Chapter 5:
"Are you ready?"
"I can't believe this! I brought like three dresses. I'm so pathetic."
"No... you're just nervous. When was the last time you went on a date anyway?"
"Oh God... it must've been like three years ago. Carl actually."
"Dr. Sullivan? Ha... that's pretty weird. You guys seem like such an unlikely pair."
"We were. It's why we're no longer together. Zip this up for me?" Elizabeth stepped out of the stall and turned her back to Jennifer, who zipped up the black spaghetti strap dress.
"So?" She spun in front of the bathroom mirrors and saw Jennifer shake her head.
"Eh.... That one is elegant... but it doesn't scream."
"Scream? Jen... I don't want to scream."
"Lizzie! I brought you something!" They both looked to the door to see Maria walking in with a shopping bag.
"What is that?"
"I bought you a dress."
"WHAT? I thought you were angry at me?"
"Look... you said yes to this guy. There must be something about him. You haven't dated in like years. So I figured... he must be a big deal. And he saved your life, you know? That's good enough for me. Although he got you in the predicament in the first place, but who's being picky?" Maria rolled her eyes and Elizabeth couldn't help but hug her. "Ok, ok. So I got this burgundy dress. It's kind of girly and flimsy. It has a cool cut at the bottom and the color is awesome. It's also got a low back... so you need to wear your hair up." She handed Elizabeth the bag and shoved her back into the stall.
"This is crazy! Ah... you forgot to unzip me." The stall door opened and Maria expertly unzipped the black dress.
"Ok, now hurry up and try it on. We've got like ten minutes to do your hair and makeup."
"I should have had him pick me up at home."
"You don't know him that well."
"He's a federal agent Maria."
"So what?! You never heard of crooked cops?" Elizabeth shrugged and placed the last strap on her right shoulder.
"Ok... I'm done. DON'T laugh." She opened the stall door and saw the girls' faces.
"What?"
"You look absolutely perfect."
"Now to do something with that hair." Maria pulled out her blow dryer and a kit of bobby pins.
"Do you always carry that around?"
"You obviously don't know Maria." Jennifer went into the shopping bag and pulled out a box of shoes.
"Here... some black sandals. You're going to have to bring your coat, it still gets kind of chilly at night." It had been no more than five minutes when Elizabeth turned around to face her reflection in the mirror. She stood in stunned silence. Her hair was up in pins, loose strands falling to decorate her face. Her hair was up in pins, loose strands falling to decorate her face. Her lips were colored in with a deep plumb, bringing out her dark eyes. Her eyes were lined with dark black liner and the shimmer of charcoal eye shadow.
"Now for the finishing touch." Maria pulled out a bottle of strawberry scented body spray.
"Oh man. He's going to have a hard time controlling himself after this. There's no way he'll be able to resist you."
"Yeah, right." Elizabeth looked down and then back into the mirror. Amazing. That was the only word that came to mind with this transformation. Just absolutely amazing.
"What time is it?"
"It's about a quarter to eight."
"Fifteen minutes. I'm so nervous." Jennifer grabbed all the spare clothes and threw them in the large shopping bag.
"Nervous? Liz. there's NO reason to be nervous. The man is GORGEOUS, to say the least of course. Besides, he seems to be a perfect gentleman." The three looked in the mirror one last time and headed out of the women's bathroom. The locker rooms were right down the hall and they all headed towards Elizabeth's private space.
"It's kind of funny. You look so out of place. All dressed up in a locker room, with us looking all sorts of bummy." They laughed and she pulled out her small black purse and breath mints.
"Ok. I do have several rules in place for you. One, don't do anything I wouldn't do. Two, please, please, please don't get in trouble. because even though he's a cop, I will go and beat his behind with the quickness. And finally three, if I have to tell Alex about anything that went on tonight, for any unscrupulous reasons, you can be assured that things will get mighty ugly. I will be forced to hurt you and it won't be nice. Understood?" Elizabeth stared at Maria and laughed. Knowing her, every single word she just said was true. That's why it was actually so funny. Jennifer looked down at her watch, and almost on cue, the P.A. system went on.
"Dr. Parker, please report to the front desk. Dr. Parker, please report to the front desk." Maria jumped up and brought Elizabeth with her.
"Maybe this is not such a good idea."
"Too late to back out now lover girl. Your man must be waiting." They walked down the hallway to the front desk and Elizabeth stopped short at the sight of the man waiting there. His dark black hair was slicked back neatly, his black suit looking like something from a GQ magazine. He turned around and his face was freshly shaved, a bouquet of white roses in his hand. His smile was mesmerizing as his eyes looked her over in approval.
