Roswell Fanatics

Later in the evening…

Max and Liz returned to their penthouse to return the home movies. “Do we need to bring anything with us?” Liz asked.

“The studio flat has all of the essentials, but you’ll need to bring something to sleep in and a change of clothes… If there’s anything else we need, we can always come and get it.”

Walking into her room, Liz went into her closet and grabbed her favorite pair of low rise; skinny jeans along her favorite screen print t-shirt. Rummaging around in her dresser drawers she grabbed a black lace bra along with the matching G-string. Tossing her clothes on the bed with a pair of sandals, she searched for her duffel bag. It was nowhere to be found. “Max… Do you have a bag I can put my clothes in?” she called out to him.

Rummaging around in his bedroom, Max found a small duffel bag for her to use. Walking across the hall, he walked in. There stood Liz eyeing two satin negligees that were spread out on her bed. “I’d go with the red.”

Startled, Liz jumped. Turning around, she blushed. “Max…”

He dropped the duffel bag and within two strides he was embracing her in his muscular arms; claiming her petal soft lips in a passionate kiss. She moaned. “Mmmm…” Darting his tongue out, he licked her lower lip teasing her mouth open; swirling his tongue around hers, deepening the kiss.

Pulling back for air, Liz smiled gazing into his hazel eyes. “Bag…” Reaching behind him, Max grabbed it from where he dropped it on the floor handing it to her. Gathering up the clothes in her arms, Liz tossed them carelessly into the duffel bag zipping it closed. “Let’s go…”

Tugging her arm, Max ushered Liz down the hall and into his home office. “So, where’s the secret door?” Kicking the baseboard along the wall, the wall opened into what appeared to be a small apartment. It was the studio flat. “This way…”

Kicking the baseboard by a floor lamp, the secret doorway closed. Lying on the bed, Max watched curiously as Liz walked around the room taking in her surroundings. “Well, what do you think?”

Max was right. The studio flat was small. They were standing in what was a bedroom / sitting room combination. The kitchenette was over by the far wall with a bathroom off to the right. Walking over to where he was Liz crawled up onto the bed next to Max. “It’s small, but I like it. It’s you…”

“… With no interruptions,” Max was quick to add leaning over and brushing his lips across hers as he ran his fingers through her long, brown tresses. Gently nibbling her lower lip, he teased her mouth open; dueling with her tongue. Softly, she moaned. Embracing her, he pulled her closer; slowly gliding his hand across her back.

Breaking the kiss, he pulled back gazing into her eyes with a smile on his face. “Wanna shoot Craps?

He wants to shoot Craps now? “Um… I’ve never played Craps before.”

“That’s okay, I’ll teach you… It’s easy.” Releasing her, he took her hand leading her over to the couch. Opening a drawer in the coffee table, he took out a set of dice handing them over to Liz. Eyeing the dice, she rolled them in her hands noticing the words on them. “It’s not your typical game of Craps…” Max started to explain. “One di describes the action, the other names the body part.” Liz raised an eyebrow. “Isabel gave them to me for my birthday… She purchased them at Pure.”

Di #1:

Massage
Tease
Touch
Kiss
Lick
Blow

Di #2:

Nipples
Boobs
Toes
Lips
Body
?

Why does that not surprise me? “No need to explain, I get the idea…” She paused. “And, since I won three out of four games downstairs in the game room, you can go first,” she added smugly handing Max the dice.

Dice in hand; he shook them in his hand dropping them on the table. ‘Touch’ ‘Toes’. Reaching down, Max lifted her legs onto his lap. Unstrapping each sandal, he dropped them onto the floor. Brushing his fingers across her toes, he tickled her.

Laughing, Liz reached for the dice. Shaking the dice, she dropped them onto the table. ‘Massage’ ‘Nipples’. Resting her feet back on the floor, she slid over closer to Max. Reaching for the hem of his t-shirt, she tugged at it. Taking her hands in his, he slowly lifted his shirt up and over his head before releasing her hands. Tossing the offending garment aside, he eyed Liz. Leaning over, she teasingly glided her hands up his chest to his nipples; slowly brushing her fingertips across them in a circular motion.

Groaning, Max reached for the dice. Shaking them in his hand, he dropped them onto the table. ‘Lick’ ‘Boobs’. Scanning her body with his eyes, he reached for the hem of her t-shirt; lifting it up over her head. Tossing the garment aside, he reached behind her unclasping her bra tossing it too aside. Embracing Liz, he laid her down on the couch and positioning himself over her reached out and cupped her breasts. Leaning down, his tongue darted out licking circular patterns across her right breast as his hand teased her other breast. Applying gentle pressure on the back of his head, Liz held him there as she ran her fingers through his hair. Breathless, she tossed her head back, and moaned. Switching breasts, he groaned.

Silently, he leaned up on his arms gazing into her eyes. Reaching over, she picked up the dice, shook them and tossed them on the table. ‘Massage’ ‘Body’. Eyeing him, Liz smiled. Payback’s a bitch. “You need to take off your pants and lie down on your stomach,” she instructed nudging Max off her as she stood up. Taking off his pants, Max laid down on his stomach wearing only a pair of black silk boxer shorts. Straddling his hips, Liz leaned forward brushing her breasts up against his back as she began kneading his shoulders, arms and upper back. Shifting her body to straddle his legs, her hands moved down massaging his lower back. He groaned. Reaching his butt, she stopped. Oh, God. How am I going to do this without grabbing his perfect ass? Lifting herself off him, she knelt on the floor reaching her hands up; cupped his butt cheeks gently moving her hands in a circular motion. His eyes flew open at the sensational feeling. Softly, he moaned. Moving on, her hands roamed down one leg, ankle, and foot and up the other kneading his muscles as she went.

“You need to turn over…” Liz instructed. Rolling over onto his back, Max groaned unsure how much more he could take of her physical touch. Straddling his hips, she could feel his erection through the fabric of his boxer shorts. Gazing into his hazel eyes, she raised an eyebrow as she leaned forward brushing her breasts up against his chest to begin kneading his shoulders, arms, and chest. Shifting her body, she moved to straddle his thighs and started massaging his toned abs. Curiously watching her, Max raised an eyebrow knowing the direction her hands were going. Oh, God… She paused. Carefully, she reached down gently resting her hand on his erect cock. Ever so slowly she slid her hand up and down his length.

Closing his eyes, Max groaned. He was losing his self-control. Bolting upright, he grabbed Liz’s ass pulling her up against his now throbbing erection; her breasts up against his chest. Startled, Liz gasped as Max’s mouth devoured hers in a deep, passionate kiss. She moaned.

Breaking the kiss, Max held her in his arms. “One more roll…” Reaching for the dice, he handed them to Liz. “Roll the dice, my Lady Luck. Whatever it says, I’ll do…” Shaking the dice in her hand, she dropped the dice onto the table. ‘Tease’ ‘?’

Leaning over, Max glanced down at the dice. Silently, he stood up and embracing Liz in his muscular arms, he crossed the room gently setting her in the center of the bed; straddling her legs.

“What are you…?”

“You’re way over dressed…” he whispered unbuttoning the top button of her jeans.

Leaning up on her elbows, she reached for the zipper. “Let me…”

“Oh, no...” Leaning up, he gently leaned her back down onto the bed. “Allow me…” Smiling, he gave her a teasing kiss. “You’ll like this, I promise.” Sitting back up, he slowly unzipped her jeans before sliding off her body. Then, Reaching for the waist band, he tugged her jeans down her slender legs; tossing them aside. And there was Liz wearing nothing but her G-string. Max groaned. Positioning himself over her, he grabbed it with his teeth tugging it down her legs; tossing it too aside.

She shivered. This is it. “You need to spread your legs for me, sweetie…” Resting his hands on her thighs, Max slid a finger over her pussy. She was wet and ready. He groaned. Licking her sweet nectar from his finger, he leaned in to take his fill. Swirling his tongue across her pussy and into her folds he teased her as her sweet nectar began to ooze into his mouth. “Oh, Liz… You taste so good,” he moaned lapping up her juices.

Her heartbeat quickened. Her inner walls tightened. She was almost to the top. “Oh, Max…” Releasing his tongue, Max inserted one finger and then another pumping them in and out of her folds. Gently he bit down on her clit and over the top she went; her juices spewing into his hungry mouth. “Oh, Max…”

Slowly, he eased up as she came down from her high. Licking his fingers clean, Max slid up her body covering hers with his. She could feel his erection through his boxer shorts. Cupping her breasts, he suckled one and then the other before shifting to nibble on her ear. “Oh Liz, you are so sweet… I want you so bad…” he whispered in her ear.

God, she wanted him too. He was driving her crazy. Without thinking, she reached her hands down to Max’s waist tugging at the waist band of his boxer shorts. She wanted more… She needed more. What the hell? Where did this ‘need’ come from? Fuck it. I want him.

He gazed into her hazel eyes; searching. “Are you sure, Liz?” She nodded. It was all he needed. Parting from her embrace, he positioned her hands on the waist band of his boxers. “Go ahead…”

Omigod… I’m stripping Max. Grasping the silk fabric in her hands, she gently tugged his boxers down. As he stepped out of them, her eyes grew wide as saucers. Sean was big… But, omigod Max was huge.

