinned on a smile and forced her anxiety back.
They passed a pleasant 45 minutes or so talking about nothing in particular. When conversation lapsed into a temporary silence Maria realised that she wasn’t nearly as uncomfortable with Isabel as she had expected. She lounged casually back on the sofa and watched Liz and Isabel finish the dregs of their drinks as the cocktail waitress seamlessly delivered another round to the table with perfect timing before whisking the empty glasses away.
When she caught Liz’s eye and smiled, Liz suddenly slide over to sit by Maria and completely out of the blue pulled her into a tight hug.
“Liz, babe. Needing some air at this end.”
Liz pulled back and smiled broadly at her best friend. “Oops sorry.”
“What was that for?”
“For being there for me all the way tonight. It means such a lot to me.”
“I love you too.” Maria replied, slightly surprised by Liz’s uncharacteristically spontaneous hugging. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but there was just something a little “off” with Liz’s behaviour which couldn’t necessarily be explained away by her friend OD-ing on Max Evans.
“Well, obviously, I mean that too, but I just want you to know how grateful I am.”
Maria noticed Liz’s attention wandering towards the throng on the dance floor searching for Max for the thousandth time. She decided to try to keep Liz’s attention just a little bit longer.
“You’re grateful? How grateful?” A mischievous smile slowly spread across Maria’s face.
If Liz had been paying more attention she would have known to be more cautious with Maria. That smile had gotten them both into trouble at school more than once with one harebrained scheme or another.
“Why?”
Isabel watched the exchange between Liz and Maria speculatively, knowing that Maria was up to something.
“I want to play ‘dedications’.”
Liz groaned audibly. “Oh, God. By what rules? Anonymous or public?”
“I’ll throw you a bone, anonymous works for me.” Maria replied, surprised that Liz wasn’t trying harder to get out of this particular game.
“And you won’t, say, let me buy you lunch instead?”
“Nah-ah, you said it. You’re grateful, remember?”
“I’m beginning to change my mind on that one.” Liz took another sip of her drink, and considered her options regarding the challenge that Maria was offering.
Isabel observed the look of concentration on Liz’s face with amusement.
“No way! You two still play your dumb musical truth or dare or game?” Isabel laughed.
Liz took another sip of her drink. “Don’t look at me, it was her idea.”
“Sshhh, Iz, she’s thinking. It’s painful to watch, I know, but the cogs in that big brain of hers are just starting to creak into life.” Maria replied. “Hear that creaking, and see the little puff of smoking coming out of her ears?”
“Okay, I have some ground rules.” Liz decided she was feeling bold, so why not go for it. “Two turns each, no more, and all three of us play. We all vote for the winner.”
Maria put on a mock serious face, “And the prize, for the winner?”
“Who said anything about a prize?”
“Forfeit to one of the losers, winner’s choice.” Isabel chimed in, deciding to get into the spirit of the game.
“Oh, she’s good!” Maria applauded by clapping, and Isabel took a bow in return.
“I’m not singing.” Liz interrupted. When Maria looked like she was going to argue the point, Liz pulled a stern face. “No singing.”
The pleasant mellowness that Liz had been feeling made her confident that she could deal with a little harmless fun with her friends, but public impromptu karaoke just wasn’t going to happen. In all of their time together as friends, Maria had never managed to get a public performance out of Liz; Alex maybe, but never Liz.
“No singing?” Isabel echoed, sounding disappointed.
“I’m a singing in the car with the windows closed kind of a girl.” Liz reiterated absently moving her eyes away from the dance floor to look up towards the balcony.
Maria nodded her agreement to the stipulation, surprised Liz had agreed to the game at all.
“How about this; one song each to be requested with the DJ, plus a bonus points for guessing who the song is dedicated to?” Isabel suggested. “And no Maria, it can’t be someone who isn’t in the room.”
“You’re on, I’ll start.” Maria replied eager to get started before Liz had a chance to change her mind and get all sensible. Isabel pulled a pen and an old envelope out of her purse and handed them both to Maria.