"You look absolutely gorgeous." He handed Elizabeth the flowers and Maria and Jennifer stepped back to watch the exchange.
"You don't look so bad yourself." It was obvious she was nervous, her little chuckle gave her away.
"Shall we?" He held his arm out to her and she wrapped hers in.
"Maria, please put these in water for me. My cell phone will be off. I'll call you if I need you." Maria answered with a raise of the eyebrows and grabbed the bouquet. Elizabeth walked out, and at the door turned to mouth 'Thank you.'
"Where are we going?" She looked up into the hazel eyes as he held out his hand to help her into the black Lincoln.
"It's a surprise." She smiled and stepped in, pulling her skirt in with her. She heard the door slam and anxiously awaited his entrance into the car. He stepped in and she looked over, the allure of his soft, tanned skin almost unbearable. He started the car and she held on softly as he sped away.
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He could feel the heat of her body as she sat next to him. Being next to her was an almost ethereal experience. The chemistry they held drove him insane, as he wracked his brain trying to figure out why he reacted so strongly to this small woman.
"So tell me Elizabeth, where are you from?" He looked over and smiled, and when her eyes met his, it took all he had not to crash his rented car.
"Actually, tonight I'm simply Liz."
"Liz. I like it." He could hear her laugh and it brought a smile to his own face.
"Well, I'm actually originally from Roswell, New Mexico." He felt his legs go weak, but he held on tightly to the stick shift.
"Really? Well, that's pretty strange. See, I am actually originally from Roswell. I went to West Roswell High."
"Really? That's strange. I don't remember you. It's not like Roswell is that big a town to lose anyone."
"I was pretty invisible." The tone of his voice betrayed his cool persona and he caught her looking over in curiosity.
"You? I doubt it. I left Roswell in third grade when I headed to private school in Santa Fe." Max kept his eyes on the road, suddenly deep in thought. This was a woman whom he was meant to meet, but she left before he got a chance to get there. A woman who was strangely close to his own origins and yet they never crossed paths. It was strange and yet oddly, it all made sense to him.
"I actually started school there in third grade. So I guessed we just missed each other."
"That's too bad. I would have loved to see you as a teenager. Probably breaking hearts all over Roswell." She pushed his shoulder playfully and he laughed at the irony of it.
"Quite the contrary. I was your typical loner. I loved the silence. The less I was noticed the better. It was always just me and my sister and our friend Michael."
"Your cousin?"
"He told you that?"
"Yes." He laughed and looked over at her confused face.
"Well, I guess it's not too far from the truth. We kind of took him in. His foster father wasn't what you'd call kind. After years of suffering, he ran away, unwilling to stay in that situation. We found him about three months later. He'd somehow managed to find places to stay and skipped school. We took him in and my father took guardianship of him until we graduated high school. Summer school was of course unavoidable." He turned into the darkness of the park and then turned again into the magical lot. The trees were streamed with lights, the building looking like something out of a fairy tale.
"Tavern on the Green? Max. this is really expensive."
"Oh stop. Come on." He turned off the engine of the car and got out. Elizabeth met him in front of the car and they headed in together.
"Table for two please. Evans."
"Oh yes Mr. Evans. This way please." They followed the neatly pressed waiter towards the back and sat at the small candle lit table.
"Oh my. This is. too much."
"What can I say? I like to make a good impression."
"A little late for that." Her teasing smile made him laugh as they began to make themselves comfortable.
"So... why did you leave Roswell?"
"Well, when I was younger, my parents thought that I was overly smart. So they sent me to private school in Santa Fe in order to keep me away from distractions, friends, and keep me focused on studies. It was one of the worst times of my life. Middle school wasn't so bad but high school, a time when you depend on your friends most, I didn't have them or my family. It was like boarding school that was only half an hour from home. Right after I decided if my parents didn't want me around I'd leave as far away as possible. So... I headed to Harvard. I had always had an obsession with science and with life in general. My enthusiasm got me in quickly and I went on to medical school. After spending almost eight years away from Alex and Maria... my best friends... we decided we'd wasted too much time. So we all ganged together and moved to New York and have been living together for about two years."
He looked at her face, her eyes so open, so expressive that it caught his attention in a way that still shocked him. He stared into her eyes, wanting nothing more than to touch her face. To loosen her hair and kiss her lips. Incredibly romantic ideas for a man who had decided a long time ago to stay away from women in general.
