**************************
I'm sorry it took me so long to post another chapter but unfortunately I have a life and especially a job outside ff.net :-(
I considered finishing the story but somebody told me it would be nice not to wait that long. So here it is and I promise the next chapter will be posted much faster.
Thanks to willow for making this readable for native speakers (she promised me to post tomorrow, so don't worry) and if you have any comments (good or constructive), please press the little button at the end of the page and write something in this window that'll pop up.
**************************
Chapter 10: Shopping
When they came home, there were no more lights on. Logan's grandparents were obviously in bed. Quietly they took off their jackets and went to Max'ss room. Logan stopped at the door and smiled. "Good night, Max."
She had already gone in, quite sure he was following her, and turned around. Recognizing his smile she understood he was again playing the date game. "Oh. This is the moment where I have to decide if it's going to end like this, with a kiss or still going on, right?"
"Yeah." Logan couldn't help himself and started to laugh.
Max looked at him. "Well. um... would you like to come in?" she asked with a innocent smile.
"Only if you want me to," Logan answered and Max was lost.
"Of course I want it. Please, Logan! I don't want to sleep alone tonight. I don't think I ever want to sleep alone again."
Logan wheeled towards her and only stopped, when she leaned down to kiss him. "Me either," he whispered and let her sit on his lap. Max put her arms around his neck and leaned her head against his shoulder.
"I thought you were tired," she murmured, looking deep into his eyes, which didn't seem tired at all.
"I had a chance to relax a little when you stopped asking the hard questions."
"Do you think we should go to bed even though we're not tired at all?" Max asked carefully and waited for his answer.
Logan hesitated. Maybe this was going a little too fast. On the other hand they had slept in one bed the last two nights. Why not tonight? It didn't have to happen anything more than the nights before. "Yeah, we could go to bed."
Max slipped of his lap and went to the door. "I'm first in the bathroom."
Nodding Logan followed her to get a T-shirt and some boxers from his room. He was quite sure that Max loved him and wouldn't run away too easily, but he was still scared. And it wasn't getting better when Max's head suddenly appeared behind the door. "Don't even think of putting on your pajamas. I want to meet you in my room clothed just the way you are now."
His heart was beating fast when he returned to her room after having gone to the bathroom. Max had lit some candles and was sitting on her bed. She stood up when he came in. "Hey," she whispered softly and sat down on his lap.
Logan cleared his throat and tried to sound relaxed. "Hey yourself."
But Max wouldn't have been Max if she hadn't noticed his unease. "Logan, nothing's going to happen you don't want. Just tell me to stop, okay?" He nodded and she smiled back at him. Logan took her head in his hands and pulled her close for a kiss.
Max responded to his kiss and let her hands slip under his pullover. Slowly she pulled it over his head and threw it over a chair. Still dressed in his T-shirt, Logan felt brave enough to partly undress her, too. The green tank top she wore underneath made her eyes shine in the candle light. Dark eyes, full of love and concern. For him.
"It's okay, Max", he said and she slowly removed his T-shirt.
"I wanted to do this since we first met," she whispered, gazing at his muscular upper body. She knew he was working out to compensate for his disability and she had to admit that it had really paid off. He looked great. She started to let her hands move over his chest and she loved it. She loved the soft hairs and the muscles underneath. She loved the almost voiceless moan that escaped Logan's mouth and she smiled wide.
"Max", he whispered and slowly caressed her cheek, then decided to move on. He pulled her tank-top over her head and threw it the same direction as his T-shirt. Only clad in a sports-bra he couldn't take his eyes of her. "God, Max you are so gorgeous. I have never seen anything as beautiful," he said, placing small kisses on her throat and neckline. He smiled at the goose-bumps that appeared and at the look Max gave him.
"Logan..." she whispered, then slowly stood up when he stopped. Not knowing what she had in mind, Logan felt weird when he saw her taking off his shoes and socks.
Max smiled. "I love your feet. Just as much as I love the rest of you."
Logan knew that his pants were the next to go when Max started to open the zipper, and he wondered how they would manage. In the first weeks after the accident his pants had given him a lot of trouble. He even had suggested wearing skirts because they would have been much easier to put on or take off, but Bling had just laughed at him. He had gotten used to the routine by now, but he didn't know if Max would know how to do it.
His thoughts were interrupted when Max told him, "Lift."