“Like what you see?” Returning to the bed, Max slid his naked body up over hers. Leaning over, he reached to open a drawer in the nightstand.

“No need… I’m on the pill.”

Tenderly, he kissed her positioning her legs up around his waist; teasing her pussy with his erect cock. She was more than ready. “This is going to hurt like hell…” he warned as he slowly started entering her. “God, Liz… You’re so tight…”

Max leaned in claiming her mouth for a deep, passionate kiss and at that moment he pulled back and thrust forward with one smooth stroke breaking the barrier to her soul. Her eyes flew open and she winced in pain. “Oh, sweetie… I’m so sorry.” Still connected to Liz, Max laid still embracing her; giving her body a chance to adjust to the new sensation of him inside her. Tenderly, he kissed her.

As the pain subsided, she gently rocked against him. God, he feels so good. Slowly, he began to thrust inside her creating a steady rhythm. “Mmmm… So good…” When her hips started bucking against him, he thrust deeper; increasing the tempo of the rhythm as he teased her clit with a finger. Her heartbeat quickened. Her inner walls began to tighten around his engorged cock. “Oh God, Max… I’m cumming.” He wasn’t quite there yet. Plunging faster, he thrust once… twice… three times before riding with Liz over the top as the tidal wave of passion swept over them both.

“Oh, Max…”

“Oh, Liz…” he cried out releasing himself deep within her.

Coming down from their high, they collapsed embracing each other as their heartbeats slowed; body against body, skin against skin.

“Sweetie…”

“Hmmm…”

“You were amazing…”

“So were you…”

Reaching down for the blankets, Max covered them both. Tenderly, he kissed her. “Sweetie…”

“Hmmm…”

“I think I won.”

Raising an eyebrow, she playfully swatted his arm. “I think not.”

Hi, everyone. Sorry it took so long to post this next chapter. I had a busy week so I didn't have time to finish this part until tonight.




Studio Flat: The following morning…

Muscular arms encircled Liz’s waist as fingers gently glided across her arms. The alarm buzzed. A soft groan sounded from behind Liz as an arm swung back to turn the alarm off; launching it to the carpeted floor with a quiet thud. Soft lips brushed against her neck and collar bone. Breathing in a faint masculine scent, Liz smiled. For the first time ever, she felt truly loved. “Mmmm…”

Max sighed. There was no choice. He had to get up to go to work. So did Liz. “Time to get up. sweetie…”

“It’s too early,” she groaned.

Sitting up, he gently nudged her. “I know it’s early. But, we both have to work today…”

Stretching, she rolled over pretending to pout. “What if I call in sick?”

“Hmmm… That’s a possibility, but after all the wild partying you’ve been doing these last few weeks your manager would probably request you see a doctor before returning to work…”

Liz pondered what Max said. “Doctor… And just what type of doctor would I need to see?”

“A specialist…”

Liz raised an eyebrow. “A specialist… A specialist in what?”

Rolling them over, Max’s body covered hers. Resting up on his arms, he looked her in the eye. “A specialist in pleasing you…” Leaning in, his lips devoured hers teasing her mouth open; deepening the kiss. His hands cupped her breasts; his fingers brushing across her nipples. Shifting his position, Max began to suckle one breast and then the other.

“Mmmm… Oh, Max…” His hands moved lower teasing her thighs open. She was wet and ready as her juices pooled down her legs. Inserting one finger and then the other, he continued the ride thrusting his fingers in and out of her slick folds as his thumb teased her clit. “Oh God… Max…”

She was almost there. He could feel it. Removing his fingers, he plunged into her; thrusting his cock into her harder and faster. “God, you’re so tight, sweetie… Oh, so tight…” Her inner walls tightened around him pulling him in deeper.

A jolt of electricity shot through Liz as her orgasm washed over her body. Max was close behind as he blew his load deep within her. Coming down from their high, he collapsed on top of Liz pulling her into his muscular arms. Body against body they laid there tangled amongst the blankets. He kissed her. “Looks like you aced the checkup with flying colors…” Liz blushed.
Meanwhile…

Tess stood outside Max and Liz’s penthouse knocking on the door. She had to see Max. It was important. Or, at least she thought so. There was no answer. Where is he? Racking her brains, she mentally went through his regular morning routine. Nobody had seen him. She even checked his business office, the Viper Room, 69, and the El Flamingo. He was nowhere to be found.

“Looking for Max?”

Startled, Tess jumped. What is Isabel doing here? She turned. “I’m looking for Max. I need to talk to him…”

Raising an eyebrow Isabel crossed her arms across her chest. “Oh… Well, he’s out of the building on business. Is there something I can help you with?”

“Um… No. But, can you tell him I stopped by?”

“Actually, you’ll need to stop by the business office and leave a note with Ava.” Tess frowned. “Is she in yet?”

“She is… So, why don’t you head on downstairs.” How dare Isabel dismiss her! She had no right. They were on Max’s floor. Fuming, she stormed off to the elevator taking it downstairs.
Walking the hallway, Isabel checked the floor to ensure Tess was indeed gone. Taking the spare key for the penthouse from her pocket, she let herself in closing the door behind her. She needed to find Max. He missed the morning meeting and now Tess was on a rampage looking for him. Walking into his home office, she found the secret door and pounded on it.

The door slid open and there stood Max with Liz behind him looking disheveled. Wearing only his boxers, Max glared at Isabel. “Um… Sorry to interrupt, but you missed the morning meeting Max…”

Shit. Max led Liz and Isabel into the kitchen. Taking three mugs from a cabinet, he poured everyone a cup of coffee before joining the ladies at the table. “What’d I miss?”

“Nothing really important that you can’t read about in the minutes Ava took…”

“Okay… Did I miss anything else?”

“Yeah, you did. Tess was up here earlier looking for you. Claimed she needed to talk to you about something…” Max frowned. Tess knew were required to stop by the business office if they had issues or concerns. “I said you were out on business and sent her downstairs to the business office to leave a note with Ava.”

“Good.”

Looking from Max to Liz, Isabel raised an eyebrow. Liz was wearing nothing but a red negligee with matching satin robe. “I think Tess heard the latest rumor via the Safe House grapevine. So, be sure to wear my ring today and be prepared to act like newlyweds… Although I don’t think that will really be a problem.”
The door buzzer sounded. God, who could that, be? Max sighed. “I’ll get it…” Stepping into the foyer, Max answered the door. There stood all their friends. What the?!? “Um… Hi, Max. We hate to bother you, but do you have a minute?” Michael asked. Because they were their friends, Max stepped aside inviting everyone into the living room where Isabel joined them; waiting for Liz.

Omigod… Hearing Max and the others, Liz bolted through the hall and back into the studio flat to retrieve her clothes. Quicker than lightening, Liz stripped out of her negligee and into her casual street clothes. Tossing her negligee and robe into the duffel bag Max loaned her, she re-entered Max’s home office dropping the duffel bag on the floor in a corner. Hairbrush in hand, she stepped in the bathroom to fix her hair.

Ten minutes later, Liz was ready to go. Walking into the living room, her friends greeted her. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting…”

Kenya and Maria sized Liz up with their eyes. She definitely appeared to be flushed. “Not at all, sweetie… We were just discussing my agenda for today,” Max assured her. Crossing the room, Liz grabbed a throw pillow and sat on the floor by Max’s feet.

Sweetie? Michael, Alex and Kyle raised a questioning eyebrow but said nothing. “So, what’s going on?” Max asked knowing it wasn’t everyday all his friends showed together.

“It’s Tess…” Ava said.

“Yeah… She won’t leave us alone.” Michael added.

“She keeps asking about your whereabouts,” Kyle chimed in.

“I’m just visiting from New York and she’s bombarding me with questions too,” Kenya stated.

Silently, Max listened to what his friends had to say. Their comments only confirmed what Isabel had said earlier. Something definitely had to be done. But first, they (Max and Isabel) had to find out exactly what her problem was.

“So, what should we do?” Ava asked.

Max thought for a minute. “The next time she approaches any of you asking my whereabouts, direct her to the business office and then call me to let me know. I’ll have another talk with her.”

“But what about me? I live and work with her in 69.” Pam stated.

“Listen to what she has to say, but keep trying to offset things.” Taking a sip of his coffee, Max continued. “Has Tess heard the latest rumor?”

“She hasn’t said anything, so I don’t know.” Pam said. “But, that might be what set her off on the rampage she’s on.”

“Okay… Max and Liz have agreed to pretend to be newlyweds…” Isabel started explaining what she told Liz earlier. “So, we all need to play along. If the topic comes up in conversation with anyone, pay attention to the behavior of those around you,” Isabel continued.

“Any word about what happened to Sean,” Kenya asked.

At the mention of his name, a chill ran down Liz’s spine. “Alex filed a restraining order against Sean. In the meantime, Sean was fined for disorderly conduct and is awaiting trial for attempted assault. If found guilty, he’ll do time here in Las Vegas before being returned to New York City to serve his time there. If by some slim chance he’s found not-guilty, he’ll be immediately returned to New York City to serve his time…”

“So, he’s in prison?”

