by Jolie Day
Max took a deep breath as he leaned over the bathroom sink, allowing the water to drip down his chin as he stared at the faucet, unseeing. He thought he could handle this; could handle being back, seeing them. They were as much his family as his mother and sister. As much his family as his father had been. But he didn’t know how he was supposed to sit there, surrounded by them, and keep something so…huge from them. The real reason he’d come back to town.
Max shook his head and reached for a towel, wiping his face dry. When he looked up into the mirror, he jumped slightly. Ray was right; he looked like his father. And his mother. He had her eyes and his dad’s entire face. He couldn’t blame his mother for thinking that he was her husband. Couldn’t even blame her for thinking that she had no son. He’d been a ghost after his father’s death. He’d stayed long enough to help her make the move to Carol’s and attend the funeral, but then he was gone. He just couldn’t take it.
He was a coward.
Max jumped at the knock on the door and he turned away from the sink, clearing his throat. “I’ll be out in a minute,” he called. It was probably Grace or Mary, come to check up on him. He’d left Regina alone at the dinner table, damn it.
“It’s me.” Max’s eyes widened at the sound of Regina’s voice and he immediately reached for the doorknob, tugging the door open to reveal her beautiful face and bright blue eyes, which were etched with concern.
“Are you alright?” she whispered, stepping into the bathroom and shutting the door behind her.
Max turned away, looking back at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. “I’m fine,” he said. “Just…I’m fine.” He turned on the faucet and washed his hands, despite the fact that he’d already washed them. Twice. He just needed something to distract him from the odd, concerning look Regina was giving him. “Why do you care, anyway?” he asked. “Do you want to leave or something?”
“I’m not going to leave you alone here,” Regina said. “Also, you’re my ride.”
Max reached into his pocket and pulled out a few bills, offering them to her. “Take a cab,” he said, still refusing to look at her. Regina sighed and placed her hand over his, lowering his fist and stepping closer. She leaned her hip on the bathroom counter, still looking at him. He could see her profile in the mirror.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice impossibly soft, her eyes not wavering from the side of his face. He didn’t answer and Regina reached out a hand, placing it on his shoulder. “Max,” she said, gently.
Max’s hands clenched around the edge of the counter and he shook his head. “We shouldn’t have come here,” he said. “I shouldn’t have come back. I should have just stayed away.”
“Why?” Regina asked, her voice still calm and soft. “They seem to really care about you.”
“Yeah, that’s the problem,” Max said. “They care too much about me. Or, rather, about the me they used to know.” He shook his head again and gritted his teeth. “The Max they remember no longer exists. I’ve changed.”
“Everybody changes,” Regina pointed out.
“No, you don’t understand,” Max grunted. “I’m not…it’s different. You don’t understand.”
“Well, help me understand then,” Regina sighed, leaning back against the sink.
“I can’t,” Max said.
“Why not?”
“I just…I can’t. Trust me, you don’t want to know.” He glanced sideways and found Regina watching him with a frown. He prepared himself for an argument, squaring his shoulders and setting his jaw as he turned to look at her, fully.
“Okay,” Regina said, simply, surprising him. “Then what do we do next? Do we calmly excuse ourselves or just run out, without a word? I’m good with either, but I kind of have to live in the same town as these people and that might make it a little awkward the next time Mary comes for a drink. But, if that’s what you need right now, I’m down.”
Max just stared at her for a long while, eyes wide and jaw slackened. Regina continued to stare back, her arms crossed over her chest and her mouth set in a firm line, her blue eyes shining with resolution. Max shook his head in wonder for a moment, before he found himself leaning forward, into her space, and pressing his lips to hers.
Regina jumped slightly at the first touch, but she was melting into the kiss soon enough, sighing against Max’s mouth as one of her hands raised to rest on his upper arm, feeling the muscles beneath the shirt sleeves. When she pulled back, Regina took a deep breath and opened her eyes, searching the dark brown depths of Max’s.
