Caught. Again. Before Maxine even had a chance to pull her lips away from Drew.
Maxine dropped her head to her hands, shielding her face, and muttered, “Damn...!” just as the photographer ran off to sell his pictures.
But Drew was quick to tuck her under his arm, comforting her once again. “I just don’t care anymore, little one...”
“What?” Maxine moaned. “Are you crazy?”
“I care in the sense that I don’t want you to be harmed,” he explained, “but I’ve been under the lens for nearly my entire lifetime. It comes with the territory. And I can’t hide you away forever...”
Again, Maxine shuddered at the thought of being such a private part of his very public life. Would they always have to mind every last move they made? Her greatest fear now was that her dear old dad would find out about her new relationship through someone else’s posting on social media.
They were simply two young lovers out on an evening stroll. What made that small moment in their lives newsworthy just boggled even the budding publicist in her. This was certainly a life lesson learned before she embarked upon her new career. She vowed never to take it too far just to generate press for a client.
All the while, Drew hoped that little incident wouldn't be a deal-breaker.
“Um…I believe…that you were…about to take care of this little mess…on my mouth…”
“Gladly…” he said, his sigh of relief passing from his lips to hers. However, that kiss just wasn’t meant to happen as Lou careened along the walk, cursing out loud at himself.
“Mack, you guys alright? That fucker came outta nowhere…”
Tossing his head back, Drew groused. “We’re fine, Lou—just a fucking pap. We’ll be on Page Six again in the morning…”
What frightened Maxine was the even keel of his voice as he spoke those words. Making the papers again. Just another day in the life of Drew McKenzie.
She realized that she still had a couple of bites of her hot dog left to finish and began to nibble nervously. While Lou seemed rather annoyed that they were just sitting there right in the middle of a park in the moonlight, Drew just shrugged him off and waited for Maxine.
“Come, little one,” Drew stood, taking her hands and swinging her arms playfully once she’d swallowed that last bite. “I think we’ve still got some sight-seeing to do tonight...”
“Is it safe?” she wondered out loud.
“Maxine, I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” he assured her. “Trust me—remember your promise? Put this shit out of your mind. Now where are we headed next?”
“You’re not giving up here, are you?”
“Do I ever?” he challenged.
“Well...I really don’t know these parts over here in…what do you people call it? Brooklyn?” she smiled brazenly. “Any suggestions?”
“If we keep heading south right along the water, we’ll run into The River Café. It’s truly beautiful, and the view is equally as stunning as it is from the bridge,” Drew said. “How about some dessert there?”
“Sounds rather lovely…”
“You’re just gonna keep strolling through this fucking park?” Lou bellowed. “After dark when you have photographers tailing your asses in the shadows? What the fuck is with yous?”
“Lou…” Raising his hand in protest, Drew said with a calmness pervading his voice, “Knock it the fuck off…”
“You’re fucking nuts, Mack. Just fucking nuts…”
“Come on, little one,” Drew ignored him and linked his arm through Maxine’s. “Let’s go catch the view from the other side of the pier…”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Taking her shoulders in his hands, Ben gave Maxine a little shake as she rifled through her small handbag in search of her keys before they both left for the evening. “Now Captain,” he began as he swiveled her around to face him, “you are going to get laid tonight, right?”
“If I weren’t wearing a dress and a pair of somewhat high heels this evening,” she said with a rather wicked smile, “I would kick you in the nuts right now…”
“What the fuck is with you?” Ben hopped backward and held his hand to her forehead as if he were checking her temperature. “Cussin’ up a storm…sayin’ that effin-word, as your crazy grandmother used to call it…threatening my manhood?”
Scooting underneath his arm to duck away, she giggled. That was the one nice thing about being so tiny—she could usually wiggle her way out of the tightest situations. “I'm a New Yorker now!”
“You know, Cap, just because you live in the big city doesn’t mean that you need to start swearing like a sailor…”
“Drew loves it…” she looked back over her shoulder as she headed for the front door.
“Well, then you just sit there throughout dinner and call him a motherfucking, shithead, assfaced, cockbrained, douchebag of a son of a bitching bastard fuck,” he said. “Did you get all that? That’ll make him nice and hard…and he’ll fuck you all night!”
“Oh, Ben, some men still honor and cherish romance…”
“Right before he spanks the shit out of you and rips that cherry right out!”
She placed her hands over her ears and began to hum loudly. “Not listening to you!”
“Maxine…” Ben dropped suddenly to the floor and slid across the hardwoods on his denim-clad knees. “Please—for both of our sakes—fuck him tonight. We both need you to get laid right now…”
“It’s a mutual decision—between Drew and myself,” she reminded him, and actually wondered if she’d come home alone after their talk that evening. She’d told Ben nothing of their week-long trial, but she was so very glad to have him there to make her laugh. She didn’t want to think about the consequences. Every girl wanted a happy ending. At that moment, though, she didn’t want any reminders that she might not get her own. “You have no say in the matter.”
“Will you text me if he fucks you?” Ben clasped her calves. “Like, the second he rips into you?”
“That would be a negative.”
