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Once Upon a Lifetime – By Kazza Part 18 As they quietly entered the apartment of their children, Philip and Diane couldn’t help but smile at the sight that greeted them. Curled up on one cream sofa was their daughter and Alex. Both were lying stretched out, with their legs hanging over the edge, Alex was lying on his back with Isabelle’s head resting against his chest. Max, on the other sofa opposite, was sitting upright with his head laid against the back of the sofa. On one side of him there was Maria and the other Liz. Both girls mirrored each other, both with legs curled up on the sofa, and their heads laying against their boss. Diane also noted the protective arms both Max and Alex had around the girls, she was secretly pleased they’d all decided to stay together the previous night. None of them should have been alone the night before, being together would have helped them overcome any bad memories or nightmares. Not wanting to wake any of them up, the parents headed straight to the kitchen and talked quietly as Diane put the kettle on for some tea. “Isabelle and Alex look quite cosy on the sofa don’t you think Philip.” Diane said casually, searching the cupboards for tea bags. “Honey, now you’re not going to read more into something that I am sure is completely innocent are you?” Philip lectured his wife. “Oh come on, you must see how great they’d be together.” She replied, taking out some cups. “I’m sure they’d be very nice together, but you mustn’t assume just because they’ve helped each other through a tough day, that more will come of it. I mean, look at Max and Liz. Max comforted Liz at the hospital while we were waiting for news on Michael, but they are nothing more than friends.” He replied. “I wouldn’t be so sure.” Diane said quietly. “Sorry honey, what was that?” He asked. “Oh nothing sweetie.” Diane replied smiling at her husband. It amazed Diane sometimes how her husband, who was so romantic, couldn’t see love and romance in their own children’s lives. She couldn’t believe that he thought their son and Liz were ‘just good friends’. Was she the only one who could see something was going on with them? Was everyone blind to what was right in front of their eyes? “Mrs Evans? Hi, how is Michael? Is he ok?” Maria asked, padding into the kitchen. She’d heard noises as she dozed on the sofa, and eventually had decided to go and investigate. “Hello
Maria dear, Michael’s doing very well. He’s
still under the effects of the anaesthetic, but the doctor said it should wear
off sometime today.” “Erm
yeah, I think Is and Alex are.” Inside ten minutes, everyone was awake again and quietly sipping tea. Placing a hand behind his neck, Max rubbed at the sore spot. Sleeping upright on a sofa was certainly the quickest way to get a stiff neck, he thought to himself. “Are you ok there?” Liz asked, noticing his pained expression. “Yeah, I’ll be fine, just a bit of a sore neck.” He replied smiling back at Liz to try and reassure her. Despite his pain, he was very pleased Liz had been with him that night. He’d woken up a couple of times feeling anxious, but feeling Liz’s warm body snuggling up against him had calmed his fears and racing mind. Knowing she was safe gave him one less thing to worry about. “Ok guys, look I propose that you all take the rest of this week off. We’re not too busy at the moment, and you could all do with a break to recover.” Max said, breaking the near silence of the room. “What about you Max?” Isabelle asked, concerned about her brother. “I’ll go in and keep the office ticking over until you all return next week.” He said. Although he wanted nothing more than to take a few days off, Max knew as senior partner he needed to allow his staff time off more than him. He could manage a week on his own couldn’t he? “But you need time off too Max, you went though this with us too.” Liz insisted. “I’ll be fine, honestly.” He said, patting her hand. “We still need to keep the office open in case of emergencies, so we can’t all take time off.” He added. “No
Max, that isn’t fair on you.” Isabelle protested. “Max,
your sister is right. You all need
time off to get over the ordeal you went through yesterday.
