Misery Loves Company
The next day was the grand opening of the Rec Room. Alec and Max were so busy with last minute preparations that they hardly even saw each other until that evening. Original Cindy and Sketchy arrived as promised, but Logan called to tell Max he would be running late and would find her when he arrived.
At 7 PM, all the transgenics in the city were gathered outside the doors of the new Rec Room. Everyone was so excited and the noise of everyone talking at once was nearly deafening. Max spent several minutes trying to get everyone's attention, but to no avail. Finally Alec stepped up and whistled loudly. Everyone stopped what they doing and looked up. Alec motioned for Max to come forward and say a few words but she smiled at him and shook her head. "This is your baby, Alec! You did this for them, not me. You do the honors!"
Alec nodded and stepped back to the microphone. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Dogs and Lizards, Transgenics of every kind...The Rec Room is open for business." Alec took the pair of scissors that Max handed him and cut the ribbon. The audience laughed and cheered and began to push their way into the new club.
The Rec Room was divided into several areas: there was a huge bar area with tables and chairs (sure to be the most popular area of the club), a room with nothing but pool tables and dart boards, one room set up exclusively for dancing where Max and Alec had spent the previous evening, and one smaller room filled with small coffee tables, old sofas and large comfy chairs. Max had never seen this room before; it had always been locked when she dropped by so she had assumed it was just being used for storage. It was the most elaborately decorated of all the rooms and it had a small stage with a TV set up at one end. "So Maxie, what do you think of my Karaoke room?" Alec asked as he snuck up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist.
"Alec, this is fantastic! How did you manage to do all of this?" Max asked as she looked around in wonder.
"I promised not to tell you where everything came from, remember? And I always keep my promises." Alec teased.
"Well, wherever it came from, this is awesome, man." Blushing Alec and Max stepped apart quickly and turned to see Sketchy and Original Cindy standing behind them.
"The boy's right. You've outdone yourself, Alec." Original Cindy smiled at him and reached over to give him a big hug.
"Thanks, guys! Glad you could make it." He hugged Original Cindy back and then reached over to slap Sketchy on the shoulder. "Sketch, my man, good to see you."
Joshua joined the group and they all moved over to one of the tables. Everyone sat down and Max offered to get the first round of drinks. Alec volunteered to help but Max shooed him away, "Hello! Genetically enhanced super soldier here. I am perfectly capable of carrying a couple of pitchers of beer by myself. You just sit and visit. I'll be right back." Turning she began to worm her way through the crowd and head towards the bar.
"So Alec, what's up with you and Max?" Cindy asked as soon as Max was out of earshot.
"Yeah, dude. Ya'll looked pretty cozy when we walked up." Sketchy leaned forward and waited for Alec's answer.
"What do you mean? Nothing's up. Everything is perfectly normal." Alec lied looking away and blushing again.
"Max and Alec getting busy, that's the plan." Joshua announced happily.
"Not quite, buddy but thanks for the support. Hey Joshua why don't you go find something to sing. There's a play list up on the stage. Try pg 164. I think you'll like it" Alec said. Joshua nodded and headed off.
Original Cindy wasn't that easily distracted. "Um hmm, that's why you blush every time we mention her name. Games up, fool. Spill it! Original Cindy wants all the juicy details."
"Ok, fine. I think things might be changing between Max and me, but I don't want to rush into anything. You know how she is when it comes to relationships, she runs hot and cold. I'm never quite sure where I stand with her." Alec dropped his head in his hands and moaned in frustration.
"That's our Max, all right. Question is...Does she know where she stands with you? Have you told her how you feel?" Original Cindy nudged him and Alec looked up miserably.
"No, not exactly. I kissed her." Alec said.
"Way to go Alec! Did she kiss you back?" Sketchy asked.
"Yeah, she did" Alec said blushing again.
"Well, that's a start. Let Original Cindy explain things to you, Alec. I've known our girl a long time and while she may have been out in the world a lot longer than you, when it comes to emotions and relationships, you've got years of experience on her. If you want her to know how you feel, you've got to be specific. And soon too, cuz I think Logan wants her back too."
"Logan wants her back? Hell, I'm screwed. Compared to me she thinks he's god and I'll always just be a screw-up she set loose on the world." Alec was really miserable now.
"I never thought Manticore would have trained you to give up so easy! You are not a screw-up, but if you don't do something soon you will screw this up. You are a good guy and a straight-up friend, I know it, Sketchy knows it, and Max needs to know it. Now you go show her what a good man you can be."
"Yeah, Original Cindy is right. Go turn on that charm and be creative. You always get the girl in the end, right?" Sketchy grinned at his friend.
Alec cheered up, "You know what? You're right! And I've got an idea, be back in a few minutes."
Alec took off towards the stage area just as Max arrived with the beer. "Where's he going in such a hurry?" she asked.
"Dog Boy needed some help with the sound equipment" Original Cindy said quickly.
Max was going to say more, but she was interrupted by the sounds of Joshua attempting to sing Elvis Presley's "You Ain't Nothin' But A Hound Dog". Max, Sketchy, Original Cindy, and the rest of the room's occupants laughed and clapped and cheered and sang along loudly during the chorus. It was the perfect opening for Alec's karaoke room.
