Floodgates

by BinBagBrain

This takes place roughly in Season 3 beginning in Spring Break. Some of the storylines in the show are removed/ignored so there's less animosity between the characters of Fran and Max. Any wordiness is just to help create an image and provide some stage direction for the reader to help them visualize what is happening. Don't forget to read all the chapters! More chapters to come!

21. Chapter 21

Fran and Max woke the next morning to the buzzing of the alarm clock. He rolled over and turned it off, then rolled back to continue spooning with Fran. She took a deep breath and exhaled, and pulled his forearm up against her. Max nuzzled into her shoulders and took her fingers between his, then stroked the middle of her chest with his thumb.

"Mmmm…" she sighed. Max kissed the back of her shoulder through her shirt and gave her a squeeze.

"I don't want to get up," he mumbled.

"Me neither." She let go of his hand and slid hers down his forearm and began to rub it softly back and forth. "This is nice…" she whispered. "Can we do this tomorrow morning, if we sleep in?"

"Absolutely." Max kissed her back and shoulder several times, then moved his hand down to her belly and clutched her. Fran smiled and put her hand over his again.

"I love your hands… and your arms… they're so soft…" she smiled, stroking his fingers.

"That doesn't bother you? That they aren't full of callouses or anything?"

"Not at all. Your hands are gorgeous, don't ever let that change. It feels so nice when you touch me, baby! Like right now, that feels good."

"You mean like this?" He stroked her skin with his thumb, back and forth. It tickled Fran, so she sucked in her belly and giggled.

"Mmm hmmm!" Max kissed her shoulder again and smiled.

"Fran? I'd like more time with you tonight, after dinner, like last night. But up here, instead of in the livingroom. Could we do that?"

"Yeah, I'd like that, too. The couch is great, but I still wonder if somebody might see us through the front door. At least at night."

"You do? Oh, I suppose that might be possible, if we have the lights on down there. We can be careful of that."

"And if we spend all that time up here, we don't have to interrupt anything to turn everything off and come up to bed. We'll already be here… probably making out…"

Max chuckled. "Probably… and wandering… exploring…"

Fran pulled her shoulders up and grinned. Just thinking about what they might be doing got her wound up. She moved Max's hand a little higher up her belly into her shirt. The side of his finger just grazed the skin of a breast, and it made her gulp.

It made Max gulp, too. He almost froze, then he nuzzled into the back of her neck- into her hair. He didn't want to move. It felt so nice to be holding her that way, to feel her skin on his. He exhaled against her, relaxing with his thoughts, then he let himself lightly stroke Fran's skin again with his thumb. He thought about the night before- how they kissed and held each other. The kissing was amazing. He thought about how he kissed her belly… her wonderful belly. He cleared his throat, realizing he was getting himself going on top of already trying to be careful because of his morning arousal. Even if Fran was aware of it and it didn't bother her or make her uncomfortable in any way, he still felt the need to be a little modest.

Fran wished that they could stay like that- she wished they hadn't made plans for that morning. But she also knew they would have so many more mornings like this together, and thinking about that made her emotional. "I love you, Max," she said.

"I love you, Fran. I love you so much. I wish we didn't have to get up at all this morning, but it's probably time we start."

"Yeah. We probably should. But just one more minute of this, okay? Just one more minute…"

"Mmmm… okay." He hugged her to him and kissed her all over the back of her shoulders and towards the back of her neck. She giggled and rolled over towards him, draping her arm over his shoulder. He held onto her, his hand in the back of her shirt against her skin. She stroked his head over his ear and smiled at him.

"Good morning, sweetie!"

"Good morning, my love! Did you sleep well?"

"I sure did! You?"

"Yes, I did. Very well. I'm liking this arrangement a lot. Sometimes I can't tell if I'm awake or in a dream. Either way, you're still in my arms, and it feels wonderful! I have such nice dreams about you."

"Really? Because I have some really good ones about you, too. Really good!"

"I'm glad. I like seeing you happy like this. It makes me happy, too."

"Good. I need you to be happy. I'd do anything to make you happy, baby."

"You make me very happy!" He kissed her forehead and stroked her bare side under the covers.

They looked at each other lovingly, letting their eyes get adjusted to the light coming in around the curtains. Fran played with his hair in her fingertips and caressed his cheekbone, and he grazed his fingertips over her skin. He sighed and looked up at the window.

"We better start doing something. You're welcome to have the shower first, sweetheart. I know you might need a bit more time than I will."

Fran looked up at the window, too, then pushed herself up to look at the clock. "Aw, poo. Well, I guess you're right. We better get up. We need to go look at your furniture while we can. I know you're looking forward to that." Max rolled over onto his back, still looking at her.

"Yes, I do really want to see what that place has. I really liked a lot of those pieces. And remember, after that, we get to have a lunch date together. And then we can pick up all of those other goodies we bought. That'll be fun, too."

"Yeah! I almost forgot about that! Some of that stuff we can redecorate with. Oh, now I'm ready to get up! We're gonna have a fun day!" She patted his chest and leaned over, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "Okay, I'll get a move on. No falling back to sleep, though!" She patted him again, then sat up and slid out of the covers and off the bed, then hurried around it to the closet to get her clothes for the day. She grabbed her things and hurried back out, then reached for Max's hand one last time before heading to the bathroom. "No sleeping! I'll be as quick as I can!"

"Take your time, sweetheart." He let go of her hand and watched her run on her tiptoes to the bathroom, then she turned on the light and shut the door. He rubbed a hand over his face, trying to wake himself up more, then stretched his arms out beside him and yawned. He reached over to turn on the bedside light, then laid back down on his pillow. He just wanted to relax a little while longer, and listen to Fran moving around in the bathroom. He really was happy she was with him- that they were together, and sharing a bedroom. They were sharing a house. They were a family. He could never have imagined that that would be possible for him again. But it was happening, with this wonderful woman he adored. He couldn't be happier.

"Okay, baby! I'm ready!" Fran said, bouncing in through the bedroom door. She had just finished doing her hair and makeup in her old bedroom. Max was sitting on the bench, pulling on his new boots. He smiled at her and stood up, reaching out his hands to her.

"You look beautiful, darling! How is all this?" He asked, gesturing to his own outfit and shoes.

"I like! Very much! How do the boots feel?"

"So far so good. You ready for our croissant breakfast?"

"Yes! I'm hungry! You got everything? I got my purse changed over from yesterday."

"Let me grab my wallet real quick, and we'll head downstairs." Max hurried over to grab his wallet, stuck it in the back pocket of his jeans, and then rushed back to Fran to take her hand and head downstairs. They hurried through the halls and down the back stairs, giggling as they bounced into the kitchen.

"Do you want one of each, sweetheart? Or just one?" Max asked.

"Oh, uh, let's just start with a savory, then I'll see if I have any room for more. You want coffee of tea this morning?"

"Um, you know what? I think I'd love some tea. Maybe we can find a nice coffee with lunch today."

"Okay, that sounds good! Do you want to get the croissants warmed up and I'll get the water boiling?"

"Sure!" Max grabbed the box of croissants and brought them over to the toaster oven next to the stove while Fran grabbed the kettle and filled it with water, then turned around, set it on the stove, and turned on the burner. Max set the two ham and cheese croissants on the tray in the toaster and turned it on, then turned to Fran. He reached for her waist and she let him pull her close. "You know, sweetheart, I really enjoyed last night…"

"Yeah?" She grinned. "The sleeping, or the other stuff?"

"Both. And I was thinking… maybe… when we come home this afternoon, after we move your things over, if there's still time before dinner… maybe we could- ah,"

"Fool around?" She asked.

"Well, I was going to say do a crossword puzzle or something, but your idea is good, too!" He smiled and Fran laughed out loud.

"You tease!" She swatted him, then reached for his face and pulled him to her for a big kiss. He slid his arms around her body and hugged her, then lifted her off the floor as they kissed.

"Mmmm… I would love to fool around with you, my love."

"Good… because I'm sure gonna fool around with you, baby! You got me really worked up last night." Max set her back down on her feet but didn't let go of her.

"You got me pretty worked up, too." He kissed her softly several times. "I have to ask, tonight- should we have any rules in place again?" Fran wrapped an arm around his neck and let her other hand slide down his chest.

"Well, we did pretty good last night, not breaking our rule. But I don't know if I could stick to it again. At least not completely," she looked into his eyes and rubbed his chest.

"Yes, it's getting pretty difficult to slow down with you. But I know it's a good idea to try."

"What if- what if we stick to half of that rule? Keeping our clothes on? Maybe we have to keep half of our clothes on…" Max felt his heart start to race as he thought about it.

"Half of our clothes on? I'm assuming, the bottom half?" Fran nodded at him, then slid her arms down around his waist. "So, you would be okay with- if our, um, wanderings, may lead to our shirts potentially… coming off?" He gulped.

"Yes. I thought that might happen last night. If we hadn't slowed down, it probably could have…" They looked into each other's eyes again, then over their faces. Max caressed her cheek.

"I could agree to that. We keep our britches on, and if anything else up above may come off, then that would be alright with me. It would be alright with you?"

"Yeah, it would." She smiled and hugged him, and rested her cheek against his chest. He enveloped her in his arms and kissed the top of her head. They turned to the side to look at the stove and the toaster oven.

"Do you want a plate for yours? He asked.

"Let's share one. A bigger plate. That's fewer dishes. And let me get the mugs and tea bags." Max let go of her and he stepped towards one cabinet to retrieve a plate and she stepped towards another to get out two mugs. She set them on the counter and pulled out two tea bags, putting one in each mug. Max headed around the counter and took out two spoons from the drawer, then grabbed the milk from the fridge and rejoined Fran. The whistle blew on the kettle, and Fran pulled it off the stove and shut off the burner. As she poured the hot water into the mugs, the toaster oven dinged. Max carefully slid both croissants out of the oven and onto the plate. They carried everything over to the kitchen table and sat down. They both took bites of their breakfasts and dunked their teabags until their tea was brewed. They sorted out their tea and stirred in the milk and sugar, set down the spoons, and took sips.

"Fran, is that tape measure in the drawer? I was thinking maybe I should measure the space out there in the livingroom, in case we decide to get any pieces. And maybe we should bring the catalog, too, to make sure we know where we're going."

"Okay, yeah, the tape measure's back in the drawer. We're really taking the car today? The Rover?"

"Yes, I figure if we're picking up those things from the shops, then that car would be best."

"That'll be nice- being driven around by you. We've barely ever done that. And not as a couple. That'll be really nice!"

"You like the idea of me driving you around in the car?" Max raised an eyebrow, then took another bite.

"I do! Maybe it's kind of a domestic thing, too. My boyfriend's escorting me around town in his nice car!" She curled her arm around his and smiled.

"Our car, darling. Our car, now." He leaned to her and pecked her softly on the lips.

"Our car? But I'm just your girlfriend. Are you sure about that?"

"I am. You're my partner, Fran. I want to share everything with you. Because I love you. I really love you." He reached over and put his hand on her knee and squeezed it. She clutched his arm tightly and leaned against him.

"You're just the biggest sweetie ever, Max. Do you know that? You really are. And I really love you, too."

"Mmm!" He kissed her again. "How is your breakfast?"

"Very good! Do you like yours?"

"I do. That ham and cheese is very good. Will this be enough for you, or do you want to warm up the other one?"

"I think this'll do, I might save the other one for dessert."

"That's a good idea, I think I'll do the same." Max finished off his croissant and then the rest of his tea and waited for Fran to finish hers. They grabbed the plate and mugs and cleaned off the table, then put everything in the dishwasher.

"Are we leaving this way?" Fran asked.

"Yes."

"Okay, I'll leave my purse here. You want to grab that measuring tape and I'll go grab the catalog. And oh, we should probably get the newspaper, too."

"Okay." She waited for Max to grab the measuring tape from the drawer, then they both hurried through the door to the dining room and out to the living room. Max headed for the television console to measure out the space while Fran went out the front door to grab the newspaper, then went to the stack of catalogs on the piano to dig out the catalog for the workshop. When they had everything, they grabbed their coats from the closet and put them on, then headed out through the kitchen, dropping off the newspaper on the kitchen table before they went out the door to go get the Rover.

They drove past the workshop, then Max turned the corner to go around the block. They followed a sign that said "Parking in Rear," and were happy to find a small parking lot for the business and a free space in it. Max pulled in carefully, making sure he had room, then parked.

"We're here, baby! You excited?" Fran asked.

"I am, actually. I really hope things look as good as they do in the catalog."

"Oh, I'm sure they do. Jackie seemed pretty enthusiastic about it all, like he was sure it's all good enough to be really important."

"True. Well, then… let's get in there!" Max said, excitedly. Fran grinned, and they both opened their doors and hopped out. Fran met him around the back of the car and he took her hand. They walked back around the building to the front of the shop and headed inside.

Max held the door for Fran as they entered the showroom. Max looked around and smiled from ear to ear. Fran looked at him and grinned, then patted his shoulder.

"Go ahead and look around, sweetie," she encouraged him. The showroom and workshop were in a long, industrial brick building, probably originally a small factory of some sort. It was probably originally a two-story building, but had obviously undergone remodeling multiple times over the years, so now was primarily a single-story space with high ceilings. The showroom was lit from every corner and crevice, with large industrial light fixtures hanging from the beams high above. Several large area rugs laid on the wood-planked floor, and the beautiful pieces of furniture lined the walls and created two long rows in the middle. Max didn't know where to begin.

A woman came out of a doorway halfway down the length of the building, smiled at Fran, and headed towards them, waving a hand welcomingly. Fran headed in the woman's direction.

"Hello! Are you Jackie's aunt?" Fran asked.

"Yes, I am! And who might you be?"

