Post by rsafan on Nov 9, 2006 4:42:03 GMT -5
Chapter 26:
They were sitting in his car when she handed him a box, opening it, he asked. “What’s this?” he held up a set of keys.
“They’re keys,” she pointed out, “to my apartment.”
“Keys to your apartment. Are you hinting at something here?”
“Yeah, you’re there most nights and you already have all these things there, I figured that you deserved a key. So you could come and go as you pleased.”
Max looked at her, wanting to be sure he knew exactly what it was she was asking of him, “So you want me to move in?”
She shook her head, “I didn’t say that.”
“But you’re giving me keys?” he held it up as though it were evidence in a case.
She nodded.
“So you’re giving me keys but you don’t want me to move in?”
“I’m not saying I don’t want you to move in either. I’m saying it’s your decision.”
“My decision. So you want me to move in, only if I want to move in?”
Once again she nodded, when he didn’t say anything, “I know people might think it’s too soon. You probably think its too soon, I mean we’ve only been dating for six months but people have gotten married having known each other for a shorter period of time.”
“You’re not proposing as well are you?”
She laughed, “No, although there is something I’ve been meaning to tell you. For quite some time now and I guess watching Mimi give birth last week just made it all that much clearer to me.”
“I think I can guess what it is.”
“I love you, like really truly love you.”
“I love you too,” he smiled as he kissed her, “like really truly love you. And the answer’s yes.”
“What answer?” had they been talking? His kisses had the ability to wipe everything from her mind.
“To us moving in together. I don’t think it’s too soon and I don’t care what anyone else thinks.”
Bending over a drawer, Victoria threw over her shoulder, “I don’t remember asking you.”
“As your mother…”
But Victoria interrupted her before she could say anything more, “Only you’re not my mother. I have a mother, she’s in England. You’re just the woman who happened to give birth to me; the only thing that connects us is biology. So if I wanted someone’s advice, I’d make a call to England and ask her. But I don’t have to because I know what I’m doing.” Anger spent, she came and sat down next to Hope, “I’m sorry, that was out of line and extremely rude. I guess I’m just upset that everyone is telling me to reconsider this when I’ve already made up my mind. I love him, why is it so hard for people to understand that.”
“Maybe because we’ve only known you for a little while. And maybe because we want to protect you, this is a big step and you’re so young. To move in with a guy.”
“I moved in with Rex in Chicago, my parents didn’t have a problem with that.”
“Rex was not your boyfriend and what’s more Cassie stays there too.”
Victoria got up and continued clearing out her things, “You don’t have to worry; I’m going to be just fine.”
Resigning herself to the fact that Victoria wasn’t going to pay he any mind, Hope asked: “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“I’d really love a cup of tea.”
As Hope made her way downstairs, she shook her head. “This can only end in heartbreak.”
Victoria tried unsuccessfully to push Max off of her, “Maybe its Shawn and Mimi. We do have their son.”
Max continued his exploration of he neck, “They won’t be back for ages yet.” He reassured her as he moved even further down.
Victoria figured he was right and focussed her attention on max and the things he was doing to her body when the knock came again. This time a voice accompanied it, her brother’s voice; “Tory. Max. Come on open up.”
They both jumped off the couch, Max pulling on his pants while Victoria searched for her shirt. Finding it hanging off a lampshade, she had her arms through the sleeves before she realised she wasn’t wearing a bra. “Okay you go upstairs and get dressed properly an I’ll answer the door.”
Max walked to the door but she stopped him, “Max, I can’t find my bra.”
“Just get upstairs.” She raced upstairs as he opened the door, wondering where on earth her bra could be.
“Shawn, Mimi you’re back early.”
Shawn marched into the apartment, “Yeah well it was boring as hell. I cannot believe my mother wanted us to go and I can’t believe you agreed with her.” he accused Mimi
“How was I supposed to know it was some boring auction? Your mom said we should get out, we did that.” She turned to Max, “How was Zach?”
“He’s …coming downstairs with Tory.”
Victoria greeted their guests and handed a sleeping Zach to Mimi, “He was an angel. Woke up only once for his bottle and went right back to sleep. And he’s already had a bath.”
“Thanks, I swore I’d never become one of those overprotective mothers, but I thought about him the entire night. I almost phoned to check up on him like a dozen times.”
Victoria smiled at her, “I’m sure that’s normal, he is after all only four weeks old. I know you didn’t really want to go tonight.”
Mimi lanced at Victoria’s very messed up hair and for the first time realised that Max wasn’t wearing a shirt. They had obviously interrupted something, “Shawn would you get Zach’s bag? We should be on our way, don’t want to be out with Zach this late.”
