"It's her birthday." He deadpans.
"What?" My mouth drops open at his words. Her birthday? That’s impossible, surely I would have known?
"Her birthday, you know that day when you suddenly become a year older."
"Yeah, yeah I know what you mean, but why wouldn't she tell me? And when? Please tell me that it’s not today." Turning her down is bad enough and I know that I’m going to pay for it, but on her fucking birthday. I may as well hand over my balls now. How could I not know that it's her birthday? Now I feel like a right fucking prick.
"Jess usually celebrates her birthday in style, a few shots, a couple of mojitos. She's normally screaming it from the rooftops, but I guess things have taken a backseat for obvious reasons, recently. It's this Saturday, by the way. Hey, I just thought I’d give you a heads up because I think you should know. I'm sure you're used to females getting pissed at you for forgetting a special occasions, and I wouldn't want you to end up in the bad books with Jess."
"Leave it with me. I'll make sure Jess has the best birthday if it's the last fucking thing that I do?" My mind goes on instant overdrive. What the hell am I supposed to do for her birthday? Somehow I'm going to have to get Jen and George on board without her knowing a goddamn thing about it. Hopefully that won’t be the hard part.
"See, and this is why we love you."
"You're a decent guy George. Don't ever change." I lean over and give his shoulder a firm, friendly slap. I'm happy to know that Jess has always got this guy looking out for her. If ever there comes a time when I'm not around, and fuck, I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon, but if it came to it, I know that she'll always have George to count on.
"Just treat her well is all that I ask, Max." George says, one eyebrow raised, as he gives me his stern warning.
"You can bet your fucking life on it, mate. She means far too much to me."
"How's Jess?" I'm greeted by Tim's voice as soon as I open the office door. Shit, does this guy fucking live here? I can't question his commitment, I'll give him that, but surely the guy has other stuff to do outside the office?
"So, so." I reply, while grabbing the mail that's stacked up on the reception desk. I’ve never been one to dish out other peoples dirt. If Jess wants to speak to him, then she will, but only when she's good and ready. All I can do is make sure everything's okay on my side. I look around the office and see that Amelia isn’t here. Part of me expected her to make an appearance by now, but so far it’s like she doesn’t even exist. If only if felt that way for Jess.
"I was going to call, I just wasn't sure if she'd be up to it." Tim shouts over to me, bringing me out of my thoughts.
"Nah, seriously, don't worry about it mate. I'll let her know you were asking after her. She'll be happy to hear from you, I’m sure." I continue to look at Tim for a moment. Jess really does have some amazing people who care deeply about her here. It's no fucking wonder she wouldn't just up and leave everything at the drop of a hat. Maybe I'm a selfish bastard for expecting her too. To be honest, I've got no fucking control over my selfish ways when it comes to Jess fucking Townsend. I want her, I need her, shit I fucking breathe her. The way she makes me feel is like an addiction. It's something that I have never felt before, and the more I feel it, the more addicted I become. I've not got a chance in hell when it comes to her, but then again, I guess I never really did.
I bring up my emails, hoping that there will be something from Stella. I don't know if Heath's managed to speak to her yet, but I fucking hope he has. I'm beyond pissed at what she's done to me, to the business and to Jess. I just don't get why she would stoop so fucking low. Sure, she never really liked Jess from the start, but this is going way too far for catty shit. For her to actually go out of her way to try and set Jess up is ridiculous. Not only that, but to go behind my back and to actually have the balls to try and ruin my business. Now that's fucking asking for trouble. Sure, she's been there for me when I've needed her, but I've always made sure that she's never gone without. I've always paid her right, treated her right, fuck I've even stood up for her on more occasions than I should have. It’s fucking painful to think someone who I have known for along as I can remember could stab me in the back like that. Sure Liss tried to warn me on more than one occasion, but being the stubborn bastard that I am, I just didn’t want to listen, or believe that a friend could do that to me.
