CHAPTER 19 "60 Second Minute"
A/N: Sorry for the gaps between posts. I've been sooo piled with work at college. I finally one
of my research papers complete; at least enough for me to be able to proof read it, and NOW all I have left is a works cited page and an outline...at least for that assignment...yep, now only a humanities midterm and oral communications test I have to work for this week..AHH!...sorry...stress moment. Anywayz I appreciate the patience from you guys, makes me feel loved with this kind of loyal fan base. Choices is coming...I've started writing the next chapter. Plus a virus on my computer's been messin' with ALL my word processing programs, won't let me save..so I had to piddle around for five hours until I typed it up completely, THEN it let me save...damn son of a b*itch!..sorry
A/N #2: For everyone who has been patiently waiting for Max and Logan to get into it a bit more, you'll be handsomely rewarded in this chapter. Are they gonna get into the adult stuff? Not gonna say here..that defeats the whole purpose of READING. But there is a subtle hint by the title, which is a variation on the title of Missy Elliot's song "One Minute Man"
If ya know the song, you'll get it. Remember though guys, there's this character I created in here named Cree, and I kinda like to have her in here too, so keep that in mind.
*****
SECTOR TEN
Cindy headed into her living room, but then stopped dead in her blue fuzzy slippered tracks. "My my my" she meant to just think this, but these words were too good to be wasted on silent thoughts.
My my what?" Cree pushed past the door to the room she shared with Cindy. "You spot a honey on the road girl?" Cree came up to where Cindy was halted on the half rotting wood floor. After taking one look at the scene in the living room, she fully go what Cindy meant. "How cute is that?" Max would kill her for using her name and "cute" in the same sentence, but she wasn't standing here seeing her and Logan asleep on the couch spooned up against each other. Max was on her side and somehow Logan had maneuvered himself during the night to lay behind her, one arm hidden from view while the other was lightly wrapped around her waste just above where the blood stained gauze was tapped to her side.
"Never knew my boo to snooze so long" Cindy didn't take her eyes off the pair "Guess all she needed was a good squeeze toy.
"Kinda at a loss here." Cree turned to Cindy "Wake'em up or no?"
"Normal's gonna blow a gasket if Max is late" Cindy informed "But when have I ever cared bout how Mr. bip bip bip gets his ya yas out?"
"True" Cree agreed "God I wish I had a camera" /That is so freakin' adorable. Gonna mess with her bout this until her and Logan make his neighbor's complain about all the noise at night in that penthouse of his/
"Wish I had me somethin' like my boo does in the all girl variety" Cindy returned.
Max must've gotten the sensation someone was watching her because she soon shifted and slowly opened her eyes to see her two friends making her the subject of their attention.
"Mornin' suga" Cindy greeted Max with an 'mmhmm' smile/c/p
"How long have you guys been doin' that?" Max asked of the guilty parties
"Long enough" Cree answered the question
"Hey sleeping beauty" Max lightly hit Logan's hand with her palm "We got an audience"
Logan lifted his head from where it was lying "Funny how this doesn't seem like my bedroom" he looked over at Max "But then again this place has a much better view" he paused for a moment, "How's your side?" he was still not addressing Cindy or Cree.
"Sore" Max went for straight forward, wincing as she got up from her lying position, feeling a push of support from Logan's hand on her back between her shoulder blades. After she was fully upright she headed into the bathroom to clean herself up.
"Guess we missed the party" Cree said to Logan once Max was out of earshot
Logan sat up on the couch and rubbed his eyes "Not like anything major went on" he grabbed his glasses from where he had set them on the back of the couch last night and put them on.
"Tryin' to convince us or yourself boo?" Cindy asked brining a cup of coffee to the small table in the "dining room" section of the living room.
From the bathroom Max could hear her girls giving Logan a hard time about what went down after they went to sleep. He was giving them the "right" answer-NOTHING. Nothing that would equal the equivalent of anything hot and heavy, they just fell asleep together.
She pulled her hair into a loose ponytail, turning the sink water to around lukewarm. With the odor free, antibacterial, hospital style soap bar by the sink she set about cleansing her face of the grit and sweat that had accumulated there from hitting the ground after she was shot last night. The basin soon cut off and she dried off with a clean red cotton towel hanging on its rack.
She shoved the towel back on the metal rack and pulled her blue tank top over her head, discarding it on the floor. With careful hands she pealed back the gauze that was taped across her side. "Shit" she cursed in a whisper under her breath as the gauze came away pulling at her skin because of dried blood that had congealed to the wound. The action of removing the old dressing had set the wound bleeding again. She quickly dressed it again, rubbing petroleum jelly on the gauze to keep it from sticking to it.
Taking a rag off the counter top she wiped the bits of blood that had leaked onto her side and her stomach. This cleaning was just messing with the very top, she was filthy. She really needed a two day shower right now to get all the grime and sweat and blood off her. But that bullet wound would hurt like a bitch under water, and she didn't want to literally spend two days getting in and out of the bathroom. Her reflection in the mirror showed a few light scrapes from where she had fallen yesterday, and two or three healing road rash marks from where that idiot had made her drop on the road. There was a very light bruise under her right cheekbone from where Warren had slammed her into a wall before she got her upper hand on him. Her sprained quads were almost completely healed but they still bore a long scabby mark from healing flesh.
She looked like she got beat up by an ass boyfriend. Yanking a towel down from off the rack she slipped off her jeans and lingerie and wrapped the towel over her bare form. She killed the lights and stepped back out into the living room with noting but a towel hiding her assets from everyone's view.
"Wouldn't believe how filthy I am" Max made small talk as she walked across the living room casually. She showed no embarrassment, Cindy and Cree were women like her, and women generally had no real problem being half dressed in front of other women they knew. And as for Logan, Max had grown up in a place that had no privacy, all facilities were unisex, so being half dressed in front of men or boys didn't bother her. There had been one other instance besides this, during that assignment for Logan that landed her in a pile of filth, that Logan had seen her in nothing but a cotton towel improvised dress, so there wasn't any real awkwardness.
"Look like something the cat clawed at boo" Cindy said noting the accumulated scratch and bruise marks on her friend's body.
"Should just stay home today Max" Cree added her two cents "Tell Normal you got assaulted or somethin' you already look the part.
"He'd never believe it" Max informed "Basically Logan's 'doctor notes' have been the only thing he let me off the hook for"
"Could do it again Max" Logan let her know "No offense, but you look like crap"
What? You don't like the new style?" Max asked him in a 'Ms. Thang' tone.
"Kinda lack there of" Logan informed
"Scuse me?"
"Joke Max, relax. You pull of a towel real well okay" Logan reassured her /crap, why the hell did I say that? "pull off a towel real well", sounds like I'm trying to seduce her, not that that's bad...stop, get off it, not the right place for these thoughts, don't make her kick your ass/
"Give Normal an eyeful though so I better get a new outfit" Max said this and entered her bedroom, closing the door behind her.