“Write it down, I’ll get the DJ to play them. He has a thing for me.”
“Why aren’t I surprised?” Maria replied dryly, but wrote her song down, then passed the paper and pen to Liz.
“Watch and learn Maria.” Isabel said with a smile before sashaying across the dance floor hips swaying and catching the eye of the DJ without difficulty with a little wave and an air kiss, as she walked over to his booth.
“Pa-leezze!” Maria grunted with a grimace. “She hasn’t changed much.”
“You two used to get on fine once upon a time.” Liz replied, happily encouraged by her realisation that, despite being in the same building as Tess, she was having fun.
“Yeah.” Maria replied, adding sotto voce, “Right until she thought I was going to take Michael away.”
“Hmm.” Liz replied eyes cast upwards towards the balcony.
Maria turned to confirm her suspicions, and found that Liz was once again stalking Max. Max was standing in profile talking to a dark haired man, but they turned and walked away together into the crowd before Maria could get a clear look at his companion.
Startled, Maria stifled a gasp in her throat, and forced herself to breath. People who worked in Paris did not turn up in random nightclubs in Boston. Maria counselled herself sternly. She had stopped seeing imaginary ex boyfriends in a crowd years ago, and was not going to let herself start the habit again because she was back in the company of Isabel.
Liz nudged Maria on the arm. “Hey, no unhappy faces tonight. I want to have fun!” Liz terminated her sentence with a small hiccup and a giggle.
“Sorry.”
Since it had always been easier for Maria to focus on Liz than herself, she was happy to have a distraction. Maria took her time and scrutinised Liz’s bright, smiley face rather than analysis her Michael neurosis.
“Liz? Are you okay?”
“Me? I’m great.” She replied with just a bit too much perkiness to be typically Liz.
“Oh look, there’s Isabel, let’s dance!” Liz downed the rest of her drink, and bounced up dragging Maria out onto the dance floor.
Isabel was standing waiting, and waved for them to join her before the next song started. There was an unholy gleam in Isabel’s eyes. Maria recognised that a throw down of sorts was about to take place.
“Let’s do this Deluca, you’re going down.” Isabel said with a grin, and Maria flicked her hair over shoulder defiantly in response.
“I don’t think so, Evans.”
“Hey, aren’t I in this?” Liz asked.
“Of course you are, sweetie, all the way.” Maria replied
“Damn straight!” Liz replied with another hiccup as Isabel grabbed her for a hug, and they swayed together to the music companionably until the song changed, causing Liz to whoop loudly and Isabel to join in with a wide grin.
If you see a faded sign by the side of the road that says
15 miles to the... Love Shack! Love Shack yeah
I'm headin' down the Atlanta highway,
lookin' for the love getaway
Heading for the love getaway, love getaway,
I got me a car, it's as big as a whale
and we're headin' on down
To the Love Shack
I got me a Chrysler, it seats about 20
So hurry up and bring your jukebox money
Maria almost stopped dancing in shock. Liz Parker whooped and Isabel joined in? It was unheard of! Maria was now surer than ever that something loopy was going on and the game was temporarily forgotten as she watched careful, controlled, sensible Liz Parker jumping around the dance floor like a lunatic, and whilst Isabel clapped enthusiastically.
By the time the chorus started Isabel and Liz where dancing back to back, screeching out the lyrics and just about managing to sound musical whilst doing it.
The Love Shack is a little old place
where we can get together
Love Shack baby, Love Shack bay-bee.
Love baby, that's where it's at,
Ooo love baby, that's where it's at
Holding hands, Liz spun away from Isabel, managing to perform a neat little spin without falling over while singing at the top of her voice.
“Lo-o-ove Shack! Funky ,shack, funky little shack….. No wait, that was wrong.”
Isabel giggled back at Liz, and they starting dancing together again leaving a bewildered Maria to try to figure out why Liz, the original control freak, and Isabel, the Ice Queen had suddenly lost it.
Sign says.. Woo... stay away fools,
'cause love rules at the Lo-o-ove Shack!