Shawn, who had been talking to Max about work at the garage and the success of his engine since Max’s win at the Salem GP, had to be told twice to get his son’s diaper bag. He picked it up off one of the sofas and was surprised to see a bra resting on it. Picking it up between two fingers, he raised a questioning brow at Victoria. She turned bright red and grabbed the bra, shoving it in the back pocket of her jeans.
There was an awkward silence; no one said anything for five minutes, each waiting for someone else to speak first. Mimi finally broke the silence, “Well we better be on our way.”
Shawn, obviously very reluctant to leave and leave his sister alone with Max had to be practically dragged out of the apartment by Mimi. Max closed the door behind them and leaned back against it, “Wasn’t that fun.”
Victoria burst out laughing, walking over to Max, she wrapped her arms around his neck; “At least they’re gone. Now we can get back to what we were doing before they interrupted us.”
“You’re going to have to give your brother a call you know. Explain everything; he’s going to want to know about protection and that…”
Her kiss silenced him, “Twenty minutes. I’ll call him in twenty minutes, not that it’s any of his business.”
Max picked her up and carried her to the sofa; at least he didn’t have to worry about a bra this time.
Mimi dropped Zach’s bag by the door and went to lay her son down, “Shawn, what did you think they were doing? They live together.”
Shawn followed her to the nursery, “So did we and we weren’t having sex.”
She looked at him exasperated, “We weren’t in a relationship and the ‘no sex’ thing didn’t last very long; now did it?”
“She lived with Rex and she didn’t have sex.” he pointed out.
Mimi shook her head correcting him, “No, she lived with Rex and she didn’t have sex with him, that’s not to say she wasn’t having sex at all.”
“Oh God.” He put his hands over his ears and walked out of the nursery. When Mimi walked in minutes later to rinse Zach’s bottles, Shawn told her, “Okay, I have an idea; you have a nice little chat with her.”
She looked at him as though he’d lost his mind, “About what?”
“About sex and birth control and all that…”
“I think she’s already clued up on the birds and the bees Shawn.”
He countered, “Then make sure she’s using proper birth control.”
“Why don’t you do that?” the question led to an outraged expression on his face, “You are the one who’s so worried about it.” She pointed out.
“But I’m a guy and her brother, I can’t talk to her abut things like that.”
“Why not? Patrick seemed to handle the fact that his little sister was going to have a baby pretty well.”
Shawn placed his hands on her shoulders, looked her in the eyes and spoke slowly, as though she’d have a hard time understanding, “Mimi, Patrick is in Los Angeles going around thinking you picked Zach up off the street. He’s no more comfortable with the thought of you having sex than I am with the thought of Victoria having sex.”
She shrugged his hands off her shoulders angrily, “Shawn, just go and have a chat with her, or Max. I’m sure they’ll be happy to tell you what contraceptives they’re using,” and added naughtily, as she went to answer the ringing phone, “IF they’re using contraceptives.”
“Oh God Mimi would you just stop.”
Mimi handed him the phone, “It’s for you. Your sister.”
Before he could even get a ‘hello’ out, she was supplying him with the information he’d wanted but realised too late he didn’t really want to know, “I’m on the pill. I’m on the pill and we use condoms, we’ve both been tested for any diseases and we’re clean. No we don’t make a habit of having sex while we’re babysitting, but we are having sex. Max wasn’t my first and you won’t have to knock before going to work because we don’t have sex at the garage anymore.”
“Anymore?!” his mind was racing with all the possibilities, but she filled him in.
“Yeah, we used to have sex everywhere. On the cars, on the floor against the wall, the office, the bathroom; think of a place and we’ve probably done it there.”
“Oh God.”
“Shawn I’m joking, we haven’t contaminated the garage.” Victoria figured she wouldn’t burn in hell for the little white lie.
“Thanks for clearing that up. I think I’m going to go and do something, yeah; I’m going to go and do something. See you at the Pub tomorrow for lunch okay?” he practically shoved the phone at Mimi. He needed to go wash out his ears; he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.
Mimi, who had been laughing throughout the phone conversation simply because of Shawn’s facial expressions, asked Victoria, “What did you say to him?”
“Oh nothing much.” She filled Mimi in on what she’d told Shawn and they both laughed, “So I’ll see you tomorrow then?”
“Count on it.”
They were sitting in his car when she handed him a box, opening it, he asked. “What’s this?” he held up a set of keys.
“They’re keys,” she pointed out, “to my apartment.”