He did as he was told and pushed himself up, hands on the wheels. Max pulled the pants down and Logan sat back down again. He put his hands around her small waist and pulled her close. Kissing her bellybutton, he opened her pants and slowly pulled them down. When he saw her standing in front of him, wearing nothing except her bra and panties, he knew he didn't want to go any further. Not today.
"Max?" he asked.
"Yeah?" she whispered back.
"Is it okay for you if we just stay like this? I don't think I'm ready for anything else right now," he explained quietly and felt a little ashamed. But Max simply smiled one of her million-watt smiles and nodded.
"It's okay. I just want to have you next to me in bed," she reassured him.
"I think I can handle that." Logan smiled back and released the brakes to wheel closer to the bed. Max waited for him to lay down, then blew off the candles and moved close to him, facing each other, their lips only inches apart. Logan's hand started to move over her body, starting at her face, then going over her shoulder down her back and to her belly before he hugged her. "Thanks for understanding and not pressing."
"Don't think so much, Logan. I'm scared, too, believe me. But I've got this feeling that everything will turn out right. Doesn't matter when or how."
He nodded and kissed her. "I'll never let you go. You're the best thing that ever happened to me,", he said, suddenly tired. He was asleep within a few minutes. Max continued to stroke his back and cuddle against his naked chest and felt safe and warm. It didn't take her long to fall asleep either.
When Max woke up early the next morning, she found herself still in Logan's tight embrace. Only a few weeks ago she wouldn't have believed that she could actually sleep being so close to someone. She would have said something about needing freedom and the panic that would ensue at such closeness. But Logan couldn't be close enough. She knew he'd need a little more time, but she was okay with that.
She heard somebody knocking at the door. "Max?" She heard Sarah ask.
"Yeah?"
"Breakfast is ready. You want to come?"
"Sure."
"Is Logan with you?" Sarah asked and Max smiled.
"Yeah, he is. I'll wake him up," she answered.
He was still asleep, a little smile on his face. Max slowly caressed his back and played with the soft hair on his naked chest before carefully kissing him. When he pulled her even closer she asked, "Logan? You awake?"
"I don't know. If this is a dream I don't want to wake up. But if it's true that Max Guevara is lying next to me almost naked, then... yeah, I'm awake."
"Good morning, then."
Logan finally opened his eyes and smiled. "Morning, Angel."
"Your grandmother just called us for breakfast."
"Does that mean I have to get up?" he asked.
"Yeah, that's what it means. And it means you have to put on some clothes."
When they appeared for breakfast they were both dressed, and happy smiles were plastered on both of their faces. "Any plans for today?" Steven asked and Logan nodded.
"We went to the movies yesterday and watched all the commercials. That's when we decided we have to go shopping."
Sarah looked up. "We just talked about going into the city. If you want, we can go together and forget about our little town here. There are many more stores there, and bigger ones, too, and it'll only take us an hour to get there."
Logan shrugged and looked at Max. She nodded. "The bigger the better, I guess."
Steven smiled: "If Max and Logan are able to be apart for a few hours, we could even do girls and boys shopping."
"Girls and boys shopping?" Max asked.
"He hates waiting for me when I try on clothes and I hate waiting for him when he's looking for video recorders or TV sets he'll never buy," Sarah explained.
Max nodded: "Got it. I think I would prefer girls shopping."
After breakfast they went back to their rooms and Logan asked, "Are you okay with this?"
"What do you mean?"
"You okay with going shopping with Granny?"
"Of course I am. You're here to visit your grandparents and all you do is spend all your time with me. The weather is beautiful, and I think we'll have a great day. All four of us."
Logan smiled and kissed her. "You wanna take a shower first?"
About an hour later they were in the car on the freeway. Steven was driving, Logan sat next to him and Sarah and Max in the back seat, Max behind Logan and Sarah behind Steven. Needing to feel his touch, Max had placed her right hand on Logan's shoulder and he held it with his left hand, squeezing it every once in a while. When they arrived, and had found a place to park the car, Max got out and fetched Logan's chair from the trunk so he could change seats. Max leaned down to kiss him and he pulled her close and deepened the kiss.
When Steven called both of them blushed and looked up. Max grinned and followed Logan around the car to where his grandparents were waiting.
"We thought we would meet for lunch," Sarah said.
Steven added with a wide grin, "That way you two wouldn't be separated for too long."