So, what Diane and I propose, is that you all take the rest of this week
off, and we will keep the office open and deal with anything that comes up.” “No buts Max. I know you want to do the honorary thing and allow your staff time off, but you too need to get over the shock of it. Anyway, there is no point protesting, your mother and I have made our minds up. We are still your parents Max, and this is one decision we won’t waiver on” Philip insisted, as his wife nodded her head in agreement. “Dad is right Max, you need to take a break too.” Isabelle said “I agree, you can’t do everything yourself.” Liz added. “I’ll add my vote also Max, you look like shit right now, you need a break.” Alex put in. “Hey
what is this, let’s gang up on Max day?”
He complained. “How about you Maria, you wanna take a swipe at me too?” “Fine! I guess I’m fighting a loosing battle then.” Max replied, finally admitting defeat. “Ok, so you all have this week off, and then come back next Monday, feeling more relaxed and refreshed.” Diane reiterated. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’d really like to go and see Michael now if that’s ok.” Maria asked. “Sure, I think we’d all like to do that. I have to say though, a shower first would be great” Max replied. “Yeah, I agree.” Isabelle added. “Liz, Maria and I can use my bathroom, and you and Alex can share yours.” She said sitting up, taking control and organising everything. She sounded much more in control as she sorted out the bathroom arrangements, Max thought to himself. That was his sister, most happy when she was able to organise and sort things. He remembered that whenever she was stressed or things weren’t going right, tidying things was always Isabelle’s way of coping. It could be her closet, make up box or even her sock drawer, as long as she was tidying Isabelle felt in control. Inside thirty minutes, everyone had showered and was getting changed. Isabelle had leant both Liz and Maria fresh clothes, as had Max to Alex. As she pulled on a pair of Isabelle’s jeans, Liz felt like she wanted to almost laugh out loud. It had taken a near death experience for them all, but suddenly everyone was so much more closer. Here she, Maria and Isabelle were all but sharing a girls bonding session as they shared clothes and giggled as they got ready. Somehow Liz knew that when they all returned to work the following week, the office would be a totally different place to work in. The camaraderie and friendship that had been borne out of being held at gunpoint and their friend nearly dying, was one that would last for a long time. At the hospital, the group of five found their way back to Michael’s private room. As she placed her hand gently on top of his, Isabelle noticed his eyes flicker and then open. Gasping quietly, she realised he was awake. “Hi.” She said tentatively, smiling back at him. “Hi.” He croaked in reply, trying to smile. “You gave us quite a scare there mate!” Max bantered from behind his sister. “Yeah Michael, don’t you ever do something like that again!” Isabelle added. “Sorry Is, I didn’t actually mean for it to happen.” He replied, still sounding groggy. “You sure? I mean you’ve got to have earned at least a few weeks of work with that stunt you pulled.” Alex joked. “Mmm, but I can think of less painful ways of getting time off.” Michael bantered back. Turning his head slightly, Michael saw a familiar face standing in the doorway. To him it seemed like she was afraid to come into the room for some reason. He wished she’d come closer, so he could see her properly, but she seemed routed to the spot alongside Liz. Picking up on the vibes from his friend, Max understood that Michael and Maria needed a few minutes alone. “Why don’t we go get some coffee or something, my treat.” He said looking at Alex and Liz who had caught his drift. “But I want to stay here.” Isabelle protested, oblivious to what was happening. “We’ll come back in a minute, come on Is.” Max insisted, taking his sister’s arm and leading her out of the room. For the next few minutes, Maria remained in the doorway of Michael’s room. She wanted to move forward and sit down next to him, but for some reason her feet just wouldn’t move. “I won’t bite.” He said gently. “I ……… I know.” She stumbled, finally stepping towards him. “Oh god Michael I am so sorry. Damm! If I hadn’t of screamed you wouldn’t be here. God I can be so stupid sometimes!” Maria scolded herself. “Hey, go easy on yourself will you!” “But it’s all my fault!” “No, it’s not Maria. Yes you screamed, yes that made him point the gun at you, but you didn’t ask me to jump in front of you, and you certainly didn’t ask that bastard to shoot at you.” “But ………” “No
buts Maria, I don’t hold you responsible for my injuries.
