Picture drawn by Angelrose.
What can we say? We are truly addicted! Here is part three.
Disclaimer: We do not own any of the Roswell characters. With the exception of the Roswell characters, the coffee shop Liz works at (Dean And Deluca) and the towns, the events and additional characters are the makings of our imagination. May the force be with you!
Part Three:
Riding in the backseat with three other students from Roswell High, a teacher, Mr. Jillahan, and the freshman, Derek Stately’s dad, Phillip Stately, Max couldn’t count the hours he had spent on this road trip that was to take him to New York. All he knew was that it had been a long, tiresome journey and he was just now seeing the lights of New York approaching, seven days later. He’d tried drawing, but that became impossible with the jarring of the wheel from a pair of adult drivers that refused to drive sensibly—or let the students take a turn. Pride had been bigger than they were, Max concluded after several days in this light tan 90’s Dodge Minivan. Max could go on about the highlights of riding backseat in a used Minivan that was just as tired as he or more, if possible, such as the lack of air conditioning on most days, and the loud noises that clearly spoke car problems that were ignored. But why depress himself further, he thought to himself?
Pride had kept Max unable to draw and nearly unable to read. Nearly. He was not so easily swayed from that joy. He had brought along an assortment of novels, from Sci Fi to Western. He was currently working on a western novel that had him out in the middle of an ambush with just he and the other wrestlers against a tough relentless prairie. Smiling, Max thought that this was his type of book. At least if he toned out the driving childishness of whom was best suited to drive while the current driver had them all over the road from the bickering, Max could enjoy the pleasant past-time of what Wade Robbinsworth, the main figure in his novel, was doing. Anything had to be better than what the alternative was, Max thought miserably.
Max missed his house in New Mexico. He missed his family. This was the first time he had ever left for this long a time in his life. He wouldn’t say a word of this to anyone in the car, but secretly, Max wished he could be there, instead of here, on this trip. What was the point in going all these miles when three other students could do the job sufficiently of representing Roswell? Why did Max have to be part of it?
Well, if he did have to go, which it appeared he did, Max thought, he would attempt to enjoy part of it. Turning the page in his novel, he pulled his earphones up to his ears, turned on the latest CD he was listening to, INXS, and tried his best to make the best of a thoroughly bad situation. If he wasn’t allowed to get some breathing room soon, from these same people he’d been with day in and day out for six solid days, Max knew he would go insane!
Liz Parker continuously looked at her watch and the wall clocks that Monday in April. She was bored to tears and wanted to leave, to escape the confining spectrum of the high school. Her mind just wasn’t on school today, it was on getting on her Mopehead she had gotten for her seventeenth birthday, two months ago, and letting the wind rush through her brown hair she’d recently streaked light brown through. She didn’t have any real place in her mind to ride to, just down the road. Here recently ever since Jesse had left Liz had begun to feel extremely restless. Maybe it was the time of school year, maybe it was her age, her mother seemed to think it was. She tried so hard to be responsible, to be what she should be, but deep down, Liz just wanted to be reckless. When the final bell rang, Liz grabbed her bags, her books, and her keys from her purse and high tailed it out the front door, to the side of the brick building that was a century old. She was on a mission. When she reached her bike, Liz took off, not knowing she was about to face another chapter in her young life….
Michael wasn’t in such a hurry to take off from the school, however. There was sometihng or shall I say someone that kept his attention directly. When a tall, blonde with green eyes was smiling and flirting with a guy, unless his mama raised him to be blind and stupid, he didn’t walk away. He pursued her. In Michael Parker’s case, he pounced like an alley cat in the fix of spring fever.
He glanced at Liz long enough to know she had left early, then dismissed it as her weirdness in effect as usual and walked over to Tammy Bartlette, strutting over to her with his casual walk that said he wasn’t afraid of a thing, much less this girl. Tammy was new to the school and was nervous around people in general because of this. But there was something to be said about a hot guy with a gorgeous smile! Tammy purposely stalled reaching down for her things, off the bench beside the school, and picking htem up, showed Michael some cleavage, a lot of legs from her short skirt, and a smile that was knockout beautiful. Smiling up at Michael who was near her now, Tammy said, “Hi.”
