Friends with Consequences Ch. 21-26

"Yes, Ma'am?"

"Would you like for me to take the picture so all three of you can be in it?"

"Oh, sure!" Linda said before handing the woman the phone. She then ran over beside Max, also placing her arm around Duke. Eventually, she and Max scooted right against each other after being instructed to by the elder lady.

Once all the photos had been taken, Linda jumped up and thanked the lady for her generosity. "I really appreciate that!"

The woman looked at her and smiled as she began walking off. "No problem! You guys are such a cute family!"

Linda paused for a second, feeling a need to correct the woman. But as the lady walked away, the young brunette was left staring at the photo. Without realizing it, a smile started to develop on her face as she looked at the image of Max, Duke, and herself all appearing so genuinely happy. Then as she put the phone back into her pocket, she thought, I guess we are kind of like a family.

*****

February 4th

After working a double at the dealership, Linda was just happy to come home and spend time with Duke and Max. Though she was still exhausted from the lack of sleep, she couldn't seem to wipe the grin from her face after one of the neighbors referred to Max and Duke as her family.

Can't wait to see my family, she joked as she walked through the door, trying to subdue her excitement. However, after looking around a bit, she noticed that her roommate and dog were not in the house. Instead, they were in the backyard, playing fetch.

Peeking through the window, Linda smiled as she watched them playing together. Feeling her heart fluttering, she thought to herself, I'm afraid of saying it out loud, but this feels too good to be true... Maybe I'm making more of this than there really is, but I can't help but enjoy my life right now...

Suddenly, the younger brunette was startled by a vibration coming from the living room. After realizing it was Max's phone, she decided to grab it so she could step outside and hand it to him. However, once her eyes caught a glimpse of the name on the phone, she immediately went frozen.

"Allie..." she whispered to herself, feeling your heart sink. Linda stared at the phone for a few more seconds, waiting for it to stop ringing. But while she was trying to decipher the uneasy feeling in her heart, the phone rang once again.

After leaving the phone untouched, Linda noticed text message from Allie as well. Although she hadn't heard anything about Max's ex-girlfriend, she could only assume there was a possibility of them getting back together.

Curiosity almost got the best of the petite brunette as she fought the urge to look at the message. Clenching her fists, she turned her back and told herself, It's none of my business...

With a loud sigh, she took a seat as she contemplated how silly she was for imagining Max as her family. He's just doing me this favor to pay me back... I was never as good of a choice as Allie. Once he's all better, I'm sure he'll find his way back to her... she thought as a defeated look came over her face.

Then, the door opened, and Duke greeted her by running up and licking her face. "Duke!" she squealed as she playfully pushed the dog off. But as reality set in again, she quietly whispered, "At least I'll always have you..."

Joining her on the couch, Max took a seat next to her and said, "Hey! I didn't even hear you come in."

"Oh, you two look like you were having fun... so, I didn't want to bother you."

"You never bother me," he said, looking confused.

With angst in her heart, Linda groaned to herself before looking at him with her frustrated brown eyes. "Hey Max... I know you invited me to stay with you and all... but maybe I shouldn't end the lease at my apartment. You know... just in case you ever need me to move out..."

"Umm... What are you talking about?"

"You know... I'm sure you're just doing me this favor because I helped take care of you... If you ever need me to leave, just let me know so I don't overstay my welcome..."

After doing a double-take, followed by several seconds of silence, Max gathered himself so he could speak from the heart. "I invited you to stay with me... because I want you to stay with me... I don't have a timeline for you... If you want to leave, that's one thing; but I don't want you to feel like you ever have to leave.

Linda didn't know if Max was just saying that to make her feel better, but if he was, she could admit it totally worked. With a little smile, she responded, "You're sweet...: with a soft voice.

"Where did you get this idea from, anyway?" he asked, unable to erase the perplexed look from his face. "Did I do something to make you feel unwelcome?"

"No, I just..."

Suddenly, the conversation was interrupted by another phone call. As Max got up to grab his phone, Linda was shocked to see him roll his eyes before putting the phone into his pocket.

Once Max took a seat on the couch again, Linda noticed the annoyed look remaining on his face. "Is everything okay?" she asked.