My mind flashes back to that dreadful day in my office. The day when my whole world came crashing down at my feet with just one look. My perfect angel, stood before me, broken. Broken because of me and broken because of her. And then it fucking clicks. This is what it's all been about.
Jealousy...
I fist my hands in my hair as all the warning signs come to me. Stella's overbearing ways, which I put up with because I thought she was worried about me. Then there was Melissa pleading with me to see sense, that one day she would be stab anyone in the back to get what she wants. Again, I ignored her because I thought Liss had it in for Stella because they didn’t get on. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
I treated Stella like fucking family, and for what? To be walked all over and screwed over. Well, it isn't going to continue. I guess all I can do is wait for her to finally call, and when she does, she’ll find out exactly what I fucking feel about her.
"Hello."
"Hey, Mal. It's me." All this drama is screwing with my head and I need to hear a familiar voice. A voice that I know can calm me down at any moment. I know that if there is one person in the world who will always tell me how it is, then Mal’s my man.
"Max, my boy. How the devil are you? Me and Daisy were just talking about you, weren't we dear?" I hear Daisy reply and can't help but laugh as I imagine the two of them pottering about their new humble abode.
"I'm good, I'm good. Just keeping an eye on things from this end. You know how I like to keep my mind ticking over."
"Jess keeping you on your toes, is she?" He laughs down the line.
"Yeah, she sure is. But I wouldn't have it any other way. That girl sure makes each day better than the last."
"How's she getting on?" I know instantly what he's referring to because Jess told him the other week. She thought it was only fair to tell him, as she didn't know how long she'd be staying in London for, and she didn't want to let him down. I honestly don't think there is one selfish bone in that beautiful body of hers.
"She pretends that she's okay, but I know she's not. Her mum won't take her calls and point blank refuses any visitors. We get the odd call from her Doc to give us updates. I just don't think that's enough for Jess. I think she needs to see for herself that her mum is on the mend. I know it’s hard for her. I’m just hoping her mum changes her mind soon, otherwise I’m worried that Jess might go completely coo coo."
"I know Jess and her mum haven't exactly been close over the years, but I can imagine it's taking its toll on her. How do you think she'd take the proposal?"
"I'm not too sure. You've known her longer than me Mal." It feels weird saying that. Yes, I have only known Jess for a short while, but it's like I've known her my whole fucking life, she's just been hiding out; ready to come to me when I needed her the most.
"I've only ever witnessed her struggle personally once and that was when Josh screwed her over. You wanna know how she coped? She put every ounce of strength that she had left into her work, Max. So if you're looking for a way to get her through this, then I think now is the perfect time to ask her."
"Do you know what, Mal. I think you might just be on to something there."
What an absolute genius. Why didn't I think of that? All I've been doing is keeping her away from work, thinking space is what she needed. But Jess is a professional and a perfectionist to the core, and with a mind like hers, it needs constant stimulation, all of the time.
Jess
Finally, after what feels like a lifetime, Jen and I arrive back at my house and we’re slightly a little worse for wear. That fucking woman is going to be the death of me.
“Just one drink. she said. “It’ll be fun.” she said. Needless to say after a couple of rounds, it turned into a mini bender, and do you know what? It actually turned out to be just what I needed. For a while I could finally let my hair down and forget all the surreal crap that's been happening around me lately. Today I was just plain old Jess who was out to get pissed with her best mate.
"Maybe I should go, let you sleep that off." Jen slurs as we step over the threshold.
"Oh, piss off, I'm fine." I say as I topple and land flat on my arse in the hallway, nearly snapping my ankle in the process.
"Of course you are, princess. Everyone knows how much you can handle your beer don’t they?"
"What, I didn’t fall because I’m pissed, silly. It's a dodgy tile. I've been meaning to get it replaced for ages." What a bloody lie. I'm a lightweight and she bloody knows it, everyone knows it. Which in actual fact, makes this all her fault. "You should have told me to stop drinking, Jen."
