From Loathe To Love Part 10
Nothing was to be said for either of them, during the first few minutes of their slow dancing. They were still trying to get the feel of one another at that moment. Both wanted to see how the other radiated a personal spark on the dance floor. It was because dancing required a certain amount of intimacy between a man and a woman, to make their chemistry look half-real. And nothing else would require more chemistry at the moment, than their pumped up lie.
It was Liz who spoke first. “So, Max, you seem to be used to this kind of dancing,” she observed. He was actually rather graceful a dancer for someone who didn’t dance for a living. “Are you a closet obsessed-dancer, or something?”
Max raised an eyebrow. “No. But why should a dancer be in the closet?” he asked with curiosity.
“Then you are a closet dancer!” Liz pointed out smugly.
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are. You indicated it.”
“No. I just asked why, -of all things, dancers would have to be closeted. -And I did not indicate anything,” he shot back.
“Well, in response to your question: Isn’t everything closeted nowadays?” she asked.
“Point taken,” Max laughed. “You see Eileen, over there?” he asked, angling around so that Liz could get a clear view of Mrs. Wilkes who was now having a conversation with another guest. “She tells us that her husband is away doing business, but I suspect that they haven’t been living in so much peace together. Marriage on the rocks, so to speak.”
“Oh my! Did you talk to her husband about it?” Liz said quickly. “You have to help them make up…-You idiot! I bet you’ve been talking the guy into getting a divorce! You are a horrible influence on your fellowmen!” she babbled.
“Calm down,” Max said. He had the sudden urge to shake her, and prove her wrong. She was just so babbly. Although her babbling had its endearing qualities too. “I haven’t been talking to any of them. Obviously! Otherwise, they’d have known about you, don’t you think?!”
“I’m worried!” Liz said defensively. “Everywhere I go, I hear about once happy couples being on the verge of a split! It’s just too upsetting!”
“Let me guess,” Max smirked. “Everywhere means you have a habit of reading tabloids, when you chance upon them on the many, many newsstands on the streets…”
Liz looked mortified. Seeing her reaction was quite amusing, so Max decided to continue. “Is it the Nick & Jess rumors, or the Brad & Jen break-up?”
“I,-”
“But don’t be too sad. I heard that Nick & Jess are doing great,” he pressed on.
“Hey! Shut up!” Liz said finally finding her voice. “I don’t obsessively read those things! I just get to read them once in a while. –When Maria brings them over, or when the inside story looks interesting enough…-and why am I telling you this?”
“Oh right. I’m invading your privacy. I’m sorry, but I thought that there was trust between us. Y’know, seeing as we’re about to get married,” he joked.
Liz narrowed her eyes. “Don’t take it to heart, Romeo. After all, how could I possibly commit like that to someone whom I’ve only known for two weeks?”
“Love at first sight, my dearest love,” he chuckled.
“Haha.” Liz hissed sarcastically. “Oh, but why do you know so much about those tabloid issues?” she challenged. “You could be reading tabloids yourself.”
“I have a sister,” Max explained. “She’s single, but not the type to go out clubbing ‘till two in the morning on the weekends. A homebody.”
“Actually, you remind me of her,” he added. And he regretted it immediately afterwards. Liz couldn’t be any more different from Isabel. They had very different kinds of presences that struck him.
“You say that as if we are boring. I can go clubbing whenever I want. And I’m sure your sister can, too. It’s just that we’d rather do something else.” Liz protested indignantly.
“That’s what my sister says too.” Max teased. “And ‘something else’ happens to be a copy of the tabloid closest to your reach.”
“Then you’ve probably lost your chance to marry me,” Liz whispered jokingly. “How dare you compare me to your sister…I’m calling this relationship off right after all this dancing. I’m gonna get on that stage, and tell your friends. I can never love a man who thinks of me as he thinks of his sister,” she said dramatically.
“So I guess I’d better keep you dancing,” he replied laughing. “And let me warn you, I could definitely keep this up. –Just so I could see you squirm.” He smiled slyly.
“You wouldn’t!” Liz said weakly. Dancing was fun and all, but she just didn’t know how many more moves she could pull without being faced with a step that she wasn’t familiar with.
Max nodded and continued to smile in a falsely menacing way.
“Be warned, Max Evans: I might be forced to step on your toes, if you come through with that threat,” Liz smiled cunningly back. “And if you remember how much pain you faced with that smarty-pants ‘two weeks’ answer, then you’ll know how much more it will hurt, now that I’m standing up, and feeling rather vindictive.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know that you were feeling threatened by the dancing monster. I’m starting to think that you can’t handle dancing with such a talented man such as myself.”
“Ah, and you decide to mock me. Ha, what a petty way to try to save yourself from the embarrassment of coming only second to me. Poor Max, beaten by a girl,” Liz laughed. “Don’t worry, in such cases as this, men usually recover. Your ego will grow back. Eventually.”
“A dare! -And a mighty easy one and in my favor, at that. I won’t back down. But out of gentlemanly grace, let me give you the chance to back out and I might actually consider not rubbing your chicken-ness in, every chance I get.”
“You’re full of it. Has anyone ever told you that? Probably not. But I won’t back down. I’m going to teach you a lesson, you smug jerk. Bring it on!”
“You have a wild side. I love that in a woman. I can’t just have them pining for me, they have to have something else. Something special.”
“You are not very likely to win me over,” Liz sneered, -though only meaning what she said half-heartedly. “Smug men aren’t my type.”
“And women who have a thing for bondage aren’t exactly my cup of tea,” he quipped. “And you’re obviously sadistic that way.”
Liz was caught off-guard for a moment. “You call being whipped into shape, sadistic? How pathetic of you. You are merely being tutored by a helping hand on humility.”
“Says the one who obsesses over celebrity tabloid stories. Besides, I can’t ever envision you being a teacher of some sort. Or at least, not a very competent one,” Max said looking thoughtful. “Wait a second, is this one of those bondage things of yours? Are you imaging bizarre sex-related things right now? Let me guess, I’ve been a very naughty student. And you’ve come to discipline me with your pointy stilettos. You even named them Mr. Pointykins. Boo-hoo, I am so terrified, I think I peed my pants,” he said with a thick amount of sarcasm.
An old couple that happened to be waltzing past apparently heard what Max had said, and they gave him a very dirty look. Liz tried to hold back the fit of laughter that bubbled up inside her. And Max had enough decency to blush.
After the couple was finally out of earshot, Max’s color returned to normal. “Enough with the talking. Let’s see how much you really suck at dancing.”
“Put a lid on it, your highness, the Prince of Pant-peeing.”
“Pant-peeing? Is that an island off the coast of You’ll-loooze?”
By this time, another song had already started. And it was much more upbeat than the last song. It was a song that was especially for the purpose of salsa.
“Well what do you know, salsa music!” exclaimed Max happily. “Prepare to be beaten to a pulp, Liz Parker.”
“Prepare to meet your doom in dancing,” Liz replied.
They started off with some basic moving and swiveling around, their eyes capturing one another’s in a challenging stare. And then things started heating up, when Max leaned in for a haircomb. He had taken hold of both of Liz’s hands and used them to run through her hair with her own fingers. And as he did this, he got into a really close position and was able to get the smell of Liz into his senses. And it was the sweetest thing that had ever flooded his whole entire senses that it took all of his sanity to keep his eye contact with Liz, and not shut his eyes in pleasure so as to bask in her scent.
She had this unexplainable combination of scents that described her whole being that would take forever to pinpoint one by one. Yet, Max could identify a few notes of rose, lilies, and a cross between vanilla and the scent of coconut flavored chocolate. It was a scent that reminded him of both a well-kept garden at “home”, and the sweet smelling tropical island air. It took over all of what he knew with its own whimsical sparkle of magic, and he had only the impulse of getting closer on his mind, all other thoughts had already faded away unconsciously. And closer he tried to get.
He took a step forward with the intention of cupping Liz’s face and performing a dip. -All the while, his eyes still glued on hers, but somehow, his features had visibly softened as Liz, alone, noticed. But as he inched closer, time seemed to move slower, and as moments ticked on, Liz felt herself softening under their locked stare. She wanted to look away, but something about Max was just so unconsciously good, that she felt her inhibitions dissipate. And as she felt her body going limp, from under her and assuming that she would fall, she moved her right leg forward to support herself. –Only to be dipped by Max, all of a sudden.
Time returned to a normal pace, and she felt her leg slip out from under her, -just as she had managed to take one step forward with it. She tried to regain balance by using her feet to steady herself, but was only rendered in pain by slipping again with a painful twist to her ankle.
If it weren’t for Max realizing immediately what had just happened and catching her before she fell further, Liz would have made an audible thump on the wooden floor. -And not to mention, worse damage to her ankle.
Liz let out a tiny gasp. The pain came almost as soon as Max caught her. It felt as if her ankle was being electrocuted at a very grisly high-voltage power. Her face contorted into a look of shock and pain.