"My name is Fran, and that's Max over there, drooling over everything. Jackie moved some furniture for us the other day and gave us a catalog. Max has been itching to get over here to see everything in person, he may want to see about getting a piece for our livingroom. We just got a new couch and some other furniture, and now the TV console looks out of place. You know, your nephew is quite the advocate for you guys. He seems to be really proud of what you have here."

"Oh, how sweet! Jackie really is a good guy, he's one of the few people we trust to move this stuff and get it where it's going without any damage. So, did you two have an idea for the type of piece you were looking for?"

"Well, I think he's pretty fond of that blue color. Our new couch is blue, and it might work well with that. I think he was looking at the mid-century inspired pieces. But everything in that catalog is really beautiful, he might have a hard time deciding."

"Oh, wonderful! We have a number of the blue pieces on display- we have a full room right next door where the finished pieces get put once the finish has set. It's gotten pretty full over the winter. Our business tends to really pick up in the summer, so we try to make sure we have as many as he can make to be ready for it. He also works on commissioned pieces alongside all of that, so it's quite a bit of work, but at least it allows us to settle down just a little bit during the summer and take a vacation if we want to."

"That's wonderful! So he really does make all this by himself? It looks like so much work!"

"For the most part, he does. He does take apprentices in, usually for the Fall, but sometimes they continue with him in the Spring. We've got two apprentices that are out at the mills we use right now, learning about how the milling operation happens, and how they cut the boards, learning the different species and what they are good for, how to pick out the best boards, all of that. And they help Frank prep all the boards so he can get them all cut to size pretty quickly, and begin piecing things together. He's got it all down to a science, he has templates and plans and all the boards picked and marked out for different things- it's really quite a sight to see! Maybe we can get him up here if he isn't busy, and maybe show you the workshop, if that's something you'd like to see."

"Oh my gosh, Max would freak out! I know he would love that. Oh! Jackie said something about your son making things, too. Were any of his things in the catalog?" Fran asked.

"Oh, no, they aren't in the catalog yet. They are smaller pieces, more tabletop-sized. And we have a hard time keeping them here long enough before they get sold. We're trying to set up a space in the front window next door for him to display his pieces, if we can hang on to enough of them to fill the space. He's here, too, out back. I think he's on the bandsaw, resawing boards this morning. He's working on some new designs and has been trying to find the right look with a different mix of woods. He basically apprenticed with his father his whole life, he knew what he wanted to do since he could pick up a saw. We didn't push him on going to college, he's already very smart, and he's probably had the best teacher he could have gotten. Oh, we have an album here of his work. And my husband's too. Would you like to see them?"

"Sure! Max is gonna be busy a while, I have a feeling! I'd love to see your son's stuff." The woman stepped over to a bookshelf behind her and pulled out two large photo albums, then brought them over to the old, wooden, industrial table that Fran stood next to. She laid them side by side, and opened her husband's album first.

"Here's where it started- this is Frank when he was little. Oh, his real name is Franco, and he uses that on the furniture, but he wants everybody to call him 'Frank,' not Frankie, either, which is kinda hard around a bunch of Italians!" She and Fran laughed. "Oh, did I introduce myself? My name is Deena. Deena Fratelli."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Fran Fine. Jackie said you guys have two great aunts that live in the same home as my grandmother- Yetta Rosenberg. So we kind of cross over in the same circles, I guess."

"Oh, yes! Wow, that's interesting! Is that how you found out about his moving business?"

"Yep- my mother has the magnet on her fridge, and we just happened to be in a bind with trying to get our old furniture moved out in time for the new stuff to be delivered. We really lucked out with them. And now we're here! And we're probably gonna be new customers of yours, because I really don't think Max will let us leave here without getting something. So this is Frank? Playing with blocks, that's so cute!"

"Yeah, that's where it started. He apparently kept building these stacks of blocks that were in shapes a lot like some of the furniture pieces he makes now. See these other blocks? With the weird shapes? His father actually made those for him, because he would get upset that he couldn't get the look he wanted with the other blocks- he wanted more angles and more curves and all sorts of things. Look at these next two pictures…" she flipped to the next page and Fran smiled.

"Oh! That's adorable! Did he do that on purpose when he was grown- to copy that tower?"

"No- this other picture, I took that one. This was his first large piece, after we started seeing each other. A lot of his other pieces then were similar, but this was when he really settled on a design and knew he wanted to build more than one of them. Then, of course, his mother had to bring out his baby album to show me all the pictures of him when he was little, and I saw this one. I was like, oh my god! That's exactly what he's making! And all the pieces came together. He'd been seeing those designs since he was little, and he just had to gain the skills to build them himself. He was really good when I met him, when we were teenagers, but you can see how much more he's developed since then." She flipped to the next page and let Fran go through all the photos of his pieces.

"Wow! Can he still make all of these? Like, does he have the plans for all of them?"

"He does, he has all the records for all of his pieces. That's what Jackie's trying to archive and keep track of for us. The Fratelli's are a meticulous bunch, that's for sure. They're all perfectionists in their own way. No matter what they do as a career, they need everything orderly and as good as it can possibly be. Even Jackie- I don't know what it was about moving that made him and Joey pick that, but you better believe they are probably the best at it. They know how to run their businesses, they know how to pack things up and protect them so nothing gets damaged, and they know whether or not something will fit through any space or not even without measuring it. It's really amazing. That's why we use them to move our pieces, they know exactly what's required to protect it, and how important it is."

"That's really neat, that they all have that in common. What about your son? Did he always want to make things like his father?"

"Yeah, look at this-" she opened the other album to the first page, and there was a similar photo of him playing with the same kind of blocks as his father, then a photo below it of him at a workbench working on one of his pieces.

"Oh! That's amazing! Just like his daddy! Oh, you must be gushing!"

"Yeah, I'm proud of them both. Really proud. Just seeing how happy they are at what they do, nothing else matters, you know? And I love looking after them both."

"Aw, that's wonderful! So your son's name is Michael? Does he go by that, or by Mike?"

"He'll answer to either, as long as it isn't 'Mikey.' He thinks that makes him sound like a little kid, and he's trying to be very mature and professional these days, even though he's always kind of been like that, just like his dad."

"That's so cute! Let me see some of his work- oh! Look at that! Hey, wait a minute-" she turned the page back to compare Michael as a toddler with his blocks to the pieces on the subsequent pages. "You're kidding me!" She looked at Deena, who saw that Fran realized something, too. "His stuff looks just like the blocks, too! Not the same as Frank's, but oh my gosh! Frank's are shorter and wider and bigger, and Michael's are taller and skinnier and smaller! Oh, how cool is that?!" Fran got really excited.

"Yes, he used to get frustrated when he was little, trying to get the blocks to stand really tall, and they would fall over every time. His father showed him how to build them to get more structure and support, so they could get the shape he wanted. Then he started getting into curvy pieces, almost pot-bellied. His father was doing a lot more straight lines and angles, so it was almost like he had to do the opposite- lots of curves. We started him on an old scroll saw before he was even in school yet, and he was making all sorts of shapes from these thin boards and scraps. He would have sat there all day doing that if we let him. It was pretty fantastic."

"They're so beautiful! They almost look like they're large pieces, like they should be standing on the floor, but you can see that they're on a table. Oh my gosh, the girls would love these! Is there anything like a jewelry box? Not just for rings and bracelets, but like something that can hold necklaces, too?" Fran asked, going through the pages of photos.

"I imagine he could, he might just need to modify something. Either a larger drawer, or several drawers, or maybe even something with pegs that a necklace could be hung from?"

"Yes, exactly! Maybe even both. Maybe with side doors, and the drawers in the middle? Oh, I'm getting so many ideas! Does he do commissions?"

"Yes, he does, as long as it's interesting to him, or if it's just making a piece he has already designed. He really gets excited with new ideas, though, so if you get to meet him, you might ask him about that. He's pretty straightforward, he'll tell you right away if it's not something he wants to do."

"Oh, alright. My gosh, does he make these handles too? Are they made out of wood?"

"Yes, they are. He turns them on a lathe, or carves them by hand. He's really good at getting them all to match, too."

"Wow, this is all so wonderful! Both of their things. I have to show Max these pictures, too." Fran turned around to see where Max was. He was kneeling in front of a piece, running his hand over it and gently pulling open the cabinet doors. "Hey, Max? Can I pull you away from all of those to come look at something a second?" Max stood up and looked over at her.

"Sure, darling. I'm sorry, I just got lost in all these pieces! They're beautiful!" He walked over to Fran at the table. "What did you want to show me?"

"These albums. But first, Max this is Deena Fratelli, Deena, this is Max Sheffield. And her husband is Frank and their son is Michael. Look at the things Michael makes! I was thinking of jewelry boxes for the girls. Look at these! And oh, Max, let me turn back to the fronts of both of these, you have to see this!" She flipped the albums back to the front and showed Max the two toddlers playing with their blocks, and then pointed out how the pieces they built later looked exactly like the younger versions.

"Oh, my goodness! That's really amazing. Can I look at these? Are you done?" He asked Fran.

"Go ahead, but I might look at them a bunch more. Michael doesn't have a catalog, so I want to get a good look at all of those pieces. He does commissions, you know!"

"Good! Oh, Fran, see that piece over there under the light? The blue one? Will you go have a look at that and see what you think? I'm pretty sure that's the one from the catalog I was looking at."

"Oh, really? Let me go see real quick!" Fran hurried across the room to have a look at the console table Max liked, and Max turned back to look at the albums.

"So Fran tells me that you might be interested in our blue pieces? Were you looking for something to go with a television, or as a stand-alone piece?"

"Well, mostly as a new place for a television. We might need to get a new television, too, so I'm trying to consider everything. But after seeing all of these in person, I may consider getting something else as well. And I see Fran has gone crazy for your son's work. They really are quite beautiful. The girls would love these, and Fran, too. Tell me, has he made anything like a watch holder, or a tray- like for men- you know, for wallets and watches, change, that sort of thing?"

"Um, he does have one in here he tried out. Let me see… here it is, I think he was calling it a 'low boy', or maybe it was a 'low man,' something like that. He thought that name was funny. See how it has the curved legs? But it looks like a cut off highboy, and he lined the tray with leather. That change dish, he turned that on the lathe. I think he did that with those watch holders, too. Is this the sort of thing you were thinking of?"

"Yes, that's nice. Does he not like to make pieces like this?"

"I think he just gravitates to the tall, narrow ones. He likes decorative tops, and this pot-bellied stance. He loved the movie 'Beauty and the Beast' and I think he likes to imagine his pieces are animated characters. They do have a bit of movement in them."

"Yes, I see. They really do. Like a stretch, and a bounce, almost. That's fantastic. That reminds me of my youngest, I think she would get such a kick out of these. Does he ever use color in his pieces, like your husband does with the stain?"

"I'm glad you asked that, because he's working on experiments with milk paint at the moment. I don't think he likes solid color, I think he likes more of a wash- a bit along the lines of the way my husband uses the stain- so you can still see the wood grain through it. They both are in love with wood grain, so it would be sacrilege to cover that up. But yes, I think he's trying to find his own way of adding color without it looking like one of his father's pieces. Oh, that reminds me- Fran said you might be up for meeting my husband, and seeing the shop back there. If he and my son aren't busy at the moment, they'd love to show you what they do. I can go check on them and see, if you'd like."

"Really? I'd love that! But only if we aren't interrupting them at all."

"Oh, don't worry. They don't work themselves to death. A break every now and then is a good thing. And then after that, we can show you all the pieces in the warehouse next door here," she gestured to the brick wall behind her.

"Warehouse? There's more? Oh, fantastic!" Max was giddy with anticipation.

"Let me run back there, I'll just be a minute!" Deena ran to the back of the showroom and pushed through a door which led to the workshop in the back of the building. Max continued flipping through page after page of both albums, then Fran ran on her tiptoes back over to him.

"I love it, baby! I think it's the perfect size and color! Do you think that one is for sale?"

"I sure hope so. But did you hear her say there's a whole warehouse of things right next door? She'll show us that after she sees if they can show us the workshop. Fran, this is amazing! I'm so glad we came here!"

"So am I! I love seeing you get so excited. And their stuff is amazing, don't you think?"

"I sure do. And I agree about the girls loving these pieces. But what about Brighton? She showed me this one, a sort of an every day piece for watches, wallet, coins, that sort of thing. Would Brighton use that? Or would he like a piece with drawers? If we got something for the girls, then I don't want to leave him out."

"Oh, I know. And he would love these, too. But I don't know what he'd put in them. Maybe if he collected things, and had a place to store or display them. We'll have to see all of their stuff first and see if we get any ideas. Maybe we can do a special commission. But only if Michael likes the idea, he won't make things he doesn't like."

"Oh, really? I guess I can understand that. He does have a very unique style, if he wants to stick to that for his own brand, I get it. But my goodness, these two are amazing, don't you think?"

"Yes, I do! They're prodigies or something, aren't they?"

"They could very well be."

Just then, Deena ran through the door and waved them over. "Come on, you two! Want to meet Frank and see the shop?"

"Yes!" They both chimed in together. Max grabbed Fran's hand and they hurried to the door where Deena was. She led them through and into the large workshop in back, lined with work tables and racks of tools on the brick walls, and stacks of boards and templates and partially finished pieces set carefully on top of the tables. They saw Frank by the back doors, and he pulled off a pair of rubber gloves and came towards them. He was not very tall, but was neatly groomed, with small curls at the ends of his mustache, a pair of horn-rimmed glasses with protective sides, and a neat leather carpenter's apron over his clothes. He walked towards them and nodded.

"Hi, I'm Frank Fratelli, nice to meet you," he said softly, as he clearly tried to maintain eye contact with them both, but couldn't.

Max offered his hand, in case Frank had just forgotten that that was a thing people tend to do when being introduced. "Max Sheffield, nice to meet you. This is my girlfriend, Fran Fine. I believe your families have some connections."