“You’re not going to text me? You’re going to leave me all alone with Mike and Mandy and just leave me hanging, are you?”
“I will text you at an appropriate time—if I lose my virginity tonight.”
“And you must show me the bloody sheets tomorrow, OK? Uncle Benjy needs proof!”
“I hear that it’s your day to do laundry!” she giggled and shuffled closer to the door. But Ben was quick to catch her.
“Listen, Cap, have fun and be safe,” he said with full sincerity. “I love you. And I just want you to be happy.”
“I know that,” she said and touched her hand to his chin. “And I love you back, Uncle Benjy…”
“Don’t let him hurt you. At least not tonight.”
“Why are you so certain it’s gonna happen?”
“Like Judy, I get these premonitions about you,” Ben explained. “When I see you tomorrow, you shall be a woman.”
“I’m a man now?”
“Go fuck your boyfriend, Captain Kirk,” he said and spun her around to the door.
“He’s not my boyfriend…”
“Bye!” he waved her off then blew her a kiss. “Give that boyfriend a kiss from me!”
The chill that had lingered in the air the night before had all but disappeared. This crazy weather played serious havoc upon her wardrobe choices. In her arms, she carried her coat, just in case she might need it that evening. As unpredictable as the weather, she never knew what this man had planned for them.
As Maxine descended down the old concrete steps, she found Drew in his usual spot at the bottom. She wasn't late. She was perfectly on time. He had no reason to complain.
“Good evening, little one,” Drew said, eyes dancing over her. That night, she wore a black dress with tiny pink polka dots and a pair of chunky patent leather heels—perfect outfit for an early fall evening. “You look lovely as ever.”
“Thank you,” she said and t
urned away shyly.
“So I thought we’d take it a bit easy this evening,” Drew said. He lifted her chin to look into her hopeful, yet fearful, emerald eyes. “Dinner...drinks...and conversation...”
His plans always filled her with anticipation. These surprises left her frustrated, but payoff was always so sweet in the end with Drew.
Through the heavy tint of the sedan’s windows, Maxine’s eyes caught sight of the most exclusive shops in the city as they headed uptown. Vera Wang, Prada, Ralph Lauren—every major fashion house in the world owned a bit of real estate on Madison Avenue. She knew she’d never be able to afford a wardrobe like that and would likely never set foot in any of those boutiques…but it was fun to dream, especially with a handsome man like Drew sitting next to her.
When Lou stopped in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art just a few blocks away, Maxine’s jaw dropped in bewilderment. At any given time of day, crowds congregated on those granite stairs with people stopping to eat, chat or just to read for a bit in the sunshine on a warm day. Climbing all of those steps in a fancy little dress and a pair of heels, however, presented a myriad of complications in Maxine’s often clumsy little world.
Drew, though, saved the night as he directed Lou to a private, side-entrance of the vast building, just in case there were any curious photographers looming along Fifth Avenue that evening. Maxine had enough of dealing with the paparazzi for the week, and she actually refused to look at the paper that morning. Kyle had warned her that she’d made the gossip column a second time in just one week with their Brooklyn date. That night, Drew wanted to ensconce her in quietude. They had far too much to discuss than to spend time worrying about who the fuck might be lurking in the bushes.
Taking Maxine’s hands as he helped her out of the car, Drew smiled and raised a knowing eyebrow. “How does dinner on the rooftop sound?”
“Like the perfect Friday night in New York to me...”
A docent greeted them just inside the double-doors and escorted them up to the fifth floor by elevator then through the European Sculpture annex. Maxine’s eyes fluttered around the gallery, trying to take everything in as Drew walked so briskly determined beside her. Lost in her fleeting glimpses of Rodin and Degas, she thought about all of the times she’d visited those hallowed halls of the art world with her mother, spending entire afternoons exploring the vast collections the museum held.
“You’ve got something on your mind…” Drew observed.
That she did. Her life was about to come full circle…or bust. “Thinking about my mom,” she said softly. In fact, she conjured Judy’s essence once again, hoping her mother would lead her to make the right choices. “This was one of her favorite places…”
Drew slowed his pace suddenly so that she could take it all in for a bit. This connection to her mother was all too important, and one that couldn’t be interrupted. So what if they were out on a date? Her mother’s memory would never disappear, and Maxine needed to embrace that. He hooked his arm around her waist as she sauntered along, lost in memories of happy times. He could only hope that night ended just as well.
At last, when Drew reached for the door leading out to the rooftop, Maxine wrapped her fingers around his arm to stop him. “Uh, that sign says the deck is closed for a private party...”
“Little one,” he turned to her, chuckling, “we are that private party.”
Of course, they were! How could she dare to think otherwise? If there wasn’t a party, then Drew would simply create one for her. Don’t get used to this, she warned herself. The evening might be over quicker than it started…
Over the last few days, she’d come to realize that one could see the splendor of the city best from the heights of Manhattan, and the rooftop garden at the Met was no exception. The skyline was almost a backdrop to the lush canopy of trees and thick carpet of green grass in the frame of Central Park that ensconced the museum. While some insisted that the scenery surrounding them detracted from the exhibitions on the roof, Maxine thought that she was privileged to enjoy the most exquisite perch in all of New York City.