Michael grabbed a piece of her notebook paper she had forgotten on the ground, handed it to her and said comfortably, “Hey. You’re new, aren’t you? In my Psych class, right?”
Nodding, Tammy took the piece of paper, thanking him, and adding, “Yes. And I’m not so sure I am going to do well in it. Mr. Tipley seems tough.”
Smiling with his cocky Tom Cruise expression that had Tammy excited all of a sudden, Michael replied, “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that. All you have to remember is that Tipley is an old codger and all he wants is for you to look like you care. Take lots of notes, study the margins, vocabulary words, what he discusses—and only what he discusses—and you will do fine.”
Tammy gave Micahel her first questionable expression as she siad, “How many tests have you taken with him?”
Michael thought for a moment, then replied, “A few. I wouldn’t lie to you, sweetheart.”
Ordinarily Tammy would be offended to say the least by such an endearment by a stranger, but from Michael, it sounded flattering. She smiled and said, “You know if I was in a differnet mood, I’d deck you for that comment.”
Michael warmed over that remark and said, “It wasn’t meant bad. Actually, I don’t know what made me say it, except reflex.” Baloney, Michael thought. He knew that he liked her, but if he told her that he wanted to make a move on her, or attempt to do so, she might slap him in the face and storm away. His opportunity for a Friday night makeout session would be lost for good. Again, Mama didn’t raise no fool. He listened as Tammy relayed her history that led her to this small town in New York. By the time they left the school, he felt sure that he had doen the right thing by sticking around to talk with Tammy Bartlette. She was shy acting, unlike a good majority of the girls he had known, but somehow Michael liked that. He walked her to his midnight blue ’78 Chevelle. He could begin to fantasize about what they’d do weeks down the road in the back of his baby, but somehow, Michael didn’t want to….Not just yet.
An hour later, Max found himself on the side of the Main Street road, in Niobe, stranded! The driving fiasco had turned uglier than planned and they had hit a rut in the road. All the participants were outside, on the side of the dirt road, talking, all except Max.
Fuming inwarldy, Max could gladly tell any of them what he thought, but he chose not to. Instead, he paced back and forth, trying harder than ever before to calm down. If he exploded, he would only show he was angry and nothing else would get done. No, he needed to keep some control in his system. Even if deep down he watned to yell at the adults for their lack of maturity this entire trip that had inevitably at least in part led to the stranded van.
Then something caught his attention from the corner of his mind and for a brief moment, he didn’t have to wonder how he would get through this. A Mopehead and rider flew down the road beside them, and all Max could do was wish he had one so he could take off too! He had just barely glanced at the rider and saw that it was a girl, with wild brown hair blowing behind her and wearing a black helmet, slick pants and a dark black tank top. She might have been wearing boots? He didn’t know for sure. But whatever, he just wanted away from this mess.
Grabbing his bags, Max treid to dismiss it and walked to the teacher, Mr. Jillahan, saying, “How soon can we get going?”
Mr. Jillahan didn’t know what to say. Instead, he patted Mr. Stately on the shoulder and said, “Do you think we can get out of here anytime this year, Phil?”
That’s the way to do it, Max thought grimly, be a jerk. We’ll be here all day and part of the night at this rate. Disgusted, Max thought of what he could do to find a place to unwind. He sure wasn’t going to get anything out of this, so he thought of a diner. He could go insdie and get something to drink. Why not?
Looking at the grown ups, Max said, “I’m heading on into Niobe for a bit. I need a break.”
They looked concerned, and Mr. Jillahan said, “Would you like someone to go along? This is a small town, but you know no one.”
Max didn’t think, he merely spoke, “It can’t be worse than standing here in the middle of a road, waiting for the car to get unstuck, now can it?”
At the speechlessness from the teacher and parent, Max let out a deep breath, sighed and said, “I’ll most likely be at a diner, so you don’t need to go along unless you just want to see the town diner. It is a small town so it won’t be hard to find you.” I’ll look for a broken down van. Disliking this mood of his, Max got the agreement to meet at the diner at around four today and went on foot into the main street of Niobe. He was grateful for the escape….