"They do?" Frank asked, looking over at his wife.

"Yeah, honey, Jackie just moved some furniture for them. And Fran's grandmother lives at the same home your aunties live at. That's how they found out about Jackie's moving company."

"Oh! The aunties! The aunties- they know everybody in Queens I think. Or everybody's relatives!" He made himself chuckle. Fran and Max were starting to get a more complete picture, and remembered how Jackie brought up Rain Man and quirkiness. Fran thought it was really cute, and remembered the picture of him as a toddler with his blocks. She could totally see it now.

"May I first say that your work is fantastic, Frank. May I call you Frank?"

"Sure, sure, Frank is best. Thank you. I'm glad you like my things. I like making them."

"And your son seems to really be taking after you, his pieces are beautiful, too. You must be proud," Max said.

"Yes, he's good, isn't he? He doesn't want to make stuff like mine, though. But that's okay. He sells his stuff faster than I do! And makes them faster. People like his stuff."

"Well, you have a very nice family business here. I'm particularly fond of your blue pieces. Might I ask, that blue console table out front, against the wall by the light- it's in your catalog, too. Is that piece by any chance for sale, or is it just a showroom piece?"

"Oh, yeah, that one. That's the one you like? The blue? Yeah, that's for sale. I'm working on some new designs, and some new ones need to go in the showroom, so we need to make room. So yes, that one is for sale. And we have more blue pieces on the warehouse side, if you want to see those, too. Just in case."

"Yes, I would I'd very much like to see everything. But the console table, I think that piece will look very nice with our new couch. And a new television. Is that console table made to handle a heavy television?"

"Yes, yes it is. That's what I make those for. It's all reinforced. As long as the TV fits in that center section. And did you see that those come with a power strip fit into the back? You can plug the TV and amplifier, game consoles, all that into the power strip, and not have a bunch of cables running all over the floor to the outlet. Keeps things nice and tidy."

"They do? I missed that. That's a great idea! Wow, I like it even more now!" He turned to Fran and squeezed her hand. "Well, if I need to let you know now, I'd like to call dibs on that piece if I may, in case anyone else comes in and wants it."

"Oh, great! Sure. We can do that. And we can see if Jackie can bring it to you, if you want to use him."

"Absolutely. He was great with our other furniture." They heard a slam of a back door on the other side of the brick wall, then a young male voice yelling.

"Mom! I got sawdust in my boots again! Do you have my socks?" Deena laughed.

"That would be Michael, his shop is on the other side. And yes, he hates getting sawdust in his clothes." Fran and Max grinned. "Michael? We're over here. We have company, come meet them!" Deena yelled through the thick, clear plastic flaps hanging down in the opening in the brick wall between the shops. They heard a scurrying and then a young boy pushed his way through the flaps, all smiles. He was a little taller than his father, and was wearing heavy work pants and a work coat and was stuffing his gloves into his coat pockets.

"Hi! I should have known somebody was here, I saw your car! It's a nice car!" He said, nodding at Max and Fran.

"Thank you," Max said.

"Mike, this is Fran and Max. They came to see all the pieces you guys make."

"Cool! Did you show them the pictures? Because people keep getting my stuff and I can't get anything for the windows!"

"That's because it's so good!" Fran said. "And I bet it's also because they can take it home with them right away, they don't have to get movers to move it. But the weather will be nice soon, and I bet that whole warehouse gets cleared out fast."

"Yeah! It almost did last summer. Remember that, dad?"

"Yes, we did good last year. That was good. I hope we do good this year, too."

"Well, you can count on me to be telling everyone I know. You might get more work than you can handle. Or you might be able to start charging more for your pieces, too. Just keep your usual pace, but if more people want your pieces, they'll pay more, too," Max said.

"Yeah, I might have to think about that," Frank said. "I have a lot of people on commission lists. I think I'll have to stop with the extra pieces and start working on those commissions soon, so they can hopefully get out this summer, too. My apprentices will be back in a couple of weeks, so I can start to get things ready then. Yes, I'll do that. Deena, can you do that? Get the commission lists ready? And do some math to see if we raised prices just a little and see how that works out? And the apprentices will bring back the new mill prices with them, too. We can see if costs are going up or down."

"You got it. I'll work on that this afternoon."

"Hey, Mike? By any chance do you have any pieces you're working on right now? I'd love to get a look at your stuff in person," Fran said.

"I do! I have two in here! Come see!" He waved her over frantically, happy so show off what he was working on.

"Can I?" She asked Max, then looked over at Deena, too.

"Go ahead, darling. I'd like to see a little bit in here, if you don't mind."

"Sure, Mike can show you his shop, and you can ask him about those ideas you have. I should get out front just in case anyone else comes in today," Deena said.

"You have ideas?" Mike raised his eyebrows.

"I do! But I don't know if you'll like them. But I hear you like Beauty and the Beast…"

"I love it!" Fran followed Mike through the plastic flaps into his workshop, and Max turned around to talk with Frank some more.

"So, Frank, I don't want to hold you up too long, but one thing I was really interested in was the finish of your pieces. Do you have to do a lot of sanding to get that feel? They all seem so crisp, how do you get them like that?" Max asked.

"Oh, well, I don't use any sandpaper at all! I use a lot of Japanese planes, and I also use my own scrapers that I make from razor blades and other pieces of metal. It all depends on the piece I'm working on. Here, come here, let me show them to you." He walked over to a set of file drawers and pulled one open. "See all of these boxes? Each box is for a different design, and see, let me open one- see all of these? These are all the scrapers I need to use on that piece. For the moldings, for louvres, any special trim pieces. And if any one of them gets too worn and I can't sharpen it any more, then I make a new one from a template I have in another drawer, so I can keep each scraper as exact as possible. Each one of these scrapers is marked in case anybody leaves it out, like an apprentice, that way it won't get put back in the wrong place, or get lost. And once a scraper gets retired, I put it in an envelope and mark on the envelope what it is, then that comes over here-" he walked Max over to a wooden box near the door to the showroom. "When Jackie comes over to do photographs and check in on everything, he checks in this box and takes whatever is in it with him, so he can put it in his archives and keep track of it. He has all of my old scrapers catalogued in his system. And if I retire a design because I have a lot of new designs, I gather everything having to do with that design, like the plans and the templates and the box of scrapers, and he takes all of that, too. That way it's not taking up space here, and he can make it all a part of the archives. It's a pretty good system."

"I'll say! Wow! I thought he was mostly taking photographs and documenting your work so he could publish a book, I had no idea it involved your tools and plans, too. That's really a wonderful thing he's doing."

"It is, isn't it? It's more work than I could do myself. I would just end up with all of that stuff cluttering up this place, and that might drive me crazy."

"Oh, I hear you! If you can find a great archivist, never let them go. I've always wished I could do something like that with my things, even if the things that were being archived weren't my best work. I have some things with a historical group, but I have an awful lot of my own records that I'm just not sure how to handle. I don't know if it needs to all stay together, or be split up to other existing archives. That's a lot to sort out."

"It can be. But Jackie enjoys it, too. I'm really glad he is doing that. I would like my things to be remembered, if people like them, and if they last generations. That feels pretty good."

"I bet it does. You do really have a lot to be proud of, you and your son. And I'm sure your wife helps in all sorts of ways, too."

"Oh, gosh, you aren't lying!" Frank chuckled. "We aren't an easy bunch to handle, but somehow she helps us figure it out."

"Do you have other children besides your son?"

"Oh, yes, we have an older daughter. She's at M.I.T. She just started her Masters. She finished her bachelor's early. She's the brains of the family. She loves school. I think she might be up there for a long time, in the labs and building things. She's good on computers, too."

"Wow, sounds like you and your wife had your hands full!"

"Yes, I guess. Deena had her hands full. But now they're older, they can do things on their own. Michael's earning his own money, and Michelle, she got so many scholarships, and she works, too. We don't have to pay for school, we just help her with money for food or clothes or whatever she might need. Michael still lives with us, but he's saving for his own place. He's learned about budgets and all that from us, he knows how to figure out what he has to earn to pay for things, and to save money. And I teach him how to not work himself to death. I saw my father do that, and I said I never would. I've been very lucky. Deena helped me a lot with doing that."

"Sounds like you're a very lucky man."

"Yeah," Frank nodded. "So what do you do? What stuff do you need to archive?"

"Oh, actually, I produce theater. Not always successfully, but I've made a living from it. I've had a few really good shows that I have a lot of things from- photos, scripts, all the pre-production notes and music. Things like that. It might be important to someone someday."

"Oh, it will. Even if it isn't in our lifetimes, it's important history. Artistic history. I think that's very important."

"Yes, it is, isn't it?" Max agreed. Frank nodded. "So tell me, these scrapers that you use- you mentioned that you use them on molding and trim. Could something like that be used in a house, like a historic property, where you want to maybe remove paint from wood trim, or maybe if you want to recreate a piece to repair something?"

"Oh, absolutely! They do that a lot. That way you don't have to use chemicals to remove the paint. And if you need to do something like put wood putty on a damaged area of trim, something that was going to be painted, then once it's dry you can run the scraper over it to blend everything together. They are very handy for lots of those projects. Are you thinking of doing some work like that?"

"Possibly. I've been toying with the idea of fixing up an old property, maybe taking on some of the repair myself. At least for the old carpentry or wood details, not the big stuff like electrical or plumbing. I think that would be a fun accomplishment to have under my belt."

"Oh, it would be! I'm a big advocate for saving old properties. Just maybe try to start small, and see if the work really is what you think it will be. Then you can sell that property, and maybe step it up with the next one. But you will probably still have to hire a lot of people to help with the work, and dealing with contractors and subcontractors can be pretty awful. Most of them don't seem to want to communicate and keep to a schedule. That kind of thing bothers me a lot."

"Me, too. Yes, I'd definitely have to sort out how to deal with that. But I like the idea of starting small, that might be the best. I can get my feet wet, and hopefully any other work wouldn't take too long for a contractor to do. It's something to think about."

"Yes. Oh, do you want to see those other blue pieces? A couple of them I finished not too long ago, so they're really brand new. Jackie just got the pictures of them done, too."

"Yes! I'd love to see them! I might be interested in a companion piece to the console. Can we go have a look?"

"Sure! Come on, we can go through this way." Max followed him out of the workshop and through another doorway to the other side of the building, where their "warehouse" took up the same amount of space as the showroom.

Michael led Fran into his own workshop on the other side, and showed her two work tables side by side with two of his in-progress pieces sitting on top of them. He had large lamps surrounding them, but they weren't turned on yet.

"These are the two I'm doing right now. I have the lights here so I can get out any scratches and defects. I'm still making some parts for them."

"Oh, they're wonderful! They look like they have bellies! That's fantastic! Both of these will have drawers in them?" She asked.

"Yeah. When I'm done with these, I want to work on some new stuff, but I don't know what just yet. So what were your ideas? You said you had some ideas."

"Well, I was talking to your mom- I asked if you made anything like jewelry boxes. I noticed some of your other things, they looked like they would be good for holding rings and bracelets and things, but have you done any pieces that can hold necklaces? Either laying down in a drawer, or maybe something that has like pegs that you can hang necklaces on? Maybe side doors that opened up to reveal the necklaces. It's just an idea. I thought our girls would really love something that looks like what you make, but maybe as jewelry boxes. These two are so adorable! They make me think they should have feet coming out so they can dance! Like if the teapot had feet!"

"Oh! I love the teapot! Do you mean like real feet? Like four feet?"

"Well, it doesn't have to be four. It can be two on the front. Not like really fat feet, but maybe thinner legs that come down into pointy feet. But I don't know, maybe even something like Mickey Mouse feet might be funny. Or skinny, pointy feet like in Dr. Suess books. Oh! To hold it up in back, can you do something like- like the tails on a tuxedo coat? Long ones, that maybe curl up all cartoony-style? Does that make sense?"

"Oh!" Michael said looking off to the side. He drummed his chin with his fingers and looked like he was getting worked up. "My notebook! My notebook!" He rushed around the empty worktables to one near the entrance and grabbed a worn notebook and a nearby pencil and rushed back to Fran. He flipped open the pages to a fresh one and began scribbling and drawing frantically. "What else? Anything else?" He asked.

"Oh, uh, have you thought about bigger pieces? Not like your father's, but maybe something tall that can stand on the floor? Like a tall, narrow cabinet of drawers? And you can see if you can make it look like it's moving too. You know how a slinky bends and twists when you hold it in your hands and play with it? And the cabinet could be squarish, or a long rectangle, or even like a tube, like a slinky? Bending here and there. I saw something like that once- a tall, skinny cabinet, but it was made out of metal, I think. I think it had one door that opened. But it seems like drawers might work better. What do you think?"

"I think I love your ideas! I think I'll work on that some, too! I like the feet! And fat dancing things! That's so funny! And I need to find a slinky! That's a good idea! I love it!"

"Would you consider a commission? I think something like that might be good for our youngest- a fat dancing jewelry box with feet! And Brighton, he might like a tall set of drawers, or something he can put his watches and wallet on at the end of the day. Like something he can put on his dresser and keep his things on. And Maggie, she's close to your age. She might like a jewelry box, too. Or a memory box. I'm not exactly sure. But if you come up with new ideas, I'd love to see them!"

"Okay! I want to see if my cousin can make a catalog for me, too. But not for sale pieces, a catalog of stuff I have made already that I probably don't have anymore."

"Do you keep all your designs like your dad does? So you can make a piece again?"

"Yes, I do. But I love making new things, and every time I make something, somebody buys it right away. Maybe I need an apprentice, too, so I can make a bunch of things at once!"

"It's an idea. Just make sure you don't work too much, and that you charge enough. If people like to collect your things, you should probably charge more for them. Your work is really good! And I'm sure you're constantly improving, too, so you should charge more."

