Stuck With You (AU, M/L, Adult) 12/12/10 A/N [WIP]

[Hunter]

Hey guys, thanks for the fb.

Earth2mama
Carolyn
Natalie
Ginger
Courtney
Ms_BuffyAnneSummers
Kris
Alysluv
Eve
Cassie
Zaneri


Chapter 11




When it was past noon, Liz found herself trying to convince Tess to clean the bathrooms. With no such luck, she was standing out of her room pleading to her with a sore tongue. "Come on Tess." Liz lightly pounded her fists against the door, trying to coax her adamant friend out of their room.

"No! I am not scrubbing toilets!" Tess returned, her voice was high and squeaky from behind the door.

Liz imagined her annoying friend curled up on their bed like a fat cat; there was times she ran out of patience with the annoying blonde. Tess could be such a spoilt brat sometimes, afraid of getting her precious manicured nails tainted with doing the simplest of chores. That one pesky flaw really got to Liz.

"Tess you haven't done anything today." Liz rolled up her sleeves. "Do not make me come in there." She warned. All this begging was starting to make her body temperature rise.

"Tell Alex to do it then!" Tess retorted.

"He's doing the gardening." Liz said. "Which you refused." Liz pounded her sore hand against the door. "Ow. Look what you're making me do Tess!"

Liz sighed, about to admit defeat if it wasn't for the moment of Michael’s arrival. "What's going on?" He asked her with a beer in his left hand.

Liz looked at Michael who was wearing a yellow T-shirt with the flag of Brazil on it and a pair of three quarter length trousers to go with it. His spiky hair was covered with a cap and he looked somewhat of a tourist. "It's Tess." Liz said warily and explained the situation to him, hoping that he could provide some sort of help. She was really desperate for Tess to do her share of the work. It was only fair.

"Hmmmm." Michael sipped his beer. "Just tell her that she's not invited to the Red Primrose Ball."

"What's that?" Liz asked, suddenly curious.

"It's an annual ball hosted by the Evans. It's here and there's a banquet hall somewhere here. Loads of rich people come here to celebrate- think of it like homecoming meets thanksgiving. It's a special occasion." Michael said, scratching his chin.

"I wonder why it's call red primrose." Liz pondered.

"It's a flower that's kinda popular in Italy. It's the signature of Max's family. Kinda like their logo if you get what I mean." Michael replied.

"Oh-ok. So I'm guessing he's sort of Italian?"

"His mom is. She's all Italian. You can ask Max the story of how a Primrose became the signature for his family." Michael shrugged. "Anyway, this ball's been held for the last ten years. Before it was just a ball. It was known as Evans Banquet. Max's dad held it and before him, his grandpa held it."

"How interesting." Liz remarked. "When is this ball?"

******

Maria polished her ring again and let it shine in the sunlight. She liked the ring and figured that if she sold it, she would receive a good deal of money. She was running out of money and it was becoming really hard to earn. She had a job being a model but she was starting to lose her shine. Younger models were coming in and they were stealing the spotlight, now less people were more interested in the Moulin rouge type of women with red lips. They were into dainty bubble gum girls who liked to wear cotton candy as bras with a white diamond thong.

Her father died, leaving half his money to someone else. Someone that she hadn't met and it irked her. She only received half of his money but kept it a secret. It would shame her if people found out that she was sharing her father's inheritance with someone else. She was her daddy's girl to the world. The truth was that Maria and her father grew apart. She felt so upset that he had "business" to take care of that he couldn't give her the time of the time.

For a while, she blamed Max Evans. He was the son that her father never had and while they had a father-son sort of relationship, she befriended Isabel Evans but soon lost her friendship because Maria had become jealous of her too. Isabel's success was overshadowing hers as a model and Maria had contacted Elle to write trash about Isabel which gave minimal damage to Isabel's career but severed their friendship.

Then Maria had managed to seduce Max, she had put all effort into it during the time when she was a friend of Isabel. It was a surprise when Max had come back from Europe and at that same time her father had died. He was there for her at the funeral and they had become closer with their friendship. Maria had won him over and managed to pop the question to him. She was surprised when he said yes and that's when Michael came into her life.

Micheal, now there was someone in the world who could truly understand her.

Max was a good guy but he wasn't Michael. She had never given her body to Max because he never asked for it. Max wasn't as much as touchy like she was. She waited for him to approach her but he was rigid. He became withdrawn and before she knew it, the wedding was postponed. Months after devastation, she was detached and then Michael entered her life again during a Dubai photo shoot which was going good for her. She was just starting to climb back up the ladder and he was there.

Two weeks later, she had slept with him. He had responded to her and he loved her with every inch of his being. It really warmed her heart on how he loved her because she felt it.

But then she was a little worried because she was engaged to Max. She had needed money from Max to sustain her basic needs. Lately, she had been offered a few projects which were from B listed companies which meant limited money. Michael understood her needs and didn't push her. What they started off was supposed to be a meaningless fling but now it grew deeper.

Maria was becoming more and more confused to what she wanted.

True love or money?

If she married an Evans, her name would go down in history. People would beg her to model for them even if she was old and wrinkly. It was all about the status. With her father's dead, she lost everything including half of the money she was hoping to inherit.

She loved her dad but they were not close as they used to be. The inheritance was the only thing she had left of him and now having to share that with someone was making her sick.

She knew Max would feel the same if he knew that he was sharing her with his best friend yet she continued because she strongly believed that her father left half of his inheritance to Max.

