Max yawned as she waited in the line with Logan for the archery activity. Asha and aLec were laughing about something as Alec tried to give her pointers on how to aim. Max watched as Alec became serious again and then put his arms around Asha, guiding her into the correct pose. Max could practically hear Asha whimper like a filly just come into season. Alec stepped away And Asha released the string, the arrow burying itself into the target.
"See!" Alec said triumphantly. Asha laughed shakily.
"Well if Asha can do it." Logan said, taking a bow and three arrows. Max followed him and sat on the grass beside where he was shooting.
"No, wrap the leather around your wrist, that's it." Max guided with words as Logan strapped on the guard. Out of the corner of her eyes she noticed Asha getting closer to Alec.
Who does she think she is? A voice in Max's head flared up angrily. Oh yeah, because you have first dibs on Alec. Another one said sarcastically. Well, we do. Said a third. Max shook her head, trying to clear her mind of the voices.
"Something up Max?" Logan asked. Max smiled disarmingly.
"Hornet." She glanced to the side and caught Alec watching her. They both looked away
instantly. Then they looked back, Alec glanced at Asha and then headed forward.
"Max, uh, we have that-"
"Thing." Max agreed standing up instantly, rubbing her hands on her thighs. Logan looked between them.
"Yeah, that thing." Aled glanced at Max. "Clean up, after that tequila competition."
"Yeah, that's it." Max smiled and then bolted.
"I don't believe this." Alec chuckled as they ran into the foyer. Max grinned and swung around to face him.
"Neither do I." She giggled. Alec leaned down to kiss her then paused as a maid walked past. They broke out in chuckles again.
"We're acting like kids." Max whispered. Alec cocked his head.
"Must be in the air, come on." He took her hand and started to take her through the hotel. When they reached the hotel room the sounds of a maid cleaning were audible to their cats hearing. Alec frowned, disappointed despite all his best intentions. Max giggled.
"Come on." She whispered and dragged him through to the linen cupboard.
"Max - no . . ." Alec was incredulous, who'd have thought Max had such a naughty streak in her? Max smiled sultrily and closed the door.
Five minutes later it opened again.
"Oh!" The maid gasped in shock and embarrassment. Henry and Flora, the couple who had requested and extra couple of pillows, their jaws dropped. Alec glanced up at them, he was insanely glad he and Max had decided to take it slow this time. Max bit her lip, Alec could feel her about to laugh underneath him.
"Uh. . . we charge a fee." Alec cracked. Max let her head drop back on the duvets and laughed. She shrugged her top back up to a decent length. Henry and Flora laughed with them. Alec stood up and extended a hand down to Max.
"The throes of first love." Henry glanced at Flora and she gasped.
"Remember the haystack love?" She asked. Henry laughed and pinched his wife's bottom. Alec decided it was probably time to back out of there, he slipped out and nodded an apology to the maid who was grinning. Max smiled and followed him, still holding his hand.
"Oh God, that was close." Max said, she felt herself laughing again.
"Max, I just thought of something." Alec turned to her. "We don't have anything to wear for the ball tonight."
"You shall go to the ball." Max smirked. Alec frowned quizzically.
"Huh?"
"Disney!" Max exclaimed, shocked he didn't know about it. "Oh come on, Disney, Cinderella? Alec come on!" Max shook her head. "Let's go in to town, then after the gala we'll watch Disney."
Alec grinned, Max definitely had her moments.
This place was terrible. Max thought, they actually rented out motorbikes. She watched as Alec rented one. he paused and came over to her.
"You're not going to believe this," he glanced back at the desk clerk. "The only have one left."
"Did you take it?" Max asked. Alec nodded.
"That I did." He glanced at her. "First one to the garage gets to drive."
Max felt the wind on her face, she remembered as the guy at the garage had been horrified as they'd deigned not to take helmets. Alec's arms around her waist was definitely affecting her ability to drive, she wondered if perhap they should have taken the helmets. Alec inched closer and Max swallowed, the bike swerving slightly. How much closer could he get! He was already leaning on her back, she could feel him breathing in her hair. It was almost a relief to pull up outside the elite shops outside Florinna's grounds. Almost.
Alec took a tux quickly, smiling at the woman at the counter and getting a discount. Max leafed through the dresses, she knew dark reds looked good on her, but at the same time there was a certain amount of pride in her that didn't want to copy.
"Please don't do what every girl does." Alec said behind her.
"You'd better get a magazine." Max replied, absorbed in the dresses. Alec sighed audibly. Max paused as she found a dark blue sparkling dress which would hug her figure beautifully.
"How 'bout this one?" She asked, holding it against her. Alec cocked his head and then wrinkled his nose.
"Nah, you'd look cheap." He said. Max was taken aback. "What?" He asked. "Did you want me to tell you it looked marvelous?"
"No. I just wasn't expecting such honesty." Max continued looking.
"This one." Alec walked straight towards another dress and handed it to her. Max looked at it.
"I'd have to try it on."
"The cubicles over there." He indicated.
