Part 5

"I know, sweetie," Claudia said as soon as Maryse entered the hotel room. Claudia could tell by her friend's expression that she was dreaming about a life with Dave, but that she was also sad, knowing that they were going back home tomorrow. "I know how hard this is going to be. I don't want to leave either. This has been one of the best vacations I ever had, but mostly because you were there to share it with me instead of denying yourself a life."

"Yeah, it has," Maryse agreed somewhat soberly. "We have to go home though. You'll lose your job if you don't get back and I have a business to run. I left Brenda in charge and she's been doing a wonderful job according to all reports, but still, I need to get home and get back into my routine."

"So do I," Claudia sighed, just a little with regret that they couldn't spend at least another month here, but it just wasn't possible at least for her, though Maryse could if she wanted to. That didn't mean that she wasn't sad to be leaving.

She knew Maryse was going to miss Dave, a lot, but since Dave was coming to New York within a few weeks she knew her best friend would be very happy after that. She would like to see the happy, contented version of her friend return.

Still, she would bide her time.

"So, want to go to dinner or something?" Maryse asked finally coming back to herself.

"If you like or we could just order room service. You know stay here and watch movies," Claudia suggested.

"The last time we did that we fell asleep before the movie was half over," Maryse reminded her friend.

"So we needed the sleep," Claudia shrugged. "We were also drunk. Neither one of us is drunk this time at least not on alcohol," Claudia added in a teasing tone.

Maryse said nothing, just smiled.

"So did you enjoy your little walk with Dave?" Claudia asked.

"What do you think?" Maryse returned, refusing to think of their departure tomorrow, so instead she dwelled on the wonderful time she'd had with Dave.

"I would say you more than enjoyed yourself and that you had sex on the beach," Claudia said hoping to get a reaction.

"Yes, we did, once all the people in our little section of it went off to their dinners. The ones with young children left first, then the others about an hour later. We were totally alone I promise or I never would've agreed to it. I'm no exhibitionist," Maryse said surprising her friend with her honesty.

"No, you definitely are not," Claudia nearly laughed at the last sentence out of her friend's mouth. "I'm not either, though I'll go a little farther then you will in public."

"Don't I know it," Maryse said smiling at the banter. She had definitely missed this, missed the banter between her and her best friend. "I say let's just order room service since I'm not in the mood to go out."

"That's fine with me," Claudia said. "We know the food is good, since we've already been to the restaurant here."

"It should be," Maryse agreed. "Here is the menu. Why don't you choose what you want while I freshen up? I need a shower, as I have sand in some very uncomfortable places."

"No wonder," Claudia teased.

Maryse didn't answer and walked into the very luxurious bathroom to take a shower.

When she returned a few minutes later she got dressed in her sleep clothes quickly before joining Claudia on the couch.

"So have you chosen a movie to watch?" Maryse asked.

"Of course," Claudia said smiling. She too was already in her pajamas.

"Well then, let's get started. The food should be here in a few minutes," Maryse said. "I hope so anyway, as I'm starving."

"I'm not surprised, considering your previous activities," Claudia said before falling silent.

Claudia had the remote already in her hand and pushed play on the movie she had already decided on. The two young women relaxed as the movie started and just enjoyed being together. Claudia said nothing further about Dave, as she wanted her friend to forget, at least for a while, her feelings for the man. Hopefully, the movie would distract Maryse so she wouldn't think about the fact that they were leaving tomorrow. Going back home and away from Dave.

~~~Dave and Maryse~~~

"Goodbye, Dave. I had a better vacation than I expected because of you," Maryse said, kissing his cheek.
"It was my pleasure I promise you," Dave said, as he kissed Maryse tenderly one last time before they headed for their airport terminal. He tried his best to get his emotions under control, but it was hard. He had never felt so bereft and it just hardened his determination to get Maryse to agree to be his wife. He wanted her always at his side as the love of his life.

Claudia shot him a look when Marcy wasn't looking and Dave gave her a brief nod.

Dave's nod was the signal that he would finish making his own arrangements and would soon appear on Maryse's doorstep.

This brought a brief smile to Claudia's face before she followed her friend who was ahead of her with her carry-on, a tote bag, slung over her shoulder.

Dave stared after the two women and decided that just standing there was useless. He had his own plans to make, something he had already started before he had brought Maryse to the airport, while Claudia followed in their rental car. He had wanted to spend every second he could with the woman he loved, before she got on that damn plane and flew over a thousand miles away from him.

Dave hurried out of the airport building and to his car, already finalizing plans in his head.

He was sorry that he wouldn't be around to see Maryse's and Claudia's reaction when both young women saw the bills from their vacation and saw that the one for the hotel stay had been taken care of. He had known that neither Claudia nor Maryse would agree with him to let them stay basically for free, so he was going to take care of it now that they were headed back to New York.

He was determined to make Maryse realize that he loved her and that she loved him in return. She might claim that you couldn't fall in love after a few weeks but he knew differently and was determined to make her see that she did love him.

If he couldn't well, he would go back to Miami, but he knew deep down that there'd never be another like Maryse again, so he would've lost his chance at true happiness.

~~~Dave and Maryse~~~

Several months later

"So how are you doing?" Claudia asked her friend.

It had been several months since their vacation and Claudia expected Dave show up any day now. They had been keeping in contact and Dave was nearly finished with his plans and so would be here soon. When he got here she knew that Maryse would cheer right up. She wasn't the same as after her breakup with Leo, but she was still different then the happy person she had known several months before. She know the reason for the change in attitude, so wasn't worried in the slightest, because once she saw Dave she would return to that person she had been for several weeks.