Cindy eyed Logan with a knowing look "Gonna lay some advice on you Logan that I gave my boo before. You got an itch, go scratch."
"Don't know what you're talking about" Logan feigened complete innocence
"Boy I wasn't born yesterday" Cindy snapped back "Me and Cree and pretty much the rest of the world know you got it bad for Max. Don't go wastin' time pretending' your two are just chummy. My boo deserves to be happy Logan, and we both know you can take her there."
Logan was about to say something to that, but the opening of Max's bedroom door halted his attempts. Max came out of her room now dressed in black cut off biker pants and a dark gray muscle tank top. Her bandage was slightly visible from the cut off point of the tank top which showed a small amount of skin.
She had heard what Cindy had said, being the super soldier that she was. /Is it really that bad?/ She glanced over at Logan, seeing his slight trapped look, but also recognizing what Cindy said to be true.
"Goin' home sometime today loner?" Max fell into her usual banter with Logan to drag him out of the tension.
"You sick of me already Max?" he asked her
"No" she answered way to over eager /think of somethin' girl, quick/ "Can't just hang around my apartment all day. You're getting a little ripe yourself" she wiped flecks of dirt that had accumulated on his neck "Need a shower"
/Wanna join me?/ Her hand felt warm and soft against his skin, and he tried to hide the way it was affecting him. "You sure you're up for work?" he effectively changed the subject.
"I'm ready for anything" she was thankful for the release in tension herself. Not that she didn't want to explore deeper waters. Things were hard enough to feel without her girls as a center row audience.
*****
JAM PONY
8:15 AM
"Late again, why is this not surprising?" Normal began his tirade on Max as soon as she walked in the door. "Your job is not here for convince, otherwise I'd fire you in a heartbeat-" he stopped talking when he saw the manor in which Max came into work. "For the love of Mike what the hell did you do to yourself?" he walked around to where the bike rack and Max stood. "Look at you" he circled her, evaluating her appearance "Don't think you're gonna get special treatment because you got into some street brawl and didn't stumble home in time to find the shower-"
"Ya know all this concern makes me feel so loved Normal" Max interrupted
"Your pouty speeches don't work here missy. You better do your job as half efficient as you usually do or your gonna find yourself unemployed" he looked at the bandage wrapped around her side that had blood tinged around the outside "and for Cripe's Sake put a jacket on your deliveries so you don't look like some street roughy-in looking for a handout"
"Anything else?" Max snapped back after his speech.
Yeah bip bip bip" Normal turned and headed back towards his desk
Max sighed under her breath, and grabbed a bike from the rack suspended to the ceiling
Cree came up on her right side, a paper cup of Jam Pony "coffee" already "With a boss like Normal you'll never need coffee again" she took a sip of the muddy crap in her cup.
Max silently agreed, and dropped a bike from the rack to the ground. She let out a hiss and touched her side from the pain that caused.
"You sure bout this girl?" Cree asked Max in concern "You could just leave, I'll cover for you"
I'm fine" Max reassured, sounding like she was talking to Logan. "Work's gotta be done"
"Shouldn't be at your expense boo" Cindy got in on the act. "Ain't no job worth that much."
Keep it in mind" Max wheeled her bike over to the front to pick up her packages
I'm serious girl" Cindy followed her "Stayin' at work shouldn't be an option if you're hurtin'"
I'm sorry did you start running this place?" Normal interrupted her conversation with Max "Unless your going into cardiac arrest right here in the floor you're able to work"
Cindy looked at him with 'uh huh' look "Tell us when that stick's outta your ass" she shoved some boxes in her bag "Take you out to celebrate the one less thing that's wrong with you"
*****
SECTOR TEN
"Best thing after a long day" Cree handed Max a mug of mint chocolate cocoa she had made from her mom's old recipe, well almost like her mom's she spiked it with some Kaula she found in the pantry.
"Thanks" Max took the mug from her, inhailing the aroma. "Smell's great"
"Sure it's not as good as the stuff Logan makes for you, but when my mom gave it to us it made me and my baby sis happy after we had a shitty day" Cree joined Max on the couch. She had a hint of longing when she talked about her mother.
Max gripped the warm mug in her hand, sipping from it. "Never knew my mother" she tried to connect with Cree on some level about what she was feeling. "Gave me away after I was born." she lied because it was too much to go into how her surrogate mother had her taken away like all the other surrogates at Manticore.
"Defiantly wasn't my mom" Cree wasn't trying to be insulting, she was just making an observation "She loved us till it got embarrassing." she laughed in the back of her throat remembering "Always was the loudest one at the Christmas pageant or my Jit Su competitions. People didn't tell her to be quiet though, guess they got intimidated after they saw the police issue nine millimeter in her holster."
Max turned to her "She must love you a lot"
"Yeah she does" Cree returned with a sad sigh. "When I was younger I was so into boys. I mean I
loved my mom, but I wanted a boyfriend even more. But now-" a pause "I just want her"
Max put a hand to her shoulder "You'll get your chance"
"Need to get your chance too Max" Cindy stated coming out of her bedroom, dressed to impress in black leather pants and a scarlet red halter top with a top woven layer of black netting, and a golden arm bracelet.
"Damn" Max drew out the words "Someone needs to put you out girl"
Cindy smiled at the compliment "Thanks boo" she looked over to Cree "You ready?"
"Just give me a sec to change my clothes" Cree responded
Max was confused at what was going on "We're goin' somewhere?"
"Ah not exactly" Cree stood up, setting her mug on the coffee table "Cindy's got a hook up with some hot girl she met and she wants me to come in case it turns bad"
Now Max was totally lost "So I'm what? the body guard?"
"No boo" Cindy laid it straight for her "You're gonna be somewhere else"
"Oh" Max sounded intrigued "And where's that?"
"Shacked up at a high rise" Cree answered her question "Can't just stay at home all night, you'd be bored as hell, might as well enjoy the personal time-"
"This is a set up" Max interrupted
"Not callin' it that suga" Cindy said with a smile "More like the perfect mix for a good evening"
"Like I said" Max began "it's a setup" she looked at Cindy and Cree both "I'm wearing' my own clothes"
"Fine with us" Cindy agreed
"Long as it's not too restrictive" Cree threw in
Max sighed to herself /Those two are a dangerous combination/
*****
FOGGLE TOWERS
9:00 PM
Max leaned against the elevator as it ascended to the pent house. She couldn't believe her girls had actually tricked her into coming here. Not like she minded, she'd been over here dozens of times, hell she slept over here, alone, but all night. But this was different and she knew it.
Her clothes were nothing special, black velvet flair pants and a cotton red long sleeved boat necked shirt with tie sleeves. Her hair was the same as it always was long brown and completely down. She had no makeup except a small hint of mascara and cherry lip gloss. No jewels or diamonds, just her sports watch. Everything was the same, so then why the hell did she feel like she was discovering new ground like the first time she had been asked to a guy's car when she was fifteen and newly escaped from Manticore. The bastard tried to force himself on her, but she just beat the hell outta him and ran.