The next day was the grand opening of the Rec Room. Alec and Max were so busy with last minute preparations that they hardly even saw each other until that evening. Original Cindy and Sketchy arrived as promised, but Logan called to tell Max he would be running late and would find her when he arrived.
At 7 PM, all the transgenics in the city were gathered outside the doors of the new Rec Room. Everyone was so excited and the noise of everyone talking at once was nearly deafening. Max spent several minutes trying to get everyone's attention, but to no avail. Finally Alec stepped up and whistled loudly. Everyone stopped what they doing and looked up. Alec motioned for Max to come forward and say a few words but she smiled at him and shook her head. "This is your baby, Alec! You did this for them, not me. You do the honors!"
Alec nodded and stepped back to the microphone. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Dogs and Lizards, Transgenics of every kind...The Rec Room is open for business." Alec took the pair of scissors that Max handed him and cut the ribbon. The audience laughed and cheered and began to push their way into the new club.
The Rec Room was divided into several areas: there was a huge bar area with tables and chairs (sure to be the most popular area of the club), a room with nothing but pool tables and dart boards, one room set up exclusively for dancing where Max and Alec had spent the previous evening, and one smaller room filled with small coffee tables, old sofas and large comfy chairs. Max had never seen this room before; it had always been locked when she dropped by so she had assumed it was just being used for storage. It was the most elaborately decorated of all the rooms and it had a small stage with a TV set up at one end. "So Maxie, what do you think of my Karaoke room?" Alec asked as he snuck up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist.
"Alec, this is fantastic! How did you manage to do all of this?" Max asked as she looked around in wonder.
"I promised not to tell you where everything came from, remember? And I always keep my promises." Alec teased.
"Well, wherever it came from, this is awesome, man." Blushing Alec and Max stepped apart quickly and turned to see Sketchy and Original Cindy standing behind them.
"The boy's right. You've outdone yourself, Alec." Original Cindy smiled at him and reached over to give him a big hug.
"Thanks, guys! Glad you could make it." He hugged Original Cindy back and then reached over to slap Sketchy on the shoulder. "Sketch, my man, good to see you."
Joshua joined the group and they all moved over to one of the tables. Everyone sat down and Max offered to get the first round of drinks. Alec volunteered to help but Max shooed him away, "Hello! Genetically enhanced super soldier here. I am perfectly capable of carrying a couple of pitchers of beer by myself. You just sit and visit. I'll be right back." Turning she began to worm her way through the crowd and head towards the bar.
"So Alec, what's up with you and Max?" Cindy asked as soon as Max was out of earshot.
"Yeah, dude. Ya'll looked pretty cozy when we walked up." Sketchy leaned forward and waited for Alec's answer.
"What do you mean? Nothing's up. Everything is perfectly normal." Alec lied looking away and blushing again.
"Max and Alec getting busy, that's the plan." Joshua announced happily.
"Not quite, buddy but thanks for the support. Hey Joshua why don't you go find something to sing. There's a play list up on the stage. Try pg 164. I think you'll like it" Alec said. Joshua nodded and headed off.
Original Cindy wasn't that easily distracted. "Um hmm, that's why you blush every time we mention her name. Games up, fool. Spill it! Original Cindy wants all the juicy details."
"Ok, fine. I think things might be changing between Max and me, but I don't want to rush into anything. You know how she is when it comes to relationships, she runs hot and cold. I'm never quite sure where I stand with her." Alec dropped his head in his hands and moaned in frustration.
"That's our Max, all right. Question is...Does she know where she stands with you? Have you told her how you feel?" Original Cindy nudged him and Alec looked up miserably.
"No, not exactly. I kissed her." Alec said.
"Way to go Alec! Did she kiss you back?" Sketchy asked.
"Yeah, she did" Alec said blushing again.
"Well, that's a start. Let Original Cindy explain things to you, Alec. I've known our girl a long time and while she may have been out in the world a lot longer than you, when it comes to emotions and relationships, you've got years of experience on her. If you want her to know how you feel, you've got to be specific. And soon too, cuz I think Logan wants her back too."
"Logan wants her back? Hell, I'm screwed. Compared to me she thinks he's god and I'll always just be a screw-up she set loose on the world." Alec was really miserable now.
"I never thought Manticore would have trained you to give up so easy! You are not a screw-up, but if you don't do something soon you will screw this up. You are a good guy and a straight-up friend, I know it, Sketchy knows it, and Max needs to know it. Now you go show her what a good man you can be."
"Yeah, Original Cindy is right. Go turn on that charm and be creative. You always get the girl in the end, right?" Sketchy grinned at his friend.
Alec cheered up, "You know what? You're right! And I've got an idea, be back in a few minutes."
Alec took off towards the stage area just as Max arrived with the beer. "Where's he going in such a hurry?" she asked.
"Dog Boy needed some help with the sound equipment" Original Cindy said quickly.
Max was going to say more, but she was interrupted by the sounds of Joshua attempting to sing Elvis Presley's "You Ain't Nothin' But A Hound Dog". Max, Sketchy, Original Cindy, and the rest of the room's occupants laughed and clapped and cheered and sang along loudly during the chorus. It was the perfect opening for Alec's karaoke room.