The diamond on the ring glittered in the sun and Maria made a decision.

She had to get rid of the ring.

******

Liz smiled in triumph when she walked in the bathroom; Tess was down on her knees with her blonde locks bound together in one high ponytail as she scrubbed the toilets to the best of her ability.

"How’s it going?" Liz asked, trying hard not to smirk.

It was funny seeing Tess in such a position though; Tess never scrubbed toilets for anyone. "Liz, I better get a rich man by the end of this. I need to get laid by someone who is highly paid." Tess grunted. "I can't believe I'm allowing my expensive body near a toilet."

"How the heck do you pee then?" Liz leaned against the tiles and folded her arms.

Tess swallowed the saliva that grew in her mouth and scrubbed the toilet harder. Liz could be annoying when she wanted do and it was the sarcasm that got to Tess the most. "Yes, I get your point Parker. No need to be sarky with me."

"I'll let you get back to your favorite job in the whole world." Liz replied.

Tess spat in the toilet. "Yeah right."

"Remember, no job-no ball which means no rich man and no getting laid." Liz reminded her before walking out of the bathroom, whistling.

She scoffed when she heard Tess groan from the bathroom. "Life sucks."

*****

Max was busy in the lounge when he heard the scream. Knowing whose scream it was, he finished texting his sister and sent the message. He smirked and stood up. Alex and Michael ran up the stairs and Max followed in his own pace.

When he reached Maria's room, he found her standing at her bed with a gun in her hands. "Daddy's gun....how did it....." She whispered harshly, a rush of fear breezing across her panic stricken face. "I buried this with him."

"Where did you find it?" Michael asked in strong tone.

"Under my pillow." Maria swallowed, tears shining in her big eyes.

At that time, Liz came running and ended up almost banging behind Max Evans. Max gave her a slight glance before looking back at Maria.

"What's going on?" Liz asked, brushing the strands of hair off her face.

Alex brushed past Max and answered Liz's question while Max stepped in the room with folded arms. "That's strange. If you buried it with your dad, it would be in his grave with him." He told Maria.

"I swear Max, I put this in his coffin with him just before I buried him." She held the gun in the air, her voice now quivering. She was upset.

Both men could tell. Max was feeling happy and Michael was feeling hurt on seeing Maria like this. "Who could do such a sick thing? Dig up my father's grave and take this out and then put it under my pillow?"

Michael bit his bottom lip and was tempted to hug Maria even in front of Max; little did he know that Max was anticipating that move. "Are you sure that's his gun?" Max asked.

"Yess!" Maria hissed, pointing at her father's initial's on the gun. "This is my father’s gun, Max. I know it is. It's got his peppermint smell all over it."

"Someone sick person must have snuck in here and planted it to spite you." Michael concluded. "Max-" He turned to his best friend. "I told you, we needed a bodyguard. You knew that Maria is a model. Someone would try and hurt her-"

Max stopped his best friend from speaking further as he raised his hand. "Say no more. You're right Michael. We do need a bodyguard." He took out his phone and dialled.

Maria blew a sigh of relief. Michael reached out and rubbed her arm. Maria didn't flinch.

"Yeah Valenti?" Max said as soon as Kyle picked up. "Listen, you're hired."

******

"So she found her dad's gun under her pillow?" Tess asked, while she washed dishes with Liz.

"Yep, the highlight of the day." Liz replied, scrubbing the plates. "That drama queen never quits."

Tess nodded in agreement. "Have you actually seen her modelling? She's such a bitter drag queen. Seriously, look at her poses and costumes. You'd think she was starring in a horror version of Moulin rouge."

That comment elicited a small laugh from Liz. "Hmmm, yeah. Now that's a thought." Liz nodded with a huge grin on her face. "Although I do feel sorry for her."

"Don't." Tess quickly said. "I don't think anyone should feel sorry for Maria DeLuca." She rolled her eyes.

****

"Kyle." Max said swiftly as he gave him another tour around the house. "I need you to do your job. You're my right hand man. I don't expect any errors on your part, especially minimal errors."

Kyle Valenti, an experienced bodyguard nodded. At the age of twenty he had signed up to join the Marine Corps. After two years, he decided to do something more closer to home and that involved becoming a bodyguard for a couple of actors. It was then, he met Max Evans and became Isabel's bodyguard. Max hadn't hired him before but he was willing to pay more then Isabel had and so Kyle accepted generously.

Kyle was a man of justice, he believed in taking a firm hand to wrong doers and when he had heard of a possible murder suspect he had swooped in to take the job.

Now with his success at the age of twenty five, Kyle Valenti was a respected bodyguard and well known among others of his kind.

"Don't worry Mr Evans. I won't let you down." Kyle saluted him, promising to do whatever it takes to help punish the murderess.

[Hunter]

Hey guys,

Just a quick note to say I won't be updating for a while; if I do, then that will be a surprise. I've been busy with a lot of family stuff so that's got me busy these days. Sorry, readers.

I'll try and update as soon as I can though.

-Monica.

[Hunter]

Alright people, looks like I've forgotten to update or should I say my muse is busy with my uni essays & projects. I've not had the chance to write or plan anything yet for my stories so I'm leaving this author's note. I'm really sorry about not updating for months. I don't think I'll be free to write until 2011, I do apologize for that. Have a merry xmas and a happy new year.

-Monica.