This wasn't then though. She was 21 years old, she was a woman now, she knew what she wanted. /Maybe that's why I came here, to get what I want/
The elevator dinged and the doors opened. A minute later she was in front of the door. Her hand was poised to knock /What am I doing? I don't knock/ She picked the lock with a bobby pin she found discarded on the floor of the elevator. It swung open.
"Anybody home?" she stepped inside, closing the door.
It took all of two seconds before Logan came out from his computer room. "Max, you need something?"
"No I'm good"
He scrutinized her "Are you okay?"
/Had to think I came over here for a seizure or something/ "I'm fine DAD, can't I just swing by?"
"You know you're always welcome Max" Logan interjected
"Then make me feel like it" she returned
"I'm sorry" Logan stopped the rapid fire remarks "Have you eaten yet?" /Food, food will solve everything. But what if your hungry for more then food?/
"Think we both know the answer to that" Max informed
"I have some leftover black peppercorn chicken, why don't I heat it up?"
"Sound's like a plan" she agreed "Guess I'll set the table" /So far so good/
*****
CRASH
"Think brotha's got the hots for you girl" Angela, Cindy's date pointed at the guy who had been checking Cree out for the better part of an hour.
Turns out Cindy's date was on the level. Brunette, tan, killer green eyes and nice smile. Complimented Cindy up the wazoo about her outfit and her stlye. Cindy seemed to like her the
same. Angela appeared pretty down to earth, bit of an attitude but nice, a contemporary painter by trade. She kept up convo with Cree, not isolating her because she didn't swing her way.
Cindy looked over at the guy that was looking at Cree. sandy brown hair, tall, brown eyes, leather jacket, almost looked like Max's brother Zack except for the height and the hair color.
"Don't look now hun, but he's commin' over" Angela sipped her wine cooler, pretending not to notice.
"Hi" boy anonymous greeted Cree with a smile "Care to dance?"
"Kinda just chillin'" Cree informed the admirer
"Go for it gurl" Angela interrupted "He's cute"
"Yeah boo" Cindy agreed "No time like the present" she gave her a look that said she had her back in case something bad went down.
"Guess we'll go then" Cree turned to the guy, standing up from her seat.
"Great" he smiled "Bring her right back ladies" he addressed Cindy and Angela.
Cindy watched Cree head out on the floor. Nothing seemed amiss.
"Your girl's cute" Angela informed, her eyes looking at Cree in her black halter and chocolate brown leather pants. "Sure she's not into it half way?"
"Sorry suga" Cindy told her "Cree's not really into much of anything right now, she had a bad rap with guys"
"That's a bitch" Angela agreed "If she were with me I'd never treat her wrong"
"Not treatin' me wrong" Cindy smiled at the woman
Angela smiled back, touching her hand. "Thanks babe, how bout we down these drinks and hit the floor?"
"Aiight" Cindy agreed
"My name's Ty" Cree's dance partner introduced himself after they were on the floor. "Ty Aris"
"Nice name" Cree told him
"Thanks" Ty responded "You got a name?"
"Cree" she told him, her guard still up, but Ty seemed honest to her super analytical standards.
"You got a nice one too"
"Good to know" Cree had to almost shout over the base of the song.
"You live here in Seattle?" Ty asked
"No," Cree told him "I'm just crashin' with friends" "How about you?"
"Yeah in Sector 12. I got assigned here two months ago"
"Assigned?" Cree wondered about that "You a soldier?"
Ty shook his head "Fireman, pretty green, just got out of the academy a week before I came here"
"You?"
The conversation was flowing well. /We sound like Max and her man, but hopefully there's no talk and Logan's making and honest woman of her/ "I shuttle packages back and forth and back and forth"
"Like a bike messenger?"
"Yeah"
"Cool"
The fast pace of "Sandstorm" died down, and was replaced with an old song, a VERY old song.
"What the fuck is this?" someone shouted from the crowd.
"This is crap."
"Temptations?" Ty looked at Cree. "Damn I haven't heard this in a while"
"Take it off!" the crowd was shouting at the DJ
"I am man!" the DJ shouted back, digging through his CD collection.
"50 if you'll leave it on!" Ty shouted to the DJ
"Deal brotha" the DJ agreed "Let me see the green"
Ty pulled his wallet out of his leather jacket, and took out a fifty waving it in the air.
"Aiight man, the golden oldies stay on for Mr. bling bling" he started the song over
"This is whack"
"Jack ass" people were shouting at Ty and leaving the floor to go get plastered while the song played.
"I love being Mr. Popular" Ty turned to Cree "Bet you wanna leave now huh?"
"Not really" Cree shook her head "I like this song, my mom would play this on Saturday nights trying to put the moves on my dad." she started to sing the opening part of the song.
"Shoo doop Shoo be do, Shoo do Shoo be do,
Shoo doop shoo be do, Shoo doop Shoo be do
Shoo doop Shoo be do, Shoo do Shoo be do,
Shoo doop shoo be do, Shoo doop Shoo be do.."
Ty smiled at her "You're good" he cut in singing the first verse to Cree's vocal background
"In the still of the night I held you Held you tight
'Cause I love Love you so Promise i'll never Let you go
In the still of the night"
His vocals were good, not a complete match to Cree's but nice. He smiled at her again "So does this mean I can get a dance out of you?"
"Might as well" Cree felt her guard drop just ever so slightly, but not completely, she was still who she was after all. Ty took her hand and danced much slower then any of the fast club hoppers.
Cree still kept her distance thought, remembering Jack, remembering the others
"I remember
That night in May
The Stars were bright above
I'll hope and I'll pray
To keep
Your precious love
Well before the light
****
FOGGLE TOWERS
"Checkmate" Max moved her rook to block Logan's king, effectively winning the game.
"Again?" Logan didn't really sound surprised, Max was an expert at strategic games, sadly learned from Manticore. "What's that make it?"
"3 and 0" she told him.
"Maybe I should quit while I still have manhood to spare" Logan told her, stretching./Can't waste manhood on a stupid chess game, man shut up/ He checked his watch "10:02" "It's still early, want some wine?"
"Sure" Max agreed
"Great" Logan stood up and headed over to his wine rack "2000 Rose okay?"
"Fine" Max said, putting the chess pieces back in their original order on the board.
"Need a hand?" she asked watching him search for a cork remover.
"I got it" Logan told her "Remember, you usually break the cork" he got it off and poured the pinkish drink into two wine glasses.
"Price you pay for being freakishly strong" Max came into the kitchen, startling Logan.
"Your not a freak Max" he recovered quickly, and haded her a glass.
"Should we drink to something?" Max took the glass from him.
"You pick" Logan decided
"Kay, to us then"
Her remark threw him for a loop "I'll drink to that" he spoke up after a minute. Both took a sip of the wine.