Liz didn’t miss the van that was broken down. In fact she nearly went back a time or two to check on them. But this was New York and life was scary. Not everyone on the side of the road could be believed to be innocent. Most were questionable these days. Liz watched the news, read the papers, enough to know that. Her jaunt down the road was great. She didn’t go above speed for fear of a ticket—and the explanation at home that would follow.
So she instead she headed home, got dressed and ready and left for work. Monday’s Wednesdays and Fridays Liz worked at Dean and DeLuca’s, as a waitress. It gave her some spending money and was a nice job. She enjoyed her boss, the friends who came in and the coworkers who worked with her. Michael had worked there last year, but quit when it got in the way of his after school activities. Now that his recent band was ever the priority in his life anyway, he had no time for a part time job. Nor did he seem to want one.
Liz didn’t really care. She chose to be responsible. But Michael didn’t have to be like her anymore than she like him.
Dressed in her pink slacks and white shirt that were her uniform, Liz said she’d see her family later, took the keys and her supper and headed out the door for work. She wouldn’t see the house again until around nine-thirty tonight….
As Liz was settling in to work for her afternoon/evening shift, Max was already seated in a booth, drinking a tall glass of Coke. He had been her for the better part of an hour. It was great! No whining adults, no childish kids, just Max and the soft drink in front of him. He reached down to the squared linoleum floor to his maroon bookbag, grabbed his Western novel and proceeded to pick up in Chapter Five, where he left off.
Then he saw her. A pretty brunette, waiting tables, with the sweetest smile he had ever seen. She had her hair pulled back into a ponytail, wore a pink hat but Max saw these things to be inconsequential. He was more focused on her voice. When he could hear it, he detected a soft gentle sound to it. She wasn’t loud or obnoxious sounding. She was kind in a quieter tone. Max smiled, lifted his hand when he felt bold enough and when he had her attention, said, “Miss, I need another refill, please.”
Liz grinned at her newest customer, looked at his glass of Coke, and then at him and said, “Sure, I can get you one, but wouldn’t you rather drink the one in front of you first? Or is there something wrong with it?”
Max looked at his full to the brim glass of Coke, wished he could crawl under the table and said to the pretty girl name-tagged Liz, “Bad line.” Liz had the deepest brown eyes Max had ever seen. They were round and honest appearing. He felt compelled to stare for just a moment.
Liz laughed lightly, breaking his reverie, and said, “It isn’t original, but I’ve heard worse. Can I do something for you?”
Max could think of a few things she could do for him, but this was not the place to discuss them and he wasn’t the kind to bring them up. Max was too shy and too decent to be that open with his inner feelings. If he were a differnet sort of guy, he might ask her to go out with him sometime. He might grab her close and kiss her passionately. But that was going too far with a girl he had just met in a diner. He didn’t know her, or her status. She could be engaged, married, dating someone. Max wasn’t that impetuous.
Max shook his head and said, “No, thanks.”
Liz found herself asking, “Are you sure?” It was her nature to be a good person, to be sure she had helped her customers in whatever way she could. But when a customer said no, then she generally walked away until he or she called her back. Somehow, Liz felt this stranger wanted something but he just didn’t know how to ask for it. If hse was nice enough, patient enough, maybe he’d say.
Max was wishing he were someone else and had to stop it before it got out of hand, so he said, “I’ll call you back if I need something, thanks.”
Liz nodded and walked away, feeling strange. Did he just mention what she had been thinking about a second ago? Shaking her head, she inwardly told herself, “Too many late nights staying up, Liz.” And she got to work.
Throuhgout the day, Max watched Liz. It was nice, this ability to be a spectator. But he began to believe he was making her nervous, so he got up and walked over to where he would pay for his drinks. He had had several through the afternoon. It was just past three-fifteen. Paying, Max smiled at the owner and said, “The girl over there, with her hair pulled back, brunette…” Franklyn Greyson glanced at her and said, “Oh, Liz?”
