Scrambling, Drew attempted to hoist an orgasm-weary Maxine up while he hooked her arms around his neck.
“Drew…what the—”
“Fucking cops, Maxine….” he muttered as he stood up with her holding on to him for dear life. “I’m going to make a run for this. Straight out of the park. Are you with me?”
Ultimately, this was what trust was all about. If anyone could save them from getting in trouble for a rather graphic public display of affection in the snow, Drew would.
“Fuckballs…” she heaved and kicked her heels at his sides as if she were commandeering a horse. “Go, Drew…just go!”
No matter how often he worked out and practiced his poise, this was Drew’s ultimate test in stamina. Now he had to figure out quickly how the hell to run for the nearest entrance without slipping and sliding and—his worst nightmare of all—dropping Maxine before the cops caught up to them.
Steadily and quickly, he trudged through the snow, mindful of every sloshy step he took. Getting caught dry humping in a snow drift in the middle of Central Park with the woman he was about to marry wasn’t the worst crime ever committed. But the press wouldn’t necessarily agree.
“Turn around very carefully, Maxine,” he muttered, quickening his stride. “And tell me if they’re gaining on us.”
“No one’s back there, Sir,” she managed, still dazed from her orgasm.
Although Drew could have sworn that he’d heard another pair of footsteps in the snow, he had to ignore his own instinct and just get them the fuck out of there.
When at last they’d reached the sidewalk along Central Park West, Maxine sighed with relief as he backed over toward a snow-covered park bench and eased her down.
Breathless, Drew dropped beside her, caring not if his ass got wet by the tiny pile of snow he sat in. Draping her arms around his neck, she scooted closer and pressed her lips to his.
Beneath the sepia hue of the lamplight, Drew’s dominance dissipated as he kissed her with reckless abandon. He no longer cared who might see them. He wasn’t even concerned by another run-in with the NYPD, as Maxine scooted into his lap.
“Did someone interrupt you, little one?” he asked, pulling her lip in between his teeth for a quick bite.
With a pronounced nod, she pouted. “Yes, Sir. Mean cops.”
“Aw, they took away your orgasm,” he bemoaned. “Would you like another?”
“Please, Kind Sir?”
“Can you be quiet this time?”
“As a mouse…” she whispered.
“Quickly, Maxine. I do need to get you home—maybe even take you to the Dungeon and give you a proper punishment...”
In his lap, Drew rocked Maxine, catching every shadowed glimpse of her face, twisting with the most delicious pleasure, as he brought her closer to fulfillment again. Not a murmur—not a word—escaped her lips while she clung to him in the middle of that damn blizzard.
Quietly, she came, holding herself so very still as Drew’s lips passed over her cheek and into her hair. “So sweet now, my little one,” he said, his lips drifting over the line of her jaw. “There is no one more beautiful—or more precious—than you…”
From behind, just on the other side of the brick wall that lined the park, an anonymous figure hovered beneath the thicket of snow-capped trees—catching every single word…and piecing together the puzzle that was Drew McKenzie.
Chapter Five
“That’s six, Captain!” Ben cheered as he patted Maggie on the back then took a sip of his mimosa. “Six little Mini-Macks to terrorize the streets of Manhattan and disrupt the Broadway community as we presently know it…”
So thorough was Ben in his research on bridal showers, he’d uncovered an old wives’ tale that promised for every ribbon broken when the bride opened a gift, a baby would be born unto the intended couple. No one was enjoying that game more than Maggie McKenzie.
Although Maxine had protested the suggestion of such an event, Ben and Jillian thought she deserved a little celebration before her wedding. They decided to surprise her with a small shower at Alice’s Teacup, that same girlie restaurant where he’d taken her on her first weekend in the city.
Much to Ben’s amazement, his mother had actually offered to help them with the small affair. Mandy pulled together the décor in shades of blue to match Maxine’s colors for the wedding. She also personally coordinated with the restaurant to make sure that the day would run smoothly. To the guest list, she’d added Bootsie and Bitsy, but Ben was far too impressed with her seemingly genuine desire to participate that he didn’t fight her.