“Yes, Liz. He is… He can’t bother any of us.”

Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. It's mainly just a fluff chapter, but I promise things will be taking off soon (within the next few chapters).

Max & Liz’s penthouse: An hour later…

Everyone said their ‘goodbyes’ as they headed out the door to return back to work leaving Max, Liz and Kenya in the living room. “As much as I’d love to stick around, I also need to get going, sweetie.” Pulling Liz up off the couch, he tenderly kissed her cheek before grabbing his briefcase and coffee and walking out the door.

Kenya raised an eyebrow. “Sweetie?”

“Um… About that…”

“So, spill… What’s going on between you and Max?”

Liz blushed. “I guess you could say we’re an item, although we haven’t really talked about it yet since a certain someone barged in this morning.”

Kenya rolled her eyes. “Isabel… Yeah, I know. But, when Max missed his morning meeting she figured something was up if you get my drift.” Liz blushed at the innuendo. “So, how was your date? Where did he take you? What did you do?”

“One question at a time… I had an absolute wonderful time with Max. As the Safe House is known for its mystique, Max gave me a complete tour of all the hidden rooms and passageways within the building. Then, we just hung out in the private hidden rooms…”

“Hidden rooms?”

“Remember that segment on ‘Night Life’ when Max and Isabel talked to Leslie Gutenberg? Well, they mentioned numerous hidden rooms; part of which is part of the Las Vegas historical city tour and part of which make up the private quarters for Max, Isabel and their friends…”

“Wow… I’m impressed. Max must really have feelings for you to show you the private quarters…”

Thinking of the studio flat, Liz blushed. “He does. And I have feelings for him…”

“I’m happy for you. I really am. If there’s anyone that deserves to be happy, it’s you.”

“Thanks, Kenya.”
Meanwhile in the business office…

Michael, Kyle, and Alex sat in front of the desk in Max’s office. “So, what’s going on with you and Liz,” Michael questioned.

“Nothing’s going on…”

“You called her ‘sweetie’…” Alex was quick to point out.

“And what about that outlandish bet you made during the Poker game?” Kyle added.

Max sighed. “I honestly don’t know. But, spending the day getting to know her yesterday was wonderful. We clicked, you know?”

“It’s called chemistry, Max.” Alex stated.

“Admit it… You love her.” Michael added.

“And she loves you,” Kyle chimed in.

“Okay, fine. So maybe we do have feelings for each other. So what?”

“Ooh, defensive… You’ve got it bad.” Alex stated.

“Welcome to the club,” Michael teased.

Max’s phone rang. It was Ava. Pressing the speaker button, Max greeted her. “Good morning, Ava. What can I do for you?”

“Tess called. She’s on her way down to talk to you.”

“Thank you. Have her wait in the waiting room when she arrives.”

“Will do…”

Turning off the speaker phone, Max looked over at his friends and sighed. “Sorry to cut this short, but it looks like Tess is on her way down.”

“Don’t worry about it. We should be getting back to work anyways,” Alex stated.

“Keep me posted with what’s going on,” Kyle added.
Storming into the office, Tess slammed the door startling Ava who sat at the front desk typing a letter for Isabel. “Good afternoon, Tess…”

“Yeah, whatever… Is Max in?”

“He is, but he’s in a meeting at the moment. The meeting’s almost over with so, he asked that you take a seat…”

Tess was pissed. He’s avoiding me. “What do you mean he’s in a meeting? He’s expecting me…”

“I know that. But, when you called he was already in the meeting. So, you’ll need to take a seat.” Ava reiterated.

“How much longer is the meeting lasting? I don’t have all day to wait…”

“Gee, I’m not sure, Tess. It wasn’t on his original schedule.”

“What? How can you not know? It’s your job to know.”

“Like I said, the meeting was unscheduled…”

“Well, obviously your customer service skills su…”

Michael, Alex and Kyle entered the reception area. “See ya later, Ava…” Michael said following the others out the door.

“See ya guys later…” Ava turned back to Tess giving her the eye. “Take a seat. He’ll be with you shortly.” She grit out. Picking up the phone, she called Max. Briefly talking with Max, she ended the call. “He’s on his way.”
Greeting Ava, Max found Tess sitting in the reception area. “Good afternoon, Tess. What can I do for you today?”

“We need to talk…”

“Okay. Why don’t we go into my office? Hold my calls, Ava.”

“No problem, Max.”
Stepping aside, Max allowed Tess to enter first. “Have a seat, Tess…” Closing the door behind him; Max walked around his desk; sitting across from Tess. “So, what’s on your mind?”

She glared at him. “How could you? How could you up and marry that tramp?”

Everyone was right. Tess had heard the latest rumor that was circulating via the grapevine. “How dare you call my wife a tramp!”

“But, she is…” she whined.

“No, she’s not. And if I hear you refer to her by any other name than her actual name again, you’re fired. The same goes for harassing employees. In the meantime, I’m putting you on ninety days probation for the harassment of my wife along with other employees. Do I make myself clear?”

Max was pissed. She didn’t dare argue. She sighed. “Yes, Max…”

“Good… Now as for how I married Liz? It was easy… We walked into a wedding chapel, talked to the reverend and recited our vows…” He paused. “Is there anything else you would like to discuss? If not, you’re dismissed.”

Standing up Tess left Max’s office without saying a word. Storming through the reception area, she slammed the door with a bang.
Isabel’s office...

The ladies (Maria, Kenya, and Liz) congregated around Isabel and her desk. “So, Liz… What’s going on with you and my brother?”

“Um… Nothing…” she lied. Liar… You had sex.

Isabel raised an eyebrow. “He refers to you as ‘sweetie’.”

“So, spill it, Liz…” Maria stated getting straight to the point.

“Go on. Tell them what you told me earlier.” Kenya encouraged.

Liz sighed. “I honestly don’t know. It’s like we’re an item, but there’s no certainty because we didn’t discuss it.”

“Well, did you have sex?” Maria asked.

Liz blanched. Have sex? What an understatement. “Um…” Remembering earlier that morning, she blushed.

“Omigod, you did!” Kenya exclaimed.

“Eeew… TMI (too much information),” Isabel chimed in disturbed with the vision of her brother having sex with her friend. Great… Just great. Now every time I see Max, I’m going to envision him naked. Eeew.

“You love him. He loves you. You two had sex. There’s nothing to discuss. You’re an item.” Maria reasoned. “So, was he any good?”

“Maria!” Isabel exclaimed. “You don’t have to answer that, Liz...”

“I want to hear more about your date,” Kenya chimed in hoping to change the subject. Liz was relieved.

“Speaking of which, where did he take you?” Maria asked.

“Max gave me a tour of all the hidden rooms; telling me about the history that surrounds the building. Then, we spent the day hanging out and getting to know one another better…”

“I’ll bet,” muttered Maria. “But, what did you all do?”

“We sat around watching home movies in the home theater and played a few games in the game room.”

Isabel couldn’t help but smile. “… And ended up in the studio flat connecting to the penthouse,” she added. “But, you know what? I don’t care. I’m happy for the both of you. If there are any two people who deserve to be happy it’s the two of you.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Maria commented. “Except can I be a bridesmaid when you two actually do tie the knot?”

Teasingly, Liz smacked Maria’s arm. The others chuckled. “One date does not equal marriage…”

“Well, it could. We are in Vegas after all,” Kenya pointed out. Everyone laughed.

Thank you for the feedback because often times I get ideas for future chapters based on what readers have to say.

With that said having Liz ask Isabel, Maria, and Kenya questions about things (i.e. sex, dating, etc.) might be something to consider for future chapters as Liz's relationship w/ Max is just starting to develop.(They did after all only go on one 'official', uninterrupted date).

There are however, a few things to consider...

Liz was confused about things and to an extent still is. Way back when, Liz had a crush on Max when they were in high school. They seldom talked in high school (never had contact during their college years), so why was he so interested in her well being years later? Little did she know, she was Max's fantasy girl back then (in high school). Afraid to admit his feelings, he never said a word.

Years passed. Enter into the picture Sean. Sean's relationship w/ Liz was for the most part nothing but a status symbol as she was a more popular within the theater & with the public. He used her popularity to draw attention to himself. Although Liz (thought she) love him, he didn't love her back. Instead, he abused her.

Leaving a bad relationship, Liz escaped to Vegas w/ the hope of starting a new life for herself with the help of her friends. Through them (Maria & Alex), she made new friends, landed herself a new job & a place to live unaware Max always had a soft spot for her in his heart.

As expected, the relationship between Max & Liz is starting to shift from friends to lovers. Having been hurt by Sean (in more ways than one), Liz was (and is) confused. Is what she's feeling still a crush or true love? Why is she so attracted to Max (the person he's become)... Is it his appearance, his personality or both? What is it about him that makes her feel safe? What will happen if she does get involved w/ Max?