Well it's set way back in the middle of a field,
Just a funky old shack and I gotta get back
When two men moved towards them, Isabel moved back allowing the strangers to join their circle and Liz followed her lead. Maria kept dancing perplexed. Something just wasn’t right.
Glitter on the mattress
Glitter on the highway
Glitter on the front porch
Glitter on the hallway
Pondering, an unsettling idea popped into Maria’s mind. Despite drinking fruit juice all evening Liz was clearly looped, and Isabel seemed to be in the same state. Maria was beginning to wonder if Liz’s drink could have been spiked, and grim faced she scanned the room for her number one suspect.
The Love Shack is a little old place
where we can get together
Love Shack bay-bee! Love Shack baby!
Love Shack, that's where it's at!
Huggin' and a kissin', dancin' and a lovin',
wearin' next to nothing
Maria found Tess easily in the crowd, standing by the bar apparently being chatted up by some beefcake. Whilst her expression was smiling and flirtatious, her eyes weren’t paying attention to the man she had dangling on her every word. In fact they seemed mostly to be staring over towards Liz. The self satisfied little smile on Tess’s face was enough to incriminate her as far as Maria was concerned.
Liz tried to perform another little spin, but this time stumbled, and was caught in the arms of one of their male companions. She smiled gaily to her saviour and started to sing straight into his face. He took this as an invitation to pull her closer, putting his hands on her hips and pulling her towards him, so they were rocking together in time to the music.
When Liz’s companion tried to let his hand wander down over her behind, Liz pulled away from him with an outraged squeal. Maria grabbed the opportunity and took Liz’s hand and pulled her off the dance floor back to their seats. When her male companion tried to pull Liz back, Maria gave him a death glare.
“You don’t want to do that. She has a very big, very possessive boyfriend.”
Liz giggled happily in response, unaware the Mr Wandering-hands had backed down immediately. “I do? Nobody told me that.”
With the distraction of Isabel happily bopping away on the dance floor, it took Maria a few minutes to persuade Liz to sit, and calm down as the music continued to thump away in the background.
Maria used subterfuge in the end. “Babe, I’m beat. Can’t you keep me company for a while?”
“Sure.” Liz replied, but she pulled an unhappy little face, her eyes straying to where Isabel was dancing.
“Just take a minute Liz, you seem a little looped.”
“No, I’m just having fun.” She replied with a too bright smile.
Liz reached for her drink, and took another long swig, before Maria had a chance to grab the glass.
“Can I try some of that?” Maria asked.
“Sure, anything that’s minez yures, wait, that came out wrong. What’s mine is yours.” Liz replied concentrating carefully to get the words out more clearly the second time around.
“Thanks.”
One taste of Liz’s drink was enough to reveal to Maria that her ‘fruit juice’ had a healthy dose of vodka amongst other spirits it.
“Tropical punch. My ass.”
Liz looked confused. “Why would someone want to punch your ass?”
Isabel came bouncing over to the table with a triumphant smile on her face. “I got you Deluca, I know who this songs about. It’s about the club? Isn’t it? Tricky, tricky, but I worked it out.”
“Yes, you got me.” Maria, replied, more interested in finding a way to get over to Tess to give her a piece of her mind, but unwilling to leave Liz in her current state unguarded.
Her point with the song, prior to not giving a damn about the game anymore, had been a pop at the club. As expensively decorated as it was, it was pretty much a pulling joint, or a posh love shack.
When Isabel punched a fist in the air and shrieked, “Yes!” Maria knew that she had entered an alternative universe. Sober Isabel would never lower herself to behave in such an undignified manner. But since Isabel had been drinking exactly the same thing as Liz, she certainly wasn’t sober anymore.
“Isabel, what are you drinking?”
“Fruit cocktail. It’s kind of potent, but in a good way, you know?”
“Oh I know.” Maria replied, muttering under her breath, “Bitch.”
The song changed, and Liz started bouncing in her seat energetically. “It’s my song, it’s my song!” She trilled, before standing up beside the table and clapping.