With a little sigh, the young man answered, "Yeah... It's just... Well... you probably wouldn't care to hear this. You already have a lot on your plate..."

Feeling a little intrigued, Linda leaned in and assured, "You can tell me..."

"It's just... Ugh... Do you remember my ex, Allie?"

"Umm... Yeah... Why?"

"Well... I stopped talking to her a long time ago, but I guess she found out about the accident... and now she keeps trying to call me. I already told her I was okay, but I don't see any reason to keep talking to her..."

"Oh, really?" Linda asked, feeling her heart bouncing for some reason. "Why do you say that?"

"It just... it wasn't a good breakup, you know? We... uhh... I couldn't deal with her at the end..."

Linda knew it was wrong to take joy in someone else's downfall, but for some reason, she couldn't stop herself from letting out a little chuckle. "I guess I didn't know that..." she said, subtly smiling as she looked over at her lifelong friend.

Then, with a subtle laugh of his own, Max looked over and admitted, "You know... she was actually really jealous of you..."

"What?" the young woman asked, laughing in disbelief. "Jealous of... me?"

"Yeah... I don't know if that's awkward to tell you or not... but the whole time I was with her, she was constantly trying to learn about you... I guess she was really afraid of me leaving her for you... I mean, if that was even possible..."

"Yeah, if that was possible..." Linda repeated, pretending to laugh.

The two laughed awkwardly together for a moment, not knowing what to say. It was the first time they had even brought up the fact that they used to be romantically involved with each other.

After another quiet pause, Max looked over at his former partner, trying to get serious again. "I hope that wasn't too awkward..."

"Oh, no!" Linda answered, genuinely feeling joy in her heart. In an odd way, knowing the woman who was with the man of her dream was jealous of her had Linda over the moon. Then gathering herself, she put her hand on Max's shoulder and said, "Hey... we've been through a lot... If you want to talk about Allie... I'm here for you."

"Thanks Linda..." he said, sharing a smile with his former partner. Then, rising from the couch, he asked, "Are you hungry? I was thinking maybe we could go out for dinner, and I could tell you about some stuff... My treat... How does that sound?"

No longer able to hide the huge smile from taking over her cute face, Linda quickly jumped to her feet. "That sounds good to me."

*****

February 7th

"This is a pretty nice apartment," Max said, looking around has he entered Linda's previous home for the first time.

"Yeah, I don't need much space," Linda explained. "Even Duke didn't seem to mind having a one-bedroom apartment."

"This doesn't look bad at all... Just a little out of the way."

"Yeah... Anything closer would have been too expensive for me... But your house is much more convenient."

"I'm glad... So, what did you need help with?"

"Just my chair and my keyboard. I can pack the rest myself. And I'm just going to sell the futon."

Suddenly, Max raised one of his eyebrows at the cute brunette. "Keyboard?"

"Oh!" Leading her new roommate into her room, Linda pointed out the item she was talking about. "Not a computer keyboard... It's my little piano."

"Oh... That makes more sense..." Max said, laughing at himself for thinking she would need help moving a computer keyboard. Then, as he focused on the piano, a new question popped into his mind. "You... know how to play the piano?"

"Yeah, my parents put me in lessons until I was in ninth grade. Don't you remember the upright piano my parents had in their living room?"

"I do, actually.... I guess I just never knew you played."

"Actually, I haven't played in a long time," Linda explained, placing her hand on top of the keyboard. "I figured I could pick it up again to relieve stress. I've just been too busy to play ever since moving out here."

Feeling intrigued by the sudden revelation, Max looked at the pretty brunette and asked, "Can you play something right now?"

"Oh... like right now, right now?" Linda asked, with her eyes popping open. "I guess... What did you want me to play?"

"Anything... I don't really know piano music like that, but I'll probably be impressed by anything you play."

"Okay, sure..." the young woman answered, as anxiety started rushing through her body. She didn't know why she was so nervous around Max, but she suddenly felt the need to explain, "I haven't played in a long time, so it probably won't be very good..."

"I can't play any instruments at all," Max pointed out, hoping to encourage the anxious woman. "I'm sure I'll think anything is good."

