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Something to Believe in PART 5 “Morning Is. Have you got the hire car sorted yet?” Max asked, striding into the office the following morning. “Yes Max, it’ll be here just after 9.30am.” His sister dutifully replied, handing him a already growing pile of messages. “Good.” He replied, taking the messages and heading into the private sanctuary his office gave him. He was most certainly pleased with the news about the hire car. He didn’t fancy having to get cabs any longer. It had been two days since the accident and he was already missing the freedom his car gave him. He was used to being in control, used to being able to come and go as he pleased, and that wasn’t something he could do easily when relying on cabs. Taking off his black pinstriped blazer, Max hung it up before putting down the pile of sticky notes from his sister and sitting down at his desk. Pushing the messages to one side, Max decided they’d wait, he had no desire to play dutiful boss of the company that morning. His office was the perfect haven to work for Max. His desk was a large teak table, his chair black leather with chrome trimmings. Assorting his desk were trays, a pencil holder, business car holder and various other artefacts all in shiny silver metal. It was a somewhat clinical room, fresh and clean, but just the right atmosphere for Max to keep his head level and uncluttered. Two paintings donned his walls, the only ‘personal’ items in the room. One was a black and white picture of a mother delicately cradling her newborn child, gazing lovingly into the baby’s eyes. The other was of a young woman standing on the edge of a cliff, staring out to an emotional sea. You could only see the back of the woman, but an immense feeling of loneliness poured from the exquisite painting. It was a painting that had caught his eye during an early business deal a few years previously in Paris. The simpleness, yet powerful message had caught him instantly. He liked the idea of a young woman, a damsel in distress, needing, waiting for a knight in shining armour to ride in and whisk her away to a sunset paradise. And oh how he longed to be a knight to a woman one day. Certainly the many women who had flittered in and out of his life in recent years would have eagerly played the role of damsel. Yet they didn’t seem worthy of his efforts, in Max’s opinion. He wanted to save a fair maiden who didn’t believe she needed saving, he wanted to be a true knight, not a false one. They certainly weren’t paintings most people would associate with the tough businessman Max Evans was. But then again there weren’t many people who truly knew the real him, the real man behind the power suits he normally adorned. He’d long since realised the only way to succeed in the ruthless world of business was to pretend. Being yourself only served to show your enemies your weaknesses and that just couldn’t be done. Max was well tuned into seeking out flaws and weaknesses in opponents, and on more than one occasion he’d used it to his advantage. Showing business colleagues a human side just couldn’t be allowed. Booting up his computer, he accessed his diary to find out what meetings he had planned. One in particular caught his eye. He had a 3.00pm appointment with Liz Parker, now that was going to be interesting he thought to himself. He hadn’t seen her in two days, since their run in, and something inside made him feel happy at the thought of meeting again. He couldn’t put his finger on why, perhaps because he enjoyed her challenge, the fight she always seemed to put up. He liked and relished the idea of going another round with his spitfire. Watching the clock, Liz felt a bubble of nerves rise in her stomach. It was five to three and she had a clear sense of dread. Never before had she got nerves prior to a meeting, especially when she was in the chair, the driving seat, but somehow this was different. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him since he’d strode out of her office a few days earlier. His eyes had indelibly printed themselves on her brain, his soft sultry voice carved into her delicate stone heart. Liz had gone to great lengths to forget about Max Evans, but they were all to no avail. For each time she closed her eyes to slip into the quiet world of dreams, he came to haunt her with vengeance. His face was in every twist and turn of her dreams; his dulcet tones constantly rang through her ears like sweet, torturous music. In her consciousness she could take control, but in the peacefulness of her slumbers, she couldn’t determine where her brain would take her. And since their meeting, her brain would invariably take her to him. Something told Liz she’d need every bit of her professionalism and ability to hide her true feelings, otherwise the delectable Max Evans would see through her charade as clear as transparent glass. The loud, shrill ring of Maria’s telephone made Liz jump, shocking her back down to earth with an unceremonious bump. “Liz, Max Evans is here for your 3.00pm meeting.” Maria called to her boss. “Can you bring him up for me Maria, we’re going to be in the board room.” Liz said, walking out of her office. He was prompt as always, she thought, part of her wishing he’d lost his way enroute or something. “Sure no problem.” Maria replied, standing up. “Oh, and just give me a few moments to freshen up first will you. Don’t want Mr Evans to think I’m eager for our meeting do we. It might do him good to be kept waiting.” Liz added, also needing and wanting a few extra precious moments to compose herself. “You’re the boss.” Maria added quirkily, sensing her boss was flustered about the meeting. Or perhaps it wasn’t the meeting, more the person she was going to share the appointment with, Maria thought as she went down to greet Max five minutes later. He was most certainly a good-looking guy. He had a presence about him, powerful, business like, and