“For you,” he said as he grinned and handed her the roses.
Max’s eyes widened with surprise. She looked at the roses, which were beautiful in their nice vase with a yellow ribbon tied around it. “Thank you, Matthew,” she said and took them.
Nadine quickly took them from his sister and carried them into the kitchen. “You two go on and have a good time!” she yelled from the kitchen. Max resisted rolling her eyes and kissed each of the girls in their playpen.
Matthew told Max that she was looking exceptionally beautiful and that her black-and-white outfit was becoming. Max knew that the white top fit her perfectly, accentuating her full breasts and tiny waist. The skirt showed off her long legs, and she was wearing that glittery lotion again that he liked so much. She had her hair pulled back in a French twist.
“You look beautiful,” he repeated with a smile. “I was hoping that you would be ready early. That way we won’t have to rush through dinner.”
“That’s fine,” Max replied nervously, not meeting his gaze.
They said their goodbyes, and Max followed him to his car. He opened the door for her, and she got in. At least he had manners, she thought. Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.
“Since this is your first date, I want to leave a lasting impression, set the standard, so to speak.” Matthew said, starting the engine.
“Pretend date,” she corrected.
“Of course,” he agreed, giving her a smile.
“So, where are we going for dinner?”
“Mario’s,” he replied. “I wanted to take you somewhere nice for your first date.”
Max was impressed. Mario’s was an expensive restaurant.
“Is that all right?” Matthew asked “I know it’s a little pricey.”
“That’s fine. I’ll call it a present to myself.”
Matthew had made reservations, and they were led to their table. She knew that he could tell that she was nervous and wanted to make her as comfortable as possible. “I won’t bite,” he said, grinning. “You can relax.”
“I’m working on it,” she admitted, staring at the menu.
“Eric told me about your situation. If you find that it gets to be too much being out with me and you want me to take you home, I just want to say that I understand.”
Max was surprised. Eric and his big mouth. However, she supposed that he had done the right thing. At least Matthew was being extra nice to her. Maybe he felt sorry for her. Maybe he thought that he had to be nice so that she wouldn’t go off the deep end. What did men think when they saw a rape victim? Did they feel disgust? Was Matthew feeling disgust?
“I don’t need you feeling sorry for me,” she said defensively. “Just treat me like you would any other girl you take out.”
Matt looked at her, knowing that she had no idea what he did with his other dates. Eric’s warning voice popped in his head, but he was going to be the perfect gentleman on this pretend date.
“Sure, Max,” he said, giving her a slight smile. “I want us to have a good time tonight.”
The waiter returned, and they placed their orders. Matt was impressed. He liked a woman who didn’t mind eating. She ordered a steak and a salad as well as a baked sweet potato. He decided to order the baked spaghetti.
“So how’s it living now with two crying babies?” he asked her.
“Oh, it’s not so bad. They really don’t cry that much. They are pretty good girls,” she replied, sipping her water. Matthew could tell that she was a bit nervous as he noticed her hand trembling a little. He decided to keep the conversation light. “I know my father is totally crazy about them. He’s always wanted a daughter, and now he has the next best thing, grandbabies,” Matthew said dryly. “How about your parents? Has your father come around yet?”
“No,” Max said. “I’ve just realized that he’s suffering with depression. He’s really never recovered from my incident. He blames himself and thinks that we blame him too. I don’t blame him, only the man who did the deed.”
There was silence for a moment. Matt could see the pain on her face as she talked about it. He decided to steer the conversation to something more pleasant.
“Thanks for picking a comedy for us to see.” He sipped at his water. “I’m not much into mushy romances, and I like Vince Vaughan.”
“No problem,” Max replied, staring at her plate and then back at him. “Look, Matt, I can tell you have something on your mind. Just ask me already.”
“I don’t want to upset you” he admitted.
“I’m fine. Ask away.”
“I was just wondering,” he asked, slowly reaching across the table and taking her hand in his. “Why were you attending Myrtle Beach schools when you lived in Conway? Was it because of your attack?”
“How did you know that?”
“I think Eric told me,” he lied.
“Oh, well, Myrtle Beach schools had a better sports program. My father got permission from the school board, and I had the grades and all. I had to provide my own transportation, but since my dad’s aunt lives in Myrtle Beach I would go to her house after school and he’d pick me up when he got off from work. My attack happened when I was in middle school, not high school.”
“Really? What sport did you play?”
“Basketball and field hockey.” Max smirked at him.
“Field hockey? Wow. I played basketball at Myrtle Beach High school also, but I don’t remember you. You must have been a couple years behind me.”
“I guess.”
“I can’t believe that we were there at the same time,” Matthew said, shaking his head. “I don’t remember you, and I made a point of checking out all the pretty girls.”
Max looked at him in surprise.
“I was sort of quiet,” she admitted. “I stayed away from all the jocks.”
Matthew didn’t say anything, thinking about what had happened to her.
The waiter came and brought their dinner, and Max began to eat. She could tell Matthew was still watching her, and she looked up and quirked an eyebrow at him. “What?”