Logan smiled back and said, "Sounds good to me."
"Do you know where and when?" Max asked Sarah.
She nodded. "At 12:30 in a restaurant near city hall. I know where it is and so does Steven."
"Fine with me."
"Shall we?" Steven asked.
Logan nodded. "Yeah." He pulled Max down for a last kiss. "See you at lunch. Have fun."
"You too. And don't spend too much money."
"I won't." He followed his grandfather who was waiting for him a few steps away.
Max turned to Sarah and asked, "So, where are we going?"
"Depends on what you want to see. We can do some window-shopping in this street where there all the expensive stores are, then turn left at the end. There's a street with a lot of stores where they sell good-quality, affordable clothes." "Sounds good to me."
Max found out very soon that Sarah knew a lot about fashion and designers and was willing to tell her about it. But Max couldn't believe what she was seeing here.
"I've only been to one store like this in my whole life. I didn't think so many of them actually existed anywhere in the world."
"You've never been out of the U.S. before?"
"No. And I was only nine when the Pulse happened."
"Do you want to go inside? We can just watch, if you want to."
"No, thanks," Max refused. "These dresses are so elegant, and..."
"You can wear elegant dresses. I saw a picture of Bennett's wedding."
"You did?" Max was astonished.
"Logan e-mailed me."
Max smiled and Sarah smiled back. "He was proud to have you with him."
"I guess. I was glad he asked me to go. But I still don't want to go in here."
They went on and looked around the stores with the more moderate prices. Sarah made Max try on different pullovers, pants, and even some skirts, but Max wasn't satisfied with anything.
"Are we looking for something special?" Sarah asked. Max looked at Logan's kind grandmother with affection, and a little embarrassment.
"Well, there's this party on New Year's Eve and I would like to...well...I'd like to look really good and surprise Logan a little."
Sarah smiled wide. She had come to regard Max as a strong, independent and self-confident young woman, but she was helpless when it came to Logan and the emotions involved in their relationship. She was obviously in love with him.
"There's a store on the other side of the street. We should go there," Sarah suggested.
They did, and Max again had to admit that Sarah knew what she was talking about. The store had a lot of nice dresses and ensemble outfits. Before Max had even taken in everything, Sarah had already come back with three dresses. "Here, try these on."
Max nodded, took them and went to the dressing room. The first one she tried on had a similar cut like the one she had worn at the wedding. She showed Sarah but she shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe a little too much."
Max agreed. "It's a little much for this party, I think. I'll try the next one."
She did but Sarah still wasn't pleased. "No, definitely not your color. And I don't like the way the skirt is cut. I gave you another dress, didn't I?"
"You did. And it's my favorite, that's why I saved it for last."
Max disappeared again and changed clothes. This dress was really her favorite. It was black, a tight top fully covered with sequins, held up by only two thin shoulder straps. The skirt was very simple, a little tight but still wide enough to be able to move comfortably. She put it on and smiled at the mirror. She liked it.
Sarah smiled too, when she saw her. "Max, that's fantastic. You look great."
"Thanks, I like it, too. I'm going to buy it."
Max changed back into her own clothes and was on her way to the cashier when Sarah stopped her. "Max, I'd like to pay for it."
She shook her head. "No way. You've already done too much for me. I can't accept anything else," she explained, and started to walk past her to the cash register.
Sarah grabbed her arm and held her back. "No, please Max. You have no idea how happy it makes me to see Logan and you together. I know he has had a hard year, but now...well, I've never seen him happier. Please. I want to say thank you and I'm quite sure that bike messengers are not paid that well. And it's not a problem for us, be sure of that," Sarah finished, smiling pleadingly. Max knew she had to give in.
"You're right, bike messengers are not paid that well. But please stop thanking me. I've never met anybody better in my life than Logan. Making him happy is not exactly altruistic. He makes me even happier."
Sarah smiled, took the dress and paid before they left. "Do you need anything else?" she asked Max.
"No, but what about you?"
"I prefer watching. We could just walk through the streets and slowly head to the restaurant. Whatever interesting shops we come to, we'll go in, okay?"
"Sure."
Logan and Steven weren't on the lookout for clothes, but rather for all kinds of electronics, and were first to arrive at the restaurant. They had a problem finding a table Logan could reach, but they finally managed.
Max and Sarah joined them just a short time later. Max went straight to Logan, sat down next to him, laid her arm around him and kissed him. "Hey."