"I should of, huh? But where's the fun in that?" she laughs and I can see her hobbling towards me on her own unsteady legs. God people must think that we’re a right pair whenever we’re out.
Slowly pulling myself up against the wall, I decide it's best that I sleep this off, otherwise I'll probably throw up everywhere and I really don't think I can stomach cleaning up my insides. Oh no, I begin to feel sick just thinking about it.
"You want me to carry you?" I hear Jen laughing beside me. I bet she's fucking loving this, but right now I couldn't care less. I just need my bed.
"Fuck off. I am fine. I've done this many times before, you know."
"Okay, well I'll be off then. Give me a call if you need me, princess. If I don't hear from you, I'll be sure to give that Adonis of yours a quick call. I’ve missed checking him out."
"Don't even think about calling him, Jen." I warn. The last thing I want is for Max to start worrying about me when he’s obviously got enough going on in that devilishly beautiful head of his.
"I'm messing with you princess, but if I'm worried about you, then you can bet your arse I'll be calling him, whether you like it or not."
"I really do love you Jen. Thanks so much for today. You always know what to do to cheer me up." I slur at her, as she leans down on her own wobbly legs to give me a kiss.
"Hey, what are best friends for? You might not love me for long though, tomorrow is party planning day. Make sure you get all the rest that you can, I’ve got a feeling that you’re going to need it."
It takes all my strength and focus to put one foot in front of the other as I try to make my way upstairs. Why didn't I just dive on the couch? Surely that would have been so much easier. Oh well, I'm halfway there now, it’s pointless wasting more energy going back. As soon as I reach the last step, I crawl across the landing to my bedroom. Fortunately for me, the doors slightly open, so I don't need to burn anymore energy by standing up to get in. The minute I am sprawled out on my bed, I am consumed by the scent of Max and I can't help but revel in it. Only one thing would be better than this, and that's to have him here next to me. Over the past couple of weeks I have become used to him being with me all the time. I know it’s a bad sign when I’m missing him as much as I do. I try and replay this morning in my mind and how he blew me off for Jen. I really want to make him suffer for that, but I think we both know that I haven't got the willpower to hold back from him. All my cognitive thought leaves my body whenever he is near me. It’s bloody ridiculous. The last image that sweeps through my mind is Max, looking down on me like a fallen angel, full of his rugged beauty, before the darkness consumes me.
"Hey, beautiful." I hear Max before I see him. I'm not ready to open my eyes just yet. I'm not sure of the time, but I know that it's still light outside as I can feel the brightness shining through my closed eyelids
"Hey." I whisper back to him, my head slightly delicate from earlier. I remind myself not to move too quickly as the last thing I need is for the room to start spinning.
"Did you guys have fun today?"
"Hmmm mmm." My body feels so tired, but I slowly open my eyes to look at my beautiful rogue. Oh, he definitely doesn't disappoint. It’s like a recurring dream that I never want to wake up from. "What did you get up to? Anything important happen at Stanton's?"
"Not really, at least nothing that you need to worry about."
"That’s good." I turn a little on my side to get a better look at him. I'm glad he's not mentioned Amelia. He seems to know what I do and don't want to hear. He's been pretty good at holding back on the whole Josh and Amelia situation, actually. If I pretend that it hasn't happened, then I might be able to forget that it ever did. Maybe that’s’ what Max is doing.
"Tim was asking after you. Maybe you should give him a call."
"He was?" I ask. I shouldn't be surprised really. Tim's always been there for his colleagues whenever they have needed it. I still feel pretty bad for him having to deal with most of this shit by himself. I'm just glad that he called us when he did; otherwise I dread to think what could have happened. Hopefully Max will be able to get to the bottom of it and soon.
"Yeah, you've got a lot of people that care about you, hey?"
"I sure do." I smile up at him. Yes, my close circle of friends are amazing and I wouldn't change them for anything in the world. Having Max around is just the perfect icing on the cake.
"Come on angel. You need to get up and get ready."
