Dead-ends

Terry's eyes fluttered as the richness; the creaminess of the custard played along her tongue. The light crispy lady fingers just added that firmness to her bite. The slight tartness of the strawberries and raspberries countered the overly sweet nature of the custard very well. Then her eyes fell on Max's tart before darting up as her lips were still wrapped around the prongs of her fork. Blowing him a kiss when Max was offering her to try a bite.

"Okay, that," pointing her fork at the tart while cupping her hand before her mouth, "is really good," Terry said, knowing if they ever came back as a couple, she was definitely going to have to get one for herself. Watching how Carl and her sister had swapped a bite of each of their desserts so they could each try it.

"Sis, you've got to try that; it's so good," Stephine said, holding up her plate with the last portion of her custard treat remaining. Becoming giddy when Terry passed her what remained of her own dessert. They always did so when the other was having something the other hadn't ever tried before. "Okay, Max, I got to admit, you were right; this is rich and sweet."

"This isn't half bad, not as good as that though," Terry said, noticing how only a quarter of Max's tart remained. Her eyes lit up when Max pushed his plate towards her. "Knew you loved me..." All commotion stopped around their table when those words left her lips. Terry's heart was racing like mad as Max just gazed at her. Stephine's left hand shot to her mouth while her right quickly tapped on Carl's left arm as she was nearly bouncing in her seat.

"Max, I..." Terry's words seemed to fail her as Max reached for his wine glass.

"So you love me, huh?" Max asked, drawing the wait out. Noting from the corner of his eye at how red Terry's face was getting. "Love you too, Terry," he stated, smiling into his glass as Stephine released a squeal of joy before Terry launched herself at him.

Terry's eyes burned with a passion as her lips left his. Loving how Max tasted on her lips. She would never grow tired of it. Not in this lifetime. Rolling her eyes when Stephine went into her little taunt and dance, as she always did when the 'L' word was involved.

"I'll just be a minute," Max said, getting up from his seat once he had paid the bill.

"Where are you going?" Terry asked curiously.

"To say goodnight to Anna, she'd kill me if I left without saying goodbye to her."

"You better come back quick, or I'll hunt you down," Terry uttered in a teasing manner.

The sounds of the kitchen were loud in Max's ears as he stepped into it. Standing off to the side so he wouldn't be in the way as Anna belted out orders. Watching how she controlled her kitchen like she was some general on the battlefield. Seeing her face lighting up when she finally spotted him.

"You heading out?" Anna asked as she stepped up to him.

"We are. As always, Anna, the meal was delicious!" Max stated as she hugged him goodbye.

"You take care of yourself, Max, come back and see us any time," Anna spoke as she pulled away. "This summer is going to be amazing."

"I'm sure it will be," Max nodded in agreement before slipping back out the door. Seeing the three of them getting to their feet once Terry had spotted him. "You ready?"

"Mmmhmm," Terry hummed in contentment as she leaned her head against his shoulder as she walked arm in arm beside him. "Thank you for such a wonderful night, Max."

"My pleasure, Terry," Max said, waving to Paro as they neared the front door of the restaurant.

"Guys, I know it's almost ten o'clock, how about we head to a little dance club for an hour? What do you say?" Stephine asked, not wishing to end this wonderful night.

"I don't know, Stephine; I have surgery very early in the morning," Terry muttered as they stood on the sidewalk.

"Please, sis, I know your work means a lot to you, but when's the last time we've had this much fun on a date?" Stephine inquired with a pleading look.

"True, would you mind?" Terry asked, looking over at Max, who shrugged.

"You know me, any chance I can get to see you shaking that ass of yours." Max chuckled when Terry slapped his arm.

Feeling her body heating by how much Max wanted her, she knew how much she wanted him as well. Praying, Orin wises up and signs the divorce papers quickly. She knew it was the only thing holding them back from moving their relationship forward.

"You up for a little dancing?" Stephine asked, peering over at Carl.

"With you? Definitely," Carl nodded.

Terry bit the inside of her cheek at how her sister dropped her chin slightly to hide her reddening face. That was the sign she knew Stephine was truly interested in the man. She never did that with any of the men she's seen her with in the years before she stopped going out altogether. She did hope the man would be good for her sister. Terry really wanted Stephine to find that right person. Their voices filled the night air as the four of them walked towards Max's car.