"Nice" Max commented on the flavor.
"Price you pay for being a rich white bastard" Logan sipped his drink again.
That made Max smile.
The stereo in the living room began playing the faint sounds of an oldie.
"There's something I haven't heard in forever" Logan went back over to his living room, turning up the song.
"What is it?" Max, being a child of the "pulse generation" and the "Manticore generation" hadn't really heard anything outside of Drowning Pool or Chopin.
"An old song" Logan told her "Like my parent's teenage years. Dad had the song burned onto a CD as a present for mom." he stood up from where he was kneeling.
"Good a good beat" Max commented
"Let's make some use of it then" Logan held out his hand "Dance with me"
Max hesitated for a split second, but took the hand he offered, finding herself being pulled against him.
"In the still of the night"
The soulful music of the Temptations filled the small room as Logan glided Max in unpracticed but still graceful, almost seductive moves.
"Hidden talent?" Max cocked an eyebrow at him and his almost flawless dance moves.
"I'm a jack of all trades" he told her, breaking apart to spin her artfully with one hand.
"So before the light
Hold me again
With all of your might
In the still of the night"
He pulled her close again after his move, his hand low on her back, leading, and she didn't say anything about it.
"I feel like my dad" Logan commented "He use to do this with mom a lot"
"Hope not" Max told him /What am I doin?/
Logan looked at her "why's that?"
"Mean's I couldn't do this" Max reacted on her instinct, woman instinct, not Manticore kill the first thing that moves instinct, and stopped the dance to put one arm on either side of his face and kissed him.
Logan nearly hit the roof when she did that, but he contained himself and returned her gesture, slidding a hand behind her hair.
"In the still of the night.."
*****
JAM PONY
Ty found himself yanked back "Cree?" he was confused
"Stop okay" she pulled back from the kiss he was trying to give her. She turned and left.
Things were going deeper then she could handle.
"Cree?-" Cindy watched her leave up the stairs.
"What was that about?" Angela looked at Cindy
"Don't know boo, but bout to take care of it" Cindy stepped in Ty's path."Not goin' anywhere boy. Tellin' you now if you laid something nasty on my girl I'm gonna drop a smack down on your ass"
"Relax" Ty tried to calm Cindy "I didn't do anything to her. I just-" pause "Damn I don't know, all I did was try to kiss her, that's it. I swear."
Cindy backed down a bit "Cree's had a string of bad relationships, talkin' real bad, maybe it was more then you made it out to be."
"Think I could talk to her?" Ty asked, after hearing that
"If you can find her suga" Cindy let him know "But if you ever DO try anything you answser to me, and that's a response you don't wanna pick up the phone for"
Ty didn't answer and went in search of the girl he just met.
"Cree wait!" he found her out int the parking lot, going to her car.
She didn't stop "I'm sorry Ty, I have to go"
"Look I'm sorry. I didn't know it would affend you" he stopped a few feet behind her.
"I'm not a jack ass or nothin' I just-" he stopped "I was starting to like you"
She turned around then. "You like some girl you just met?"
"My parents knew each other for two days before they got married and the've been together for 24 years."
"How old are you?" Cree started giving him 'Q & A'
"Twenty-two" he told her "You're not-"
"I'm eighteen" she told him
"Sorry" he apologized "I just didn't want you to think I'm one of those guys who likes to mess with minors." he looked at her "Can we try again?"
"Try what?" she put on her own leather jacket.
"All that stuff after I tried to kiss you?" he told her. "Please? I'm not Mr. Popular but I'll show you a good time" "Geeze I screwed that up, not what I meant"
"I got a good idea though" she told him.
He stepped closer to her "You wanna just hang out here and talk?" he held up his hand "I'm not trying to put the moves on you, it's just quieter out here, plus for once it's a clear night"
"What if you're lyin'?" Cree was always on alert
"You can kick my ass"
"I have a black belt in Jit Su" she told him
"There ya go" he told her with a smile. "I can also put out my own car fires should it come to that"
She smiled too.
*****
FOGGLE TOWERS
"What are we doing?" Max asked breaking apart.
"You wanna stop?" Logan asked her
"Do you?"
"I asked you"
"You want me cause I'm a good screw?" she went for blundt. She had been wanted too many times for just her body. She needed to know.
"No" Logan told her" I want you because you're a beautiful woman, and my best friend and I'd be honored to make love to someone like that."
"Make love? What are you a woman?" Max threw in her attitude. The conversation wouldn't be complete without out it.
"I can assure you that I'm not" Logan told her
Max looked at him, gauging, judging. One hand touched the side of his face "Then assure me"
He grabbed the hand on his face "You sure, cause there's no going back"
"Last thing I was more sure of was busting out of Manticore"
He took that as a 'yes' and pulled her hand of the side of his face and kissed it, then her.
Her hands raked through the back of his hair, and she drew the kiss deeper. She felt his hands sliding under her shirt, roaming over bare skin and the back of her lingere.
"Ooo I don't want no, I don't need, I can't stand no minute man
I don't want no minute man.
Ooo here's your chance, be a man, take my hand, understand, I don't want no minute man"
The room suddenly got hotter, Max felt flushed, but this was much better then a seizure.
/Da-am/ she felt him kissing her neck, and she tilted her neck to allow him better access.
"How about now?" he asked
"Don't you dare or I'll kick your ass" she answered his question about stopping.
"Boy I'm going to make you love me, make you want me,
and I'll give you some attention today
Follow my intuition, whatcha wishin'
So I'm gonna keep you up all night, long time
He kept kissing her, roaming under her t-shirt, trying to back her up enough to reach the door knob to his bedroom.
"You could just ask" she told him
"Okay" he agreed "You wanna go to my room?" he hoped he didn't sound like a teenager on his first time, but like a man with some expierence.
"Kay" she told him, in-between what they were doing to each other.
"Break me off, show me what you got
Cause I don't want no one minute man
Break me off cause I don't want no minute man.
He finally got his door open and the pair stumbled onto the king size bed in semi darkness
*****
Break me off, show me whatcha got.."
Ty touched Cree again, only this time she didn't back off.
"Ready to try this again?"
She didn't say anything, but allowed him to kiss her, softly, quietly on the hood of her car.
*****
"Cause I don't want no one minute man"
The room was dark, but Max's cat eyes could see him, and even without the transgenic equipment she could feel him on her in her, taking her off the world and back again.
His name came to her, loud, hard, and then nothing, a quiet moment of sedation.
/Damn, the guys are gonna know how I "am" in the morning. Oh well, who cares, not like they weren't expecting it."/
She felt him touch her again, not with longing, not much, but an act of feeling. She laid against him, feeling him breathe.
****
there ya go..M/L play for all..Cree had some too..not like that but I wanted her to have something to make her face her fear of men (meaning a man who likes her). So Ty will come back.
I got the idea to put the Temptations Song in here, cause I recently burned it on a CD,and remembered how much I love them.