"Ready for what?" I ask, while eyeing him suspiciously. I don’t like this secretive side to Max one bit.
"You'll see." The corners of his mouth curve into a wicked grin as he leans down, with his head hovering over me.
"Maybe we could just stay here? I can think of a few things to busy our time." I can see him weighing up his options, but all too suddenly he pulls back from me... Again.
"You know I'd love to, but we've got plans."
"What the fuck, Max. Twice in one day?" I snap at him before I realise what I am doing. I'm not used to him pulling back from me and I don't like it... At all.
I suddenly feel very self-conscious around him. Maybe he's not attracted to me anymore now that the novelty has worn off. Fucking hell, I bet I look so desperate too. I guess I was just a good fumble until he witnessed the hot mess that is my life. I pull the covers up, bringing them closer to me so I can fill the void that's now rippling through my body.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Max asks, his face full of deep concern. Great, that's all I need, his bloody pity.
"Nothing. Forget I said anything, it's not important." I reply, wanting nothing more than for him to get up and leave me be. If I’ve suddenly become an inconvenience in his life, I’d much prefer that he told me, instead of me being left to look the fool. Shit, I’ve been there, done that and to make it worse, he fucking knows it too.
"Fuck it's not important. If it's bothering you, then it's important to me."
"Honestly Max, it doesn't matter."
"Jess..." His tone is firm and demanding and I suddenly feel stupid for acting like this, but I can't help it. Maybe everything is finally getting on top of me. Josh and Amelia, my mum. Maybe all my emotions are coming together and mixed with the alcohol from earlier, I’m just turning into a weeping, paranoid mess. "Spill it, goddamnit."
"Why do you keep pulling away from me? Are you with me out of pity, Max? Because if you are; then you can go straight out of that fucking front door right now."
I feel his hands cup my face as he brings his own down so that it's flush against mine. My breath hitches in my throat, from the close proximity or nerves, I can't be sure.
"I worry about you sometimes and what goes on in that pretty little head of yours. I. Am. Not. With. You. Out. Of. Pity. Jessica." He says, while pausing between each word so that I understand his sincerity. "You mean more to me than anything I have ever known. Fucking hell Jess, it scares the shit out of me, but it does nothing but fill me with happiness at the same time."
"Really?" My whole body relaxes instantly. Maybe I
am just a paranoid mess. Bloody way to go, Jess.
"Really. Now get that perfect little arse of yours out of bed, we've got stuff to do. Do you really think I'd be dragging you out of that bed if we didn't?"
Unable to hold back anymore, and with my insecurities locked away for a little while, I press my lips against his, desperate to feel the heat of our connection once again. This time, he doesn't pull back and my hands automatically go to their happy place, nestled perfectly in his hair. I can't help but smile at the moan that builds deep in Max's throat and my mind loses all train of thought as he completely consumes me.
"You'll be the fucking death of me woman."
"You wouldn't be much use to me then would you?" I reply, while aching to get him closer to me. Before I know it, the covers are pulled down away from my body and Max climbs on top of me. The feel of his hard, solid chest on mine sends chills rippling through my body and my back arches up into him, desperately seeking more contact.
"How could I ever refuse you?" He whispers against my skin as his fingers lightly trail south. “I’m so sorry if I hurt you. You know that I didn’t mean it. Today was, well. Today, I just thought you could spend a bit of time with your friends. They care about you Jess and I thought it would do you the world of good.”
“It did. I ended up coming home legless, fell asleep and woke up to find some hot, son of a bitch looking down over me when I woke up.”
“You did, hey?” I feel his lips press lightly against my neck, and my whole body reacts to his touch. I bite back the whimper that threatens to escape as his tongue works its way over my nipple, but his hair doesn’t get off that lightly as I almost pull out a chunk, causing him to bite down on my sensitive flesh. At the same time, I feel him press against me, giving me the contact that I have been desperate for since this morning. His touch causes an inferno to erupt all around my body, desperate for more.
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