The Only Way is Up

Part Four

Nicole had almost had to break herself in two to actually get to the gym. The meeting the following day was threatening to be a disaster, herself and Lisa had had to recalculate all their plans, rethink their recommendations. It was a living hell. But she'd bombed home and managed to drag on something gym suitable, then got to the building in time for their appointment. A miracle. Because she knew that Max wanted her to fail, he wanted to buff his nails arrogantly as she ran out of the door never to return. And she wasn't about to let that happen. She'd be the one to take what she needed. She'd walk into that Ball in a few weeks looking, and feeling a million dollars. He was just a stepping stone to get there.

As she entered the building she spotted Max, half turned away from her behind the desk on the phone, she took a moment to take in his side profile, despite their earlier confrontation, she could appreciate the strong jaw, perfectly sized nose, and quite cute ears. When he wasn't being an arrogant arsehole she had to admit he was good looking.

But then cutting through the calmness and her daydreams of him being amicable, was his voice, suddenly angry, even more stilted and accented that usual. She could barely recognise the words, and by the time she reached the desk a little anxiously, he had hung up the call. He was staring into the distance, brow dropped into a frown, his eyes almost sizzling with anger. And then he turned and hurled the phone at the wall.

As it shattered into dozens of pieces, she stepped back. Intimidating, angry, and almost but not quite scary, she bit her lip apprehensively as he turned back in her direction, wondering what he'd do next, and why he'd done what he did.

Warm up?

He'd snapped that at her, in front of the blonde bimbo, who watched the whole interaction in a mixture of lust, and then rather rapidly fear. As Max disappeared, the other woman looked at her rather sarcastically, down her straight nose. Nicole glanced at herself, usual saggy clothing, and scraped back hair. The blonde looked like she'd spent hours getting ready to work at the reception, and as was so typical in her experience, she was willing and quite happy to judge her because she didn't do the same.

I could buy you ten times over Nicole thought as she scowled, and she was actually proud of herself for not caring as much as she maybe would have, she had turned around and headed for the treadmill before she made the mental comparison to the woman who was aiming to replace her in her marriage, and Vincent's verbal comparison of them. Suddenly her desire to not let him Max walk all over were gone, and the depression of her real situation was threatening to defeat her.

Taking a deep breath she steadied herself, she could do this. She wasn't as scared of the treadmill as she had been earlier in the week, it seemed easy today particularly as it didn't involve using her arms, and she was unable to lift them up above her head following the previous day's work out.

Taking a deep breath she stepped onto the conveyer belt of death.

Maxim looked at his bruised knuckles and cursed in Russian, punching the wall wasn't his best move, especially after spending hours sparring with Arthur earlier. He had been so happy, so relaxed and he couldn't remember when he'd last felt like that. Not since his injury at least. He'd even been looking forward to training with Nicole. Not something he ever thought he'd admit. Then his father happened.

If he knew his father he'd be stalking him out, waiting for the right moment to knock his door, take over his life. Max knew he had to fill his weekend, doing anything, enough that the spies in his father's employ reported that back.

The voice in the back of his head told him that he couldn't avoid him forever, but he wasn't ready for that yet.

He glanced out of the window to the gym floor, and the woman running on the treadmill. She was tired already, he could tell, but she didn't give up, she wouldn't let him have that. He cracked a half smile, attacking her now, pushing her; that was the only way he could see out of this hellhole.