“Liz, sit.” Maria said forcefully, and Liz complied automatically, but pouted whilst dancing along in her seat.
“I’m not a dog Maria.” She slurred softly in rebuke.
“I know sweetie, I’m sorry.” Maria apologised wryly.
Are you blind
Blind to me trying to be kind
Volunteering for your firing line
Waiting for one precious sign
The flicker of a smile
You should try it just once in a while
Maybe it's not quite your style
It's simply too easy to do
And you might not see it through
Isabel started to sway to the music by the side of the table, but bumped against it sending several of the drinks toppling.
Maria was starting to feel like she was in the middle of a chimps tea party, when Max appeared beside his drunk sister.
“Max!” Isabel squealed, and launched herself at her brother. “My big brother!”
Maria mimicked chugging back a drink over Isabel’s shoulder, and mouthed the word “wasted”, just in case Max missed the point.
“Yeah Iz, I think we established that at dinner.”
“Maxwell Phillip Evans don’t you take the Mickey out of me.” Isabel replied, managing to copy the doom laden voice that their mother, Diane, would use.
“Or should I say Michael.” She said conspiratorially with her finger against her lips to mime a shushing noise. She winked then dissolved into a drunken giggles.
“Isabel, are you maybe just a little bit tipsy?” Max grinned laughing heartily at Isabel’s hurt expression.
“Are you suggesting that I’m drunk?”
“I think I am.”
Isabel scrunched her face up comically, as though trying to work out a particularly difficult equation. “You might be right.”
Liz was sitting with the same gooey-eyed mesmerised look that she had worn on and off through dinner, and she once again seemed to be studying Max’s mouth with worrying intensity. When she sighed like a love sick school girl when he laughed, Maria had to stop herself gagging.
“We’re playing a game.” Isabel informed him importantly. “I’m winning.”
“You are not!” Liz replied standing up just a little too quickly for her legs.
Max automatically caught her, and easily pulled her into his side.
“Steady now.” He replied, and Liz smiled drunkenly back at him from his arms.
So find yourself another place to fall
Find yourself up against another brick wall
See yourself as a fallen angel
Well I don't see no holes in the road but you
Find another place to fall
“This is getting to be something of a habit.” Max said looking down at Liz with that same lazy, confident smile that she was becoming so addicted to.
“You have the luv-erlly-iest smile,“ Liz slurred softly with a besotted grin on her face.
Max turned to Maria ready to ask for an explanation of the state that Isabel and Liz where in, but Maria had bigger fish to fry.
Max, have you got these two, I need to go speak to someone,” Maria indicated, holding the remains of Liz’s drink with determination.
“Sure.” He replied swatting Isabel’s hand way as she tried to grab his cell phone out of his pocket.
“You work too much, give it to me.” Isabel demanded with a pout. “I saw you on the phone earlier.”
“No. “Max replied with an amused smile warming his eyes as he fended off his drunken sister affectionately.
“Hey, that’s my drink,” Liz protested, finally noticing the glass that Maria was holding in her hand.
“Have mine.” Isabel replied, putting the ¾ full glass in Liz’s outstretched hand.
The word, “No.” was on Maria’s lips, but Liz managed to drain the glass before Max removed it from her hands, with a knowing looking in Maria’s direction.
Maria threw up her hands in frustration, more determined than ever to track Tess down.
“Liz, stay with Max.” She said firmly before turning and disappearing into the crowd on the dance floor on a direct path to the bar where Tess was still flirting with her male companion.
Are you proud
To have founded a brand new behaviour
With hatred and hurt as your saviour
But nobody's choosing to follow
So you choke back the tears and you swallow
Men who have ruined your life
You consume them with minimum strife
But now you have got indigestion
The antacid comes as a question
Liz began to sing happily along to chorus of her song, swinging her hips automatically to the music and brushing up against Max’s side at the same time. As distracting delectable as it was having Liz brushing against him, Max turned his attention to his cell phone when it began vibrating in his shirt pocket.
