Chapter 4:
I'm kinda back! All mistakes are my own. My grammer is horrific. Here we go! Hope to get back in the proper groove because I have some great plans for this!
Max heaved a sigh, unconsciously fidgeting with her rings. The taxi smelled like dim sum, and the same commercial for Bellevue Hospital was stuck on a loop.
"Are you okay? That was your fourth sigh since we left Manhattan." Randy asked leaning a hand onto her thigh.
"Uh. Yeah. I'm okay." Max bit her lip mentally debating. Fuck it. "Randy, you need to know something..."
"You want a quick wedding? I knew it." He smirked putting down his iPhone and continued rubbing her thigh absentmindedly.
"Yes. But you won't let me." She flashed back to a week ago when he asked about inviting her mother, AKA Satan's sister and suppressed a shudder. "No. I wish. I need to tell you something. And under normal situations I'd let this all play out in a less than humerus manner for myself but hilarious for everyone else, and risk potentially fucking up our relationship. But now that I'm shackled with this gorgeous rock on my finger -" she held up hand with her ring finger and grinned jokingly, "- I need to start being a damn adult. Whatever the hell that means."
Randy moved his hand from her thigh to her outstretched one and squeezed it. "So be an adult and tell me." He answered, not unkindly.
Max took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders. Here goes nothing she thought. "This guy, who might be our new landlord, Deke Bromberg? He's my ex. He's the only other man I've ever said I love you to. Minus Caroline when she had passed out and I drew a mustache on her and she didn't have a bra on. Kidding she had a bra on but it didn't matter."
Randy eye rolled suppressing a laugh, now finally used to her jokes of Caroline to displace the uncomfortable nerves she was feeling, knowing it came from an odd place of love.
"So you dated Deke Bromberg? You loved Deke?" He asked as the cab came to a stop and swiped his credit card on the machine still spitting out the same damn commercial for the past 4 blocks. He dug out some bills for a tip and handed them over the divider to the driver.
"Yeah, a few years ago. Obviously way before us. Like its ancient history. And he has decided to open a restaurant. I wasn't going to mention it because, he's not apart of my life ya know?" She nervously rambled. They both exited the car as she continued. "I broke up with him. And Deke left, never looked back. And when I found out a week ago-"
"A week ago?" Randy paused as he held her hand in front of the dessert bar, ready to cross the street to the new complex area.
Randy bit his tongue. A week ago? He suppressed the urge to say something nasty, it definitely wouldn't help either of them, and took a deep breath. This was Max. They could talk it out. But a week ago?
"Yeah..." She fidgeted.
"You knew he was here a week ago and didn't tell me?"
"Communication is clearly not my strong suit. It's not a big deal I promise. But I'm trying on the whole communication thing!" She broke their embrace and flailed her arms before crossing them squarely and tightly across her chest.
Randy let out his deep sigh. "Listen. I hear you. But I need to take a walk. Meet you back here at the bar in 20 and we'll go look at the apartment."
"Randy..."
"Max! I know you're trying. And you're right, you would have not told me, you would have hid this all until it blew up in our faces. I'm glad you're bringing it up now, but you should have told me your ex was moving in across the street the day you found out it was your ex moving in if it wasn't a big deal. So, I'm going to take a walk, and meet you back here. We'll go see the apartment and talk about this later." He repeated his voice tipping to the point of booming.
"Randy. I wasn't trying to hurt-"
"Max. I love you, that won't change. We will work it out, and this won't matter in probably as little as a week. But for now, lets just... Lets table this." He huffed, kissed her cheek, and shoved his hands into his jeans pockets and walked away.
"Well. You go Max for telling the truth. Ya should have done it sooner ya idiot." She looked up at the sky and cursed. She fished her keys from her purse, hands shaking, and undid the lock to the bar, punched in the code and slid onto a seat wondering what else she could screw up today.
Goddamn adulting.
"Bobby- we should move in together." Caroline said, making grand sweeping motions at the words we. She shook her head and frowned. "No. That's not quite right."
She paused and checked her hair in the hand mirror sitting on the bar's mini office she had made overlooking the shared kitchen space with the diner. It was a small desk with seats on either side, her laptop, and her "old school" balancing book. "Bobby." She said confidently. "Bobby.."
