Chapter Twenty-Seven - Unwanted Publicity
Max awoke the next morning, curled up comfortably in Logan's arms, blankets pulled up over her. It was one of those rainy days where you just didn't want to move, not less move out of the arms of the man you loved and out of a warm bed. But alas, all good things must come to an end, so Max crawled carefully out of the bed, as not to wake Logan, and tiptoed naked to the shower to prepare for the day. She mentally ticked off the things that she had yet to do today as she turned on the hot spray of the shower. When she stepped in, she was wondering if she could talk Logan into making her breakfast, because she was getting pretty sick of Pop Tarts and burnt toast. She turned to grab the bottle of shampoo off the shelf when she saw the face staring at her through the frosted glass of the shower door.
Logan laughed as he watched Max jolt, bobbling the bottle of shampoo, and releasing a small yelp that was muffled by the steaming water. He slid open the door and stepped in, blocking the spray from hitting Max. He wrapped his arm around Max's waist, "Why do you do that?"
"Do what?" She asked, annoyed at the invasion.
"Sneak out of bed?"
"I didn't, you were asleep. I have things to do."
"Like what?"
"Like showering, which by the way, I mastered years ago, and really don't need the help."
"Awww...your embarrassed."
"No I am not."
"You are too."
"Well, showering is a bit personal don't you think?" Max stated, hoping she didn't sound pentulant.
"And the sex wasn't?" Logan questioned.
"That is different."
"Well we'll just have to combined the two." Logan said as he nipped her wet shoulder with his teeth.
When they finally emerged from the bathroom close to a hour later, Logan headed to the kitchen to make breakfast and Max opened the front door to grab the newspaper. She was leaning on the counter next to Logan as he pulled out the ingredients to French toast, sipping some orange juice, when she saw the picture.
'Mysterious Max Linked to Mysterious Man.'
With a stunned expression, Max stared at the picture of her and Logan outside the coffee shop. The photographer had caught them in that one moment of complete innocence. Max standing on tip-toe, her arms wrapped around Logan's neck, a smile spread across her face, Logan's arms resting loosely on her waist.
Then Max reached out and grabbed Logan's hand and pointed mutely at the article. Logan stopped what he was doing and looked at the paper, scanning the small blurb, and then surprised Max by laughing. "Well, at least it is a nice picture." Then he turned, going back to his cooking, leaving Max to stare at his back.
"Aren't you at all concerned that someone will recognize you?"
"No, not really. I have been dead and gone for five years, and I wasn't all that prominent of a figure before I left. Plus, the picture only gets the side of my face."
"But..." Max stuttered as she stared at the picture some more.
"I don't even see why the paper is making a big deal about you being seen out with someone. I mean, are you that important to them?"
"Well considering the fact that they have never had a picture of me with someone outside of family or friends, I am not surprised in the least."
Logan stopped stirring for a moment to turn to Max. "What is that supposed to mean? You've never been seen with anyone outside of family or friends?"
"They have always been concerned with my love-life, god knows why, but they could never link me with anyone because there was no one."
"Are you saying that in the five years I was gone you never dated at all?" Logan asked stunned.
"I didn't date anyone long before you disappeared. I didn't date anyone from after that disaster with that Eric guy." Max stated simply
"Why?"
"Why would I settle for something other than the one person I wanted? You."
"But I was dead and you still never dated?"
"Well, at first it was because it would have felt like I was betraying you, dead or not."
"But we weren't even involved, really."
"Are you complaining that I didn't date?"
"No, I am just surprised."
"But this picture is just going to ruin my whole rep!" Max exclaimed.
"Why is that?"
"All the snotty socialites think I am a ice-queen. This is going to totally piss them off that after all the people they have shoved in my face at these stupid parties, I went out and got involved with someone that they had no control over."
"Oh poor Max, pissing off the socialites and the crime bosses all in one day. May the drama never cease?" Logan said as he dumped French Toast of out the pan and onto a platter.
Rodney Delaney sat in the office of his mansion slowly shreading the picture of 'Mysterious Max' and her 'Mysterious Man' with a letter opener. Of course he already knew that Cale had been back in town, he'd known several days ago after he'd watched the securtiy tapes of his office after the disk had dissappeared. It was a good thing it had been a decoy, but it still angered him that Cale had ignored his specific instruction and was now back in Seattle, dispite his warnings. As the letter opener slid through Max's smiling face he knew it was time to teach Cale a lesson, a lesson he would never forget.
