by Bria Marche
“Here he is. Get the paramedics over here, hurry!”
One of the paramedics backed the ambulance closer to where Max lay. They rushed over to check his condition as the deputies held the lights for them.
“Okay, he’s in rough shape. We need the gurney over here. He has multiple deep lacerations on his head and face. Let’s get a collar around his neck and slide the back board under him. Let’s go guys!”
They determined Max was riding alone by his mumbling. When they finally got him in the light of the ambulance they assessed his injuries. Max had a concussion and needed a lot of stitches to stop the bleeding. There were numerous cuts and abrasions on his face and scalp. Both of his legs were broken. His torn jeans exposed the snapped tibia bone on his right leg and broken femur on the left. Several ribs were cracked too. In the ambulance, Max mumbled the name Vic. He was rushed to Hudson Valley Hospital Center where he was admitted, his broken bones were set, and he was placed in ICU. The doctors feared he may have bruised his brain. His head injuries were serious, and he wasn’t wearing a helmet. Max was lucky he didn’t suffer spinal injuries, yet he needed to remain sedated until the swelling in his head went down. Without his cell phone the police had no idea who to call.
Chapter Eighteen
Vic was still angry and hurt when she got up Sunday morning. Damn them! The party could have been perfect. I wanted it to be perfect for Mia and Aaron, I really did. Why did those two have to go off together? Why did they say they loved each other?
She stood by the patio doors and stared blankly at the backyard, the remnants of the party still lying around. The events of the night before played out in her mind, over and over like a movie she couldn’t turn off. What am I doing wrong? I was sure Max wanted me until I saw Mia and him together in the driveway. Vic held the steaming cup of coffee between her hands and wondered if she should confront them or not. Why would Mia do this to Aaron? She told me there was nothing between her and Max. Would Mia lie to me, her best friend? Vic made up her mind. She had to talk to Mia. She wasn’t going to let this problem fester into something bigger. Better to confront it head on and see what happens.
A knock on the door sounded just as Vic passed the foyer on her way to the bedroom. She was going to get dressed and head directly to Mia’s house. She tightened the belt on her bathrobe, made sure the chain lock was fastened and opened the door slightly. Mia stood there.
“What the hell, Mia? It’s eight-thirty in the morning,” she said, almost annoyed.
“Hey, girl. I came to help you clean up after last night. To be honest, I wanted to know what was going on with you and Max.”
“What does that mean?” Vic asked, now irritated by Mia’s nosy, yet innocent attitude.
“It smells like you made coffee. Can we sit and talk? Something was up with you guys last night. You weren’t yourself. You were aloof, and almost to the point of ignoring him. What gives? This isn’t like you. Talk to me, sister.” Mia helped herself to a cup of coffee. She pulled the bottle of creamer out of the refrigerator and placed it on the table next to her cup. She was sure they’d go through the entire pot of coffee during this conversation.
“I was aloof? That’s funny. What do you expect from me? You were my best friend, damn it.”
“What the hell are you talking about? I am your best friend. Always was, and always will be… ”
“Do I really need to spell it out for you, Mia?”
“Well… yeah, I guess you do, because I’m at a disadvantage here. You’re going to make me cry in a minute if you don’t say what’s on your mind. Now go ahead, say it.” Mia was getting nervous. Her right eye began twitching. Damn tics. Why the hell is Vic pissed at me?
“Fine… I’ll blurt it out if that’s what you want.”
“That’s what I want.” Mia gulped her coffee, hoping it would settle her nerves. Vic was a Puerto Rican fireball after all. I wonder if she’s going to beat the shit out of me.
“Okay, I’m talking about you and Max. I heard you guys saying how much you loved each other last night. There I said it. Damn you, Mia. Why can’t I have him for myself?”
Mia spit a mouthful of coffee across the table and began choking. “What the friggin hell are you talking about? Apparently, you had too much to drink last night because my memory is of a nice evening spent with Aaron. Have you gone insane?”