Max tried to steady her. All the while asking, “Are you okay?” Liz did not respond, but was trying to stand properly. The task seemed impossible, though. Having heels on did not help much.
Max’s concern grew as he watched her trying to take a few steps, but was looking more and more pained every time. After observing her attempts a few seconds more, he had had to put his foot down on watching her suffer.
“Let me help you,” he said gently.
Liz held her arms out, expecting him to try to help her walk by letting her lean onto him for support. Instead, what happened was that Max had bended over and carried her, putting one hand on her back, and the other somewhere under her knees. She stared at him in surprise. –And so did a lot of the other people in the room with them.
As in the diner, neither had noticed the people watching them at all.
Max sought for the nearest place he could carry Liz to sit. He brought her over to the bar.
Whilst helping her sit on a stool, he couldn’t help but notice the odd look on her face. It was not of pain, but of something else.
Liz was extremely bewildered, and her face had shown it. –Though Max was not aware that it was an expression of bewilderment on her face. She was so caught up at staring at him that she had slipped. She was a person who seldom messed up in front of anyone, and here she was, with a twisted ankle. She had berated herself on the spot.
“You think you could walk with that?” Max asked, sitting on the stool next to her.
“I’m not so sure,” Liz replied while trying to reach her ankle. It proved to be lots of trouble, since the stool was a rather high one.
Max rushed to the rescue, getting off of his seat and kneeling in front of her. He gingerly touched her ankle, and tried to feel around for the area where it hurt her. Liz winced a few times and indicated where the pain was sharpest.
To help soothe the ache on her foot, Max quickly undid her shoe, and leveled her foot flat. He did the same with the other foot. And only after being assured that Liz was feeling much better, did he sit back down beside her.
They both decided to sit the rest of the dancing out, and got drinks instead.
“I think I deserve a rematch,” Liz said after a few sips of her champagne. She wanted to hide her shame with a bit of humor instead.
“Did you hit your head somewhere along the line?” Max chortled. “Let me remind you that you have just slipped and hurt your ankle.”
“I am aware of that. But I still think that the winner is yet to be proven.”
“Agreed,” said Max as he raised his glass. Liz followed, and they toasted ‘To no one winning!’
“So how do you feel about chocolate fondue?” Max asked.
TBC
From Loathe to Love (AU,CC,MATURE) AN, 12/13/06[WIP]
Moderators: Anniepoo98, ISLANDGIRL5, truelovepooh, Forum Moderators
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liz_maria
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 143
- Joined: Thu Feb 06, 2003 5:05 pm
- Location: The city of parties and never-ending dreams(a.k.a. the Philippines)
- Contact:
A/N: Thanks to everyone for the fbs!
Strawberry88: They will realize some things very, very soon.
BehrObsession: I definitely agree that it would be great to have Max waiting hand and foot and all. Heehee.
Jason's Lover: Gotta love that chemistry!
Lizza: I tried to finish this chapter as quickly as possible. I might've taken a bit more time than I expected though. Hehe. But here it is.
anonymousarfan: About their conversations: I was thinking that, because they were old enemies, I might as well have them resort to some teasing.
g7silvers: Here it is. More of their day!
Emz80m: I do love 'spoilage' if it makes people happy!
Alma: They are perfect for each other. I enjoy the fact that they argue on and on and notice some things about each other.
Bixie: At first they were depicted as two people that had such contrasting personalities. It's great fun to write about little situations that could possibly bring them together.
Behrsgirl77: Playful with those light moments together. Sigh...
sarafin: Welcome! Hope you're having a great summer.
neck: The dance scene! Haha. It took me a long time to pick out certain dance steps. I knew absolutely nothing about salsa!
roswellrox: Thank you for pointing that out. That might be a part of something later. (No spoilers yet. )
rigel: Thank you, I'm really happy to have finished this next part and post it today.
WildSphinx: I'm sorry to have took so, so long on this. I had to write this twice (with an alternate ending to see which outcome was better). And in the end, I opted for the second ending.
Hope everyone enjoys this. It's rather short, but I'll try to make the next part longer.
From Loathe To Love Part 11
After the party had started to simmer down, sometime as the sun had started to set, Max and Liz decided to sneak out of the venue via the back entrance. They were laughing hard as they started on the street again.
“That was so weird!” Liz exclaimed in the middle of giggles.
“That’s how they do it, Hollywood-style,” Max said. “Not so glamorous, really. Having a grand entrance, coming in with such nice clothes, only to go ducking out of a rusty door to an alley.”
“One of the many consequences of fame?”
“Yeah. Maybe that’s why some of those clubs’ back alleys are so clean.” Max mused.
They drove silently for a while. It was still a long way ahead before they would be back in their apartment.
Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t as nice as it was earlier. There were thick nimbus clouds graying the blushing horizon. It looked as if the hour was much later that it really was. When the first of the fat droplets of rain started to make drumming noises on the windows, Max had frowned with worry.
“Would you look at that,” he said in awe. “There wasn’t any rain whole day! What is with the weather?”
He immediately turned his gaze to check on the car’s fuel. Luckily, the amount was more than enough to get them home. But the rain grew worse by the minute, and it had already turned into a full-scale downpour a little later. The darkness had enveloped the area so completely that it looked like it was already in the middle of the night.
“Maybe we should stop over somewhere and wait,” Max suggested.
Liz realized that driving under such conditions would be quite perilous for anyone, so she agreed that they pull over on the next stop.
~!~
“A room with twin beds please,” Max requested warily.
The next stop turned out to be a hotel. Not just any regular hotel, but one with the particular intention for romance. The place was small, had an antique feel to it (somewhat like Mrs. Jonn’s chocolate shop). But it looked cozy enough to feel comfortable in, and not so much as a feeling of being ‘absolutely horny’ or sleazy and dirty. It wasn’t exactly a roadside motel, but was more of a cheaper version of a mini romantic getaway.
The rain did not show any sign of abating anytime soon. Max and Liz had mutually agreed to stay in the hotel to either wait or rest up until the way back into town would be in a more stable condition to travel upon.
Max was currently talking to the concierge, a good-looking middle-aged man that looked like he thoroughly enjoyed his job from the way he handled things.
“Let me check if we have any more rooms with twin beds available,” the guy whose name tag read Eddie made a show of checking his computer for the said room. He regarded Max with a look that was half-amused, half-sympathetic saying, “I’m sorry, but we have none available at the moment.”
Max groaned. “Could you please wait just a second,” he said sheepishly. He turned to Liz who was waiting by the plush chairs a few feet away.
“They don’t have any twin beds available,” Max announced.
Liz just nodded and said, “We don’t really have a choice.”
Max returned to where Eddie was standing and smiling politely. “We’ll take whatever you have.”
“A king-sized bed is available right now,” Eddie grinned.
Max handed over his credit card and waited for Eddie to finish up.
“Any luggage?” Eddie asked. He looked at them and said, “None, okay.”
Finally, he handed them the keys to their room. “Have a good night then,” he called after them as they walked away.
~!~
Upon entering their room, Liz gaped. “What is this place!” she whispered quietly.
The room was medium-sized and dimly lit by several lamps. There was a small table by the end of the room, no television, a small dresser, a mini-bar, a small closet, a door to the bathroom, a door towards the balcony that had a view of the pool below, there was the bed with a sprinkling of what looked like rose petals, and then there was a bucket of ice on a stand that had a bottle of champagne sticking out of it.
“They take their ambiance seriously,” Max muttered.
“So who stays on which side?” asked Liz.
(Tbc)
Strawberry88: They will realize some things very, very soon.
BehrObsession: I definitely agree that it would be great to have Max waiting hand and foot and all. Heehee.
Jason's Lover: Gotta love that chemistry!
Lizza: I tried to finish this chapter as quickly as possible. I might've taken a bit more time than I expected though. Hehe. But here it is.
anonymousarfan: About their conversations: I was thinking that, because they were old enemies, I might as well have them resort to some teasing.
g7silvers: Here it is. More of their day!
Emz80m: I do love 'spoilage' if it makes people happy!
Alma: They are perfect for each other. I enjoy the fact that they argue on and on and notice some things about each other.
Bixie: At first they were depicted as two people that had such contrasting personalities. It's great fun to write about little situations that could possibly bring them together.
Behrsgirl77: Playful with those light moments together. Sigh...
sarafin: Welcome! Hope you're having a great summer.
neck: The dance scene! Haha. It took me a long time to pick out certain dance steps. I knew absolutely nothing about salsa!
roswellrox: Thank you for pointing that out. That might be a part of something later. (No spoilers yet.
)rigel: Thank you, I'm really happy to have finished this next part and post it today.
WildSphinx: I'm sorry to have took so, so long on this. I had to write this twice (with an alternate ending to see which outcome was better). And in the end, I opted for the second ending.
Hope everyone enjoys this. It's rather short, but I'll try to make the next part longer.