She freshened her lipstick, rolled her shoulders and walked into the main bar flipping on the light switch. "I think we should move in together."
"Meh. I've lived with you for 6 years already. I think we need a break." Max answered, lifting her head from the slightly sticky bar table.
"Max!" Caroline jumped back. "Jeez. What are you doing here? And why did we need a meeting?"
"In my haste to lock down Randy, you know how hard I've been pursing him and all..." Max started, pausing to drily lick her lips.
"You say that jokingly but I think you're forgetting the fact that we fell out of a plane. And went on a river boat... And we even pretended to be zombies."
"Did we really?" She hummed. "I thought that was all one special acid trip."
"I wish." Caroline slumped into the seat next to her.
"Well, I never quite told him about Deke moving in across the street." She confessed to the blonde.
"Oh. How did he find out?"
"Because my dumbass told him. He found an apartment across the street that we're going to go see, after he's done with his angry walk."
"Angry walk?"
Max recounted the whole morning to Caroline who listened with rapt attention.
"Well, hey, you told him! You normally let things just hit the fan." Caroline reaffirmed, bumping her shoulder. "And you'll work it out, he just needed to get some air and you'll go look at the place. Best part if you take it... You'll be across the street from me buddy!"
"Oh god. That's the worst part!" Max groaned and flopped back down into the seat, her head hitting the table with a thud.
Caroline rolled her eyes at Max's theatrics and started to prep for opening tonight. She flipped on the radio and began stocking the bar while Max made huffing sounds and deep sighs.
"Are you going to ask Bobby to move in before the vacation rule?" Max asked, peeling her head up from the table.
"No. We're planning on going out of town next weekend... And if it goes well, and we don't try to kill each other, I'll ask him after. Max, you're okay to be here alone right? We just hired Jake, and considering the last bartender got Han hooked on chocolate-" Caroline paused looking at Max who had begun rooting around the vodka shelf. She paused at the grey goose, and began filling her purse flask.
"Are you doing shots again?"
"When am I not?" Max snorted.
Caroline sighed.
"Look! There will always be something going on with us. It's a fact of life. You have to take your vacations when you can. I'll be fine! Jake seems.. Alright. I just I can't peg him..." Max shrugged.
Earlier that week Max and Caroline finally hired a new bartender to take some of the stress off. Jake had just moved out to New York from New Orleans and was coming at a low price. Much to Carolines content the man knew how to make most drinks, ranging from a dirty martini to a Scooby Snack. And much to Max's content, he didn't seem to have caught Hipsteritis yet.
"It's because he calls you ma'am and says please and thank you."
"That could be what's throwing me off."
The door jingled open, and Randy appeared. He gave Max a small smile.
"Hey Randy!" Caroline greeted.
"Hi Caroline, how's your day going?"
"Good! How about you?" She winced after the words came out and glanced at Max who still stood across the bar.
"It's going." He answered tersely. "You ready Max?"
She scrunched her nose, suppressed a sigh and crossed the room.
"Sure am not." She muttered quietly to herself.
Randy looked unamused but offered her his hand which she gladly took.
"Later Caroline." Max hollered as they left.
"Good luck!" She called back. "Seems like you need it..."
Deke Bromberg had experienced more than his fair share of love connections throughout the years. Some where slow burning, others fast and passionate, but only one he would call true and almost perfect. That had been with Max Black. And that great love of his had left him when he was asleep in his dumpster, pushed to the outskirts of Williamsburg one cold Tuesday night.
He had wanted to call her. To storm the diner and tell her he loved her and money didn't matter. But the fact was it kind of did. Not in the, I'm better than you because I have money sense. But in the sense that, living with next to nothing, was a hell of fucking lot harder than he had made it thought.
He spent two weeks trying to get a job. Two weeks trying to live with the money he had left, a whopping $200 dollars. He almost stretched it to 3 by selling his weed but wound up smoking it all in self pity. Like Max had said, his relationship with money wasn't so thrifty and easy as he had thought. He wanted to prove to her she was wrong, he could do it, but to his dismay had been right. He returned home with his hat in his hand after his two weeks of trying to make it work, his parents not saying a word but only offering hugs. He threw himself into work, flipping apartment buildings, ever since. When the property came up to build his dream beer garden in the lot across from her he assumed she had moved on in life and it wouldn't be a problem.
