by T. C. Clark
“You don’t get it. You’re different from other women…” he began. But Maks interrupted him. From the scowl on his face she could tell he’d had enough of Dr. Terrence Mitchell.
“And she doesn’t have to. We’ve had a great time here, but it’s time for us to get back home.” Maks emphasized the word us and lifted Leslie’s hand to his lips. He flicked his tongue lightly across her skin. The movement brought back a memory from this morning when he’d kissed his way up her inner thigh.
Her eyes widened when she saw the masculine satisfaction in his. The ass knew exactly what he was doing. She frowned at him, and he kissed the tip of her nose. There was no part of her body he hadn’t examined over the last few days and to be fair, she had done the same to him.
Whether Terrence noticed their small battle of wills was irrelevant because Maks wasted little time in removing them from the church. When they got back to his cabin, he checked his messages while he pulled food from the fridge. They’d started taking turns making meals.
“I have to go to the UK tomorrow. I got an award for a painting I did a few years back.”
“That’s great,” she said, sitting down on the couch. Her mind was spinning. She knew things would end eventually, but she wasn’t ready for it to happen right now. She took a deep breath and settled her nerves. She wouldn’t freak out and ruin their last night.
“This isn’t our last night,” Maks said, sitting down next to her. She frowned. She must have said that last thought out loud.
“Maks, this thing between us…” she started, and he put a finger to her lips.
“Let’s be honest this isn’t something either of us can walk away from. I’m going to the UK to accept the award. I know you have to go back to work in a couple of days, so when I fly back, I’ll come straight to Chicago.”
“How long will you stay in Chicago?” she asked seriously.
“As long as it takes,” he said emphatically.
“Maks…”
“Stop looking for a way out, Leslie. We will figure out how to make it work.”
He moved over her, once again surrounding her with his heat and body. She looked over his shoulder at the vegetables and meat he’d pulled out for their lunch. She moaned when he sucked her nipple hard through her silk shirt.
“Lunch?” she whispered against his cheek.
“It can wait, I can’t.” He sealed her lips with his and made her forget everything else in the world.
* * *
Leslie arrived back at the office with a smile on her face. She was happy to be back, and it looked as if everyone had missed her while she was gone. Every person in the building stopped her as she made her way up to Alex.
She smiled ruefully when one of the junior partners presented her with flowers and told her to never leave again. Apparently Alex had been tough to deal with while she was gone. Everyone kept referring to her mystical magic touch.
When she got to his office, she saw Tara. The beautiful woman with the classic Olivia Pope style smiled. Tara eyed her warily. Leslie knew she was embarrassed about helping Alex set her up with Maks.
“Okay, first let me say I’m sorry for interfering. I hope you two were able to work things out. Tell me what to do to make it up to you and it’s done,” Tara said. Her thick black hair was pulled back in a tight bun. She wore a cream blouse with a black pencil skirt. She looked both powerful and feminine.
“When I realized what happened I wanted to kill you,” she admitted. “But I’m glad you did it. Don’t tell Alex I said that, though. I want to make him sweat a little. Also, if you’re not busy tonight, I could use your help with something.”
“You name it, and I will be there.” Tara sighed with relief. She’d expected Leslie to be more upset with her.
They talked for a little while longer and when she left, Leslie got to work. She loved this job. She liked a good sturdy routine. It was about an hour before Alex showed up with two vanilla lattés and a small bag.
“Before you say anything I’d like to say, I told you so.” He smiled and adjusted his glasses. “I talked to Maks and I hear you two are a thing now. But I am sorry for interfering. I was very worried that this would go another way, and I didn’t want you hurt.”
She was quiet for a while, giving him nothing. But he just continued to stand there, observing her, waiting for her forgiveness. When he gave her a sad face and she burst out laughing. Tara had definitely done a number on her boss, before her he’d only known one facial expression.
“You can’t just step in and make a choice for me, Alex. I know that we’ve become family. But you can’t ever put me in that position again,” she said firmly.
“I know and I’m sorry. If you had done that to me, I would be pissed, too. ”
She examined him closely trying to judge his sincerity. She didn’t want to fight with Alex. He’d become her family.
“I swear, I won’t do it again, Leslie,” he vowed.
“Okay, we’re good.”
“So you’re not going to tell me what’s going on with you two?” Alex asked picking up a stack of papers on her desk.
“Absolutely not, but I will tell you about what I found in those contracts,” she said with a sweet smile. She didn’t need Alex getting involved with her personal life again. Despite his assurance that he wouldn’t interfere again, she would be a fool to tell him anything. He would probably demand an explanation from Maks, though, but he could handle that.
Her work day was over before she knew it. Alex walked her downstairs to meet a beaming Tara. The couple kissed, and Tara grabbed her arm and whisked her away.
Leslie smiled. Tara had been thrilled when she’d received her text message after lunch. She needed her help with choosing new clothes. When Alex learned about what they were doing he’d offered to pay for it. Leslie had vehemently refused. She wanted to do this for herself. She ignored his suggestion that it could be considered a business expense.