“Keys to your apartment. Are you hinting at something here?”
“Yeah, you’re there most nights and you already have all these things there, I figured that you deserved a key. So you could come and go as you pleased.”
Max looked at her, wanting to be sure he knew exactly what it was she was asking of him, “So you want me to move in?”
She shook her head, “I didn’t say that.”
“But you’re giving me keys?” he held it up as though it were evidence in a case.
She nodded.
“So you’re giving me keys but you don’t want me to move in?”
“I’m not saying I don’t want you to move in either. I’m saying it’s your decision.”
“My decision. So you want me to move in, only if I want to move in?”
Once again she nodded, when he didn’t say anything, “I know people might think it’s too soon. You probably think its too soon, I mean we’ve only been dating for six months but people have gotten married having known each other for a shorter period of time.”
“You’re not proposing as well are you?”
She laughed, “No, although there is something I’ve been meaning to tell you. For quite some time now and I guess watching Mimi give birth last week just made it all that much clearer to me.”
“I think I can guess what it is.”
“I love you, like really truly love you.”
“I love you too,” he smiled as he kissed her, “like really truly love you. And the answer’s yes.”
“What answer?” had they been talking? His kisses had the ability to wipe everything from her mind.
“To us moving in together. I don’t think it’s too soon and I don’t care what anyone else thinks.”
*****
Hope was in Victoria’s room, watching her clear out drawers to make room for Max’s things. Sitting on the bed, she said, “I really don’t think you should be doing this.”Bending over a drawer, Victoria threw over her shoulder, “I don’t remember asking you.”
“As your mother…”
But Victoria interrupted her before she could say anything more, “Only you’re not my mother. I have a mother, she’s in England. You’re just the woman who happened to give birth to me; the only thing that connects us is biology. So if I wanted someone’s advice, I’d make a call to England and ask her. But I don’t have to because I know what I’m doing.” Anger spent, she came and sat down next to Hope, “I’m sorry, that was out of line and extremely rude. I guess I’m just upset that everyone is telling me to reconsider this when I’ve already made up my mind. I love him, why is it so hard for people to understand that.”
“Maybe because we’ve only known you for a little while. And maybe because we want to protect you, this is a big step and you’re so young. To move in with a guy.”
“I moved in with Rex in Chicago, my parents didn’t have a problem with that.”
“Rex was not your boyfriend and what’s more Cassie stays there too.”
Victoria got up and continued clearing out her things, “You don’t have to worry; I’m going to be just fine.”
Resigning herself to the fact that Victoria wasn’t going to pay he any mind, Hope asked: “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“I’d really love a cup of tea.”
As Hope made her way downstairs, she shook her head. “This can only end in heartbreak.”
*****
“Don’t answer it, maybe they’ll take a hint and go away.” Victoria tried unsuccessfully to push Max off of her, “Maybe its Shawn and Mimi. We do have their son.”
Max continued his exploration of he neck, “They won’t be back for ages yet.” He reassured her as he moved even further down.
Victoria figured he was right and focussed her attention on max and the things he was doing to her body when the knock came again. This time a voice accompanied it, her brother’s voice; “Tory. Max. Come on open up.”
They both jumped off the couch, Max pulling on his pants while Victoria searched for her shirt. Finding it hanging off a lampshade, she had her arms through the sleeves before she realised she wasn’t wearing a bra. “Okay you go upstairs and get dressed properly an I’ll answer the door.”
Max walked to the door but she stopped him, “Max, I can’t find my bra.”
“Just get upstairs.” She raced upstairs as he opened the door, wondering where on earth her bra could be.
“Shawn, Mimi you’re back early.”
Shawn marched into the apartment, “Yeah well it was boring as hell. I cannot believe my mother wanted us to go and I can’t believe you agreed with her.” he accused Mimi
“How was I supposed to know it was some boring auction? Your mom said we should get out, we did that.” She turned to Max, “How was Zach?”
“He’s …coming downstairs with Tory.”
Victoria greeted their guests and handed a sleeping Zach to Mimi, “He was an angel. Woke up only once for his bottle and went right back to sleep. And he’s already had a bath.”
“Thanks, I swore I’d never become one of those overprotective mothers, but I thought about him the entire night. I almost phoned to check up on him like a dozen times.”
Victoria smiled at her, “I’m sure that’s normal, he is after all only four weeks old. I know you didn’t really want to go tonight.”
Mimi lanced at Victoria’s very messed up hair and for the first time realised that Max wasn’t wearing a shirt. They had obviously interrupted something, “Shawn would you get Zach’s bag? We should be on our way, don’t want to be out with Zach this late.”