Neither Maxine nor Drew wanted a huge show of fanfare, so Ben and Jillian carefully invited family and a few of Maxine’s closest colleagues from work. They were all eager to remind her of the love she had in her life, even without her mom at her side.
One slightly sad spot on the afternoon was the fact that Vicki got stuck performing an emergency surgery on a puppy and was unable to fly to New York. While Vicki would never replace Judy, Maxine had really taken affection to the new lady in her dad’s life, and so did everyone around her.
“And did I hear you and Jeffrey say that you can’t wait to babysit?” Maxine teased as she carefully removed the glittering wrapping paper from Ben’s gift.
“I think every kid should have an Uncle Benjy in their lives,” Jillian chimed in.
Suddenly all eyes raced toward the bride as Maxine fisted her tiny hands on her hips. “Benjamin Worthington!”
“Oh, my!” Maggie whispered to Jeffrey, turning away slightly. “Is it a gag gift?”
“Yeah, but it’s safe to look,” Jeffrey muttered out of the corner of his mouth.
“A…toaster?”
Maxine only confused her guests by her almost violent reaction to the small appliance.
“Aw, it’s a nice gift, Max—and one that every household needs,” Bitsy empathized while Ben doubled over in a fit of laughter.
“What’s so funny about a toaster?” Bootsie wondered out loud.
“Drew!” Ben managed at last and brought his glass of ice water to his dry lips. “He almost burned our whole house down making toast!”
“Oh…did he really?” Maggie asked, her chagrin rising. “He’s not very…domestically inclined, I’ll admit. But—”
“But I love that man,” Maxine said. “With my entire heart. And don’t you worry, Uncle Benjy, we’ll get you back…”
“And to you and Drew and those six new babies in the McKenzie family!” Jeffrey raised his delicate teacup in a toast.
“Drew’s getting married?” Aunt Frannie shouted with a suddenness that nearly forced Maggie from her chair. “Again?”
How they all adored the aging matriarch of the McKenzie clan. Even in her red lipstick and orange rouge, Frannie still upheld the majesty of an era gone by.
Now, of course, her belief that Drew had a family with another wife became a legend. In Frannie’s presence, everyone agreed to her claims as if they were true.
“Aunt Frannie, dear,” Maggie began, taking her hand. “I explained it all to you in the car on the way over. He’s marrying Maxine next month.”
“He’s a polygamist now, too?” Frannie blinked her eyes in disbelief. “What perverts you raised, Marge!”
Maxine quickly regained control of the party, and moved forward by praising her friends’ kindness. They’d truly received some thoughtful gifts, including donations to their charities of choice. However, her lovely words of gratitude were interrupted yet again.
“Oh, wait, Max!” Mandy jumped from her seat to retrieve a package from a nearby buffet. “I almost forgot! Adam left this with me. Said you should open it last.”
With those words, not a cheek went unflushed in their entire party. And Jeffrey carefully unfolded a linen napkin to hold in front of Maggie’s face.
Meanwhile, Jillian grabbed Maxine’s wrists, circling them with her fingers. “I did not know about this, Max,” she swore.
There were various i
tems inside that little gift bag from Adam. Heated oils. Lickable lotions. A “toy” kit made popular by a recently adapted movie that she and Drew both refused to see. If Adam only knew that they had an entire room of their own filled with more tricks and toys than in that little bag…
Maxine’s face heated to a spicier shade of red than the cinnamon candy panties before her.
“Hey, can I have those?” Ben pointed to the edible undies, much to Jeffrey’s absolute horror. Decidedly, Jeffrey needed a napkin mask, too.
“Benjamin!” Now his own mother was yelling at him.
“Mom, they’re like that Fruit Rollup crap!” Ben explained as he tore off a gummy piece of panties and popped it into his mouth. “Shit! This cinnamon burns! Good thing you didn’t try to use it…on your—”
“Alright, Ben!” Jeffrey shouted, ready to crawl under the table and tug Maggie with him.