"Hmmm, I'll have to ask my mom and dad. That makes sense. If I do a better job, it should cost more. And then I can save more to get my own apartment. That would be good!"

"Do you have a commission list we can get on?"

"I'll make one! Or my mom can make one, she tracks all of that. How many things do you want?"

"Oh, gosh- at least three. But I might want one, too. Oh, let's say four for now. I still need to figure out what Brighton would want, but you could start with Gracie's. She'd absolutely love the kind of things you already make, and I bet Maggie would, too."

"Great! That's really great! Four commissions in one day! That's pretty great! Can you tell my mom? I gotta go find more socks. I got sawdust in my boots from cutting more boards. It drives me crazy. Oh, I think I'm supposed to take you back to my mom, here let's go to the showroom. And those were great ideas, thank you! I want to work on them right now!"

"Oh, that's wonderful! I'm so glad you liked them! I hope it makes you happy when you work. And maybe even laugh, too, imagining them dancing around and wiggling like Slinkys!"

Mike laughed out loud, and kept laughing as he led Fran back to the showroom, where Deena turned around, curious as to why he was laughing.

"Mom, my socks?" He asked.

"Check in the trunk of the car, there should be a bag with your things in there."

"Okay! And thank you, ma'am, those are funny ideas! And mom, she wants commissions! Can you start a list for me? Like dad's?"

"Oh, really? Sure, I can do that!"

"Bye, Mike! Nice meeting you!" Fran called after him.

"Oh, yes, you too! Thank you!"

Frank led Max into their warehouse- a front room of the adjoining building that was very similar to their main showroom, only this side was less formal, and full of heavy duty racks with broad shelves that large pieces could be lifted up onto to make more use of the space. This room could fit more than double the number of pieces than the showroom could.

"A lot of the pieces in here have had their final coat of finish, but still need their final buffing and a quality check before they go out the door. But that is a fairly easy thing to do, so if there are any of these pieces you like, we can get them ready for you right away. These two blue pieces on this side- these can be companion pieces to that console table in the showroom. They're the same style, and they're both the same length and width, so they'll take up the same amount of floor space."

"Oh, great! That's good to know. These are all so beautiful! I'm really amazed that you're such a small operation, and that you can achieve this much. It's really impressive!"

"Oh, well, thank you. I love what I do, so that makes it easier. It's nice to not have to work for somebody else."

"Oh, I hear you. Tell me, would you possibly know of any kind of resources that I might be able to look into so I can learn a bit more about carpentry, and maybe restoration techniques? Seeing all of these things you're able to do, it's really piquing my interest. I think it might be time to start learning what I can and seeing if I want to actually start doing something."

"Resources? Well, if you want to look at the tools and things, there's a tool shop and hardware store not far from here. They're full of woodworking tools and supplies. Oh, and they have books and magazines, too. That might help. And some of the big bookstores have sections for woodworking, and probably for some historic restoration work, too. That might be the best, to go through as many books and magazines you can find. And check the library, too. They may have something the stores don't."

"Oh, that's true. I hadn't even thought of that. Where is that tool store?" Max asked.

"Well, right outside here, when you come out of the parking lot, go down two blocks- to the second traffic light, then turn right. It's about a block down, before the next light. There are a lot of shops and restaurants down that way. They have some antique saws and things in the window, you can't miss it."

"Great, I think we might need to swing by there after we leave here."

Just then, Fran and Deena came in through the doorway, and Fran caught Max's eye and he smiled.

"Hey, there!" Fran said to him. "You find some more goodies?"

"I'm still looking. There's so much to see! Did you convince Mike to make you something?" He grinned, as he took her hand.

"Some things, plural! We're on his commission list now. I thought maybe we can get some gifts for the kids made, starting with Gracie. The pieces he's working on right now are so neat, Max! Gracie's gonna have a fit! But we need to figure out exactly what might work for Brighton and Maggie. Oh, and he might try to make some bigger pieces! I can't wait to see if he actually does that! We might have to come back for another visit!"

"Well, sure, we can do that. But what about you- don't you want to get something for yourself?"

"Hey, we got four slots on his commission list! I just want the kids to get theirs first, and by then I should know exactly what I want. Because right now, I want one of everything he's made!" They laughed.

"I totally understand. I'm already decorating the other rooms in the house just looking around here! It's all so beautiful."

"Well, I need to get back to work on a few things, so I'll leave you with Deena. She can answer any questions you have. Thank you both for coming!" Frank said. Max hurried over to shake his hand, and Fran followed.

"Thank you- and I think we might be getting two pieces today for sure, we just need to finish looking to decide. Your work is amazing, and so is your son's. We'll be sure to tell everyone about you, too," Max said.

"Oh, well thank you! I'd appreciate that. Thank you."

"Yes, you guys are incredible. I'm so glad we found out about you. And thank you for showing us around," Fran said, shaking his hand.

"You're welcome. Come back any time." Frank waved shyly and turned to head back to his workshop.

"Oh, while you're still looking at things, if you're certain you at least want that console table, would you like me to go ahead and see if I can book a delivery time with Jackie for you? Is there a time that works best for you?"

"Oh, um…" Max looked over at Fran.

"Do you know how long it could be before he could deliver? I mean, I think we can be home up until Monday morning at least. But we should be able to have someone at the house after that if we can't be there."

"Alright, I'll see if he can get you in fairly quickly, if he doesn't have any full day jobs that might take up his time. Let me go call him real quick. Go ahead and have a look around, and I'll be right back." Deena hurried back over to the showroom to give Jackie a call, and Fran and Max turned their attention to the other pieces on display. Fran wandered back and forth through the aisles, and Max stopped at each piece to thoroughly look them over, before moving to the next one. He finally worked his way back to the blue pieces, trying to decide which one he wanted.

"Darling, what do you think about these blue pieces? I want one of them to go with the console. I really like both of them, but I think I'm leaning towards this one. I think we can even put the stereo in here, and have it in the living room. We can have the speakers out there, too, and maybe connect the TV as well. We could watch movies with stereo sound."

"Ooh! That would be fantastic! The kids would love that, too, especially Brighton. Oh! And I bet he'll want his Nintendo downstairs now, too!"

Max laughed. "I think that might fit in the console table. I'd be okay with that. Do you like this one?"

"I do. It looks like it has a lot of room in it."

"And did you see on the back? They all have the power strip back there, so you can manage all your cables and plug everything into that, then you only have one cord to plug into the outlet. Isn't that neat?"

"It sure is! Oh, Niles will like that a lot, too. Much easier to clean around."

"So- is this the one?"

"I think it is. And you better stop now before we fill up Jackie's truck and make him and Nick have to work the whole day!" They both laughed. "Let's go let her know, and see what we have to do about those commissions, too." She grabbed Max's hand and pulled him with her back to the showroom, where Deena was just hanging up the phone.

"Perfect timing!" Deena said. "How does two o'clock on Friday sound?"

"This Friday? He can do it that quickly?" Max asked.

"Yes, he has some small jobs on Friday, and he's taking some other things into the city, so it works out well. Is that time good with you?"

"Sure! That's fantastic! As long as he knows there will be two pieces leaving here…"

"Oh! You decided on a second piece?"

"Yes, the blue one closest to this doorway, the companion piece to that console table. I'll pay for both of those today, and we wanted to ask about the commissions for Mike. We can put a deposit down for those, too," Max said. They stood by the table again, and Fran went back to Mike's photo album and looked through some more pieces.

"Oh yeah," Fran said. "We're gonna check with the kids to be sure of what kind of piece they want. I let Mike know about the first one, I think he has some good ideas that should work. That one's for our youngest, Gracie. And Maggie might enjoy something similar, but I want to make sure. Brighton might be a little harder to figure out, but I gave Mike some ideas about that, too, so we'll see what he might come up with. The last one will be for me, but I love so much of his stuff I can't decide! But I'll make up my mind before he gets that far. How long does each piece take him to make?"

"Well, that depends. If he already has the plans and he's made one like it before, he can have all the pieces cut and ready to assemble in a week, then it's all assembly and finishing. That can be another week. If the drawers have any kind of a fancy lining, that can be another week. Most of the time he has two pieces going at once, so when he's waiting on glue to dry or for finish to dry, he can work on the other one. So he may do two of your pieces at the same time. I would expect you could easily have them within two months, possibly sooner than that."

"Oh wow, then I guess I better talk to the kids pretty quick, and try to get back to you next week."

"That would be great. Here, let me get you a folder together, and write up your purchase and delivery, and your commissions. Feel free to look some more at these albums, too, if you want."

"Oh, one other thing- by any chance could we get some more catalogs from you?" Max asked. "I know of at least a few people I'd like to give one to. I think they'd really like to see some in person, too. Maybe once we have these pieces at home, we can make everyone jealous and they'll want one!"

Deena chuckled. "We've got plenty of catalogs. How many do you need?"

"Would five be too many?"

"Not at all. I'll get those for you, too." Deena turned away from them and sat down at a computer to write everything up. Fran rubbed and patted Max's back and looked up at him lovingly.

"You look really happy," she said.

"I am really happy. For a lot of reasons." He put his arm around her and tugged her closer to him.

"You're still thinking about getting more pieces, aren't you?"

Max grinned. "I'll be good for now, but yes. Just thinking about how all those other pieces in there could be gone this summer, it does make me really want to consider if another piece would work somewhere else in the house. I'd like the children to look at the catalog, too, in case they show any interest in wanting one they can keep for the future. I'm glad we came to see everything, so thank you for indulging me."

"Hey, I'm indulging myself, too! I had no idea their son was so good, too! I really get a kick out of these things. It's fun to look at all this stuff."

"It is! Oh, Fran, I was talking to Frank- about how I was kind of interested in maybe fixing up a historic property. He said there's a tool store not far from here, and they have books and magazines. Would it be alright with you if we went over there next? He said it's right by a lot of other shops and restaurants, so maybe we could find some lunch over there, too."

"Sure, sweetie! We might as well, if it's right near by. You think we can find parking?"

"Well, I guess we'll have to wait and see. I hope so." They both looked back at the albums as Deena finished up her paperwork. She got up from the computer and brought everything over to them at the table.

"Okay, here we go. I've got the extra catalogs here in the folder for you, plus business cards. If you can fill out the address here for the delivery. We add the cost of that on our forms so you don't have to do a separate payment to Jackie. And here is the invoice for everything- the two pieces of Frank's, and I added a deposit for Mike's commissions, if this amount is agreeable to you. That will help him get started with materials, and we can give you updates along the way. If you can call us as soon as you know what you want for the other pieces, that would be great. Oh, and let me get these cards filled out for your pieces so other customers know they're sold. Then I'll get your payment and we can finish this up for you."

"Fantastic. Yes, this all looks fine. And if any of you need to call us to confirm anything or ask any questions, you can call this number. Do you need our info for that archiving that Jackie does?"

"Oh, this info you're filling out will go on file here and with him. We keep it all under lock and key, it's just so we have a record of where the pieces go, in case that is ever beneficial to anyone in the future." Max filled out the papers she gave him, and then Deena hurried over to the console table, then into the warehouse to put a red "Sold!" card on both items. She came back in to check over the paperwork and then took Max's credit card to charge everything. "Okay, one last signature right here, and I think you're all set. Let me just print off your receipt and a copy of your invoice and delivery sheet." Max signed for the purchase, then Deena hurried back to the computer, typed a few things in, and printed everything off on the big humming laser printer. She brought the papers back and tucked them into the folder and closed it. "Oh, may I ask you something?" She looked at Max as she handed him the folder.

"Sure."

"I didn't realize your last name until now, but um- Maxwell Sheffield? Are you the Broadway producing Maxwell Sheffield, by any chance?" Fran grinned and elbowed Max.

"Ah, yes, I am that Maxwell Sheffield."

"Oh! Well, then! That's good to know. I mean, I really hope you all are happy with everything, and don't hesitate to call us if you have any problems, or if you're interested in any other pieces."

"I'm sure we will be, and we'll spread the word around, too. Thank you so much for everything, and I'm thrilled that we got those blue pieces before they were gone. They really will go perfect with our new furniture. Thank you again for everything!" Max reached out his hand and shook hers, and Fran shook her hand, too.

"Yeah, thank you guys so much. And thank Jackie especially, if he hadn't given Max the catalog in the first place, we might never have found out about you guys. It's so weird how all of this evolved, but we're sure glad it did!" Fran exclaimed.

"You've got that right! Well, have a great rest of your day, and thank you very much for the purchase. I know the boys are a bit shy and awkward about getting any praise, but it really does make them feel good. They really like making nice things for people."

"Aw, well make sure they know we think they're amazing, and it sounds like you guys got it right. Don't let them ever overwork themselves. As long as they're enjoying it, everyone else will, too."

"Oh, thank you for saying that! I'll keep an eye on them. Call us if you need anything, and we'll call you if we have any updates or questions."

"Okay, thank you!" Fran said.

"Yes, thank you all very much! I'm really excited to get these pieces in the house! Thank you again!" Max said, then opened the door for Fran and they headed outside.

Deena moved her copies of the paperwork back to the computer and excitedly ran back to the workshop.

"Frank! Mike! Come here! Do you guys realize who that was?!"

Fran and Max took each other's hand and headed around the corner to the car in the small parking lot. Fran looked up at Max and started laughing.

"What?" He asked.

"Oh, I just think she's totally gonna name drop!"

"What? Oh. Really? Oh, I don't know, I'm not a movie star or anything. You really think she would?"

"You're a theater producer in New York City, Max. You may as well be a movie star. I think you totally made her day, and not just because you spent a lot of money there."

Max thought about it a moment, and straightened his posture and smiled. Maybe Fran was right. He did get a kick out of his name going in an archive for a furniture maker who could be really famous some day.

