The music was pounding as Max and Alec entered Crash. Max had wanted
to go but now that she was there she was getting a bit nervous about
leaving Sumo with all that paperwork.
" What if he gets confused and there is no one there to help him?" Max worried to Alec.
"He'll be fine." Alec assured her as he headed towards the bar to order drinks.
Some guy reached out to grab Max's ass as she walked by. Max turned socked him and kept going without missing a step. The man fell to the ground hissing in pain and groping his groin.
"Max you really need to learn to solve your problems without violence." Said Alec only half joking as he came up to her and handed her a beer.
"I do all the time." Max protested.
"Uh-huh." Alec said disbelievingly.
"Hey!" said Max punching him on the shoulder. " I rarely use violence."
"Sure, is that why you just punched me?"
"That's different. I didn't want to be non-violent. If I wanted too I could restrain myself from hitting people."
" So, what you are saying is that if I bet you say. 50$ for you to try and not physically or mentally scar someone within the next 24 hours I would lose?"
"You are so on." Max said
"I can already feel the money Max. Hey, look." Alec pointed across to the door. "It's Normal."
"What's he doing here?" Max said disgusted.
" Well it looks like we're about to find out." Alec said as Normal made his way over to them.
"Look involved. Maybe he'll leave us alone." Max hissed.
It didn't work. Normal came up to their table and pulled up a chair.
"How are my two favourite employees tonight?" He said cheerfully.
"Um fine.What are you doing here?" Max said harshly.
"Well I sort of need to talk to you reprobates and I can't exactly do it at work. Too high profile. I don't want to draw attention."
"So you came to the bar where all your employees go after work to talk to us? Smart one Normal. You'd think being a." Max stopped mid sentence. Alec was smirking at her he raised his hand and rubbed his fingers together in the money symbol.
"No way!" Max raged. " I haven't done."
"Fork over the cash Max." Alec grinned.
"Alec you are such a fuc." Max stopped herself. Alec's eyes were twinkling. She saw his plan. " You didn't fool me for a second Alec." She said proud of herself for catching his ploy.
"Ah the night is young Maxie. Who's up for a game of pool? Anyone? Max?" Alec asked.
"No way. You know what happens when we play pool." Max retorted.
"Well now that you mention it..." Alec replied "Hey Normal how bout a game? I'll let you break."
"You are on goldenboy." Normal replied as he and Alec made their way over to the pool tables. Alec turned.
"Max you coming?" he asked.
"Nah. I think I'm going to call Sumo and see what he's up to."
Sumo had transformed Alec and Joshua's kitchen into squirrel army headquarters. Sumo had realised early that there was no way that he could finish Logan's admittance papers alone. So he had called in reinforcements. Every available space from the top of the refrigerator to underneath the table was occupied by teams of squirrels each working on a thick stack of papers. Sumo walked around like a stern general and oversaw the progress, which despite the amount of squirrel power was still moving incredibly slow. Every once in a while he would climb the wall to check on the team in the light fixture or leave the room to answer the phone when Max called, but mostly Sumo was pacing the floor. He was waiting impatiently for the papers to be finished, waiting for Logan to be locked up forever. He glanced up at the clock. The next shift of squirrels should be arriving soon. Fresh squirrels would work faster.
Max hung up Scarlet. She had no reason to worry about Sumo. He was fine just like Alec had said. Max thought. She wondered about the status of their relationship. Were they engaged now? It was never official. She caught the glint of Alec's ring across the room as he lazily hit a ball into a pocket. She smiled and started to walk towards him. She was confident that even if they weren't engaged now they would be in the near future which technically really made them engaged. Halfway across the room Max was stopped by a guy who was attempting to pick her up.
"Hey baby, what's your name?" He said standing close to her and blocking her route.
Her first impulse was to leave him writhing in pain on the floor and keep going but she remembered her little bet with Alec.
"I'm sorry I'm really not interested." She said and tried to walk past him. The man didn't budge. Obviously no didn't mean no anymore.
"Excuse me." She said a little more forcefully.
"Oh c'mon give me a chance. Can I at least buy you a drink?"
"I'm kinda busy." She really just wanted to kick him but Alec was looking at her now.
"Ok just one."
"I'm Brian." he said and offered his hand.