"What?" She lowered her head shyly, a loose strand of hair falling to caress her face.
"You." Her smile made him smile and he couldn't resist the ridiculous feeling of butterflies in his stomach. He was not twelve. He had no right to get nervous in front of women.
"So tell me, Detective Evans, when did you decide you wanted to become an almighty agent?"
"I didn't. It's just something I did."
"That's interesting...."
"I actually was never truly sure what I wanted to be. It's not something I thought about much. I mean, I did my work, I read the books, I did what I had to do. For a while I saw myself perhaps teaching at a college or something. Something nice and low key. And then I decided, what better than to disappear altogether. No one knows who you are, what you're doing, where you're going, nothing! That's when I decided it was for me." He looked down and realized her hand was in his across the table. Her eyes were looking in his sadly as if what he had just said would break her heart.
"Sounds like a sad lifestyle. No family, no friends. No love."
"I never saw them as essential. I never felt truly connected to my parents. My sister and Michael were my only true friends. Once I left them... I was sure I could be alone forever. I could make it without them and I proved that to myself."
"But Max, there's so much you could've done. I mean... I don't understand. You're kind hearted, you're smart, you're a bit crazy. You're amazingly handsome. Didn't you ever have a best friend? Fall in love?" He laughed almost bitterly, and removed his hand from hers as they placed appetizers on the table.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try me."
"Liz... I have never had a friend beside Isabel and Michael. I never had a girlfriend. I didn't go to prom. I don't even think anyone would remember me. It's just... the way I wanted it."
"How could anyone want to be alone?"
"There are reasons." The curiosity in her eyes tempted his heart. He could just tell her. He could just let out the secret he'd been holding for too long. She had that effect on him. That power to make him want to reveal his darkest secrets. To cry for all the years he'd wasted. Where had this woman been all his life?
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"That was fabulous."
"I don't know, I've had better."
"Really? When?"
"This restaurant in Seattle has fabulous glazed chicken. This was kind of dry. But they had great potatoes." Elizabeth laughed, her laugh making her cover her mouth in order to avoid spitting out the water she'd just sipped. Max burst out laughing, the idea of her spitting all over the table too much to handle.
"Stop! You're going to make me embarrass you here by snorting out water through my nose!"
"WHAT?!" His laughter nearly doubled and she had to tell him to shush as she herself burst out in laughter. He paid and took one last sip of the champagne and they headed out together, their laughter uncontrollable. Hand in hand they climbed into the Lincoln and sat back trying to get rid of their giggles.
"It WASN'T THAT funny!"
"To hear you! Proper Ms. Elizabeth Parker saying you were going to snort water out of your nose! It was classic! I wish I could have expected that because if not I could have been eating and choked and died."
"I'm a doctor, genius. I know CPR."
"Oh yea! I forgot!" They laughed again, finally taking deep breaths and grabbing their aching stomachs.
"That was definitely the funnest times I've had in a while."
"Well... the night is not over. Let's go." With that the car roared on and they sped off.
"What are you planning mystery man?"
"You like to dance Liz?" Before she could answer the car was swerving and he was flying down the street.
"I do."
"Great. Because I need someone to teach me how."
"What?"
"I hear New York is famous for one place that my sister raves about. So, we'll go check it out." They drove in silence for a while and then he heard her gasp.
"You're taking me to Rockefeller Center."
"And I am willing to humble myself under your teaching hands."
"You are insane. Do you know how many people go there each night? I don't usually dance IN PUBLIC."
"Well... tonight is your chance." He parked and they began their walk down the streets of Manhattan.
"I always thought Manhattan was beautiful at night."
"You're beautiful." Elizabeth stopped and looked over at Max with his top button open and his eyes completely honest.
"Don't say that."
"But it's true."
"It makes me feel uneasy."
"Uncomfortable?"
"No... just uneasy. I mean... you keep saying that and I don't know if you're saying it to say it or if you have something in mind or if there's a reason... I just...."
"Let there be no doubt that I say it because it's a fact. I say it because it becomes strikingly clear with every move you make. I can't help it." They stood that way for several minutes. Their eyes locked, their hands holding firmly. Elizabeth broke the trance and looked around.
"Come on. There's someone I want you to meet." She turned down the small avenue and began to head him in the completely opposite direction. They walked several blocks with no conversation until she reached a building. She rang a bell and suddenly a male voice came over the speaker.
