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Once Upon a Lifetime – By Kazza Part
12 “There you are, for a minute I thought you’d forgotten.” Isabelle pounced as soon as he walked through the door. “Heaven forbid!” Max replied sarcastically. “Right,
now I need you to prepare the salad. The
duck is cooking and I’ll put the potatoes on in a moment.” “I told you, I like Sabrina and want you to make a good impression on her.” “Give it a rest Is, you’re starting to sound like a broken record.” Max replied, taking a knife from the rack and chopping the lettuce. “Right, now I’ve put what you’re going to wear on your bed already.” Isabelle said, ignoring his previous comment. “What?
Isabelle, firstly since when have you been my mother?
And secondly, for your information I’ve been able to choose my own
clothes since I was six.” Max
said, visibly agitated by his sister. “Fine! Whatever!” Max snapped, dropping the lettuce into a bowl and sauntering out of the kitchen before he said something he’d regret. True to her word, Isabelle had neatly laid out a pair of black chinos and a deep blue tight fitting shirt. Switching on his stereo, Max flicked through his CD collection to find something that would calm him down. Choosing a CD by Sarah McLaughlan, he put it on and pressed play, turning the volume up loud enough to annoy his sister. Laying back on his bed, Max though about the lovely day he’d just spent with Liz and he wondered what she had planned for them the following day. It was obvious she’d had something in mind when she’d asked to choose and he wished he could skip that evening and move straight on to Sunday afternoon. Isabelle was doing a great job of getting his back up with her constant interfering and he wondered when she’d decided to take it upon herself to become his mother? Hell even his real mother never went to the extreme of choosing his clothes! “Sabrina, hi, come on in.” Isabelle said warmly, encouraging the woman to come inside. “Thanks Isabelle.” Sabrina replied, kissing Isabelle’s cheek. “Here, let me take your coat. Have a seat, Max will be out in a minute.” Isabelle said smiling sweetly before heading in the direction of Max’s room. “Max, your guest has arrived.” “No Isabelle, she’s your guest.” “Whatever! Now will you please go out there and entertain her.” Isabelle glared. Reluctantly, he pushed passed his sister and entered the lounge. “Sabrina hi, how are you?” “I’m fine thank you Max.” Sabrina replied, standing up, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him hard on the lips. Her forwardness shocked Max, and as he removed himself from her grip, he walked back a few paces to put some distance between them. Isabelle had watched the whole episode from the doorway, smiling inwardly to herself, she answered the door to Brad before going into the lounge. She noted Max was sitting as far away from Sabrina as he possibly could, this made Isabelle frown. Max on the other hand wished he could move even further away from the man-eater, perhaps as far as the next state. He surveyed her attire and couldn’t help but drop his eyes to the floor amazement and disbelief. He’d thought her dress from the previous night was tacky enough, but her new outfit paled the other into insignificance. She wore a tight fitting, extremely short black leather skirt, coupled with a fitted white shirt that was practically see-through. Along with the mountains of make up, and black stiletto shoes, Max felt an overwhelming urge to turn and run out of his own house. He found himself wondering if it was Halloween and he just hadn’t noticed. “Ok, well if everyone’s ready, let’s eat.” Isabelle said, showing everyone into the kitchen. Max had to admit Isabelle had done a good job. The kitchen was totally spotless, not that it wasn’t normally like that. The kitchen table totally transformed with a white lace table cloth, silver cutlery, candles and flowers. Being the gentleman he was, Max reluctantly pulled the chair out for Sabrina, hoping to be able to sit opposite, rather than beside her. His plan was thwarted though, when he noticed Brad heading to the other side and sitting down. Giving up the fight, Max sat down in one of the spare seats, desperately hoping to get the meal over and done with. Isabelle had prepared salmon mousse with French toast for the starter, and as they all ate, light conversation was bounced around the room. Just before Isabelle served the main course of duck with roast and new potatoes, baby sweetcorn and baby carrots, the telephone ran. Jumping up quickly, Max excused himself to answer it, despite Isabelle’s shouts of ‘let the answer machine get it’. He was grateful for the space away from the caldron atmosphere of the kitchen, no matter what he did or said he felt like he was on trial in there. It had been Michael, and after chatting for a few minutes, Max knew he’d used up his full quota of Isabelle’s patience. Reluctantly ending their conversation, Max headed back to the kitchen as Isabelle put the food on the table. “Oh Isabelle, this looks simply amazing.” Sabrina said enthusiastically. “Oh it was nothing really.” Isabelle replied trying to look bashful. ”No really Is, you’ve done a great job.” Max