Max awoke the next morning, curled up comfortably in Logan's arms, blankets pulled up over her. It was one of those rainy days where you just didn't want to move, not less move out of the arms of the man you loved and out of a warm bed. But alas, all good things must come to an end, so Max crawled carefully out of the bed, as not to wake Logan, and tiptoed naked to the shower to prepare for the day. She mentally ticked off the things that she had yet to do today as she turned on the hot spray of the shower. When she stepped in, she was wondering if she could talk Logan into making her breakfast, because she was getting pretty sick of Pop Tarts and burnt toast. She turned to grab the bottle of shampoo off the shelf when she saw the face staring at her through the frosted glass of the shower door.
Logan laughed as he watched Max jolt, bobbling the bottle of shampoo, and releasing a small yelp that was muffled by the steaming water. He slid open the door and stepped in, blocking the spray from hitting Max. He wrapped his arm around Max's waist, "Why do you do that?"
"Do what?" She asked, annoyed at the invasion.
"Sneak out of bed?"
"I didn't, you were asleep. I have things to do."
"Like what?"
"Like showering, which by the way, I mastered years ago, and really don't need the help."
"Awww...your embarrassed."
"No I am not."
"You are too."
"Well, showering is a bit personal don't you think?" Max stated, hoping she didn't sound pentulant.
"And the sex wasn't?" Logan questioned.
"That is different."
"Well we'll just have to combined the two." Logan said as he nipped her wet shoulder with his teeth.
When they finally emerged from the bathroom close to a hour later, Logan headed to the kitchen to make breakfast and Max opened the front door to grab the newspaper. She was leaning on the counter next to Logan as he pulled out the ingredients to French toast, sipping some orange juice, when she saw the picture.
'Mysterious Max Linked to Mysterious Man.'
With a stunned expression, Max stared at the picture of her and Logan outside the coffee shop. The photographer had caught them in that one moment of complete innocence. Max standing on tip-toe, her arms wrapped around Logan's neck, a smile spread across her face, Logan's arms resting loosely on her waist.
Then Max reached out and grabbed Logan's hand and pointed mutely at the article. Logan stopped what he was doing and looked at the paper, scanning the small blurb, and then surprised Max by laughing. "Well, at least it is a nice picture." Then he turned, going back to his cooking, leaving Max to stare at his back.
"Aren't you at all concerned that someone will recognize you?"
"No, not really. I have been dead and gone for five years, and I wasn't all that prominent of a figure before I left. Plus, the picture only gets the side of my face."
"But..." Max stuttered as she stared at the picture some more.
"I don't even see why the paper is making a big deal about you being seen out with someone. I mean, are you that important to them?"
"Well considering the fact that they have never had a picture of me with someone outside of family or friends, I am not surprised in the least."
Logan stopped stirring for a moment to turn to Max. "What is that supposed to mean? You've never been seen with anyone outside of family or friends?"
"They have always been concerned with my love-life, god knows why, but they could never link me with anyone because there was no one."
"Are you saying that in the five years I was gone you never dated at all?" Logan asked stunned.
"I didn't date anyone long before you disappeared. I didn't date anyone from after that disaster with that Eric guy." Max stated simply
"Why?"
"Why would I settle for something other than the one person I wanted? You."
"But I was dead and you still never dated?"
"Well, at first it was because it would have felt like I was betraying you, dead or not."
"But we weren't even involved, really."
"Are you complaining that I didn't date?"
"No, I am just surprised."
"But this picture is just going to ruin my whole rep!" Max exclaimed.
"Why is that?"
"All the snotty socialites think I am a ice-queen. This is going to totally piss them off that after all the people they have shoved in my face at these stupid parties, I went out and got involved with someone that they had no control over."
"Oh poor Max, pissing off the socialites and the crime bosses all in one day. May the drama never cease?" Logan said as he dumped French Toast of out the pan and onto a platter.
Rodney Delaney sat in the office of his mansion slowly shreading the picture of 'Mysterious Max' and her 'Mysterious Man' with a letter opener. Of course he already knew that Cale had been back in town, he'd known several days ago after he'd watched the securtiy tapes of his office after the disk had dissappeared. It was a good thing it had been a decoy, but it still angered him that Cale had ignored his specific instruction and was now back in Seattle, dispite his warnings. As the letter opener slid through Max's smiling face he knew it was time to teach Cale a lesson, a lesson he would never forget.