"Yes?"
"Kyle?"
"Liz?"
"Hey! Is Maria in tonight?"
"Yea, she is. You coming up?"
"Yes. I have someone with me is that ok?"
"I think so. She's recording right now."
"Ok great, thanks." He heard the buzz and suddenly the glass doors flew open and they stepped inside. She walked comfortably down the hallways and into a room at the end of the hallway. A door opened and a tall man stood behind it with a smile.
"Lizzie! Date?"
"Hello Kyle. This is Max. Max, this is an old friend, Kyle Valenti."
"More than an old friend. I'm her old high school sweet heart. So you hurt her, I'll kill you."
"Isn't that impossible? She went to an all girls high school in Santa Fe." Kyle stood in silence and then stared at Liz.
"What the hell did you do? Did you like write a book that I haven't read yet?"
"Shut up. Where's Maria?"
"The booth. Come on in." The minute they walked in Max felt the mellow mood of the dimly lit room. Elizabeth directed him to a small couch and they sat listening to the soothing voice coming through the speakers.
I heard you're seeing a psychologist to get over me
Well I agree, babe you need the therapy
I found out today all the things you said about me
That I tie you down when you wanna run around free
I am crazy cause I go out at any length to see you
So you're saying I'm insane because I care about you
Hearing all of this I guess you must be right
I've been woken up, yea I can see the light.
Hearnig all of this I guess you must be right.
I've been woken up, yea I can see the light.
Max could feel his foot tapping to the melody of the guitar. He looked into the booth, the blonde singing her heart into the microphone, her earlier aloofness at the hospital gone and all of her soul exposed through her voice. It was quite incredible.
"DAMMIT!" The music suddenly stopped and both Max and Elizabeth looked up abruptly.
"What is it Maria?"
"I don't like it! It just doesn't sound right! They're not hard guitar tabs... why does it still not sound exactly the way I want it??!! You know why! BECAUSE ALEX WON'T PLAY THEM! Frickin' pride! Just cause he's some decked out CEO." He immediately noticed Elizabeth's smile and knew that she felt at home.
"Maria, Liz is here. She brought a friend." He noticed Maria's eyes widen and he stood up to wave. Her frown slowly curved upwards into a smile and she slowly put down her headphones.
"I'll be right out." As she came out the door of the booth, he realized this woman was every bit as vocal as she was unique. Her black knee boots that led right up to her tight jean capris and sweater jacket gave her an air of teenagehood that made him question her age.
"Hey Maria."
"Liz... I thought you were out on a date."
"We are. But I thought I'd show him the finer parts of NYC."
"Ah... why of course."
"Max, this is Maria, my best friend since as long as I can remember."
"It's a pleasure Max. Seems you've caught little Lizzie's eye." Max smiled as he saw the blush rise in Elizabeth's cheek.
"Glad to hear it's not all one sided." He took Maria's laughter as good natured and they sat on the couch to eat Krispy Kremes.
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"So what did you think?"
"About Maria?"
"Yea."
"I can see why you care so much about her. And she's incredibly talented."
"She wanted me to ask if you had any friends for her." Elizabeth's laugh filled the car as he came to a complete stop in front of an old fashioned apartment building.
"We can try our luck with Michael... but there's a HUGE warning sign on that guy's forehead." He laughed along with her and then he stepped out to walk her to the door.
"Well, thank you. I've had a wonderful night." They stood in the darkness and the tension grew thick between them.
"I'll call you." He felt his voice quiver. He didn't want to leave her. "Can I walk you up?"
"There wouldn't be much walking. We live in the studio at the top of the building. It's an elevator ride up." She reached up and began to remove several pins from her hair, the now loose pieces cascading down to surround her face.
"Then I guess this is goodnight." He looked down into her eyes and debated whether or not he should do it. He wanted to. Her eyes called out to him. But he didn't want to make her feel pressured. He leaned in and softly kissed her cheek.
"Goodnight." Her voice took on a magical, whispery tone and he smiled as he turned to walk away.
"Max!" He turned around and found himself faced with to face with dark brown eyes and crazy loose hair. She held his face softly and kissed his lips with a passion he'd never imagine he could experience. Just as quickly she pulled away and smiled with sparkling eyes.
"Goodnight." She turned and ran up the stairs and into the building. He stood in front of her door a ridiculous cheesy smile on his face. He felt like he was flying. From this moment on... he knew that nothing would be the same again. He needed this woman the way he needed air. Regardless of what he had to do, he'd win her heart.