"Okay..." Linda said, taking a seat in front of the keyboard. Without warming up, she started to play a classical piece that had been drilled into her brain since she was a little girl. Her fingers didn't have the muscle memory they once did, but with a bit of focus, she was able to work her way through the piece she had played so many times before.

The relaxing tune immediately brought a smile to the young man's face. However, his eyes began to drift from Linda's fingers up to her face. As soon as he focused on her pretty face, he could feel his heart rate increasing. Somehow, the more she played, the less he could even hear the music. Max didn't even realize she had stopped playing until she snapped him out of his daydream.

"Max?"

"Yeah, sorry..."

"I know it wasn't that good," Linda explained, stretching her fingers out after her first performance in years. "Maybe I'll grab my sheet music and practice so I can give you a better show next time."

Sharing a smile with the young woman, Max shook his head and told her, "I don't think that will be necessary."

"Why is that?"

"I thought it was perfect the way it was."

**************

February 10

Humming to herself, Linda wore a smile on her face as she spent the morning doing laundry. With her clothes out of the dryer, she stood by the bed, folding and putting her items away.

Ugh! I love having a washing machine in the house, she thought as she placed her clothes neatly into a pile. I don't have to worry about people seeing my underwear and stuff.

Suddenly, she was startled by the sound of the door opening. Realizing it was Max, she quickly threw the laundry basket over all the pairs of underwear that she had folded.

Noticing a red hue on Linda's face, Max stepped back outside and said, "Sorry! I thought you were done with your laundry."

"I'm just wrapping things up..."

"Oh, okay. Next time, I'll knock before I come in."

"Don't be silly," Linda responded, before inviting Max back inside. She then handed over a pile of Max's work shirts while saying, "I like your new wardrobe, by the way. Your style has really improved."

With a sly smile, the young man asked, "I don't dress as boring as I used to?"

"You still dress like a dad," Linda joked, playfully whipping him with one of her own shirts. But as Max walked out, the cheerful smile on her face slowly disappeared as she realized one of her thongs was on the floor. She quickly picked it up and placed it under the basket with the rest of her underwear. Now red in the face, she quietly pondered, I wonder if he even saw it.

Unbeknownst to her, Max was on the other side of the door, with the image of those black panties still in his mind. Just as red as Linda, he started to think about his former partner wearing such sexy clothing.

I guess she still wears thongs, he said to himself, trying not to get a boner as he walked back to the living room. Then, as his mind continued to roam, he couldn't stop thinking about the leggings she was wearing.

Gulping as a picture her posterior popped into his head again, he thought, Her butt looked pretty nice in those pants... Then, picturing how smooth her ass looked in those leggings, he quickly confirmed in his own head. Yeah, she is definitely wearing a thong... right now...

******

February 11

Despite the image of Linda's leggings still fresh on Max's mind, he soon found something even more intriguing to stare at. Late in the evening, after they were both done with work, the tall and cute woman joined him on the couch, wearing a tiny pair of navy-blue shorts.

Trying to keep his eyes off Linda's long and smooth legs, the young man asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Of course," Linda answered, getting herself comfortable on the couch. "Why wouldn't I want to do this?"

"I just figured you were tired."

"I'm never too tired for a movie. I love movies."

Chuckling to himself, Max simply responded, "Sure."

"So, what kind of movie are we watching?"

"I really don't think it matters."

"Of course, it matters," Linda playfully argued, as she scrolled through the selection. "I was thinking... since you like comedy, we can do a rom-com. How does that sound?"

Trying not to roll his eyes, Max just smiled and said, "Pick whatever you'd like."

"This one! I think we'll both like this one."

When the movie started, Max watched as Linda slowly get more comfortable on the couch. Before the beginning credits even finished, she had her feet up and had her head against the armrest.

After only a few more minutes, Max stopped the movie to check on the cute brunette. As he looked over, he noticed she was already asleep. "I told you the movie wouldn't matter," he quietly joked.

Without waking Linda from her slumber, he gently placed a blanket over her and continued the movie on a low volume.

Goodnight, Linda. I know you're tired, but thanks for always trying to stay awake just to hang out with me. See you in the morning.

*******

February 14

Holding a small box of chocolates in her hand, Linda could feel the adrenaline rushing through her body as she approached the door. I know we live together and all, but is it appropriate for me to give him a gift? What if he thinks it's weird? What if I make things awkward?