Shawn, who had been talking to Max about work at the garage and the success of his engine since Max’s win at the Salem GP, had to be told twice to get his son’s diaper bag. He picked it up off one of the sofas and was surprised to see a bra resting on it. Picking it up between two fingers, he raised a questioning brow at Victoria. She turned bright red and grabbed the bra, shoving it in the back pocket of her jeans.
There was an awkward silence; no one said anything for five minutes, each waiting for someone else to speak first. Mimi finally broke the silence, “Well we better be on our way.”
Shawn, obviously very reluctant to leave and leave his sister alone with Max had to be practically dragged out of the apartment by Mimi. Max closed the door behind them and leaned back against it, “Wasn’t that fun.”
Victoria burst out laughing, walking over to Max, she wrapped her arms around his neck; “At least they’re gone. Now we can get back to what we were doing before they interrupted us.”
“You’re going to have to give your brother a call you know. Explain everything; he’s going to want to know about protection and that…”
Her kiss silenced him, “Twenty minutes. I’ll call him in twenty minutes, not that it’s any of his business.”
Max picked her up and carried her to the sofa; at least he didn’t have to worry about a bra this time.
*****
Shawn was quiet all the way home but the minute they stepped into their apartment, he turned to Mimi, “My sister is having sex. My sister is having sex with Max. Victoria is having sex with Max in her apartment.”Mimi dropped Zach’s bag by the door and went to lay her son down, “Shawn, what did you think they were doing? They live together.”
Shawn followed her to the nursery, “So did we and we weren’t having sex.”
She looked at him exasperated, “We weren’t in a relationship and the ‘no sex’ thing didn’t last very long; now did it?”
“She lived with Rex and she didn’t have sex.” he pointed out.
Mimi shook her head correcting him, “No, she lived with Rex and she didn’t have sex with him, that’s not to say she wasn’t having sex at all.”
“Oh God.” He put his hands over his ears and walked out of the nursery. When Mimi walked in minutes later to rinse Zach’s bottles, Shawn told her, “Okay, I have an idea; you have a nice little chat with her.”
She looked at him as though he’d lost his mind, “About what?”
“About sex and birth control and all that…”
“I think she’s already clued up on the birds and the bees Shawn.”
He countered, “Then make sure she’s using proper birth control.”
“Why don’t you do that?” the question led to an outraged expression on his face, “You are the one who’s so worried about it.” She pointed out.
“But I’m a guy and her brother, I can’t talk to her abut things like that.”
“Why not? Patrick seemed to handle the fact that his little sister was going to have a baby pretty well.”
Shawn placed his hands on her shoulders, looked her in the eyes and spoke slowly, as though she’d have a hard time understanding, “Mimi, Patrick is in Los Angeles going around thinking you picked Zach up off the street. He’s no more comfortable with the thought of you having sex than I am with the thought of Victoria having sex.”
She shrugged his hands off her shoulders angrily, “Shawn, just go and have a chat with her, or Max. I’m sure they’ll be happy to tell you what contraceptives they’re using,” and added naughtily, as she went to answer the ringing phone, “IF they’re using contraceptives.”
“Oh God Mimi would you just stop.”
Mimi handed him the phone, “It’s for you. Your sister.”
Before he could even get a ‘hello’ out, she was supplying him with the information he’d wanted but realised too late he didn’t really want to know, “I’m on the pill. I’m on the pill and we use condoms, we’ve both been tested for any diseases and we’re clean. No we don’t make a habit of having sex while we’re babysitting, but we are having sex. Max wasn’t my first and you won’t have to knock before going to work because we don’t have sex at the garage anymore.”
“Anymore?!” his mind was racing with all the possibilities, but she filled him in.
“Yeah, we used to have sex everywhere. On the cars, on the floor against the wall, the office, the bathroom; think of a place and we’ve probably done it there.”
“Oh God.”
“Shawn I’m joking, we haven’t contaminated the garage.” Victoria figured she wouldn’t burn in hell for the little white lie.
“Thanks for clearing that up. I think I’m going to go and do something, yeah; I’m going to go and do something. See you at the Pub tomorrow for lunch okay?” he practically shoved the phone at Mimi. He needed to go wash out his ears; he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.
Mimi, who had been laughing throughout the phone conversation simply because of Shawn’s facial expressions, asked Victoria, “What did you say to him?”
“Oh nothing much.” She filled Mimi in on what she’d told Shawn and they both laughed, “So I’ll see you tomorrow then?”
“Count on it.”