"Are you ready?"
"I can't believe this! I brought like three dresses. I'm so pathetic."
"No... you're just nervous. When was the last time you went on a date anyway?"
"Oh God... it must've been like three years ago. Carl actually."
"Dr. Sullivan? Ha... that's pretty weird. You guys seem like such an unlikely pair."
"We were. It's why we're no longer together. Zip this up for me?" Elizabeth stepped out of the stall and turned her back to Jennifer, who zipped up the black spaghetti strap dress.
"So?" She spun in front of the bathroom mirrors and saw Jennifer shake her head.
"Eh.... That one is elegant... but it doesn't scream."
"Scream? Jen... I don't want to scream."
"Lizzie! I brought you something!" They both looked to the door to see Maria walking in with a shopping bag.
"What is that?"
"I bought you a dress."
"WHAT? I thought you were angry at me?"
"Look... you said yes to this guy. There must be something about him. You haven't dated in like years. So I figured... he must be a big deal. And he saved your life, you know? That's good enough for me. Although he got you in the predicament in the first place, but who's being picky?" Maria rolled her eyes and Elizabeth couldn't help but hug her. "Ok, ok. So I got this burgundy dress. It's kind of girly and flimsy. It has a cool cut at the bottom and the color is awesome. It's also got a low back... so you need to wear your hair up." She handed Elizabeth the bag and shoved her back into the stall.
"This is crazy! Ah... you forgot to unzip me." The stall door opened and Maria expertly unzipped the black dress.
"Ok, now hurry up and try it on. We've got like ten minutes to do your hair and makeup."
"I should have had him pick me up at home."
"You don't know him that well."
"He's a federal agent Maria."
"So what?! You never heard of crooked cops?" Elizabeth shrugged and placed the last strap on her right shoulder.
"Ok... I'm done. DON'T laugh." She opened the stall door and saw the girls' faces.
"What?"
"You look absolutely perfect."
"Now to do something with that hair." Maria pulled out her blow dryer and a kit of bobby pins.
"Do you always carry that around?"
"You obviously don't know Maria." Jennifer went into the shopping bag and pulled out a box of shoes.
"Here... some black sandals. You're going to have to bring your coat, it still gets kind of chilly at night." It had been no more than five minutes when Elizabeth turned around to face her reflection in the mirror. She stood in stunned silence. Her hair was up in pins, loose strands falling to decorate her face. Her hair was up in pins, loose strands falling to decorate her face. Her lips were colored in with a deep plumb, bringing out her dark eyes. Her eyes were lined with dark black liner and the shimmer of charcoal eye shadow.
"Now for the finishing touch." Maria pulled out a bottle of strawberry scented body spray.
"Oh man. He's going to have a hard time controlling himself after this. There's no way he'll be able to resist you."
"Yeah, right." Elizabeth looked down and then back into the mirror. Amazing. That was the only word that came to mind with this transformation. Just absolutely amazing.
"What time is it?"
"It's about a quarter to eight."
"Fifteen minutes. I'm so nervous." Jennifer grabbed all the spare clothes and threw them in the large shopping bag.
"Nervous? Liz. there's NO reason to be nervous. The man is GORGEOUS, to say the least of course. Besides, he seems to be a perfect gentleman." The three looked in the mirror one last time and headed out of the women's bathroom. The locker rooms were right down the hall and they all headed towards Elizabeth's private space.
"It's kind of funny. You look so out of place. All dressed up in a locker room, with us looking all sorts of bummy." They laughed and she pulled out her small black purse and breath mints.
"Ok. I do have several rules in place for you. One, don't do anything I wouldn't do. Two, please, please, please don't get in trouble. because even though he's a cop, I will go and beat his behind with the quickness. And finally three, if I have to tell Alex about anything that went on tonight, for any unscrupulous reasons, you can be assured that things will get mighty ugly. I will be forced to hurt you and it won't be nice. Understood?" Elizabeth stared at Maria and laughed. Knowing her, every single word she just said was true. That's why it was actually so funny. Jennifer looked down at her watch, and almost on cue, the P.A. system went on.
"Dr. Parker, please report to the front desk. Dr. Parker, please report to the front desk." Maria jumped up and brought Elizabeth with her.
"Maybe this is not such a good idea."
"Too late to back out now lover girl. Your man must be waiting." They walked down the hallway to the front desk and Elizabeth stopped short at the sight of the man waiting there. His dark black hair was slicked back neatly, his black suit looking like something from a GQ magazine. He turned around and his face was freshly shaved, a bouquet of white roses in his hand. His smile was mesmerizing as his eyes looked her over in approval.