"Hey." Max knew that there were people staring at them but she didn't care. She simply ignored it and asked, "Did you buy anything?"
He nodded. "Yeah, just some computer stuff. What about you?"
"Something to wear. But I won't show you before New Year's Eve."
Logan smiled like a little boy waiting for Christmas. "Okay, I'll have to live with that."
"Don't worry, it'll be worth the wait," Sarah teased him.
They had lunch together and decided to stop shopping and do some sightseeing instead.
Enjoying the great weather they walked through the streets, Steven telling them about the sights, like several old churches and the big harbor.
Logan smiled when he felt Max carefully caressing his neck. He followed his grandparents a little longer until the need to touch Max grew too strong. He called, "Sorry, but I have to kiss this girl!" to make them stop.
He stopped the wheels from turning and, since Max knew what was about to happen, she sat down on his lap. "What girl?" she asked.
Logan hugged her and answered, "The one and only," before he kissed her soundly on the lips.
Sarah and Steven had stopped at the sound of Logan's voice, and they waited patiently. Steven kidded his wife, "Do you think we'll be invited to the wedding?"
"Maybe. I hope so. I'm really happy for them. Logan needed a little mirth in his life and I do like Max."
"Me too."
"Fine, 'cause I have an idea. They're going to stay for another 3 days and I'd really like to make it something special for them," Steven said mysteriously.
Sarah was skeptical. "What idea? I think being here together is special for them enough. But if it's nice..."
"My ideas are always nice." Steven smiled before he continued, "But this one is special. And it's not only for them, but for us, too. You know my cousin has that cottage on the North Sea?"
Sarah nodded. "Yeah. On the island."
"He's skiing in Austria. We could spend the next few days there. The house is big enough for the four of us. If we take the bedroom in the first floor Max and Logan can stay downstairs and everything should work fine."
"I'd love to go on holidays, even if it's only for three days. But we should ask Max and Logan."
"If they're agreeable, we could start tomorrow," Steven proposed and Sarah nodded again.
A/N: Just to remind you: The little button is down there, left side of your monitor. If you don't like that button, you can always e-mail me at Rajana@gmx.de
I'm sorry it took me so long to post another chapter but unfortunately I have a life and especially a job outside ff.net :-(
I considered finishing the story but somebody told me it would be nice not to wait that long. So here it is and I promise the next chapter will be posted much faster.
Thanks to willow for making this readable for native speakers (she promised me to post tomorrow, so don't worry) and if you have any comments (good or constructive), please press the little button at the end of the page and write something in this window that'll pop up.
**************************
Chapter 10: Shopping
When they came home, there were no more lights on. Logan's grandparents were obviously in bed. Quietly they took off their jackets and went to Max'ss room. Logan stopped at the door and smiled. "Good night, Max."
She had already gone in, quite sure he was following her, and turned around. Recognizing his smile she understood he was again playing the date game. "Oh. This is the moment where I have to decide if it's going to end like this, with a kiss or still going on, right?"
"Yeah." Logan couldn't help himself and started to laugh.
Max looked at him. "Well. um... would you like to come in?" she asked with a innocent smile.
"Only if you want me to," Logan answered and Max was lost.
"Of course I want it. Please, Logan! I don't want to sleep alone tonight. I don't think I ever want to sleep alone again."
Logan wheeled towards her and only stopped, when she leaned down to kiss him. "Me either," he whispered and let her sit on his lap. Max put her arms around his neck and leaned her head against his shoulder.
"I thought you were tired," she murmured, looking deep into his eyes, which didn't seem tired at all.
"I had a chance to relax a little when you stopped asking the hard questions."
"Do you think we should go to bed even though we're not tired at all?" Max asked carefully and waited for his answer.
Logan hesitated. Maybe this was going a little too fast. On the other hand they had slept in one bed the last two nights. Why not tonight? It didn't have to happen anything more than the nights before. "Yeah, we could go to bed."
Max slipped of his lap and went to the door. "I'm first in the bathroom."
Nodding Logan followed her to get a T-shirt and some boxers from his room. He was quite sure that Max loved him and wouldn't run away too easily, but he was still scared. And it wasn't getting better when Max's head suddenly appeared behind the door. "Don't even think of putting on your pajamas. I want to meet you in my room clothed just the way you are now."