I only hold one person responsible, and that’s the guy who pulled the
trigger.” The
room went silent for a few minutes, both of them mulling over what he had said. “What for?” He asked. “For saving my life.” “You don’t need to thank me Maria, I would do it again without hesitation.” He added quietly. As his words sunk in, Maria felt a shiver run down her spine. “He’d do it again.” She thought to herself, “Does that mean he might like me? Nah, don’t be so stupid girl, he’s just being polite!” The voice inside her head screamed back. Once everyone had had a chance to see Michael and chatted briefly to him, the nurse came in to inform them that the patient needed to rest now. “He’s had a major operation, rest and recuperation is needed to get better.” She said curtly. “Come back and see me again?” Michael asked Maria as she bent down to say goodbye. “Erm, I guess.” She replied before anyone else could hear them. After making sure Maria was home safe, Max drove Liz back to her house. “So, what are you going to do with your week off? I bet you won’t know what to do with yourself!” Liz joked as he pulled up outside her house. “Well, actually ………… I was wondering if you’d like to …….. go away for a few days? Just to Aspen, my parents have a log cabin out there. I mean, if you don’t want to you don’t have to …..” “I’d love to.” She replied. “I’ve never been skiing before though.” “A
minor technicality!” He replied
happily. “So you’d like to come
with me?” “Great,
I’ll arrange the flights then. How
about leaving tomorrow?” He
asked. “Wonderful. Mmm, now what could I tell Izzy so she doesn’t get suspicious?” “I’m sure you’ll think of something, you’re a lawyer after all!” “Yeah, I guess I will.” After Max had driven off, Liz bounced up the steps to her front door. A trip, with Max no less! She’d never been very far from home, certainly not as far as Aspen, and skiing, that wasn’t something she’d ever tried before. Inside she felt a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Spending quality time with Max would be fun, they wouldn’t have to keep their guard up or worry about anyone catching them together. “Mmm, a log cabin, roaring fire, mugs of hot chocolate, snow gently falling outside, just Max and me. Wow that sounds soooo romantic!” She thought to herself as she fell on to her living room sofa. Max didn’t waste any time arranging the flights, doing it as soon as he got home. He was surprised to find Isabelle wasn’t at home, knowing she’d got a lift with Alex. Thinking maybe she’d gone out to patch things up with Brad, he set about contacting the travel agent. The flights were booked for the following morning, and as he sat at the desk in his room, Max felt pleased with himself. He couldn’t wait to spend some quality time with Liz, so he could really get to know her. He had a feeling there were a few skeletons in her closet that she didn’t want to tell just yet. Like the way she’d change the subject every time her parents were mentioned. He hoped that in a calm atmosphere like his parents cabin, where they wouldn’t get disturbed, perhaps she’d open up to him. He knew he too had a couple of skeletons, like Tess for instance. She meant nothing to him now, but he felt like Liz should know about her, how they split up and why. “Mmm, now what do I tell Isabelle. I don’t want her to get suspicious. If I tell her I’m going to the cabin she’ll want to know who with There’s no way she’d believe me if I say I’m going on my own. But I need to tell her something. Perhaps I could pretend I’m going on a fishing trip? Yeah, I haven’t done that in ages, I can pretend it will help me relax.” He thought to himself. After phoning Liz to let her know when they were leaving, he decided to catch up on some much needed sleep. Although he’d caught a few hours the previous night, he just hadn’t been comfortable sleeping sitting up. His neck was still feeling the after effects of his previous night’s sleep. Lying down on his bed, Max found his mind drift invariably towards Liz. Recently he hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind even for a few minutes. He smiled at the thought of the force she’d put on him. Even being away from her for a few hours felt like a lifetime. He loved to hold her close, stroke her long silky hair, and touch her velvet lips. She’d changed his life in the short time she’d worked at Evans Associates, but Max decided it was definitely for the better. After putting the phone down to Max, Liz skipped upstairs to start packing. Pulling a large holdall bag out of her closet, she started packing pairs of jeans, polo necks and warm jumpers. She’d never been skiing before and she found herself