Max on the other hand knew Liz's history and that she wasn't ready for a relationship when she first came out to Vegas for her visit & wouldn't be until she was able to put the past behind her & move on. Knowing this, he was afraid to admit his feelings to Liz for fear of scaring her off. He wanted Liz to feel loved (& still does) and understands she has issues that they need to work on. Yet, he doesn't want to appear obsessive & possessive & is trying his best not to appear so.

** Knowing the cost to clean up and repair her condo would be costly, Max offered to purchase new clothes for Liz out of the goodness of his heart (or so he thought so).
** Knowing moving out to Vegas would be a struggle for Liz after what happened w/ her condo, Max offered her a job & a place to live out of the goodness of his heart (or so he thought so).

On the flip side, their friends are a close knit group of people who although are caring, are open to talk about anything & everything; often times prying into each others' business. They're the type to offer their opinions & advice w/o being asked and make suggestions w/ nothing but good intentions in mind; although sometimes it backfires in more ways than one.

I hope this clears a few things up.

As for the Safe House to be a close knit working community of friends, that's what I had in mind when the idea for this story first came to mind.

And as for Tess & Sean hooking up to reek more havoc? Well... Let's just say everyone is going to have to wait to see what happens.

* I'd like to start by saying thank you to Michelle in LA for giving me the idea for Liz's conversation w/ Isabel about her relationship w/ Max. * (Note: Liz will be having a similar conversation w/ Maria & maybe Serena in a later chapter)


“So, he’s in prison?”

“Yes, Liz. He is… He can’t bother any of us.”

(Conversation between Liz & Max)






The Business Office: Reception area…

Ava’s stomach growled. Looking over at the clock on her desk, she noticed it was already 1:00 and she still hadn’t had lunch. Flipping through her rolodex, she found the number for the El Flamingo and called Michael to place her order for lunch. Locking up her desk and filing cabinets, she called Max and Isabel before heading downstairs.
Outside the office a dark figure stood around the corner standing in the shadows surveying the area around them. They were all alone. Anxiously looking down at their watch, they silently cursed. She should have left for lunch over an hour ago. What was taking so long? The business office door opened. The figure squatted down behind a large potted plant and froze. Out she stepped walking towards the elevator.

Counting down the minutes, the figure stood back up surveying the area. She was gone. Quietly opening the office door, the figure moved behind the front desk gently tugging on the drawers and cabinet doors. Everything was locked. Damn. But, the computer was on. Touching the mouse, the monitor lit up revealing a login box asking for a password. Dammit.

The clock was ticking. What could the password be? Rapidly typing in various combinations of words and numbers the password was cracked on the tenth try. Scanning the icons on the desktop, the figure clicked on a few scanning numerous files before finding the document they needed.

Reading over the spreadsheet, they made a mental note of the days’ activities before closing the document file and logging out of the computer. Then, just as quietly as they entered, they left as if they were never there.
Meanwhile in Isabel’s office...

“As much as I’d love to stick around, I need to get going. I have exactly fifteen minutes before the first band audition,” Maria added. “Care to join me, Kenya?”

“That would be awesome. Thanks…”

Saying their ‘goodbyes’ Kenya followed Maria out the door discussing the upcoming band auditions leaving Liz sitting with Isabel. Maria closed the door behind them.

Something was bothering Liz. She could tell. “Talk to me… What’s going on?”

Liz sighed. “I’m so confused…”

“Confused about what?”

“My relationship with Max… It’s obvious he has feelings for me, but why? My life is messed up and I have little to nothing.”

“Max doesn’t care about where you’re from or what happened in your past…” Isabel started. “He loves you for being you; the strong, courageous, intelligent, well-rounded, fun loving person that you are.” Leaning over her desk, she looked Liz in the eye and continued. “Never say you have nothing because you do. You have a job, a safe place to live, your family, a group of amazing, yet sometimes annoying friends and a guy who loves you more than life itself. What more could you ask for?”

“I guess…”

“What are your feelings towards Max?”

“It’s no secret I’ve had a crush on him since high school. But now, that we’re living with each other and getting to know each other, it’s different… I’m attracted to him, but I don’t know why. I’ve known many guys throughout my career, but for some reason it’s different with him…”

“It’s called chemistry, Liz… And it’s a powerful force.” Isabel thought for a minute. “How does Max make you feel in comparison to your ex?”

Closing her eyes, Liz mentally counted to five. Breathe. She thought for a moment. “I feel safe…”

“And…”

“… Special…”

“What does he do to make you feel special?”

“He’s caring, helpful and supportive…” She paused. “He randomly sends me flowers…”

“That’s why you’re attracted to him. He’s everything Sean isn’t. And it’s different with Max because unlike the other guys you’ve met, he broke down the invisible wall you created for yourself; and in doing so you let him into your heart.”

Liz reflected on what Isabel said. She hit the nail on the head. “When did you realize you were in love with Alex?”

“It wasn’t love at first sight. Not by a long stretch. The feeling just gradually developed. Although it wasn’t until Max and I purchased the Safe House and Tess hit on Alex that I realized I truly loved him…” She chuckled. “I was pissed. Taking a stand, I had it out with Tess… Needless to say, she hasn’t hit on Alex or messed with me since.”

“But, how did you know you were in love?

“I knew I loved Alex because of how he made me feel and the things he would do for me.” She paused. “Enough about my relationship… Max makes you feel special. How does that make you feel?”

“Loved…”

“Exactly… And in return, you love him because he makes you feel special.”

“Do you think Max and I are moving too fast?”

Isabel shrugged her shoulders. “It doesn’t matter what I think or anybody else for that matter thinks. A relationship is between two people… In this case, you and Max. If you both feel the physical and emotional connection and are comfortable with how things are progressing that’s all that matters.”

Liz smiled. “Thanks, Isabel…”

“No problem… Just remember, it doesn’t matter, what other people say or think; including me. What matters is that you love each other and are open and honest with one another.”

Looking over at the clock on Isabel’s desk, Liz swore. Crap… I’m late. I told Serena I’d meet her down by the wine cellar by 1:00 pm…” Thanking Isabel for her time, Liz said ‘goodbye’ and before heading out the door.
Meanwhile outside the business office…

… A dark figure squatting behind a tall plant in a dimly lit corner watched as Liz hurried towards the elevator. They waited. Ensuring she was gone, they pulled their cell from their pocket and dialed the number. The caller answered on the second ring.

“Where are you?”

“Upstairs by the business office… She just left. According to the schedule, today is the day for inventory of alcoholic beverages. So, she should be on her way down to the wine cellar and coolers…”

“Is she meeting anyone down there?”

“How should I know?”

Damn. “Weren’t there any names on the inventory schedule?”

“The only name listed was hers. But, that doesn’t mean somebody’s not helping her…”

Shit. “We’re going to have to scout out the area. If she’s with someone we’ll have to take care of them as well.”

I hope things don't get confusing because this chapter is so action packed with things happening in more than one place at the same time. In lieu of that, I tried to indicate each location in bold to prevent any confusion.







Basement of the Safe House: The Wine Cellar…

Stepping off the elevator, Liz scanned the floor plan of the basement; tracing her finger along the plastic covered diagram searching for the wine cellar. Locating it on the diagram, she turned walking down a dimly lit corridor. Within minutes, she found Serena standing in front of a massive, solid wooden door with a large metal hook at the bottom.

“Hey, Serena… Sorry I’m late. I got to talking with Isabel and lost track of time.”

“This should only take an hour or two so don’t worry about it.” Handing Liz the inventory list, Serena sifted through the wad of keys on her key ring. “This is the key to the wine cellar. It’s the only bronze key on the ring and looks like one of those old fashioned skeleton keys,” she explained holding up the key.

Showing Liz the trick to opening the wine cellar door, Serena pushed the massive wood door wide open. “Hold the door for a minute…” Walking around behind the door, she hooked the door to the wall before stepping inside. Flipping a light switch, she turned on the lights before squatting down and pushing a heavy box in front of the door. “Okay, you can let go of the door now.”

“What’s in the box?”

“Floor tiles… One of the contractors left them behind during a remodeling job.” Kicking the box, it didn’t budge. “The door weighs approximately twenty to thirty pounds. For that reason, we hook the door to the wall to keep it open. We put the floor tiles in front of the door in case the hook were to ever give. It’s important to remember to do this because this is one of the few original doors remaining that is still used by employees and does not open from the inside.”

“Why was it never replaced?”

“Because the Safe House is a historical landmark, certain doors were allowed to be kept after the remodeling as long as preventative measures were taken to prevent employees and tourists from getting trapped inside. Thus, the hook on the door… There’s also a button by the door that trips an alarm that sounds in the security booth notifying security if the door were to ever close.”