Nodding, Max said, “Yes! Is she…does she live here in Niobe?”
Giving the younger man a long look, Frank replied, “I can’t give that out. You are a customer. Why don’t you ask her yourself?”
Taking that in, not liking it, but accepting it, Max said, “Can you tell me if she is seeing anyone?”
Intrigued now, Frank replied, “I definitely can’t tell you that. Wlak over to her and ask.”
Max was honest, “I don’t know what to say. She is so nice and pretty. What if she laughs and walks away?” Since when did Max openly admit his fears? Except of course to his family? Never…
Frank chuckled over this, a man in his fifties who had seen people come and go in his restraunt for the past two decades, and he said, “You’ve been taking that risk spying on her all afternoon. The least you can do is take another by speaking to her. Now get going.”
Agreeing, Max walked over to Liz and when she had a moment, said, “Liz?”
Turning, Liz said, “Yes? Can I help you, sir?”
She had to look up at him and boy when she did, Liz felt the feelings of real desire. Where did they come from? He was very attractive with those dark eyes, that brown hair that was casually cut to his ears. He appeared shy, but was daring enough to watch her go all day, as she waited on customers—she’d noticed. Something told her he was trouble. He was from out of town, not intending on staying if she was correct, and yet Liz found herself smiling up at him, wondering what he needed. She was attracted to him in a way she didn’t think she’d ever be to a stranger and that alarmed her most of all.
Max took the risk, “Well actually…I was wondering if we might be able to do something. But it would have to be now.”
Liz grinned, folding her arms under her chest as she asked, “Why? Do you have to be on a plane in an hour or something?”
Shaking his head, and grinning, showing his sexy smile, Max replied, “No.” She laughed with him a second or two. Max continued, “I am here on assignment. My hgih school sent me for a convention and so I am stuck here, stranded actually, but my drivers are picking me up in about forty-five minutes. If you have some time, I’d like to get a drink and talk.”
And that was the closest Max Evans had ever come to asking a girl out.
Liz would have said no to anyone else. But now, she found herslef looking at her boss, then at her watch and saying, “Give me five minutes.”
She waited on the customer at the table she was at, then took her fifteen minute break. Sititng at one of the tables, Liz said, “I’m Liz Parker.”
Max smiled and said, “Max Evans. You live here, Liz?”
Grinning saucily at him, Liz said, “Yes. Where are you from?”
Max let out a breath and said, “Roswell, New Mexico.” Somehow listing that name had Liz grinning wider. It had a bad effect on people, it made them think that everyone who lived there were suckers who believed every alien story concocted. Max didn’t believe them. He told himself that they were stories that someone chose to invent for profit.
If he had memories of a life at the age of three spent with Isabel that he couldn’t explain that was his own affair. Sometimes at night he thought he could see visions of playing in a different place than he had ever been in before. As a child he thought it was a park that they were taken to as children. As he grew older, he simply ignored it and decided it was his imagination playing on him. He was simple Max and that was just fine.
Max added, “I know, you hear the name and think that I must be an alien nut, but I’m not. Really. I think it is bogus.”
Laughing, Liz said, “I don’t call it bogus, but certainly different. So what do you think of New York so far? Besides getting stranded, that is.”
Up till seeing this miracle, Max would have given a distinctly nasty comment about his trip, but now, all he could say was, “It’s differnet, but I am enjoying the day all in all.” Smiling at him, Liz blushed, saying, “I can tell.”
Max replied, “Can you?” Liz looked at him, seeing he was serious and felt vulnerable. She had never met anyone as interested in this way as Max was. Jesse had liked her and may have eventually pursued her romantically, but never had he dared flirt with her at the diner. She found it unnerving…foreign…and arousing.
Max had never been this bold, but he couldn’t stop now. Somehow he felt comfortable with Liz. So he continued, “How about we go and do something? Do you think you could leave early?”
Liz started to say, “Well, I don’t normally do that…”
Max grinned and said, “But?”
Liz grinned back, totally transfixed on Max as she said, “But I think I can arrange it. Just a minute.” She walked to Frank, explaining the situation as best she could, then taking off her hat, said, “Where are we going?”