“You two were in the driveway hugging each other. You said you loved him, and he said it back. How do you explain that any other way than the way it was? Knock yourself out. Go ahead, tell me.” Vic opened the cabinet and took out a wine glass. She pulled the stopper from a nearly empty bottle of Merlot that was left over from last night. She was disgusted at how little wine remained in the bottle. “Screw it,” she said angrily, and guzzled the contents right from the bottle.
“Really, Vic? It isn’t even nine o’clock.”
“You’re not only a boyfriend stealer, now you’re the wine police?” Vic snarled.
“Sit the hell down and listen to me. I don’t want any drama or interruptions either. Jeez, Vic, get a grip. You’re going to feel really stupid after I explain everything.”
“I doubt it.”
“Shush. Max asked me to come out to the driveway because he had a gift for me.”
“Wow, that’s awesome, Mia. What am I, friggin chopped liver?”
“Vic… please. The gift was only out of friendship, nothing more. Max gave it to me as a thank you for introducing you to him. He was happy and excited about his potential future with you. Yes, we did express our love… as friends. It’s no different than you loving Aaron. I’ve told you before, Max is going to be in my life, as a friend. I want all of us to be friends with each other, you know, our group?”
“Did he really say that Mia, about me, I mean?” Tears welled up in Vic’s eyes as she got up and opened a new bottle of wine. She poured two glasses and handed one to Mia. She sat down and cupped her head in her hands. “Oh my God, I can’t believe what a jealous idiot I am. Can you ever forgive me?”
“Vic… people often believe what they see without knowing the facts. I did the very same thing to Aaron a few months ago. Luckily we loved each other enough to talk through my insecurities. It turned out, what I thought I saw was opposite from the truth. I felt like a fool because I didn’t trust him enough at the time. I didn’t have the facts, but now I know better. If anything ever appears off to you, you need to confront it immediately. Don’t wait around and let it eat at you.”
“I’m such a horse’s ass. I probably screwed things up with Max forever. I ignored him last night, and he had no idea why.”
“Call him and be honest. He really cares about you. Do it now while you still have the courage. I’ll start cleaning up the backyard.” Mia walked outside and closed the patio door behind her. Vic needed privacy. Mia looked back through the slider and smiled, giving her a thumbs up.
Shit I’m so nervous. What the hell am I going to say? How do I begin? Vic searched for the right words as Max’s phone rang. I’ll just start talking like I always do.
The phone rang again. On the third ring it picked up and Vic heard his sexy voice. “Hi, Max here.”
“Hi Max, it’s Vic. I hope you enjoyed the party and… ” Vic paused, realizing it was his recorded message talking, not Max in the flesh. Damn it! It isn’t really him. She started over. “Hi Max, it’s Vic. I wanted to talk a bit. Hope your Sunday morning is going good. Give me a call… okay bye.” Ugh… that sounded like shit.
Vic joined Mia in the backyard with two fresh cups of coffee. Drinking wine at this time of day was just stupid and impulsive. “Hey, Mia, let’s sit and have some good, strong coffee. Sorry about the wine, that was dumb. Anyway, I got Max’s voicemail, but I did leave a short message, and asked him to call me back. I want to clear the air with him so we can move forward.”
“That’s good. Don’t worry, everything will be okay. So do you want to hang out after we clean up this mess? Aaron is teaching a photo developing class today. Hey, wh
ere’s Mario?”
“He’s still asleep. It’s kind of exciting that he and Max might open some stores together. They’re both so similar in that outdoorsy, hunky guy way. Even if Max is pissed off at me, I know he wants to get together with Mario. Somehow we’ll be able to fix things, I’m sure of it.”
“Alright, let’s get this mess cleaned up and go bang on Tina and Sasha’s door. Maybe they’ll want to do lunch later.”
“Sounds good, Chica. I love you, sister, and I’m sorry about everything.”
Mia hugged her. “Vic, whenever you get insecure, just look in the mirror. You’re the hottest, toughest babe living in Westchester County.”
Chapter Nineteen
Max lay in ICU under the watchful eyes of the hospital staff. He was in an induced coma due to the swelling on his brain. The bones in his legs were set, and his cuts were stitched. The only thing left to do, was wait. The doctors identified Max from his driver’s license, but they had no idea who to call. There wasn’t a cell phone on him when he was brought to the hospital. Nobody was looking for him. He didn’t have another group hike to lead until the middle of September.