getting very excited at the thought of going away, especially with Max. She hoped they’d get some much needed private time, space to get to know each other better without worrying about prying eyes. She’d never told anyone about her parents, to Liz it was a secret she only wanted to tell someone very special. As she sat down on her bed, Liz suddenly realised that just maybe Max was that someone special. The way he’d reacted to the hold up at the office, his awareness to where she was, his insistence that she get checked out at the hospital even though she wasn’t hurt, it all added up to one thing. “Yes, I think he really cares about me.” She thought to herself, as she started to get ready for bed. Slipping her short satin nightdress over her head, and pulling her hair into a loose ponytail, Liz pulled back the sheets to her bed and climbed inside. Snuggling into the warm covers, Liz found herself imagining what it would be like to have Max with her at that moment, to feel his warm arms wrapped around her cool skin, to feel his soft breaths against her cheek. Despite all the others around them the previous night, she’d felt so at ease with Max’s arm wrapped around her. She knew he’d watched over her most of the night, making sure she was ok and nothing disturbed her much needed sleep. That was her Max, always selflessly thinking of others, never thinking about what was best for him. In his eyes, Liz would always come first, no matter what sacrifices he had to impose on himself. Lying her head on the crisp white pillow, Liz thought about everything that had happened over the previous 36 hours. Right then, the ordeal in the office seemed like a lifetime away, and that made Liz feel more comfortable. The last thing she wanted to do was relive the nightmare while alone in her house. She knew she could call upon Max at any time and he’d come running to her aid, but she didn’t want to rely on him. He needed rest and sleep just as much as she did, perhaps even more so after not getting too much quality sleep the night before. Closing her eyes, she found herself slowly drifting into a deep, relaxing sleep; all the while images of Max flew around her mind like a slideshow of the previous few weeks’ exploits. All their wonderful times together, their dance under the moonlight, their peaceful picnic, their exchanged kisses in the office behind the closed door of Max’s room. A kaleidoscope of visions, mainly of Max, filled her senses. His deep brown soulful eyes, his soft skin, his cute grin, all helping to aid her restful sleep that night. PART
19 The following morning, Max pulled up outside Liz’s house. He’d been very surprised at how easy it had been to deceive his sister. Isabelle was only too eager to accept that Max was off on a fishing trip for a few days. It didn’t even cross her mind that it had been well in excess of five years since his previous trip, and Max didn’t even own a fishing rod. He’d been a few times with his father, some sort of father/son bonding sessions his father had insisted on, but Max had hated it. He found it so very boring, all his father seemed to do was sit there and just think. He had wondered what Isabelle would be doing during their days off. When he’d enquired she’d brushed him off with some lame excuse of lazing around at home. Her excuse was even less believable than his, he thought. Isabelle was the only person Max knew who hated lazing around. To Isabelle, it was a waste of valuable time, time that was better spend visiting friends, shopping or generally having fun. Chucking privately to himself at the way he’d deceived Isabelle, Max got out the car and climbed up the steps to Liz’s front door. Just as he was about to ring the bell, the door swung open. “You been looking out for me?” Max enquired. “Something like that.” She beamed back. As he stepped inside, he pulled her into his arms for a long awaited embrace. “So, are you ready for our trip?” “Definitely. What did you tell Isabelle?” “That