Max didn't take it but made her way over to the bar. Brian sat down beside her and started to hit on her unmercifully. Max held her hand up and began to very obviously play with her ring. Brian didn't get the hint. He reminded her of Logan. She shuddered at the thought. Max tried to smile and be pleasant. Her patience was slipping fast and she hoped that she wasn't going to lose the bet so quickly.
From across the room Alec watch the scene in a haze of jealousy. Max was actually let herself get picked up. Figures the guy would resemble Logan too.
"Your shot." Said Normal who was already down 150$.
There was a collective gasp as Alec missed the shot. He didn't care. The guy was brushing hair back from Max's face. Alec could see him tracing the outline of her ear softly. Throwing down his cue, Alec marched over to the bar.
"Hey Max" He said coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her. His fingers entertwined with hers so that their twin rings were clearly visible side by side. "Who you talking to?"
"Just some guy." Max said.
"I'm sorry I didn't know. I mean I saw the ring but."
"You were too busy trying to pick me up that you forgot to enquire if I was engaged?" Max said.
"I'm gonna go." Brian said and quickly vacated his seat.
"Going sounds nice." Alec whispered in Max's ear. She nodded. They headed towards the door hand in hand and were almost free when Normal cut them off.
Sumo almost smiled when the next shift of squirrels arrived. Almost. He sat on the table and watched the stream of fresh workers enter the room. That's when he saw her. The most beautiful squirrel Sumo had ever seen was walking straight towards him. Sumo managed to compose himself as she stopped in front of him. She looked at him inquiringly and Sumo could almost feel his jaw hit the floor. Salaziah was standing beside her and decided to break the awkward silence.
"Sumo this is my sister Sallyzoah."
"Hi." She said sounding disinterested.
Sumo grunted a semi response and then growled at them to "Get to work."
"Alec." Normal said standing very much inside Alec's personal space. "I think that they are looking for me."
"Who?" Alec asked.
Normal leaned closer. "Manticore. I have reason to believe I may have been compromised. I need a safe place to stay for a couple of days until I can arrange something."
Alec sighed a deep sigh. He already was regretting this. "You can stay with us Normal." He said.
Sumo continued his constant surveillance of his employees as they laboured through the forms. He didn't, he told himself, visit Sallyzoah's group anymore frequently than the others it was just that it was placed in a location that required him to walk close by several times each rotation. It had nothing to do with Salaziah's sister. Nothing at all.
" What if he gets confused and there is no one there to help him?" Max worried to Alec.
"He'll be fine." Alec assured her as he headed towards the bar to order drinks.
Some guy reached out to grab Max's ass as she walked by. Max turned socked him and kept going without missing a step. The man fell to the ground hissing in pain and groping his groin.
"Max you really need to learn to solve your problems without violence." Said Alec only half joking as he came up to her and handed her a beer.
"I do all the time." Max protested.
"Uh-huh." Alec said disbelievingly.
"Hey!" said Max punching him on the shoulder. " I rarely use violence."
"Sure, is that why you just punched me?"
"That's different. I didn't want to be non-violent. If I wanted too I could restrain myself from hitting people."
" So, what you are saying is that if I bet you say. 50$ for you to try and not physically or mentally scar someone within the next 24 hours I would lose?"
"You are so on." Max said
"I can already feel the money Max. Hey, look." Alec pointed across to the door. "It's Normal."
"What's he doing here?" Max said disgusted.
" Well it looks like we're about to find out." Alec said as Normal made his way over to them.
"Look involved. Maybe he'll leave us alone." Max hissed.
It didn't work. Normal came up to their table and pulled up a chair.
"How are my two favourite employees tonight?" He said cheerfully.
"Um fine.What are you doing here?" Max said harshly.
"Well I sort of need to talk to you reprobates and I can't exactly do it at work. Too high profile. I don't want to draw attention."
"So you came to the bar where all your employees go after work to talk to us? Smart one Normal. You'd think being a." Max stopped mid sentence. Alec was smirking at her he raised his hand and rubbed his fingers together in the money symbol.
"No way!" Max raged. " I haven't done."
"Fork over the cash Max." Alec grinned.
"Alec you are such a fuc." Max stopped herself. Alec's eyes were twinkling. She saw his plan. " You didn't fool me for a second Alec." She said proud of herself for catching his ploy.
"Ah the night is young Maxie. Who's up for a game of pool? Anyone? Max?" Alec asked.
"No way. You know what happens when we play pool." Max retorted.
"Well now that you mention it..." Alec replied "Hey Normal how bout a game? I'll let you break."
