by Bria Marche
“Yeah.”
“Will we see each other again? Do you want to?”
“Of course I do, but it’s up to you. You’re the lady, and the lady calls the shots. But if I don’t hear from you in a month, I’ll call. You can count on it.”
“That’s one thing I like about you, Max, I can count on you.”
“That, you can take to the bank. I’ll never let you down.”
“I hate to end our fabulous party, but I’ve got to get things together. I have no idea how I’m going to get around for the next week or so. I’ve got to make phone calls and ask for favors. Plus Jack the jerk may come home tonight. Either way, I need to change these sheets. I’ve got to walk Reggie too… somehow.”
“Sweetheart, let me change the sheets and walk your dog. After that, you’ll be settled in for the night anyway. You can make your calls then. First things first, where’s your cell?”
“It’s in my backpack, but it’s dead. The charger is in there too.” Mia pointed toward her backpack as she spoke.
“Okay, I’ll plug it in. Now, tell me where the clean sheets are, and the leash for Reggie. I’ll get everything done and be out of here in thirty minutes. Oh yeah, where’s the train station?”
“Shit! How are you going to get to the train, it’s three miles away.”
“I’ll walk, no biggie.”
“No, Max, take my bike. My friend can bring it back here tomorrow. That will work perfectly. It’s not like I’m going to use it anytime soon. Lock it on the rack at the station.”
“Are you sure? You aren’t going out for a twenty mile ride?” Max asked, with a sexy wink.
“No, smartass. It will be fine.”
“Okay then. I’ll get Reggie walked first. I’ll be back soon. Do you need anything before I go?”
“A kiss and help to the couch.”
“A kiss it is.” Max picked Mia up and carried her to the couch, then kissed her. “There you go, beautiful. Are you comfortable?”
“I’m more than comfortable. I’m in la-la land, and I like it,” she said, smiling from ear to ear.
***
Mia couldn’t believe what a wonderful man Max was. Who would have thought? I go from nobody to having two great guys in my life. I’ve got a lot to think about. I love Aaron, but could I love him in a sexual way? Max is so damn hot, it’s easy to lust for him. Aaron is my security blanket, plus I’ve known him forever. Damn it, it’s not fair to him. I haven’t given Aaron a chance.
Within fifteen minutes the front door opened and Reggie came racing into the living room.
“Honey, we’re home,” Max sang out in a joking tone of voice. “Reggie should be good until morning.” Max turned the corner and followed Reggie into the living room. “Now tell me where the clean sheets are. I’ll get the bedroom straightened up and be out of here in a few minutes.”
“What if I don’t want you to go?” Mia said, with a somber tone in her voice.
Max turned around to look at her, not knowing what to say.
“Gotcha!” she said, giggling.
“You hot little vixen. You had me fooled for a second.” Max sat down and took Mia’s face in his hands. He kissed her long and hard which began to stir them both up again. “Okay, enough of this. Where are the sheets?”
“They’re in the master bathroom closet, hot stuff. Max… thank you, for everything.”
“Sure, babe, no problem,” he said, as he walked down the hallway toward the bedroom. Ten minutes later he was finished and back at Mia’s side. “I put our sex sheets in the laundry basket. Now, where do I find your bike and the lock?”
“Help me up. I’ll go with you to the garage. Mia opened the service door and flipped on the garage light. Okay, my bike is the black one leaning against the wall, and the combination lock is wrapped around the handlebars. The code is 4-9-3-1. Do you have a smart phone?”
“Yep, I should just use my navigation from your address to the train station, right?”
“Bring it here, handsome. I’ll type it in for you since I know the addresses.”
Mia programmed the navigation on Max’s phone. “Now my address in your nav. You can’t ever say you forgot where I live.”
“Smart girl. I guess I better go. It’s been a crazy few days, Mia. I wouldn’t trade them for the world. I’m expecting to hear from you soon,” he said, as he gave her an enormous hug and a long, soft kiss. “Goodbye, beautiful.”
“Bye, Max. Thanks for everything, and I do mean everything,” she said, grinning. “Take care of yourself.”