I was going away fishing for a few days.” Laying in the hospital bed, Michael couldn’t help but scratch at the IV that was stuck in his arm. Most of the time there was just a dull pain, but right now it itched like hell. Flicking over the TV by the remote control, Michael couldn’t prevent the feeling of being bored wash over him. Being cooped up in hospital, not being able to even get out of bed and go for a walk, was torture for him. He had always been a very fidgety person, right from an early age, and he hated being only able to see the four white clinical walls of his private hospital room. Resting his head back against the fluffed up pillows, images of the hold up rushed into his mind. He didn’t remember much, except for the red hot fear that ran through his veins when he saw Damien point the gun towards Maria. Time had seemed to stand still, his actions played in slow motion. All thoughts of his own life had disappeared, all he could think about was Maria’s safety. A shudder ran through his body as his mind also wondered what could have happened if he’d not of launched himself in front of her. Pushing the thought to the furthest part of his brain, Michael thought back to Maria. He found himself wishing she’d come and visit him, brighten his day, make him smile. For once he’d be grateful for her wackiness and sharp whit. As she pottered around her apartment, Maria couldn’t stop her mind from drifting towards a certain person. His piercing eyes, his soft skin, his spiky hair that she would just love to run her fingers through. “Christ, I’m not gonna get anything done if I keep this up!” She exasperated, dropping down on the nearby sofa. Although his final words to her before she left were to come back and see him, she wasn’t sure if that would be a good idea. She knew in her heart she had strong feelings for Michael, stronger than she normally allowed herself to think. She knew he was only asking her to come back so that she would go easy on herself. So that she wouldn’t blame herself for him ending up in a hospital bed. He was just feeling sorry for her, there were no other feelings he had for her. “No, he’s on the mend now, out of danger. He doesn’t need me, and I don’t need my hopes to be built up only to be dashed. No, I can certainly do without getting a broken heart.” She thought to herself. In her mind she decided she wouldn’t go back and see him. Instead she’d use her week off to get her life in order, sort out her apartment and get on with her life. “I’m not gonna just sit around and wait for him. My life is passing me by and I’ve got to take charge of it.” She decided. Finding their seats on the plane, Max and Liz sat down and proceeded to buckle up their seatbelts. As he clicked his belt together, he couldn’t help but notice Liz’s body language had changed since they’d boarded the plane. Her shoulders were very stiff, her hands shaking and her face visibly paling. “You ok Liz?” He asked, taking hold of one of her tiny trembling hands. “Erm, yeah.” She started, “It’s just ………. I’ve never ……….. flown before.” She confessed. “What,
never?” He replied, finding it
hard to comprehend. “You should have told me Liz, we could have gone somewhere else, you know, where we wouldn’t have to fly.” He replied. “No! I really want to go to Aspen. I’ve never been skiing before either and I’m really excited about that. Just as soon as we get this flight over …………… I’ll ………… I’ll be fine.” She grimaced as the plane slowly started to move down the runway. “Just relax babe, take deep breaths. Once we’re in the air it’ll be better.” He said trying to soothe her fears. “Don’t even go there Max! Don’t talk to me about being in the air! God I don’t even want to think about what keeps us from falling straight back down to the ground!” She added, closing her eyes and breathing heavily. “It’ll be ok, I promise.” Max replied, pulling her close to him, or as close as the restraints of the seatbelt would allow. For Liz, the take off was more like physical torture. The very thought of being in the air with no support scared her. Oh she knew about the engines and all, but it still didn’t feel right to her. Something that big and heavy shouldn’t be able to fly! Once the plane was in the air, Liz’s ridged body relaxed slightly, as she tried to calm herself. She knew it wouldn’t do her good to be so tense for the duration of the flight, and Max did everything he could to reassure her. The in-flight movie was the British flick, Billy Elliot, it was very much a girlie film, and it help to take Liz’s mind off the flight. She found herself constantly giggling at the young boy in the film who wanted to be a ballet star like his late mother had wanted, instead of a boxing star like his father wanted. By the end of the film, Liz was feeling slightly happier about flying. Soon after lunch was served, the plane touched down in Denver, Colorado for a 40 minute stop. To Liz, she couldn’t believe she’d been in the air for just over 3 hours and managed to get through it! “Not long to go now.” Max reassured her as he put his arms around her shoulders. Falling into his embrace, Liz loved the feeling of comfort his strong arms presented her. During those times, she felt like she was invincible, like nothing in the world could harm her. Liz knew it was all just pretence in her mind, but Max gave her strength like a father