said jumping just as he finished his sentence. “You ok Max?” Isabelle asked, noticing his flinch. “Erm….. Yeah.” He squeaked, before clearing his throat. “Yeah, I’m fine.” He replied, his eyes nearly bulging out of his sockets. What the others at the table couldn’t see, was just as he had begun to compliment Isabelle on her cooking, Sabrina had slipped her foot out of her shoe and began rubbing it against Max’s leg, lifting his trouser leg with her toes and brushing against his bare skin. Shifting slightly in his seat, Max tried to discretely move away from her, but of course, there was very little space for him to move into. Throughout the main course and then desert of chocolate cups filled with light strawberry mousse, Sabrina continued to caress Max’s leg, every so often moving higher, past his knee, until he’d stop her with his hand. Uncomfortable didn’t even begin to describe how Max was feeling by the end of the meal, he was almost livid. Angry at Sabrina for assuming he’d want that, and angry at Isabelle for inviting her over and putting him in the situation. Noticing the change in his demeanour, Isabelle sent them into the lounge while she and Brad made coffee and gave them some space. As before, Max tried to sit away from Sabrina, but already aware of his plan, she grabbed his arm as she sat down, making him stumble into the spare seat beside her on the sofa. Max sat rigidly beside her, not wanting to move in case she got the wrong impression. After a few minutes of silence, Max suddenly felt her hand creep up his back, jumping in surprise, he turned his back away from her, so that he was facing her. “No.” He thought, “I need to let her know I’m not interested. Let her down gently, don’t want to hurt her feelings.” He added, taking a deep breath. “Look Sabrina, you’re really nice ………” He started, but was quickly cut off in his stride when she scooted close to him and locked her lips on his. Putting his hands on her shoulders, Max tried to gently push her away, but it was to no avail as she threw one arm around his neck and used the other to run across his chest and then move down to the fly of his trousers. Feeling her hand there, Max suddenly snapped back to reality. Using more force than he wanted but having no choice, he put his hands on her shoulders again and pushed her hard away from him. Sabrina landed back in a heap on the sofa, as Max bolted out of his seat and stood up. “Look Sabrina, you’re a nice girl but I am not interested.” Max said firmly. “What? But you were with me last night, we danced, we kissed.” “No I wasn’t with you last night, you came over to me, you danced with me, you kissed me. I instigated none of it. I’m really sorry if this hurts you but I am just not interested in having a relationship with you.” “But, but I thought ……….” She trailed off, tears stinging her cheeks. “I’m sorry, I never meant to hurt you.” He said more softly, feeling awful that he’d made her cry, even though she had brought it all on herself. Max being the gentleman he was hated to see a women cry. “No, I love you.” She cried, getting up and throwing herself into his arms. “You don’t even know me.” He countered. “But I want to know you.” She replied, looking into his eyes and leaning in to kiss him once again. This time his guard was up, and as she leant forward Max took hold of her shoulders and took a step back. “Please Sabrina, don’t do this.” He insisted. “Fine!” She snapped, her tears stopping almost instantly. “Please get my coat, I wish to leave.” She ordered. Grateful that she did, Max found her coat in Isabelle’s room and brought it back to her. “Sabrina ……..” He started “Save it! Tell Isabelle thank you for the meal and I’m sorry for leaving so early.” She replied, opening the front door and running to her car. Closing the door behind her, Max turned around and leant his back against it. It had been a long night, and inside he was so glad it was finally over. Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath, trying to relax his very tense body. “Max! Where’s Sabrina?” Isabelle asked, bringing him back down to earth with a bump. “She’s gone.” He said bluntly, heading into the lounge and sitting down. “What do you mean, she’s gone?” Isabelle squealed. “Exactly that Is, I’m sorry but your newest attempt at matchmaking me with someone has failed.” Max replied, rubbing his face with his hands before looking up at his sister. “What did you do Max?” She asked pointedly. “Thanks Is, ever thought maybe it wasn’t me? No, I didn’t think so. Look she came on to me while you were in the kitchen, I told her I wasn’t interested and she didn’t like it.” “God
Max, can’t you even give her a try?” “I can’t Isabelle.” Max replied looking at his sister and suddenly feeling very drained of energy. It had been a very long evening, and all he really wanted to do was climb into bed. “Why
can’t you Max?” Isabelle
enquired. “Because what Max? Because you can’t stand her? Because you have another girlfriend? Because you love someone else? Because what?” Isabelle asked, looking back at her brother. As she said her words, the change in his face didn’t go unnoticed, neither did the silence and his lack of answers to her question. “Max?”