"You look absolutely gorgeous." He handed Elizabeth the flowers and Maria and Jennifer stepped back to watch the exchange.
"You don't look so bad yourself." It was obvious she was nervous, her little chuckle gave her away.
"Shall we?" He held his arm out to her and she wrapped hers in.
"Maria, please put these in water for me. My cell phone will be off. I'll call you if I need you." Maria answered with a raise of the eyebrows and grabbed the bouquet. Elizabeth walked out, and at the door turned to mouth 'Thank you.'
"Where are we going?" She looked up into the hazel eyes as he held out his hand to help her into the black Lincoln.
"It's a surprise." She smiled and stepped in, pulling her skirt in with her. She heard the door slam and anxiously awaited his entrance into the car. He stepped in and she looked over, the allure of his soft, tanned skin almost unbearable. He started the car and she held on softly as he sped away.
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He could feel the heat of her body as she sat next to him. Being next to her was an almost ethereal experience. The chemistry they held drove him insane, as he wracked his brain trying to figure out why he reacted so strongly to this small woman.
"So tell me Elizabeth, where are you from?" He looked over and smiled, and when her eyes met his, it took all he had not to crash his rented car.
"Actually, tonight I'm simply Liz."
"Liz. I like it." He could hear her laugh and it brought a smile to his own face.
"Well, I'm actually originally from Roswell, New Mexico." He felt his legs go weak, but he held on tightly to the stick shift.
"Really? Well, that's pretty strange. See, I am actually originally from Roswell. I went to West Roswell High."
"Really? That's strange. I don't remember you. It's not like Roswell is that big a town to lose anyone."
"I was pretty invisible." The tone of his voice betrayed his cool persona and he caught her looking over in curiosity.
"You? I doubt it. I left Roswell in third grade when I headed to private school in Santa Fe." Max kept his eyes on the road, suddenly deep in thought. This was a woman whom he was meant to meet, but she left before he got a chance to get there. A woman who was strangely close to his own origins and yet they never crossed paths. It was strange and yet oddly, it all made sense to him.
"I actually started school there in third grade. So I guessed we just missed each other."
"That's too bad. I would have loved to see you as a teenager. Probably breaking hearts all over Roswell." She pushed his shoulder playfully and he laughed at the irony of it.
"Quite the contrary. I was your typical loner. I loved the silence. The less I was noticed the better. It was always just me and my sister and our friend Michael."
"Your cousin?"
"He told you that?"
"Yes." He laughed and looked over at her confused face.
"Well, I guess it's not too far from the truth. We kind of took him in. His foster father wasn't what you'd call kind. After years of suffering, he ran away, unwilling to stay in that situation. We found him about three months later. He'd somehow managed to find places to stay and skipped school. We took him in and my father took guardianship of him until we graduated high school. Summer school was of course unavoidable." He turned into the darkness of the park and then turned again into the magical lot. The trees were streamed with lights, the building looking like something out of a fairy tale.
"Tavern on the Green? Max. this is really expensive."
"Oh stop. Come on." He turned off the engine of the car and got out. Elizabeth met him in front of the car and they headed in together.
"Table for two please. Evans."
"Oh yes Mr. Evans. This way please." They followed the neatly pressed waiter towards the back and sat at the small candle lit table.
"Oh my. This is. too much."
"What can I say? I like to make a good impression."
"A little late for that." Her teasing smile made him laugh as they began to make themselves comfortable.
"So... why did you leave Roswell?"
"Well, when I was younger, my parents thought that I was overly smart. So they sent me to private school in Santa Fe in order to keep me away from distractions, friends, and keep me focused on studies. It was one of the worst times of my life. Middle school wasn't so bad but high school, a time when you depend on your friends most, I didn't have them or my family. It was like boarding school that was only half an hour from home. Right after I decided if my parents didn't want me around I'd leave as far away as possible. So... I headed to Harvard. I had always had an obsession with science and with life in general. My enthusiasm got me in quickly and I went on to medical school. After spending almost eight years away from Alex and Maria... my best friends... we decided we'd wasted too much time. So we all ganged together and moved to New York and have been living together for about two years."
He looked at her face, her eyes so open, so expressive that it caught his attention in a way that still shocked him. He stared into her eyes, wanting nothing more than to touch her face. To loosen her hair and kiss her lips. Incredibly romantic ideas for a man who had decided a long time ago to stay away from women in general.