His heart was beating fast when he returned to her room after having gone to the bathroom. Max had lit some candles and was sitting on her bed. She stood up when he came in. "Hey," she whispered softly and sat down on his lap.
Logan cleared his throat and tried to sound relaxed. "Hey yourself."
But Max wouldn't have been Max if she hadn't noticed his unease. "Logan, nothing's going to happen you don't want. Just tell me to stop, okay?" He nodded and she smiled back at him. Logan took her head in his hands and pulled her close for a kiss.
Max responded to his kiss and let her hands slip under his pullover. Slowly she pulled it over his head and threw it over a chair. Still dressed in his T-shirt, Logan felt brave enough to partly undress her, too. The green tank top she wore underneath made her eyes shine in the candle light. Dark eyes, full of love and concern. For him.
"It's okay, Max", he said and she slowly removed his T-shirt.
"I wanted to do this since we first met," she whispered, gazing at his muscular upper body. She knew he was working out to compensate for his disability and she had to admit that it had really paid off. He looked great. She started to let her hands move over his chest and she loved it. She loved the soft hairs and the muscles underneath. She loved the almost voiceless moan that escaped Logan's mouth and she smiled wide.
"Max", he whispered and slowly caressed her cheek, then decided to move on. He pulled her tank-top over her head and threw it the same direction as his T-shirt. Only clad in a sports-bra he couldn't take his eyes of her. "God, Max you are so gorgeous. I have never seen anything as beautiful," he said, placing small kisses on her throat and neckline. He smiled at the goose-bumps that appeared and at the look Max gave him.
"Logan..." she whispered, then slowly stood up when he stopped. Not knowing what she had in mind, Logan felt weird when he saw her taking off his shoes and socks.
Max smiled. "I love your feet. Just as much as I love the rest of you."
Logan knew that his pants were the next to go when Max started to open the zipper, and he wondered how they would manage. In the first weeks after the accident his pants had given him a lot of trouble. He even had suggested wearing skirts because they would have been much easier to put on or take off, but Bling had just laughed at him. He had gotten used to the routine by now, but he didn't know if Max would know how to do it.
His thoughts were interrupted when Max told him, "Lift."
He did as he was told and pushed himself up, hands on the wheels. Max pulled the pants down and Logan sat back down again. He put his hands around her small waist and pulled her close. Kissing her bellybutton, he opened her pants and slowly pulled them down. When he saw her standing in front of him, wearing nothing except her bra and panties, he knew he didn't want to go any further. Not today.
"Max?" he asked.
"Yeah?" she whispered back.
"Is it okay for you if we just stay like this? I don't think I'm ready for anything else right now," he explained quietly and felt a little ashamed. But Max simply smiled one of her million-watt smiles and nodded.
"It's okay. I just want to have you next to me in bed," she reassured him.
"I think I can handle that." Logan smiled back and released the brakes to wheel closer to the bed. Max waited for him to lay down, then blew off the candles and moved close to him, facing each other, their lips only inches apart. Logan's hand started to move over her body, starting at her face, then going over her shoulder down her back and to her belly before he hugged her. "Thanks for understanding and not pressing."
"Don't think so much, Logan. I'm scared, too, believe me. But I've got this feeling that everything will turn out right. Doesn't matter when or how."
He nodded and kissed her. "I'll never let you go. You're the best thing that ever happened to me,", he said, suddenly tired. He was asleep within a few minutes. Max continued to stroke his back and cuddle against his naked chest and felt safe and warm. It didn't take her long to fall asleep either.
When Max woke up early the next morning, she found herself still in Logan's tight embrace. Only a few weeks ago she wouldn't have believed that she could actually sleep being so close to someone. She would have said something about needing freedom and the panic that would ensue at such closeness. But Logan couldn't be close enough. She knew he'd need a little more time, but she was okay with that.
She heard somebody knocking at the door. "Max?" She heard Sarah ask.
"Yeah?"
"Breakfast is ready. You want to come?"
"Sure."
"Is Logan with you?" Sarah asked and Max smiled.
"Yeah, he is. I'll wake him up," she answered.
He was still asleep, a little smile on his face. Max slowly caressed his back and played with the soft hair on his naked chest before carefully kissing him. When he pulled her even closer she asked, "Logan? You awake?"
"I don't know. If this is a dream I don't want to wake up. But if it's true that Max Guevara is lying next to me almost naked, then... yeah, I'm awake."