She asked again, narrowing her eyes.
“Do you love someone else?” She
probed. “No I won’t just drop it. Do you?” She insisted, grabbing his arm as he walked past her. “Ok,
yeah, maybe I do. Now if you
don’t mind I’m tired and I really want to just go to bed.”
He replied. “What’s his problem?” Brad asked, as Isabelle stood completely stunned in the doorway. “I
have no idea, but I am sure going to find out.
Max can’t expect to have a girlfriend and not tell me, it’s just not
right.” She insisted. “No Brad, I’ve got to clear up, maybe then I can work out who has managed to weave their magic spell on my brother.” She replied, pulling away from him and heading into the kitchen. Pulling the shirt up and over his head, Max tried to calm himself down by thinking about Liz. He was still fuming about what had happened that night, and more importantly the fact he’d let slip to Isabelle that he cared about someone. He silently scolded himself for not keeping his guard up. The last thing he wanted was Isabelle snooping around trying to find out about him and Liz. “Liz, ah yeah sweet Liz.” He thought to himself, “I wonder what she’s preparing tomorrow.” He added. He knew no matter what, just being with her would make everything perfect. He’d only been away for a few hours, but it seemed like an eternity to him. He wished he could pull her into his arms and hold her tightly, taking in deep breaths of her familiar sweet smell. For a few moments he considered calling Liz, just to see how she was, knowing just the sound of her voice would have a calming effect. But then the thought that Isabelle could be listening in on his conversation deterred him. No, he’d just have to wait till tomorrow. Lying down on his bed, Max placed his hands behind his head and closed his eyes, allowing beautiful images of Liz fill his head as he drifted into his dream world.
PART 13 It was a little after 10.00 am on Sunday morning, but Liz had been up for nearly three hours. Slamming the oven door with her foot, Liz placed the tray of steaming hot peanut butter cookies down on the counter top. The smell of baking wafted around the kitchen making her house feel very homely. Using a spatula to lift the cookies onto a wire tray, Liz prayed she’d made enough food. She’d been up for nearly all of the three hours baking various foods. She’d racked her brains all the previous afternoon trying to think about what she and Max could do that afternoon. In the end she’d come up with something fairly simple. They were going to go on a picnic to a local reservation she knew of about twenty miles outside the town. It was a place that held some good memories for Liz, memories of very rare happy times with her parents. She’d never been there with anyone, especially not a guy, the place often got her emotional when she thought about what could have been. But for some reason she felt an overwhelming urge to take Max there, to show him a part of her that she’d never let anyone see before. Sighing, she placed the cooling cookies into a airtight plastic box and then added them to the growing pile of food in the picnic hamper. She’d prepared nearly everything she could think of, freshly baked bread for the sandwiches, pots of home made potato salad and coleslaw, plenty of salad, chips, and of course some cakes and cookies. She hoped that in amongst all she’d prepared there would be enough food that Max would like. It had suddenly dawned on her the previous afternoon after he’d left that she didn’t know what he ate, or whether there were particular foods he hated. She had panicked at first, wanting the day to be perfect, so instead she’d prepared everything she could think of. When he awoke the following morning, Max was grateful that Isabelle was still fast asleep. He had a feeling she wasn’t going to let their conversation the previous night drop easily, and he didn’t fancy another grilling from his lawyer sister. After grabbing a quick shower, Max headed off to his parents house, ten minutes drive away. He’d forgotten to tell his mother he wouldn’t be round for Sunday dinner, and felt guilty about just calling her. So he’d decided to tell her in person, besides it meant he wouldn’t bump into Isabelle till much later. “Max, what a nice surprise.” Diane said opening the door to her son. “Hi mum.” He said hugging her. “Son.” His father said looking up from his Sunday paper. “Hi dad.” Max replied. “You’re a bit early for dinner Max.” His mother joked, pouring her son a cup of black coffee and handing it to him. “Yeah, erm that’s pretty much why I’m here mum. Look I’m really sorry about the short notice, but I won’t be coming to dinner today.” Max