Following Serena into the wine cellar, Liz took in her surroundings noticing the large, antique wine barrels stacked throughout. “A portion of the wine cellar is opened numerous times throughout the year for wine tastings and tours… Although the barrels are empty, they are authentic,” she stated. Grabbing a cart from a corner, she gave Liz a tour of the supply area explaining the layout of the cellar; grabbing cases of wine as they wandered through the numerous aisles. “When replenishing the bar inventory, it is mandatory for a minimum of two people to be down here at all times for safety purposes. That, and because it makes gathering the alcohol easier…”
Meanwhile outside the wine cellar…

… A dark figure stepped out from the dimly lit corner by the cooler case; walking over to the wine cellar. Listening for voices, they heard none. Perfect… They must be inside. Leaning up against the massive wood door, they squatted down and pushed the box of tiles inside the cellar. Then, bending around behind the door removed the hook; causing the door to push up against them. Creeping closer to the cellar entrance, they flipped the switch before letting go of the door.

Not waiting for the door to slam, they hurried off towards the stairwell and into one of the dimly lit hidden passageways leading upstairs. Grabbing their cell phone, they dialed the pre-programed phone number. The phone was answered on the third ring.

“It’s done…”

“Good. I’m giving you five minutes to get upstairs…”
Inside the wine cellar…

Everything went black. The solid wood door slammed with a loud bang. Omigod! Startled, Liz screamed. “I’m right here with you… Don’t panic. There’s a flashlight on each of the carts with a pack of extra batteries.” Reaching for the flashlight, she pushed the button on it. Nothing happened. What the hell? Unscrewing the base, she tipped it. It was empty. Someone had taken out the batteries. What the?!?… Fumbling around in the side compartments of the cart, Serena searched for the extra batteries. They weren’t there. Don’t panic… Breathe. Everything is going to be okay. “The flashlight isn’t working and someone forgot to replenish the extra batteries…”

“Omigod…”

“Don’t panic… We’ll be okay.” Reaching her arms out in front of her, Serena felt for a shelf. Steading herself against a shelf, she continued. “Grab onto the back of my shirt and follow me. I’m going to try to find the way to the door to push the button…”
First floor stairwell…

“It’s about time you got up here. Are you sure the door completely closed?”

“I pulled both the hook and box of tiles so there’s no way the door could have stayed open.”

“Excellent… You ready?”

“I am.”

“Good… Go back out towards the lobby, but be prepared to leave. If anyone questions you about anything, you heard nothing, saw nothing and know nothing. Do I make myself clear?”

“Got it…”

“Get moving then…”

The stairwell door closed. Not waiting another second, a hand shot up and pulled the alarm. The mysterious person scurried off into the hidden passage way as if nothing happened.
Business Office...

The alarm blared. “What the?!?” Dropping his cell phone on his desk, Max took off checking offices as others bustled around him. “Everybody out… This is no drill… Let’s go…”

Reaching up to a button in the hall outside her office, Isabel pushed it connecting directly to the fire department notifying them of the emergency before leaving the building.
Inside the wine cellar…

They heard the alarm go off. Startled, Liz jumped colliding with a shelf of wine; knocking bottles over and crashing onto the stone floor. Omigod… I’m going to die!

“Don’t panic… It’s probably a false alarm.” God, I hope so. “Are you okay?”

“I think so.”

“Grab back onto my shirt…” Serena continued to fumble her way around the cellar feeling the shelves with her hand as they went.
Outside of the Safe House…

Everyone gathered in the designated area waiting for the fire department to show up. Venue Managers began doing a head count to ensure all employees made it out safely. Nervously, Courtney approached Kenya, Max and Isabel. “Has anyone seen Serena or Liz?”

Omigod… Where are they? Breathe. Don’t panic… “Not since this morning…” Max stated.

“The last time I saw Liz was in your office, Isabel.” Kenya added.

“Liz said something about having to meet Serena by the wine cellar for inventory before she left my office,” Isabel added.

Omigod… What happened if something fell on them in the basement? Everyone began to panic. The paramedics arrived and within seconds, the fire department arrived. In rushed the fire fighters ready to put out a fire. The last one off the truck approached Max, Isabel and Kenya. “Is there anyone still in the building?”

“We think there might two people in the basement by the wine cellar,” Max quickly stated.

“Okay…” Radioing the crew inside, the fire fighter notified the crew to check the basement for two women who were reported to have gone downstairs to the wine cellar earlier. “Some of the guys are on their way downstairs.”
In the basement: Outside the wine cellar…

A group of fire fighters cased the area searching for the wine cellar. Locating it, they noticed the wooden door was closed. Pounding on the door, they listened for any indication someone was inside.

Inside the wine cellar…

Hearing the pounding on the door, Serena yelled at the top of her lungs. “HELP! WE’RE TRAPPED INSIDE!” No reply. Something behind her hit the floor. Liz was no longer holding onto her shirt. Omigod! Squatting down, she felt around for Liz’s wrist to check for a pulse. It was faint. “HELP! SOMEONE IS HURT!” Serena hollered praying someone heard her plea. “Stay with me, Liz… Help is on the way…”

Outside the wine cellar…

… Someone heard the faint sound of a voice. It sounded like someone was calling for ‘help’. “Someone’s inside…” Taking axes to the door, they frantically began demolishing the wooden door. Someone radioed outside stating at least one person was trapped in the wine cellar.
Meanwhile upstairs…

… Other fire fighters searched each of the floors. It was a false alarm. Resetting the alarm, someone radioed outside giving the all clear.
Outside the Safe House…

The trio (Max, Isabel and Kenya) listened as voices came over the radio. Talking to his crew, the fire fighter turned to them. “The good news is it’s a false alarm… However, there’s at least one person was trapped in the wine cellar…”

Another voice called over the radio. “We’re inside the wine cellar and need the paramedics…” Not waiting for further information, the paramedics rushed inside.

Oh, God… Please let Serena and Liz be okay.
In the basement…

Serena sat on the ground outside the wine cellar breathing deeply; trying to calm down.

Arriving in the basement, the paramedics hurried past Serena into the wine cellar where two fire fighters waited for them with Liz still lying on the stone floor. “She’s unconscious and barely breathing.”

Setting a board on the floor, it was carefully slid underneath Liz so as not to move her body. Then, lifting the board the paramedics placed Liz on the gurney. “Let’s go…”
Outside the Safe House…

The front doors opened and out rushed the paramedics with Liz strapped onto the gurney. Following close behind was Serena along with the fire fighters.

Omigod! Liz… “What happened? Where are they taking her? What’s wrong with her?” Max began to fire off the questions.

“Let me see what I can find out.” Walking over to where Liz was being loaded into the back of the ambulance, the fire fighter talked with a paramedic. Nodding his head, the paramedic turned to climb into the ambulance.

The fire fighter returned back to where Max, Liz and Serena were standing. “Your friend should be okay. Some wine bottles fell off a shelf and injured her before she passed out. They’re taking her to Spring Valley Hospital as we speak.”

The doors on the ambulance closed and off it sped down the street towards the hospital with its lights flashing and siren sounding.

“I’m going back inside to call the police and file a report…” Fishing her keys from her pocket, Isabel handed them over to Kenya. “Take my car and go to the hospital with Max. See what’s going on and call me.”

“Come on, Max… Let’s go.”

As promised... I finished the chapter today. It's partially a fluff chapter, but there are a few key points for later consideration.





Spring Valley Hospital: Half hour later…

Max paced around the waiting room where Kenya sat waiting for word from the doctor. “Stop pacing, Max. You’re making everyone nervous…”

Sitting next to Kenya, he sighed. “I should’ve been there…”

“You can’t be around her 24/7… It’s not possible.”

“But, I feel so guilty…”

“Guilty because she’s hurt? There’s no way you could’ve prevented what happened… It could’ve happened to anyone at any time.”

“I guess…”

Just then, Doctor Matthews stepped out into the waiting room. “Mr. Evans… Ms. Ferguson... I’m Doctor Matthews. I’m sorry but I’m unable to release any information until we receive faxed documentation giving us the approval to discuss Ms. Parker’s condition with you.”

“Excuse me, Doctor Matthews…” a nurse interrupted. “Ms. Isabel Evans located notarized documents completed by Ms. Parker upon her arrival in Las Vegas giving medical personnel permission to discuss any medical issues that may arise with certain friends as her parents are in New Mexico. She just faxed them over now.”

Taking the documents off the fax machine, Doctor Matthews glanced down at the names Liz had listed before directing Max and Kenya into his office. “Please, have a seat.” Opening up the file created for Liz, he continued. “Ms. Parker is going to be okay. From what we can tell with the x-rays and CT Scan, she slipped and fell on broken glass cutting her hands, arms, and legs and has a concussion from being hit on the head with what we think was a bottle.”

Omigod.

“We’re keeping her overnight for observation. If she remains stable, she should able to go home tomorrow.”

“Can we see her?”

“Sure… She’s in room 222.”
Room 222…

The door was open ajar. Softly knocking on the door, Kenya and Max stepped inside. There laid Liz wearing nothing but a skimpy hospital gown; covered partially by a light weight sheet and blanket. She was out cold.

Crossing the room, Max sat on the bed by Liz taking her hand in his. “Do you want a few minutes alone, Max?”

“Would you mind?”

“No, not at all… I’ll go grab something to eat in the cafeteria and come back in fifteen minutes.” Leaving the room, Kenya closed the door behind her.