From Loathe To Love Part 11
After the party had started to simmer down, sometime as the sun had started to set, Max and Liz decided to sneak out of the venue via the back entrance. They were laughing hard as they started on the street again.
“That was so weird!” Liz exclaimed in the middle of giggles.
“That’s how they do it, Hollywood-style,” Max said. “Not so glamorous, really. Having a grand entrance, coming in with such nice clothes, only to go ducking out of a rusty door to an alley.”
“One of the many consequences of fame?”
“Yeah. Maybe that’s why some of those clubs’ back alleys are so clean.” Max mused.
They drove silently for a while. It was still a long way ahead before they would be back in their apartment.
Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t as nice as it was earlier. There were thick nimbus clouds graying the blushing horizon. It looked as if the hour was much later that it really was. When the first of the fat droplets of rain started to make drumming noises on the windows, Max had frowned with worry.
“Would you look at that,” he said in awe. “There wasn’t any rain whole day! What is with the weather?”
He immediately turned his gaze to check on the car’s fuel. Luckily, the amount was more than enough to get them home. But the rain grew worse by the minute, and it had already turned into a full-scale downpour a little later. The darkness had enveloped the area so completely that it looked like it was already in the middle of the night.
“Maybe we should stop over somewhere and wait,” Max suggested.
Liz realized that driving under such conditions would be quite perilous for anyone, so she agreed that they pull over on the next stop.
~!~
“A room with twin beds please,” Max requested warily.
The next stop turned out to be a hotel. Not just any regular hotel, but one with the particular intention for romance. The place was small, had an antique feel to it (somewhat like Mrs. Jonn’s chocolate shop). But it looked cozy enough to feel comfortable in, and not so much as a feeling of being ‘absolutely horny’ or sleazy and dirty. It wasn’t exactly a roadside motel, but was more of a cheaper version of a mini romantic getaway.
The rain did not show any sign of abating anytime soon. Max and Liz had mutually agreed to stay in the hotel to either wait or rest up until the way back into town would be in a more stable condition to travel upon.
Max was currently talking to the concierge, a good-looking middle-aged man that looked like he thoroughly enjoyed his job from the way he handled things.
“Let me check if we have any more rooms with twin beds available,” the guy whose name tag read Eddie made a show of checking his computer for the said room. He regarded Max with a look that was half-amused, half-sympathetic saying, “I’m sorry, but we have none available at the moment.”
Max groaned. “Could you please wait just a second,” he said sheepishly. He turned to Liz who was waiting by the plush chairs a few feet away.
“They don’t have any twin beds available,” Max announced.
Liz just nodded and said, “We don’t really have a choice.”
Max returned to where Eddie was standing and smiling politely. “We’ll take whatever you have.”
“A king-sized bed is available right now,” Eddie grinned.
Max handed over his credit card and waited for Eddie to finish up.
“Any luggage?” Eddie asked. He looked at them and said, “None, okay.”
Finally, he handed them the keys to their room. “Have a good night then,” he called after them as they walked away.
~!~
Upon entering their room, Liz gaped. “What is this place!” she whispered quietly.
The room was medium-sized and dimly lit by several lamps. There was a small table by the end of the room, no television, a small dresser, a mini-bar, a small closet, a door to the bathroom, a door towards the balcony that had a view of the pool below, there was the bed with a sprinkling of what looked like rose petals, and then there was a bucket of ice on a stand that had a bottle of champagne sticking out of it.
“They take their ambiance seriously,” Max muttered.
“So who stays on which side?” asked Liz.
(Tbc)
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liz_maria
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 143
- Joined: Thu Feb 06, 2003 5:05 pm
- Location: The city of parties and never-ending dreams(a.k.a. the Philippines)
- Contact:
A/N: Very sorry for making everyone wait. I’ve been working on this chapter for weeks.
From Loathe To Love Chapter 12
It was soon decided that Liz would use the side of the bed facing the balcony, while Max, who didn’t really care much for which part of the bed he was assigned, would take the side that faced the wall with a handsome painting of the depiction of love. This depiction involved a faint outline of Cupid and his arrows in a light and pearly shade of gold.
“Do you know what this room reminds me of?” Liz suddenly asked. She was sitting in front of the dresser having another look around the room’s interior.
Max looked up from where he was reclining on the bed. “What?” he asked. It looked kind of familiar to him too.
“Old movies,” Liz replied with a dreamy smile. “It feels as if I’m on the set of a romantic movie in the 50’s.”
Max agreed with her. He took a brief moment to reminisce countless weeknights spent watching old romance flicks with his sister bawling her eyes out when it came her turn to pick out some titles from the movie rental place.
After a few moments of thinking, Liz went over to the ice bucket and grabbed the bottle of champagne and two champagne flutes. She went over to the bed, handed Max the bottle, and said, “It would be a waste not to drink this bottle.”
Max opened the bottle and poured them the drinks. “Cheers,” he said, and they toasted. They sat there just sipping on their champagne, reflecting on the day’s events as they started to unwind. The mood was lightening by the minute.
It was Max who finally broke the silence. “How’d the day turn out for you?” he asked.
“It was okay,” Liz answered immediately, since she was thinking of the same thing. “I guess we must’ve been pretty convincing. I don’t know if it was just my nervousness, but I expected people to be more suspicious.”
“Yeah, I thought so too,” Max said thoughtfully. “The whole day wasn’t such a waste, I guess. The whole ordeal is over and done with, Tess is finally gonna shut up about this closure thing, -well, unless she plans to get married again. Then, I’ll probably get a very good chance to sit and talk to another ex-husband of hers…”
“Stop that!” Liz said in an agitated tone. “They. Are. Happy. Didn’t you see them together?”
Max looked taken back. “Kidding, kidding,” he said sheepishly. “But I do hope that they get it right this time, for all our sakes. Weddings are expensive!”
“You are such a typical guy!” Liz screeched. “It’s a girl’s special day. Can’t you be more-”
“-Romantic?” Max finished smoothly. “Yes, yes, very romantic. It’s the breath-taking, vomit-inducing, heart-attacking, prom night resembling, sweetness of romance. But it is not cheap. But then again, spending a chunk of money is still better than having to sit through the entire wedding planning junk. I am proud to say that I have weaseled my way out of picking invitation paper, selecting the right bunch of flowers, setting up a theme, and whatnot.”
Liz gave him a look of repulsion. “I was going to say supportive. You are deplorable and demoralizing. How could you be so unenthusiastic?! Don’t you think that the whole wedding is a big, big step for a couple?”
“Most of the time in weddings,” Max started exasperatedly. “Men have lots of kinds of perspectives. I’ll give you an example of two common approaches that men have. –Take this down for future reference-
“One: The day deserves lots of fussing over. He finally says goodbye to so many things, only to say hello to a whole bunch of new other unfamiliar things. He just has to go with a bang. He is involved with some or a good moderate amount of the planning because he believes that this will be some big ceremonious start or something; then there’s the second approach.
“Two: The day is what it is. A wedding. Nothing much will change, only a few artsy-fartsy details. He tries to avoid the planning mumbo-jumbo because he thinks that this is just another event in a couple’s life. It is the inevitable next step. He believes that this is just another day to spend with the woman he loves, and the only difference is that he just has to pop his credit card out a few more times than usual for this bigger date. Of course, he considers it as an important occasion deserving of attention.
“But when it really comes down to it, both men will see it as: There’s only him and his girl. Either you take part on the planning or you let the lady decide and just play along. The point is, it’s between two people who have come to an understanding that they’re in love and that they’re spending the rest of their lives together. No matter what,” he paused for dramatic effect and drained the rest of his present glass of champagne.
After pouring a fresh glass for the two of them, he asked, “Was that informative enough?”
“Sounds sane,” Liz said. “Do men really think that way?”
“Let me remind you, Elizabeth, that good men nowadays are diamonds in the rough,” Max stated pompously. “I suppose that those who are serious enough in proposing marriage and intending to really spend a lifetime with a girl can be categorized into those two –or more- perspectives. While others,…that’s a completely different story.”
“And I guess you think of yourself as a diamond in the rough, then?”
“Nothing less,” Max said.
“Your perspective? Are you a number one or a number two?”
“This is an old line, ‘But if I tell you, then I’d have to kill you,’ ” ha replied genially. “Or you can be the bride and find out for yourself,” he thought silently before he had the chance to catch himself.
“Cute,” smirked Liz. “And definitely an overused line.”
After a few moments, Liz stood up and walked to the closet. She took out a bathrobe and looked at Max apologetically. “I hope you don’t mind if I change into this. I’d be much more comfortable,” she said honestly. She went to the bathroom, not waiting for Max to answer. The dress was really starting to bother her and the impulse to get out of it was irresistible.
~!~
Max sat alone while Liz was in the bathroom. He was exhausted, but couldn’t help thinking in an annoyed way of how bitter he sounded whilst talking about weddings. Fuck, I sound crazy and obsessive! he thought furiously. But to be honest, he wasn’t at all resentful with anything that had happened that day. If anything, he was relieved. He felt happy that he had gotten Tess’s intended closure as much as she did.