He quickly learned she had built her own dream place, and was even engaged to a rich lawyer. Not that he had done his recon. Because he hadn't. He had moved on! And she was happy. And very much nothis smurfette anymore.
"Mr. Bromberg?" Randy Walsh pulled Deke out of his musings, making him focus at the task ahead.
"Sorry about that. Was thinking about what kind of wallpaper to put out here in the hall." He lied and smiled at Max whose arms were snaked around Randys waist. "And please, it's Deke."
Deke stretched out his arm to Randy, who took it and clasped it a bit tighter than necessary. So he knew I've seen Max naked. Solid!
"Hey." She offered lamely.
"Hi." He answered with a smirk. "Would you guys like to see the place?"
Max nodded shyly, which was very out of character for her. Even Randy raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.
Over the next half hour he led the couple through the first story 2 bedroom, 1 and a half bath apartment. He answered a few questions, mostly keeping his distance and letting the couple talk. He kept having to shake his head of the daydreams of kissing Max. It was just a blast from the past, he told himself.
"So what do we think?" Deke asked, noticing how tense Max was holding herself. Had he said something? Or had she caught him staring?
"I think its beautiful and the location is great." Max said looking at Randy.
Randy nodded, "It's what we need space wise. Are pets okay?"
"Small dogs and cats only. No horses."
Randy's jaw tightened but he didn't dare say a word. Nor did Max.
Way to keep it cool Deke...
"Mind if we think about it and get back to you?" Randy asked putting a hand on Max's shoulder. She glanced down at her shoes again for the millionth time that day.
"Sure thing. I'll give you guys 72 hours before I show it again. Just so you know, this is the last one that has a patio that will be available for some time." Deke handed them a copy of the potential lease. "Let me know before then if you are interested or want to check out the space again. I'll leave you guys to see yourselves out, let ya mosey. I should go check on my commercial space."
"Sure thing. Thanks for your time man." Randy shook Deke's hand goodbye with another death grip before wandering back out onto the patio, leaving him and Max alone.
Max crossed her arms and shifted on her feet.
"Do you have to pee or something? Toilet works." Deke asked, hovering by the front door.
"No. I'm fine." She forced herself to hold still.
"Well it's good seeing you. Let me know what you think." Deke turned to leave before he said something stupid.
"Bye Mr. Money Bags." She smiled gently before moving to join Randy.
He sighed as he shut the door behind himself. "Dammit smurfette. I'm in troubleeee."
Max let out a contented sigh. "Am I to assume all is forgiven?"
She rolled over and curled against Randy.
He hummed. "Yes all is forgiven. I told you we'd work it out."
"I didn't think you meant it quite so literal. You know this is the only exercise I get right?"
"I remember you saying that on our first date when I took you hiking." He took her hand into his.
"Yeah I must have liked you or something. Look, I really am sorry, I'm glad we... felt each other out on this topic..." She smirked.
"Me too. Now. We should get dressed. You have work."
Her smirk disappeared, "As much as I love my bar, do I have to?"
"Yes." He tossed her the blouse she had on earlier. "What did you think of the apartment?"
"I really did love it. I mean I could never afford something like that... I mean all those doors!"
"You don't have to do this by yourself. We can figure it out together." He chided. "And Deke was alright. Didn't seem like he was holding a candle to you."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Max casted him a dark glance as she buttoned her jeans.
"I just meant, if he were to be our landlord I don't think he'd be a threat."
"Randy... Even if he was holding a candle for me, whatever the fuck that means, I'm with you now. There is no threat. See, this is why I didn't want to say anything!" She yanked on her boots and reached for her shirt.
"I didn't mean it like that Max. Of course not. I shouldn't have said that."
"Look, I know the thought of ex's make people crazy, and I am no exception, but come on!" She huffed. "Just forget it. I need to get to work, and Bobby is coming by later so you should get back to the hotel."
"Max-"
"Seriously, don't worry about it. Love you." She chastely kissed his cheek and headed out.
Seriously, she hated adulting.