Reaching up, Max ran his fingers through Liz’s silken brown tresses. “Oh God, Liz… You gave us such a scare earlier…” Brushing his thumb across the back of her hand, he continued. “I should have been there for you…” Silently, he watched her sleep as the minutes slipped by. A lone tear glistened his cheek. “God, I love you but you need to wake up…” Leaning over, he tenderly kissed her forehead, cheek and lips. “You’re my everything… My heart and soul belong to you.”
Fifteen minutes later, Kenya returned. “How’s she doing?”

“The same…”

A soft knock sounded before the door slowly opened. There stood Maria and Alex. “We got here as soon as we could… How is she?” Max and Kenya stepped aside so Maria and Alex could see her. “Omigod… Chica…” Crossing the room, Maria sat on the corner of her bed. “Can she hear us?”

“I don’t know… She has a concussion,” Max stated.

Pulling up a chair, Alex sat down. “The police arrived shortly after to block off the entire basement labeling it as a crime scene…”

“How can they do that? Our inventory is stored down there.”

“That’s what Isabel said to the police. Because it is a crime scene, you and Isabel will need to designate people from each venue to be in charge of inventory items… These will be the only people allowed in the basement chaperoned by a police officer to bring up inventory items until the investigation is completed,” Alex explained.

“By the way Max, Lieutenant Porislukski asked that you call him upon your return,” Maria added. “He’s looking to discuss the situation with you.”

“Thanks. It’s late. We should be getting back, Kenya…”

“Okay…”

“If Liz wakes up, call us. Otherwise, inform the nurse on duty that someone will be here to pick up Liz tomorrow unless we hear otherwise.”

“No problem. We’ll see you when we get back.”
Las Vegas Police Department…

Kenya parked the car in a parking space near the door. She sighed. What is it with me and police departments? I swear… Liz is like a bad omen or something. Killing the engine, she turned to look at Max. “Are you ready for this?”

Max sighed. He had no choice. It was either now or later. ”Let’s go get this over with… The sooner, the better.” Stepping out of the car, he waited for Kenya to grab her purse. “Would you mind sitting in during the meeting?”

“Not at all… Unless of course Lieutenant Porislukski has a problem with it.”

Opening the door to the station, Max held it open for Kenya. “According to Isabel, he’s cool so he shouldn’t have a problem with it.”
The interrogation room…

Max and Kenya were led into an interrogation room and instructed to have a seat. The lieutenant would be with them shortly.

“Mr. Evans… Ms. Ferguson… Lieutenant Porislukski,” the lieutenant greeted them. “Thank you for stopping by on such short notice.”

“It’s no problem,” Kenya stated.

Opening the case file, Lieutenant Porislukski took out a notepad and pen. Briefly explaining what the officers saw at first glance of the crime scene, he began asking question after question pausing for a few minutes in between each to jot down a few notes. “Do either of you know of anyone having a personal vendetta against Ms. Valenti or Ms. Parker?”

“I can think of two people… Tess Harding and Sean Harrison. Both had it in for Liz,” Max stated.

Lieutenant Porislukski added the names to his notes. “What was their relationship to Liz and how did they act towards her?”

“Tess Harding is a stripper at the Safe House. Liz is a bartender. They’re co-workers. Tess is jealous because Liz and I are boyfriend / girlfriend.” Max explained. “Prior to the incident, she received a verbal warning about harassing Liz along with other co-workers…”

“Has she ever physically harmed Ms. Parker?”

“No. But, I wouldn’t put the idea past her.”

“Okay… What about Mr. Harrison?”

“Sean Harrison is Liz’s ex-boyfriend whom she left behind in New York when she moved out here to Las Vegas,” Kenya stated. “It was an abusive relationship in which Sean verbally and physically attacked her. The final straw was when he put her in the hospital… He was arrested.”

Lieutenant Porislukski jotted down some notes. “Were there any incidents after Ms. Parker was released from the hospital?”

“There was. Sean and Liz’s cleaning lady, Jessica Sandsberg trashed her condo while she was in Las Vegas visiting her friends…”

“Any idea what Mr. Harrison’s relationship is to Ms. Sandsberg?”

“According to Detective Goldstein of the New York Police Department, Sean is Jessica’s half-brother. He called her while he was in prison and claiming he nothing to harm Liz asked her for bail money which she paid,” Kenya explained remembering that day at the police station all too well.

“Have either you or Ms. Parker seen Mr. Harrison since arriving in Las Vegas?”

“Liz did… He approached her after the dance contest at 69 (gentlemen’s club).”

“Did he do anything to hurt her?”

“No. He just wanted to talk to her and was doing so when Security Officer Kyle Valenti approached to escort Liz from the club to ensure her safety from the rowdy crowd,” Max added. “After that, he was seen in Deuces Wild (casino) later that night where he tried to assault the Casino Manager, Alex Whitman accusing him the casino games were rigged. He was arrested for disorderly conduct, attempted assault and refusing to leave the premise,” Max continued to explain.

Lieutenant Porislukski jotted down some things to look into. Check on Mr. Harrison’s status. Is he still in prison? If yes, how long before he is transported back to New York? If no, was he already transported back to New York? If not, where is he?

“What about Ms. Valenti? Did anyone have a personal vendetta against her that anyone knows of?”

“I’m not sure. But, I know she doesn’t get along with Tess real well… Very few of us do,” Max stated.

“Any idea why Ms. Valenti doesn’t get along with Ms. Harding?”

“Same reason most of us don’t. Tess is known to gossip, and is rude to most everyone making crude comments to a person’s face and snide comments behind their backs,” Max explained.

“If she’s known to treat her co-workers this way, why is she still working at the Safe House?”

“She’s good at entertaining the men and racks in the money…” Max stated. “Being the manager of 69, I gave her a verbal warning stating she would be fired if her behavior didn’t change…” He paused. “Now that I think about it, she received the warning a few hours prior to the incident,” Max continued.

“Interesting… It was confirmed that Ms. Harding was outside with everyone else when the fire alarm went off. Would it be possible for her or someone else to go from the basement to upstairs undetected?”

“Of course… The Safe House was known for its secret rooms and passage ways back in the day, some of which are still used today.”

“Do any of the passage ways lead directly into the wine cellar?”

“Not that we know of. However, according to the original blueprints for the building, there are numerous rooms and passageways that have yet to be found.”

“Good to know.” Not sure. Many passageways & rooms walled up through the years. Lieutenant Porislukski added after the question.

Just another fluff chapter as Liz returns home from the hospital...




Max & Liz’s penthouse: Mid-morning the following day…

Bustling around the penthouse Max checked each room to make sure everything was cleaned up and ready for Liz’s arrival back home. Stepping into her bedroom, he surveyed his surroundings. The curtains were open; the blankets on the bed were turned down. A vase of white roses sat on the nightstand with numerous ‘get well’ cards and phone messages; a small stack of gifts piled up on a nearby chair with weighted down balloons. Everything was set.

Looking down at the clock, it was time to go. Cell phone in hand, he called Kenya who was upstairs in Cloud 9 (VIP Lounge) visiting with Serena and Courtney. “You ready to go?”

“I am… I’m on my way down.”
Spring Valley Hospital: Room 222…

Softly knocking on the door, Max and Kenya quietly walked in to find Doctor Matthews talking with Liz explaining to her what happened. “… From what we can tell from the x-rays and CT scan, you were hit on the head before collapsing to the ground where you landed on shards of glass…”

“Kenya… Max…”

Doctor Matthews smiled happy to see Liz remembered her friends. “I was just briefly explaining why she’s here in the hospital…” Opening her file, he glanced at his notes. “Looks like you’re ready to be discharged. But, before you go I need to go over with you how to clean and bandage your wounds, the importance of bed rest, and restrictions…”

Liz groaned. Was this really necessary? Listening intently to what Doctor Matthews had to say, Max promised Liz would be well taken care of and that she would have assistance.

“I’ll also need you to schedule a follow-up appointment for two weeks from today. If you experience any dizzy spells, hearing problems, memory loss, extreme pain, call the clinic immediately. In the meantime, I’m giving you this prescription for pain. Be sure to read the label on the bottle for possible side effects and take no more than the dosage listed. Are there any questions?” Nobody said a word. “Okay then…” Taking a pen from his pocket, Doctor Matthews signed the discharge paperwork. “You’re ready to go whenever you’re ready. A nurse will be by shortly with a wheel chair for you.”
Back at the Safe House…

Max parked his car in the parking garage. Walking around to the passenger side, he opened the door and scooping Liz up in his arms carried her to the elevator leaving Kenya to grab the tote bag that contained Liz’s personal belongings.

Arriving upstairs, Kenya called Michael downstairs in the kitchen of the El Flamingo to place an order for brunch while Max helped Liz get situated. The doorbell buzzed. “I’ll get it...” Stepping into the foyer, Kenya looked through the peep hole before opening the door. There stood Isabel, Serena, Courtney, Pam, Ava, Maria, Alex and Kyle.

Wow, the gang’s all here. “Hi, guys… Come on in. Max is helping Liz get situated in her room. Where’s Michael? He was supposed to bringing brunch.”