R/R please.
A/N: Sorry for the gaps between posts. I've been sooo piled with work at college. I finally one
of my research papers complete; at least enough for me to be able to proof read it, and NOW all I have left is a works cited page and an outline...at least for that assignment...yep, now only a humanities midterm and oral communications test I have to work for this week..AHH!...sorry...stress moment. Anywayz I appreciate the patience from you guys, makes me feel loved with this kind of loyal fan base. Choices is coming...I've started writing the next chapter. Plus a virus on my computer's been messin' with ALL my word processing programs, won't let me save..so I had to piddle around for five hours until I typed it up completely, THEN it let me save...damn son of a b*itch!..sorry
A/N #2: For everyone who has been patiently waiting for Max and Logan to get into it a bit more, you'll be handsomely rewarded in this chapter. Are they gonna get into the adult stuff? Not gonna say here..that defeats the whole purpose of READING. But there is a subtle hint by the title, which is a variation on the title of Missy Elliot's song "One Minute Man"
If ya know the song, you'll get it. Remember though guys, there's this character I created in here named Cree, and I kinda like to have her in here too, so keep that in mind.
*****
SECTOR TEN
Cindy headed into her living room, but then stopped dead in her blue fuzzy slippered tracks. "My my my" she meant to just think this, but these words were too good to be wasted on silent thoughts.
My my what?" Cree pushed past the door to the room she shared with Cindy. "You spot a honey on the road girl?" Cree came up to where Cindy was halted on the half rotting wood floor. After taking one look at the scene in the living room, she fully go what Cindy meant. "How cute is that?" Max would kill her for using her name and "cute" in the same sentence, but she wasn't standing here seeing her and Logan asleep on the couch spooned up against each other. Max was on her side and somehow Logan had maneuvered himself during the night to lay behind her, one arm hidden from view while the other was lightly wrapped around her waste just above where the blood stained gauze was tapped to her side.
"Never knew my boo to snooze so long" Cindy didn't take her eyes off the pair "Guess all she needed was a good squeeze toy.
"Kinda at a loss here." Cree turned to Cindy "Wake'em up or no?"
"Normal's gonna blow a gasket if Max is late" Cindy informed "But when have I ever cared bout how Mr. bip bip bip gets his ya yas out?"
"True" Cree agreed "God I wish I had a camera" /That is so freakin' adorable. Gonna mess with her bout this until her and Logan make his neighbor's complain about all the noise at night in that penthouse of his/
"Wish I had me somethin' like my boo does in the all girl variety" Cindy returned.
Max must've gotten the sensation someone was watching her because she soon shifted and slowly opened her eyes to see her two friends making her the subject of their attention.
"Mornin' suga" Cindy greeted Max with an 'mmhmm' smile/c/p
"How long have you guys been doin' that?" Max asked of the guilty parties
"Long enough" Cree answered the question
"Hey sleeping beauty" Max lightly hit Logan's hand with her palm "We got an audience"
Logan lifted his head from where it was lying "Funny how this doesn't seem like my bedroom" he looked over at Max "But then again this place has a much better view" he paused for a moment, "How's your side?" he was still not addressing Cindy or Cree.
"Sore" Max went for straight forward, wincing as she got up from her lying position, feeling a push of support from Logan's hand on her back between her shoulder blades. After she was fully upright she headed into the bathroom to clean herself up.
"Guess we missed the party" Cree said to Logan once Max was out of earshot
Logan sat up on the couch and rubbed his eyes "Not like anything major went on" he grabbed his glasses from where he had set them on the back of the couch last night and put them on.
"Tryin' to convince us or yourself boo?" Cindy asked brining a cup of coffee to the small table in the "dining room" section of the living room.
From the bathroom Max could hear her girls giving Logan a hard time about what went down after they went to sleep. He was giving them the "right" answer-NOTHING. Nothing that would equal the equivalent of anything hot and heavy, they just fell asleep together.
She pulled her hair into a loose ponytail, turning the sink water to around lukewarm. With the odor free, antibacterial, hospital style soap bar by the sink she set about cleansing her face of the grit and sweat that had accumulated there from hitting the ground after she was shot last night. The basin soon cut off and she dried off with a clean red cotton towel hanging on its rack.
She shoved the towel back on the metal rack and pulled her blue tank top over her head, discarding it on the floor. With careful hands she pealed back the gauze that was taped across her side. "Shit" she cursed in a whisper under her breath as the gauze came away pulling at her skin because of dried blood that had congealed to the wound. The action of removing the old dressing had set the wound bleeding again. She quickly dressed it again, rubbing petroleum jelly on the gauze to keep it from sticking to it.
Taking a rag off the counter top she wiped the bits of blood that had leaked onto her side and her stomach. This cleaning was just messing with the very top, she was filthy. She really needed a two day shower right now to get all the grime and sweat and blood off her. But that bullet wound would hurt like a bitch under water, and she didn't want to literally spend two days getting in and out of the bathroom. Her reflection in the mirror showed a few light scrapes from where she had fallen yesterday, and two or three healing road rash marks from where that idiot had made her drop on the road. There was a very light bruise under her right cheekbone from where Warren had slammed her into a wall before she got her upper hand on him. Her sprained quads were almost completely healed but they still bore a long scabby mark from healing flesh.
She looked like she got beat up by an ass boyfriend. Yanking a towel down from off the rack she slipped off her jeans and lingerie and wrapped the towel over her bare form. She killed the lights and stepped back out into the living room with noting but a towel hiding her assets from everyone's view.
"Wouldn't believe how filthy I am" Max made small talk as she walked across the living room casually. She showed no embarrassment, Cindy and Cree were women like her, and women generally had no real problem being half dressed in front of other women they knew. And as for Logan, Max had grown up in a place that had no privacy, all facilities were unisex, so being half dressed in front of men or boys didn't bother her. There had been one other instance besides this, during that assignment for Logan that landed her in a pile of filth, that Logan had seen her in nothing but a cotton towel improvised dress, so there wasn't any real awkwardness.
"Look like something the cat clawed at boo" Cindy said noting the accumulated scratch and bruise marks on her friend's body.
"Should just stay home today Max" Cree added her two cents "Tell Normal you got assaulted or somethin' you already look the part.
"He'd never believe it" Max informed "Basically Logan's 'doctor notes' have been the only thing he let me off the hook for"
"Could do it again Max" Logan let her know "No offense, but you look like crap"
What? You don't like the new style?" Max asked him in a 'Ms. Thang' tone.
"Kinda lack there of" Logan informed
"Scuse me?"
"Joke Max, relax. You pull of a towel real well okay" Logan reassured her /crap, why the hell did I say that? "pull off a towel real well", sounds like I'm trying to seduce her, not that that's bad...stop, get off it, not the right place for these thoughts, don't make her kick your ass/
"Give Normal an eyeful though so I better get a new outfit" Max said this and entered her bedroom, closing the door behind her.