He had moved on so very long ago, but was just being a little more protective with his relationships. He still believed that there was something sacred about really falling in love. Therefore, he had unconsciously raised the bar for his criteria of the ideal woman. With his higher standards, it was getting a lot harder to date. But he preferred taking his time this time around. After all, true love is patient.
~!~
Liz stared at herself in the mirror. She had already changed into the terrycloth bathrobe and was leaning on the sink examining her self. The number of drinks she had made her feel light and chipper, but not too woozy or drunk. It had the effect of a happy pill on her. It told her that there was something worth doing tonight. She smiled and walked out of the bathroom.
~!~
Liz appeared out of the bathroom and sat back down on the bed. There was a twinkle in her eye when she smiled at Max and said, “This day wasn’t so bad. No, it wasn’t so bad.”
The feeling that Max had back at the reception (the one that nagged at him to get closer to Liz) was threatening him again. It was that twinkle in her eye that made him want to lose himself in her. She was tempting.
Liz had reclined on her side of the bed and was staring up at the ceiling lazily. She patted on Max’s side of the bed. “Lie down. You’re exhausted.”
Max did as he was told. “The day was fine. But in retrospect, I feel stupid right now,” he mused.
“What do you mean?” Liz asked.
“I feel stupid for telling Tess all those lies about being engaged,” he admitted.
Liz felt a stab of uneasiness. Did that mean that he regretted spending the day with her?
Max continued, “But I’m glad that I thought of asking you.” He didn’t exactly know if it was the alcohol that caused him to talk so boldly, or just the willingness to admit. Either way, it made him feel brave and yet foolish saying what he was saying.
Liz was surprised, but felt glad. “I don’t feel so bad about it, either.” She said giggling.
They both stared at the ceiling for a few minutes longer. They felt safe and happy at that moment. And both started drifting off to sleep, feeling secure in each other’s company as if they had been close for a very long time.
(TBC)
A/N:I'm very sorry. This one was downright horrible. The next part will be much more interesting.
Also: Just two weeks ago, I was helping out at a bridal fair and there were lots of things I learned about soon to be married couples. Some of the info was used in this chapter. It really gave me a sort of in-depth look at how some men see the whole wedding celebration.
From Loathe To Love Chapter 12
It was soon decided that Liz would use the side of the bed facing the balcony, while Max, who didn’t really care much for which part of the bed he was assigned, would take the side that faced the wall with a handsome painting of the depiction of love. This depiction involved a faint outline of Cupid and his arrows in a light and pearly shade of gold.
“Do you know what this room reminds me of?” Liz suddenly asked. She was sitting in front of the dresser having another look around the room’s interior.
Max looked up from where he was reclining on the bed. “What?” he asked. It looked kind of familiar to him too.
“Old movies,” Liz replied with a dreamy smile. “It feels as if I’m on the set of a romantic movie in the 50’s.”
Max agreed with her. He took a brief moment to reminisce countless weeknights spent watching old romance flicks with his sister bawling her eyes out when it came her turn to pick out some titles from the movie rental place.
After a few moments of thinking, Liz went over to the ice bucket and grabbed the bottle of champagne and two champagne flutes. She went over to the bed, handed Max the bottle, and said, “It would be a waste not to drink this bottle.”
Max opened the bottle and poured them the drinks. “Cheers,” he said, and they toasted. They sat there just sipping on their champagne, reflecting on the day’s events as they started to unwind. The mood was lightening by the minute.
It was Max who finally broke the silence. “How’d the day turn out for you?” he asked.
“It was okay,” Liz answered immediately, since she was thinking of the same thing. “I guess we must’ve been pretty convincing. I don’t know if it was just my nervousness, but I expected people to be more suspicious.”
“Yeah, I thought so too,” Max said thoughtfully. “The whole day wasn’t such a waste, I guess. The whole ordeal is over and done with, Tess is finally gonna shut up about this closure thing, -well, unless she plans to get married again. Then, I’ll probably get a very good chance to sit and talk to another ex-husband of hers…”
“Stop that!” Liz said in an agitated tone. “They. Are. Happy. Didn’t you see them together?”
Max looked taken back. “Kidding, kidding,” he said sheepishly. “But I do hope that they get it right this time, for all our sakes. Weddings are expensive!”
“You are such a typical guy!” Liz screeched. “It’s a girl’s special day. Can’t you be more-”
“-Romantic?” Max finished smoothly. “Yes, yes, very romantic. It’s the breath-taking, vomit-inducing, heart-attacking, prom night resembling, sweetness of romance. But it is not cheap. But then again, spending a chunk of money is still better than having to sit through the entire wedding planning junk. I am proud to say that I have weaseled my way out of picking invitation paper, selecting the right bunch of flowers, setting up a theme, and whatnot.”
Liz gave him a look of repulsion. “I was going to say supportive. You are deplorable and demoralizing. How could you be so unenthusiastic?! Don’t you think that the whole wedding is a big, big step for a couple?”
“Most of the time in weddings,” Max started exasperatedly. “Men have lots of kinds of perspectives. I’ll give you an example of two common approaches that men have. –Take this down for future reference-
“One: The day deserves lots of fussing over. He finally says goodbye to so many things, only to say hello to a whole bunch of new other unfamiliar things. He just has to go with a bang. He is involved with some or a good moderate amount of the planning because he believes that this will be some big ceremonious start or something; then there’s the second approach.
“Two: The day is what it is. A wedding. Nothing much will change, only a few artsy-fartsy details. He tries to avoid the planning mumbo-jumbo because he thinks that this is just another event in a couple’s life. It is the inevitable next step. He believes that this is just another day to spend with the woman he loves, and the only difference is that he just has to pop his credit card out a few more times than usual for this bigger date. Of course, he considers it as an important occasion deserving of attention.
“But when it really comes down to it, both men will see it as: There’s only him and his girl. Either you take part on the planning or you let the lady decide and just play along. The point is, it’s between two people who have come to an understanding that they’re in love and that they’re spending the rest of their lives together. No matter what,” he paused for dramatic effect and drained the rest of his present glass of champagne.
After pouring a fresh glass for the two of them, he asked, “Was that informative enough?”
“Sounds sane,” Liz said. “Do men really think that way?”
“Let me remind you, Elizabeth, that good men nowadays are diamonds in the rough,” Max stated pompously. “I suppose that those who are serious enough in proposing marriage and intending to really spend a lifetime with a girl can be categorized into those two –or more- perspectives. While others,…that’s a completely different story.”
“And I guess you think of yourself as a diamond in the rough, then?”
“Nothing less,” Max said.
“Your perspective? Are you a number one or a number two?”
“This is an old line, ‘But if I tell you, then I’d have to kill you,’ ” ha replied genially. “Or you can be the bride and find out for yourself,” he thought silently before he had the chance to catch himself.
“Cute,” smirked Liz. “And definitely an overused line.”
After a few moments, Liz stood up and walked to the closet. She took out a bathrobe and looked at Max apologetically. “I hope you don’t mind if I change into this. I’d be much more comfortable,” she said honestly. She went to the bathroom, not waiting for Max to answer. The dress was really starting to bother her and the impulse to get out of it was irresistible.
~!~
Max sat alone while Liz was in the bathroom. He was exhausted, but couldn’t help thinking in an annoyed way of how bitter he sounded whilst talking about weddings. Fuck, I sound crazy and obsessive! he thought furiously. But to be honest, he wasn’t at all resentful with anything that had happened that day. If anything, he was relieved. He felt happy that he had gotten Tess’s intended closure as much as she did.
He had moved on so very long ago, but was just being a little more protective with his relationships. He still believed that there was something sacred about really falling in love. Therefore, he had unconsciously raised the bar for his criteria of the ideal woman. With his higher standards, it was getting a lot harder to date. But he preferred taking his time this time around. After all, true love is patient.
~!~
Liz stared at herself in the mirror. She had already changed into the terrycloth bathrobe and was leaning on the sink examining her self. The number of drinks she had made her feel light and chipper, but not too woozy or drunk. It had the effect of a happy pill on her. It told her that there was something worth doing tonight. She smiled and walked out of the bathroom.
~!~
Liz appeared out of the bathroom and sat back down on the bed. There was a twinkle in her eye when she smiled at Max and said, “This day wasn’t so bad. No, it wasn’t so bad.”
The feeling that Max had back at the reception (the one that nagged at him to get closer to Liz) was threatening him again. It was that twinkle in her eye that made him want to lose himself in her. She was tempting.
Liz had reclined on her side of the bed and was staring up at the ceiling lazily. She patted on Max’s side of the bed. “Lie down. You’re exhausted.”
Max did as he was told. “The day was fine. But in retrospect, I feel stupid right now,” he mused.
