Chapter 21
Sunday Morning
<Private Airport – near Las Vegas>
Max and Liz were the first to arrive at the private airport for the flight to Roswell. Max had already talked to Cal’s pilot and asked him to avoid turbulent areas if possible, based on his conversation with Maria the previous evening about Liz’s flying fears. Max loaded his and Liz’s luggage onto the plane. It was only a few minutes later than Maria, Alex and Kyle arrived.
“Wow, this plane is just for us?”
“Yes, Maria. My uncle Cal just purchased the new plane last year. He wanted to upgrade from the last one. There is room for 10 passengers. He even had a bedroom added in the back so he could sleep on long flights across the country. Everyone you can place your big backs in the cargo area. We can get settled in our seats. The pilot said we will take off in ten minutes.”
“Man, Vegas you really know how to travel in style. So, your rich uncle just let you borrow his plane no strings attached.”
“Kyle, I told you to have some manners. This was a very nice thing for Max to do for the three of us. We could be back on the discount airline tomorrow. You don’t need to complain about the being a sardine like the last flight.”
“Check this out guys. Look at all the movies to choose from. There is the new Resident Evil movie. There is the South Park guys movie called Team America that not coming out until October. There is a new Robin Williams movie with some new guy named Nick Wechsler called the Final Cut. Maria, they have Elvis Has Left the Building with Tom Hanks.” Alex listed off a few movie titles.
“Maria, what do you think we should watch?” Kyle asked.
“I vote for the Elvis movie. The Resident Evil movie seems to be too much like Roswell. I have a feeling Team America will be too much like South Park. That Nick guy looks a lot like Kyle. Alex, are you sure your mom wasn’t a Tom Hanks groupie? You look like you could be his kid.”
“Maria, I’m much better looking than that Nick guy.” Kyle responded.
“How many times do I have to tell you; my mom has never met Tom Hanks.” Alex let Maria know he was tired of the question.
“Max, Liz do you have a preference?” Maria asked the couple.
“It doesn’t matter to us. I need to prepare Max for my parents.”
The Elvis movie was ready to be cued up once the plane took off. Everyone settled into their seats. Max and Liz took two seats in the back. Maria set with Kyle and Alex towards the front. Flight attendant came back to serve some drinks. She had mimosas available. Maria, Kyle and Alex didn’t pass up the free drinks. Liz and Max both passed. Neither wanted to be drunk for the meeting with her parents.
One of the first things Max did when they were seated was to calm Liz’s nerves. Liz’s anxiety was double than normal. First, she hated to fly and second, she was worried about her parents’ reaction to her marriage. “Look at me Liz, I know you’re nervous. Just look at me and try to match my breathing. Just breath like me. Little breathe in, little breathe out.”
“Thanks Max. I needed this. My parents didn’t know I was going to Las Vegas for my birthday. They would never have approved of me taking this trip. My parents don’t have alcohol in the house. When my father was a teenager, he got drunk once. He had his friend with him, and he was driving. He had an accident and his friend was left paralyzed. Dad has been a teetotaler since. Mom has never said but I think her father had a drinking problem as well.”
“Look how calm and relaxed Liz is. I’m telling you he has some kind of power over her. I still think he is hypnotizing her.”
“Kyle, will you knock it off. It just looks like true love to me. They are in their own little world. They are lost in each other. It is amazing to see. I didn’t think Liz would ever fall head over heels for a guy. One day maybe I will have a guy that looks at me like I’m the only woman in the world.”
“Both you knock it off, I’m trying to watch the movie.” Alex told the bittering siblings.
Max and Liz continued to talk quietly in the back as Maria, Alex and Kyle watched their movie. By the time the movie was over, it was time to land in Roswell. As promised Cal had a rental car waiting for Max. They agreed they would leave in the morning at 9:00am. Max dropped Kyle, Maria and Alex off at their homes before heading to the Crashdown. They didn’t need an audience of Liz’s friends watching his meeting with her parents.
“Come on, Max, let’s get this over with. Please don’t mention anything about either of us being drunk the night we met. I know that my father would use it against us.”
“I’m just going to follow your lead, Liz.”
They entered the Crashdown hand in hand. Max took in the atmosphere. Liz had already warned him about the alien décor. He knew Michael would freak out if he ever saw this place. Liz had assured him that her father was only a businessman and was not alien obsessed like some in the town. Liz led Max to her favorite booth. It didn’t take long for her father to spot her from his position at the register.
“Liz honey, what are you doing home? We were not expecting you back until November for Thanksgiving.”
“Dad, can you get Mom. There is someone I want you both to meet.”
Jeff Parker didn’t notice the rings on his daughter’s finger, but he did notice the hand holding and staring shared by his daughter and the young man. In her last call home, she was still seeing Kyle, so he had no idea who this new guy was. Nancy was taking inventory in the back, so he quickly got his wife and returned to the booth.
“Max, these are my parents, Jeff and Nancy Parker. Mom and Dad this is Max Evans, my new husband.”
I can’t believe Michael had a stalker though 