a bravado that smacked money. Showing him up to the boardroom, Maria could understand why Liz would get flustered having to attend a meeting with him. Maria was sure if she’d had to be in the same meeting, she wouldn’t be able to keep her eyes of Max Evans. “Liz.” Max said, heading into the room and offering his hand in a professional business manner. “Max.” She acknowledged, shaking his hand but not looking him in the eyes. Making eye contact too soon would be a big mistake, she knew that. She wasn’t certain she’d be able to keep hold of her emotions, and Liz was sure if she looked him in the eyes her secret would be revealed in spectacular fashion. “So, are we ready to get down to work?” He queried, staring at her as he slipped off his jacket so that he felt more relaxed. For some reason the room felt mightily hot to him suddenly. Slipping his finger around the collar of his crisp white shirt, Max tried to regain control of his body temperature. Was it just him, or was anyone else hot in the room, he couldn’t help but think.
“Of course.” She replied firmly, trying to assert herself in the meeting. Taking a deep breath, Liz followed Max’s lead and shed herself of the burgundy red blazer jacket that had suddenly become remarkably restricting. Adjusting her cream silk blouse, Liz tried to get more comfortable. She made a mental note to remind maintenance to up the level of the air conditioning in the boardroom; it certainly was hot in there. If she carried on like she was, Max would guess something was wrong, and start asking questions, and she couldn’t let that happen, Liz thought. “Ok, let’s start with the work I’ve done since Monday.” She said, pushing a wire into the back of her laptop and booting it up. Taking charge, she powered into territory she knew well, safe terrain that was the business deal. “ ……… and so I thought if we attacked it from this angle it would give us a stronger platform in case anyone finds out about the take-over before the deal is completed.” She said, glancing at him for the first time since starting her speech nearly 30 minutes earlier. “Yes, that could have potential I think. I would say though, for complete confidentiality, we create a small team of trusted people. That way there should be no leaks, just people we trust working together.”
“I am sure you believe that Liz, but not all staff are reliable. In my experience, it is someone with something to gain who will inform the opposition, and that’s normally someone on the inside. I’m just saying we should cover all bases before approaching the Andersen’s. We both have a lot at stake with this deal, and I don’t want our reputations to be dented if anything went wrong.” He replied, trying to pacify the rising anger he could sense in her body. “Fine! Who are you suggesting?” She relented reluctantly. “Well, I’d like to bring my partner, Michael Guerin into the proceedings, and my secretary Isabelle. They are people I would trust my life with; I know they can be discrete.” “Fine, but I want my secretary Maria on board too, and my second, Alex Whitman.” Liz replied, standing firm. If he wanted two of his people on board, then she could certainly match him. There was no way she was going to allow Max to sway the balance of power back towards himself by outnumbering her staff with his. “Then I think we have ourselves a deal Liz. How about we pencil in a meeting with Michael and your colleague Alex Whitman for tomorrow, say 10.00am? That will give us time to get them up to speed.” He said. “Well we’d better make sure we’ve finalised the plan first then.” Liz shot back somewhat sarcastically, knowing she wanted to be fully briefed before introducing more people to the proceedings. Being unprepared made you look unprofessional, and that was one of Liz’s major pet hates. As their meeting continued, both kept up a strong professional front, neither wanting the other to know how they were feeling. Cagey fronts, stolen glances, and only professional words were passed between them. It was clearly purely business that flowed between them, with just a hint of undercurrent attraction that neither would admit to. As the clock creped towards 6.30pm, Max couldn’t help but glance up at it. He had an important engagement that evening, and he wanted to look his best for it. He needed time to finish up, dash home and shower before meeting his ‘date’ at 8.00pm. Subconsciously, he hoped his meeting with Liz wouldn’t run too much further. He desperately wanted to ask her how much longer they were going to work, but that would have been terribly unprofessional. Liz seemed eager to iron out every minute detail that afternoon, much to Max’s hidden dismay. “Eager to get out of here are we Max?” She enquired, watching him stare at his watch for the sixth time in ten minutes. It was plainly obvious he was clockwatching, his mind clearly elsewhere. Another of Liz’s pet hates, people not paying attention weren’t worth waiting time over. “Actually I do have another engagement to go to.” He admitted to her, somewhat reluctantly. “Really? Anywhere nice?” She enquired casually, but in truth keen to know what would distract him from business. She found herself wanting to know more about the man, the real Max Evans, not the businessman. Liz knew if she could find out more about his personal life she could uncover the real him. Perhaps then she’d find he wasn’t the saint and god her heart seemed set he was. If she could dig up some dirt maybe her mind would become more powerful in its struggle against her emotions. “I have a dinner engagement with Imogen Miles.” He replied casually, looking towards Liz. “Imogen Miles, really?” Liz replied, trying to cover up the surprise written all over her face. And surprised she most certainly was, not that Max was off on a dinner date, more surprised at the person he was dating. Liz was sure Max could attract many attractive women, but Imogen Miles was so much more than just attractive.