Chapter Seven.

August, four months later...

"I can't believe we're really here?!" Terry said in wonder as she stared in awe of the villa Max had rented for them and Paro and his wife. They would be on the east wing, while Anna and Paro would have the west wing all to themselves. Leaping into Max's arms once he had sat their bags on the floor of the entranceway. Her tongue rolling within his mouth. Loving the feeling of having Max in her arms, and that feeling hadn't demised one bit in their six months of dating. Orin had finally signed the divorce papers when she threatened to have his ass tossed into jail when he tried to break into her parents' house in another of his drunken stupors. She was finally free of her ex-husband, and she planned on making a future with Max. She just hasn't told him that yet. However, Terry knew Max was smart, so she figured he would figure it out on his own in time.

"Ah, just smell that air; that's home!" Paro uttered, breathing in deeply as he and his wife entered after the two of them.

"Mmmhmm, nothing like it," Anna sighed as she leaned into her husband as he squeezed her into his side.

"Once we get settled, we're going to see our family, you two... of course, you will be, you got Max with you," Paro said, smiling at Terry, who snuggled closer to his friend.

"Come on, honey, I'm sure the two of them want to explore the place," Anna said, flashing Terry a knowing smile. She and Terry had hit it off after the third time Max had brought her to their restaurant. "I promise, Terry, you are just going to love it here."

"I think I will," Terry uttered in a dreamy tone.

"Tomorrow, dinner just us four, seven o'clock, don't be late," Anna said as she and her husband walked towards their bedroom.

Terry jumped when her phone went off in her purse. "Shut up," Terry huffed when Max chuckled. Smiling when he placed a kiss on her cheek before carrying their bags to their room. "Hello?"

"Terry?! Are you there yet?" Stephine's voice came over the line.

"Yep, we just got to the villa, and it's beautiful!" Terry sighed as she ambled around the common area.

"Oh, now I'm fucking jealous!" Stephine exclaimed once Terry had sent photos of the place and how it looked out onto the Gironde Estuary. "Terry, promise me you'll talk Max in letting me tag along next time. I promise I'll keep out of your hair; I swear?!"

"I don't know, sis, I think I might want to keep this our little hideaway," Terry teased, grinning madly at Stephine's groan. Stepping outside so her conversation wouldn't be overheard by Paro and Anna.

******

Max looked down when his own phone rang when he set their bags onto their bed. Pursing his lips together when he saw his mother's caller ID on the screen of his phone. After six months, she's the only one that bothers to call. Not that he was complaining. He was rather ecstatic not having to hear his father's voice any longer. His sister didn't call him anyway, which, as you can imagine, was just fine with him. He had nothing to say to Darcy unless it was to cuss her out.

"What?" Max answered once he brought his phone to his ear. Opening up the double, glass French doors that led to a little balcony that was only a few feet off the ground that overlooked the front of the estate.

"Maxwell, where are you? I came over to see if you were alright since we haven't spoken in a while, and your neighbor told me you had left on vacation."

"How the hell do you know where I live?" Max was rather shocked, to say the least. He thought his parents were allergic to that side of town, i.e., where the common folk lived.

"Maxwell, I'm your mother; I've always known where you've lived. What mother doesn't keep an eye on her child?"

"Uh-huh," Max muttered, not believing a word that was for good intentions and not so she could keep tabs on him so he wouldn't embarrass the family.

"Maxwell, I know we have our difficulties. I know that. I'm not saying let's fix them. I doubt you would even bother if I asked. I'm just saying you are my son, whether or not you believe that I do care, I might not have ever shown it to you, but I do care. I didn't give birth to you and not care about you. Why do you think you can still access your trust fund? Your father wanted to cut you off the moment you moved out when you were eighteen. I was the one that told him that if he touched it, Darcy would have to figure out how to live off the twenty dollars she had in her pocket. I'll admit: I thought I would have to keep it afloat like I had to do with Darcy's for the first few years after she moved out. But I was amazed that wasn't the case as I watched it grow all on its own. I'm just wondering where you are, that's all." Max arched an eyebrow when it did sound like his mother was genuinely concerned about his welfare. It was an odd experience, to say the least.