"What?" She lowered her head shyly, a loose strand of hair falling to caress her face.
"You." Her smile made him smile and he couldn't resist the ridiculous feeling of butterflies in his stomach. He was not twelve. He had no right to get nervous in front of women.
"So tell me, Detective Evans, when did you decide you wanted to become an almighty agent?"
"I didn't. It's just something I did."
"That's interesting...."
"I actually was never truly sure what I wanted to be. It's not something I thought about much. I mean, I did my work, I read the books, I did what I had to do. For a while I saw myself perhaps teaching at a college or something. Something nice and low key. And then I decided, what better than to disappear altogether. No one knows who you are, what you're doing, where you're going, nothing! That's when I decided it was for me." He looked down and realized her hand was in his across the table. Her eyes were looking in his sadly as if what he had just said would break her heart.
"Sounds like a sad lifestyle. No family, no friends. No love."
"I never saw them as essential. I never felt truly connected to my parents. My sister and Michael were my only true friends. Once I left them... I was sure I could be alone forever. I could make it without them and I proved that to myself."
"But Max, there's so much you could've done. I mean... I don't understand. You're kind hearted, you're smart, you're a bit crazy. You're amazingly handsome. Didn't you ever have a best friend? Fall in love?" He laughed almost bitterly, and removed his hand from hers as they placed appetizers on the table.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try me."
"Liz... I have never had a friend beside Isabel and Michael. I never had a girlfriend. I didn't go to prom. I don't even think anyone would remember me. It's just... the way I wanted it."
"How could anyone want to be alone?"
"There are reasons." The curiosity in her eyes tempted his heart. He could just tell her. He could just let out the secret he'd been holding for too long. She had that effect on him. That power to make him want to reveal his darkest secrets. To cry for all the years he'd wasted. Where had this woman been all his life?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"That was fabulous."
"I don't know, I've had better."
"Really? When?"
"This restaurant in Seattle has fabulous glazed chicken. This was kind of dry. But they had great potatoes." Elizabeth laughed, her laugh making her cover her mouth in order to avoid spitting out the water she'd just sipped. Max burst out laughing, the idea of her spitting all over the table too much to handle.
"Stop! You're going to make me embarrass you here by snorting out water through my nose!"
"WHAT?!" His laughter nearly doubled and she had to tell him to shush as she herself burst out in laughter. He paid and took one last sip of the champagne and they headed out together, their laughter uncontrollable. Hand in hand they climbed into the Lincoln and sat back trying to get rid of their giggles.
"It WASN'T THAT funny!"
"To hear you! Proper Ms. Elizabeth Parker saying you were going to snort water out of your nose! It was classic! I wish I could have expected that because if not I could have been eating and choked and died."
"I'm a doctor, genius. I know CPR."
"Oh yea! I forgot!" They laughed again, finally taking deep breaths and grabbing their aching stomachs.
"That was definitely the funnest times I've had in a while."
"Well... the night is not over. Let's go." With that the car roared on and they sped off.
"What are you planning mystery man?"
"You like to dance Liz?" Before she could answer the car was swerving and he was flying down the street.
"I do."
"Great. Because I need someone to teach me how."
"What?"
"I hear New York is famous for one place that my sister raves about. So, we'll go check it out." They drove in silence for a while and then he heard her gasp.
"You're taking me to Rockefeller Center."
"And I am willing to humble myself under your teaching hands."
"You are insane. Do you know how many people go there each night? I don't usually dance IN PUBLIC."
"Well... tonight is your chance." He parked and they began their walk down the streets of Manhattan.
"I always thought Manhattan was beautiful at night."
"You're beautiful." Elizabeth stopped and looked over at Max with his top button open and his eyes completely honest.
"Don't say that."
"But it's true."
"It makes me feel uneasy."
"Uncomfortable?"
"No... just uneasy. I mean... you keep saying that and I don't know if you're saying it to say it or if you have something in mind or if there's a reason... I just...."
"Let there be no doubt that I say it because it's a fact. I say it because it becomes strikingly clear with every move you make. I can't help it." They stood that way for several minutes. Their eyes locked, their hands holding firmly. Elizabeth broke the trance and looked around.
"Come on. There's someone I want you to meet." She turned down the small avenue and began to head him in the completely opposite direction. They walked several blocks with no conversation until she reached a building. She rang a bell and suddenly a male voice came over the speaker.
"Yes?"