“What do you mean?” Liz asked.
“I feel stupid for telling Tess all those lies about being engaged,” he admitted.
Liz felt a stab of uneasiness. Did that mean that he regretted spending the day with her?
Max continued, “But I’m glad that I thought of asking you.” He didn’t exactly know if it was the alcohol that caused him to talk so boldly, or just the willingness to admit. Either way, it made him feel brave and yet foolish saying what he was saying.
Liz was surprised, but felt glad. “I don’t feel so bad about it, either.” She said giggling.
They both stared at the ceiling for a few minutes longer. They felt safe and happy at that moment. And both started drifting off to sleep, feeling secure in each other’s company as if they had been close for a very long time.
(TBC)
A/N:I'm very sorry. This one was downright horrible. The next part will be much more interesting.
Also: Just two weeks ago, I was helping out at a bridal fair and there were lots of things I learned about soon to be married couples. Some of the info was used in this chapter. It really gave me a sort of in-depth look at how some men see the whole wedding celebration.
-
liz_maria
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 143
- Joined: Thu Feb 06, 2003 5:05 pm
- Location: The city of parties and never-ending dreams(a.k.a. the Philippines)
- Contact:
A/N: This is my thirteenth chapter (-I’m embarrassed to say that I kinda’ lost track of which chapter I was on), and I hope it proves to be a lucky 13 for me (and hopefully a 14, 15, and so on). 
What I can say: from here is that this plot gets to the climax sooooon. Thanks for the patience everyone has channeled towards this story. 
From Loathe To Love Chapter 13
The early morning rays of the next day’s sun filled the room with warmth. It lit up the love-themed painting, casting an almost blinding reflection on the protective glass covering it. The ridiculous storm from the night before had stopped and left only puddles in its wake.
Liz was the first to awaken. She felt a warm pressure over her abdomen.
She stared groggily down at her stomach to find Max’s arm draped over her stomach. She knew that she should’ve felt somewhat violated, but she didn’t. It felt comfortable, actually.
Before she could think of anything else, Max had also awoken. Upon seeing where his arm was positioned, he hastily jerked it away. “Sorry,” he muttered.
They stared at each other for a moment, memories from the night before being relived in fast forward mode. Liz felt a tingle in her stomach, recalling how civil they were towards each other. It wouldn’t have seemed likely 48 hours ago, but there it was.
However, no amount of civil behavior would prevent surprising both of them, when Max (who’s mind was still on what events took place the night before) suddenly pressed his lips to Liz’s.
The kiss that ensued was quite gentle. It felt right. It was warm and affectionate. Liz responded immediately. But just as she was warming up to the idea of waking up to kiss a gorgeous man, doubts suddenly choked her mind so fast that she completely forgot how nice they were both being to each other.
You are kissing a person who you’ll never have a future with! This is just going to be an embarrassing one-night stand with another one of those men who seem to make all the difference in the world (but they don’t!). Stop this. The last time you almost got married, it was fucked up by someone who you thought was good for you. Think about it. You’ll regret this. It’s too soon. You’re being easy. You’re contradicting yourself. You hate him remember? Don’t forget why you hated him in the first place. He and his first wife are divorced, he sounded bitter. Even if you ever got together, he’ll always be comparing you to his wife. You’ll always be second. Face it: It’s doomed from the start. You are forgettable, this is forgettable. JUST. STOP. IT.
Overwhelmed by the rush of all the insecurities about the men that she had ever had a relationship with, she pushed Max away.
“What did we do?” she said quietly. She wanted to get as far away from him as possible. She didn’t like the fact that he was the only man in her life’s history who triggered so much of her doubts with just one kiss. She ran into the bathroom to change back into her dress, leaving a confused Max behind.
“What do you mean?” Max called after her after he recovered from the initial shock. He couldn’t see what was wrong with kissing her. It felt beautiful, after all. He had never basked in such pleasure from just one kiss. Not even from his ex-wife.
Liz was quick to step out of the bathroom, fully dressed and had very quickly (if not carelessly) washed up. “I’ll give you five minutes to get ready. We’re leaving. Now.”
Max made no move upon hearing Liz’s commands. He merely sat there and stared at the distraught woman. “What the hell is the matter with you?” he asked.
Liz paled at the question. She started bustling around the room checking her belongings as she answered in a falsely calm voice, “There’s nothing wrong, we just have to leave. I don’t want my friends to start a search party, you know.” The statement was followed by a harsh laugh.
Max was still confused. He knew that there was more to it, but decided that he had a better chance at finding out what it was, if he went along with Liz’s decision to leave.
They checked out and started the drive back into town. There was a tense silence in the car that threatened to consume whatever companionable feeling they had established towards each other.
Max had a feeling that, if he didn’t say something at the moment, any chance for reconciliation would be permanently over. He couldn’t help but become irritated though. What on earth had come over Liz?
“What is going on?” he asked suddenly.
“What are you talking about?” asked Liz nervously.
“You know damn well what I’m talking about, Liz. I kiss you and you turn into a bitch. I mean, do I kiss that badly? All of a sudden, it seems like you don’t want to have anything to do with me.”
“I don’t.”
“What?!”
“It’s complicated.”
“Complicated?! Would you care to elaborate! Come one, give it a shot. I might get lucky and guess what’s in the mind of a complex creature such as yourself!” He was raising his voice.
Liz sighed and gave in, “That kiss: I know that it’s supposed to be a doorway into something going on between us, but it’ll never work out. You’re you and I’m me. We’re wrong for each other, period.”
“How do you know that?”
“How? Don’t be an idiot!” Liz cried hysterically. “We started the whole thing wrong! Anything between us started with deceit! All this is happening because of a stupid lie you told Tess to keep your pride. See what’s wrong with the picture? This has been shit from the very beginning! We hate each other, for goodness’ sake.”
“Things can turn out differently.”
Liz knew that Max would say that. She already had a response to it. “Hello?! This is real life. Unlike some disgustingly sweet fantasy, this isn’t going to be it for me or you. There’s a reason why we loathe each other.”
“We don’t hate each other! We were just being childish then. It started out from wrong impressions. And there’s a reason why we might love each other too.”
They were fast approaching the apartments. Both were fuming furiously.
After a full minute, Max gritted his teeth and sighed, “Are you afraid that if this didn’t work out, we’d still have to live next door to one another?”
Max parked the car. As soon as the engine stopped running, Liz got out. Just as she was about to close the car door, she turned to Max and said, “No, I wouldn’t have to be afraid of that since we made a deal that you’d be moving out, remember?” And then she turned and walked away, leaving a heartbroken Max to stare after her.
TBC
A/N: Wow, happy holidays everyone!
What I can say: from here is that this plot gets to the climax sooooon. Thanks for the patience everyone has channeled towards this story. From Loathe To Love Chapter 13
The early morning rays of the next day’s sun filled the room with warmth. It lit up the love-themed painting, casting an almost blinding reflection on the protective glass covering it. The ridiculous storm from the night before had stopped and left only puddles in its wake.
Liz was the first to awaken. She felt a warm pressure over her abdomen.
She stared groggily down at her stomach to find Max’s arm draped over her stomach. She knew that she should’ve felt somewhat violated, but she didn’t. It felt comfortable, actually.
Before she could think of anything else, Max had also awoken. Upon seeing where his arm was positioned, he hastily jerked it away. “Sorry,” he muttered.
They stared at each other for a moment, memories from the night before being relived in fast forward mode. Liz felt a tingle in her stomach, recalling how civil they were towards each other. It wouldn’t have seemed likely 48 hours ago, but there it was.
However, no amount of civil behavior would prevent surprising both of them, when Max (who’s mind was still on what events took place the night before) suddenly pressed his lips to Liz’s.
The kiss that ensued was quite gentle. It felt right. It was warm and affectionate. Liz responded immediately. But just as she was warming up to the idea of waking up to kiss a gorgeous man, doubts suddenly choked her mind so fast that she completely forgot how nice they were both being to each other.
You are kissing a person who you’ll never have a future with! This is just going to be an embarrassing one-night stand with another one of those men who seem to make all the difference in the world (but they don’t!). Stop this. The last time you almost got married, it was fucked up by someone who you thought was good for you. Think about it. You’ll regret this. It’s too soon. You’re being easy. You’re contradicting yourself. You hate him remember? Don’t forget why you hated him in the first place. He and his first wife are divorced, he sounded bitter. Even if you ever got together, he’ll always be comparing you to his wife. You’ll always be second. Face it: It’s doomed from the start. You are forgettable, this is forgettable. JUST. STOP. IT.
Overwhelmed by the rush of all the insecurities about the men that she had ever had a relationship with, she pushed Max away.
“What did we do?” she said quietly. She wanted to get as far away from him as possible. She didn’t like the fact that he was the only man in her life’s history who triggered so much of her doubts with just one kiss. She ran into the bathroom to change back into her dress, leaving a confused Max behind.