Orange cones narrowed the road to one lane as the tow truck driver backed to the edge of the shoulder near the ravine. He wrapped a cable around Max’s bike just beneath the handlebars. The winch was engaged, dragging the Harley through the brush and onto the flatbed truck owned by a garage in Peekskill. The bike was destroyed. Max loved that bike with the custom paint job and tons of chrome. Now, it was reduced to a pile of rubble, ready for the junkyard. The tow truck driver didn’t see the cell phone that flew out of the saddlebag as the bike tumbled the night before. It lay in the weeds, hidden from sight. That cell phone contained the phone numbers of the people who cared about Max and his whereabouts. It was Max’s lifeline, but now it lay forgotten along State Highway 9.
There were no return calls to Vic that Sunday from Max. She convinced herself he was stewing a little, and rightfully so. I’ll give him a few days and then try again.
***
The girls gathered Monday morning at Hair Brained. Sasha and Karen sat on vacant styling chairs as Sasha waited anxiously for that important call from Josh Redmond. Today, she would find out if the owners of the Victorian on Sunrise Avenue accepted, or countered her offer. Mia had a photo shoot to do, but agreed to join them for lunch at Morey’s. Sasha paged through style magazine after style magazine, glancing at her watch regularly. She fidgeted and drank too much coffee.
“Sasha, you’re going to go nuts if you don’t settle down,” Karen said. “Call Josh and see if he found out anything.”
“Won’t that make me look desperate?”
“You already look desperate, for Pete’s sake. He is supposed to be working for you, the buyer, remember? Just call him.”
“Okay, I will in ten minutes. It’s already eleven-fifteen. He should know something by now. Look, I’ve bitten off my beautiful fingernails Tina manicured so nicely, damn it!” Sasha asked Karen to check her hair for split ends. “Pleeease, I’ve got to get my mind off the house for a few more minutes,” she begged.
“Oh for crap’s sake, Sasha.” Tina grabbed the cell phone from Sasha’s death grip and called Josh’s office. As soon as it rang, she handed the phone back to Sasha. “Now talk.”
Sasha put on her assertive voice when he answered. “Josh, weren’t you going to call me? What’s up with the house?” The last thing Sasha wanted to do was give Josh the upper hand.
“Hey, Sasha, I was about to dial your number,” he said.
“Sure you were. So what’s their answer?”
“The owners laughed at the offer. I told you they would. I was embarrassed to even present it, but you insisted.”
“Hey, Josh, your smart ass attitude is showing through. Don’t forget who you work for. If you don’t sell that house, you don’t get a commission, remember?” Sasha looked at the girls for approval. They giggled and gave her the thumbs up. “Here’s what I suggest you do,” she continued, “tell the owners to go to hell. Can you muster up the balls to do that for me?”
“What? You can’t be serious,” Josh said, as he began to backpedal.
“I’m as serious as a heart attack. They can go to hell, and you can join them. Good bye and thanks for nothing, Mr. Grossman.” Sasha punched the red “end call” button with heavy emphasis. “Damn it, I wish I had a land line so I could slam the phone down on the receiver.”
“What the hell? Did you really just say that, Sasha? You’ve got bigger balls than Vic does,” Karen said, laughing. “And you called him Mr. Grossman. I love it, but what about the house? You want that place more than anything.”
“Oh, I’ll get that house. They’re messing with the wrong person. And Josh? He can kiss my lovely ass. I’ll find another Realtor that takes me seriously,” Sasha huffed. “I bet you guys anything Josh will come around like a puppy with his tail tucked between his legs. Mark my words, he’ll be calling me back sometime today,” Sasha said, proudly.
Lunch at Morey’s was one of the girls’ favorite activities. Not only was Morey a good friend, but the food at his pub rocked. They waited for Mia to show up on the newly added outdoor deck. The deck was constructed on the side, and back of the building, giving patrons a chance to people watch as the tourists passed by, or enjoy the beautiful, dense wooded area behind the restaurant. Bird feeders were randomly scattered in the back along with garden beds, showcasing its beauty. The girls sat toward the front with the street view because they were watching for Mia. They ordered a pitcher of beer and talked a mile a minute.