“Then
you’d better get going.” She replied, starting to hastily pack away her things.
“I wouldn’t want to be the reason for your late arrival for Ms Miles.
I suspect she wouldn’t take too kindly to being held up and made to
wait." “It’s no problem, I’ll finish it.” She replied firmly, suddenly needing to get out of the boiling pot of a boardroom. “Ok then.” He replied, not wanting to sway her. Standing up and grabbing his jacket from the chair next to him, Max glanced up in Liz’s direction. He wasn’t sure if she knew it, but her emotions were painted all over her face. There was an element of surprise, perhaps a little shock, but most certainly a strong hint of jealously decorating her sparkling brown doe eyes. Max was certain it wasn’t aimed towards Ms Miles, or at least not directly. No, it was more likely aimed in his direction and he struggled to stifle a smile that threatened to light up his face. The thought of the fierce Liz Parker jealous of someone he was going to dinner with made him smile. Perhaps he had made an impression on her then, he thought. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow then?” He queried, watching the vacant look spread over her pretty face. “Erm …… sure, bye Max.” Stepping into the elevator, Max registered the warm glow that was filling his stomach. Although he was having dinner with a stunningly beautiful woman, it felt nice to see pangs of envy radiating from Liz Parker. Making her feel jealous gave him an intriguingly strong feeling of power. It wasn’t that he meant to hurt her in any way, more that he was pleased his Evans charm was obviously having an effect on the young woman who seemed to set on keeping things purely business. After watching him step out of the room, Liz placed her elbows on the shiny boardroom table, and then rested her forehead on upturned palms. Taking a deep breath in she held it for a moment before letting it exhale quickly out of her lungs, all the while trying to regain control of her emotions. She wasn’t used to being out of control, Liz was used to being a strong stonewall, but Max had successfully blown that wall to bits without even trying. He was having dinner with Imogen Miles? Well that just settled it, Liz was sure she had no chance with Max now. There was no way she could compete against the stunning young woman who Liz assumed was her main competition for Max Evans’ affection. Liz recalled Max had been pictured with Imogen a few months previously, at some movie awards. Perhaps they were an item, perhaps, Liz thought, she was kidding herself that she’d even have a remote chance with Max Evans. It was clear he could have the pick of the bunch, and he obviously picked supermodels. Imogen Miles was a famous long legged blond bombshell, a stunning model and a nice person to boot. Liz was certain she didn’t have a patch on Imogen; Liz was sure she wasn’t even in the same league, let alone ballpark as the star. Imogen was the face of ‘Rimbeline’, a top make up and beauty company. Her contract ensured Imogen’s face was on nearly all the billboards and magazines in the country. A famous person who could attract the most handsome men around at the bat of a perfectly formed eyelid. And Max was certainly that, a handsome man, Liz allowed herself to admit. She wondered for a moment what he’d do if he knew the sort of thoughts she’d had about him. For the previous two nights he’d visited her dreams, and vividly steamy encounters they most certainly had been. Liz hazarded a guess that he wouldn’t think her professional if he knew how she imagined him with very little on. Liz was most certainly in turmoil. In just a few days Max Evans had breezed into her life and blown away the very foundations of who she was. Before him her career was the most important thing to her, love had no place in the mind of Liz Parker. She’d believed no one could ever detract her from business; she controlled her heart, not the other way round. But he’d succeeded in blowing that theory right out of the window, and he didn’t even realised he’d done anything. The force of which had gusted Liz away was so great, too great for her. The feelings flooding her body every time she thought about Max were very strong, yet she barely knew the man. Her heart was running away with her body, and her mind barely had a word to say about it. The very person she consisted of was crumbling, cracking a little bit more each time she saw Max Evans, and she didn’t like it one little bit. Regaining control was her main aim, that and forgetting all about Max Evans and his instant affect he had on her heart. Right then, Liz couldn’t wait to get the Andersen project sewn up and completed. Then she could go back to being herself, the ruthless businesswoman with no ties, and wipe the images of the sultry Max Evans clear from her mind once and for