However, Maxine’s light laughter continued to echo so sweetly as the afternoon came to a close. She’d promised herself to make a great effort to enjoy this time in her life. Grief shadowed her joy over marrying Drew, and that wasn’t fair to him or to anyone in their close-knit circle. Judy was always there in spirit, watching her every move and smiling proudly from wherever she sat above them all. In that, Maxine had to believe.
After the party had broken, Ben and Jillian helped her downstairs with her gifts to the car where Lou was waiting. That evening, Maxine actually planned to spend that night with Ben. They still often shared a sleepover, and their time alone together was more precious than ever. Quite frankly, though, Maxine had a few things on her mind to discuss, and only Uncle Benjy could provide the proper perspective.
“So why don’t you gals come over to Ben’s for a glass of wine,” Jeffrey suggested. “I’m heading up there for a bit, and the night is still so very young…”
“You’re so very right!” Maggie agreed. “Aunt Frannie, would you like to see the old Worthington townhouse?”
“You mean Barry’s place?” Her face finally brightened as she turned to Ben. “I would love to!”
When at last Mandy emerged from the restaurant, Maxine knew that Ben was ready to be rid of her for the day. Although he appreciated her recent attempts to understand his sexuality, a little Mandy went a very long way.
“Mwah, Max! Cannot wait til the wedding!” Mandy grabbed her and pulled her close for a kiss, then paused for a second before pecking Jeffrey’s cheek, too. “Alright, you guys have a great rest of the day. Ben, we’ll talk soon, okay? Love you…”
“Back atcha, Mom…”
Sometimes, Ben still had trouble with any sort of display of emotion toward his parents, but he promised himself that he’d work on his issues.
“Thank you, Amanda!” Maxine called out as Mandy made her way to the corner to hail a cab. Placing her hands on Ben’s shoulders, Maxine gave a squeeze. “And thank you, my best friend…for making a day I didn’t even plan on so special for me. It was absolutely lovely…”
“So are you, Bride-to-Be,” he said and tweaked her nose. “You’re gonna make some dude a great wife here soon.”
# # #
“That’s it!” Aunt Frannie pointed to the portrait above the mantle. “There’s your granny, Barry. That’s not a very flattering image of her, though…”
“So you were really here—in this house—with my grandmother?” Ben pressed her, dying to hear whatever Aunt Frannie could remember.
“I sure was!” she said as she took a seat on the sofa. “Oh, I remember the night Edie passed out on this couch, and we were all afraid that she was dead!”
“Aunt Frannie!” Maggie folded her arms in front of herself.
“Edie Beale…?” Ben asked, just tossing out the assumption that this Edie was a Kennedy relative.
“Oh, come on!” Frannie challenged, looking around the room. “Edie Sedgwick!”
Unable to contain her curiosity, Jillian moved to the edge of her seat. “You mean…Andy Warhol’s muse?”
Folding her arm in front of her, Aunt Frannie nodded. “The one and only…”
Ben could have easily sat there all night, listening to the tall tales. He still wondered how much of what Frannie said was true, but it was awfully fun to speculate about his own family history. “With that crowd, I’m wondering what else went on here…”
“Got any sherry?” Frannie winked. “I take bribes.”
“If we don’t, I’ll find you some…” Ben promised.
While it took him a few minutes and some digging through the old liquor cabinet, Ben returned with the bottle. He had no idea how old it was—could have dated back to his grandmother’s days in the house. However, he filled her a glass anyway. Didn’t seem to matter to Aunt Frannie.
“So talk to me…” Ben took a seat right next to her on the couch.
“Oh, let’s just say we had a lot of fun here,” Frannie reminisced with a smile on her face. “This was the most psychedelic haunt on the entire Upper East Side…”
Maxine wasn’t sure whether she should gasp or giggle. “You mean they…”
“Oh, please!” Frannie threw her hands in the air. “Barry, your grandmother tripped with the best of them, including Timothy Leary himself—until she got pregnant with your father!”
Jillian clamored for more. Now things were really getting interesting. “Wait…Ben’s grandmother used to drop acid right here in this very room?”
“Only when his grandfather was away on business…”
“Alright, kids, enough of the—” Maggie began, but the ringing doorbell cut her off. With a knowing smile, she turned to Jillian. “Who on earth could this be?”