"France."

"France! Really?! Where in France?!" Max was feeling rather strange with how excited his mother sounded and interested in his life; it was rather creepy to Max's thinking.

"Bordeaux."

"Oh, that's such a lovely city; we haven't been there in five years; I can still remember it like it was yesterday. So are you alone, or did you take Terry Archer with you?"

"What's with all the questions and the sudden interest in my life?" Max finally asked.

"I've always been interested in your life; I might have said and done some things that pitted you against me. That doesn't mean I didn't watch over you, son. Yes, we did spoil Darcy, your father, more so than I. I was against how he pitted her against you. I thought it was wrong. I tried to stop it. Tried to show Darcy that siblings shouldn't be adversaries, but you know how stubborn your sister is; just like your father. So she just dug in her feet and then, well, you know what happened. So answer my question, Maxwell; I've answered plenty of yours."

"Yes, she's here with me," Max sighed, knowing it was a tit-for-tat with his mother. Waving to Anna and Paro as they left.

"Oh? Is it serious? Has to be if you took her to France with you." Max was not enjoying how his mother was getting enjoyment out of his discomfort. "Well, I'll let you go. I hope you enjoy your trip, Maxwell."

"Max?" Terry called out as she entered the room. "Something wrong?"

"I have no idea," Max muttered, looking at his phone.

"Baby, tell me, what is it?"

"I think something is wrong with my mother," Max stated truthfully.

"Oh? Why? What happened?" Terry asked, moving quickly around the bed. "Max, tell me, what's wrong?" she pleaded with a tremble in her voice.

"My mother was actually nice to me."

"What? That's not... okay, maybe it is weird for you. But is it so bad that she's being nice to you?" Terry asked, trying not to make light of how perturbed Max appeared to be.

"Kind of, yeah?!"

"Max, I know it's hard for you to accept, given how they were throughout your life. I'm not saying to forgive and forget," laying her hands on his chest, "nor am I saying run to her and sing kumbaya with her. Just that you see where it goes. Keep her at a distance or as close as you feel comfortable with. Now, how about you come and break in this bed with me," Terry said with a lustful smile on her face.

******

Terry felt her body humming as she snuggled against Max as they walked down the streets of Bordeaux. Hearing the voices of the people of the city on the air as they window shopped. Pointing out the items she thought would look good on Max, and Max pointed out the items he knew would look extremely well on her, namely in the bedroom. Watching Terry's face heat when he wiggled his eyebrows. Only to be dragged into the shops, where Max had to admit he had trouble standing after Terry would show off the outfits to him. The wide smile on her lips told him she enjoyed how she could get him flustered in simple lingerie. Naturally, she just had to buy a few pairs to keep her man hot and bothered, namely in the bedroom. Terry did enjoy keeping Max on edge in the bedroom. It's led to many, many nights of her moaning and screaming in bliss as he took her over and over again.

"Max?" Terry uttered, stopping them in front of a jewelry store as she eyed the engagement section. No matter how poor of a husband Orin was, she loved being married, and they had been dating for over six months now. She wondered if he wanted more out of their relationship or if he was content with the way things were. She knew as the years progressed, her chances of getting pregnant were shrinking. She did love Max, there was no doubt about that, and she loved how he treated her. Yet there came the point in any relationship that they had to either move forward or seek other paths in life. She was twenty-nine now, and she knew if they didn't cement their relationship, her pickings for a man that she could grow old with and have children with were shrinking by the day.

"Hmm?" Max hummed as he stopped to peer back at her. Noting how Terry's eyes were lingering on the shop's interior. He wasn't blind; he had seen the little hints she'd been dropping around his apartment. Since Terry had practically moved in with him at this point. Not that he minded, he rather enjoyed having her in his arms every night. He wouldn't deny feeling her ass pressed against him throughout the night was divine.

"Do you want more out of this relationship than me just being your girlfriend?" Terry asked; she knew this wasn't the time or the place for this conversation, yet the words just came out.

"And you want to discuss that here, on the street?" Max asked with a curious look, equally more intrigued as Terry nodded.