Max walked to Liz and said, “You’re the native here, remember? I know next to zero about Niobe. Except that you work here at the diner.” That was enough for Max to choose to visit here whenever he could this week.
Grabbing her purse from beihnd the counter, Liz walked with Max, on out the door, and said, “I have an idea.”
Liz took Max to where his ride was so he could tell them he’d be back later that night, at the Super 8 Motel they were staying at until they could get the van to working conditions again. Then, at late afternoon, around 4 PM, they walked to the Super Matinee that was showing the movie, The Matrix. Max lived for movies like this! And so did Liz. She liked Keanu Reeves. He had the nicest butt and boy did he look good in black! Somehow, though, while sitting with Max, neither thought of the usual things they liked in action movies. Their time was spent leaning close together, looking at the other one, at scary parts, holding hands. Then when it was over, at around six, they walked to the Burger King and bought burgers. Seated across from each other, they discussed each town they were from, their pasts, the things they were interested in. Max told Liz about his love for painting. Liz told him about her writing she was trying at.
The evening was spent just getting to know each other.
When Liz left to go home, she felt a void. She didn’t’ want to watch Max leave, heading into the Super 8. But she had. They could have made out, they could have found a spot to be alone, but Liz wasn’t like that. When she lay in bed that night, though, she began to wonder just what kind of girl accepted a date with a stranger, went out with him till late evening, then dropped him off with the longings of wishing he were here with her instead of being by herself. Where did that part of her go that said she didn’t need a boyfriend, since Jesse? It seemed to have disappeared.
She tossed and turned throuhgout that Monday night….
Max was kept up half the night by the teacher, Mr. Jillahan. He was drilling into him about the poor example he was showing already for the other students. He continued, “You are seventeen, Max. There are two younger boys who are looking up to you, and here you are running off with some local girl.” Max wished he were with her now. It would be nicer than listening to this lecture. But he endured it and the rest of the session of being careful not to convince the freshmen and sophomore students to look for women. Max assured him wholeheartedly that he would nto do that and went to bed, just as fixated as Liz….
Tuesday morning, Liz got up, wishing she didn’t have to, and got ready for school. She didn’t like missing unless she was sick. But today, she felt so tired. It was her own fault for being out so late with Max. She’d enjoyed it though, she thought as she stared at her reflection in the mirror in her bedroom. Yes, she had had a good time, and she felt he had too.
As she left the house that morning, she hadn’t said two words to Michael. Her thoughts, her mind was focused on Max Evans. It unnerved her hwo she could be so careless and thoughtless, but she couldn’t change it now. Walking to her bike, she climbed aboard planning on driving to school. She had gotten a block when she thought of the Super 8 Motel and a boy who was staying there. Telling herself she could be a few minutes late, Liz drove over to the motel and parked. Walking into the lobby, she went to Missy, the woman who operated it, and said, “Hey Missy.” Missy had gone to school with her mother, so she was a friend of the family. Missy smiled and siad, “Hey, Liz. What are you doing here?” As if she didn’t know, Liz thought, but said, “Oh, just wanting to check up on a visitor to the area. Do you know if Max Evans or his party have left?”
Shaking her head, Missy said, “Sure haven’t. Last I heard they were still waiting on that van of theirs to be fixed by Larry at the Car Shop. You know he isn’t fast about fixing up cars. Heck, I’ve had mine with him before for the better part of two weeks.” This was said with full disgust over one such time where she ahd been stranded herself. She gave Liz a long look and said, “But you should be in school, Liz. Not here, investigating…”
Liz grinned and said, “What room is he in, Missy?”
Missy replied, “Two-twenty, but if you are looking for him, he is just over there, by the bay windows.”
Looking into the next room, Liz thanked Missy and slowly walked into the dining hall of the Super 8. Letting out a nervous sigh, Liz finally grabbed Max’s notice and he walked the rest of the way to her. They hugged, then Liz said, “Hi. Thought I’d see how you were doing this morning.”
Max grimaced as he said, “Not good. I didn’t want to move today.”