“What do you mean?” Max called after her after he recovered from the initial shock. He couldn’t see what was wrong with kissing her. It felt beautiful, after all. He had never basked in such pleasure from just one kiss. Not even from his ex-wife.
Liz was quick to step out of the bathroom, fully dressed and had very quickly (if not carelessly) washed up. “I’ll give you five minutes to get ready. We’re leaving. Now.”
Max made no move upon hearing Liz’s commands. He merely sat there and stared at the distraught woman. “What the hell is the matter with you?” he asked.
Liz paled at the question. She started bustling around the room checking her belongings as she answered in a falsely calm voice, “There’s nothing wrong, we just have to leave. I don’t want my friends to start a search party, you know.” The statement was followed by a harsh laugh.
Max was still confused. He knew that there was more to it, but decided that he had a better chance at finding out what it was, if he went along with Liz’s decision to leave.
They checked out and started the drive back into town. There was a tense silence in the car that threatened to consume whatever companionable feeling they had established towards each other.
Max had a feeling that, if he didn’t say something at the moment, any chance for reconciliation would be permanently over. He couldn’t help but become irritated though. What on earth had come over Liz?
“What is going on?” he asked suddenly.
“What are you talking about?” asked Liz nervously.
“You know damn well what I’m talking about, Liz. I kiss you and you turn into a bitch. I mean, do I kiss that badly? All of a sudden, it seems like you don’t want to have anything to do with me.”
“I don’t.”
“What?!”
“It’s complicated.”
“Complicated?! Would you care to elaborate! Come one, give it a shot. I might get lucky and guess what’s in the mind of a complex creature such as yourself!” He was raising his voice.
Liz sighed and gave in, “That kiss: I know that it’s supposed to be a doorway into something going on between us, but it’ll never work out. You’re you and I’m me. We’re wrong for each other, period.”
“How do you know that?”
“How? Don’t be an idiot!” Liz cried hysterically. “We started the whole thing wrong! Anything between us started with deceit! All this is happening because of a stupid lie you told Tess to keep your pride. See what’s wrong with the picture? This has been shit from the very beginning! We hate each other, for goodness’ sake.”
“Things can turn out differently.”
Liz knew that Max would say that. She already had a response to it. “Hello?! This is real life. Unlike some disgustingly sweet fantasy, this isn’t going to be it for me or you. There’s a reason why we loathe each other.”
“We don’t hate each other! We were just being childish then. It started out from wrong impressions. And there’s a reason why we might love each other too.”
They were fast approaching the apartments. Both were fuming furiously.
After a full minute, Max gritted his teeth and sighed, “Are you afraid that if this didn’t work out, we’d still have to live next door to one another?”
Max parked the car. As soon as the engine stopped running, Liz got out. Just as she was about to close the car door, she turned to Max and said, “No, I wouldn’t have to be afraid of that since we made a deal that you’d be moving out, remember?” And then she turned and walked away, leaving a heartbroken Max to stare after her.
TBC
A/N: Wow, happy holidays everyone!
-
liz_maria
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 143
- Joined: Thu Feb 06, 2003 5:05 pm
- Location: The city of parties and never-ending dreams(a.k.a. the Philippines)
- Contact:
Additional Disclaimer: Us Weekly does not belong to me, nor does People/Allure. But still I am a big Allure fan.
Chapter 14
Any outsider would’ve thought that the apartment unit owned by one Max Evans was either abandoned or occupied by a vampire. Heavy curtains were drawn, and even from the inside the place was dimly lit and messy. Things were scattered everywhere, furniture was disarranged, and there was a scramble of large boxes too.
It was two days after the whole incident with Liz and the kiss. After Liz left him in the parking lot, he took the rest of the day to figure it all out. Was it all a joke? Was it hopeless? A couple bottles of beer and hours of staring at nothing in particular answered yes on both counts. It was hopeless. What could he have expected from a girl who was always so suspicious of him?
The very next day, Max called his sister. He lied and said that he needed to move out immediately because his current home was just not cutting it anymore. He asked if he could move in with her while he was still looking for a new place. Isabel was surprised, but readily obliged. Since then, Max had been on a cycle of packing things, getting drunk, and staring into space.
~!~
It was no way to say goodbye, leaving him in a parking lot. Liz knew that. But what else was there for her to do? She let him know very clearly that she did not want to be anywhere near him. Now she had to live with that decision.
I don’t need him. She repeated this over and over in her head like a mantra. Now she only needed to make herself believe it.
~!~
“Iz, you must be wondering why I’m really here,” Max suddenly said in the middle of their takeout dinner.
His sister stopped momentarily in the mincing of her food to regard him. “Um, you told me that your place was starting to get really crappy.”
He shook his head and said, “Did you really believe that?”
Isabel sighed and laughed. “No.”
There was a moment’s silence. Then Max quietly added, “Me neither.” His sister heard this, but knew that this was not the right time to pry. Max would eventually tell her on his own.
~!~
“Liz, you have to calm down!” begged Liz’s best friend Maria.
“Calm down? Calm down? What have I done!” Liz sobbed.
Maria took the opportunity to have a good look around her friend’s place. It was a nightmarish clutter that greeted her peripheral vision. She sighed. “Okay, take a deep breath and tell me again. Slowly. I want to understand you, I really do.”
Liz obediently took a deep breath and started, “He kissed me the next morning and I just shut down. I was downright cruel. I became a total asshole and told him that I didn’t want him around, that the deal was still on and he had to move out.”
Maria gave Liz a strange look. “So…?”
“He did! He’s gone. I only found out this morning.”
“It’s hard to be sympathetic about this. Let’s face it, it was all your fault.”
Liz started weeping and babbling like she had in the last full hour. “I know that!” she wailed.
“Let’s have a reality check. Do you recognize the severity of what you’ve done to him?”
“Yes.”
“Do you think he’ll take you back?”
“…”
“Rephrasing the question: What do you think are the odds, in percentage, that he’ll take you back?”
“I’d say about 50%.”
Maria shook her head. “That doesn’t look good,” she said. But after seeing Liz look like she was about to have an apopleptic fit quickly added, “But I know what we can do about it.”
It worked. Liz looked up hopefully from where her head was buried in her hands.
~!~
There was a knock on Isabel’s bedroom door. “Come in,” she called out distractedly. She was busy perusing a copy of Us Weekly while sitting in front of her desk.
Max walked into the room. Upon seeing the magazine in his sister’s grasp he smirked. It reminded him a lot of someone.
“What?” Isabel asked.
He had wanted to ask her something about helping him to go house-hunting. Instead, he asked, “Iz, what did you do to the ring?”
Isabel put the magazine away. “I still have it.” She opened one of her desk drawers and took out a fancy velvet box. She handed it to Max who came closer and sat on the edge of the bed near Isabel’s desk.
He slowly opened the box and took out the ring. It looked like it did when he first got it from the jewelers’. Bright, complex, but promising. At that moment, he knew that one thing was true in all of this: Something worth fighting for is something worth having and keeping.
He turned to Isabel and said, “I’ll tell you what really happened…”
TBC
Author's Note: Are they, or aren't they? Stay tuned! And Happy April Fools' Day to all. Have a good prank up your sleeve!
Chapter 14
Any outsider would’ve thought that the apartment unit owned by one Max Evans was either abandoned or occupied by a vampire. Heavy curtains were drawn, and even from the inside the place was dimly lit and messy. Things were scattered everywhere, furniture was disarranged, and there was a scramble of large boxes too.
It was two days after the whole incident with Liz and the kiss. After Liz left him in the parking lot, he took the rest of the day to figure it all out. Was it all a joke? Was it hopeless? A couple bottles of beer and hours of staring at nothing in particular answered yes on both counts. It was hopeless. What could he have expected from a girl who was always so suspicious of him?
The very next day, Max called his sister. He lied and said that he needed to move out immediately because his current home was just not cutting it anymore. He asked if he could move in with her while he was still looking for a new place. Isabel was surprised, but readily obliged. Since then, Max had been on a cycle of packing things, getting drunk, and staring into space.
~!~
It was no way to say goodbye, leaving him in a parking lot. Liz knew that. But what else was there for her to do? She let him know very clearly that she did not want to be anywhere near him. Now she had to live with that decision.
I don’t need him. She repeated this over and over in her head like a mantra. Now she only needed to make herself believe it.
~!~
“Iz, you must be wondering why I’m really here,” Max suddenly said in the middle of their takeout dinner.
His sister stopped momentarily in the mincing of her food to regard him. “Um, you told me that your place was starting to get really crappy.”
He shook his head and said, “Did you really believe that?”
Isabel sighed and laughed. “No.”
There was a moment’s silence. Then Max quietly added, “Me neither.” His sister heard this, but knew that this was not the right time to pry. Max would eventually tell her on his own.
~!~
“Liz, you have to calm down!” begged Liz’s best friend Maria.
“Calm down? Calm down? What have I done!” Liz sobbed.
