As the months progressed, Max noticed more of her prints selling. She'd raised the price a couple of times, though only by a small amount. It had never seemed to have any adverse effects. Ruby was impressed with the response to her show throughout December, the local feel of the photos being a popular draw-card for many residents. She'd offered to display a couple of Max's pieces in the gallery permanently, which the young girl was particularly flattered by. Max was taking as many photos as she felt were worthy of capturing. As March came around though, she found herself once again focused wholly on her lover, but struggling to know exactly what to do for her. Chloe was turning twenty-one at last. The drinking, smoking, punk rock girl was finally able to drink. Max however, was not. She thought about hosting a party with the people they knew, but their friends from California probably wouldn't be able to come back again so soon. She wasn't sure if Chloe would be hoping for an event with her mother and David in attendance anyway. It was plaguing her more and more as time wore on. She wanted to do something memorable for the girl who, through all the turmoil...and now the success...was the one constant in her life. The one unwavering goal and wish. Now the one need and want.
~oOo~
Max woke up first on Saturday morning. It was Chloe's birthday and her body clock was understanding of the importance to her, waking her before the blue-haired girl had stirred. Max wiped her bleary eyes and smiled at the thought of the night ahead. She gently rained soft kisses over her partner's cheeks, causing the older girl to rouse from her slumber. "Happy birthday, my love," Max whispered when she noticed the moment of wakefulness.
"Mmm...happy birthday, baby," Chloe answered groggily. Max broke into a fit of laughter while sitting astride the older girl, causing Chloe to wake faster than anticipated. "Fuck," she fumbled. "Like...happy birthday for last September...or the next one. Something..." Chloe couldn't help but join in with Max's uninhibited laughter at her expense.
Max put her unexpected giggling fit aside and went about kissing her again. Back to the plan.
~oOo~
The girls got up and showered together before heading back to the bedroom, all at Max's behest. "So," the younger girl smiled, "Pack for a weekend away. But you have to take your 'opening night' outfit." She winked, referring to what Chloe had worn back when her exhibition opened. Chloe knew. She packed the clothes with a grin, not sure what it was exactly that her lover had planned, but excited at the prospect. Max packed her Rachel Amber outfit, swapping out the flannel shirt for a new black jacket.
Chloe walked over to pick up her keys from the dining room table. When she saw them she noticed they were sitting on a small black, velvet-lined box. "Oh Max, dearest," she called out to her girlfriend as the younger girl emerged from the bedroom, "Would you happen to know anything about this?"
"No idea," Max grinned, both girls knowing the question was redundant. Chloe opened the box and saw two stunning blue topaz earrings, the colour matching her hair perfectly.
"Holy shit, Max," Chloe said, pulling one of the studs out and looking at it closely, "They're gorgeous!"
"Now I wish I had something to do with it," the younger girl joked. "Happy birthday, hun." Chloe placed the box on the table, turning and wrapping her arms around the smaller girl's waist.
"Happy birthday, baby," she grinned, before kissing her girlfriend.
~oOo~
As Max led her to the check-in for a flight to Los Angeles, Chloe had a much clearer idea of what was happening. "So, either Lita's involved...or you and I are gonna be in a lot of shit when we see her again," Chloe said, grinning.
"Yeah, I wouldn't dare risk her wrath," Max laughed.
"So what are we doing?" the birthday girl asked. She imagined Max organising for Lita to take her out some nice clubs. Immediately she thought of her partner being unable to join them however. "If you've...If you're not part of the plan tonight Max, I swear to shit..."
The younger girl knew what Chloe was thinking. "I told you Chloe, you're my number one priority," she said, echoing her words of over a year ago, and many times since. "But I'm not that selfless...or stupid!" Chloe laughed out loud. "No," Max continued, "But Lita did say we were going to party like rock-stars!"
~oOo~
The girls disembarked and went to collect their luggage. They were met there by a gorgeous girl with bright-red hair, leaning coolly against the wall. Pushing off the wall with her booted right foot, Lita sauntered over to the two girls. "Ladies," she said with a slight bow.
"Hey Lita," Max smiled, before meeting the older girl's kiss and hug.