“Damn…” Ben muttered and followed Jillian to the door. “Aunt Frannie, you must tell me more one day.”
“As long as you bring the sherry!”
Confusion, however, cloaked Maxine’s face when she turned to find Cora, the costumer, following Ben into the living room, her arms draped with a huge dress bag.
“Surprise, sweetie,” Maggie pulled her close for a hug. “Your wedding gown is finished. Cora’s here to do the alterations…”
“Wait a minute…” Maxie said, her face looking up at Maggie’s tender blue eyes that had already begun to well with tears. “It’s…my dress?”
“Why do you think we were all rushing you back here?” Jillian winked.
“Oh, Cora!” Maxine opened her arms wide and ran to her, nearly knocking the gown from her arms. “You’ve worked a miracle.”
“Sweetheart, why don’t you look at the dress first?” Cora suggested as she returned Maxine’s kiss to the cheek. She’d managed to drop by in between the matinee and the evening performance, and they didn’t have much time. “Let’s go get you fitted!”
While Maxine scurried along to show Cora to her old room, Ben sat back on the couch to Skype Tom. Her dad was also in on the surprise and couldn’t wait to see his baby girl.
“Now, Maxine,” Cora began as she hung the gown on the back of the door and unzipped the bag, “I hope this is what you wanted…”
Always so poised, Cora waited patiently for Maxine’s reaction. She was a tiny woman, just like Maxine, with a slick black bob that framed her chin. Always dressed in black and wearing her trademark red Chanel lipstick, Cora was the epitome of understated style.
There was no fighting the sob that rocked her entire body as Maxine laid eyes upon the gown for the first time. Soaking in every detail, she dared to reach out to stroke her fingers against the fine off-white lace and traced over the exquisite details Cora had embellished with each and every cut and stitch.
Although she undressed rather hurriedly, Maxine took the greatest caution as she slipped into the gown, so fearful that she might put a rip in the delicate fabrics.
“Now, it’s a little big so that I can fit you in all the right places…” Cora said as she pinched the waist with her thumb and forefinger. “Take a peep, dear…”
Looking in the mirror, Maxine could actually envision herself walking d
own that aisle on her dad’s arm with Drew waiting impatiently on the other side. She hoped they would both love it as much as she did. Cora gave her everything she wanted and more—simplicity and elegance with a flurry of romance.
“Oh, Cora, it’s perfect!” Maxine insisted with a huge hug. Damn, now she was crying. She hoped she didn’t get any makeup on herself! “Thank you so much again. It’s exquisite!”
“You look beautiful, Maxine,” Cora said. “And I know Drew’s heart is going to skip at least a few beats when he sees you…”
“May I show everyone?”
“Why don’t you allow me to pin you first, and then we can give them a full viewing?”
All eyes were locked upon the doorway to Maxine’s bedroom when she emerged at last. However, Ben, who stood rather stoically in the kitchen with Aunt Frannie, appeared for once to be out of words.
This moment in their friendship was one for which Ben hadn’t prepared. Of course, Maxine insisted on making him an equal partner in her big day. He’d had a couple of months to adjust his eyes to that beautiful ring that so lovingly circled her finger. He’d even had a conversation or two with Drew about this thing called marriage.
Now, though, seeing Maxine in her wedding gown made it far too real.
With a touch of absurdity, he remembered the first night they got drunk together during their freshman year, and he walked her back to her dorm room—straight through the mud. She was wearing Judy’s boots, and they spent a better part of the next morning scraping the layers of soil and sod away before she returned home that night.
He even thought back to Maxine’s first college crush on some schmuck in the theater department…and how he broke her heart a month later when he refused to call her back. And he remembered that thrill of first love—her first real love—when Maxine met Drew.
In his head, Ben knew he’d never lose her. The best was yet to be had between them, but he felt the tug at his heartstrings as she swept past him, strolling along in prenuptial bliss.
“You…” Ben barely breathed. “You look beautiful, Captain…”
KNOTTED: The Manhattan Bound Series, Book Three Page 8