"Now what?" Jennifer muttered softly to herself.
Jonathan had gotten an urgent email from his office before they even landed in Los Angeles. It had come in when he had been busy kneeling between her legs, actually, so despite the plane's state of the art wifi capabilities, Jonathan hadn't seen the message until long after it arrived. He spent the rest of the flight furiously typing about something. Jennifer took a little nap while he worked, since she had been a bit tired out after three orgasms.
There was a car waiting at LAX for Max to drive them back to Jonathan's building. At least during the drive, Jonathan had been able to sit with her and show her things—buildings his company owned, places he frequented, shopping areas she might like, restaurants he wanted to take her to. That had been nice.
But as soon as they reached Hart Towers, Jonathan took her up to the penthouse, gave her a quick tour of the place, and then apologized profusely that he had to go to the office right away. He left her with a kiss and a promise to let her know as soon as he figured things out and could come back to celebrate their first night together in America.
So here she was, staring at the front door to the penthouse that she was now living in. And she was all by herself.
The door suddenly opened, and Jennifer's heart leapt that Jonathan had perhaps changed his mind and come back to her, but instead it was Max. He was rolling a huge cart with all the luggage piled on top of it.
"Oh here, let me help," Jennifer offered, rushing over to grab one of her bags that was threatening to fall.
"Thanks, Miss Edwards. That turn from the elevator into the hallway is a little narrow. Stuff got jostled," Max replied.
He rolled the cart down the hall into the master bedroom that Jonathan had showed her just minutes ago. Jennifer helped Max take down her luggage and Jonathan's.
"If you wanna unpack, you can use any hangers or whatever in the closet there. We can get you another dresser or whatever you need, too. Mr. H passed me in the lobby and wanted me to know you should make yourself at home, and I'll get you whatever you need."
Jennifer hesitated. Jonathan might have said for her to make herself at home, but she really didn't feel comfortable doing so when he wasn't here. In time, this would be their home. But right now, it was his home. Jennifer just didn't know what to do right now.
Max seemed to sense her discomfort, so he chimed in, "Here, we're all jetlagged. Mr. H will be back soon, but in the meantime, why don't you come in the kitchen, and I'll fix you something. Coffee and a sandwich, maybe?" he offered.
In that moment, she had a strong urge to hug him. She swallowed back a lump in her throat. "That sounds great. Thank you."
She followed him into the kitchen and took a seat at the table as he indicated and gazed around at the almost shockingly homey kitchen inside an otherwise modern-style apartment. It was clear within about twenty seconds that this was Max's domain and Jonathan had obviously let him have free reign in here with everything from the furnishings and decorations to the appliances. Max moved around the space with such an innate knowledge of home. It was strangely comforting to Jennifer.
"How did you end up in this position, Max? Jonathan told me a little bit about how he's known you since he was a kid and how you helped him. Were you always this domestic maven for wayward teenagers?" she asked.
Max laughed as he ground some coffee beans and arranged them in a filter. "Nah, I lived on takeout and going to delis and diners most of my life. I was something of a professional gambler, though it's kinda hard to make a living like that nowadays. I was married for a little while, but my wife and I both weren't too keen on keeping house. We traveled around a lot, both of us in the same kind of circles. But by the time I met Mr. H, I was long divorced and just keeping to myself. I didn't learn any of this kinda stuff until after Mr. H started his company and wanted me to work with him. I can't do anything with software or nothin' like that, and I ain't gonna take a free ride anywhere. So I watched a lot of YouTube videos about cooking and sewing and cleaning and all that kinda stuff. Mr. H got busier and busier with his company, and I kinda became the CEO of the house. Other guys in his world have maid services or can arrange for meals to be delivered, but Mr. H likes me around, and I like bein' around."
Jennifer smiled at that. "I'm glad. My father travels a lot for his work, and he's had Walter as his personal secretary to take care of him for years. I sometimes think he's more than just a personal secretary, but that's none of my business," she added holding up her hands in defense. "But suffice it to say, I think it's wonderful to have a friend to live with. The modern world can be awfully lonely if you aren't careful."
"Sounds like you know from experience," Max inferred.
"I do," Jennifer answered simply.
Max brought over two mugs of hot, fresh coffee. "You want cream or sugar?" he offered.
"No, black is fine," she replied.
They sat together and quietly sipped their coffee for a moment, Jennifer practically moaning at how delicious it was. Max started excitedly telling her about the special coffee he ordered from a particular organic fair-trade company and how he'd perfected his brewing technique over the years.
When there was a lull in the conversation, Jennifer took another sip of coffee and came right out with what was on her mind. "Max, do you think you'll still like being around now that I'm here? I mean, I know we don't know each other very well, and I hope that can change, but I know you're very important to Jonathan and I…well, I worry that I'm overstepping, I guess."
Max gave a soft smile. "Miss Edwards, I never seen Mr. H happier in over a decade than I seen him these last few days with you. He loves you more than anything. And if he's happy, I'm happy. You're okay by me. But I would like to get to know you more, too." He took the last sip of his coffee and put down the mug. "I guess I should ask if you even want me around. I mean, you two are gonna get married and start your life together. You might not want me hanging around."
"The thought hadn't even crossed my mind," she answered truthfully. "You and Jonathan are your own little family unit, and yes, he and I will be getting married and starting our life together, but I hope I can find my way into the family you already have. I love Jonathan very deeply, even after only a few days, and I want very much for him to have everything good in the world. I know he doesn't have any other family. I would never dream of ever trying to take you away from him."
A serene expression passed over Max's face. "You're okay by me, Miss Edwards," he told her, repeating himself. "You're okay by me."