Maria took the opportunity to have a good look around her friend’s place. It was a nightmarish clutter that greeted her peripheral vision. She sighed. “Okay, take a deep breath and tell me again. Slowly. I want to understand you, I really do.”
Liz obediently took a deep breath and started, “He kissed me the next morning and I just shut down. I was downright cruel. I became a total asshole and told him that I didn’t want him around, that the deal was still on and he had to move out.”
Maria gave Liz a strange look. “So…?”
“He did! He’s gone. I only found out this morning.”
“It’s hard to be sympathetic about this. Let’s face it, it was all your fault.”
Liz started weeping and babbling like she had in the last full hour. “I know that!” she wailed.
“Let’s have a reality check. Do you recognize the severity of what you’ve done to him?”
“Yes.”
“Do you think he’ll take you back?”
“…”
“Rephrasing the question: What do you think are the odds, in percentage, that he’ll take you back?”
“I’d say about 50%.”
Maria shook her head. “That doesn’t look good,” she said. But after seeing Liz look like she was about to have an apopleptic fit quickly added, “But I know what we can do about it.”
It worked. Liz looked up hopefully from where her head was buried in her hands.
~!~
There was a knock on Isabel’s bedroom door. “Come in,” she called out distractedly. She was busy perusing a copy of Us Weekly while sitting in front of her desk.
Max walked into the room. Upon seeing the magazine in his sister’s grasp he smirked. It reminded him a lot of someone.
“What?” Isabel asked.
He had wanted to ask her something about helping him to go house-hunting. Instead, he asked, “Iz, what did you do to the ring?”
Isabel put the magazine away. “I still have it.” She opened one of her desk drawers and took out a fancy velvet box. She handed it to Max who came closer and sat on the edge of the bed near Isabel’s desk.
He slowly opened the box and took out the ring. It looked like it did when he first got it from the jewelers’. Bright, complex, but promising. At that moment, he knew that one thing was true in all of this: Something worth fighting for is something worth having and keeping.
He turned to Isabel and said, “I’ll tell you what really happened…”
TBC
Author's Note: Are they, or aren't they?
Stay tuned! And Happy April Fools' Day to all. Have a good prank up your sleeve!
Last edited by liz_maria on Tue May 16, 2006 12:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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liz_maria
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 143
- Joined: Thu Feb 06, 2003 5:05 pm
- Location: The city of parties and never-ending dreams(a.k.a. the Philippines)
- Contact:
It's here, it's here! I have this miraculously free weekend all to myself, and the first thing I did was to write this story. I'm about to go have a movie marathon! Free time is such a sacred thing.
From Loathe to Love Chapter 15
“How do I find him?” wailed Liz.
Maria who had been focused on helping Liz out all this time looked thoughtful and said, “The phonebook!”
Liz gaped at her incredulously. “Are you serious?!” she screeched. “Have you any idea how many Evanses there are in LA? Besides, if he’s newly moved in, then he might not even have a phone line yet or it might be under someone else’s name. What if he’s unlisted?”
At this Maria immediately dropped the argument. But just as quickly thought of a new one. “How about tracing any information about him by backtracking to the last few places you’ve been? Maybe you could call that hotel you stayed in. Get a name, number, relative, anything.”
“Maria! That’s illegal. You’ve seen one too many romantic comedies,” she said in exasperation.
“So have you!” Maria burst. “This whole setup was wrong from the beginning. The fact that you went ahead with it doesn’t make it any better.”
After seeing Liz pale, she hastened to add, “Those movies all work out in the end. You have to believe that you will too.”
“Listen, this isn’t just some game where we throw caution to the wind! I screwed up. Big time. I’m not denying that. You expect me to have faith that the guy I turned away so rudely will not hate me, but will take me back with wide open arms and an erection?! That’s a comfort!”
***
“I really want to be with her, but she turned me down. I wouldn’t want to force or wheedle anyone into submission.”
“From what I heard, there were sparks flying from both ends of the stick.”
“I don’t want to impose-…”
“Maxwell Evans, you idiot! Love is all about imposing yourself until the other end finally realizes that it’s a mutual feeling.”
Max laughed despite himself. “Who knew you’d display such stalker-like tendencies?”
“Shut up and think, Max,” Isabel coaxed. “This could be it.”
She paused for a while before adding, “I think she got the wrong impression. No offence, but you sometimes strike people as cocky.”
“I do?”
“You look so self-assured all the time! You’re all confident and you always seem to know what should happen next. Now tell me that it would be so difficult to think that you were a wolfish pimp jerk.”
“Where the hell did ‘pimp’ come from?”
“You’re a smooth-talker. That’s pimpy.”
“I see.” Max looked as though he was genuinely considering this.
“This might sound cliché, but women still believe in old-fashioned wooing.”
“Not her, she’s a feminist.”
Isabel rolled her eyes. “If every feminist acted like such a hardened criminal, then none of them would ever be married!”
“Good point.”
“I know that you’re a romantic even if you’d never admit it. Winning her over shouldn’t be as hard as you make it sound. For all we know, she could be realizing her mistake of letting you go, right this very moment.”
Max was looking more hopeful. Feeling empowered by this, Isabel went on, “And I’m not letting you free-load and lose that great apartment of yours just because some girl’s got the wrong idea. Get her flowers chocolates…” Isabel trailed off noticing her brother’s feverish look. “Max?” she called tentatively.
“Chocolates! That’s it!” he looked around frantically. “Iz, what time is it?” he rounded on her.
“I’d say it’s about ten.”
“I’m not going to make it!” he spat, frustrated.
“Make it to what?”
“To the chocolate shop!”
“I know you’re excited about this whole new romance thing, but can’t it wait until tomorrow? You can leave for the shop first thing tomorrow morning.” Seeing the frantic look on Max’s eyes she added, “If you’re in such a hurry, we could stop by a 7/11 or something.”
At this her brother relaxed. It was partly because of the hope he felt, and partly because of the memory telling his friends at Tess’ wedding that they met at a convenience store. He even broke out into a small smile. “Right, first thing tomorrow morning.”
***
The owner of the charming chocolatier (that also doubled as a home on the second floor) had just gone downstairs to unlock the store door before she noticed that a handsome young man was leaning against an expensive looking car that was coincidentally parked right in front of the door.
Julienne John was still a little groggy from doing some stock inventory the night before, so she couldn’t believe her eyes at first.
“Albert, it that you?” she called out thinking that her late husband had somehow managed to return in the form of a very youthful and modern-looking man.
She squinted her eyes at the sunlight that filtered through the door before realizing that this was not her husband at all. It was the man that she met almost a week ago.
Upon closer observation, she noticed that the man was in casual clothes, and he had a cup of some hot drink from Starbucks. There was another cup of the same size resting on the hood of the car.
The moment she caught his eye, he stepped forward with a smile. Mrs. Jonn finished opening the front door as well as the sliding security gate.
“Good morning, Mrs. Jonn. It’s Max Evans. I was here a few days ago,” he greeted.
She returned Max’s smile and said, “Good morning. That’s a lot of coffee for a weekend.”
Max picked up the cup on the hood and handed it to her. “This one’s for you. I didn’t know if you preferred a hot drink to a cold one, so I got you a latte too.”
“You didn’t have to go through all the trouble,” she said as she led him into the store.
“It’s the least I can do. I’m coming in so early that I might as well help you start the morning right.”
“I appreciate it.” Mrs. Jonn thanked him and seated him near the counter where the big refrigerator for the chocolates was positioned. She was scurrying about, getting things ready.
Once she was all good and set up, she sat across from Max and sipped on her coffee.
“How do you know that it would amount to this?” Max asked.
Mrs. Jonn decided to play coy and asked, “Amount to what, dear?”
“You knew that I’d be back!”
“It could be because of the chocolate.”
“No-… um, well, partly,” Max stammered. “But you knew that I’d be back for another reason.”
“It doesn’t take a psychic to notice attraction. And don’t worry about it! I haven’t sold them yet!”
Max was tempted to heave a huge sigh of relief. “That’s good.”
“How is that lady friend of yours doing?” Mrs. Jonn said with an air of nonchalance that made Max feel the urge to immediately disclose what happened to an almost complete stranger.
“Liz! Things are…” Max’s brows furrowed. “Complicated.”
“Rarely anything in life isn’t, let alone love,” the old lady said. “The important thing: What are you going to do about it?”
“I’m going to show her that this doesn’t have to be as complicated as it seems.”
“That sounds like an excellent plan. It’s true that love is such an intricate setup. It is our ability to look past the complications, -to love so completely that it feels like the easiest job on Earth.”
Max was amazed at how wise the woman in front of him was. “How could you know so much?”
In her enigmatic way, Mrs. Jonn simply answered, “You gotta know about life and love to be able to make the chocolate.” She shifted in her seat and gestured to the antique-store part of the cozy shop. “Now I suppose you would want to see the very object of your visit.”
