Everything seems much simpler from the view from Max's bed. His posters of scantily clad women, rock bands and the Simpsons remind her that he is much younger than her. She often forgets, their conversation never running far beyond childish banter. She would feel self-conscious, knowing how many younger women Max has slept with, but he did all the chasing, and anyway, she knows she's good. She turns and looks at him looking at her.
"What?" She asks, unnerved by the intensity in his eyes.
"You're beautiful, Zoe." He's serious, too. She'd never really thought about him as more than a casual fling. Was it turning into more than that?
"Oh piss off, Max." Leaning forward, she kisses him again, and he responds eagerly. She likes him; he makes her feel good, in more ways than one. He buys her flowers, and he doesn't care that she's the boss and he's a porter. But a proper relationship? There isn't really that understanding that there was with Nick, or even with Matt, to an extent. They could spend an entire evening, an entire day in bed together, or they could talk in depth for hours. But he is good for her: she feels happier after time spent with him than after stressing about Jordan, and he does treat her like a queen...
For the time being, this couldn't go much further than a fling. Apart from anything else, she doubts whether the Sharice situation would work. And right now, she has to be her priority.
She sighs inwardly, worry filling her mind again. But as Max pulls her on top of him, leading her to distraction, Sharice, Jordan and the ED are the last things on her mind.
Sorry! I sort of had to cut out Zax, or the story would have been too complicated... Believe me, I didn't enjoy writing it! But the next chapter is the last one, so you won't have to live without Zax for much longer ;)