Grinning, Liz siad, “You too? I nearly overslept.”
Max saw her bike outside, throuhg the window, her book bag attached, then looked at Liz and said, “You playing hooky today, Liz?”
Looking at her watch that said ten after, Liz said, “I hadn’t planned on it, but…” Her eyes went to his and she felt that lost feeling again. It was as though she were his magnet, his perfect connector that made it impossible to think straight, to do what she usually did. Because one look at Max and Liz knew all she had to do all she cared to do was spend her hours with him.
Max walked the rest of the way to Liz and barely brushed against her. He said, “Let’s get out of here.” The brief contact made Liz’s heartbeat faster, her hands itch to touch his, her body yearn to feel things it shouldn’t.
Nodding, Liz said, “Okay.”
They left the lobby, went outside and together on Liz’s bike drove to the park. It was abandoned this time of day. Normally it was full of kids playing during the summers of afternoons. Now, it was theirs and it was full of trees, a pond, and privacy. Liz stopped the engine and they walked a ways into the woods. Liz walked forward, trying her best to get her bearings together. She felt him behind her and knew he wasn’t far. Speaking her mind was hard but essential, “Max, I don’t understand what I am feeling. It’s like all I want to do is spend my time with you. It makes me nervous.”
Max stopped his walking a breaht behind her and said, “It does me too.”
Liz turned at that comment and said, “Really? I’d never know it. You sound so sure of yourself.”
Running a hand through his hair that was clearly nervous to Max, he said, “I’m not, Liz. Before I met you, I wasn’t exactly a girl magnet. Yet I see you once and I can’t help myself. I can’t help it either. But I know that I want you.”
Liz looked up at him fully now and said, “Oh, Max. You just met me yesterday…how can you want me?” How could she want him? It all was scary.
Max looked at Liz strongly as he said, “I didn’t make these rules, Liz, I only know that is how I feel.”
Liz turned from him and said, “I didn’t make them either. But I couldn’t sleep last night for thinking about you.” She said the last in such a low voice she doubted he heard her.
Suddenly she felt him behind her saying into her ear, “What are we going to do about this?”
Feeling his body behind hers, so warm, so present, Liz couldn’t control the frustration, the desire that was within her, so sharply, so real. She reached behind her and grabbed his arms pulling htem around her waist. She leaned back against him saying, “I don’t know…”
Liz and Max limited the time they spent together the next few days because of these uncertainties. The exception was when Max went to the diner. Liz just didn’t know if she was ready to become so quickly involved with a boy she hardly knew. Eveyrthing seemed to be smoothed out. Then Friday arrived…
Max stayed clear of Liz for days so they could eahc figure out what was going on. But when Friday rolled around he knew his time was slipping by and he would be gone. He had missed his convention, and knew it was going to be hard telling his principal about htat—but somehow he would get the man to cool down. What was hardest on his thoughts was Liz and leaving her.
If anything, seeing Liz at the diner had strengthened his wanting her. And seeing Max had doubled her thoughts of what he was to her, how she had felt so connected to him. When school was out that Friday afternoon, Liz saw Max at the school.
Michael saw it too and immediately decided he would question his sister later about it. Something was going on there and his sister was puddy in that punk’s hands. It smelled bad to Michael. Of course his days were spent with Tammy. She was so sweet and innocent. He enjoyed his days and evenings with her. They ate lunch together, went to the movies together, to the park. Kid stuff that wasn’t heavy yet, but was nice. Michael started looking forward to those dates.
Liz walked to Max and said, “What are you doing here, Max?”
Max put his hand on Liz’s bike handle and said, “I had to see you, Liz. I’m leaving in the morning.”
Nodding, Liz said, “Did they get your van fixed already? Larry is usually behind on that.”
Grinning, Max said, “Not this time. I think he wanted to see us gone, being out of townies. Anyway, I kinda wanted to spend today with you, if you wanted.”
Smiling at him, Liz felt her control she’d gained, she’d placed on her heart and her emotions slipping as she said, “Sure. Let’s go.”
