Chapter 2

Original Cindy walked into the bar just like always, and immediately noticed some type of commotion going on at the center. But there was a large crowd, so it was difficult to see. She walked to the bar. "Hey, can't a girl get a beer? And what is the fuss down there? Is there a fight goin' down?"

The bartender smiled as he handed her a full glass, "I don't know what's goin' on. From here, looks like strip-air hockey, or somethin'."

"Strip-air hockey?" OC asked with one brow raised. You have got to be kidding me. "Idiots here reach a new low, I guess. Damn, never underestimate what a couple of bored drunks'll do." She stood up to see if maybe one of the players was some hot female. Least one good thing could come of this- a good view.

"What the…" she said as recognition as well as a grin spread itself across her face. "What are those two doing down there?"

Just as she finished her question, Sketchy plopped beside her. "Cindy! At least I found you." He let out a breath and ordered a beer to join her with. "Man, where the hell are Max and Alec? I can't find anyone in here with all this commotion."

OC nodded toward the center of the crowd. "Suga and Golden Boy are gettin' it on down there!" she told him.

They heard some female whistling and wondered what was going on now. As they both forced their way into the crowd, they were shocked at the sight.

Just seeing Max and Alec play a game together was odd enough, but the fact that they both weren't wearing much on top…well, and Alec wasn't even wearing anything on top… "Holy crap! Look at all the guys cheering for Max!" Sketchy commented, as Cindy noted all the men goggling at her friend's figure.

"And look at all those waste of good straight females, droolin' over Golden Boy! I mean, boy looks good, but… damn!" She took a second look at Alec's glinting muscles. "Do you look like that without a shirt, Sketch?"

Sketchy gave her a miserable look, indicating his answer. "I think I need to get wasted fast. Beer!" he yelled as he headed back to the bar for a quick refill.

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Max wasn't quite sure at what point her carefree, happy mood had flown out the window. All she was sure of now was that she absolutely had to win, no matter what. She also was questioning the stakes. 3 days of my work? I need to make sure Logan has one hell of a mission in store! Alec deserved a hell of a lot worse than that! Especially with how he was acting now, trying to get her all hot and bothered so she'd screw up.

"Oh! That was so close, Alec!" some big-boobed ditz cheered on. THAT is what's driving me nuts, Max realized. Her mood was fine until his very own set of cheerleaders had come into the match. Didn't those bimbos have anything better to do than root for Alec? He was cocky enough on his own, he didn't need their cheers!

"Go Alec!" another one said.

"Would you shut it!" Max yelled to them, shooting a puck purposely so that it ricocheted off the edge and was heading for the girl's head.

Alec, unfortunately, reached out to grab it before it hit the ditz, apparently causing pain to shoot through his arm. "Geez, Max!" he said, "Could you have hit that a little harder?"

"Oh, thanks Alec!" the girl said, as if he'd saved her life or something.

"Seriously? Do you even know him?" Max couldn't help asking them during the game's momentary pause.

"I know a good man when I see one," the girl replied.

"Oh, please!" Max said as she rolled her eyes, "You just can't take your eyes off his shiny, sweat drenched hard abs!" Max meant the comment to prove a point that they were superficial twits, but the comment caused a blush to come over her cheeks.

"Maxie!" Alec said, beaming, "And here I thought you didn't think about me much! Well, except for my ass, of course."

Max ignored the comment referring to his butt. She had no intention of thinking about that at all, at least without severe pain coming with it. "Yea, I think about you," Max told him with a seductive stare and smile. It was natural, with her cat DNA. She didn't even have to try. Especially in what she was wearing, or rather, what she was left wearing. She enjoyed the lacking focus that Alec was starting to show as she continued. However, she couldn't help but take the moment to get a jab at him. "When I'm picturing your face resembling something along the lines of a wrecked car!" she finished.

Alec laughed, "Don't fool yourself, Maxie. Look how worked up you're getting! You have nothing to worry, I told you, my eyes are only on you."

Max glared at him, "What, you think I'm jealous?"

Alec shrugged, "Maybe."

"Or maybe," Max argued, "I'm just sick of hearing their whiny little voices!"

"Hey!" a girl argued.

"Shut it!" Max growled at the girl, giving her a look that finally did silence the ditz.

"Forget them," Max decided. "This is about you and me."

Alec only responded by starting the game back up, which was now tied 6-6, from various turning points in the game. First to 10 was the winner. This was probably the longest game the bar had ever seen. Usually, more attention was given to the pool table, but tonight, the two transgenics were providing good entertainment for the entire bar.