Mia pushed the button on the wall which lifted the garage door and released Max into the late afternoon sunshine. She watched as he waved, blew her a kiss and rode off down the street toward the train station. She stood alone, empty and deflated. He wasn’t even to the end of the block and she already missed him. Mia pushed the button again, closing the space between the man she desired and herself. The reality of her pathetic life with Jack was back, and Max was gone.
Mia hobbled to the couch with the crutches, and checked her cell phone. The battery was charged enough to make a short call to Vic. She checked the time: 4:57 p.m. Vic was home already, and Mia had quite a story to tell her.
Chapter Twenty Three
“Vic, it’s me.”
“Mia, where the hell were you? I tried calling you like five times today. What’s going on?”
“I told you I was spending the night at the Boy Scout camp, right?” Mia asked, while trying to elevate her throbbing foot onto the couch.
“Sure you did, but I thought you were coming back around noon. I called several times to see if you wanted to do lunch with us, but your phone kept going to voice mail. Is everything okay?”
“Got a few hours?”
“Yeah, do you want to grab dinner somewhere?”
“I can’t. I have a sprained ankle and I’m supposed to stay off my foot as much as possible.”
“Oh my God, what happened? I can’t come over now since Dumb Ass Doofus will be home soon.”
“I know, and I’m not looking forward to seeing him. I only have enough charge on my cell to last about fifteen minutes anyway. I want to tell you everything, but not over the phone. I’ve got to stay off my foot today and see if Jack even comes home. He needs to pitch in and do things around here until I’m stronger. That’s going to piss him off, for sure. And walking Reggie? I might as well shoot myself in the head right now.”
Vic snorted. “Okay, sister, but if you need anything at all tonight, call me. How about lunch tomorrow? I can come over and pick you up, or bring something to your house.”
“By tomorrow I’ll be stir crazy already. Let’s go out to eat. Vic, if I can’t depend on Jack to be around, I’m going to need someone to help me set up a portable pen outside for Reggie. At least he can do his business and get some fresh air until my foot is stronger.”
“Don’t worry about anything, between all of us, we’ll get it done. Aaron would be happy to watch Reggie for you.”
“Vic, he just did when I was in Florida. I can’t take advantage of him like that,” Mia said, as she rearranged her foot and placed it on the ottoman.
“Girl, Aaron would love it if you took advantage of him,” Vic smirked.
“Yeah, yeah. Okay, my phone is going to die again. I’ve got to put it back on the charger. Call me in the morning. I love you, sister.”
“Back at you, Chica. Talk to you in the morning.”
Mia jammed pillows behind her back and relaxed on the couch. She couldn’t stop thinking about Max. She popped a few aspirins into her mouth and washed them down with a long drink of water. The daydreams took over her mind until she drifted off to sleep.
“What the hell is wrong with your foot?”
The loud, grinding sound of Jack’s voice was right above her. Mia woke with a start and looked up to see him staring at her with his arms crossed in front of him. He appeared angry at the sight of her in this helpless situation.
“Jack, I didn�
�t hear you come in. What time is it?”
“It’s seven-thirty. What’s wrong with your foot?”
“I fell down a hill and sprained my ankle. You’re going to have to pitch in with everything for a week or so until I can put weight on it.”
“Terrific. You know I’m going to Chicago next Wednesday. I’d suggest trying to get your foot in shape sooner than later. Laying on the couch isn’t going to strengthen it.”
“Seriously? It’s swollen for crap’s sake. This just happened yesterday. Give me a break. Why are you so damn self-centered all the time? The doctor even said to stay off of it for a few days.”
“Oh, you mean Dr. Albert, the quack? How are you going to make dinner and walk the dog?”
“I’m not, okay? You figure it out. Damn it, Jack, you’re such a jerk.”
“Fine. I’m going to Henry’s for dinner. I’ll bring something back for you. Meanwhile, I’d suggest you start thinking of a way to get around. I’m not changing my upcoming plans because of your sore foot.”
“Go to hell. I’ll figure out my own dinner. I don’t want you to go out of your way for me. Forget I’m here, like every other day,” Mia said, with hot tears streaming down her cheeks. She rolled over and used the arm of the couch to push herself into a standing position. With her crutches in place, she headed for the kitchen. “Leave already, I’ll be fine.” She didn’t care about Jack, or his self-centered attitude. She was angry he was still around, and now this injury was going to delay things again.