"Kyle?"
"Liz?"
"Hey! Is Maria in tonight?"
"Yea, she is. You coming up?"
"Yes. I have someone with me is that ok?"
"I think so. She's recording right now."
"Ok great, thanks." He heard the buzz and suddenly the glass doors flew open and they stepped inside. She walked comfortably down the hallways and into a room at the end of the hallway. A door opened and a tall man stood behind it with a smile.
"Lizzie! Date?"
"Hello Kyle. This is Max. Max, this is an old friend, Kyle Valenti."
"More than an old friend. I'm her old high school sweet heart. So you hurt her, I'll kill you."
"Isn't that impossible? She went to an all girls high school in Santa Fe." Kyle stood in silence and then stared at Liz.
"What the hell did you do? Did you like write a book that I haven't read yet?"
"Shut up. Where's Maria?"
"The booth. Come on in." The minute they walked in Max felt the mellow mood of the dimly lit room. Elizabeth directed him to a small couch and they sat listening to the soothing voice coming through the speakers.
I heard you're seeing a psychologist to get over me
Well I agree, babe you need the therapy
I found out today all the things you said about me
That I tie you down when you wanna run around free
I am crazy cause I go out at any length to see you
So you're saying I'm insane because I care about you
Hearing all of this I guess you must be right
I've been woken up, yea I can see the light.
Hearnig all of this I guess you must be right.
I've been woken up, yea I can see the light.
Max could feel his foot tapping to the melody of the guitar. He looked into the booth, the blonde singing her heart into the microphone, her earlier aloofness at the hospital gone and all of her soul exposed through her voice. It was quite incredible.
"DAMMIT!" The music suddenly stopped and both Max and Elizabeth looked up abruptly.
"What is it Maria?"
"I don't like it! It just doesn't sound right! They're not hard guitar tabs... why does it still not sound exactly the way I want it??!! You know why! BECAUSE ALEX WON'T PLAY THEM! Frickin' pride! Just cause he's some decked out CEO." He immediately noticed Elizabeth's smile and knew that she felt at home.
"Maria, Liz is here. She brought a friend." He noticed Maria's eyes widen and he stood up to wave. Her frown slowly curved upwards into a smile and she slowly put down her headphones.
"I'll be right out." As she came out the door of the booth, he realized this woman was every bit as vocal as she was unique. Her black knee boots that led right up to her tight jean capris and sweater jacket gave her an air of teenagehood that made him question her age.
"Hey Maria."
"Liz... I thought you were out on a date."
"We are. But I thought I'd show him the finer parts of NYC."
"Ah... why of course."
"Max, this is Maria, my best friend since as long as I can remember."
"It's a pleasure Max. Seems you've caught little Lizzie's eye." Max smiled as he saw the blush rise in Elizabeth's cheek.
"Glad to hear it's not all one sided." He took Maria's laughter as good natured and they sat on the couch to eat Krispy Kremes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So what did you think?"
"About Maria?"
"Yea."
"I can see why you care so much about her. And she's incredibly talented."
"She wanted me to ask if you had any friends for her." Elizabeth's laugh filled the car as he came to a complete stop in front of an old fashioned apartment building.
"We can try our luck with Michael... but there's a HUGE warning sign on that guy's forehead." He laughed along with her and then he stepped out to walk her to the door.
"Well, thank you. I've had a wonderful night." They stood in the darkness and the tension grew thick between them.
"I'll call you." He felt his voice quiver. He didn't want to leave her. "Can I walk you up?"
"There wouldn't be much walking. We live in the studio at the top of the building. It's an elevator ride up." She reached up and began to remove several pins from her hair, the now loose pieces cascading down to surround her face.
"Then I guess this is goodnight." He looked down into her eyes and debated whether or not he should do it. He wanted to. Her eyes called out to him. But he didn't want to make her feel pressured. He leaned in and softly kissed her cheek.
"Goodnight." Her voice took on a magical, whispery tone and he smiled as he turned to walk away.
"Max!" He turned around and found himself faced with to face with dark brown eyes and crazy loose hair. She held his face softly and kissed his lips with a passion he'd never imagine he could experience. Just as quickly she pulled away and smiled with sparkling eyes.
"Goodnight." She turned and ran up the stairs and into the building. He stood in front of her door a ridiculous cheesy smile on his face. He felt like he was flying. From this moment on... he knew that nothing would be the same again. He needed this woman the way he needed air. Regardless of what he had to do, he'd win her heart.