Cindy eyed Logan with a knowing look "Gonna lay some advice on you Logan that I gave my boo before. You got an itch, go scratch."
"Don't know what you're talking about" Logan feigened complete innocence
"Boy I wasn't born yesterday" Cindy snapped back "Me and Cree and pretty much the rest of the world know you got it bad for Max. Don't go wastin' time pretending' your two are just chummy. My boo deserves to be happy Logan, and we both know you can take her there."
Logan was about to say something to that, but the opening of Max's bedroom door halted his attempts. Max came out of her room now dressed in black cut off biker pants and a dark gray muscle tank top. Her bandage was slightly visible from the cut off point of the tank top which showed a small amount of skin.
She had heard what Cindy had said, being the super soldier that she was. /Is it really that bad?/ She glanced over at Logan, seeing his slight trapped look, but also recognizing what Cindy said to be true.
"Goin' home sometime today loner?" Max fell into her usual banter with Logan to drag him out of the tension.
"You sick of me already Max?" he asked her
"No" she answered way to over eager /think of somethin' girl, quick/ "Can't just hang around my apartment all day. You're getting a little ripe yourself" she wiped flecks of dirt that had accumulated on his neck "Need a shower"
/Wanna join me?/ Her hand felt warm and soft against his skin, and he tried to hide the way it was affecting him. "You sure you're up for work?" he effectively changed the subject.
"I'm ready for anything" she was thankful for the release in tension herself. Not that she didn't want to explore deeper waters. Things were hard enough to feel without her girls as a center row audience.
*****
JAM PONY
8:15 AM
"Late again, why is this not surprising?" Normal began his tirade on Max as soon as she walked in the door. "Your job is not here for convince, otherwise I'd fire you in a heartbeat-" he stopped talking when he saw the manor in which Max came into work. "For the love of Mike what the hell did you do to yourself?" he walked around to where the bike rack and Max stood. "Look at you" he circled her, evaluating her appearance "Don't think you're gonna get special treatment because you got into some street brawl and didn't stumble home in time to find the shower-"
"Ya know all this concern makes me feel so loved Normal" Max interrupted
"Your pouty speeches don't work here missy. You better do your job as half efficient as you usually do or your gonna find yourself unemployed" he looked at the bandage wrapped around her side that had blood tinged around the outside "and for Cripe's Sake put a jacket on your deliveries so you don't look like some street roughy-in looking for a handout"
"Anything else?" Max snapped back after his speech.
Yeah bip bip bip" Normal turned and headed back towards his desk
Max sighed under her breath, and grabbed a bike from the rack suspended to the ceiling
Cree came up on her right side, a paper cup of Jam Pony "coffee" already "With a boss like Normal you'll never need coffee again" she took a sip of the muddy crap in her cup.
Max silently agreed, and dropped a bike from the rack to the ground. She let out a hiss and touched her side from the pain that caused.
"You sure bout this girl?" Cree asked Max in concern "You could just leave, I'll cover for you"
I'm fine" Max reassured, sounding like she was talking to Logan. "Work's gotta be done"
"Shouldn't be at your expense boo" Cindy got in on the act. "Ain't no job worth that much."
Keep it in mind" Max wheeled her bike over to the front to pick up her packages
I'm serious girl" Cindy followed her "Stayin' at work shouldn't be an option if you're hurtin'"
I'm sorry did you start running this place?" Normal interrupted her conversation with Max "Unless your going into cardiac arrest right here in the floor you're able to work"
Cindy looked at him with 'uh huh' look "Tell us when that stick's outta your ass" she shoved some boxes in her bag "Take you out to celebrate the one less thing that's wrong with you"
*****
SECTOR TEN
"Best thing after a long day" Cree handed Max a mug of mint chocolate cocoa she had made from her mom's old recipe, well almost like her mom's she spiked it with some Kaula she found in the pantry.
"Thanks" Max took the mug from her, inhailing the aroma. "Smell's great"
"Sure it's not as good as the stuff Logan makes for you, but when my mom gave it to us it made me and my baby sis happy after we had a shitty day" Cree joined Max on the couch. She had a hint of longing when she talked about her mother.
Max gripped the warm mug in her hand, sipping from it. "Never knew my mother" she tried to connect with Cree on some level about what she was feeling. "Gave me away after I was born." she lied because it was too much to go into how her surrogate mother had her taken away like all the other surrogates at Manticore.
"Defiantly wasn't my mom" Cree wasn't trying to be insulting, she was just making an observation "She loved us till it got embarrassing." she laughed in the back of her throat remembering "Always was the loudest one at the Christmas pageant or my Jit Su competitions. People didn't tell her to be quiet though, guess they got intimidated after they saw the police issue nine millimeter in her holster."
Max turned to her "She must love you a lot"
"Yeah she does" Cree returned with a sad sigh. "When I was younger I was so into boys. I mean I
loved my mom, but I wanted a boyfriend even more. But now-" a pause "I just want her"
Max put a hand to her shoulder "You'll get your chance"
"Need to get your chance too Max" Cindy stated coming out of her bedroom, dressed to impress in black leather pants and a scarlet red halter top with a top woven layer of black netting, and a golden arm bracelet.
"Damn" Max drew out the words "Someone needs to put you out girl"
Cindy smiled at the compliment "Thanks boo" she looked over to Cree "You ready?"
"Just give me a sec to change my clothes" Cree responded
Max was confused at what was going on "We're goin' somewhere?"
"Ah not exactly" Cree stood up, setting her mug on the coffee table "Cindy's got a hook up with some hot girl she met and she wants me to come in case it turns bad"
Now Max was totally lost "So I'm what? the body guard?"
"No boo" Cindy laid it straight for her "You're gonna be somewhere else"
"Oh" Max sounded intrigued "And where's that?"
"Shacked up at a high rise" Cree answered her question "Can't just stay at home all night, you'd be bored as hell, might as well enjoy the personal time-"
"This is a set up" Max interrupted
"Not callin' it that suga" Cindy said with a smile "More like the perfect mix for a good evening"
"Like I said" Max began "it's a setup" she looked at Cindy and Cree both "I'm wearing' my own clothes"
"Fine with us" Cindy agreed
"Long as it's not too restrictive" Cree threw in
Max sighed to herself /Those two are a dangerous combination/
*****
FOGGLE TOWERS
9:00 PM
Max leaned against the elevator as it ascended to the pent house. She couldn't believe her girls had actually tricked her into coming here. Not like she minded, she'd been over here dozens of times, hell she slept over here, alone, but all night. But this was different and she knew it.
Her clothes were nothing special, black velvet flair pants and a cotton red long sleeved boat necked shirt with tie sleeves. Her hair was the same as it always was long brown and completely down. She had no makeup except a small hint of mascara and cherry lip gloss. No jewels or diamonds, just her sports watch. Everything was the same, so then why the hell did she feel like she was discovering new ground like the first time she had been asked to a guy's car when she was fifteen and newly escaped from Manticore. The bastard tried to force himself on her, but she just beat the hell outta him and ran.