Jack stormed past her and exited through the kitchen, slamming the door behind him. The vibrating sound of the BMW engine revving up, shook the windows. He pressed the gas pedal to the floor and held it there. It was Jack’s way of making his point known. I’m Jack Barnes. I’m pissed off. I drive a BMW, and I’m hot shit. He continued to rev the engine as the car remained in park. He finally backed out of the garage and took off down the street, squealing the tires in the process. She hobbled to the service door and pressed the button to close the overhead.
“Good riddance, you immature asshole!” She spewed the words without the satisfaction of anyone listening, except Reggie. She made it across the kitchen with a bottle of wine tucked under her arm. A glass and the corkscrew came next. I’m going to have to figure out how to streamline things for the next week. This is ridiculous. She poured herself a glass of wine, put her foot up on one of the chairs, and called Vic again.
“Vic, I can’t take this crap. Can you come and get me?”
“Of course, hon. I was ready to make dinner for myself, but let’s go out instead. It sounds like you need to vent. I’ll be there in ten minutes. I’ll come in and get you, just have the front door unlocked. Is Jack home? I don’t want to get into anything with him.”
“Nope, he left. Just talking about him gets my blood boiling. I’ll be watching for you.”
“Okay, sister. I’ll see you in a few.”
***
The reflection of Vic’s headlights flickered through the living room window as she pulled into Mia’s driveway. With her cell and purse in hand, Mia waited as Vic headed up the brick sidewalk. Mia swung the door open and handed her purse to Vic. “Let’s get the hell out of here. I need some food and plenty of wine tonight.”
“That’s my girl! My God, Mia, how are you going to get anything done in your condition?”
“I don’t know. I just need to become very creative I guess. I’ll figure it out.”
“Oh, I know you will. If anyone can get things done, it’s you. Come on, let’s go.” Vic opened the car door, helped Mia in, and placed the crutches in the back seat. They sped off and headed for downtown.
“Don’t go to Henry’s. That’s where Jack went,” Mia said, disgusted at even uttering his name.
“How about Bottoms Up?” Vic suggested, as she waited out the red light.
“Sounds great. Thanks for being there for me.”
“Honey, there’s a lot of people in your corner. We’re all there for you, so don’t worry about anything. We’ve got it covered.” Vic gave Mia a smile and an affirmative nod. “Let’s eat.” Vic parked the car right in front of Bottoms Up and helped Mia inside.
The hostess seated them near the front door, and they placed their order. A bottle of Merlot and two glasses were brought over while they waited for their food.
“So, how did you sprain your ankle?”
“God, Vic… it’s such a long story. The short version is, I fell down a hill while focusing on a deer and her fawn. I wanted to get a few pictures of them and didn’t realize there was a gully right in front of me. I mis-stepped and fell down the hill, smashing into everything as I rolled.”
“Jeez, Mia. You’re lucky you didn’t crack your head on a rock or something.”
“I know, I felt like a fool though. I screwed up the Boy Scout’s day hike, and they all heard me screaming and swearing like a sailor as I rolled. I mean I even had dirt and twigs in my mouth and jammed up my nose. What a moron.”
“Hmmm… let me savor that image for a minute,” Vic said, laughing. “It sounds pretty funny, but don’t beat yourself up, it was an accident. Shit happens.”
“Yeah, I haven’t told you anything yet. I think I’ve gone off the deep end with Jack and this whole Sasha crap. I mean, who the hell am I? What I’m going to tell you needs to stay between us. I’ll tell Tina tomorrow, but just thinking about what I did blows my own mind.”
“What the hell did you do? Is this going to get juicy?” Vic inched in closer, already salivating as she wrung her hands and smiled.
“Oh my God, is it ever. Okay, the condensed version is… I did it with a guy that stayed overnight with me on the trail because of my damn sprained ankle. We had to send the boys back to the camp before dark, so this wilderness guide kept me company until this morning.”