gave his young daughter. As a child you feel like your father would be there to protect you from anything horrible, and that was the same feeling Liz got each time Max hugged her. The 45 minute trip from Denver to Aspen seemed to whiz by for Liz. Even though the flight hadn’t been quite as bad as she’d imagined it would be, she was still grateful when she was able to descend down the steps from the plane, put her feet firmly back down on solid ground, and draw in a deep breath of fresh, clean Canadian air. Being one of the last passengers to board the plane, their luggage arrived quickly on the conveyer belt, and once retrieved, they headed outside to find a taxi. The thirty minute journey from the airport to the Evans’ cabin gave Liz an insight to the beautiful surroundings, huge mountains and wonderful greenery. Everything seemed so picturesque, so calm and tranquil, she just knew she was going to enjoy the next few days. As they got higher up into the mountains, Liz saw her first glimpses of snow. She’d seen it before of course, it did snow in New York from time to time, but this was different, it seemed pure and untouched. The sun was shinning, making the powder white substance that covered the ground glisten and sparkle. Max watched with delight as Liz happily gazed out the taxi window. Her face was like a tiny child on Christmas day opening presents, her eyes huge, her face so full of awe as she drank in each new sight. He knew exactly how she was feeling, he too got a familiar tingle each time he took the journey to Snowmass Village where the Evans’ cabin was situated. For Max it reminded him of wonderful times with his family, times when they went away for Christmas, sitting around the roaring fire as they toasted marshmallows, drank hot chocolate and sang Christmas carols. Sometimes he wished he could go back to those times, back when things were simple and clear. As a child he had seen everything as black and white. Nowadays things seemed a lot more complicated, there was too much grey surrounding everything. Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, Max contentedly watched Liz once again. He’d made a decision not to let work interfere with his vacation, the next few days were going to be quality time for him and Liz, nothing would come between that. As she pottered around in the kitchen, Isabelle heard the doorbell ring. Wiping her hands on a tea towel, she headed out into the hall. “Hi babe.” Was the response she received when she opened the door. “Brad! What do you want?” She said, startled to see him. “I’ve come to see you Is, why else would I be here?” “Why do you want to see me? I thought we’d said all that was need to be said on the phone the other day.” Isabelle replied sharply. “Oh
come on babe, like you really meant any of that.” “Isabelle, honey, don’t be so obstinate. We just had a misunderstanding, nothing more.” He replied, trying to win her round. “A misunderstanding? What part did I misunderstand? The way I see it, I needed you and you weren’t there for me; end of story.” “Oh don’t be so melodramatic, I’m here for you now aren’t I?” “It’s too late now.” “It’s never too late. Come on, we’re good together babe, I need you to look good for me, and you need me for the parties.” “I don’t *need* you for anything!” She insisted. “Look, ok so I wasn’t there for you, get over it. Let’s just forget it ever happened and go back to the way we were.” “No!” “I don’t like the word no!” He shouted, finally loosing his temper. He’d thought coming over and winning Isabelle round would be easy, he never expected her to rebuff him. “Please
leave.” She insisted, remaining
strong. “She
said, please leave.” A voice
boomed from behind Brad. “And what’ya gonna do if I don’t?” Brad countered. “Make you!” Alex snapped back. He could feel is blood inside beginning to boil with rage. No one treated his Isabelle like that and got away with it. Yanking Brad’s hand away from Isabelle’s wrist, Alex swung his fist back and caught Brad square on the jaw. Stumbling backwards, Brad was momentarily stunned. Inside the few seconds, Alex had moved round so that he was in front of Isabelle, making sure if Brad wanted her, he’d have to come through him first. “You bastard!” Brad yelled. “She said leave!” Alex shouted back, ready for anything Brad would throw at him. “She’s not worth it!” Brad yelled, spitting some blood from his cut mouth out onto the pavement. Turning on his heal, he disappeared back to his car and drove away, out of Isabelle’s life for good. “Oh my god Alex, you don’t know how glad I am to see you.” Isabelle cried, falling into his waiting arms. “It’s ok, he’s gone now.” Alex replied, trying