all. He was sitting across the table from one of the most beautifully stunning women in the world, something most men would give their right arm or perhaps a little bit more for ……… and Max was, quite simply, ………… bored! There was no other word for it, he was completely uninterested. His ‘date’ for the want of a better word, with Imogen Miles had been something he had been looking forward to for quite a while, but things weren’t going as he had planned them. Securing a dinner date with the supermodel had been tough due to their hectic schedules, but Imogen had been keen to squeeze it in. She liked Max, and knew he’d look good on her arm at the various functions she was required to attend. Getting to know him, and snagging him, as she hoped, was her main aim. She was pictured in the magazines as much as Max seemed to be. They were both young, single and successful, the perfect recipe for magazine articles and paparazzi interviews. Imogen was beautiful to photograph, the sort of person who could pull a passer-by into purchasing the magazine just to look in awe at her beauty. And Max too, according to the press, had the same magnetic pull, although he didn’t believe in it like Imogen did. It was clear, from the moment you met Imogen, that she enjoyed the attention she got, and definitely knew she was strikingly pretty. She was beautiful; Max was the first to admit that. Her figure was better than perfect, not an ounce of fat, her hair long and a naturally glossy blond, or at least that’s what she told people. No matter what she wore she looked stunning, her make up always flawless, she was permanently prepared for the photographers no matter where she went. At first Max couldn’t put his finger on what the problem was with their date. Imogen was nice enough, a little too much of an ‘airhead’ for his liking, but extremely pleasing to the eye. The conversation was light and away from business, something Max was grateful for, he didn’t need any reminders about the certain someone he’d left stunned in her boardroom. He had little in common with Imogen, but normally that didn’t matter. There weren’t too many beautiful women who could hold a strong conversation with him, one in which he was genuinely interested, rather than politely listening. And that was all he really did with Imogen, politely listened as she rattled on about her agent and the potential new movie that was coming her way. None of it really interested Max, but then again he was at a loss what they could talk about without the other getting bored. They were so completely different; their good looks the only similarity. It wasn’t until Imogen excused herself to go to the ladies room to ‘powder her nose’ that Max started thinking. It was very obvious, once he gave the matter a minor millisecond of thought, what the problem was. His mind was on someone else; his heart desired a very different person sitting opposite him at the swank dinner table that replicated a romantic candlelit meal for two. He desired someone who was passionate, someone who genuinely enjoyed her work, rather than someone who was superficial, beauty only skin deep. The fiery angel who had crashed into his life only a few days earlier had taken a strong grip on his normally granite heart. In the past he’d always chosen who he fell for, but Liz was something completely different. His heart had been taken hostage the very moment he’d set eyes on Liz, and his desire for her was undeniably very strong. His heart was clearly ruling his body, something that rarely happened with Max Evans. But no matter what the underlying message from his heart was, his head was screaming louder, to make him see reason. His mind cried out that he was a businessman; this was business, nothing more. Never before had he even remotely considered mixing business with pleasure. All smart people knew crossing that boundary was just a recipe for disaster. His emotions may be in turmoil because of the scorching spitfire, but that didn’t give him a right to wreck the business deal. He had a reputation to protect, not to mention the problems and headaches that would rear if things turned nasty with him and Liz. Following his desires was one thing, but wrecking a business deal over a moment of passion was completely out of the question. By the time Imogen returned, Max had decided to throw himself into making amends for his distance and lack of attention during the first hour of their dinner. His head screamed out that he would be mad to pass up such an opportunity with the supermodel. Yet no matter what he did, or what he thought about, his heart continued to beat the steady rhythm of the angel who held it in delicately her hands. Despite his best efforts, at the end of the night, he couldn’t deny who he desperately longed to hold close in his arms for the rest of eternity.