"Good morning, then."
Logan finally opened his eyes and smiled. "Morning, Angel."
"Your grandmother just called us for breakfast."
"Does that mean I have to get up?" he asked.
"Yeah, that's what it means. And it means you have to put on some clothes."
When they appeared for breakfast they were both dressed, and happy smiles were plastered on both of their faces. "Any plans for today?" Steven asked and Logan nodded.
"We went to the movies yesterday and watched all the commercials. That's when we decided we have to go shopping."
Sarah looked up. "We just talked about going into the city. If you want, we can go together and forget about our little town here. There are many more stores there, and bigger ones, too, and it'll only take us an hour to get there."
Logan shrugged and looked at Max. She nodded. "The bigger the better, I guess."
Steven smiled: "If Max and Logan are able to be apart for a few hours, we could even do girls and boys shopping."
"Girls and boys shopping?" Max asked.
"He hates waiting for me when I try on clothes and I hate waiting for him when he's looking for video recorders or TV sets he'll never buy," Sarah explained.
Max nodded: "Got it. I think I would prefer girls shopping."
After breakfast they went back to their rooms and Logan asked, "Are you okay with this?"
"What do you mean?"
"You okay with going shopping with Granny?"
"Of course I am. You're here to visit your grandparents and all you do is spend all your time with me. The weather is beautiful, and I think we'll have a great day. All four of us."
Logan smiled and kissed her. "You wanna take a shower first?"
About an hour later they were in the car on the freeway. Steven was driving, Logan sat next to him and Sarah and Max in the back seat, Max behind Logan and Sarah behind Steven. Needing to feel his touch, Max had placed her right hand on Logan's shoulder and he held it with his left hand, squeezing it every once in a while. When they arrived, and had found a place to park the car, Max got out and fetched Logan's chair from the trunk so he could change seats. Max leaned down to kiss him and he pulled her close and deepened the kiss.
When Steven called both of them blushed and looked up. Max grinned and followed Logan around the car to where his grandparents were waiting.
"We thought we would meet for lunch," Sarah said.
Steven added with a wide grin, "That way you two wouldn't be separated for too long."
Logan smiled back and said, "Sounds good to me."
"Do you know where and when?" Max asked Sarah.
She nodded. "At 12:30 in a restaurant near city hall. I know where it is and so does Steven."
"Fine with me."
"Shall we?" Steven asked.
Logan nodded. "Yeah." He pulled Max down for a last kiss. "See you at lunch. Have fun."
"You too. And don't spend too much money."
"I won't." He followed his grandfather who was waiting for him a few steps away.
Max turned to Sarah and asked, "So, where are we going?"
"Depends on what you want to see. We can do some window-shopping in this street where there all the expensive stores are, then turn left at the end. There's a street with a lot of stores where they sell good-quality, affordable clothes." "Sounds good to me."
Max found out very soon that Sarah knew a lot about fashion and designers and was willing to tell her about it. But Max couldn't believe what she was seeing here.
"I've only been to one store like this in my whole life. I didn't think so many of them actually existed anywhere in the world."
"You've never been out of the U.S. before?"
"No. And I was only nine when the Pulse happened."
"Do you want to go inside? We can just watch, if you want to."
"No, thanks," Max refused. "These dresses are so elegant, and..."
"You can wear elegant dresses. I saw a picture of Bennett's wedding."
"You did?" Max was astonished.
"Logan e-mailed me."
Max smiled and Sarah smiled back. "He was proud to have you with him."
"I guess. I was glad he asked me to go. But I still don't want to go in here."
They went on and looked around the stores with the more moderate prices. Sarah made Max try on different pullovers, pants, and even some skirts, but Max wasn't satisfied with anything.
"Are we looking for something special?" Sarah asked. Max looked at Logan's kind grandmother with affection, and a little embarrassment.
"Well, there's this party on New Year's Eve and I would like to...well...I'd like to look really good and surprise Logan a little."
Sarah smiled wide. She had come to regard Max as a strong, independent and self-confident young woman, but she was helpless when it came to Logan and the emotions involved in their relationship. She was obviously in love with him.
"There's a store on the other side of the street. We should go there," Sarah suggested.
They did, and Max again had to admit that Sarah knew what she was talking about. The store had a lot of nice dresses and ensemble outfits. Before Max had even taken in everything, Sarah had already come back with three dresses. "Here, try these on."