“What was that?” she asked. “I thought we said no kissing.”
“Do you want me to stop?” Max asked, pulling away from her body.
Regina’s fingers wrapped around his arm, pulling him back. “No,” she husked. “Don’t stop.” Max grinned as he leaned down, capturing her lips again, his hands reaching around her, pulling her firm against his body and lifting her onto the bathroom counter. Regina gasped and opened her legs, allowing Max to step in between them. He grinned against her lips as he cupped her cheeks, pressing himself harder against her.
Regina moaned, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her chest against his, forgetting where they were for the moment as his lips ravaged hers, his thumbs stroking the curves of her cheekbones, sending shivers down her body. She hadn’t felt like this is such a long time.
A knock on the bathroom door had Max springing away from Regina’s body, his back pressing against the opposite wall, his chest heaving with his startled breaths. He swallowed thickly at the sight of Regina, sitting on the sink with swollen lips and flushed cheeks, her legs open and her breasts rising and falling with each labored breath.
“Max?” It was Mary. She knocked again. “Max, are you alright? I can’t find Regina; I think she may have left.” She lowered her voice at that and Regina rolled her eyes at that, glaring at the door, as if she could see the other woman through it. Max couldn’t suppress a laugh. “Max? Are you in there?”
He cleared his throat. “Yeah,” he called back. “I’m here. And, uh, Regina’s in here, as well.”
There was a long moment of silence, then, “Oh.” In that one syllable, Max could hear her disappointment and surprise. He felt bad, for a moment, before turning back to Regina and seeing her smile, pleasantly. He chuckled again, shaking his head.
“We’ll be right out,” he informed Mary, grinning as he took a step back towards Regina and leaned in to press a kiss to her lips, before pulling back as she chased him. His grin widened as he helped her down and ran his hands down her body, smoothing out the dress and copping a feel at the same time. Regina looked at him like she knew exactly what he was doing and he just laughed, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Continue this later?” he husked in her ear.
Regina nodded, smiling saucily up at him as she pressed one last hot kiss to his lips and then turned to open the door.
Mary was still standing there and Max could see, out of the corner of his eye, the pleased grin Regina gave her as they stepped out into the hall. Mary frowned at her as she excused herself and quickly slipped down the hall, returning to the dining room, probably. Mary turned to look at him, furrowing her brow as she crossed her arms over her chest.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Better than okay,” Max replied and it was the truth. Kissing Regina was way more than okay. Her lips were like a drug and he was almost immediately addicted to the taste of them. He wanted and needed more.
Mary frowned up at him, but said nothing as she turned and walked back to the dining room, with Max trailing after her. He couldn’t suppress his grin as he walked in and found Regina sitting, red-faced, at the table with both Ray and Grace eyeing her curiously. Sam nibbled on his fingers, looking around at them.
“Sorry about that,” Max said as he took his seat next to Regina. “I just needed a moment.”
“Well, next time please take your moments separately in my house,” Grace said, lifting one brow at them.
“Mhm,” Grace replied, looking at him like she didn’t believe it for a second.
He just laughed and picked up his fork, spearing a piece of chicken and bringing it to his lips even as his hand reached for Regina’s thigh underneath the table. He grinned as she cleared her throat, but didn’t attempt to remove it.
It stayed there for the remainder of the meal.
*****
Regina
“Thank you so much for dinner,” Regina said as Grace walked them to the door. Ray had long since retired to the living room to watch television. He’d invited Max to accompany him, but the younger man had waved him off. Mary had risen, too, claiming that she had to put Sam down to bed, but she hadn’t returned. Regina had tried not to take too much pleasure in that. She seemed like a nice enough woman, if only she’d stopped flirting with her boyfriend.
Regina had to perpetually remind herself that Max wasn’t actually her boyfriend.