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Max beamed as the shot went in. The moment of happiness was quick, however, as he immediately countered with a perfectly accurate shot yet again! This time he hadn't even taken a moment to make his usual comment or smirk. It seemed it was all game now.

Alec cursed silently as he realized she'd gotten him again. Every time he thought he had her, she had some way of distracting him just enough to gain back a point and tie the game. Or maybe a small part of him was letting her tie it up. He enjoyed baiting her to see just how far she would go to beat him. He loved competition and winning, of course. But it was quite possible that he loved toying with Max more. Something in the passion that he could spark in her eyes, be it anger or that attraction that she tried desperately to ignore and hide, got him going. It was like instinct for him. If losing a point or two meant that Max would become that much more worked up seemed to cause his hand to flinch a distance not visible to the human eye.

Max, although trained to last through strenuous physical activity for an extended period of time, was finding herself a bit damp from the workout she was getting. The shots were coming so fast that she had to move her feet just as quickly as her arms to stay focused and react in time to save herself from being scored on. Or maybe she was still a bit flushed thanks to the naked, sweat glinting chest that she had to catch a glimpse of every single time she aimed for his goal. Screw exposure! she thought angrily as she realized her body's reaction to his antics. I'm taking this bitch down!

She stopped his next shot by grabbing the puck right off the table with her bare hands.

"Hey!" Alec started to complain, "That's illegal. What, you've given up on beating me fair and square?"

"All's fair in love and war," Max returned with a tone that held seduction just as much as anger.

"And which one is this?" Alec asked her with a suggestive stare and grin. He couldn't help licking his lips as he found his mouth feeling very dry all of a sudden as he took in the sight that lay in front of him. He'd been so focused on his own actions in the game and beating her that he hadn't really allowed himself to notice her form. He wondered for a moment if there was something he could do or say to upset her enough to try and slap him as she usually reacted. He wasn't sure, though, if he could handle the distance between them if she were to approach him, even if to slap him upside the head. Right now she looked far too appealing to his eyes, the way her damp, thin black tank top was clinging to her curves. He followed the view up to her face to realize she was still giving him that stare. He took in how full and inviting her lips looked and instead wondered what words lay behind her stare. Was she giving in to her attraction finally? Something about her moves, actions, and clearly her temperature showed him that she enjoyed his company far more than she probably was willing to admit or even realize. But maybe she was ready to quit fighting it.

"Which one do you think?" she asked him, leaving him open to make a mistake in his next choice of words.

"Both," he answered with an intense stare, catching her off guard enough that her face produced a look of momentary shock as she lost the firm, confident expression she'd been holding up until then.

She ignored his eyes' advances, as usual, by changing the subject. It seemed she wasn't ready after all. "We're tied 9 to 9 right? Next point wins. I think we should take a short break."

"You're wanting to drag this out even more?" he asked her. "Or is it that you want more time to strategize against me?" A different set of words tugged in his head, wanting to be heard. But he held them in. That was the other thing about Max. Even though she avoided and denied everything, he let her. As crazy as she made him, he held onto immeasurable patience with her for some reason. He could just get in her face and see what would happen, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Maybe it was some foolish hope that he was still holding onto, but he wanted her to come to her own senses about her attraction and desire for him. She couldn't ignore her body forever.

Well...maybe he was underestimating her. He knew that he couldn't ignore desire for too long. But maybe Max had more patience than he'd first realized.

Max laughed in response. "I don't need to think about beating you. It comes naturally!"

Alec snorted before feigning a more serious look to show that he accepted her take on her own skills against him. "Okay, then what is it then?"

"I need a drink," she answered simply before departing for the bar.

Alec shook his head and his stare from watching her backside as she walked away. "You and me both!" he mumbled before following her, only because that was the direction of the bar.

As Max found her way to the bar, she was greeted by a familiar face. "Damn, boo! Who knew that a little game of air hockey versus your favorite boy would be all it took ta get ya all hot and bothered!" Cindy greeted her.

Max shot her friend a defensive stare. She couldn't help it. "He's not my boy," she mumbled before ordering a drink. "So glad you finally could make it!" she added to her friend.

