Maxie Jones paced the floor of the Regrettably Pink Room.
"What do you mean, you're going away? Is Jason sending you off somewhere to do work for him? Spinelli! You'd better not be doing anything dangerous! I told you, I can't take the stress of worrying about you. That's it, I'm talking to Jason, I'm telling him to stop putting you in danger…"
"Maximista, no, that's not it. Stone Cold isn't sending the Jackal on a mission, the Jackal is leaving on his own accord," Spinelli continued packing clothes into a duffle bag.
"Leaving? I don't understand. What happened?" Maxie grabbed the clothes from his hands and put them on the bed beside the duffle bag. "Spinelli! What happened?"
Spinelli sighed. "It would appear that the Fearsome Federal One was not satisfied with Stone Cold's delivery of the Mob Prince's Evil Patriarch, which secured the Jackal's release from custody. He is again pressuring Stone Cold to turn on Mr. Sir in order to continue to ensure the Jackal's freedom. The only way to preserve Stone Cold's honor is for the Jackal to disappear so the Fearsome Federal One no longer has any leverage."
"Disappear?" Maxie said softly, the realization beginning to dawn on her and dread filling her stomach. "Spinelli, no. No, you can't."
"Maximista, I'm sorry, it's the only way to make things right. The Jackal failed his master by being careless and allowing the Federal Ones to undercover evidence of his illegal hacking activities. It is up to the Jackal to resolve the situation at hand the only way he knows how." Spinelli sighed again, unable to look at Maxie out of shame. "By running away."
"Spinelli, you can't leave me. You just can't. I need you," Maxie pleaded.
"I, I need you too, Maximista. But if the Jackal stays then Mr. Sir goes to jail, Stone Cold betrays his honor, and I will still end up in jail anyway. It's the only choice."
"Then I'm coming with you," Maxie crossed her arms, ready for a fight. She knew he'd protest, but there was no way she was letting him leave without her.
"Maximista could not possibly leave her career just as it's taking off. What about all of those public appearances with you and… the Mob Prince," he argued, the last few words thick in his mouth. Leaving her, he knew, meant Johnny Zacchara was certain to end up seducing her. The idea made him sick with jealousy.
"I don't care, Spinelli. I don't care about any of it. None of it matters without you. Like I told you yesterday at the police station, you're my essential person. If you're leaving, then I'm going with you."
"Maximista… it would be too dangerous. When I leave, it will be as a fugitive. That would make you an accomplice. I can't let that happen."
"I don't care. I'm not letting you leave me. Everyone leaves me, and I… I can't lose you, too. I need you," her voice breaking at the end.
"Maxie… I'm sorry. It is neither my intent nor my desire to hurt you. Don't you know? The idea of leaving you is unbearable to me. You are essential to me as well," he pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly against him. The horrible thought of never holding her again crept into his mind. Could he be so selfish as to take her with him? No, it would be unfair to her. She had a life here, family and a career. All he had here was Maxie.
His revelry was interrupted as he became aware of her warm breath on his neck and her soft skin against him. He sighed, both miserable and content at the same time. She pulled away slightly and looked up at him, her eyes darkened by emotions he had come to recognize from their previous encounters. She was full of desperation, need, and desire. Before he had a chance to over-think it, he ran his fingers through her blond hair and kissed her hard. She moaned into his mouth as he pulled up her skirt and rubbed her thigh with his other hand. He wasn't accustomed to being the instigator of their sexual encounters, but his own desperation far exceeded hers. He needed to be with her and receive comfort from her body, knowing he might never see her again.
She pushed him away and spat, "Don't you dare think this is goodbye. You aren't going without me."
"I'm not going anywhere tonight," he said, kissing her again.
Maxie let him take control, and he pushed her against one of the Regrettably Pink walls, pinning her with his pelvis. He unbuttoned her blouse and quickly discarded it. His mouth was on her neck and breasts, kissing and licking at her skin. His unhappiness of never seeing her again fueled his frantic passion. Still kissing her, he led her to the bed. He stood over her and stopped kissing her long enough to undress himself. Her lips were swollen from kissing, her face flushed and her breathing heavy. The woman he loved was naked in his bed, aroused and ready to make love to him. He pondered how such nirvana could be within his grasp, and so quickly lost by morning.
He made love to her roughly, a change of pace from their previous encounters of gentle reverence. He could feel her begin to lose control, feel her reach her climax, bringing him to his own. But it wasn't enough for him to dull the pain of losing her. Not stopping, he kissed wet trails across her skin.
"Spinelli…" she began.
"Shhh…" he continued kissing her, until he made love to her again.
He never wanted the night to end, never wanted to leave her body, let alone her presence. He was so close to giving in and telling her he needed her with him no matter what the cost. So close to finally telling her he loved her. But it wouldn't be fair. He loved her too much to let her sacrifice everything to be with him.
Eventually, they were both exhausted, and Maxie, wrapped in his bed sheet was fast asleep against his chest. He glanced at his clock and sighed. His redeye flight would leave in an hour and he needed to get to the airport.
Spinelli disentangled himself from the bed sheets and covered Maxie with a blanket. Before he could change his mind, he quickly got dressed. He kissed her softly goodbye and, whispering into her hair, again confessed his love for her as she slept.
He grabbed his duffle bag, laptop and fake passport, leaving behind the Regrettably Pink Room and the woman he loved.