Together they rode to the park and once off the bike, parked, they walked to the same spot as Tuesday. Holding hands all the way. Finally, Liz looked up at Max and said, “I can’t believe this week is gone already. I’ll miss you, Max, so much.”
Max frowned at Liz and said, “I’ll miss you too, Liz. You could visit.”
Laughing now, Liz said, “What would I need to go to New Mexico for?”
Max wanted to say, Me, but changed his thoughts to a reasonable, “New places, new adventures.”
Liz asked, “Has this been a new adventure for you, Max? What have I been?”
Max looked down at Liz and said, “The trip was an adventure. You have been a mystery to me. I know how I feel, but I can’t make it out how you feel. Not really.”
Liz looked up at Max and said, “You don’t know?” She walked to Max and added, “I like you, Max, a lot. I’ve not had that much experience with dating. I knew one other boy and he left a short while back. His parents had to move. We never…” Liz turned away and finished softly, “I wasn’t ready to be with anyone then.”
Max wanted to walk to Liz, but stayed where he was as he said, “It’s a big decision, Liz. I’m not trying to push you into it now.”
Looking back at him, her eyes dewy from emotion, Liz said, “I know that. The problem isn’t so much you showing interest in me, you wanting me, Max…”
Max asked, “What is it then?”
Liz let out a deeper breaht and said, “It is the fact that I want you too. And I’ve never wanted anyone before.” Liz caught Max’s eyes as they registered her comment. His control that she never expected when annoucning this. But it was there. Max replied, “You sure any of this is real, Liz? I mean we hardly know each other and yet we stand here talking about desire and sex? It sounds like some teen show.”
Looking out at the west, Liz said, “Oh, I wished last night and all this week that it was, Max. But it’s not. I do feel things for you. The question is how far to take this.”
Max wanted to go as far as she would let him. He was male and he had wants too. Sticking his hands behind him, Max said, “We take it as far as you want, Liz.”
Liz walked over to Max slowly, while looking around to make sure they were secluded. Standing in front of him, Liz ran her hands up his chest and said, “That answer isn’t so good, Max, because right now I want to take things as far as they will go.”
Max leaned down, kissed Liz passionately, then said, “Oh, so do I.” He grabbed her and pulled her body to his in a way that would have every woman alive interested in men excited. Then he let her go and she felt him slowly unbuttoning her lavender shirt. She pulled his navy blue T shirt slowly up and over his head. The afternoon heat was unsually warm today. As Max leisurely slipped Liz’s tank top over her head and she stood before him in her bra, Liz said, “Oh, Max.” And they were kissing again, heavier. Then, Max lowered his face down her neck, kissing her as he went, down, down past her torso, then stopping at her jeans. Liz’s head was tipped back and she felt wobbly.
Lowering her to the soft ground, Max took his shirt and placed it beneath her. Liz ran her hands over his chest, over his back, down to his behind. Max began kissing her fervently again, her mouth, her neck, and Liz forgot what she was doing.
Max knew and that was enough. The important thing was she was into this and did want to go through with it. Looking at her, Max said, “Are you ready, Liz?”
Liz didn’t have to think, she nodded and said, “Yes, Max.”
He could tell she was nervous by the way she jumped a little at his unsnapping her pants, and he said, “We can stop, Liz if you want.” Shaking her head, Liz said, “No! I’m just a bit nervous is all. I’ve never done this before.”
Max replied, “Me either.” Somehow, that seemed to make it easier for Liz. She discovered he was a virgin too. She helped him undo her jeans and helped him with his. As they lay together on the ground at the local park, Liz and Max shared a love that was beautiful, calm, sure, and ready. They joined together and did it without hurry, without clumsiness, just quietly, sweetly, and completely.
Max was dropped off at the Super 8, given Liz’s phone number, she his. They said their goodbyes here and Liz agreed to meet him the next day before he left.
But when Max got ready to leave the next morning at six, Liz was unable to be there. Max didn’t know why, but she was nowhere to be found. He left with a wonderful memory of his first time spent with a girl he had come to care about. He only wished she could have been there when he drove away. Maybe it was meant this way….