Following Kenya into the living room, everyone sat down giving Max and Liz a few minutes to themselves. “I saw him loading up the cart when we passed the El Flamingo, so he should be on his way,” Maria stated.

The doorbell buzzed again. That’s gotta be Michael. Leaving her guests, Kenya stepped back into the foyer to open the door for Michael. “You’re just in time, the party’s just starting,” she joked. “Max is helping Liz get situated in her room so why don’t we put the food in the kitchen…” Following Michael into the kitchen, she helped him unload the cart.

Pushing the cart into a corner, Michael joined the others in the living room while Kenya went to go check on Liz and Max. Softly, she knocked on the door that was open ajar. “You have company, Liz… Are you up for visitors?”

“Not really… I just want to rest. Who’s all here?

“Everyone… They’re all in the living room hanging out.”

Liz groaned. Why couldn’t they have waited awhile before coming to visit?

As if reading her mind, Max took her hand. “Don’t worry; you’ve been through a lot. They’ll understand…”

“I’ll go ask them to return tomorrow.” Kenya stated.

“Would you please?”

“No problem. Oh, Michael brought up some food for you. Are you hungry?”

“Not right now… I just want to sleep.”

Max kissed her cheek. “Not a problem. I’ll put the food in the refrigerator for later. Do you need anything before I leave?”

“No, I’m fine…”

“Okay but if you need anything or wake up, call either me or Kenya on our cell phones. If we don’t from you, I’ll be back within two hours to check up on you.”

“Okay…”

Placing a tender kiss on her forehead, Max stood up. “Are you sure you don’t need anything?”

“Positive…”

Closing the curtains, Max left the room quietly closing the door behind him leaving Liz to sleep.

And so the investigation begins...




Max & Liz’s penthouse: Two hours later…

Softly knocking on Liz’s bedroom door, Max quietly entered not sure if she was still asleep. There she lay staring up at the ceiling as if she were trying to piece together what happened. “You should have called…”

“I didn’t want bother you. Where’s Kenya?”

“She took a call on her cell and then left to go shopping with Pam figuring you’d want to sleep. Do you want to sit up?” Not waiting for an answer, he carefully helped her reposition her body before fluffing the pillows. “Better?”

“Much better… Thank you.”

Crossing the room, Max picked up the small stack of presents. Sitting on the edge of the bed he handed them to her along with the get-well cards that were on the night stand. “These were delivered for you while you were in the hospital…”

She smiled. “Thank you…” Card after card she opened reading the get well wishes from her friends and co-workers. Then it was onto the gifts which included everything from a first aid kit, scented lotions and candles to a journal and motivational book on healing. Removing the gift wrap from the last box, Max and Liz raised an eyebrow. The box was taped shut with packing tape. Someone had then written on the lid ‘Open in Private’.

“Okay… I’ll put that one aside for later.” Taking the gifts and cards from Liz, Max placed them all on a nearby chair. “Are you hungry? I can warm up the food Michael prepared for you…”

“Could you?”

“No problem. Lieutenant Porislukski from the Las Vegas PD called while you were sleeping. Why don’t you give him a call while I’m heating up the food?”

“I’ll do that…”

Handing Liz her cell phone, Max tenderly kissed her. “I’ll be back shortly.”
In the kitchen heating up Liz’s lunch, Max called Serena to check to see how she was doing. According to Serena, Lieutenant Porislukski was coming over to talk with her. She was also asked to do a walk through the wine cellar with him in an effort to piece together what happened. It was arranged for Isabel to be with her.

The doorbell buzzed. Not wanting to disturb Liz, he set the timer by the stove before hurrying into the foyer to answer the door. Looking through the peep hole, he groaned. There at the door stood Tess. What does she want? Unlocking the door, he opened it just as she was about to push the buzzer again. “Tess, what brings you here?”

Not waiting to be invited in, she slid past Max. Facing him, she caught his eye. “I thought you might be lonely and would maybe want some company…” she cooed brushing her voluptuous breasts up against him as she flirtatiously glided her fingers across his chest.

Catching her wrist, he pushed her hand away. “You need to stop.”

“Oh, but why… She’s not home. She’ll never know…”

Catching a glimpse of Liz gimping through the living room, Max smiled over Tess’s shoulder. Approaching the pair, Liz loudly cleared her throat. “Ahem… Never know what?”

Startled, Tess turned. “Oh, you’re home…”

“I am. And I was in bed waiting for my lunch until you showed up…”

“I’m surprised they released you having been hit on the head and all…”

Eyeing Liz, Max raised an eyebrow. How did Tess know about Liz being hit on the head? The only ones who knew about the head injury at the moment were Isabel, Serena, Kyle, Maria, Alex, Kenya and himself. Reading his mind, Liz wondered the same thing but said nothing. “Well, obviously they did…”
Following Serena’s directions, Lieutenant Porislukski approached the penthouse and noticed the door was open. It sounded like a conversation was heating up. Picking up the pace, he hurried to the door. There stood Max Evans talking with two women.

Raising a hand, he knocked on the door frame. The conversation ceased as heads turned. “Excuse me. Lieutenant Porislukski from the Las Vegas Police Department… I’m here to see Ms. Elizabeth Parker.”

Walking around Max and Tess, she greeted him. “Lieutenant Porislukski… Liz Parker. Thank you for coming on such short notice… You remember Max…”

“Hello again, Mr. Evans… And you are?” he asked looking over at Tess.

“Tess Harding…” she introduced herself shaking the lieutenant’s hand.

Remembering what both Max and Kenya said in their statements the previous day, he began to wonder. What’s she doing here? “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Harding…”

“Um… Why don’t we all come inside and sit in the living room,” Liz suggested. Gently taking Liz’s arm, Max helped her back into the living room with the lieutenant and Tess following close behind. Helping Liz get comfortable on a cushioned chair, he offered everyone drinks which Tess politely declined saying she was needed in the dressing room for costume fittings.

Silently, Liz raised a questioning eyebrow. Costume fitting my ass… Reading Liz’s mind, Max bit his tongue and said nothing. Instead, he took the drink order and stepped into the kitchen to get the beverages.

“What exactly is it that you do here at the Safe House, Ms. Harding?”

“Oh, I’m an adult entertainer in Club 69.”

“Interesting… I’ll have to stop by sometime to catch the show,” he lied.

“You do that…” Excusing herself, Tess walked into the kitchen where Max was pouring glasses of ice water.

“What’s he doing here?”

“The lieutenant…? He’s here to talk to Liz.” Why? Does it really matter?

“Oh, well in that case, I’ll be on my way. Stop by the dressing room later… I’ll show you the new costumes that were created for me.” Brushing her hands up across Max’s chest, she gave him a flirtatious peck on the cheek. “Until then…” Turning on her heel, she exited the kitchen and saying ‘goodbye’ to both Liz and the lieutenant, left to go about her business elsewhere.
Returning with the drinks, Max set the tray down on the coffee table before distributing them. “Did I miss anything?”

“Actually, I have a few questions Mr. Evans…”

“Okay…”

“Ms. Parker was just mentioning her and Ms. Harding are not on the best of terms. You mentioned yesterday when we talked at the station that you yourself were having issues as well. If that’s the case, I’m a bit confused as to why she was here earlier…”

Taking a sip of his cherry cola, Max looked over at Liz and sighed. “Assuming Liz was still in the hospital; Tess thought she’d stop by to ‘keep me company’ if you get my drift… I told her she needed to back off, but she wouldn’t listen. That’s when Liz walked into the foyer.”

Taking a small notepad and pen from his pocket, Lieutenant Porislukski made a few notes to reference later. “Ms. Harding mentioned she was an adult performer, which I’m assuming is another name for a stripper. Is a costume fitting really necessary for the skimpy costumes strippers tend to wear?”

Max thought for a minute. “All the ladies usually purchase their own costumes at specialty stores so all the garments are guaranteed to fit. Only on rare occasions do they ever ask someone to design something specifically for them, in which case a fitting would be necessary.”

“Thank you, Mr. Evans…” Jotting down a few notes, the lieutenant turned to Liz. “I know this may be difficult for you, Ms. Parker, but I’m going to need you to answer a few questions to the best of your ability… Then, if you’re up to it I’d like to take you on a walk-through of the wine cellar if that’s okay with you.”

“Would it be okay if Max comes with on the walk-through?”

“Only if Mr. Evans promises not to say anything unless asked a question…”

“I can do that.”

“Okay then…” Taking a sip of his water, the lieutenant continued. “Talking with Mrs. Valenti, it was mentioned you went into the basement with her so she could show you the wine cellar while loading bottles onto a cart to bring upstairs to replenish the bars. Is this correct?”

“It is…”

“While you were in the wine cellar, did Mrs. Valenti mention anything to you about the door?”

“Yes… I was told the door was one of the few original doors still used by the public and that the door had to be hooked and propped open when inside gathering wine bottles because the door locked from the outside.”

“So, if someone were to shut the door anyone inside would be trapped…”

“Correct…”

“About how much does the door weigh, Mr. Evans?”