This wasn't then though. She was 21 years old, she was a woman now, she knew what she wanted. /Maybe that's why I came here, to get what I want/
The elevator dinged and the doors opened. A minute later she was in front of the door. Her hand was poised to knock /What am I doing? I don't knock/ She picked the lock with a bobby pin she found discarded on the floor of the elevator. It swung open.
"Anybody home?" she stepped inside, closing the door.
It took all of two seconds before Logan came out from his computer room. "Max, you need something?"
"No I'm good"
He scrutinized her "Are you okay?"
/Had to think I came over here for a seizure or something/ "I'm fine DAD, can't I just swing by?"
"You know you're always welcome Max" Logan interjected
"Then make me feel like it" she returned
"I'm sorry" Logan stopped the rapid fire remarks "Have you eaten yet?" /Food, food will solve everything. But what if your hungry for more then food?/
"Think we both know the answer to that" Max informed
"I have some leftover black peppercorn chicken, why don't I heat it up?"
"Sound's like a plan" she agreed "Guess I'll set the table" /So far so good/
*****
CRASH
"Think brotha's got the hots for you girl" Angela, Cindy's date pointed at the guy who had been checking Cree out for the better part of an hour.
Turns out Cindy's date was on the level. Brunette, tan, killer green eyes and nice smile. Complimented Cindy up the wazoo about her outfit and her stlye. Cindy seemed to like her the
same. Angela appeared pretty down to earth, bit of an attitude but nice, a contemporary painter by trade. She kept up convo with Cree, not isolating her because she didn't swing her way.
Cindy looked over at the guy that was looking at Cree. sandy brown hair, tall, brown eyes, leather jacket, almost looked like Max's brother Zack except for the height and the hair color.
"Don't look now hun, but he's commin' over" Angela sipped her wine cooler, pretending not to notice.
"Hi" boy anonymous greeted Cree with a smile "Care to dance?"
"Kinda just chillin'" Cree informed the admirer
"Go for it gurl" Angela interrupted "He's cute"
"Yeah boo" Cindy agreed "No time like the present" she gave her a look that said she had her back in case something bad went down.
"Guess we'll go then" Cree turned to the guy, standing up from her seat.
"Great" he smiled "Bring her right back ladies" he addressed Cindy and Angela.
Cindy watched Cree head out on the floor. Nothing seemed amiss.
"Your girl's cute" Angela informed, her eyes looking at Cree in her black halter and chocolate brown leather pants. "Sure she's not into it half way?"
"Sorry suga" Cindy told her "Cree's not really into much of anything right now, she had a bad rap with guys"
"That's a bitch" Angela agreed "If she were with me I'd never treat her wrong"
"Not treatin' me wrong" Cindy smiled at the woman
Angela smiled back, touching her hand. "Thanks babe, how bout we down these drinks and hit the floor?"
"Aiight" Cindy agreed
"My name's Ty" Cree's dance partner introduced himself after they were on the floor. "Ty Aris"
"Nice name" Cree told him
"Thanks" Ty responded "You got a name?"
"Cree" she told him, her guard still up, but Ty seemed honest to her super analytical standards.
"You got a nice one too"
"Good to know" Cree had to almost shout over the base of the song.
"You live here in Seattle?" Ty asked
"No," Cree told him "I'm just crashin' with friends" "How about you?"
"Yeah in Sector 12. I got assigned here two months ago"
"Assigned?" Cree wondered about that "You a soldier?"
Ty shook his head "Fireman, pretty green, just got out of the academy a week before I came here"
"You?"
The conversation was flowing well. /We sound like Max and her man, but hopefully there's no talk and Logan's making and honest woman of her/ "I shuttle packages back and forth and back and forth"
"Like a bike messenger?"
"Yeah"
"Cool"
The fast pace of "Sandstorm" died down, and was replaced with an old song, a VERY old song.
"What the fuck is this?" someone shouted from the crowd.
"This is crap."
"Temptations?" Ty looked at Cree. "Damn I haven't heard this in a while"
"Take it off!" the crowd was shouting at the DJ
"I am man!" the DJ shouted back, digging through his CD collection.
"50 if you'll leave it on!" Ty shouted to the DJ
"Deal brotha" the DJ agreed "Let me see the green"
Ty pulled his wallet out of his leather jacket, and took out a fifty waving it in the air.
"Aiight man, the golden oldies stay on for Mr. bling bling" he started the song over
"This is whack"
"Jack ass" people were shouting at Ty and leaving the floor to go get plastered while the song played.
"I love being Mr. Popular" Ty turned to Cree "Bet you wanna leave now huh?"
"Not really" Cree shook her head "I like this song, my mom would play this on Saturday nights trying to put the moves on my dad." she started to sing the opening part of the song.
"Shoo doop Shoo be do, Shoo do Shoo be do,
Shoo doop shoo be do, Shoo doop Shoo be do
Shoo doop Shoo be do, Shoo do Shoo be do,
Shoo doop shoo be do, Shoo doop Shoo be do.."
Ty smiled at her "You're good" he cut in singing the first verse to Cree's vocal background
"In the still of the night I held you Held you tight
'Cause I love Love you so Promise i'll never Let you go
In the still of the night"
His vocals were good, not a complete match to Cree's but nice. He smiled at her again "So does this mean I can get a dance out of you?"
"Might as well" Cree felt her guard drop just ever so slightly, but not completely, she was still who she was after all. Ty took her hand and danced much slower then any of the fast club hoppers.
Cree still kept her distance thought, remembering Jack, remembering the others
"I remember
That night in May
The Stars were bright above
I'll hope and I'll pray
To keep
Your precious love
Well before the light
****
FOGGLE TOWERS
"Checkmate" Max moved her rook to block Logan's king, effectively winning the game.
"Again?" Logan didn't really sound surprised, Max was an expert at strategic games, sadly learned from Manticore. "What's that make it?"
"3 and 0" she told him.
"Maybe I should quit while I still have manhood to spare" Logan told her, stretching./Can't waste manhood on a stupid chess game, man shut up/ He checked his watch "10:02" "It's still early, want some wine?"
"Sure" Max agreed
"Great" Logan stood up and headed over to his wine rack "2000 Rose okay?"
"Fine" Max said, putting the chess pieces back in their original order on the board.
"Need a hand?" she asked watching him search for a cork remover.
"I got it" Logan told her "Remember, you usually break the cork" he got it off and poured the pinkish drink into two wine glasses.
"Price you pay for being freakishly strong" Max came into the kitchen, startling Logan.
"Your not a freak Max" he recovered quickly, and haded her a glass.
"Should we drink to something?" Max took the glass from him.
"You pick" Logan decided
"Kay, to us then"
Her remark threw him for a loop "I'll drink to that" he spoke up after a minute. Both took a sip of the wine.