Just as she was about to reach for the knob, Max opened the door, startling her. Out of fear, Linda quickly placed the box of chocolates behind her back and yelled, "Max!"

"Oh, sorry... Are you okay?"

Sliding the chocolate into her coat pocket, Linda gathered herself and answered, "Mhmm... How are you?"

"I'm good..." he responded, looking at her noticeably quiet behavior. "How was work?"

"Work was fine."

As they finally went inside, Max grabbed a bag and handed it to the sweet brunette. "I hope this isn't awkward, but I wanted to get you a gift."

Feeling a jolt of excitement inside, Linda began hovering closer. "You got me a present... for Valentine's Day?"

"Yeah... I hope that isn't weird for you... You've just been so busy taking care of me, I felt it was only right to get you a gift... even if we're not... like... you know..."

"Yeah, I know..." Linda interrupted, understanding exactly what the young man was feeling.

Without another word, Max pointed at the bag, hoping she would open it. Linda's eyes got big as she slowly pulled out a purse. Once she saw the logo, her voice began to tremble. "Max..."

"Do you like it?" he asked, anxiously awaiting her answer. "I had to ask my coworkers for advice. They said this was a good brand to get for women..."

"Wasn't it expensive?" the woman asked, gently looking through all the pockets.

"I got it from an outlet so it was a really good price... I think..."

"I... um... I've never had a purse like this... I love it..."

"Oh, there's also a wallet in the bag!"

With a surprised look, Linda looked deeper in the bag and pulled out the wallet. "Oh... Max... You shouldn't have..."

"My friend told me you have to get a matching wallet..." he responded, almost embarrassed.

"You didn't have to do anything," Linda responded in a soft voice. Then, hiding her tears, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him a hug. "Thank you..."

Max hugged her back and smiled, now that he could see how much the sweet brunette enjoyed his gift. "No problem."

After awkwardly releasing herself from the hug, Linda looked down, completely red in the face. Not knowing what else to say, she pulled the small box of chocolates from her coat. "I actually got you something too... but it's kind of embarrassing compared to your gift."

Max quickly grabbed it out of her hand and exclaimed, "Oh, chocolate!" Without hesitation, he opened the box and started eating the individual pieces.

Seeing the young man's genuine reaction brought a smile to Linda's face. But as Max walked away to throw the wrapper in the trash, the sensitive woman closed her eyes and hugged her new purse.

*****

February 21

Before heading to the coffee shop, Linda sat in bed, pretending she was talking to Max. There was a smile on her face and butterflies in her stomach, as she imaged what it would be like to share her feelings with him.

I can't believe this is happening... I don't know if I've ever been happier. I've never felt like this before... and I know you feel it too...

Shaking her head, she quickly laughed off the idea. I could never say that to your face... I'm too afraid of ruining what we already have. As long as I can have you in my life and take care of you, I have everything I could ever ask for.

After taking a look at her watch, she told herself, I should probably head to work. But as she walked started walking out, Max rushed in and stopped her in the living room.

"Linda!"

"Max... Um... What's up?" she responded, feeling butterflies in her stomach after being confronted by the man she couldn't get her mind from.

With a big smile, the young man responded, "I just got off the phone. We actually had two contracts executed!"

"Two contracts executed?!" Linda responded, matching the excitement in Max's eyes. Then after a pause, she asked, "What does that mean?"

"It means two of my clients had their offers accepted. Now, we still have a lot of work to do to close... but if everything goes well... we're getting the commission for two houses!"

Linda suddenly squealed as she wrapped her arms around Max. "You did it!" she cheered.

Max looked into Linda's eyes before correcting her. "No... we did it... I couldn't have done this without all your help. We did it..."

They shared a tight and passionate embrace, finally feeling the payoff after all their hard work. With so much emotion and gratitude brewing inside Max, he pulled Linda in even tighter before placing a kiss on her lips.

Feeling Max's lips for the first time in years, Linda needed a moment to catch her breath before she could fully engulf herself in the man she wanted for so long. She squeezed his shoulders with her arms and kissed him with all the emotions she had been holding back. However, with so much history between them, the young couple worked through their own feelings as they kissed relentlessly.