So find yourself another place to fall
Find yourself up against another brick wall
See yourself as a fallen angel
Well I don't see no holes in the road but you
Find another place to fall
He answered the phone with a curt, “Max Evans,” but kept his arm looped around Liz, loosely holding her against his side.
Isabel rolled her eyes at her brother and his workaholic tendencies, before turning her attention to Liz with a calculating smile.
“So Liz, this is your song, huh?”
“Mmh - hmm,” she replied, much more interested in the way she could feel Max’s muscles tensing and releasing as she brushed against him, than in the silly game which felt like it had started a life time ago.
Daringly, Liz twisted slightly, bringing her chest into brief contact with Max’s chest before pulling away when her bravery deserted her suddenly. She was rewarded by Max’s arm tightening to still her movements while holding her closer against his side.
Liz settled for leaning against him, enjoying his solid warmth and the pleasant aroma of his aftershave.
Are you alive
Is there a young woman hiding inside
Does she know that we're trying to help her
Is she totally frozen with fear
If you let her come out for a day
She might even like it and stay
But it's gonna take you to invite her
Coz you seem so determined to spite her
Despite Liz’s focus on her gentle, tentative attempts at seduction, Isabel was still trying to win the game.
“Liz, is this your song?” Isabel bullied.
“Yes, it’s my song,” she replied, her eyes wandering betrayingly to where Tess seemed to be having a heated discussion with Maria, but snapped straight back to Max when he shifted slightly as he talked on the phone.
Isabel rolled her eyes. She took Liz’s hand and tugged Liz with great reluctance away from Max’s distracting embrace. Isabel wanted Liz’s full attention, because she wanted to beat Maria at her stupid game. She had a score to settle.
“Come and dance with me.”
Max waved them away, whilst still talking on the phone, but continued to cast his eye on the dance floor just in case of trouble. This particular night club was a pick up joint, and while he was confident that Isabel could handle herself, Liz gave off too much of an innocent vibe for him to be willing to leave her alone amongst any predatory males. Drunk or otherwise.
So find yourself another place to fall
Find yourself up against another brick wall
See yourself as a fallen angel
Well I don't see no holes in the road but you
Find another place to fall
(Another Place to Fall – KT Tunstall)[/i]
With a huff of annoyance, Liz fell into the rhythm of song and danced beside Isabel unwillingly. The room started to swim a little without the solid support of Max. To distract herself she turned back to Tess and Maria again, and unconsciously sang what she was thinking about her step sister and their situation.
“Well, I don’t see no holes in the road, but ya-aa-who, find another place to fall.”
“No hole in the road?” Isabel questioned.
“I’m done being her whipping boy, Isabel. Or would that be whipping girl?” Liz mused, stopping dancing briefly as though thinking and dancing was too difficult to achieve simultaneously.
“So it’s dedicated to Tess? I might have known.”
Liz groaned inwardly when she saw the triumphant smile on Isabel’s face.
“Cluedooz.” Words weren’t quite coming out right again. “quoodos.” Liz shook her increasingly fuzzy head to try to clear it, but still couldn’t manage to wrap her tongue around the term she was seeking. Instead she opted for a simpler response, and slapped Isabel on the back. “Well done, you!”
Isabel staggered slight under the force of Liz’s nudge. She appeared to be about to say something, but stopped suddenly with a hand to her mouth.
“You-I think I need to go sit down now....actually I need to go to the bathroom. Oh,God.” Looking just a little green around the gills she swayed gentle on the spot like a tree in the wind before darting off in the direction of the restrooms.
Liz was left alone on the dance floor as her song finished and melted into the heady strains of a ballad. Unconsciously she started to sway gently to the beguiling beat, letting the melody wrap around her senses as the rest of the room melted away.
Maria stalked over to have it out with the blond witch, her body language threatening.
Tess watched Maria’s determined approach with an impassive expression on her small face. From Tess’s perspective she’d played this scene before. Maria to the rescue was nothing new to Tess.
“What have you done you spiteful bitch?” Maria snapped.