Max nodded, took them and went to the dressing room. The first one she tried on had a similar cut like the one she had worn at the wedding. She showed Sarah but she shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe a little too much."
Max agreed. "It's a little much for this party, I think. I'll try the next one."
She did but Sarah still wasn't pleased. "No, definitely not your color. And I don't like the way the skirt is cut. I gave you another dress, didn't I?"
"You did. And it's my favorite, that's why I saved it for last."
Max disappeared again and changed clothes. This dress was really her favorite. It was black, a tight top fully covered with sequins, held up by only two thin shoulder straps. The skirt was very simple, a little tight but still wide enough to be able to move comfortably. She put it on and smiled at the mirror. She liked it.
Sarah smiled too, when she saw her. "Max, that's fantastic. You look great."
"Thanks, I like it, too. I'm going to buy it."
Max changed back into her own clothes and was on her way to the cashier when Sarah stopped her. "Max, I'd like to pay for it."
She shook her head. "No way. You've already done too much for me. I can't accept anything else," she explained, and started to walk past her to the cash register.
Sarah grabbed her arm and held her back. "No, please Max. You have no idea how happy it makes me to see Logan and you together. I know he has had a hard year, but now...well, I've never seen him happier. Please. I want to say thank you and I'm quite sure that bike messengers are not paid that well. And it's not a problem for us, be sure of that," Sarah finished, smiling pleadingly. Max knew she had to give in.
"You're right, bike messengers are not paid that well. But please stop thanking me. I've never met anybody better in my life than Logan. Making him happy is not exactly altruistic. He makes me even happier."
Sarah smiled, took the dress and paid before they left. "Do you need anything else?" she asked Max.
"No, but what about you?"
"I prefer watching. We could just walk through the streets and slowly head to the restaurant. Whatever interesting shops we come to, we'll go in, okay?"
"Sure."
Logan and Steven weren't on the lookout for clothes, but rather for all kinds of electronics, and were first to arrive at the restaurant. They had a problem finding a table Logan could reach, but they finally managed.
Max and Sarah joined them just a short time later. Max went straight to Logan, sat down next to him, laid her arm around him and kissed him. "Hey."
"Hey." Max knew that there were people staring at them but she didn't care. She simply ignored it and asked, "Did you buy anything?"
He nodded. "Yeah, just some computer stuff. What about you?"
"Something to wear. But I won't show you before New Year's Eve."
Logan smiled like a little boy waiting for Christmas. "Okay, I'll have to live with that."
"Don't worry, it'll be worth the wait," Sarah teased him.
They had lunch together and decided to stop shopping and do some sightseeing instead.
Enjoying the great weather they walked through the streets, Steven telling them about the sights, like several old churches and the big harbor.
Logan smiled when he felt Max carefully caressing his neck. He followed his grandparents a little longer until the need to touch Max grew too strong. He called, "Sorry, but I have to kiss this girl!" to make them stop.
He stopped the wheels from turning and, since Max knew what was about to happen, she sat down on his lap. "What girl?" she asked.
Logan hugged her and answered, "The one and only," before he kissed her soundly on the lips.
Sarah and Steven had stopped at the sound of Logan's voice, and they waited patiently. Steven kidded his wife, "Do you think we'll be invited to the wedding?"
"Maybe. I hope so. I'm really happy for them. Logan needed a little mirth in his life and I do like Max."
"Me too."
"Fine, 'cause I have an idea. They're going to stay for another 3 days and I'd really like to make it something special for them," Steven said mysteriously.
Sarah was skeptical. "What idea? I think being here together is special for them enough. But if it's nice..."
"My ideas are always nice." Steven smiled before he continued, "But this one is special. And it's not only for them, but for us, too. You know my cousin has that cottage on the North Sea?"
Sarah nodded. "Yeah. On the island."
"He's skiing in Austria. We could spend the next few days there. The house is big enough for the four of us. If we take the bedroom in the first floor Max and Logan can stay downstairs and everything should work fine."
"I'd love to go on holidays, even if it's only for three days. But we should ask Max and Logan."
"If they're agreeable, we could start tomorrow," Steven proposed and Sarah nodded again.
A/N: Just to remind you: The little button is down there, left side of your monitor. If you don't like that button, you can always e-mail me at Rajana@gmx.de