"Hey, babe. Congrats on the show," Lita said warmly, turning to the blue-haired girl. "And happy birthday, gorgeous." She kissed Chloe's pale lips. "My young starlet's become a woman."
Chloe laughed as she hugged her. "So what's the plan?" she asked.
"Well, I'm throwing you a party," Lita said simply. "I've invited some pretty cool people. I think you'll like them."
"Fuck, Lita...for me?" the blue-haired girl smiled.
"Well, mostly," the older girl grinned. "Some of them are just coming because I'm hosting a party. Might have been a tougher sell if I told them it was a twenty-first birthday! But there's a bunch of dudes who know your work and really want to meet you too."
"I seriously don't know what to say," Chloe said honestly.
"Thank you, Lita," the red-haired girl smirked.
"Thank you, Lita," Chloe followed.
Lita laughed, giving Chloe another hug, "I'm just happy to hang out with my favourite girls again."
~oOo~
"So much for humble abodes," Max mused as Lita's black B.M.W. pulled into the garage of her Santa Monica house.
"I told you, you have to enjoy them while you can," Lita grinned. "Welcome to my pad, girls." They got out of the car and followed the older girl inside the three bedroom house. Max's attention was immediately caught by the art that adorned the walls. In some ways it was reminiscent of Chloe's old bedroom. Now though, the old band posters, drawings and cut-outs were replaced by signed photos, or works by Leibovitz, Newton, Basquiat and Lichtenstein. The evolution from punk to punk-chic. She noticed the first-edition Newton Sumo, sitting on it's custom made stand.
"Oh shit! An original!" Max exclaimed. "But you said-"
"Modesty, babe," the red-haired girl smiled.
"This place is fucking amazing," Chloe marvelled.
"Thanks," Lita smiled. "Grab your things. Your room's this way." She led the two girls down a long hallway, lined on one side by tall glass windows, beyond which grew a garden with small ferns and flowers. A stream of water cascaded down a rocky waterfall and flowed into a pond inhabited by goldfish. "Bathroom's here," she said, pointing to the first door on the left. "And here's your room." Lita opened the door to a spacious and sunny room, in the middle of which sat a king-sized bed. Built-in robes with full-length mirrors lined one wall. A large, plush white rug lay in the centre of the room, contrasting the deep-red hardwood flooring that ran throughout the house. Max noticed a large print hanging on the wall. A blue-haired girl standing with her back to the camera, arms outstretched to the side, in front of a beautiful old domed building.
"What the fuck?" Max exclaimed when she saw her photo. "When-"
"I used a fake name," Lita interrupted, smiling. "When I found out you had prints for sale, I had to get myself an original Caulfield! Make yourselves at home, guys. Kick your shit out everywhere."
~oOo~
The three girls sat, drinking coffee and catching up for a while before Lita announced, "Time to get ready, ladies." Max and Chloe quickly showered together and freshened up before heading back to their bedroom.
"Fuck, Chloe! Lita. This place..." Max said in amazement to her girlfriend when they were alone.
"I know, right!" Chloe agreed with the sentence her partner hadn't managed to form. "She's a fucking piece of work." She let her towel drop to the floor, standing naked as she straightened her black dress on the bed. Max stopped what she was doing and stared. "Care to help me into this?" Chloe asked with a wink, noticing her partner's sudden immobility.
"Yes. But...no," Max grinned. They helped each other dress into their respective outfits, taking full advantage of every touch. When they were ready, the girls walked back out to join Lita in the kitchen.
"Well fuck me!" Lita said when she saw them "No, seriously...both of you, simultaneously." Max and Chloe laughed at the stunning girl, now dressed in tight leather pants with a high-cut and loose-fitting white crop top. "Let's get a few pizzas so we don't do this shit on an empty stomach, hey?" The girls helped Lita bring out a few snacks and finish preparing.
~oOo~
The pizza came, both Max and Chloe struggling to eat very much thanks to the growing sense of anticipation. A middle-aged woman in a conservative but casual dress arrived while they were eating, letting herself inside the house. "Hey, Annie," Lita greeted her. "This is Max and Chloe. Girls this is Annie. She normally cleans for me, but she's helping out tonight because she's a total darling." Lita smiled over at the woman.
"And because she's paying me," Annie grinned. "Nice to meet you both."