“Why should it be my fault that little Lizzie can’t hold her drink?” She replied with a taunting smile on her glossy red lips.
“You know she never touches alcohol after her father, ever!” Maria spat, wanting to slap the smug smile straight off Tess’s face.
“I thought after so many years passing you might have grown up, but you know what? You’re the same spoilt, jealous little girl that you always were.”
“Maybe it is embarrassing for you that your precious Liz has been throwing herself at Max like a slut. But how is it my fault?” Tess replied coolly, leaning back into the body of the muscular beefcake that she had been speaking to before Maria turned up.
Maria felt her temper ratchet up another notch, but she was torn between finishing her argument with Tess, or getting Liz home. The scorn on Tess’s face made her mind up for her.
“You know, even drunk she still threatens you. You’re pathetic.”
Liz had never enjoyed this sense of freedom before. She could feel the music vibrate through her like it was weaving through her muscles to be released back into the world through the sensual sway of her hips which were moving gently in perfect time to the beat.
With her head tipped to the side exposing the vulnerable skin of her neck she effortlessly moulded her body into a sensual curve as her hips sketched the figure of eight movement of a belly dancer, moving in slow sensual circles.
She extended her arms above her head and repeating the gentle circling of her hips, with her arms as her eyes slid closed. She was a tiny, delectable beacon of womanhood moving gracefully amongst the throng of other dancers, and yet set apart from the rest.
When someone moved to stand behind her, Liz didn’t hesitate to move back into the encircling protection of their arms. Body against body, she relished the warm contact of her back against a broad, familiar chest.
With more daring than she could ever manage sober, she moved her hips to sketch the figure of eight movement again, allowing the soft curves of her behind to bump into the cradle of Max’s hips, before withdrawing only to return again.
Max’s almost inaudible groan, made her flush softly with reaction, and caused a softly curling heat to spring to life inside her belly.
“Liz the big college graduate, drunk and shaking her booty on the dance floor.” Tess sneered with malice. “And you call me pathetic?”
“It would appear that Max doesn’t agree with you.” Maria said with a wide grin, pointing to where Max and Liz were dancing.
Tess’s face fell when Max put his arm around Liz, pulling her into the circle of his arms and back towards the shelter of his body. His body language screamed possessive protectiveness as he hunched over Liz, his large hands spanning her small waist.
Maria turned back to Tess, amused by the expression of fury on the little blond’s face, and eager to rub her nose in it since such a golden opportunity was available.
“They look good together, don’t they?” she said conversationally. “Max doesn’t seem to mind that Liz is a bit tipsy. And maybe, just maybe, by spiking Liz’s drink you’ve loosened the inhibitions she’s been forced to build just to survive your relentless bullying.”
Tess jumped out of her seat and shrugged off the grasping hands of her muscular companion.
“Look at them they’re all alone in their own space. I doubt they even realise anyone else is in the room.”
Tess watched furiously, as Liz pressed herself a little bit closer to Max and he responded by turning her around so they faced each other. Liz tucked her head under his chin and laid her face against his chest as they moved together. When Max’s hand started to run through Liz’s hair Tess saw red and was ready to break them up in any way available. She started to walk towards them but stopped when Maria called out her name.
“Tess, I think you forgot something.....” Tess swivelled around to tell Maria to go to hell, just in time to meet the flying contents of Liz’s tropical punch, fruit pieces and all.
“Your drink.”
Maria flicked her hair over her shoulder with a smirk and melted away into the crowd before Tess could react.
Beefcake who had been silently observing Tess and Maria bitching at each other, tried to help his damsel in distress as she stood looking like a walking fruit salad with pieces of orange and kiwi stuck to her hair and outfit, and liquid dripping off her chin onto her chest. Despite his best efforts, he was destined to be a thwart knight in shining armour. When he reached out to help Tess, his hands were slapped away with an enraged squeal as Tess stormed off to the bathroom alone leaving beef cake dangling a piece of orange in his fingers plucked fresh from her fruit decorated cleavage.