Chapter 0ne

It was a little after six o'clock, and liz was bored. She had gone around the airport three times, visited the duty free shop twice and drunk at least three cups of coffee.. Deciding to explore the bathroom, it proved to be a real challenge to fit between the pan, her suitcase and the space necessary to close the door. It was at this precise moment that her cell chose to start playing "I will survive". How appropriate, she thought, thanks maria. At the second ringing, she decided to answer.

"Hello?"

"Lizzie, here you are. Do you know that I need you? You have to come back !!! Michael can't stand in for you.. Like I'm gonna tell him all the things we used to talk about. Do you know what he did to me yesterday? He.."

Propping the phone between her ear and her shoulder while she was listening to Maria, she tried to move her suitcase in order to open the door..

"Maria, maria, maria.I'm at the airport but there's a strike. I don't know when I will be able to fly back and I'm in the bathroom right now.."

"What???!! Didn't you tell me that you were coming home today, Lizzie, it's your best friend here!!" Maria shouted in the phone.

But, wanting to preserve her eardrum, Liz instinctively moved her ear away from the source of the noise.

Wrong move.

"No! NO!NO!Shit, my phone,shit!" she yelled, watching her cell disappearing in the still-working toilet flush.

Her mourning was interrupted when she was startled by a voice coming from the stall next to hers.. "Watch your language, young lady!!"

Surprised and flustered, she exited the bathroom under the disapproving looks of some old ladies..

Now, she was a woman on a mission.. She needed to find a phone quickly. She couldn't afford to have Maria thinking that she didn't want to talk to her because,in this case, she would have to face a frustrated Michael. Or, worse, a Maria believing that something serious had happened to her (like kidnapping, rape..). She would for sure, alerted the police and her parents... Who said that Maria overreacted???

She scanned the room searching for a poor soul with a cell ... and her eyes fell on a good-looking man sitting on a bench.. Good-looking?? LIAR!! An handsome guy using his phone but who seemed strangely familiar to Liz..

She walked towards him, just in time to catch his last sentence "Yeah, I love you too." he said, feeling observed, he looked up and met liz's gaze. She didn't know why, but the combination of these amber eyes and those words sent shivers down her spine.. She had unconsciously stopped just a few steps away from him and they started a staring contest. Both having unreadable looks, both trying to find out into each other's eyes the reason why they couldn't tear their gaze away, why they didn't want to. Some yelling broke the spell, causing her to look behind him. Curious to see what had caught her attention, he turned around to watch what was happening.. It was simply a couple arguing.. Looking at him again, his back to her, she recognized him:

"Oh. My. God, you're the man with no manners !!" she said surprised, while she moved a little closer to him.

"I beg your pardon?" He replied, looking back at her and totally confused."What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about a guy who doesn't even have the decency to apology when he bumps into someone.." She responded, her hands on her hips.

"Do you happen to be the charming lady who called me names a few hours ago?" he said with a smirk, remembering her cries of indignation.

"Oh, you've noticed? I'm so pleasantly surprised that it has really affected you!" she answered sarcastically, slightly tilting her head, causing some strands of hair to come and stroke her face.

"I think it was hard to miss.." he told her absent-mindedly while for the first time he took in her figure. Not only did she have a really pretty face, but a body to die for. She was clad in a caramel knee-length skirt that showed her slender legs and he could also make out a little cleavage and her slim waist through her white close-fitting blouse.

"Like what you see?" she interrupted.

"Maybe not" he teased, giving her a smirk again.

"I know what you mean" she said, nodding.

"You don't like your physical appearance?" he wondered, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I don't like what I'm seeing either.." she replied, looking him straight in the eye.

"You're the first to think so" he smiled, quite amused by this conversation.

"There's a first for everything.. even for disillusion." She shrugged.

He chuckled "With whom do I have the pleasure to share this lovely conversation.?"

"Liz Parker, the woman who promised to make you swallow your phone. But I won't do it right now because I'm in desperate need to use it at this moment in time." She said in a serious voice.

"Max Evans, nice to meet you too !!" They shook hands. "So, need my cell? How can I refuse?It's so nicely ask." He ironically added.

"But it's not like you can refuse."

"Really?"

"Yep, you have to do something if you want to be forgiven.."

"Who says I care if I'm forgiven or not?"

"You, unconsciously. Otherwise, you would have told me to 'get lost'.." She said, giving him a smile.

"Or maybe I'm just too polite.." He smiled before adding "I have a question: don't you have a phone, like, I don't know, the two-third of the population?"

"It perished in tragic circumstances.." She responded, never breaking eye contact

"Care to tell more?" He asked, giving her his cell.

"Thanks. Eh, no. Let it rest in peace" This comment owed her a funny look from Max.

Liz sat down next to him and dialled Maria's number.

"Hello Maria, it's Liz.."

"No Maria, nothing happened to me.."

"And no Maria, I didn't hang up on you on purpose.. I've just had a little problem, that's all.."

"What happened? ehh.." Liz turned to see Max studying her and listening to her conversation.

"It.. disapeared into the toilet flush.." she mumbled and saw Max laughing at her. She couldn't help but thought that he had a beautiful laugh.

Max didn't listen to her conversation anymore but just kept staring at her. She was beautiful even when she was blushing, embarrassed that he had heard the 'tragic' end of her phone.. Her eyes fascinated him.. He couldn't look away..He couldn't think of anything else.. He shook his head.. What was happening to him?? He already had someone in his life.

His thoughts were interrupted by the feminine voice resonating in the airport:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, American airlines first class passengers are asked to present themselves at the counter of the company. Thank you."

"Damn! I have to go!" He got up, gathered his belongings, said a quick good- bye to Liz and walked away.. Liz, who was still engrossed in her conversation, suddenly realized he was leaving, and standing up she shouted:

"Max! Max! Your phone!!!"

But he was already away, her cries drowned out by the growing hubbub..

"Liz, Liz, I'm still here, you know!!"

Liz looked down at the cell she was still holding in her hand, and remembered her conversation with Maria.

"I'm here Maria, I'm here.."

"What happened?"

"The man who lent me his phone.."

"Max?"

"Yeah, how do you know ?"

"You shouted his name in my ear, sweetie.."

They shared a laugh before Liz kept going..

"He had to go but he has forgotten his phone.."

"Was he cute?"

"No, he was gorgeous.."

TBC.