Max came out and saw that Alec was flicking through a magazine. She was about to clear her throat but he knew she was there, he looked up and the surprise was evident on his face. A black bodice gave way to a dark scarlett skirt which had been tailored in such a way that if she stood still it went straight down but when she walked it revealed a huge circumfrance. The skirt was covered with a thin black mesh and a black shawl covered her shoulders. Alec swallowed.
"Lovely." He managed to say. He turned to the assistant who was smiling at them. "This one I think."
* * *
Logan waited for Max and Alec to come down stairs. He felt slightly guilty about all the time he'd been spending with Asha, he should have been spending more with Max.
"Logan?" Asha asked, she was wearing a blue sparkling dress with a plunging back and a figure hugging shape. She looked nice, her blonde hair fanned out.
"Well, here they come." His aunt Flora said to her husband as she noticed a couple entering the hall. Max and Alec were something to behold. Max had her arm casually around Alec's, her dress was stunning and her hair was in pretty little curls. Alec had left his hair relatively untamed and it gave his non descript tux a personality. Logan swallowed, at once jealous of Alec and sad for him. The guy would never have Max, despite how pretty they looked together.
"You look -" Alec said to Asha as they approached. "Stunning." He smiled at her. Max grinned.
"You do, and Logan, you look quite the gentleman." Max smiled at him. Alec nodded, his eyes sparkling.
"Ah, my young friends." Henry came over. He slapped Alec on the back. "My dear, you look wonderful." He said to Max.
"Quite stunning actually." Flora said, looking Alec up and down and nudging Max inconspicuously in the ribs. Max bit her lip to stop from laughing.
"Let's go get something to eat, shall we?" Henry asked. "As it happens we're sitting together."
Dinner that night was fun. Henry and Flora were true soul mates, always arguing or snapping at each other and often insulting each other. But at the same time they seemed to know exactly what the otehr was thinking, often finishing each others sentences and setting the other up for a fall.
"So, Max, where did you find this little diamond?" Flora asked, leaning across the table to put a hand on Alec's knee. Max giggled.
"I found him - when I started tracing my roots. He lived in the same area I used to live in."
She glanced at Alec who seemed slightly uncomfortable at all the praise.
"Well, if I had known you were around young man, I'd have done something about it." Flora chuckled. Alec smiled and turned to her.
"If I had known, I'd have fended Max off some more." He said. Flora laughed delightedly.
"Thank you." Henry said later on while Flora went to the ladies room with Max. Alec looked at him.
"What for?" He asked. "Max and I are having a great laugh." He smiled at Henry then sobered as he saw the sadened expression on his face.
"You see, Flora, she's not well." Henry swallowed roughly. Alec stopped eating and looked at him, he felt slightly ill.
"What's wrong with her?" He asked.
"Cancer, multiple actually. She's in so much pain, sometimes she can't sleep, she just cries all night." Henry's entire demeanor changed, Alec felt a lump in his throat.
"Is there nothing . . ." Alec began.
"Nothing." Henry said shortly. "We've tried everything, there's not a single thing that we could do. She's had all sorts of radiation treatment but - nothing." He looked up as he saw the girls enter. "Bright smiles old chap." He said.
"Hey, two very beautiful ladies coming to dine with us?" Alec asked, he turned to Henry. "We're in luck tonight my friend."
"You don't know what you're getting." Max said with a grin, sitting down beside him. He smiled at her. She frowned a little but Alec shook his head. I'll tell you later. Was the message.
"So, now we've finished eating, I think the next item on the agenda is ball room dancing." Flora said with a smile.
"May I get a dance?" Alec asked her. Flora smiled.
"Perhaps, if I'm not too busy." They all laughed.
"What got you so upset?" Max asked as they spun on the dancefloor. Alec looked down at her.
"Nothing, it's nothing." He assured her. Max noticed his arm tightening around her waist. She leaned closer, resting her head on his chest and she felt his sobreity through the clothes.
Too much clothes.
Just outside the ball room they paused on thier way back up to the room, leaning back against a wall Max eagerly replied to Alec's hungry kisses. She felt her troubles wash away, just as they always did.
"Max!" The voice shocked her and she felt like her face was on fire. She ducked her ehad and Alec stepped away quickly. He looked over to the small crowd looking at them, at the very front: Logan.
"Logan . . ." Max whispered, her throat closing up. Alec clenched his fist, he hoped Max would understand what he was going to do.
"Uh . . . Max was kissing me. Honest old boy." He clapped a hand on Logan's shoulder. "I wasn't."
"Get your hand off me!" Logan jerked away. Max felt tears threatening to spill over her face. The crowd melted away, leaving only Logan and Asha.
"Max, why?" Logan asked, taking a step towards her. She took a step back and shook her head.
"Logan, I'm-"
"Max was participating, just so you know-"
"Shut. Up." Logan turned on him. "So what did you do, prey on her? Use your charm? How dare you take advantage of her?" Logan was furious. Max looked up, surprised. Alec took a step back.
"Woah, like I said it was totally fifty-fifty-" Logan interupted Alec by punching him. Alec turned and walked away.