“Nothing,”
“Ask me!”
“Does it bother you to be here with me? Do I make you uncomfortable?”
“No,”
Matthew breathed a sigh of relief. He returned to his meal and could feel Max watching him.
“What?” he asked as he looked up and their eyes met.
“Does it bother you?”
“Does what bother me?”
“Being with me knowing what happened to me?” she said, looking down at her plate.
“Why should it bother me? It wasn’t your fault. I guess when I look at you I see a survivor, and a strong one at that,” he said firmly. “You got through it, and now you have your own place, your own business. You got your college degree. I see a strong woman sitting across from me.”
His words seemed to please her immensely. She smiled at him.
“Thank you, Matthew. I appreciate your kind words.”
“I mean them,” he said, reaching across the table and touching her hand again. He felt a connection between them and couldn’t explain it. She smiled shyly but didn’t pull away.
“Matthew, what a surprise.”
Matthew looked up, surprised to see Kristen standing there. She looked down at his hand over Max’s and raised an eyebrow.
“Hello, Kristen,” he said, looking none too pleased. He noticed that Max withdrew her hand and put it in her lap.
“Well, I see you’re back at Mario’s.” She looked at Max. “I hope you get luckier with him than I did.”
“Is there something you want, Kristen?” he asked, trying to keep his voice level. Why was she here? She had some nerve coming over to his table after what happened between them.
“Just talking,” the perky blonde responded. “I’m here with Andrew, and I am sure that our night will end a lot better than our date where you chickened out on me.”
Matthew coughed and glared angrily at
her. “Look, I just chose to call it a night. Let’s just leave it at that. Now, I think your date is waiting for you. Why don’t you return to your own table?”
He struggled to keep his voice low and held the napkin in his hand in a tight fist. He found himself counting to ten. Kristen could be a bitch when she wanted to be.
She looked at Max again and then back at Matthew. “I see you’re doing a little exploration project. I never thought you had it in you. You’re such a stuffy right-wing WASP. I’m impressed.”
“Goodbye Kristen,” he said, irritated by her words. “You need to leave.”
She touched Max on the shoulder. “Don’t expect too much excitement from him. He’s strictly a missionary position kind of guy.”
Max gasped and Matthew stood up, his face red with anger and embarrassment.
“Kristen—”
“I’m going. See you later, Matthew.”
She laughed and walked back over to her table. He looked at Max, who looked as if she could barely contain her giggles at his expense.
“So, was that the date Eric spoke about?” Max snickered. “I can see you picked a real winner, huh?”
“If you want to call it that. I call it a disaster,” he said, attacking his plate of food.
Max was smiling at him, and he wondered what she was thinking.
“Do you date a lot?” she asked
“Not that much. I don’t have time. I work a lot of hours. Kristen was just a friend, nothing serious.”
They continued to eat, and Max did not ask him about Kristen again. Instead they began talking about Vince Vaughan and the movie they were going to see.
Matthew was glad that Max wasn’t upset about Kristen. He found her to be very good company, and she appeared to be relaxed and enjoying herself. He was surprised that she too had been an athlete at his alma mater and that like him she had a love of shrimp fried rice.
Matt looked at his watch. “We’d better be going if we want to make that movie.”
He called for their checks and watched as Max fumbled with her bag. She looked up at him, her expression grim.
“Matt, I’m sorry. I left my debit card in my regular bag. I don’t have enough money on me.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Matt replied. “How are you going to pay for your meal?”
“I don’t know! Can you loan me some money? I’ll pay you back,” she pled, totally humiliated.
He quickly grabbed her trembling hand. “I don’t think so,” he said. “I’m not loaning you any money.”
“What? Why not! I said I’ll pay you back,” she said, pulling out her phone. “I’ll call Nadine. She can give them her charge number over the phone—”
“Look, I owe you for saving my financial butt, remember? I don’t want your money.” Matthew said, snatching the phone from her. “This is my treat, Max. Calm down. I don’t want your money!”
He gave the waiter his credit card after waving him over.
She started to protest and he held up his hand. “Let me do this. I owe you, OK? I can’t really repay you for what you did for me, so humor me.”
Max did not argue with him and appeared to be relieved. “All right, thanks.”
He stood beside her chair, and she got up. He noticed that people were watching them, and he could see some of the patrons commenting and whispering.
“Let’s go,” he said, taking her hand.
She appeared surprised by the gesture, and Matt held her hand and led her out of the restaurant to his car.
“I was surprised at what you did back there,” she said after he got in.
“What did I do?” he asked pulling into the traffic.
“Those people were staring and whispering. I am sure they were talking about us being an interracial couple. Then you took my hand. Since you don’t like black girls, I was surprised that you did that.”
“I don’t let other people dictate my actions. I do what I want to do. If they can’t handle it, then it’s their problem,” he responded honestly. He didn’t care. It felt liberating.
“Well, Matthew Ferguson,” Max teased. “You continually surprise me.”