"You are on goldenboy." Normal replied as he and Alec made their way over to the pool tables. Alec turned.
"Max you coming?" he asked.
"Nah. I think I'm going to call Sumo and see what he's up to."
Sumo had transformed Alec and Joshua's kitchen into squirrel army headquarters. Sumo had realised early that there was no way that he could finish Logan's admittance papers alone. So he had called in reinforcements. Every available space from the top of the refrigerator to underneath the table was occupied by teams of squirrels each working on a thick stack of papers. Sumo walked around like a stern general and oversaw the progress, which despite the amount of squirrel power was still moving incredibly slow. Every once in a while he would climb the wall to check on the team in the light fixture or leave the room to answer the phone when Max called, but mostly Sumo was pacing the floor. He was waiting impatiently for the papers to be finished, waiting for Logan to be locked up forever. He glanced up at the clock. The next shift of squirrels should be arriving soon. Fresh squirrels would work faster.
Max hung up Scarlet. She had no reason to worry about Sumo. He was fine just like Alec had said. Max thought. She wondered about the status of their relationship. Were they engaged now? It was never official. She caught the glint of Alec's ring across the room as he lazily hit a ball into a pocket. She smiled and started to walk towards him. She was confident that even if they weren't engaged now they would be in the near future which technically really made them engaged. Halfway across the room Max was stopped by a guy who was attempting to pick her up.
"Hey baby, what's your name?" He said standing close to her and blocking her route.
Her first impulse was to leave him writhing in pain on the floor and keep going but she remembered her little bet with Alec.
"I'm sorry I'm really not interested." She said and tried to walk past him. The man didn't budge. Obviously no didn't mean no anymore.
"Excuse me." She said a little more forcefully.
"Oh c'mon give me a chance. Can I at least buy you a drink?"
"I'm kinda busy." She really just wanted to kick him but Alec was looking at her now.
"Ok just one."
"I'm Brian." he said and offered his hand.
Max didn't take it but made her way over to the bar. Brian sat down beside her and started to hit on her unmercifully. Max held her hand up and began to very obviously play with her ring. Brian didn't get the hint. He reminded her of Logan. She shuddered at the thought. Max tried to smile and be pleasant. Her patience was slipping fast and she hoped that she wasn't going to lose the bet so quickly.
From across the room Alec watch the scene in a haze of jealousy. Max was actually let herself get picked up. Figures the guy would resemble Logan too.
"Your shot." Said Normal who was already down 150$.
There was a collective gasp as Alec missed the shot. He didn't care. The guy was brushing hair back from Max's face. Alec could see him tracing the outline of her ear softly. Throwing down his cue, Alec marched over to the bar.
"Hey Max" He said coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her. His fingers entertwined with hers so that their twin rings were clearly visible side by side. "Who you talking to?"
"Just some guy." Max said.
"I'm sorry I didn't know. I mean I saw the ring but."
"You were too busy trying to pick me up that you forgot to enquire if I was engaged?" Max said.
"I'm gonna go." Brian said and quickly vacated his seat.
"Going sounds nice." Alec whispered in Max's ear. She nodded. They headed towards the door hand in hand and were almost free when Normal cut them off.
Sumo almost smiled when the next shift of squirrels arrived. Almost. He sat on the table and watched the stream of fresh workers enter the room. That's when he saw her. The most beautiful squirrel Sumo had ever seen was walking straight towards him. Sumo managed to compose himself as she stopped in front of him. She looked at him inquiringly and Sumo could almost feel his jaw hit the floor. Salaziah was standing beside her and decided to break the awkward silence.
"Sumo this is my sister Sallyzoah."
"Hi." She said sounding disinterested.
Sumo grunted a semi response and then growled at them to "Get to work."
"Alec." Normal said standing very much inside Alec's personal space. "I think that they are looking for me."
"Who?" Alec asked.
Normal leaned closer. "Manticore. I have reason to believe I may have been compromised. I need a safe place to stay for a couple of days until I can arrange something."
Alec sighed a deep sigh. He already was regretting this. "You can stay with us Normal." He said.
Sumo continued his constant surveillance of his employees as they laboured through the forms. He didn't, he told himself, visit Sallyzoah's group anymore frequently than the others it was just that it was placed in a location that required him to walk close by several times each rotation. It had nothing to do with Salaziah's sister. Nothing at all.