Max opened the car door for Fran, then hurried around and got in on the driver's side. He backed the Rover out carefully into the street, then headed in the direction Frank said to go.

"Okay, now he said to go two blocks this way, and when we get to this second light, we turn right. It should be on that block somewhere. He said they have antique saws in the window…" Max leaned forward as they turned the corner, and then they both started scanning the stores on both sides of the street. As they got closer to the next traffic light, Fran saw it.

"Here it is! Right here! Okay, now to find parking!"

"Do you see a lot anywhere? I'm not sure I want to chance parking on the street, unless there's a lot of room."

"I don't see one, do you want to go around the block? I'll keep an eye out."

"Okay." Max turned the corner, and just then, a large pickup truck in front of them was just turning its wheel to pull out of a space.

"Oh! Here, here! Put on your signal. Is this enough room?" Fran leaned to the side to get a look at the space as the truck slowly inched its way out.

"Yes- if that truck can do it, that should be enough room. There aren't any 'No Parking' signs, are there?"

"I don't see any. No, there's a meter up there! Perfect!"

"Alright, then! Thank you, truck!" Max let the truck pull out of the space, then pulled ahead so he could back in. Fran helped him keep an eye on things so he didn't scrape the curb.

"Beautiful, Max! It's like you've done this before!" Max laughed, put the car in park, then shut it off.

"Nice! Okay, you can put that folder on the floor. I'll meet you on the sidewalk, I just have to wait for these cars."

"Okay, baby. I'll go feed the meter."

"Thank you, sweetheart." Fran hopped out and headed for the parking meter, and once traffic was clear, Max got out and locked the car, then hurried over to Fran.

"You have enough quarters?"

"Yes, how long do you want the space for? The full two hours?"

"Uh, well- do you want to find some lunch here? If you do, then yes, let's do the full two hours."

"Okay! Yeah, I saw a lot of restaurants back there. We'll go look at your store a bit, then we can find a place to eat." She put the last of the quarters into the meter and checked the time, then pulled her purse back in front of her. Max took her hand and they headed around the corner to the tool store.

Fran pulled the door open and Max followed her inside. The shop wasn't very wide, but it was long. Fran held onto his hand as they wandered through the racks of various woodworking tools and stacks of stains and finishes, until they found their way to the racks of magazines and an aisle of books. Fran saw Max's eyes widen and a smile form on his lips, and thought that she had better stay quiet for a while and let Max have his fun. She looked over the magazines, looking for anything that she thought might interest Max, but he seemed to find the good ones before she did. Soon, he had a fat stack of magazines in his hands and a big grin on his face. Then they moved to the books, and Max scanned the titles on the sides, looking for anything about restoration and carpentry. Fran let him browse, and she moved over to the area where the large coffee table books were. Now these were the books that attracted her! She pulled out a photo book of "painted ladies," another on Craftsman homes, and then found one that almost made her gasp.

"Ohhh… Max!" She squealed. He looked over at her and she held up the book in front of her. It was a thick photo book detailing the restoration of a New York City Victorian mansion. Max's jaw dropped.

"Oh, Fran! That's coming home with us!" He rushed to her side as she stood up and carefully took the book from her. He opened it and flipped through the pages, then shut it quickly. "Holy cow! I don't want to spoil it, I have to look at it from the beginning! The pictures are so good! Thank you for finding it! What else do you have there?" He asked, looking at the books in her arms.

"This one has historic photos in it, comparisons from the early days to now. And some pictures of construction- saving some of the buildings. But look at this one, baby!" She showed him the painted ladies.

"Oh my goodness! Can I see that?" She handed him the book, and took the stack of magazines from him. He flipped through several pages and turned to look at her. "You have good taste, darling! We're getting these, too. Do they have anything else?"

"Come here and check if there's anything else you like. Did you want to get anything besides books and magazines?" He looked back up and around the shop.

"Well, I'm not sure. I'd feel like an imposter if I got any tools. But, you know- Frank showed me these scrapers he uses… Maybe we can look for something like that. Maybe that would give me something to tinker with. I bet I could find something I could experiment with those on."

"Okay. Let's do that, then. You find any other books?"

"These other books look like they're a lot more in-depth. Maybe a bit over my head at the moment. But these magazines- that should be plenty to get me started! Did you see anything you might like? I mean, I know it's not really your thing-"

"These books are! And who knows, maybe there's something interesting in those magazines, too. You want to go look for your scrapers?"

"Alright." Max looked around the shop, then led Fran over to an aisle with all sorts of odds and ends hanging from hooks. Fran wasn't sure what the scrapers were that Max was looking for, so she let him lead the way. An older man finished helping a customer, then headed down the aisle towards them.

"Hello! Is there something I can help you find?" He asked.

"Oh, yes, actually. Do you have any scrapers by any chance? Like you would use instead of sand paper?"

"Card scrapers? We sure do, right down here. Were you working on a project?"

"Not yet. We were just over at the Fratelli's a couple blocks away, and got to see the workshop. Frank showed me the scrapers he makes that he uses on all his different pieces. It never occurred to me that someone could make such a nice piece of furniture and never use any sandpaper. I was wondering if I might be able to do something like that if I was working in a house- like on the moldings or any ornate trim- that sort of thing."

"Oh, yes! A lot of furniture makers do that, maybe even some carpenters. Frank makes some beautiful pieces. You would probably need either a larger scraper to do a full molding or trim piece in a house, unless you had multiple scrapers. Here- here we are. There are single ones here, but a pack like these might be what you need to start with. They have a lot of different angles and curves. And this rod here, that's what you use to create a new burr when you need to sharpen the edge. There are instructions on how to do that right here." Max took the things the man was showing him and read over the back of the package.

"Oh, now I get it! I see. Now, if I wanted to make a custom scraper, how could I do that? Frank Fratelli was using old razor blades and pieces of metal, sort of like these, but he had cut them the exact shape he wanted."

"Alright, now depending on the tools you have, you'd want some kind of power tool for that. Even a hand-held rotary tool. You mark the shape you want on the metal, then you can use different bits to eat away at it until it's the right shape. But after that, you still need to get the edge sharp and create just enough of a burr that it will scrape material away when you use it."

"Okay, I get it. Well, why don't I start experimenting with these and get the hang of it first. Well, Fran, I think we have enough stuff for me to go through and keep myself up at night thinking about it all." Fran laughed.

"Okay, yeah, we better stop before you get any more giddy! This is a lot to go through."

"Yes, it is. Okay, we'll be getting all of these things, then."

"Wonderful! Follow me!" The man led them back up front to the register and they set everything down in stacks on the counter. Max was positively beaming, and Fran loved every bit of it. Max paid for everything, then the man carefully placed everything in a large paper shopping bag with a twine handle on it. He handed the bag to Max, who heaved it off the counter.

"Thank you very much!" He said, and they turned to leave the shop. Fran took hold of his arm and tugged on it.

"You know something, baby? It sure makes me happy to see you so happy! I'm really glad you found something like this to get into."

"Well, thank you, sweetheart. Thank you for indulging me! Again!"

"Anytime, baby! Now, where are we going? We've got just over an hour and a half to eat." They stopped on the sidewalk and looked up and down the street to see what their choices were.

"I smell something that smells good. Is that barbecue? Or a grill?" Max asked. Fran looked around.

"Is it that Korean barbecue place across the street?" She pointed to a restaurant across from them that looked fairly new and modern. Max inhaled the yummy aroma again. He looked over at Fran and raised his eyebrows.

"I'm game if you are," he said. Fran smiled.

"I'm so game! It's making me hungry!" Max laughed and they walked to the intersection and she pressed the crosswalk button. When the light changed, they hurried across the street and entered the restaurant.

They were seated fairly quickly in a cozy booth, and took off their coats and sat down. They picked up their menus and began to look through them.

"Oh, look, sweetie- they do coffees here! You still want a coffee with lunch?" Fran asked.

"Yes! Let's have a look here- oh, wonderful! That's my drink sorted. Do you know what you might like to eat?"

"Whatever it was that they were grilling! That smells wonderful."

"Hey, would you like to get something to share? Bulgogi is very good. We can get two different kids of that, maybe the beef and the chicken? And we could get an appetizer, too, if you'd like."

"Oh! An appetizer! How about the dumplings? Would that be too much?" Fran asked.

"No, I don't think so. We can always take any leftovers home."

"Okay, yummy! And yes to the bulgogi. I think I had that once, but I'm not sure. But if that's what's cooking, then absolutely!"

"I think it is." Their waitress came over to their table and filled their water glasses.

"Can I start you off with some drinks and appetizers?" She asked.

"Actually, I think we're ready to order everything," Max said. "Darling, do you know what you'd like to drink?"

"Yes, I would love an iced chai, thank you."

"And I'll have a cafe au lait. Then for an appetizer we'd like the dumplings, please. And we'd like to share some bulgogi- an order of the chicken and one of the beef. It smells really wonderful!"

"It sure does!" Fran agreed.

"Fantastic- yes, the bulgogi is our most popular dish. I'll get your drinks right out and get this order back to the kitchen!" The woman said. She took their menus and hurried away to fetch their drinks. Max reached across the table for Fran's hands.

"So, how are you doing today, darling?" He smiled, stroking her hands.

"I'm having a great time, Max. I really am. I really enjoyed visiting the Fratelli's shop, and watching you get excited about maybe trying some woodworking or carpentry yourself. It makes your eyes twinkle when you're happy."

"Then they must really be twinkling now," he smiled.

"Aw! So what did you think of them- the Fratelli's? I think Deena's got her hands full with those boys. And I kind of get what Jackie was talking about with the quirky thing."

"Yes, I noticed that pretty quickly with Frank, he seemed to have a hard time with eye contact."

"Yes! Michael, too. Michael was a bit more excitable, but he didn't make much eye contact either. Do you think they're both… maybe-"

"Autistic? Yeah, I kind of got that impression. And if they have a daughter at M.I.T., too, who's already doing her master's degree, well, they sound like a family of geniuses."

"Yeah. I think Frank was very lucky to meet Deena. I'm sure she had to have a lot of patience and understanding. And love, too," Fran said.

"Sounds a lot like someone I know." Max smiled lovingly at Fran, and she looked into his eyes.

"Careful, or you're gonna make me a blubbering fool, boyfriend!" Max lifted one of her hands and kissed the backs of her fingers, then rested it back on the table.

"So, we'll go over to the warehouse shops and pick up those other things, then, um, did you want to… stop somewhere, or-"

"You mean- for the other things…?"

Max checked around to make sure no one was nearby. "Yes. Is that still, well, something we need to do?"

"I suppose so. If you mean, am I still thinking about it, about us? Yeah. We should make sure we're prepared, for whenever we're ready to take that step." Max nodded in agreement. "You still thinking about that, too? About us? Taking that step?"

"Yes. Of course. I love you very much, and I'm crazy about you. I really am. I really had fun with you today, but I have to admit I've been thinking a lot about later, once we get home. I mean, after we move your things over, that is…" he grinned.

"I've been thinking about that, too. Not just moving my things over, but the other stuff, too…" she playfully rubbed his leg under the table with her foot and he laughed. The waitress came over to them with their drinks and sat them on the table, then hurried away again. Fran put her straw in her iced chai and stirred it, and Max looked over at her as he stirred his coffee. They both picked up their drinks to take a sip as they looked each other over fondly.

"Hey, do we have enough leftovers for dinner tonight? If we need to go to the market, we should do that soon. Especially if the children will be back before Niles. We may need some breakfasts and lunches at least," Max said.

"Yeah, we do need to figure out what we might need. But not today, once we get home, we're staying home. And we're sleeping in tomorrow, then we have our big date tomorrow night. Friday… maybe Friday? We just gotta be home for the delivery!"

"Yes! Oh no, that means we need to get the other things out of the way. The television… where are we going to put that stuff?"

"Oh yeah, I didn't think about that. Well, it can always go in a spare bedroom, if you don't want one of the kids having it. Or Niles. Would Niles like a big TV in his room?"

"Maybe. I suppose that's an option. If it's too heavy for the two of us to get upstairs, then maybe we just move it all into the study temporarily. I suppose we can do that. And Friday, that delivery won't be until two. We could either go to the market before that, or on Saturday before the children get home. And I really would like to look for a new television, too. It would be nice to have a new one before the children are back- that way all of the livingroom is done as far as redecorating goes. Would you like to do that? Go shopping for a television?"

"Sure! But after that, I want you to ease up on all the spending. It's a lot of fun, but it still makes me nervous. I'd be scared to look at your next credit card bill!" They both laughed.

"Hey, it's our vacation. And it's been worth every penny. And we'll have a lot more to show for it after it's over. We'll have even more memories to make." He smiled and stroked her fingers. "So then, after we get your things moved over, we can relax until our date tomorrow night. How does that sound?"

"That sounds wonderful! Really wonderful."

The waitress brought out their dumplings, and soon after that, their meals were ready. They happily dug in and fed each other bites of bulgogi, and got their fill. They were so hungry that they didn't leave enough for leftovers. Fran checked her watch, remembering about their parking meter.

"Oh, Max! The meter! The two hours is nearly up!" Max looked down at his watch, realizing the time.

"Oh, yes! I was having such a good time, I completely forgot about the meter! Are you finished? Have you had enough?" He asked.

"Yes, I'm stuffed. That was really good!"

"It was!" He looked around the restaurant to see if he could see the waitress, then waved her over. She hurried to their table.

"Is everything alright here? May I get you two anything else?" She asked.

"Well, actually, just the bill. We just realized our parking meter is close to expiring, so we need to get back to the car before we get a ticket."

"Oh! I've got your bill right here- here you go. And let me take some of these plates out of your way." The waitress picked up several of the larger plates and took them back to the kitchen, and Max reached for his wallet after having a look at the bill. He took out cash and covered the bill plus a large tip, then he and Fran got up to put their coats on. He grabbed their bag from the tool shop, took Fran's hand, and they left the restaurant, thanking the staff on the way out. They got back to the car just in time as the meter ran out.