to soothe the trembling in her body. “But, but what if you hadn’t of come along, what if ………” She trailed off, the tears in her voice very evident. “But I did come along Isabelle, and he’s not coming back. It’s ok now.” He said, still trying to pacify her. In truth, Alex had been thinking exactly what Isabelle had said, what would Brad have done if he’d not stopped by? How far would he have gone to get Isabelle back? Shaking the thought quickly from his mind, Alex ushered Isabelle back inside the sanctuary of her apartment. Looking at his watch that was resting on his bedside table, Michael wondered if Maria would be coming to see him. It was a little past 4.00pm and he felt like he was climbing the walls. Diane Evans had popped into see him a little earlier, but he desperately needed someone to cheer him up. All day long he’d been willing Maria to visit, jumping each time someone entered his room. Invariably it had been a nurse or a doctor, and his hopes had been dashed each time he looked up. Residing himself to an evening of self entertainment, Michael laid back down on the pillow. Had he done something wrong? Had he offended her, or read her vibes wrong? Perhaps she really didn’t like him, perhaps all her picking of arguments in the office was for real. Feeling a wave of depression wash over him, Michael closed his eyes and allowed himself to be engulfed by it all. Flicking over the TV channel, Maria tried everything to keep her mind off him. She’d struggled all day, she’d tided her lounge, reorganised her cupboards in the kitchen, hell she’d even sorted through and renovated her wardrobe. All of it had been to no avail, no matter what she did, she couldn’t stop thinking about Michael. Grabbing the phone beside her, she punched in the first couple of numbers for the hospital, before slamming it down again. “No! I won’t keep doing this to myself. He’s fine, he’s in good hands. I have to stop thinking about him. He doesn’t care about me, he’s just being nice ‘cause I feel bad about what happened to him. Once we’re back at work it will be back to the normal rows and arguments.” She screamed at herself. Jumping to her feet, she headed for the kitchen and pulled out the tub of ice cream that was inside the freezer. Plunging her spoon into the soft mass, she scooped some up and placed it in her mouth. “Mmm, that’s better.” She thought, “There isn’t a problem in the world that ice cream can’t solve, well at least for a little while anyway.” Placing the key in the lock of the door, Max turned it and slowly pushed open the door to the cabin. The smell of burnt firewood tantalised Liz’s senses as she stepped inside. “Mmm, I love that smell.” Max said as he carried their bags inside. “It reminds me of when I was younger.” He added, smiling. “This place is wonderful Max, so delightful.” Liz said casting her eyes around the wooden cabin. “Yeah, I really like it. It’s simple but cosy, I think we’ve got everything we need.” He replied, spying the food package he’d arranged for their arrival sitting on the counter of the kitchen. Showing Liz to one of the bedrooms, he left her to unpack her things before heading back to the lounge. Although he wanted nothing more than to share his bed with her, he didn’t want to assume that she wanted it too. He was too much of a gentleman to take advantage of her, he cared way too much about her to do that. No, this time alone would be used to get to know Liz better, to know the real her. They had plenty of time to further their relationship later, there was no need to rush. No matter how he felt, he would never push Liz into anything she wasn’t ready for. He just wasn’t that kind of a guy. He’d wait for as long as it took for Liz, he’d wait forever if that was what it took. Unzipping her suitcase, Liz started to take out her clothes and place them in a nearby chest of drawers. The cabin was truly enchanting, making her feel all snug and warm, she knew she was going to really enjoy their time away together. Thinking back, they’d been together for a week now, but it felt like they’d hardly had a moment to themselves during that time. The only thing that bothered Liz was the separate room issue. She’d assumed, rightly or wrongly, that they’d stay together and was shocked when Max had shown her to a separate room. Thinking about it she thought Max had obviously supposed she’d want a room of her own, rather than share his bed, that or didn’t want her with him.
“Mmm, I think I’ll certainly have to do something about that.” She thought mischievously to herself, unable to stop a cheeky smile spread across her face.
TBC ……………………?
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