“It’s not a problem, darling,” Grace said, giving her a warm smile. “It’s nice to have a full house again. Max and his parents were over nearly every night when he was growing up. They nearly ate me out of house and home.” She reached up, pinching Max’s cheek as he laughed.
“What can I say?” he replied. “You’re a fantastic cook, Grace. Best chicken I’ve ever had.”
“And don’t you forget it!” Grace teased. “It was nice seeing you, honey. Don’t be such a stranger, alright? Come back before you skip town again. And you treat this one right.” She wrapped her arm around Regina. “She’s a good one.”
“Yeah, she is,” Max agreed, smiling down at Regina, who flushed bright red at the look he was giving her. Grace smiled at both of them and squeezed Regina’s shoulder.
“You two are so cute together,” she said. “I’m very happy for you, Max. You deserve to be happy.”
“Thank you, Grace,” he said, reaching for Regina’s hand and tugging her towards him. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips and Regina felt herself melt against him. Two hours ago, she would have slapped him…probably. Now, she smiled as she melted into his embrace. Max placed his hands on her hips and squeezed, sending tingles up her spine and making her heart flutter ridiculously. She felt ridiculous.
Regina pulled away, giving Max a soft smile as she turned towards the door. “Ready?” she asked him. He nodded and started to follow after her, only to be stopped by a voice from behind.
“Wait!” They both turned to see Mary standing in the foyer, staring at them with trepidation. “Um, do you mind if I talk to Regina for a moment?” She was asking Max, who looked like he wanted to say “no”, but Regina butted it.
“Sure,” she said, giving Mary a friendly smile before looking up to give Max a reassuring look. “I’ll be right back.” He nodded, frowning, and let her go.
Regina followed Mary down the hall and into what looked to be an office of some kind. She found herself wondering who it belonged to. Neither Ray nor Grace seemed like the kind of people of who might need an office. Perhaps it was Mary’s. Hadn’t she said that she wanted to be a teacher? Maybe this was where she studied. There was a desk against the back wall and a few chairs scattered about. The desk was cluttered with books and papers.
Almost as soon as the door closed behind them, Mary was in front of her, hands on her hips and face set in stone. “What are you doing with him?” she asked, looking down at Regina. She was at least four inches taller and thinner than Regina, with long, wavy blonde hair and blue eyes like her father. She wasn’t lacking in curves, though they weren’t as prominent as Regina’s. She could see why Max had dated Mary; she was attractive and she seemed to really care about him.
Still, Regina was a bit annoyed at how blunt and nosy she was.
“What do you mean?” Regina asked. “I have every right to date him—”
“That’s not what I meant,” Mary sighed. “I mean…what are your intentions?”
“My intentions?” Regina huffed, crossing her arms. “This isn’t the fifties. And you’re not his mother.”
“No, but I’m somebody who cares about him,” Mary retorted. “And I just want to make sure he’s not going to get hurt.”
“Why would I hurt him?” Regina asked. “Things are going pretty well, I’d say.”
“How long have you two been together, exactly?” Mary asked.
Regina’s eyes widened and she scrambled for an amount of time that would sound believable. “Um…four months,” she said.
“Four months?” Mary scoffed. “We were together for four years.”
“Congratulations. I had no idea it was a competition.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Mary sighed. “I’m just saying…I know Max looks tough but he can be really…sensitive. When he loves you, he—”
“Whoa,” Regina said, putting her hands up. “Who said anything about ‘love’? We just met!” At the strange look Mary gave her, Regina cleared her throat and clarified: “In person. We just met in person. It’s too soon for that.”
“Right,” Mary scoffed. “I forgot you two met online.” She shook her head. “The Max I knew didn’t even like looking up the weather online, let alone using dating sites.”
“Yeah, well, I guess he’s changed a lot, hasn’t he?”
Mary’s face fell at that. “Yeah,” she agreed. “I guess he has.” She looked back up at Regina and frowned. “Just don’t hurt him,” she said. “Because, if you do, I’ll kick your ass.”
