A/N: Such a good episode and I dread to think what Dylan was doing with that Lady Shave. And Max's face when Dervla was on the bed was brilliant ;) he looked so petrified -I know the feeling, dog's are scary creatures. Oh and Lily and Cal are so cute together, he needs to ditch his new girl fiend and get together with Lily properly. I hope she's ok though, especially with what happened at the end. That reminds me for a doctor it amazes me how Connie doesn't realise you can't faint when it's convenient. Anyway this is quite a long fic so I hope you enjoy and it doesn't drag too much! :D
"So where are we going tonight?" Max asked Zoe on the phone at the end of his shift.
"Back to Dylan's" she suggested
"No, I mean it, I'm not spending another night there. It's creepy"
"It's only a dog, not a werewolf"
"Not the dog: Dylan" he protested "I mean what was he doing with your lady shave"
"I really don't want to think about it"
"Oh my God you don't think he was doing something with my toothbrush and your lady shave at the same time do you?"
"Max! That's…just…no!" she spluttered
"You owe me a new toothbrush"
"Oh Max now I've got visions of… never mind"
He just laughed at her down the line "So you won't want to go there tonight then."
"No probably never again thanks to you"
"Good, done my job"
She sighed "Max I just don't know what other option there is."
"Unless… No never mind" he shook off the thought
"No go on" she said
"Well we could look at renting a flat together"
"We've only been back together a month"
"Yeah I know it's a bit sudden but think about it. We don't have to keep on mucking everyone else around with where we're staying and we get our own place. We practically live together anyway."
"Max I know what you're saying I just think we really need to talk this through and it doesn't really solve the immediate problem of where we're staying tonight."
"Good point, we could just not meet up"
"You think you could last a whole night on your own"
"Yes I do thank you very much" he replied making her smirk
"But" she prompted
"But it does then mean I'm stranded as I promised Robyn she could have the house to herself"
"We could just sneak in"
"Nah, don't have a camera on me and I just couldn't pass up an opportunity to get a photo of you half way up a drainpipe in your heels"
"Who said anything about drainpipes in £500 heels? I'd just walk quietly through the front door."
"£500!?" he exclaimed "They cost more than the pair Robyn saw"
"Exactly, so I'm not climbing any drainpipes in them."
They pondered in silence for a few moments before Zoe had an idea "How about a hotel?"
"Can't afford it"
"I'll pay"
"No"
"Why not?"
"You're a woman"
"That's not a reason"
"And a man can't let a woman pay"
"That's sexist" she said matter-of-factly
"I don't care" mumbled Max "How about-
"No end of discussion" she cut him off "Meet me at the Marriot off of Park Avenue"
"No Zoe I-
"Bye" she put the phone down. She knew he hated the fact that he didn't have the money to buy things for her and he just wouldn't let her pay but it shouldn't be a barrier and she knew it. If she didn't put her foot down and pay they would never get anywhere. Of course Max could always just not show but she knew that wasn't likely. At least him showing up would prove that he wasn't really bothered about the money despite his pride. Then the thought that he might not actually show came to her and she got worried. What if he didn't come? A tight knot formed in her stomach and all she could think of walking down Park Avenue was whether or not he actually cared enough about her to come to the hotel. She hadn't felt this concerned since she was preparing herself to tell Nick she couldn't have children. Then another thought entered Zoe's head; Max didn't know she was infertile, she never told him. Even if he did show up tonight he was probably still going to leave her when he found out. Besides it wasn't fair to put that on him, not as young as he is.
"Zoe" Max called interrupting Zoe's thoughts and making her turn around to see him running down the road towards her. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him.
He caught up with her out of breath "Ran all the way here. I was trying to tell you I was near the hospital on the other side of town"
"Sorry" she grinned sheepishly "I didn't realised how far I'd walked"
"Just give me a minute" Max panted as Zoe started walking again
"Come on" she said pulling his arm "It's only round the corner"
"I wouldn't know, I've never been there before" he admitted
She glanced sideways at him "Max I don't want money to come between us. It's silly"
"Not from where I'm standing it's not"
"I'm older than you, I've worked my way further up the ladder"
"But I'm a porter"
"Why don't you use your degree?" she asked
He just shrugged his shoulders in reply.
"Look I know you don't like it but there's nothing we can do other than accept it and I don't know about you but I'd rather just use my money than break up"
"Well yeah but…"
"But what? Don't just sit there at think it Max, let's have it out."
"I've always been bottom of the pile" he said "I didn't have the brains to go to university to do a decent degree so I wasted my inheritance on a BA in tourism which isn't good enough to give me a career. Hell even my sister earns more than me. Everyone knows just how ridiculous we are because of how much you earn. Cal even said it to my face."