"Wow! How perfect was that?" Fran exclaimed, as Max helped her in to the car, then opened the back passenger door and put the bag of books and magazines behind her. He shut both doors, then hurried around and hopped into the driver's seat.

"Off to the next stop!" He smiled. He carefully pulled out of the parking spot and they headed back to the warehouse shops to pick up their goodies.

Max reached for Fran's hand and held it as they drove slowly through the busy Brooklyn streets. The sun was shining, nearly all of the snow had melted, and Fran could even see the buds starting to show on the trees. Sitting there in the front seat with Max, as his partner, holding his hand- it filled Fran with such happiness and joy. She couldn't believe how lucky she was. Her life really was finally coming together- and it was a life with Max! She looked down at his hand in hers and stroked it softly. She loved his hands- he was always so well manicured, and his skin was soft and firm. She traced little circles on the back of his hand near his thumb and smiled.

Max drove around to the back of the warehouse building and followed the signs for pick-up, then pulled in to a space next to a loading dock. A man in a uniform shirt hurried over to his side of the car. Max rolled own his window.

"Picking up?" The man asked.

"Yes- for Sheffield. Fran, do you have the order number?" Fran pulled out a folded piece of paper from her purse and handed it to Max. He showed it to the man who wrote it down and ran off back into the loading dock.

"You gonna have them put the stuff all the way in the back, or just in the back seat?" Fran asked.

"I think right behind me is easiest. We shouldn't have anything too big, right?"

"Not with this batch, I don't think so." A few minutes later, the same man came hurrying out with three large sealed shopping bags and a box, all labeled with 'Sheffield' and an order number. Max hopped out of the car and opened the door behind him, then took the things from the man and set them inside. He signed a receipt the man held out to him, took his copy, then got back in the car and buckled in.

"Okay, now that's done!" He patted Fran's knee and shifted the car into Drive, then pulled away from the building and back onto the street. Fran turned in her seat to try to get a look at all the goodies.

"Aw, they're all closed up! I guess I'll just have to look at everything later."

"Yes, but there'll be plenty of time for that. We've got lots of new goodies to look over today, don't we?" He grinned at Fran and squeezed her knee.

"We sure do! But not right away. Maybe if we come downstairs for dinner. We can put all this in the kitchen for now, sort everything out."

"That sounds good. But now, for our last stop…" he glanced over at Fran, bashfully.

"Oh! Well, ah… You know what, we'll look for a drugstore on the way back, maybe one we don't normally go to, if you want. Um, it might be best if one of us stays with the car, since we have all this stuff with us. I can run in and get what we need."

"I don't want you to feel like you have to be the one to handle that sort of thing, darling. I can go in and get it."

"I know you can. I was just thinking though- what if you ran into somebody you know? Would that embarrass you? I mean, if they saw-"

"Well, of course that would be awkward. But wouldn't it be awkward for you, too?"

"I doubt it. If somebody caught me with those, they'd probably just think it was wishful thinking on my part!" They both laughed, easing their nervousness. Max thought for a little while.

"How about this, depending on the parking situation, if it's easier for you to get out and run in the store, then maybe that would be alright, if you're comfortable with it. If it's easier for me, then I'll run in. But the next time, I'm taking care of it, okay? I should be the one handling that sort of thing- I mean, since technically those would, well, since they would be for me to use." Fran couldn't stop grinning, and then couldn't hold back a giggle. Max was so cute when he was bashful!

"It's okay, sweetie. This is kinda new for us. It's gonna be a little weird at first. Maybe the next time, maybe even if we go to the market together, we can get more then, and that way it isn't the only thing we're buying. Maybe that way it'll be easier. How does that sound?" Max glanced over at her as they stopped for a red light. He had a goofy, shy expression on his face. "What?" She asked, giving him a poke. Max smiled a little and moved his shoulder slightly, then looked at her again.

"More?" He asked. Fran chuckled.

"Well, you know… I know how you make me feel. But would that be wishful thinking, too?" She cocked her head to the side and she looked at him, eyebrows raised. Max thought he might be blushing.

"No. no, it wouldn't be. You know how I feel about you, don't you?" He squeezed her hand.

"Yeah… I have a pretty good idea."

"Good. That's good." He smiled from ear to ear. They continued driving a little further back towards the city, both looking out the windows for a decent looking drugstore and a space nearby to pull over. After about ten minutes, Fran waved her hand.

"Max! Right up here! Put your signal on, that guy's leaving! That's a drugstore just up ahead!" Max hurried up to the space with his turn signal on and backed into the space once the car had left. Fran looked back and forth on the sidewalk and the road. "Okay, I don't see any cops or parking enforcement. Let me run over there real quick and I'll be right back. You want a candy bar or anything for dessert? I can grab that, too."

"Sure, but wait a second-" he reached for his wallet and took out several bills and handed them to her. "You know what candy I like, and make sure you pick something, too. And whatever else. If somebody comes by and wants to write a ticket, I might have to move. If I do, I'll just go around the block and come back, alright? Just watch for me, okay?"

"Okay, sweetie, but you should be fine. I'll hurry!"

Fran took the bills from him and stuffed them in her coat pocket, then jumped out of the car, shut the door, and scurried down the sidewalk towards the drugstore on a corner. It was a fairly large drugstore, and looked relatively safe, but Max wasn't familiar with the neighborhood so he locked the doors just in case. He felt his heart race a little, still a little self-conscious about what Fran was purchasing. He took a deep breath and tried to settle himself down. He didn't know why it made him nervous. He was an adult. Fran was his girlfriend now, and they really loved each other. It was perfectly fine for them to be together. Was he being a prude? Not wanting other people to figure out their intimate business? Probably. He would have to work on that.

Max turned on the radio in the car to try to make time pass faster. About five minutes later, Max saw Fran walking out of the drugstore towards him on the sidewalk. She was all smiles, and he felt a huge sense of relief. She caught his eye and he smiled back at her, and she patted her coat pocket, then jogged to the car. He leaned over and unlocked it for her and she got in.

"Everything go alright in there?" He asked.

"Perfect! I grabbed some candy bars first, because I thought they might have the condoms behind the counter, you know? But they didn't! They had them back down the regular aisles with the other, uh, things like that. So I grabbed some, and came back towards the front- and guess what? They have a self checkout there! I didn't have to deal with anybody! I just scanned everything really fast, put it in a little bag, and put the cash in, easy peasy!"

"Wonderful! Well, now we know where to go if we get weird about this again!" They laughed and Fran pulled the bag out of her coat pocket, then put on her seatbelt. She turned back to look at Max, and he leaned over and kissed her.

"What was that for?" She asked softly.

"I just needed to kiss you." He kissed her again, softly. "I love you, Fran."

"I love you, too, Max. Kiss me anytime you need to."

"Alright. But be warned, that's going to be an awful lot of kissing!"

"Hubba hubba!" She grinned. Max laughed, then shifted the car into reverse, backed up a little, then pulled back out into the street and headed for home.

Max parked the Rover behind the house and they got out and retrieved everything from the back seat.

"Sweetheart? Why don't you take two of these and let me get that bag of books and magazines. I can carry this box, too, if you can unlock the back door."

"I can do that. You gonna move the car after we get all this inside?"

"Yes, I'll do that now so I don't have to come back out later and move it." They shut the car doors and headed for the back door into the kitchen, and Fran took out her key from her purse and opened the door. She turned on the lights and they brought everything they carried over to the kitchen table and set it all down. "Okay, darling, let me go move the car and I'll be right back. Do you want to get us some drinks, or water or something to take upstairs in case we need it? You know, for moving your things over…"

"I can do that. In case we work up a sweat or anything…" she grinned at Max and he moved close to her. Their lips hovered close, and they looked into each other's eyes. Max kissed her several times, then looked back into her eyes.

"I'll be as quick as I can."

"Okay." He turned and went back outside to move the Rover off the street and park it in the garage, and Fran turned to look at everything on the table. "Holy cow, that's a lot of stuff!" She took off her coat and draped it over the back of a chair, then opened the tops of the shopping bags and began taking things out, stacking all of the small boxes and wrapped odds and ends on the table, then re-filled one of the bags with things that were gifts for other people. Once she had everything out of the bags, including the books and magazines, she headed over to the refrigerator and grabbed two bottles of water, set them on the counter, then started poking through all of the food left in the fridge to see what they might need at the grocery store. She shut the fridge, went to the island drawer, and pulled out a notepad and pencil, then began writing down several things.

Max came back inside, locking the door behind him. He stopped and looked at the table, then at Fran, and she laughed.

"It's a lot, right?"

"Sure is!" He took off his coat and hung it on the back of another chair, then walked over to Fran and put his arms around her waist from behind. He leaned his head down over her shoulder and kissed her cheek. "Oh, making a grocery list?"

"Yeah. If you think of something, put it on here. Maybe we can go out Friday or Saturday and get what we need."

"Alright. So, you ready to move in with me? Completely?" Fran turned around in his arms and put her arms around his waist.

"I am. You ready for me to move in with you?"

"I sure am! I was thinking, maybe we get your dressing table and chair moved first, then maybe you cover your old bed with everything you want to move into the closet, and I can take out the things in my closet to make room, and put them on my bed. I mean, our bed… Then we can swap everything over. And after that… maybe you can help me pick out what to wear for our date tomorrow…"

"Hoo ha! Something sexy, that's for sure!" She hugged him tight and gave him a kiss. "And you have those new shirts, too. Maybe one of those will look nice."

"Should I wear a tie?"

Fran ran a hand over the center of his chest, giving him goosebumps on the back of his neck. "I don't know. We'll see what the shirt looks like with a blazer. But no matter what you wear, you'll be pretty sexy!" He smiled at her and squeezed her.

"So will you." The way he looked at her got her all worked up inside.

"Max? After we move everything, I want you all to myself for a while, okay? I don't want to do anything but hold you in my arms. And kiss you. Kiss you a lot!"

"Mmmm… anything you want, darling. Anything." He touched her nose with his, then leaned in to kiss her deeply.

She clutched the back of his shirt in her hands and let his tongue in, then caressed it with hers. They pressed their lips together tightly, taking each other in, again and again, then letting the kiss taper off softly, grazing their lips across each others, giving each other little kisses, until they rested their foreheads together and caught their breath. Fran sighed, then let go of his shirt and gently slid her hands up under it to rest on the bare skin of his waist. Max loved it- the gentleness of her fingertips, alternating between caressing and clutching his waist. He hugged her and kissed her several more times on the lips, then her cheek, to her neck.

"Mmmm, Fran! We better get up there and get everything moved, or none of it will get done. Then, maybe we can pick up where we left off… right here, like this…" he said softly.

"Ohhhkay…" she sighed. She crossed her arms around his waist and squeezed him. "God, what you do to me, Max. I just need a bunch of that! So much more! But yeah, let's go ahead, go upstairs and get moving. Then I'm gonna throw you down and hold onto you some more. It's so good to hold onto you."

Max kissed her forehead. "It's so good to hold onto you, too, darling. Now let me take you upstairs, get your things moved, and then I'm all yours, however you want me."

"Oh, baby! Here, grab the water bottles and I'll get my purse, and this bag of stuff- these are gifts. Oh! I almost forgot!" She went to the table and fumbled through her coat pockets and took out the small bag from the drugstore. She took out the candy bars, slapped them on the counter, then handed the bag to Max. "I'll let you sort out where you want to put those," she grinned at him, and he smiled shyly.

"Oh! Okay, yes, I'll find a place." He picked up the water bottles, Fran picked up the bag of gifts and her purse, ran over to shut off the light, then joined Max and took his hand as they headed up the back stairs to move her things into the master bedroom.

They put everything down in the bedroom, and changed out of their shoes into their slippers, then headed to Fran's old room. Max draped his arm over her shoulders and she hung onto his waist. They were both beaming.

They entered the bedroom and Fran turned on the lights, and she looked over the room, trying to think of how much stuff needed to be moved.

"Okay, the dressing table… let me get everything off the top and we can see how heavy it is."

"Alright." Max helped her take off the mirror and her brushes, combs, assorted makeup bags, and hair products and set them in a pile on the bed. They both got at opposite ends of the table and lifted it, gauging how much it weighed. "What do you think? We don't have to carry it straight through, we can keep setting it down anytime we need to, alright?"

"Yeah, I think we can manage it. Let's move the chair out of the way and get to it! I want to see how fast we can do this!"

Max chuckled. "Okay, then!" He moved the chair out of the way, then they got into position and lifted the table, then began the journey out of the bedroom and through the hallways to the master bedroom. They had to take short, fumbly steps to avoid kicking the bottom of the table, and they laughed the whole way. They turned it sideways outside of the bedroom door, then with one last effort, carried it in and set it on the side near the bedroom wall.

"Woo! We did it!" She high-fived Max and he laughed. "Now why don't you work on the closet, and I'll go see if I can figure out what I really need to bring over. I'll make room in the closet for anything you want to keep in there, okay? I'm sure it'll need some tweaking afterwards, but we can do that later."

"Okay, I'll get right to it. I'll come over to you when I get some room in there, and help you bring things over." He reached for her hands and pulled her to him for a quick kiss.

"Okay, baby! Let's do this!" She squeezed his hands, then let go and gave him a smile, and hurried out the door to run back to the other bedroom. Max grinned and took a deep breath, then walked over to the closet and opened the door. He turned on the light and looked over everything. He pulled open several drawers on the side Fran was going to be taking, then transferred the contents over to the drawers on his side. He pulled down several suits and brought them out to the bed and laid them down, then went back in the closet and shifted things around. He shifted over a number of dress shirts, then took out his sweaters and brought those out to the bed, and continued the process until he had her entire side cleared out. When he was satisfied that it looked good enough, he stepped out into the bedroom, picked up the suits from the bed, then left the room to join Fran.