PART 6
As they sat in the reception area of the large building, Michael looked around casually. It was an impressive building, and the front lobby was very striking. White marble pillars marked the entrance, along with thirty black granite steps and two large sets of swing doors. Large black leather sofas were positioned in squares of four, with various plants and rugs scattered around. The marble feature of the outside was reciprocated inside, with the floors in the shiny cream stone. A bank of three receptionists occupied the large reception desk, stopping any unauthorised people. At the far end of the impressive lobby there was a large door and two sets of lifts opposite each other along the corridor. People busied past Michael and Max as they waited patiently. At that moment, Michael still couldn’t understand why Max had requested his presence. They’d never worked on a project together before, and Michael wasn’t certain it was a good idea. They were two completely different people, which, when working separately worked well, but joining forces spelt disaster. But Max had been rather cagey and hazy about the details of the project, saying it was important and one that would reap in vast amounts for Evans Consulting “Tell me again why I’m here Maxwell.” Michael said lazily, lounging back into the sofa, making himself comfortable. “Because I think this project needs both our input.” Max replied. “What? Don’t think you’re up to the job?” He whipped back, joking with his friend. “Nope, just think that two heads are better than one.” Max shot back at him, as he saw the large door at the end of the corridor swing open. The clicking sound of heals on marble reverberated around the large lobby area, making several people turn and look. Max was one of them, and seeing a familiar face, he gathered his briefcase and stood up. Still languishing on the sofa, Michael waited for the clicking sound to pull up in front of him and finally cease. Racking his eyes from the shiny black shoes upwards he took in the lady blocking his view. She had shapely legs, he noted, he liked that in a woman. The black skirt was quite short, showing plenty of thigh, another plus point he noted. Then he moved up to take in the cerise pink blouse that clung to her upper body, hiding the bust he could tell was under there. Her squared shoulders indicated she was someone in a hurry, but Michael certainly wasn’t. Continuing on his journey of her body, he moved his eyes up past her neck to rest on her face. She had long mousy brown hair that was neatly tied back, her eyes were enhanced by strategic placement of makeup, but her lips were what reeled him in. They were large, full and Michael couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to kiss her. His eyes widened as he took in the sight of her, the fire in her eyes adding to the mischief and intrigue of the young woman. “Hello Mr Evans.” She spoke politely. “Maria, hi, please call me Max.” He said, shaking her hand. “And this, is my partner, Michael Guerin.” Max added, glaring at his friend as if to indicate it was time to act professional. “Hi.” She said softly. “Hi to you too mam.” He replied, finally standing up and offering his hand to her. Accepting his greeting, Maria stretched out her hand and held her breath until the moment their fingers touched. Looking directly into his eyes, Maria smiled a warm smile in an effort to make his acquaintance. He was gorgeous, she conceded, simply breathtaking. ‘Normal’ run of the mill handsome men weren’t her cup of tea at all, she was looking for something different, and Michael Guerin was certainly that! He had a roughness about him, almost a rebellious streak. His spiky hair, his two-day-old stubble, his loosened tie and casual fitted suit. A model citizen or businessman he certainly wasn’t, but something told Maria he was very good at what he did. Why else would the astute Max Evans put his faith in such a scruffy young man? Watching from his stepped back position, Max took in the events that were unfolding in front of him. Trying hard to contain the look of surprise that was threatening to paint his face, Max took a deep breath. He hadn’t known her long, but Max had endeared to Liz Parker’s eccentric secretary. Just by the look they were giving each other, Max could feel the temperature around Michael and Maria rise a couple of degrees. The words ‘steaming’ and ‘smouldering’ didn’t seem to adequately describe the looks they were giving each other. Just the mere thought that Michael could like Maria scared Max. It wasn’t that Max had a problem with Michael; it was just that his friend’s personal habits left a lot to be desired. Michael was, by his own admission, a jack-the-lad, a playboy who liked to ‘surf’ the field. He rarely had the same woman for longer than a month, liking the fresh challenge of snagging a new lady to occupy his bed. Somehow, Max didn’t want Maria to become another notch on the successful Guerin bedpost. They’d have to work with each other for a while, and