“Yes, please.”
***
A Few Hours Later…
“…Yes, there is no one named Max Evans there. I see…-Thank you! Have a nice day.” Liz hung up the phone and stared at Maria who was busily crossing out sections of the phonebook with a black marker. “Ria, where is he?! We’ve been calling all the Evans-named people in this city.”
“Honestly, I don’t know,” Maria said sympathetically. “Suppose he comes back for something he forgot. We’ll keep this place in lockdown.”
Before Liz could have processed a comeback, a knock on the door shook her out of her thoughts.
TBC
A/N: The feminist thing was inspired by what Sarah Michelle Gellar said, and I quote: “I hate the word 'feminist' - it brings up such horrible connotations and makes me think of women who don't shave their legs.” I cracked up when I read that.
From Loathe to Love Chapter 15
“How do I find him?” wailed Liz.
Maria who had been focused on helping Liz out all this time looked thoughtful and said, “The phonebook!”
Liz gaped at her incredulously. “Are you serious?!” she screeched. “Have you any idea how many Evanses there are in LA? Besides, if he’s newly moved in, then he might not even have a phone line yet or it might be under someone else’s name. What if he’s unlisted?”
At this Maria immediately dropped the argument. But just as quickly thought of a new one. “How about tracing any information about him by backtracking to the last few places you’ve been? Maybe you could call that hotel you stayed in. Get a name, number, relative, anything.”
“Maria! That’s illegal. You’ve seen one too many romantic comedies,” she said in exasperation.
“So have you!” Maria burst. “This whole setup was wrong from the beginning. The fact that you went ahead with it doesn’t make it any better.”
After seeing Liz pale, she hastened to add, “Those movies all work out in the end. You have to believe that you will too.”
“Listen, this isn’t just some game where we throw caution to the wind! I screwed up. Big time. I’m not denying that. You expect me to have faith that the guy I turned away so rudely will not hate me, but will take me back with wide open arms and an erection?! That’s a comfort!”
***
“I really want to be with her, but she turned me down. I wouldn’t want to force or wheedle anyone into submission.”
“From what I heard, there were sparks flying from both ends of the stick.”
“I don’t want to impose-…”
“Maxwell Evans, you idiot! Love is all about imposing yourself until the other end finally realizes that it’s a mutual feeling.”
Max laughed despite himself. “Who knew you’d display such stalker-like tendencies?”
“Shut up and think, Max,” Isabel coaxed. “This could be it.”
She paused for a while before adding, “I think she got the wrong impression. No offence, but you sometimes strike people as cocky.”
“I do?”
“You look so self-assured all the time! You’re all confident and you always seem to know what should happen next. Now tell me that it would be so difficult to think that you were a wolfish pimp jerk.”
“Where the hell did ‘pimp’ come from?”
“You’re a smooth-talker. That’s pimpy.”
“I see.” Max looked as though he was genuinely considering this.
“This might sound cliché, but women still believe in old-fashioned wooing.”
“Not her, she’s a feminist.”
Isabel rolled her eyes. “If every feminist acted like such a hardened criminal, then none of them would ever be married!”
“Good point.”
“I know that you’re a romantic even if you’d never admit it. Winning her over shouldn’t be as hard as you make it sound. For all we know, she could be realizing her mistake of letting you go, right this very moment.”
Max was looking more hopeful. Feeling empowered by this, Isabel went on, “And I’m not letting you free-load and lose that great apartment of yours just because some girl’s got the wrong idea. Get her flowers chocolates…” Isabel trailed off noticing her brother’s feverish look. “Max?” she called tentatively.
“Chocolates! That’s it!” he looked around frantically. “Iz, what time is it?” he rounded on her.
“I’d say it’s about ten.”
“I’m not going to make it!” he spat, frustrated.
“Make it to what?”
“To the chocolate shop!”
“I know you’re excited about this whole new romance thing, but can’t it wait until tomorrow? You can leave for the shop first thing tomorrow morning.” Seeing the frantic look on Max’s eyes she added, “If you’re in such a hurry, we could stop by a 7/11 or something.”
At this her brother relaxed. It was partly because of the hope he felt, and partly because of the memory telling his friends at Tess’ wedding that they met at a convenience store. He even broke out into a small smile. “Right, first thing tomorrow morning.”
***
The owner of the charming chocolatier (that also doubled as a home on the second floor) had just gone downstairs to unlock the store door before she noticed that a handsome young man was leaning against an expensive looking car that was coincidentally parked right in front of the door.
Julienne John was still a little groggy from doing some stock inventory the night before, so she couldn’t believe her eyes at first.
“Albert, it that you?” she called out thinking that her late husband had somehow managed to return in the form of a very youthful and modern-looking man.
She squinted her eyes at the sunlight that filtered through the door before realizing that this was not her husband at all. It was the man that she met almost a week ago.
Upon closer observation, she noticed that the man was in casual clothes, and he had a cup of some hot drink from Starbucks. There was another cup of the same size resting on the hood of the car.
The moment she caught his eye, he stepped forward with a smile. Mrs. Jonn finished opening the front door as well as the sliding security gate.
“Good morning, Mrs. Jonn. It’s Max Evans. I was here a few days ago,” he greeted.
She returned Max’s smile and said, “Good morning. That’s a lot of coffee for a weekend.”
Max picked up the cup on the hood and handed it to her. “This one’s for you. I didn’t know if you preferred a hot drink to a cold one, so I got you a latte too.”
“You didn’t have to go through all the trouble,” she said as she led him into the store.
“It’s the least I can do. I’m coming in so early that I might as well help you start the morning right.”
“I appreciate it.” Mrs. Jonn thanked him and seated him near the counter where the big refrigerator for the chocolates was positioned. She was scurrying about, getting things ready.
Once she was all good and set up, she sat across from Max and sipped on her coffee.
“How do you know that it would amount to this?” Max asked.
Mrs. Jonn decided to play coy and asked, “Amount to what, dear?”
“You knew that I’d be back!”
“It could be because of the chocolate.”
“No-… um, well, partly,” Max stammered. “But you knew that I’d be back for another reason.”
“It doesn’t take a psychic to notice attraction. And don’t worry about it! I haven’t sold them yet!”
Max was tempted to heave a huge sigh of relief. “That’s good.”
“How is that lady friend of yours doing?” Mrs. Jonn said with an air of nonchalance that made Max feel the urge to immediately disclose what happened to an almost complete stranger.
“Liz! Things are…” Max’s brows furrowed. “Complicated.”
“Rarely anything in life isn’t, let alone love,” the old lady said. “The important thing: What are you going to do about it?”
“I’m going to show her that this doesn’t have to be as complicated as it seems.”
“That sounds like an excellent plan. It’s true that love is such an intricate setup. It is our ability to look past the complications, -to love so completely that it feels like the easiest job on Earth.”
Max was amazed at how wise the woman in front of him was. “How could you know so much?”
In her enigmatic way, Mrs. Jonn simply answered, “You gotta know about life and love to be able to make the chocolate.” She shifted in her seat and gestured to the antique-store part of the cozy shop. “Now I suppose you would want to see the very object of your visit.”
“Yes, please.”
***
A Few Hours Later…
“…Yes, there is no one named Max Evans there. I see…-Thank you! Have a nice day.” Liz hung up the phone and stared at Maria who was busily crossing out sections of the phonebook with a black marker. “Ria, where is he?! We’ve been calling all the Evans-named people in this city.”
“Honestly, I don’t know,” Maria said sympathetically. “Suppose he comes back for something he forgot. We’ll keep this place in lockdown.”
Before Liz could have processed a comeback, a knock on the door shook her out of her thoughts.
TBC
A/N: The feminist thing was inspired by what Sarah Michelle Gellar said, and I quote: “I hate the word 'feminist' - it brings up such horrible connotations and makes me think of women who don't shave their legs.” I cracked up when I read that.
-
liz_maria
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 143
- Joined: Thu Feb 06, 2003 5:05 pm
- Location: The city of parties and never-ending dreams(a.k.a. the Philippines)
- Contact:
It's almost Christmas! Happy Holidays everyone.
I'm pretty sure that the next installment to this story will be the last. Honestly, I haven't written much of it yet, but I'm hoping that it will be likeable by the time it gets posted (When? ummm.... I'll get back to you on that).
Meanwhile, I'm considering starting another story and I'm browsing through some challenges to see if anything catches my fancy.
You can find me (when I'm not in fandom) at My LJ.
That's it for today. *crawls back to my writing space to make the chapter*
I'm pretty sure that the next installment to this story will be the last. Honestly, I haven't written much of it yet, but I'm hoping that it will be likeable by the time it gets posted (When? ummm.... I'll get back to you on that).
Meanwhile, I'm considering starting another story and I'm browsing through some challenges to see if anything catches my fancy.
You can find me (when I'm not in fandom) at My LJ.
That's it for today. *crawls back to my writing space to make the chapter*