"Nice" Max commented on the flavor.
"Price you pay for being a rich white bastard" Logan sipped his drink again.
That made Max smile.
The stereo in the living room began playing the faint sounds of an oldie.
"There's something I haven't heard in forever" Logan went back over to his living room, turning up the song.
"What is it?" Max, being a child of the "pulse generation" and the "Manticore generation" hadn't really heard anything outside of Drowning Pool or Chopin.
"An old song" Logan told her "Like my parent's teenage years. Dad had the song burned onto a CD as a present for mom." he stood up from where he was kneeling.
"Good a good beat" Max commented
"Let's make some use of it then" Logan held out his hand "Dance with me"
Max hesitated for a split second, but took the hand he offered, finding herself being pulled against him.
"In the still of the night"
The soulful music of the Temptations filled the small room as Logan glided Max in unpracticed but still graceful, almost seductive moves.
"Hidden talent?" Max cocked an eyebrow at him and his almost flawless dance moves.
"I'm a jack of all trades" he told her, breaking apart to spin her artfully with one hand.
"So before the light
Hold me again
With all of your might
In the still of the night"
He pulled her close again after his move, his hand low on her back, leading, and she didn't say anything about it.
"I feel like my dad" Logan commented "He use to do this with mom a lot"
"Hope not" Max told him /What am I doin?/
Logan looked at her "why's that?"
"Mean's I couldn't do this" Max reacted on her instinct, woman instinct, not Manticore kill the first thing that moves instinct, and stopped the dance to put one arm on either side of his face and kissed him.
Logan nearly hit the roof when she did that, but he contained himself and returned her gesture, slidding a hand behind her hair.
"In the still of the night.."
*****
JAM PONY
Ty found himself yanked back "Cree?" he was confused
"Stop okay" she pulled back from the kiss he was trying to give her. She turned and left.
Things were going deeper then she could handle.
"Cree?-" Cindy watched her leave up the stairs.
"What was that about?" Angela looked at Cindy
"Don't know boo, but bout to take care of it" Cindy stepped in Ty's path."Not goin' anywhere boy. Tellin' you now if you laid something nasty on my girl I'm gonna drop a smack down on your ass"
"Relax" Ty tried to calm Cindy "I didn't do anything to her. I just-" pause "Damn I don't know, all I did was try to kiss her, that's it. I swear."
Cindy backed down a bit "Cree's had a string of bad relationships, talkin' real bad, maybe it was more then you made it out to be."
"Think I could talk to her?" Ty asked, after hearing that
"If you can find her suga" Cindy let him know "But if you ever DO try anything you answser to me, and that's a response you don't wanna pick up the phone for"
Ty didn't answer and went in search of the girl he just met.
"Cree wait!" he found her out int the parking lot, going to her car.
She didn't stop "I'm sorry Ty, I have to go"
"Look I'm sorry. I didn't know it would affend you" he stopped a few feet behind her.
"I'm not a jack ass or nothin' I just-" he stopped "I was starting to like you"
She turned around then. "You like some girl you just met?"
"My parents knew each other for two days before they got married and the've been together for 24 years."
"How old are you?" Cree started giving him 'Q & A'
"Twenty-two" he told her "You're not-"
"I'm eighteen" she told him
"Sorry" he apologized "I just didn't want you to think I'm one of those guys who likes to mess with minors." he looked at her "Can we try again?"
"Try what?" she put on her own leather jacket.
"All that stuff after I tried to kiss you?" he told her. "Please? I'm not Mr. Popular but I'll show you a good time" "Geeze I screwed that up, not what I meant"
"I got a good idea though" she told him.
He stepped closer to her "You wanna just hang out here and talk?" he held up his hand "I'm not trying to put the moves on you, it's just quieter out here, plus for once it's a clear night"
"What if you're lyin'?" Cree was always on alert
"You can kick my ass"
"I have a black belt in Jit Su" she told him
"There ya go" he told her with a smile. "I can also put out my own car fires should it come to that"
She smiled too.
*****
FOGGLE TOWERS
"What are we doing?" Max asked breaking apart.
"You wanna stop?" Logan asked her
"Do you?"
"I asked you"
"You want me cause I'm a good screw?" she went for blundt. She had been wanted too many times for just her body. She needed to know.
"No" Logan told her" I want you because you're a beautiful woman, and my best friend and I'd be honored to make love to someone like that."
"Make love? What are you a woman?" Max threw in her attitude. The conversation wouldn't be complete without out it.
"I can assure you that I'm not" Logan told her
Max looked at him, gauging, judging. One hand touched the side of his face "Then assure me"
He grabbed the hand on his face "You sure, cause there's no going back"
"Last thing I was more sure of was busting out of Manticore"
He took that as a 'yes' and pulled her hand of the side of his face and kissed it, then her.
Her hands raked through the back of his hair, and she drew the kiss deeper. She felt his hands sliding under her shirt, roaming over bare skin and the back of her lingere.
"Ooo I don't want no, I don't need, I can't stand no minute man
I don't want no minute man.
Ooo here's your chance, be a man, take my hand, understand, I don't want no minute man"
The room suddenly got hotter, Max felt flushed, but this was much better then a seizure.
/Da-am/ she felt him kissing her neck, and she tilted her neck to allow him better access.
"How about now?" he asked
"Don't you dare or I'll kick your ass" she answered his question about stopping.
"Boy I'm going to make you love me, make you want me,
and I'll give you some attention today
Follow my intuition, whatcha wishin'
So I'm gonna keep you up all night, long time
He kept kissing her, roaming under her t-shirt, trying to back her up enough to reach the door knob to his bedroom.
"You could just ask" she told him
"Okay" he agreed "You wanna go to my room?" he hoped he didn't sound like a teenager on his first time, but like a man with some expierence.
"Kay" she told him, in-between what they were doing to each other.
"Break me off, show me what you got
Cause I don't want no one minute man
Break me off cause I don't want no minute man.
He finally got his door open and the pair stumbled onto the king size bed in semi darkness
*****
Break me off, show me whatcha got.."
Ty touched Cree again, only this time she didn't back off.
"Ready to try this again?"
She didn't say anything, but allowed him to kiss her, softly, quietly on the hood of her car.
*****
"Cause I don't want no one minute man"
The room was dark, but Max's cat eyes could see him, and even without the transgenic equipment she could feel him on her in her, taking her off the world and back again.
His name came to her, loud, hard, and then nothing, a quiet moment of sedation.
/Damn, the guys are gonna know how I "am" in the morning. Oh well, who cares, not like they weren't expecting it."/
She felt him touch her again, not with longing, not much, but an act of feeling. She laid against him, feeling him breathe.
****
there ya go..M/L play for all..Cree had some too..not like that but I wanted her to have something to make her face her fear of men (meaning a man who likes her). So Ty will come back.
I got the idea to put the Temptations Song in here, cause I recently burned it on a CD,and remembered how much I love them.
R/R please.