mixing business with pleasure wasn’t the best way to start. “Don’t even go there Michael!” Max whispered strongly, as Maria lead them to the elevator. “What? I don’t know what you mean Maxwell.” Michael shot back, acting innocent. Allowing the men to enter the elevator first, Maria then followed, turning her back to them and pressed number five on the wall panel. It was only a short ride, over in a blink of an eye, but for Maria it seemed to last a lot longer. Although she had her back to him, she could feel Michael’s eyes raking over her body, boring holes deep into her skin. Underneath her cotton blouse, Maria could feel herself being to sweat slightly, as her body temperate rose under his imaginary feather light touch. Taking deep breaths, she tried to calm her racing heartbeat and raging hormones. Never before had she believed in love a first sight, but in her mind she’d just proved the point in every book. She felt like she was practically swooning over the rugged guy, her head swimming with erotic thoughts. She was somewhat glad Max was standing in the elevator with them; otherwise she knew she wouldn’t be able to hold herself back from pouncing on Michael Guerin. And something told her and if she did pounce, he wouldn’t have backed away. “Wait here …….. I’ll just ….. get Liz.” Maria said, showing them to the boardroom and catching a glimpse of the passion raging in Michael’s entrenched brown eyes. “Ok, enough Michael!” Max boomed, once Maria was out of earshot. “What? What did I do?” Michael replied innocently. “You know what, staring at her, sizing her up like she’s your next meal.” “So
what if I like her Max, it’s just a bit of fun.” “Chill oh great master. Perhaps you should take a leaf out of my book, you could do with some fun for a change.” Michael said, dropping his body down in a nearby chair. “Speaking of fun, how did your date with Imogen Miles go last night?” He added, turning the tables on Max. “It
was ok.” Max replied
nonchalantly, as if wining and dining an attractive woman was a daily
occurrence.
“Okay ……… sounds like your loss though!” Michael chirped back, grinning inwardly to himself. Inside, Michael could tell just by looking at his friend that Max Evans was certainly smitten by one Liz Parker. What other reason could there be to pass up the opportunity of some ‘entertainment’ and perhaps a full on relationship with a supermodel? Michael was aware Max was after someone more ‘deeper’ than a cute woman, but even still having a little fun didn’t constitute a life long commitment did it? Taking a deep breath, Liz ran her fingers through her freshly brushed dark brown hair. Normally her hair was pinned up in a professional manner, especially for important meetings, but this morning she’d decided to wear it down. Subconsciously, she couldn’t help but think about Max’s date with Imogen the previous evening. She’d thought about it all evening once Max had left, no matter what she did she couldn’t shake it from her mind. However much she denied it, Liz was falling head over heals for his magnetic charm and handsome looks. “Hey there partner!” A familiar voice pulled her out of oblivion and back to the land of the living. “Hey
Alex.” She grinned. “Always!” She bantered back, feeling relieved that her trusty partner would be by her side when she faced Max Evans once more. Alex Whitman had been at the firm a few months longer than Liz Parker, and had stood back in awe as he watched her grow into the powerful person she now was. He loved seeing Liz in action, watching her overpower more meek business associates, sensing when she was about to jump in for the kill. They worked well as a team also, both pulling in unique strengths to cover the other’s weaknesses. Alex’s, without a doubt, was his smart brain and whiz on computers. What he couldn’t do on a computer wasn’t worth knowing! On more than one occasion his computer skills had been pulled into action, and his misspent youth as a ‘hacker’ came in very handy. He loved Liz very much, but despite all the pushes from James Valenti, it had gone no further than friendship. For he wasn’t ‘in’ love with Liz Parker. Alex couldn’t explain it, she was a wonderful person, funny, strong willed, beautiful, smart, but just not what Alex was looking for in a woman to date. To him, Liz had filled the void that had been left when he’d lost his younger sister. Dahlia had been a wonderful young girl, barely into her life at 15 when she'd passed away. It hadn’t been out of the blue, she’d battled for many years to fight cancer, but in the end her body had just given up. It had hit Alex hard, but Liz had stepped into the company a few months later, and she’d become something of a surrogate sister to him. He’d take her under his wing somewhat, shielded her from some of the abuse hurtling her away. They’d
helped each other through the pain of loosing their joint friend in Kyle, and
she had been there when he needed a shoulder to cry on after Dahlia
had been taken from him. It had