Fran stood in her closet sliding dresses back and forth, trying to decide what she absolutely needed to move. She grabbed several hangers in each hand and carried the dresses over to the side of the bed near the door, then carefully set them down in a pile, then hurried back for more and piled those in another stack next to the first pile. Next, she gathered as many skirts and jackets as he could and brought them to the bed. She cleared out half of the closet, making room for Max's things, before she headed to her dresser and began pulling drawers open. As she pulled out stacks of cotton shirts and pants and sweaters, Max came in the doorway with a pile of suits over his shoulder.

"Hey there, you have a place I can put these?" He asked.

"Yeah, sweetie- right in the closet there," she gestured. Max carried the suits to the closet, heaved them off of his shoulder, and hung them up in the empty half of the closet.

"You want me to take anything over- give you some more room on the bed?"

"Oh, yes, please! If you can take the things on hangers and just hang them up wherever, I can organize things later. That would be a big help, thank you!"

"No problem, and I'll grab the chair, too. I'll be right back." Max heaved a pile of dresses over one arm, then grabbed the chair to her dressing table and left the room. Fran picked up the entire contents of a drawer and carried it to the bed and set it down, then went back to empty another drawer. Max came back in the room and grabbed another pile of dresses and as many skirts as he could, smiled at Fran, then left the room again.

Fran looked around the room, and realized she better just start clearing off her old bed before she took anything else out of the drawers. She scooped up a tall stack of pants in one arm and a stack of shirts in the other, then headed out of the room. She passed Max in the hallway and he stopped her for a quick kiss, then they continued on, moving things back and forth until both closets were filling up again. When Max brought the last of his things over and hung them in the closet, he turned to Fran to see how he could help.

"What do you need me to take next, darling?"

"Well, I'm getting down to undergarments…" she bumped him with her hip and grinned. "You wanna help with those, or…"

"I'll help you with anything, darling, unless you'd rather I not manhandle your delicates…" he bumped her hip back and grinned at her.

"Careful, sweetie, or you'll start sounding kinda kinky!" Max laughed and rubbed her back as they both looked over what remained on the bed. "Oh, I know- let me open one of those sweaters and spread it out, then I can fill it up with a bunch of stuff. Here, can you do one, too? Maybe we can make this the last run if we can get all of this."

"Alright, but what about your shoes?" Fran stopped, then turned and looked at him.

"Oh, damn! I forgot about those! Well, I have some shoes over there already, that might hold me a little while. But you know what, I think I need to figure out how I'm gonna organize those in the closet. Why don't we wait on that? Maybe once everything else is organized, we can figure out where to put all my shoes."

"Alright, that sounds like a plan. So is this it for now?" Fran looked around the room.

"You know what? I think it is. Yeah. I think that'll do it!" They both folded over the sweaters they filled with the last of the things she needed, then picked them up in their arms.

"Well, then… It's really official now, isn't it?" Max smiled at her.

"Yeah, I guess it is." She smiled up at him and he gave her a peck on the lips.

"I feel like I should say 'welcome home' again. Are you going to miss it in here?" Fran looked around at what was left in the room.

"I had a lot of good memories in here, that's for sure. But the room isn't gone, and we'll still be using it a bit. I can come back and visit anytime. And anyway, we'll be making lots more memories together now, in the master bedroom…"

"That's for sure!" He beamed. She laughed and bumped his hip.

"Well, come on then! Let's get over there and get started!" They grabbed their bundles in their arms, shut off the bedroom light, and hurried back to the other room.

Fran set her bundle on top of a stack of clothes and pulled open one of the drawers, then hurriedly lined up pairs of socks and pantyhose until her bundle was empty. She folded up the sweater and set it on another pile, then Max put his bundle down for her. She pulled another drawer open and lined up all of her bras and panties and filled up that drawer, then folded up that sweater and set it on top of the previous one. She turned to look at Max, who had been frozen in place- watching her going through all of her undergarments. He was fascinated, and a little turned on. He imagined what she must look like when she was wearing them, and imagined what she must look like right then- under her clothes. He realized she was looking at him and met her eyes. It took him a moment to come back to his senses, and then he smiled.

"You okay?" She asked.

"Mmm hmm. Sorry, I just hadn't expected to be seeing all of your, you know…"

"Undies?" She laughed, and pushed his chest gently and backed him out of the closet, then shut off the light and shut the door. She continued pushing him back, step by step, until he was up against the bed. She clutched his waist, then slowly worked her hands up his body, then wrapped her arms around his neck. She ran her fingers through the hair on the back of his head, making him sigh.

"I'm glad you're going to be here with me, Fran. I'm glad you're here with me now. I'm just really looking forward to all the time we're going to have together."

"Me, too, Max. I love you so much, and you've been making me so happy! I'm just so crazy about you!"

"I love you, too, Fran! I really do!" He leaned his head down to hers and they kissed. She opened her mouth and took his tongue in, almost consuming him. He reached down and picked up her legs, then turned and rested her down on the bed, then laid down on top of her as they continued kissing.

"Mmmm…" Fran sighed. "I was supposed to be the one to throw you down, baby…" she said softly as their lips parted. Max chuckled.

"Okay…" he kissed her again as she grinned, then she pushed him over onto his back and climbed over him, not letting their lips part. She rested her elbows on either side of his head and he slid his hands around her waist on her bare skin. She kissed him hard, kissed him passionately. He clutched her skin in his fingers, then ran his hands over her lower back and up into her shirt. He liked it when she took charge, he liked it when she didn't hold back how she felt about him. She showed him with every kiss and caress, every smile and every look. She brushed his hair back on the sides of his head, then caressed the sides of his face with her thumbs, holding his face still so she could kiss him all over.

"It feels so good to kiss you, Max. Kiss you like this… I've been dying to all day…"

"Mmm hmm… me too. We can just stay in bed like this until tomorrow if we want to. We don't have to stop unless we get hungry…"

"Mmm, that sounds good!" She kissed his lips softly several more times. "Really good…" As she worked her way across his cheek, then down the side of his neck, Max relaxed even more and let his hands climb further up her back and onto her ribs. He traced his fingertips over her spine, then out across her ribs and back. She had to catch her breath a moment because of how good his touch felt, then continued teasing his neck with her tongue. Max moaned and turned his head to the side, then ran his hands down her back and over her buttocks. He loved her shape, he loved the soft feel of her pants. He dragged his hands to her side and over her hips, then back to her back pockets and slipped his hands into them. What she was doing to his neck was making it hard for him to concentrate, so he rested his arms where they were and focused on how she was making him feel. It all felt so good.

"Oh, Fran… that feels good…"

"You feel good, baby…" She worked her way to the other side of his neck, then back to his lips. As they kissed each other again, she reached a hand to the top button of his shirt and unbuttoned it, then moved to the next one and unbuttoned that, too. After they kissed deeply for several minutes, she paused and caught her breath, then grazed her cheek against his. He moved his hands from her back pockets back up under her shirt snd pulled her tightly against him. She propped herself back up on her elbows and let her lips hover over his, let her nose graze against his, then she opened her eyes slightly and looked through her eyelashes at him. He opened his eyes to look at her, and smiled. He ran his fingers up her bare sides and she smiled. She kissed his lower lip, then held it for a moment between hers, and let go. It drove Max crazy.

"Fran, you're really getting me going!"

"Should I slow down? I like kissing you, I can't help myself!"

"Mmmm…" he sighed, closing his eyes again. "I don't really want you to slow down too much, you feel so good! I just want to make sure you know what you're doing to me."

"You're making me feel good, too, Max. Is it okay that I unbuttoned your shirt?"

"Of course. Is it okay if I put my hands up your shirt?" He asked, opening his eyes again.

"Of course. We have our rules to stick to today… tonight… but all the other things, if we get there, and it feels right, it's okay with me. I want to take more steps with you."

"Good, because I want to take more steps with you, too." They smiled, and Fran kissed him again and again. She kissed him deeply on the mouth, then kissed his cheek again, and moved to the side of his neck. Now that his shirt collar was more open, she could wander a little further- to his collarbone, to the top of his chest. And she did.

"Your cologne!" She sighed. She kissed and sucked at his skin, and moved her arms down to his sides and propped herself up on one elbow as she unbuttoned another one of his buttons. She ran her fingers down over his skin, then spread his shirt open and kissed his chest. Max held his breath a moment as he let himself feel her touch. She looked over him and slid her hand inside his shirt, over his chest, then down to his ribs. She unbuttoned his shirt the rest of the way and pushed it aside. She looked over his body in fascination, then let her fingertips explore him for a while. Max rested against the pillow, feeling her exploring him. It felt so good to have her touching him like that. She kissed his chest several more times, then dragged her lower lip across him and back up to his neck, where she kissed and sucked at him some more. She kissed his neck hard, then kissed him on the mouth again, passionately. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, then rolled her over.

He was crazy about her, and he wanted her so bad. How was he going to make it another day? Fran wrapped her arms around his neck as they kissed, then got hold of the top of his shirt and began pushing it down his shoulders. He slipped an arm out of the sleeve on one side, and then the other, and tossed his shirt aside.

Now it was Fran's turn to really lose her mind. She couldn't wait to see him without his shirt, and here he was, topless, and in her arms. She didn't know where to take hold of him first, she wanted every last bit of him in her hands, in her arms, against her lips. She wanted to feel him against her, but she wanted him to be the one to undress her. She needed him to touch her that way. Max kissed her firmly, offering his tongue, and she took it. Fran held his shoulders against her, then slid a hand up the back of his neck to his hair and ran her fingers through it. Max gasped, catching his breath, then kissed her again. She moved her other arm down from his shoulder, along his side, to his waist. She dragged the backs of her fingers over his skin, then dragged her fingernails over him. He groaned and exhaled and stopped kissing her for a moment. He rested his cheek against hers, then moved over to kiss her neck. He took her in to his mouth, ran his tongue over her skin, and sucked at her as he worked his way down. He knew it was now his turn to unbutton Fran's shirt. He swallowed hard in anticipation, then looked down at her body before he reached for a button. He moved part way off of her, then rested his hand on her belly. He looked up her face, and her eyes were closed, her head turned slightly to the side. The corner of her mouth was curled into a smile. She liked what he was doing. He looked back at her body, and at his hand on her belly. He carefully slid his fingers across her skin up to her shirt, then unbuttoned the bottom button. He gulped again as he watched his hand move higher up her belly, then unbuttoned another button. He was almost at her bra. He looked up at her face again, and she was still smiling. She had a hand over his shoulder and was gently stroking him, waiting patiently. He caught a glimpse of her neck, making him want it again, so he moved up towards it and kissed her neck again, and explored it with his tongue. She moaned softly, and her body writhed against him. He reached for her top button and unbuttoned it, exposing more of her skin. There was only one button left. His heart was racing. He looked over her body and couldn't take it anymore, so he unbuttoned the last button, then moved her shirt open- revealing more of her body, and exposing her bra. He almost sucked in his breath but caught himself. He couldn't stop looking at her body, and he felt a wave of arousal wash over him. She was beautiful. He ran his hand over her belly, then kissed the center of her chest, and rested back down on her. He hovered over her lips, then kissed her.

"You're so beautiful, Fran," he whispered between kisses. "I'm going crazy over you!"

"Mmmm, Max! I love you, baby! I love you." Fran wrapped her arms around his neck, then stroked the side of his face as they kissed each other. "You know I want to be with you, don't you? I really do, Max." She stroked his hair. "We'll stick to the rules tonight, and maybe tomorrow… we'll go on our date, have a really nice time, and come home. Maybe… if the time is right, if it feels right… okay? I'm ready to be with you, I just want us to do the work to get there, you know?"

"Yes, I know. I know. I don't want to rush things, either. I really like this time with you, Fran. I really like it. I want more. And we've got all night. I want to get to know you more, like this. Can we take your shirt off?" Fran smiled at him and nodded.

"Yeah…" she stroked his hair again. "I want to feel you against me… your skin on mine…" she kissed him softly on the lips. Max moved off of her and she sat up, pulled her arms out of her sleeves, then tossed her shirt to the end of the bed. She rested back on the pillow and reached her arms out for him. He moved back on top of her, then rested his forehead on hers. She ran her fingernails over his head, through his hair, giving him goosebumps, and he smiled.

"That's nice…" he sighed. They looked at each other through their eyelashes, letting the moment sink in. Here they were, making out on the bed, and shirtless. Neither one of them could believe it, and both of them wanted so much more. And Fran knew- and she was pretty certain Max knew, too- that another piece of clothing was going to be coming off soon enough. But it was still just the afternoon, and they had so much time alone ahead of them. Would they break their rule? Would they get carried away, and not be able to stop themselves? No, Fran thought. We can do this. Just stick to the rules, and we can do whatever else we want.

"Max?"

"Mmm?"

"I want your hands on me, all over me. And your lips. And I want to do the same to you. We'll just- stick to the rules, but I need you. I need to touch you, feel you, and kiss you. I really do." Max lifted his head up to look at her.

"I need that, too. I want to know every bit of you. Every bit…" he grazed her nose again, then dragged his lips across hers, making her need to kiss him. They kissed, and she wrapped her legs around his hips. He kissed her slowly for several minutes, then sighed and nuzzled her neck. Fran hugged him around his shoulders, then he gave her little kisses on her neck, tickling her. She giggled, and then Max worked his way down her neck to her collarbone again. Fran stroked his shoulders as he spent time working his way around her neck, and from one shoulder to the other. He slipped his hands under her, holding her to him. As his lips worked their way across the top of her chest, he could feel her breasts beneath his chest, and the pretty bra that covered them. He paused a moment and took a deep breath, then shifted further down on her. She loosened the grip of her legs on him, and clutched his shoulders as he propped himself up on his elbows to look at her. He could see her nipples through the fabric of her bra, and looked over her breasts and how the bra cupped them softly. He got another rush of arousal and buried his face in the center of her chest. He really wanted her, but needed to ease up a bit. He kissed the center of her chest, then shifted further down to her belly. He really loved her belly.