They hurried to the movie, and Max gave him a sidelong glance as he put his arm around the back of her seat. Matthew had to admit that it felt more like a real date than a pretend one. It was hard to concentrate on the movie, and he found himself glancing over at her from time to time. He was having more fun on this pretend date than on the last few real ones. He could smell the faint scent of her perfume, and it was teasing his senses. His fingers brushed against her shoulder, and he noticed that she had on that lotion he liked.
When the movie was over, he took her hand again and led her to the car. He hadn’t felt like this since he was a teenager, and he couldn’t exactly put his finger on what the feeling meant.
“This is how someone should treat you when you’re on a real date,” he said with a smile. “I hope it meets your approval,”
He knew that he wanted to set the bar for her future dates but felt a bit of jealousy when he thought about other men taking her out.
She smiled at him. “Sure, Matt,”
Should he ask her out on a real date? What would she say? What about his declaration of not being attracted to black girls? His head was spinning as he tried to focus on his reasons for not dating her. He wanted that council seat. He was a conservative. She most likely was a liberal. Why did that matter anyway? He pushed the thought from his mind.
They drove back to her home, and he had to park a ways from her door on her crowded street. His heart was beating rapidly as he wondered if she would allow him to kiss her goodnight.
“I’ll walk you to your door,” he said after cutting off the engine.
“We can say our goodbyes now if you wish. I know my brother and your sister are probably staring out the window or something.”
Max laughed. “You’re probably right.”
She extended her hand. “Thanks again Matt.”
He stared at her hand. “Can I get a goodnight kiss?”
Max mouth dropped open, clearly stunned. “I don’t know.” She looked away. She’d never been kissed by a man before. Rogers didn’t kiss her when he attacked her so she had no bad memories in that area, but kissing would bring him into her personal space.
He gently touched her chin and turned her face back to his. “Have you ever been kissed Max, you know, romantically?”
“No, why would you want to do that?” she asked “You don’t even like me.”
“Let’s just call it continuing your education on your pretend date.”
She stared at him. His suggestion didn’t appear to upset her. In fact, she looked as if she wanted to be kissed, and he watched as she licked her lips but wouldn’t meet his gaze.
“All right,” she replied, her voice low. “Just lip touching, don’t hold me or anything,” she said, hoping that she wouldn’t have a negative reaction to the kiss.
Matt looked at her and could see her shaking a little. He knew she was scared, and he wanted to get it right.
He leaned in, softly pressing his lips to hers. He was unprepared for the feelings that flowed between them. The electricity was overwhelming, and he felt her immediate response, something he wasn’t prepared for. He resisted pulling her closer and was surprised when he heard a moan come from her throat. He took her bottom lip between his, and she opened her mouth automatically. His tongue met hers, and he groaned at the sweetness he found there. He felt the heat between them increase with his arousal. She grabbed his arm, squeezing it as she kissed him back, her tongue meeting his. He was surprised when she moved closer to him and put her arms around his neck. His cock jumped to attention having been neglected for some time.
He found himself totally drawn to her, and Eric’s warning suddenly came to mind. He broke the kiss, trying to collect himself. He looked at her, breathing hard.
“Did I do something wrong?” she said, looking at him with fear and sliding away from him.
“No,” he said in surprise. “But I’d better stop before things get out of hand.”
“I’m sorry.” She was clearly embarrassed. “I don’t know why I did that.”
“No need to be sorry. It was a wonderful kiss,” he said.
He got out of the car and came around and opened the door. She got out facing him. She touched her lips and gave him a longing stare. Her hand was shaking a bit, but she reached out and touched his shoulder.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
“No, I was just thinking.”
“About what?”
“About that kiss. It was nice.”
He looked at her. “And?”
She looked away. “I—nothing. Let’s go.”
She drew herself up. Matthew could see the walls erecting. She started to walk off, but he took her gently by the arm.
“Tell me. I want to know, Maxine,” he said softly. “What do you want?”
Matt leaned down instinctively and brushed his lips against hers, again careful to keep a bit of space between their bodies. She gasped and then mimicked his actions, lightly touching his lips with her own.
Matt pulled her tightly against him to capture her lips in a passionate kiss. He pressed her against the car door, unable to control himself any longer. He knew that she felt his arousal and began to panic, causing him to release her. She broke the kiss in confusion, automatically taking a step backwards while looking at him with innocent eyes.
“I think we’d better go,” she said, looking away.
He took her hand and walked with her to the door. Matthew couldn’t think straight. What had just happened? Why had he lost it back there and grabbed her like that? He glanced at her, wondering if he’d upset her, but she seemed to be deep in thought, and he didn’t say anything.
“Well, goodnight, and thank you again for everything,” she said, not meeting his eyes. She quickly opened the door with her key and practically ran in and shut it, leaving him standing on the stoop.
Matthew shook his head as he returned to his car. There was no way that he was going to get involved with Maxine James no matter how much he had been affected by her kiss.
Max’s heart was beating fast as she closed the door behind her and leaned against it. She had kissed Matthew Ferguson! She’d kissed Matthew Ferguson!
Broken: The sequel to THE PREACHER'S SON Page 8