been rough for a while, but their strength had brought them through and made
them better people and lifelong acquaintances. They were good friends, close friends, fiercely loyal to each other and James Valenti knew that. It was he who had put them together in the company, knowing that they would work well as an affiliation. It was a partnership that worked well together because they both had the utmost respect for the other. Trusting the other with their most secret plans, even their lives was something they wouldn’t hesitate in doing. The meeting was very productive from all angles; the new input Alex and Michael brought with them helped further the project. By the time they wrapped up for lunch, Liz was feeling quietly confident that the raid on the Andersen Group would go smoothly. Although she’d never admit it to him, Liz couldn’t help but feel silently pleased James had brought Max on board. It was going to be a tough few weeks, a lot to organise before they achieved their goals and then the renovation project on the new acquisitions. She was certainly going to be busy for quite a while, and any help early on was eagerly received, assuming the glory wasn’t swiped from under her feet though! “So, I think that went quite well.” Max said, as he packed away his things into his briefcase. “Yes I think so too.” Liz replied, torn between the urge to run and the magnetic pull to Max. “Well, I don’t know about you but I’m really hungry. How about we take a time out and get some lunch?” He suggested. “I told you, this is purely business Max.” Liz replied firmly. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go out for lunch, or that she wasn’t hungry, it was more that she was scared about letting her façade drop. While in the office, discussing work, it was easy to keep up the pretence that she didn’t like him. But sitting opposite Max Evans at a dinner table, with the conversation invariably sliding towards personal lives, that was something else. “I know Liz, you’ve made that clear. Call it a working lunch then, if it makes you feel better. It’s your choice Liz, you can either stay here while I get something to eat, or you can join me. The ball is in your court.” He replied, not in the mood to play games with her. “Ok, fine, I’ll come then.” She replied, answering before her brain had a chance to properly compute the consequences of her actions. “Well you don’t have to sound so enthusiastic!” He bantered back sarcastically. “Like you said, it’s just a working lunch so there is nothing to get enthusiastic about.” She replied pointedly. “ Fine! Let me finish up with Michael here, and I’ll come along to your office in a few minutes.” Max replied, secretly grateful that she’d accepted his offer. Heading back to her office with Maria in toe, Liz couldn’t ignore the glint in her secretary’s eyes. Maria seemed even more hyper than normal, like she was buzzing from something ……….. or perhaps someone? “Ok spill Maria, what’s going on?” Liz said, as they hit her office. “Going on?” She queried innocently. “Yes, with you and Michael.” Liz replied, seeing the look of surprisement on her secretary’s face. “You didn’t think I hadn’t noticed the sly glances you were sending his way throughout the duration of the meeting did you? It’s a wonder you’ve actually got any notes written down to type into minutes the way you kept drooling over him.” Liz added, smirking. “I wasn’t drooling!” Maria protested. “Just ….. admiring.” She added, the dreamy looking washing over her face as she thought back to her ‘god’. “Ok, enough of the sappiness, what was that he was saying to you at the end?” She asked intrigued. “Well ….. actually he was asking me out to dinner tonight.” She replied, smiling. “Dinner? Wow you two don’t waste time do you!” “Nope, no point, life’s too short to waste time.” Maria grinned, “And you’d do good to remember that next time you’re alone with Max Evans. You’ve really got something for him haven’t you?”
“Yeah, and I’m Mother Teresa! It’s so obvious Liz …….. and I think he likes you too.” “Don’t even go there Maria, you’re going way over the boundaries of a secretary!” Liz groaned. “Fine, I won’t, but Max is a hottie Liz, and he won’t wait around forever. Maybe it’s time you allowed someone to share your life apart from business.” Maria said just as Max knocked on the office door. Holding her breath for a moment, Liz prayed Max hadn’t heard any of what her brainless secretary had just poured out. Smiling at the two young women, it was clear to Max he’d interrupted something, maybe even something about him? No, Liz had made it clear they were purely business associates. Glaring strongly at Maria, Liz gave her a look that said, ‘drop it’ in no uncertain terms. If Maria wanted to see Michael outside of work that was her business, but seeing Max away from the office on her private time was completely unthinkable in Liz’s mind.
TBC .......................?
A new part will be posted very soon! Author: Kazza – 6th August 2001
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