“About 20-30 pounds… A large hook was on the outside of the door that hooked to the wall to hold the door open. For added safety, there’s a heavy box of old floor tiles that was placed in front of the door in case the hook gave way for some reason… We used the box of floor tiles because the box was so heavy that it’s almost impossible to pick up and move.”

“Thank you, Mr. Evans. While you were in the wine cellar, Ms. Parker did Mrs. Valenti mention anything to you about safety precautions?”

“She did… Nobody was supposed to be in the wine cellar alone. When leaving to go down to retrieve wine from the cellar, those going downstairs needed to report to someone that they were going and fill out a form with their names and approximately the time they left in case something happened. If after 30 minutes nobody returned with the wine, security was to be notified immediately.”

“Sounds like a good system. But, did Mrs. Valenti mention anything about safety precautions within the cellar?”

“She did… Each supply cart contains a flashlight along with extra batteries in case of a power outage or in case the door should happen to close. There’s also an emergency button by the entrance that can be pushed that trips an alarm in the security booth if the door should happen to close.”

“Another good system... However, it a situation like what happened, it would have also been beneficial to have emergency buttons on the walls throughout the cellar,” Lieutenant Porislukski mentioned to Max. “Now, I need you to think back to when you were in the cellar Ms. Parker… What happened while you were inside?”

“The door was propped when we entered. We were somewhere among the shelves when the lights went out and the door slammed… Reaching for the flashlight, Serena tried to turn it on but the batteries were dead and there were no extra batteries on the cart to be found…”

“So, what did you do then?”

“I grabbed onto the back of Serena’s shirt and followed her as she felt her way among the shelves towards the entrance…”

“And then you blacked out and fell…”

“Yes.”

“Do you have any idea what happened?”

“Only what I was told at the hospital which was that it appeared as if I was hit on the head by what the doctor’s thought was a wine bottle before falling to the ground and landing on shards of glass.”

“You mentioned glass on the ground. Do you have any idea how it got there?”

“Bottles fell off the shelf…”

“While you were locked in the cellar, the fire alarm went off. Did you collapse before or after the alarm sounded?”

“After… The fire alarm sounded. I panicked… The bottles fell off the shelf…”

“The bottles fell off the shelf. Did you or Mrs. Valenti bump them?”

“I don’t know…”

“Is it possible that there could have been someone else in the cellar with you and Mrs. Valenti that could have knocked the bottles off the shelf and hit you over the head?”

“I don’t know…”

“There are numerous passageways and secret rooms throughout the Safe House. Are there any known passageways that connect to the wine cellar Mr. Evans?”

“Not that we know of. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any. Looking at the original floor plans of the Safe House, we know there are still numerous passageways and rooms that have yet to be found. Because of this we bring in an excavation crew with a historian once every year to search for these.”

“Would it be possible to take a look at the original floor plans?”

“No problem. I’ll call Kyle and request to have him remove them from the archives.”

Just then, the lieutenant’s cell phone rang. He answered on the second ring. “Lieutenant Porislukski…” Listening intently, he made a quick note on his notepad. “… Yes, Ms. Parker and Mr. Evans will be doing a walk-through… Okay, I made a note of it…” Ending the call, he pocketed his cell phone.

“Sorry about that… That was Lieutenant Brombeck calling from downstairs in the basement. He’s searching the wine cellar and basement with his crew as we speak. Looks like they found something that may be of interest to you...” Taking another sip of his ice water, Lieutenant Porislukski continued. “But, before we head downstairs, I’d like to take a look at the original blue prints.”

“I’ll go call Kyle to request the blue prints… Will you need a wheel chair, Liz?”

Liz thought for a minute. “Probably… Can you send someone up with one of the ones on hand for visitors?”

“No problem…”

Sorry, guys... Not a real exciting chapter. But, I promise the next chapter will not only be funny, but an eye opener as well (so, be patient).

Max and Liz return to the cellar... Will Liz remember anything that will be beneficial to the case? What did Lieutenant Porislukski and his crew discover while searching the basement and the cellar? Will whatever it is shed a new light on the situation?

A few things to ponder: What ever happened to Sean Harrison? Is he still in prison? What about Jessica Sandsberg (Liz's former cleaning lady/Sean's half-sister)? Is she still in New York? And what about Tess Harding? She still works at the Safe House. Max is bound to fire her, but will that be enough to deter her from continuing to hit on him and harass Liz?




The Wine Cellar…

Riding the elevator into the basement, Lieutenant Porislukski stepped out followed by Max pushing Liz in the wheelchair. Greeting the officer standing by the entrance to the wine cellar, he introduced Max and Liz before leading them into the cellar.

“I know this is going to be hard on you, Ms. Parker but as we go through the cellar, I’m going to need you to tell us everything you remember about that day starting from the minute you and Mrs. Valenti walked through the door…”

“Um… Okay…” Max pushed Liz through the entrance and stopped. “I met Serena outside the cellar… She showed me which key opened the door before unlocking it. Then, turning on the inside light, she had me hold the door while she hooked it to the wall and propped it with the box of tiles…”

Noticing a box on the floor, the lieutenant pointed to it. “Is this the box of tiles?”

“Yes… Following Serena inside, she talked about the history of the cellar and explained about the door and protocol for stocking the before fetching a cart from a nearby corner…” Liz pointed over to where the other carts were lined up in a corner.

“So, Mrs. Valenti fetched a cart for the wine. Where did you go to fetch the wine?”

Slowly Max pushed Liz down the main aisle and suddenly stopped. “It was this aisle on the left… This is the aisle we started in. Serena said something about loading the cart in order… White, blush, red wines… According to her it went faster.”

Lieutenant Porislukski led the way down the aisle Liz pointed to. “So, you and Mrs. Valenti started stocking the cart with white wine…” Reaching the end of the aisle, he stopped. “Which way did you turn?”

“I don’t remember…”

“Okay… Let’s go this way…” Turning to the left, he led Max and Liz through a maze of shelves watching Liz’s body language and facial expressions.

“Stop… We turned up there…” Liz pointed two aisles up.

Leading the way, the lieutenant stopped outside the aisle. There scattered across the concrete floor among the puddles of wine were shards of various colors of glass and corks. The cart was tipped over. Liz’s body tensed up. This was it… This was where she collapsed. “So, this is where you collapsed…”

“Yes…”

“We’ll come back this way again, but first I want to show you something…” Walking around the inside perimeter of the cellar, the lieutenant stopped in front of what appeared to be the remnants of the cellar door. “This is what’s left of the door,” but this isn’t what I wanted to show you. “You mentioned earlier Mr. Evans that although there are no known passageways leading into the cellar, according to the original blue prints for the building there are several passageways that were never found…”

“Correct. We have an excavation team come out with a historian every year in the Fall to continue the search for the remaining passageways and hidden rooms…”

“Well… It looks like someone was doing a little excavating of their own because Lieutenant Brombeck found this passageway during our initial walk through of the cellar…” Taking ten steps forward, he stopped in front of what appeared to be a doorway.

“How did you find this? The wall is made of stone.” Max questioned.

“Shining a flashlight along the wall, a small hole was found. Tapping against the wall, the stones caved in revealing a hole large enough for someone to crawl through…”

“But where does it go to?” Liz asked remembering when Max explained about the tunnels, passageways and hidden rooms.

“Two of our guys crawled through and followed it up to an emergency stairwell that opens up to the first through fourth floors…” he explained. “When was the last time the excavation crew was here, Mr. Evans?”

Max thought for a minute. “About two months ago...”

“Do you know of any employees who know anyone on the excavation crew?”

“No…”

“Let’s go back to where the bottles fell…” Stopping in front of the taped off area in the aisle, the lieutenant stopped. “Is it possible that someone could have been hiding within the aisles waiting for you and Mrs. Valenti, Ms. Parker?”

“I guess…” Suddenly, it hit her. Tess… It had to be. If not, she was somehow involved in some other way. “You know what’s odd…”

The lieutenant turned facing Liz. “What?”

“Earlier today before you arrived, Tess made a comment about how she was surprised I was released from the hospital due to my head injury. I never said a word to her…”

“Neither did I,” Max added.

Taking out his notepad, Lieutenant Porislukski made a note to question Tess. “This concludes our walk-through. Let me just lead you out so you don’t run into any taped off areas.”

Leading Max and Liz back to the elevator, he stopped Max from pushing the button. "I can't tell you how to secure your building, but walking through the building I have some suggestions for you." Tearing out a page from his notepad, he handed it to Max. "You're security system is good, but I have a few ideas that could help prevent other incidents from happening within the building..."

Max scanned the list...

1) Secure the condos and penthouses by adding a mechanism to the elevators for key card only access to those floors.

2) Add emergency generator lights and push-buttons throughout the wine cellar in case of power outages.

3) Replace the wine cellar door with a door that can be unlocked from both sides.

4) Add more security cameras to all areas of the basement (including in the wine cellar and by the coolers).

5) Place security cameras (if none) in all the known hidden rooms, passageways and tunnels.

6) Add emergency generator lights & push-buttons (if none) in all hidden rooms, passageways and tunnels.

Folding up the list, Max handed it to Liz. "Thank you for the suggestions. Isabel and I will look into these."