She wanted to change up her wardrobe for personal reasons. She sent Tara a budget and told her she wanted her help picking out a variety of clothes for all the seasons. She’d read something about a capsule wardrobe and the simplicity of that style had appealed to her.
They went to a small boutique located on the outskirts of town. When they arrived at the expensive looking store, Leslie had been skeptical. She wondered if Tara had even looked at the budget. But once they entered the small family-owned establishment, she’d relaxed.
The owner, a mother of four, examined her with a critical eye.
“You were right. She has a great body. I just have to find the right clothes to show it off.” The owner hurried off to pull out a mixture of clothes. She already had a few lined up for her to try on.
“You already talked to her?” Leslie asked as she moved away.
“Yeah, you said three times in the message how much you hated shopping, so I figured I best plan ahead.” Leslie laughed. That was true. She knew Tara loved to shop, and she wanted to be sure the trip wouldn’t last more than an hour or two.
She’d only spent one night in her apartment. She couldn’t wait to go home and relax. But this step was necessary. She knew that clothes didn’t make the character of the woman but after spending a couple of weeks in the clothes Tara sent with her to the cabin, she realized that it helped her confidence. That reminded her, she still needed to pay Tara back for the clothes she’d sent with her to the cabin; she knew they were expensive.
“I’m not taking money for those clothes. We tricked you into going out there. Think of it as an apology,” Tara said firmly. Leslie started to argue, but Tara refused to discuss it. She let the issue drop.
“So this is where you go to find your clothes? You always look so put together.”
“Thank you, girl. I started coming here when I was in med school. Sarah, the owner, has a great eye for style and she always stayed within my budget. She’s good people,” Tara said as they took a seat in the waiting area.
Leslie smiled
when Tara had the owner put on the housewives of Chicago. That was the television show they’d bonded over.
They stayed there for an hour trying on clothes. Leslie left in a great mood. When she got home, her neighbors stopped her at the door. Ursula and Maggie, were her closest friends in the big city. The older women were happy to see her safely at home.
“How was the trip? And how was that young painter of yours?” Maggie asked.
“How did you know about that?”
“We saw you leave with Alex and his pretty girlfriend. I called down to your job when you didn’t show up the next day. You know I made him talk. He told me everything,” Ursula said.
“He told you everything.” Leslie was surprised. Alex wasn’t the type to tell anyone anything.
“That’s how I operate. It was either tell me everything or I go to the police,” Ursula said fiercely. Maggie laughed and shook her head.
“You both are always looking out for me. The trip was fantastic.”
“And your young man, how was he?” Ursula asked, ignoring the warning look from her wife. Leslie blushed, and Maggie spoke up.
“Well, from the look on her face, he is doing fine. We are going to let you get some sleep. Stop by when you’re ready to talk about your Maks.” She pulled a stiff Ursula behind her.
“Don’t forget to bring me a copy of what you have so far so I can give you some pointers,” Ursula yelled over her shoulder.
She’d told them about Maks a long time ago. She would have some explaining to do later. She looked down at her phone and grimaced. She had two missed calls from Maks. She slipped off her shoes when she entered her apartment. She put a pot of milk on the stove and called him back.
“Finally, how are you doing?” Maks asked. She could hear people in the background. She wondered where he was. Everyone was laughing and calling his name. He cursed and she could tell he was moving away from the crowd because the line quieted.
“I’m fine, just got back from work. What are you doing?” she asked, curious about the commotion.
“If you can believe it, I’m at Madonna’s house in Paris. Evidently, my agent told her I was willing to meet her after she purchased one of my paintings. I tried to get out of it but the woman is persistent.”
“Madonna, Madonna?!” she exclaimed.
“Yep, one and the same. What are you doing?”
“Oh, I’m just warming up some milk for hot cocoa. I’m probably going to write for a while. Your night sounds crazy.” She heard more noise muffled through the phone. He let out an aggravated sigh.
“I miss you, Leslie. I can’t wait to head back to Chicago.”
“I miss you too, Maks,” she said, very aware of how differently they were living out their Friday nights. She moved around the kitchen to cut off the milk. She knew they were different, but she’d only looked up information on his life as an artist. She was starting to get the distinct impression that he was more famous than she’d first thought.
“The award show is tomorrow, they’ll be playing part of it on CBS,” he said with pride.
“That’s wonderful,” she said. She could hear more people calling for him to join them. He ignored them. The silence between them was easy. It was as if they’d done this a million times before and yet she started to worry.
“So what are your plans for the weekend?” he asked seriously. She was scrolling through her messages and stopped when she saw one from her mother. How had she missed her call? She wanted to meet up tomorrow. She was in town for a clinical convention.
She sighed. She didn’t feel like going through another lecture on how she could improve her life. Her relationship with her mother was vastly different from other people’s, she knew. Her mother was cold. She’d always been there for her, but something key was missing.
It was sad because her mom hadn’t always been like that. Her marriage had changed her. Once when she was young she’d lived in a house filled with laughter and love. When Leslie’s dad walked out on them to live his dream as a musician, it had destroyed something in her mother that couldn’t be replaced.