"I'm fine," Maryse said, though that wasn't the complete truth.

"Well, good," Claudia said forcing cheerfulness, knowing her friend was lying. "How's your business going?"

"Great!" Maryse said in a much more enthusiastic voice. "I have clients coming out of the woodwork. I'm doing so well I'm thinking about moving to a larger place, as this apartment is getting a bit crowded. I need more room to spread out."

"That's great!" Claudia said enthusiastically. "Maybe you could just buy the apartment next door and tear down a wall or two. I just hate for you to move, as then we won't be in the same building anymore."

"That's not a bad idea," Maryse considered. "I could buy both this apartment and the next, as I'm pretty sure it's empty. I like living right across the hall from you, so maybe buying the two apartments on either side would be better. Of course, I'm only nearly sure that one on the left is free, as I think the one on the right is occupied."

Claudia watched as Maryse studied the interior wall and finally noticed the glow that surrounded her. She was surprised that she hadn't noticed right away and she knew the only reason that her friend could be glowing was because she was pregnant.

"Are you pregnant?" Claudia asked without a bit of embarrassment knowing she was right.

"Yeah, I am," Maryse admitted blushing.

"And you didn't tell me?" Claudia chastised immediately, hugging Maryse in happiness at this rather unexpected, but happy news.

"I just found out the other day and I'm still kind of in shock about it," Maryse admitted. "I suppose that I haven't had sex in so long that it never occurred to me ask Dave to take precautions. I never even thought that I might end up pregnant with Dave's child."

"I think that's perfectly understandable considering you hadn't had sex in a long time," Claudia said grinning hugely. "Are you going to tell Dave about his child?"

"I don't know if I should or not," Maryse said, looking reluctant.

"Maryse, of course, you should! It's going to be his child! He has a right to pay child support, to come and see him or her, to have a relationship with them. If Dave was a horrible person then I wouldn't recommend you telling him, but the truth of the matter is that Dave is nothing like you know who."

"I know you're right," Maryse said her shoulders slumping.

"Then what's your problem with telling him," Claudia asked, knowing very well what the problem was. Her friend wasn't sure how she would take seeing Dave, especially so soon after she had just seen him a few months ago.

Claudia waited for whatever Maryse was going to say, but when she didn't speak after a good five minutes, Claudia knew she was going to have to.

"You're afraid he's going to suggest abortion," Claudia said, though she knew Dave well enough to know he would never do such a thing.

"That's not it at all," Maryse protested automatically.

"Then tell me why you're so reluctant," Claudia said. "He is the father of this child. He has a right to know that child, unless of course he doesn't want to, which will be his choice. You have no right to keep that you're pregnant from him."

"You're right," Maryse admitted. "I do need to tell him I just don't know if I can."

"You don't want to bring him back into your life so soon after you just parted," Claudia said, already having guessed that was the reason her friend was so reluctant to share the news.

"No," Maryse admitted reluctantly.

"You have more feelings for him then you want to admit to anyone," Claudia said knowingly.

"Yes, I do, but I have to get used to being alone again," Maryse said. "I won't have time for a guy because I'll be raising this child by myself."

"No, you won't, if you're willing to take a chance," Claudia told her friend firmly. "I know you told Dave that you weren't willing to travel back and forth, but I think that was more, because you were afraid of the relationship actually working out, then because it might not."

"We each have our separate lives," Maryse argued. "I doubt very much that Dave feels the same way about me that I do about him and I don't want to burden him with my feelings. I know he'd put me down as gently as possible, but with me out of the picture he'll be able to find someone else more suited to him."

"Are you listening to the crap you're spewing," Claudia exploded taking Maryse by surprise. "The truth is that you're so afraid of him not returning your feelings that you're not willing to take a chance that he's going to reject you, which wouldn't happen in a million years. Do you think Dave would've given you such an expensive necklace if he didn't have genuine feelings for you?"

Maryse clutched the necklace that she always wore now. It brought her a nice warm glow when she held it in her hand and thought about Dave, of the time they had spent together.

"He probably gives out jewelry to every woman he spends time with," Maryse tried and Claudia glared at her friend in disgust, causing Maryse to hang her head in shame.

"That's a pile of crap and you know it. It was given to you because he has genuine feelings for you and that you're not willing to take a chance to see if that turns into real love really says something. Dave's not the kind of man that's going to give someone a piece of jewelry worth several hundred dollars at least if he didn't have genuine feelings for that person. Stop stalling and do the right thing or I will!" Claudia ordered.

"You wouldn't," Maryse protested looking at her best friend with betrayal in her expression.

"If it was someone like Leo no, I wouldn't, but Dave's a different kind of man and you know it. I know he'll be ecstatic to learn he's going to have a child," Claudia said.

"I'll call him sometime this week," Maryse sighed giving in. "It's too late to even think about it tonight."

This was true so, Claudia nodded.

"Make sure you do," Claudia ordered her tone severe. "Don't be such a coward. I know that Dave would rather hear about it from the source instead of that source's friend and he'll be disappointed in you for not telling him yourself."

Maryse's body slumped even farther looking dejected and Claudia left for her own apartment across the hall without a word. She knew she had given her best friend a lot to think about, so would leave her to it.

~~~Dave and Maryse~~~