Fran was loving Max's exploration of her. His fingertips moved over her skin, his lips kissed her everywhere. She was so turned on by him. She wanted him to come back to her breasts- she wanted his attention to focus there for a while, but she couldn't push him. She knew he would get there, and she could barely stand the wait. She knew he was getting turned on by her, too. She felt his arousal, and she felt good that she made him feel that way. He was as crazy about her that she was for him.

Max kissed Fran's side, then ran his tongue over her skin, making her writhe. He worked his way to her belly button, circled his tongue around it, then kissed his way to her other side. He caressed her belly with his hand, ran his fingertips over her, then shifted up a little. He ran his tongue up the center of her belly, from her belly button to her bra, and she moaned again. His face was just inches from her breasts. He kissed her skin as he looked over a breast, then let his hand work its way up. Finally, he propped himself on his elbow again, then reached up and gently cupped her breast in his hand. Fran clutched his shoulder, then opened her eyes and watched him. He stroked his thumb over her nipple, making it more erect. He loved the feel of the silky fabric of her bra but ached to feel her skin- to feel her breasts. He rested his face down against her, nuzzling one breast, and then the other, and then cupped and caressed her other breast in his hand. She sighed and held him to her. He grazed the tip of his nose across each breast and kissed it, then shifted up over Fran so he could kiss her lips again. She slid her arms under his and around his waist, and locked her legs around him again. She was so turned on! She ran her hands up and down his back, then reached for his buttocks and pulled him against her, making him groan.

Every time Max tried to slow himself down, he got himself worked into a frenzy again. He was crazy for Fran's body. He wanted his hands everywhere at once. Now Fran was putting her hands all over him, and had her legs wrapped around him. She felt so good! They kissed passionately, and as he propped himself up again, Fran clutched his ribs, then ran her fingers up his sides, then to his chest. She ran her hands up and down over his pecs, then paused to caress his nipples. He gasped a moment, then kissed her again. He didn't want to move, what she was doing felt so good, and it was really turning him on. He wanted to do the same for her. Fran moved her hands back up over his shoulders, and he took that as his cue to work his way back down her body. He needed her breasts, and he wanted to make her feel good, too. Really good.

Max kissed her neck, then caressed her body and moved his hand over a breast again, and rubbed her nipple through the fabric. He shifted down over her body and cupped her other breast in his other hand. He kissed one breast, then the other, then looked at the hook in the center of her chest. Fran made little noises as he caressed her, so he reached over and unfastened her bra. He felt Fran suck in her breath, like she was anticipating his touch. He slid a finger under the fabric of one cup, then uncovered a breast. He automatically cupped her in his hand, then kissed the middle of her chest. He rested his head against her and watched his fingers as he took her nipple between his thumb and index finger. Fran moaned and arched her back, arousing Max even more. He lifted his head up, then uncovered her other breast, and let his fingers take that nipple, too. It drove Fran wild, and she locked her legs tighter around him. She clutched his shoulders, not wanting him to stop. So he kissed a breast, then took the nipple into his lips, and began to softly suck at it and tease it with the tip of his tongue.

"Oh… god… Max!" She cried softly. Max sucked a little harder, making Fran arch her back more. He moved to the other breast and did the same thing, and Fran moaned again. She caressed the side of his head and made noises of pleasure, not wanting him to stop what he was doing. "Oh, that feels so good!" He played with her breasts for a while longer, enjoying her reaction to the pleasure he was making her feel. He helped her take the bra off and tossed it to the end of the bed, then rested back on top of her. They both enjoyed the feel of their bare skin against each other. Fran wrapped her arms and legs around his body again as they kissed. She clutched his buttocks and pulled him against her, again and again, making him moan.

"Fran, be careful, that's gonna make me-"

"I know, it might make me, too. God I want you so bad, Max! I can't help it!"

"I want you, too Fran! Let's take a break for a while, okay? Let's take a break. Are you cold? Do you want to get under the covers?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah, let's do that." Max got off of her and she moved so they could pull the covers down. He let her get under the covers first, and then followed her. He laid down on a pillow and she curled up against him, and he pulled the covers over her to keep her warm. She hugged him tight and kissed his cheek. "Are you okay? I mean, I knew we might get ourselves turned on, but I don't want to make you suffer."

"I'll be okay. But yes, you really got me turned on. I still- I mean, I am, I - uh-"

"It's okay, baby. I know. Believe me, I know! I wish- I kinda wish we could do something about that." Max chuckled and pulled her close to him.

"How would that work, if we have to keep our britches on?"

Fran laughed. "Well, it would be easier for you than me!"

"For, or on?" Max asked and they both laughed. Fran wrapped her arm around his waist and kissed his chest. She ran her hand back and forth over his belly, then slowed down and began moving it lower and lower, towards his pants. "Darling- you don't need to-"

"I know, baby. I just- is it alright if I just… touch you?"

"Touch me?"

"Clothes stay on. I just- I still want to touch you all over. Even if half of our clothes are still on. And I like that I can make you feel that way, you know?"

"Yes, I know. If I make you feel that way, too, it makes me feel good."

"You do make me feel that way. Even if we're frustrated right now, we can still feel good. Still touch each other."

"I'd like that. If you're sure."

"I am. I don't want to stop, but I know with the rules it's gonna be tough for a little while."

"Mmm hmm." He rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head, and let her hand work it's way over him.

Fran felt protective of Max, even as a result of them getting each other turned on. She didn't want him suffering because of it, especially when it made them both feel so good. She wished she could do something for him, but it wouldn't be right- not yet. And he would want to reciprocate, and how was that going to work? Especially if they stuck to their rules. She knew if they kept this up all night, something was going to have to happen. She carefully rested her hand over him. He seemed to flinch a little, then relaxed, and so did Fran. She was impressed, and was imagining how he might look if the clothing wasn't in the way. That just got her turned on again.

"Oh man!" She said out loud.

"What?" Max asked, self consciously.

"No no, baby, it's okay! I just, that makes me just… wanna do more stuff. Oh, gosh, does it make me want to do more stuff! You're still turning me on! But I don't want to move, either."

"It's okay, it feels nice- you doing that. And holding you like this, feeling you against me, I like it. It's okay. You can put your hands on me. Let's just try to relax a little while, okay?"

"Okay. I like it, too. I love your body, Max. I'd just like to have all of it."

Max chuckled. "You will. And I'll let you have all you want!"

"Mmmm! That sounds wonderful! And you can have all of me, too! It's mutually beneficial!"

"I'll say! I love your body, too, Fran. I'm not done exploring."

"Good!" They got quiet again, but Fran couldn't help but check Max out a little more. She slid her hand over him, then caressed him with her thumb, stroking him back and forth.

Max made little noises, sometimes of pleasure, sometimes of warning that she was getting him going. But he didn't object to having her hand on his erection. They weren't breaking their rules, and they both seemed to be getting enjoyment out of it. He wanted it to last as long as possible. Max reached his hand over towards her under the covers and found the side of her breast, then grazed it with the backs of his fingers. He found her nipple and traced it with a finger. Fran sighed. She closed her eyes and found herself mimicking his movements. As he stroked her breast, she stroked his erection.

"Mmm… Max?"

"Mmm hmm?" Fran looked up at him, then kissed his chest.

"I want to make you feel good…"

"You do, sweetheart. You are."

"I mean, you know… what we were talking about…" she gently stroked his erection again.

"Mmmm…" Max almost squeaked. "You really don't need to worry about that, Fran. Isn't that part of why we made the rules?"

"Well, the rules were more for sex, right? So we didn't rush right into that. This wouldn't exactly be sex… it would be like another step before sex, right?" Max looked at her, thinking.

"But we still have our pants on-?"

"I know. Was the rule that we had to keep all of that on, or just something on…?"

"Well, we might have intended that the rule was more for bedtime, when we had pajamas on, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so. So, depending on what we were going to wear for pajamas…" They chuckled and looked at each other.

"So you're saying, we could remove our pants, and put on whatever we were going to wear for pajama bottoms?"

"Maybe. But what if I was gonna wear a nightgown?" Max laughed.

"Well, what if I was going to wear a nightshirt?" Fran laughed.

"Do you have a nightshirt?"

"No." they were quiet again, and went back to putting their hands on each other as they tried to think of something else.

"Hey, the rule was just for keeping the bottoms on, right? Nothing about where hands could or couldn't go…"

Max cleared his throat. "Well, technically, I don't think we said anything about that at all."

"Would that bother you? If, you know, my hands… went places…?"

"Would it bother you if mine did the same?" He asked. Fran propped herself up and looked at him. She ran her hand over his chest, then his belly, then headed lower again. She shook her head.

"No." Max pushed her hair over her shoulder and looked at what he could see of her body, including her breasts.

"It wouldn't bother me, either. But maybe, first, we should change our pants?"

"I'd be good with that." Fran pushed herself up off of Max and he sat up. He looked at her body, then kissed her.

"You're beautiful, do you know that?"

"Thank you. And you're awfully sexy yourself," she smiled. Max kissed her quickly, then slid off of the bed. She followed him and they stepped into the closet. They both found pairs of soft cotton shorts, then turned away from each other as they took off their pants and pulled on the shorts. They were already pushing temptation enough as it was. Fran went back into the bedroom and picked up their clothes, then Max got under the covers again as she took the clothes into the closet and dropped them into the hamper. She came back out of the closet, covering herself with her arm as Max watched. She smiled at him coyly, then he lifted the covers up for her to get in. She climbed in and laid on top of him, and he reached over to shut off the bedside light. It was still light outside, giving the room just enough light inside.

"This is much better, don't you think?" He asked.

"I do!" She kissed him, and he wrapped his arms around her waist. They kissed for several minutes, and Max ran his hands over her back and up and down her sides. He took a chance, and let his fingertips slide under her waistbands. Fran caught her breath, then kissed him again. She moved her legs up to straddle him, then moved her pelvis slowly back and forth a few times against him. Max groaned. She pushed herself up and sat on him, and he took her cue and sat up himself. He reached for her breast and took her nipple into his mouth. She held the back of his neck, encouraging him to continue. He reached a hand up for her other breast. Now she was really getting turned on again. She reached a hand down to his erection and rubbed him, then got her fingers into his waistband. He gasped as her fingers touched him. He let her explore a little, and it was all he could do to contain himself. She pulled her hand out, and he rolled her over onto the bed. He kissed her passionately for several minutes, then kissed his way down her body, and back up. When he got to her breasts again, he teased her nipples, then sucked on her harder than before. She arched her back and moaned. He reached a hand down to her crotch and began to wander over her, making her spread her legs for him. He kissed her lips again, and his hand wandered up to her belly, feeling her all over, then she guided his hand inside of her underwear. He looked into her eyes, and they were so full of love and arousal at the same time. He wanted to make her feel good. So good.

He kissed her again, and slid his hand further into her clothes, then let his finger find where it needed to be. Fran moaned and rested back against the pillow. Max kissed her softly as he worked her up little by little until she came. She clutched the bed and his shoulder as it happened and stifled a cry. He kissed her neck and her chest as she shuddered slightly, and then started breathing again. He slid his hand out of her underwear and she threw her arms around him, kissing him deeply and pulling him down on her. She wrapped her legs around him, feeling his erection at her crotch. She kissed him again and again, then reached down for his erection, rubbing him through the clothing. She turned to look at the bedside table, then reached for several tissues, and stuffed them at the top of his underwear.

"I love you so much, Max!" She gasped.

"I love you, Fran!" She reached into the front of his underwear and grasped his penis, making him suck in his breath. He held himself over her and let her do what she wanted, and he leaned down to kiss her deeply. She began to stroke him back and forth, and played with the head of his penis. He moaned and looked down at what she was doing, and he closed his eyes. It felt so good. He couldn't help but move his hips as she stroked, imagining that they were actually having sex. She paused every now and then, then started up again. She stroked the head of his penis, then held the shaft and let him push against her, then went faster and faster until she knew he was about to come, and made sure the tissues were ready for him. He came hard up against her and he collapsed on her, out of breath. She felt him contract again and again, and then begin to relax as he tried to slow his breathing. She pulled her hand out of his underwear and wrapped herself around him. She stroked his hair back and kissed his cheek, then he turned to look at her and kiss her lips. She saw tears forming in his eyes, and he looked away, then nuzzled his face into her neck.

"Max! I love you! I love you more than anything! I'm madly in love with you, do you know that?" He kissed her neck and gave a nervous laugh, then lifted his head up and kissed her lips.

"I love you Fran! I really do! You're everything to me!" He kissed her again. "And I'm madly in love with you, too! You're wonderful!" Fran wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and held his face in front of her. She smiled from ear to ear and kissed him again. They both let the tears flow, and she let him rest on top of her again. She pulled the covers over him and held him tightly to her. She gave him little kisses up the side of his face and ran her fingers through his hair, and she wouldn't let go of him.

Max slid his hands under the pillow she was resting on, and let his body relax. He didn't care anymore that he had tears in his eyes. He loved her. And she loved him. They stayed like that, in silence, letting everything that just happened sink in. They both felt themselves relaxing, as if the biggest weight had been lifted from them. Fran cradled Max in her arms as he nuzzled against her. She caressed his shoulders and stroked his hair, soothing him. Soon, he began to fall asleep in Fran's arms, all of his stress fading away. Fran continued caressing him, feeling him sinking against her, until she knew he had fallen asleep. She kissed his forehead and smiled, and decided to let him sleep as long as he needed to.