Her mother had morphed into a hardworking, no nonsense single mom overnight and her heart had been locked away ever since. No matter what she did she always came up short with her. Even when she’d earned her master’s degree in library science, her mother had learned in and said, “library science…really, Leslie?”
She couldn’t ignore her. Although she wasn’t the best, she’d always been present. She checked in on her often enough that she knew she cared about her to some extent. She sent off a simple text message setting up a lunch date with her for the next day.
“Apparently, I’m having dinner with my mom tomorrow.”
“That’s a good thing, right?” he asked. She could hear the smile in his voice.
“Depends on your definition of good,” she said dryly.
“Hey, at least she’s there,” he said wisely.
“I forgot that you said your mother left when you were younger.” She mixed her cocoa and topped it with marshmallows. She put two slices of bread in the toaster and waited for him to answer.
“She died of an overdose. But she was gone way before the drugs got her. She was a woman who should not have been a mother. I know it’s hard with your mom. She sounds like she can be difficult, but she was there.”
“I was just thinking that myself. I’m sorry you grew up with a mother like that. I can’t imagine treating any child that way, let alone my own. I’m glad you had your brothers there with you.
“I know. In spite of all that we made it out and built lives for ourselves. After having Maria, I knew something was really wrong with her; the instant love I felt for my little girl wouldn’t allow me to do anything that would hurt her.”
“I know, that’s what makes you a good man, not all father’s feel the same way about their kids,” she said sadly.
“Leslie…” he started but ended in a sigh. Someone was banging on the door and calling for him to come out.
“These people are the worst. They don’t even understand the concept of the word no. I have to go, but I will talk to you tomorrow. Get some rest and let me know when you get to work. I want to know you’re there safe,” he said quietly.
“Okay, I will. You stay safe as well. Don’t drink too much and text me when you get back to the hotel. I’ll talk to you later.”
After they hung up, she took a bite of her cold toast. She was falling in love with Maks Stravanos. Once they’d resolved the past, it had been an effortless fall. He was kind and good, an easy man to love. But he was having dinner with Madonna right now. She knew it was time to look into his life. She paused for just a second as dread filled her. She knew that whatever she found was going to add to the confusion she felt.
She pulled out her phone and Googled his name. Her heart stilled at all of the information she found on him. He was one of the most famous painters alive today. Her mind whirled as she took in all of his pictures with celebrities. He’d even been at the Grammys earlier this year.
How could he be happy here with her? She detested social events and large crowds. She’d spent her adult life trying to make a satisfying and stable life for herself. She loved her job and was comfortable in the world around her. How could their relationship survive when the rest of the world weighed in?
The next day, Leslie had what she often called a lazy Saturday. She cleaned her apartment, took muffins to Ursula and Maggie, and setup a small space for her new wardrobe. Her eyes constantly checked the clock. She would not be late, that would just give her mother another arrow to fire.
For dinner she chose a simple black dress Tara had picked out for her. She applied some eyeliner and lip gloss. She fixed her hair into a semi-afro with its thick voluminous black curls. Her brown skin was glowing. She’d spoken to Maks, and once again he’d made her feel like the only girl in the world.
She strolled to the café with her head back. Confidence was another added benefit from her
association with Maks. His need for her had changed her outlook on men. For the last few years she’d ignored them. Now she noticed every flicker of appreciation that appeared in someone’s eyes.
She walked into the café five minutes early and rolled her eyes when she saw her mother already there going through a stack of papers. She stood when she got to the table. Surprisingly, her mother embraced her. She was a beautiful woman with her dark brown skin and her intelligent eyes. Her hair was still jet black and cut super short.
Her mother kept herself in excellent shape. Even now she was sure her mother would beat her in a foot race. She looked different, though, softer in the face.
“So how have you been, Leslie? You still work for Alex?” she asked, taking a sip of her coffee. Okay, so here comes the first shot…hold steady. “I do. I enjoy working for him and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”
She waited for the explosion with a serene expression. The best way to deal with her mother was head on.
“Good, I’m glad you’re happy there. How are Ursula and Maggie?” Leslie had told her mother about her next-door neighbors and how they had become her best friends since she’d moved to the city. She was surprised she remembered their names.
The waiter walked up and handed them their menus. They both ordered sandwiches, and she asked for a small cup of green tea.
“They’re doing well. Maggie still drives buses, and Ursula just published her twentieth book. How is work?” she asked. Her fingers itched to reach for her phone to see if Maks had called, but she refused. This was the first time her mother had shown genuine interest in her life, and last she checked, no shots had been fired.
“Oh, good,” her mother paused. The silence was filled with awkward tension. Her mother was a doctor, one of the best in the country, and she still struggled to speak with her. They had a reprieve when the waiter came back with their food and her drinks.
Leslie took a bite and then promptly felt sick. She put the sandwich back down with a frown. She loved this sandwich, and now the smell of it made her want to throw up. She straightened her face before her mother could see her discomfort.