Beside them, a table was lavishly set with a centerpiece of fresh hydrangeas flanked by two white taper candles, their flickers of light reflecting off the crystal holders in the dusk. Drew must have asked Ben what her favorite flower was to get it right. Once again, the last thing on Maxine’s mind was the menu, which she was certain Drew had chosen himself.
“You know, it’s one week ago tonight that you spilled your drink on me,” Drew reminded her and raised his water glass in a toast. He’d purposely opted out of the wine menu that night, knowing Maxine couldn’t drink with her medication.
“Here’s to you, Drew,” she smiled and tapped her glass to his.
“No, Maxine...to you...”
As the sun began to set, they simply stood looking out at the city, with Drew hovering close behind Maxine but leaving just a trace of distance between them. Words—for the moment, she decided—simply weren't necessary, and she relished this rare sense of calm that settled over them.
When they finally settled down for dinner, Drew carefully took hold of her linen napkin and covered her lap. He refilled her glass once more, then his own, then eased into his chair, taking in the look of absolute contentment on Maxine’s face.
“What’s going on in that mind of yours?”
“Just thinking...” she murmured.
“I'd like to give you a little more to think about tonight,” he said. “I know we've danced around the subject the last couple of days, but I'd like to have a serious discussion about our future.”
“Will I be signing a contract?” she said, her smile slowly curling on her lips.
“I’ve already told you—I don’t do contracts,” he said. “Perhaps as we—if we—continue on, we can create a wish list, but we’ll have to discuss it all in detail. I will need to know your hard limits, though, and I need to know how far you’re willing to let me push you right now...if you‘re still considering submitting to me.”
“I’m still—” her voice was so soft that he could barely hear her. “I’m just a little frightened of the idea of pain at the moment.”
“And I think that's a normal response,” he said. “I told you, though, we'll work up to that lightly. No more—or no less—than you can handle. There are still so many things you need to learn first as we begin this together...”
Maxine had to giggle as the waiter interrupted suddenly with their grilled salmon. That poor man probably had no idea what they were discussing. She could only hope that his ears hadn’t caught much of their conversation.
“I still think we should have something drawn up,” Maxine insisted. “Just to set some parameters…”
“You read too many books,” he told her. “And bad ones at that…”
“Well, isn’t it for your protection and mine?”
“Excuse me, young man?” Drew called out to the waiter just as he was about to leave them all alone on the deck to eat their dinner. “Do you have some paper and a pen?”
Tearing a sheet from his pad, the server left the writing implements on the table, then quietly slipped through the door.
“Hard limits,” he read as he wrote, his bold script defying the lines on the page. “Go.”
“Uh…”
“Paddling?”
“Ouch.”
“Nipple clamps.”
“Uh-uh.”
“Vibrators, dildos…?”
Lobbing her head with much consideration, she said, “Maybe…”
“Maybe my ass, Maxine!” At last he took a deep breath from his rapid fire inquisition and dropped the pen to the table. “You know, considering that you’ve tried none of the things about which we’ve just spoken, I don’t think we have a legitimate agreement here.”
“The point you’re trying to prove, Sir?” she prompted.
“Just as I've said before—what frightens you now, might turn you on later. Don't knock it, till you've tried it,”
he said. “You will need to outline your hard limits as we go along, but we don't need a legal document telling me what I can or can't suggest in the bedroom.”
“Good old spontaneity…” she mumbled.
“We’ll talk about things—rationally and logically, like two adults,” he insisted. “Of that I can assure you…”
“Rationale and logic,” she repeated. “Two words that often don’t pop up in conversations about sex…”
“And speaking of words…what we do need are safewords.”
“Can I think about those?”
“You have twenty-four hours to consider your choices—if we both decide to continue tonight.”
“Oh…al…right…”
“Look how far you’ve come already,” he noted. “A week ago, you would have never thought about engaging in a relationship like this one. Now you’re considering all the possibilities.”
“I hate when you’re right,” she admitted.
Drew took a long sip of his water, his eyes holding her gaze all the while. “And you’d love nipple clamps…”
“I don’t know about…”
His head shot left then right as he looked around just to double-check that they were alone, and then Drew reached across the table to pinch the tiny bud of her breast, giving it a little twist with his thumb and forefinger.
“Oh!” she cried out suddenly, then relaxed against the pressure of his pull as his fingers manipulated her so sinfully. “…ohhh…”
A devilish snicker left his lips as his hand fell away. “Told ya…”
She fussed with the heavy linen napkin in her lap, and forced herself to sit up straight, which only enhanced the curves of her breasts for his viewing pleasure. “What if I had that on my hard limits list?”
“Then you wouldn’t know the pleasure right now, would you, Maxine?” he countered.
So true again. “No contracts. Just…discussions?”
“And I promise you, if there’s something that upsets you, we’ll table it for another time, or you can place it on your hard limits list,” he said and took her hand to capture her full attention, which waned with his minor assault to her breast. “I will never give you more than I think you can take—physically or emotionally—even if you’re begging me.”
WEAKENED: The Manhattan Bound Series Book One Page 29