“So Vic, what’s on the agenda for you and Max next weekend?” Karen asked, as she leaned in, rubbing her hands together and giving Vic a wicked smile.
“Well, Ms. Nosy, I haven’t spoken to Max since the party. I’m going to let him pursue me. You know, that’s how you get guys to really want you. You have to come across as indifferent,” Vic said, trying to sound like nothing was amiss.
“Is that really true?” Sasha asked.
“Of course it is. The bitches always get the guys. It’s so stupid.”
“What is?” Sasha asked, as innocent as a teenage girl trying to land the pimply faced boy next door.
“It’s like this. Guys love to bitch about how high maintenance their girlfriend or wife is, but those are the women they choose. For whatever reason they need that drama and constant conflict in their life. I guess it makes them feel more manly or something. It’s so friggin dumb.”
“So, the only way to get a guy is by being a bitch to him?” she asked.
“Yep.” Karen, Tina and Vic agreed.
“That means Josh Redmond is going to be all over me,” Sasha said, giggling.
“Gross. Here comes our chicky mama. Hey, Mia, over here.”
Sasha’s phone began chirping as the five of them finished their lunch and beer. “Oh my God, it’s Josh. He didn’t waste any time.” Sasha’s eyes were the size of silver dollars as she answered her phone and listened to what he had to say. “Yes, uh huh, okay… I’ll get back to you in a few days. Good bye, Mr. Redmond.”
“Wow, you really are a hard ass, Sasha. What did he want?” Mia asked, grinning. “Hang on. Lisa can you bring us the check please? Okay… what did Mr. Dickmond, oh sorry, I mean Mr. Redmond say?”
“I knew it. All I had to do was play hardball with him. Now the owners have reconsidered my offer. I guess I scared them when I acted like I wasn’t interested anymore. Anyway, Josh said they countered for $725,000. I’m going to let all of them sweat for two days. I’ll present my final offer at $715,000 and not a penny more. I’ll make sure Josh understands that too.”
“How did you get so real estate savvy?” Vic asked.
Sasha grabbed Karen and gave her a big hug. “Karen, dear friends, has become my personal real estate guru. She’s been giving me excellent house hunting advice ever since I moved to Tarrytown.”
Tina shook her head in amazement, “No shit? You’re a quick stu
dy, Sasha, I’ll give you that.”
***
The girls walked the five minutes back to Hair Brained. Mia eased Vic back by her arm to slow down their pace. She wanted to have a private conversation, even though it would be short.
“Hey, what’s going on with Max? Has he called you back?” Mia asked, lowering her voice as they walked.
“No, Mia, he hasn’t. Damn it. It was too good to be true. Why do I always screw things up?”
“Well first off, you don’t. But the weird thing is, that doesn’t sound like him. He’s too nice to behave that way. Something isn’t sitting right with me. Has Mario tried calling him about the business stuff?”
“Yes, but Max hasn’t returned his calls either. Could he be that pissed at me to give up on a good business opportunity?”
“I’m not sure, hon. Are you going to try again? Do you want me to call him to see if he’s screening his calls?”
“Max isn’t stupid, Mia. He’ll see right through that. I’ll try again on Wednesday. Have you been to his house in Peekskill?”
“Nope, never. Sorry I’m not much help. Let’s talk later,” Mia suggested as they entered the salon.
Mia left at two since she had one more photo shoot to do that afternoon. This one was at the town square for a child’s third birthday. There would be moms, kids and a clown. Mia planned to take plenty of candid shots. This should be a blast, she thought. She stopped at her house to gather her photography equipment. The town square was full of colorful balloons hanging from the gazebo. Even the playground was decorated. Streamers draped from every available post. Adorable children ran around, squealing as they chased each other in their designated area, with helicopter moms hovering overhead. Mia laughed at the commotion as she carried her cameras to a picnic table covered in a cartoon character tablecloth. There were enough hotdogs, chips, fruit and juice lined up on the tables to feed a small nation. Mia spent two hours photographing children playing, eating and crying. By the time she was done, they were all exhausted.