Lean on Me

Chapter Ten

Wednesday November 21, 2007

"Explain this to me like I'm two," Max said to his brother as they stood in the kitchen of their apartment in Harborview Towers. "Why is Maxie in your bed again?"

"I told ya. She's sad. She's so sad, Max."

Max hit his head with his palm. "Only you could go out to get flowers for Lulu and manage to bring home a crying Maxie instead! What do you know about taking care of a crying woman? Do we have enough Kleenex in the house? Don't watch chick flicks with her no matter what she says. They only make it worse. You want romantic comedies in a situation like this. And she's gonna need warm socks. They don't feel comfortable in a cold bedroom without warm socks. Why aren't you writing this down, dummy?"

"Warm socks. I got it."

"Well what happened to her? Did someone hurt her somehow? You need me to go take care of it? Cause I'll bang some heads together. Trust that. Just give me the names."

"Cooper Barrett, her ex-boyfriend."

"The cop? Well....Jason better take care of that then."

"You just said you would."

"I know what I said, idiot! But this is a cop we're talking about. You don't just go beat a cop's ass. There are ways to do something like this. You gotta finesse the situation or else all you'll get for your trouble is a long stretch in Pentonville. That what you want?"

"No."

"Exactly! Jason will handle it." After a moment Max asked "So what did this Barrett do to her that caused her to be crying so bad she's in our apartment when I've never even seen you talk to that chick before?"

"I talked to her just this morning at the food drive."

"Sure ya did."

"What? I did. You weren't there."

"You are incapable of holding an intelligent conversation with anyone when Lulu is within a two block radius. At that point its best to just put a drool bib on you and wait for her to leave. Cause you're done for."

"I told you I've gotten over my crush. Stop busting my balls, please. I have to figure out what to do for Maxie. Do you hear her in there? She's so sad. So sad."

"Did Barrett hit her or something? Cause I could reconsider kicking his ass."

"They just broke up as far as I know. I found her on the docks and she....I just couldn't leave her there like that. I had to call in my flower order for Lulu. I wanted to go and pick them out myself. I hope that florist don't screw it all up."

"You got bigger fish to fry right now! Get in there and help Maxie."

"How?"

"I got to tell you everything? Talk to her!"

"Is there a second choice? Can I just skip to the movie part? I don't know her like that. You're better at this then me...you go in there." He gently pushed Max that way.

Max pushed Milo back. "Hell no. I don't do weeping broads."

"I just wish she would stop crying. Its just....She sounds like she's coming apart at the seams."

"You better figure out how to make her happy again and send her home before that cop ex- boyfriend of hers shows up at our door."

Milo nodded and headed out of the room.

Max called after him. "You can't go in without supplies! Get water. Tissues. Aspirin. Ask her if you can make her some food. None of that tofu crap either!"

Milo pulled open the figure and took out a bottle of water. "Okay, okay. Lay off me. I'm out of my league here."

In a much more tender tone Max said "I know. You're just too sweet. That's your downfall but you can't help it. You lead with your heart every time. What am I gonna do about you? If I don't watch your back God only knows what you'd get into." After a minute, while Milo was getting out aspirins, Max said "Well say thank you!"

"Thank you, Max. I appreciate it."

"I know you do, nudnik."

XXXXXX

Logan was up to his elbows in flour in Georgie's kitchen. It turned out that he hadn't brought any apple pies and it was a tradition to have that at their Thanksgiving dinner.

She told him that he could stay, if he wanted, only because it would make her a liar to her father if Logan didn't help her with making the desserts, which is what she had told Mac he was there to do.

Even though they had been arguing earlier he stuck around.

He wanted to figure out if it was all in his head what he felt sparking between them. It had to be his imagination. Georgie wouldn't touch him with a ten foot pole.

If he was on fire she might spit on him to put it out but that was just because she was nice like that.

The tension in the room fell away once they started peeling and cutting apples. Now they were making the crusts. Logan was trying to roll it out, remembering in his head how his ma used to do it, but making a mess out of it.

"You have to roll that pin on an angle," Georgie said sweetly.

He tried. The dough ripped.

She giggled. "Like this." She reached around him and guided him by placing her hands over his. "See?"

Not really. All he knew was this sweet smelling gorgeous woman was pressed against him.

Good God in Heaven.

She was too much really. That body. The honeysuckle scent that clung to her hair and skin. He had always known she was pretty but he had been too busy to really make it personal before.

The main goal he always had concerning him and her were simple: show her he's not an ass.

There were so many times he stood before her nearly begging her to see him as better than that. But she had refused. And he walked away pissed off and let down.

Now he wasn't feeling either. He worked to keep himself under control as he felt her curves pressed against him.

Georgie broke the silence. "Logan? Um...you see how you do it now?"

"Huh?"

She moved away from him."I think you have it."

"Wha? Oh....yeah. This isn't as easy as it looks. You sure you don't want to run out to the all night supermarket on Main? I'm buying."

"We have all the ingredients we need right here. You don't have to stay though. You helped already so I didn't really lie to Mac. We're covered."

"I'm good. I'd like to see this through. Got no where else to be anyway. Coop is still pissed at me. Go figure huh?"

"After what you did I'm surprised he can even look at you."

"Oh, geez Louise, girl! Give a man a break for five minutes. We were getting along. Do you like arguing with me for some reason? Is that what it takes to get your motor running? Maybe you take after that cousin of yours... what's her face... and her ass wad boyfriend."

"Robin and Patrick? You're so out of line right now." She stomped over to the bowl of apples and angrily started mixing in sugar and cinnamon. "Just leave if you want to fight with me."

Logan walked closer and murmured "You're supposed to cook with love or it don't turn out half as good." When she didn't say anything back he added, in this soft whisper, "I don't want to fight with you."

"I don't want to fight with you either."

"You sure about that, doll?"

She gave him a hard look at the endearment.

Logan asked "What's wrong with me saying stuff like doll? You're the only chick complaining."

"Ha!"

"Okay, okay. I've had a string of bad breaks with women but most don't turn on me quite as fast as you did. Its only you that hasn't been able to stand the sound of me since the day we met."

"If that was true I would kick you out."

"You're too polite."

"Not always."

"Fine. I hear ya. No more doll or darlin or baby. But you've got to leave me girl. That's just ingrained."

"I'm sure all the other women you know really love being called darlin by you. I'm just not them. I only want to hear something like that if it means something."

"Who says it don't?"

"Stop the games, Logan. I mean it. I wouldn't mind becoming your friend but not if you don't treat me real. I've seen the games you play with everyone else you know. Men. Women. Friends. Lovers. I don't need a rude jerk in my life who uses lines and charm instead of honesty and kindness to build relationships."

"Is that what we're doing? Building a relationship?"

She turned and looked into his eyes for a long moment. He wondered how his whole life had come down to resting on a moment with her.

Yet it had.

(Now that I know what I'm without

you can't just leave me.

Breathe into me and make me real

Bring me to lie.

Wake me up!

Wake me up inside.

I can't wake up.

Wake me up inside.

Save me.

Call my name and save me from the dark.

Wake me up-bid my blood to run.

I can't wake up- before I come undone.

Save me.

Save me from the nothing I've become.

Bring me to life!!!

Frozen inside.

Without your touch.

Without you love.

Darling only you are the light among the dead) (evanescence)