It was a little past five when I left the house with Finn for a fun time at an amusement park nearby. Cora was flunked with work and needed the space. I needed to clear my head off my wandering thoughts about Max. He still hadn’t called, and I wasn’t expecting that he’d listened to my voicemail as well. Right now, I was trying to see the bright side of things and spend time with my little man.
I’d also called up Jessy to narrate what had transpired between Max and me, as well as promise to have the dress she lent me washed, ironed, and returned tomorrow. She was sympathetic and offered to help talk to Max, but I declined. I needed him to truly forgive and come for me this time, and not because he felt pressured to do so.
“Careful, sweetheart,” I called out to Finn as he raced around with little, gangly kids his age. The evening breeze soothed my skin and helped me process my thoughts more clearly. Plus, I felt a certain kind of peace I’d never experienced before, even though there was a nagging voice at the back of my mind still blaming me for everything.
“Mom,” Finn suddenly yelled, and I snapped my eyes open, gasping when I saw his hands and knees on the floor.
“Goodness,” I stood up and rushed over, gently yanking him up to his feet. “What happened? I told you to be careful, hun. These little stones will make you fall.” He was crying now as I inspected his bruised knees and hands. “Shh. It’s okay. Stop crying, love,” I hugged him tight.
“Elaine?” I whipped my head around at the familiar voice, shocked to see Max’s father behind me, his face mirroring my surprise. “What a pleasant coincidence.”
I straightened, and my face paled. Damn. “Um, hello, Sir. Nice to see you too.”
His fake smile widened as his eyes riveted to Finn and stuck there. He glanced up at me, then back at Finn again as though he was looking at a ghost. Oh, fudge, I wanted to cry. Of all people to show up, it just had to be him.
“Do you come around here often?” He gestured around at the park.
I shook my head. “Oh, no. I just brought my… son to play today. It’s such a nice evening and the breeze is bliss.”
He nodded in agreement. “Yeah. It’s a beautiful weather. I do come here sometimes to watch the kids play and I bring Samson’s kids with me too. They’re over there,” he pointed at a distance, and I peered to see Maxwell’s unmistakable blonde hair that looked the same as Finn’s. Their resemblance was uncanny.
“Oh, well. Finn and I are in a rush so… greet them for me.” I mumbled, dispirited. I needed to get away from this devil. He was bound to use this against me. Hell, I bet he couldn’t wait to rush home and tell Max about how he’d met me with my son. What a father-in-law from hell.
“Of course,” he beamed as he subtly studied Finn further, his cryptic blue eyes rising back up to me again. “I will. You know, you never told me you have a son.”
I pasted on my best fake smile. “Well, our first meeting wasn’t particularly friendly. You made it clear of your disapproval of my involvement with your son. As for Finn,” I ruffled my little man’s hair. “He means the world to me.”
Finn turned his big blue eyes to me and beamed, reminding me of Max’s smile.
“Right,” he affirmed, his eyes guilty. “Nice to see you too, Elaine. Maybe we’ll meet again.”
“Yeah, maybe,” I pulled Finn away, but still felt his heated gaze as we walked back the road we came towards home. Finn and I break out into a run when we get around a corner, and my heart soared to hear him laugh in pure, innocent glee.
I hated that man more than I hated lemons.
Max
I sat back in my parked car at the office. I was already thirty minutes late for a scheduled appointment, and frankly, I didn’t care. Elaine’s incessant calls were getting on my nerves, and I’d switched my phone off. Now, after I’d turned it back on, I noticed that she’d sent a voicemail instead this time.
I clicked on it and blew out a breath, an onslaught of emotions swirling in my guts at the sound of her voice.
“Max,” she sucked in a deep breath, “I know you’re still mad at me, but I really need to speak to you, Max. It’s more than urgent. I’ve got a lot to explain.” Her voice cracked, and I realized that she was crying hard. “Maybe you can drop over after work so we can talk it out?” I ran my fingers through my hair as I listened. Fuck, I couldn’t stand hearing her so upset. “I do hope you call me after you listen to this. See you later, I hope.”
The line went off, leaving me with a deep, sinking feeling.
I sighed in defeat. This hurt me more than I thought it would.
I was more than gutted. I had big plans for both of us. There was a beautiful future for us in sight… and then she just revealed that she’d already done it all already with someone else with a child as proof. Based on how weird she was acting that night in Ohio; I had an inkling that she was keeping a secret about Alessandro. It was obvious now that he was the father of her son.
Shaking my head in anger, I got out of the car, slamming the goddamn door hard.
My day turned out sour. Since Elaine didn’t show up for work as expected, I had Flora, a substitute, stand in for her. She was one of the sweetest black women I’d ever come across, aside from Vivienne, but I couldn’t stand her overboard flirting. Her editing skills were pristine, even more than Elaine’s, but I didn’t miss the annoying way she always touched her tits at every slightest opportunity and smiled at me as though she was urging me to come to bury my face in between them.
At one point, I was tempted to give her the sack letter. But I knew how much she needed the job to stay afloat now she’d lost her home to a cheating, abusive ex and his partner.
By dismissal, I got out of the elevator on the third floor and bumped into Alsina. I quickly backtracked but she’d already seen my face.
“Max!”
Oh, fudge. I turned and pasted on a fake smile. “Oh, hey. Didn’t see you there.”
She looked breezy as ever in a tight, black midi and her frontals were the sleekest I’d ever seen. “Now, before you get all snappy and shit, I didn’t come to look for you,” she raised her chin up defiantly. “I just stopped by to see a friend, Gloria.”
I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. “Honestly, I couldn’t care less about that, Alsina. Have a nice day.” I turned to go back up to the first floor.
“Wait,” she caught my arm, whirling me around, her hazel eyes softened. “I’m sorry, okay? I know you’re disappointed in me for what happened at that restaurant but what could I do? I can’t stand seeing you with someone else. It hurts.”
I sighed. This was futile. “Alsina, what did I tell you before we started hooking up? No. Feelings. Involved. Purely no-strings-attached. Whatever stunt you pulled at that restaurant is in the past now, and I’d long forgotten about it. I’d advise you to do the same as well. Good day.” I brushed past her and made my way out the entrance.
God, I just wanted to go home and run a hot bath to help me clear my head. I wondered what Elaine was doing at home throughout today. Probably spending quality time with her beloved son. Ugh. I felt like ramming my fist into my windshield at the impunity of that.
I was beyond pissed. No, I was boiling with rage. All this while, it turned out I didn’t even know her for who she truly was. There I was, being an honest gentleman and lover, while she lied blindly through her teeth.
If there was anything this revelation had taught me, it was to thoroughly investigate every future love interest, if at all I was still interested in relationships. Not after this, that I was certain of.
As soon as I folded myself into the driver’s seat, Samson’s call came in. I slid a thumb across the screen to answer. “Hey, man. What’s up?”
“Hey, Max. Can you swing past my place on your way home from work? I’ve got something urgent to discuss with you.”
“Can’t it wait till tomorrow?” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I’m not in the best of moods at the moment.”
“I promise you that it won’t take long. It just can’t wait.”
“Fine,” I exhaled. “Expect me there in thirty minutes.”