She looked like she meant it and Regina wasn’t exactly in a position to argue with her. She couldn’t very well inform Mary that there was no danger of her breaking Max’s heart without exposing both of them as frauds. So she just nodded.
“Understood,” Regina said. “Can I go now? He’s waiting for me.”
“Fine,” Mary sighed, waving her off. “Just…remember what I said.”
“I won’t hurt him,” Regina promised, moving toward the door. She was surprised by how much she meant it.
*****
Her fingers were linked over his stomach and her head was pressed against his spine as he drove the motorcycle home. She could almost feel the wind whipping her hair through the helmet and she shivered a bit, burrowing further into the leather jacket he’d leant her. It warmed her up in the best way and Regina found herself smiling and tightening her grip.
Her smile widened when she felt one of Max’s hands land over hers and stroke her fingers.
*****
When they arrived back at her apartment, Max turned off the engine and helped Regina down from the bike, his hands warming her hips as he continued to hold them, pulling her closer to his body. Regina grinned and took off her helmet, tossing it back on the motorcycle before reaching for his, pressing their lips together almost as soon as it clattered to the ground. Max laughed against her mouth, wrapping her tightly in his arms and practically lifting Regina off of her feet.
She laughed, cupping his jaw and pulling him down to her level. Max stroked his hands up and down her spine, slowing the kiss and pulling back. Regina chased after him, her eyes still closed, and heard him chuckle.
“Don’t you have to work?” he asked.
She whined, pouting up at him as she slowly opened her eyes. “It’s Monday,” she huffed. “It’s a slow night.”
“I know,” Max said. “But I’m pretty sure you promised your customers a free round of drinks, didn’t you?”
Regina sighed. “Yeah,” she said. She pressed her lips together and looked up at him, hopefully. “I’ll see you later, though?”
“Yes,” he confirmed. “Definitely.” He pressed another kiss to her lips. “Come to my room after you close up. I’ll be waiting.” He stepped back and Regina nearly fell over. He chuckled and helped her stand straight. “You good?” he asked. She nodded and he released her, allowing her to walk, unsteadily, toward her front door. She smiled over her shoulder at him before
pressing the key into the lock and opening the door.
When the door closed behind her, she leaned back against it with a sigh and a soft smile.
Chapter Five
Max
It was strange, the way he couldn’t stop smiling as he rounded the corner on his bike and parked in the first spot he saw. The way he felt a bit lighter as he put the kickstand down and removed his helmet, tucking it under his arm as he made his way toward the pub and walked up the steps to the side that led up to his room. The way he flopped down onto his bed and groaned, letting himself relax after such a tense night.
He hadn’t asked Regina what Mary had wanted to talk to her about before, but he had some idea. Mary had always been a bit overprotective of him, even before they began dating. He couldn’t imagine that anything had changed that much. He was surprised that Grace or Ray hadn’t joined in on the shovel talk. He guessed that really meant that they liked her.
Or that they didn’t think it would last and that it wouldn’t have been worth the time or trouble.
It didn’t matter, either way. He’d probably never see them again. Not if things went the way that he was sure they would go. Max groaned at the thought and sat up, running his hand through his much shorter hair. Grace had complimented him on it halfway through the meal and he’d thanked her, letting her know that it was Regina’s idea for him to get a haircut. She’d gasped and placed her hand against her heart.
“Do you know,” she said to Regina, “that I tried for years to get that boy to a barber and he refused, every single time? He said no woman was going to tell him when to cut his hair. His mother and I, of course, beat his ass for that.” She reached out and pinched Max’s cheek as he laughed. “But still, we could never get him to get a decent haircut. He looked like a member of some punk rock band.”
“It wasn’t that bad,” Max had laughed, even though it was. “And I didn’t do it just because Regina suggested it. I really did need a cut.”