replied, taking a mouthful of the hot coffee and feeling the liquid scorch his throat as he swallowed it. “Oh right, ok.” His mother replied hesitantly. “I’m really sorry about not telling you earlier, but I only arranged it yesterday, and Isabelle collared me into one of her little dinner parties last night. I just didn’t get the chance to call you.” Max said, feeling awful at putting his mother out. “Relax Max, it’s ok. Are you doing anything nice?” She asked casually. “Erm, well, I’m just going out with a friend.” “A friend huh? Anyone we know Max? Male or female? Is it a close friend?” His father probed. “Philip!” Diane lectured. She’d seen the look on Max’s face as her husband had gently quizzed him. Mother’s intuition suggested it was most certainly a good friend, and she’d hazard a guess that the friend was definitely female. “Why don’t you help me hang the washing out Max.” She asked, hoping he’d join her. “Erm, yeah sure mum.” Max replied like the dutiful son. Following her out to the garden, Max had an idea as to why his mother wanted help. “Just ignore your father Max, you know what he’s like. He just doesn’t like to miss the opportunity of cross examining anyone.” She replied taking a pillowcase and clipping it to the washing line. “Yeah I know.” Max replied following his mother’s lead and clipping up another article of washing. “I’m not going to push you into telling me anything you don’t want to Max, but I’m here if you need me.” Diane added softly. “Thanks mum, but I think I’m ok right now.” He replied, “You sure there’s nothing else you wanna ask me?” He added seeing his mother’s face and sensing her need to probe into his life and feel a part of it. “Ok yeah there is. Tell me to mind my own business if you don’t want to talk about it, I was just curious though, is it a she you’re going out with today?” “Ok, yeah, it’s a she. But that’s all the information I’m gonna tell you right now. She’s really nice and I’d rather get to know her more before I subject her to the grilling you, dad and especially Isabelle will give her.” He replied. “Oh Max, we’re not that bad!” Diane complained. “Mum, you’re all lawyers; you are that bad!” Max replied smiling as his mother laughed. Realising she’d probed enough, Diane let the subject die, all the while sensing a change in her son. A welcome change though, he seemed relax, happy, definitely a change for the good. Just before 12.00, Max arrived at Liz’s door. Ringing the bell, he wondered what the afternoon would have in store, knowing that if Liz was with him he’d do anything. “Hi.” She said opening the door and beckoning him inside. “Hi.” He said softly, unable to resist pulling her into his arms and kissing her softly. “I missed you.” He breathed when they came up for air. “Me to.” She replied smiling shyly. “So, where are we off to then?” He asked, spying the wicker basket behind her that looked like it was ready to burst. “Well, I though it might be nice to have a picnic, seeing as it’s a nice day and all.” She said slightly hesitantly. “Sounds great, shall we go?” “Yeah, let’s.” She replied, picking up her keys as Max grabbed the basket. Inside half an hour they entered the car park of the reserve. All around them they were surrounded by trees and bushes, the peace encasing the reserve very evident. “Gosh, I haven’t been here for years.” Max said as they climbed out the car. “Yeah
I know that one. I just thought it
might be something nice to do, you know, something different.” Going on instincts, Liz guided them to a deserted area right by a quiet lake that was shaded by large oak trees. It was the place she’d always come with her parents, it was so peaceful, so quiet and tranquil, Liz loved it. It was off the beaten track of the normal tourist area, thus securing privacy for the duration of their afternoon. Placing the basket on the ground, Liz reached in and grabbed the rug and laid it out before starting to remove the food and placing it on the rug. “Wow Liz this is amazing. I feel really guilty that I didn’t bring or do anything.” Max said sitting down. “Just being here is plenty Max.” She replied quietly before sitting next to him. After uncorking the bottle of chilled white wine, Max poured them a glass each, before pulling Liz into his arms. He didn’t want her any further away from him than absolutely necessary that afternoon. Kissing the top of her head before taking a sip of the wine, Max took in the beautiful scenery. If he hadn’t of known better he would have thought he was miles away from any civilisation, it really was a beautiful, surreal place. “Let’s eat, I’m starving.” Liz announced, sitting up and reaching for a plate for each them. “This looks really wonderful, did you make it all?” He asked, taking a bite out of the homemade bread. “Yeah, I’ve been up since 7.00am baking, but I think it was worth it.” “You shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble Liz, really, I’m not worth it.” He replied sincerely. “That’s