“And you friggin did it with him? Who the hell are you, anyway?” Vic gasped, as she choked on her Merlot. “Didn’t you have a swollen, sprained ankle, and for some reason the thought of having sex popped into your head? You’re certifiably insane! Why the hell can’t I get that lucky?”
“Seriously, Vic, I’m sure I did hit my head on a rock. I’m going to have to check for lumps. I’m as much of a slut as Jack is… my God! I mean why the hell would I have done that otherwise?”
“Um, I can think of a million reasons. To start with, you have a cheating loser for a husband, and you’re hornier than hell. Do you need any other reason? At least tell me this guy was hot, sexy and gorgeous. If you had sex with some dorky nerd, I’ll kill you myself.”
“Vic, this guy is hotter looking than anyone I’ve ever met in my life. Actually, he drove my car home for me earlier and we had sex again right in my friggin bed.”
The wine shot out Vic’s nose and sprayed across the table, landing like a bulls-eye in the center of Mia’s yellow tee shirt. Mia looked down in shock, staring at the deep red wine spray that was creating a new design on her tee. They both burst out laughing as Vic picked up her napkin and handed it to Mia in vain.
“What the hell, girl? Who knew you had a set of balls that big? Who is this mystery hunk anyway?”
“His name is Max Cole, he’s hotter than shit, and insanely sweet,” Mia whispered, obviously excited, yet still trying to maintain some decorum.
“No friggin way! Not the Max Cole?”
“What do you mean the Max Cole? You’re starting to freak me out, damn it.” Mia gulped down a glass of wine and poured herself another.
“He’s an enigma, hon, like Superman or something. His name has been out there for years. You’ve never heard of him? I thought for sure he was just a legend somebody made up like Bigfoot or Davy friggin Crockett. So he’s actually real?”
“Well shit, Vic, I didn’t have sex twice with an enigma. By the way, Davy Crockett was a real person and actually a Congressman in Tennessee.”
“Whatever… so now what? Was it a two time roll in the hay, or are you going to see him again? I’ve got to meet this guy
. Holy shit! It would be like meeting the president or something.”
“Vic, get a grip. I have a million things on my plate right now. I’ll get back to Max later. Let’s just say we left it at ‘to be continued’ for now. I’ve somehow got to get pictures of Jack and Sasha next Wednesday if they really are going to be together. Then we have to get that fake photo shoot done with her. The sooner Jack is gone, the better. I can’t drag this out much longer. I’m going crazy with him in the same house. He’s such an ass, I can’t stand him anymore.”
“I know, hon, we’ll get this done. He’ll be out of your life within a month, guaranteed. Between all of us putting our heads together and plotting, Jack won’t see it coming. Blindsiding him will be sweet revenge. Let’s get you back home before he shows up. I can pick you up in the morning after he leaves. Hang out with us at the salon for the day. There’s nothing else you can do except sit around at home anyway. If he doesn’t walk Reggie, I’ll do it for you in the morning.”
“Thanks, Vic. After work we need to pick up my bike. It’s locked up at the train station. Max rode it there and took the train home.”
“So, he’s a mountain man with a tree house in the woods, and the train just drops him off? Hmmm… that image is friggin hot,” Vic said, laughing.
Chapter Twenty Four
Mia’s foot was getting stronger. She was able to bear weight on it for about thirty minutes at a time. Jack paced back and forth like a caged animal, hating every minute he had help do chores. It was so beneath him, in his own mind. He was annoyed and distant since he had to show some semblance of responsibility around the house. He couldn’t come and go as he pleased.
Soon Jack, soon, Mia thought, as she watched him sneak off to talk on his cell phone, most likely to Sasha. I wonder what he’s telling her. How many lies can he come up with to explain why he can’t stay in the city and make love to her several times a week?
Wednesday was right around the corner. Mia hadn’t tried driving her car yet. A rental sounded smarter, since she would get a car with automatic transmission. She had to call Jack’s secretary and find out if he really was going to Chicago. Mia needed to be in the city if she intended to make the call late in the day. I have to stay one step ahead of him at all times. She would wait with Aaron’s camera in the parking lot across from Jack’s office. She needed those photos of Jack and Sasha. She had no choice. It was the only way to take him down and expose him publicly.