OC laughed at her. "I guess I should be late more often. You and Golden Boy down there might finally admit..." She trailed off, realizing she wasn't quite drunk enough yet to say the things she wanted to tell Max. Being blunt was nothing new for Cindy or Max, but Cindy knew Max well enough to know that if the words escaped her lips, Max would more than likely only deny it further. Cindy wasn't into men, but that didn't mean she couldn't tell when others were. Max's denial of her obvious attraction to Alec had resulted in a more subtle reaction from Cindy before, with little reminders here and there that Max was just a little too hard on the guy and seemed obsessed with making him out to be the bad guy. But seeing Max's reaction to him during their game, it made Cindy lose some of her apprehension about the whole thing.

But the look in Max's eyes told Cindy she didn't need to say it to get the point across. Max already knew what was coming next, but that didn't mean she would listen to it in the literal sense.

"Yea, what can I say?" Cindy continued finally. "I heard there was strip-air hockey goin' down. I thought I'd at least get a good view. Not that you ain't totally with it, but I can't really enjoy seein' my best homegirl the same way I could some lickety chick, ya know what I mean? Needless to say, Original Cindy needs a few more before you lose more than ya jacket!"

Max laughed. "Nothing more is coming off, okay! I wouldn't give Alec the satisfaction."

"Oh, girl, I'm seein' his stares! I think you already gave him plenty of satisfaction!" Cindy replied with another large swig of her drink.

As if on cue, Alec mosied right next to Max to take the empty seat beside her and order his own drink. Max quickly killed her beer before ordering a shot of tequila. She was really hoping he hadn't heard Cindy's comment.

Unfortunately, his greeting indicated that her hopes wouldn't be realized. "It's true, Maxie," he told her after ordering himself a beer. "I'm feeling very satisfied right now. But I'm always open for more satisfaction!" He suggestively wiggled his eyebrows and gave her the signature smirk that had helped her to name him.

"I'll bet," Max mumbled in response but didn't face him to say it.

"Especially if it's coming from you," he finished in a low voice and a cocky grin.

That comment did cause her to turn and face him. She stared in shock to find he hadn't had the decency to clothe himself again. It wasn't like he could be overheated while drinking something refreshing. He was completely ego-centric. Why else would he continue to show off his stomach? It was unnerving! "Geez, Alec!" she couldn't help but say to him. "Can't you put your shirt back on already!"

Alec laughed slightly. "Well, I'm only going to take it back off when we get back to our little game over there," he told her. "It's getting pretty intense down there, don't you think?"

Max pursed her lips and tried not to comment.

Alec slipped his shirt back on in spite of his complaint. "Just how long of a break were you planning? I'd like to get my reward started immediately if you don't mind!" he joked.

Max downed the shot and faced him again. "Okay, Pretty Boy, you may as well rip that off right now, cuz after that comment, I'm ready to can your ass once and for all and end this ego that seems to be radiating from your thick head."

Alec laughed and instead of replying finished his beer.

Max didn't remove her stare. "Or do I need to take it off for you?" she asked him.

"Actually, I think I'd really enjoy that," Alec admitted while still teasing her.

"Well if you leave it up to me, I'll have to take your face off, too, so you might as well do it yourself." She stood up from her seat and turned her attention to Cindy. "Save my seat for me, will ya? I'll be back to celebrate my win in about a minute!" She gave her friend a determined and confident look.

"Actually, this is Sketchy's seat, but I guess he's still tied up puking his guts out in the weaker sex's bathroom," Cindy told her. "Poor guy wanted to get wasted fast when he saw Pretty Boy's fan club over there!" Cindy mumbled a further comment, "'sides, something tells me Alec ain't no one minute man!"

Max rolled her eyes and ignored the comment concerning Alec. "No worries, this will all be over soon enough."

Right then, Sketchy came back to his seat to finally greet Max. He was fairly drunk by the looks of his expression and movement. "Max! Alec! The beautiful couple from Jam Pony, representin' down there! I love it! But Max, I really think I'd love it more if you wore this sort of top at work tomorrow."

Max however, had already started to make her way back to the air hockey table. It seemed she couldn't have fun anymore until she'd put Alec firmly in his place.

"Good to see you, Sketch!" Alec said with a nod toward his friend before undressing himself on top again so that he could get back to the game. "Hold this for me, will ya? I don't want some wierd girl sniffing it or something," Alec finished as he shoved his shirt at Sketchy.

Sketchy stared again at Alec's naked abdomen and then back as he watched the transgenic get back to his game. Sketch turned back to the bartender. "Definitely need another beer over here!" he told the man in a hurry.

a/n: thanks ya all for your encouragement to continue this! So I'm thinking an alternate ending- one where Alec wins and one where Max wins! What do you think?