a matter of opinion Mr Evans.” She
replied playfully. “You are worth
it.” She thought to herself. “Mmm, quite possibly.” She replied as he looked at her through smouldering eyes. Taking a gulp of his wine, Max tried to regain his composure. Damm she’d hardly said anything yet he was already getting hot under the collar. She was certainly in a playful mood, something that managed to get his heart racing just thinking about her. “If she knew where my mind was drifting to she’d probably be shocked.” He thought to himself, as he willed his body back under control. Once most of the lovely food had been devoured, Max laid back out on the rug and looked up at the trees. Liz laid her head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her, gently listening to the calming sound of his heartbeat. She closed her eyes for a few seconds and took in the feel of the moment. Here she was, lying on the ground, wrapped in the arms of a wonderful man, her boss no less, to Liz it was more like a dream. Any moment, she thought, the wonderful bubble that was encapsulating them would burst. All in all it added another memory to the peaceful place they were at. She thought about her parents as she laid there, thinking about what could have been, what should have been, and she found herself wondering what they would have made of Max. “What are you thinking about babe?” He asked softly, lifting his head slightly so he could see part of her angel face. “Mmm, just things, you and me, my parents, when I was here last.” She replied with a dreamy tone to her voice. “When
was the last time you were here?” He
asked, sitting up and pulling her back into his arms so he could see her face
fully. “Are you not close to your parents now?” He probed gently. It suddenly dawned on him that he knew nothing about her private life. About her parents, whether she had any siblings, or why she lived alone. All he knew really was what had been detailed on her résumé, and that hadn’t given away very much at all. “Something like that.” She replied uneasily. This was one road she didn’t want to go down just yet. “It’s ok Liz, you don’t have to talk about it.” He replied, feeling her body tense up as she talked. “Thanks.” She replied, burring her head in his chest. Wrapping both arms around her tiny body, Max held her tight in an attempt to help her through whatever demons she was struggling with inside. He could tell there were obviously some painful memories hidden inside the wonderful place they were at, memories she didn’t seem ready to face just yet. “We could go if you want to?” He offered, wanting her to feel comfortable and happy again. “No, I just want to stay here with you.” She replied, lifting her head and blinking away the tears in her eyes. Moving her body closer to his, Liz gently brushed her lips against his before pulling away slightly. An electric shock ran through both their veins as they connected, urging them closer once again. Placing his hand behind her head, Max pulled her close again and returned her gentle kiss with a more passionate one. Her body quickly relaxed into his arms, feeling the passion of his lips swell her body. Responding to his kiss, she slowly allowed her lips to part, accepting eagerly his tongue that wanted to delve into the deepest crevices of her sweet mouth. As his tongue touched the soft flesh inside her cheek, Max concentrated only on the buzz he got when he kissed the beauty in his arms. It was the first time he’d kissed her so recklessly and full of passion, his self-control dwindling for the length of the kiss. When they eventually broke free, they both took in raged breaths, desperately needing the vital oxygen to calm their raging heartbeats. As he brushed her hair away from her face, he saw the flushed colour in her cheeks and dreamy look in her eyes. She felt her head spinning as she closed her eyes for a few moments, grateful that she wasn’t standing up. Clinging tightly to the arms that were encasing her, Liz opened her eyes to find him looking back at her, his dark smoky eyes taking in every part of her face. Lifting her hand, she stroked his cheek before running her little finger over his soft lips. As she did, he felt his lips part a little and his tongue briefly touch the soft pad of her finger. A little gasp escaped from her lips as she felt