"Then you wonder why I didn't want to tell anybody"
"Zoe don't start"
"Alright I'm sorry. Look, I've never been in your position so I'm not going to stand here and pretend I am, but I do know what it feels like to want something that everyone else has and be told you can't have it. It's only money." She said cupping his face in her hands "I don't care what Cal and everyone else thinks and you shouldn't let it bother you. I love you for who you are Max and I just want to be with you. It doesn't matter how we're together or who has paid I just want to be with you and if you can't see past the money then I don't know what else we can do."
"I know" he whispered removing her hands from his face and kissing her forehead leaving his lips lingering there "I love you too, I do, I just…" he sighed and took a deep breath "I just wish we could be normal sometimes"
"Me too" she said "And for the record you do have the brains, but you give me the impression you didn't work hard enough"
"Where on Earth have you got that idea from?" he said
"Coming?" she questioned, tugging on his hand in the direction of the hotel
"Yeah" they walked in silence for a few minutes "So what does the amazingly wonderful and talented Dr Hannah not have that everyone else does? I'm dying to know" he said sarcastically
"You'd be surprised"
"Try me"
"It's not something silly Max, I was being serious"
"Tell me"
She just shook her head; she wasn't ready yet "Not now"
"I'll find out your secret"
"No you won't" she said rolling her eyes unperturbed.
They got into the hotel and stood in the queue for the desk.
"Max" Zoe whispered in his ear "Don't look now but isn't that those two men who were in the ED earlier" she indicated behind him with a nod of her head.
Max ignored her instructions and looked round immediately "Where?"
"Ssh keep you voice down. Them there I think they were in costume earlier. Didn't he eat something when he was supposed to be nil by mouth."
"I don't know. How do you expect me to remember that?"
'Typical man' Zoe thought "I was only in there two seconds and I still remember them. He had an arrow stuck in his bottom"
"Oh him yeah now I remember"
They stood in comfortable silence for a few minutes as they moved further down the line
"Err excuse me" came a voice from behind. They turned to look and it was the two men from the ED who had just recognised them.
"Don't you work at Holby City" one of them asked
"Yes" said Zoe
"Great I was wondering if you could pass on a message" said the other "Can you give this to that blonde nurse" he said pressing a piece of paper into Zoe's hand.
"I'm afraid patients can't really be in contact with their nurses"
"Please just pass it on"
"I don't really know who to. There is more than one blonde nurse" she laughed
"Short blond hair, average height. Beautiful green eyes like seaweed, that sparkle in the-
"Thanks" the first man spoke pulling his friend away leaving Zoe with the piece of paper.
"Now what do I do?" Zoe said
"You could always give it to Rita" Max suggested
"How do you know it's Rita?"
"Who else could it be?"
"Been staring into her seaweed green eyes have you?"
"Well you get to see them when you've kissed somebody" Max walked towards the till as someone came free leaving Zoe speechless.
"You've kissed her" she said gobsmacked. Max just ignored her and sorted the room out, well aware that Zoe was getting more and more impatient. As soon as they left the desk Zoe pounced.
"When did you kiss her?"
"Calm down it was a joke"
"What the kiss or telling me you've kissed her?"
"The kiss"
"So you did kiss her"
"Yes"
"I'm going to need more of an explanation than that Max"
"Relax I only said it to wind you up, I was just making fun of her"
"Right" Zoe said, shaking her head to clear it "Hang on a minute you've just booked the room" she realised
"I have"
"What did you use to pay for it?"
"My credit card. I'm not that bankrupt you know, I just can't afford to do it every night."
"Max you said you'd let me pay"
"I know, I know. Just let me this once okay. We'll take it in turns"
"Fine" she said
"Cheer up" he playfully shoved her
"I am" she said "Just thinking how exciting it would have been to sneak in to your house"
"Unbelievable" he said
"Do you think we could? Then sneak back out again to come here"
He laughed
"I'm serious"
"No" he said
"Why not"
"That's very immature"
"You suggested it the first time"
"Yeah but I only have my phone camera and the quality is rubbish"
"Ah well" she said as the reached the room.
He opened the door with the key and they went in. "Entrée" Max said
"Still not working that French" Zoe said
"And here I thought it was" he said "It must just be my amazing good looks"
"Maybe I just feel sorry for you"
"We'll see about that" he said pushing her down on the bed. Needless to say they didn't get that much sleep that night.
A/N: Thanks for reading. Can't wait for 9:20 next week :)