"I know it's one of the big talks, but I've been thinking about this a lot for a month..."

"Okay," looking around for a quiet café where they could speak without having too much of an audience, "this way," Max said, taking hold of her hand and leading Terry across the street. Ordering them something to drink so they wouldn't be needlessly taking up a table for no reason as he held Terry into her seat. "Okay, Terry, let's talk."

"I'm sorry, Max, for bringing this up now when you brought us here to this beautiful city. I'm not trying to ruin it for us, please know that," seeing how he nodded, she continued, "you know I love you, far more than I ever loved Orin," again, she was met with his nod, "and I know you love me, it's in the way you look at me," Terry said sweetly, reaching across the table and taking hold of his hand. "I know I'm the only one you look at," gesturing to the beautiful women around them, and yet Max's gaze never left her, "so I know I mean just as much to you as you do to me," she stated, brushing her thumb along his fingers. "But I need more; I need to know there's something here for us, something that we can build on, to grow together. I'm not getting any younger, and I want children. I want to be married again, and I want to grow old with you. I am sorry if this puts a damper on our vacation. But you're the man I want, the man I should have married in the first place. You've shown me what love and loyalty are truly like, and I hope you know I'd never ever hurt you by breaking the trust you have placed in me. But if you can't cross that bridge with me, if your mistrust of women is still too ingrained into your being that I can't overcome it after all this time, then I think we need to end it here before I get too involved with you," Terry spoke with tears reaming her eyes in hopes that she just hadn't ended their relationship.

"Marriage? Babies?" Max muttered; he knew she was dropping hints about marriage, given the little articles about some celebrity or some elite that he would know of, given his upbringing had gotten engaged. He just didn't know she wanted children.

"Yes, Maxwell," smiling using his given name, "I want to be married to you; I know we would make a wonderful man and wife. I like to think we would make good parents as well," Terry said with blushing cheeks. "You know, I never once thought about having children with Orin. Yet, with you, you, I can see that, hear their tiny feet, their laughter, you holding them in the air just smiling up at them. With you, I can see a life, not just surviving, going through the motions like I was with Orin, more so in the last few years of that disaster. Ever since that day in the elevator, you've had me off-kilter; every day since that momentary flirting, you've had my mind solely on you. I don't know why that was, you certainly weren't the first man to hit on me, and I know women do the same to you. But... ever since that day, you have always been on my mind in one form or another. I'm not asking you to answer me right this second. That would be silly, and I'd rather you really think about it instead of giving me a spur-of-the-moment answer in the heat of the moment. I'd rather wait for your answer than live the rest of our lives together, always thinking you weren't ready for this kind of commitment." Her grey eyes studied Max's face, hoping and praying she hadn't ruined the best thing in her life.

"Okay, Terry, I promise I'll give it some thought," Max said sincerely. "So if I infer what you're saying if say we were to get hitched," watching Terry's eyes light up, he did find the act rather beautiful in his opinion, "I take it you won't wish to live in my one-bedroom apartment anymore?"

"Well," feeling her face heat at the smile on Max's face as she wiggled her butt into the seat of her chair as she sat straighter in it, "I was thinking, maybe you'd like to get a bigger place if we're going to be married that is," Terry said, watching him take a sip of his drink, all the while his eyes held a mirthful light to them. "I know you've been at your apartment for quite some time, and I know that can create some attachments to the place. Like how I loved the house, I once had. But it'll be a little small and cramped with little ones, don't you think?" she asked, so very happy that he wasn't totally writing her wants off like Orin would've done.

"I'm going to assume you already have a place in mind?"

"Maybe," Terry said bashfully as she brushed her hair behind her ear.

"The only stipulation I have for a house is that it has to have a pool."

"Can I ask why?" Terry muttered, slightly confused about that request since he hadn't once gone swimming when they went to her parent's lake house.

"If we're going to buy a house, you can be damn sure I'll want to gaze lecherously at the angelum lucis every chance I can get when she's out by the pool," Max retorted with a sinful smile.

"Max?!" Terry uttered breathlessly as she felt her heart pounding in her chest. "What if the one we find doesn't have one? Would you consider having one installed?" she asked, feeling her body heating beneath his gaze and at how sensuous his words were.