the touch of his tongue, then again when he reached up and pulled away her hand. Laying her back out on the rug, Max laid beside her and leant in towards her body. He ran his hand down the side of her body as they kissed passionately, seeking out the curve of her hip. The touch of his hand on her body made her skin feel red-hot. Although she was enjoying every moment of what she was feeling, the memories of what had happened when Robin had touched her rushed through her mind. She remembered how it had started with an innocent kiss, but escalated very quickly into something she didn’t want and it scared her. The urge to pull away was too great, she had to break away. Sitting up, she scooted away from Max slightly. “Liz? What’s wrong?” He asked, sitting up and placing a tentative hand on her shoulder. “It’s nothing, I’m sorry.” She replied quietly. “Please Liz, it is something, talk to me.” “It’s just ………… I can’t help remembering last time, you know, I was with someone. What happened …………” She trailed off, unable to look him in the eyes. “Liz, listen to me.” He said firmly, turning her head to face him. “What he did to you was totally out of order, but not all men are like that. I can promise you that there is no way I’d ever do anything like that to you. I care too much for you. Nothing more is gonna happen today, and nothing more will happen until you want it to. I’ll wait as long as it takes …………. I’ll wait forever.” He added, saying the last part softly. “What did I do to deserve someone like you Max?” She asked, blinking away tears in her eyes. “I wonder the same thing about you Liz.” He replied, cradling her face in his hands before kissing her forehead. Laying down on the rug once again, Liz snuggling up in his arms, relaxing her body to enjoy the feeling of security once again. The young couple stayed there together for well over an hour, soaking up the feeling of being immensely happy and free. When the afternoon eventually came to an end, they were both very disappointed. It had been a simple afternoon, just the picnic, beautiful surroundings and each other, but it had been perfect. “So, erm …….. I guess I’ll, erm, see you tomorrow.” Liz said as he walked her to her front door. “Tomorrow, yeah.” He replied smiling. “Erm Liz, look I really care about you, but you do understand why I want to keep us secret from the others in the office don’t you? I mean, I don’t want to offend you, or make you think I don’t value what we have.” “Of course I understand Max, I have no desire to be the talk of the office! Please, don’t worry about it, I certainly don’t think you’re trivialising what we have. To be honest I want to take things slowly, my track record with men isn’t exactly pretty, I’d like some time to really get to know you before everyone analyses what we have. I won’t pretend it will be easy though, but I’ll certainly try to act normal.” “Mmm, I know what you mean. It’ll be hard not to want to pull you in to my arms each time I see you!” He replied grinning widely, before kissing her, as if to prove his point. “Right then, I’ll see you tomorrow.” “Yeah, tomorrow, bright and breezy with my morning cup of coffee.” “Of
course, although I might want payment for it from now on.”
She replied teasingly. “Till tomorrow Liz.” He whispered as she shut her door. Walking back to his car, Max couldn’t help but smile. Liz just seemed to have that effect on him. Whenever she was around her enthusiasm for life was so infectious and always rubbed off on him. As he drove home, he found himself thinking back to how sad she had been for a few minutes at the reservation. He knew it had something to do with her parents, there was obviously something there she didn’t want to talk about. He certainly wasn’t about to push it, but he couldn’t help but wonder. She’d been so sad with tears in her eyes, he’d wanted to comfort her but she just wasn’t ready to open up. “Well, when she is, I’ll be waiting right here for her.” He said starting the engine and pulling away.
Closing her eyes, Liz drifted off to sleep, all the while dreaming about the picnic and how wonderful the day had been. It had been a long time since she’d had happiness in her life and it made her heart smile. With everything she’d been through in her short life, she deserved a good man to take care of her. Max too dreamed about the new woman in his life. For a long time he’d hoped he’d meet his dream girl and he knew he’d found her without even trying. No matter what anyone would say about them being boss and secretary, he was determined not to let her go.
TBC ........................!
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