The Only Way is Up

Part Fourteen

"Whatever. She can't make your meeting, something 'cropped up'," she did air quote marks as she spoke.

Rolling his eyes he muttered a "thank you." Then rushed through the gym and up to his rooms.

Pulling out his phone he immediately got Nicole's answer phone, and that made him groan, he and Nicole were getting somewhere, they trained well together, and she was gaining in confidence. The last time she'd come to the gym she'd worn leggings, tight ones that hugged her thighs and her surprisingly shapely backside. He'd had a cold shower after that session.

Now she was not there, and was putting off their session, he couldn't help that his mind was wandering and he had a fear that she was backing away, running off, after all they'd done, all they'd achieved.

Pacing the room he couldn't relax, so he showered, then tried her phone again. When there was no answer he whistled to Gryaznyy, who was curled up on the sofa, "come on...walk...now."

She didn't let him down; leaping from the sofa she skidded across the floor to join him in her haste. She hated being on a lead, but it was early evening and the pedestrian and vehicular traffic were both heavy. They walked for a while, until they'd both stretched their legs, but Maxim wasn't ready to stop, and after forty five minutes realised he was a few blocks from Nicole's house.

Aware that she might think he's a stalker, he took a left and headed to her house, he was that close it was ridiculous not to.

After two knocks he could see movement behind the door and sighed with relief. Nicole opened the door and was unable to hide her shock at seeing him there, but Gryaznyy caught her attention, so she squatted down to scratch her head. He watched her, waiting for her to finally return to her full height.

"I tried calling, and then I took her for a walk...it was only when I realised that I wasn't too far away that I'd thought I'd come in person. See if you are alright."

"I am," she offered quietly.

He leaned against the door frame and studied her every reaction, "you cancelled."

She nodded, "I'm not up to it." It was the first sign of sadness, her weakness returning.

"I think you are, you underestimate how far you've come..."

With a defeatist huff she stepped back and invited him in, "I'm not having this conversation on the doorstep."

Max followed her into the lounge, "what's wrong?"

She shrugged, "nothing, I'm over reacting. I just wasn't up for training."

Nodding he lowered himself in to a chair opposite her, his dog curling up at his foot, "why?"

That question made her slump back against the sofa; her head tipped back, eyes closed. He watched her take three really slow deep breaths, then lifted her head to look at him.

"I sound like a bitch and I hate myself, so I'd rather not get in to this."

Fascinated he leaned forwards, "you are many things, but I wouldn't call you a bitch."

Laughing she jumped to her feet, "beer?"

Max rarely drank beer, but he knew that he had to go with it, so he nodded. It was several minutes before she returned from the kitchen, an open beer bottle in each hand. Passing on to him, she curled her legs under her, sitting opposite him again.

"Kim's waters broke this evening."

"Shit, that's early!"

She nodded, "only the outer waters or something, anyway she's on bed rest in the hope that she can get as far as long as possible."

"You must be worried." He had no idea what this had to do with her and their training, so he had to just wait, listen. He wasn't known for his patience.

Nicole bit her bottom lip nervously, "I am, and I should be..."

"But?"

Her laugh was a little anxious, "I care about her, but I'm selfish too. That's who I am."

"I don't understand." None of this made any sense, and none of it told him why she'd cancelled.

"Next Friday there's a ball at work. An annual summer ball. It's a huge thing, clients, workers..." She dropped her head back again and closed her eyes, "my husband will be there...with his new girlfriend."

The penny dropped, "this is why you were working out."

She nodded, "it's why I started. I wanted to stand there next week, and feel a million dollars."

"And now?"

"I STILL want to feel like that, I still want him to look at me and know what he's let go."

Max pained for her, she looked so sad, so desperate, this man was still so important to her. A man who tossed her away so easily. He wanted to punch someone, something, but her sorrow was overwhelming.

"You will look a million dollars; you can still show him exactly what he is missing."

She shook her head, "no. Kim was my plus one. She was going to stand with me. I can't do it alone."

"You can do anything you want alone. You are a strong, independent woman. You don't need anyone."

She jumped to her feet and started pacing, "he was my boss. Everyone knows that, they all worked with him, and everyone has looked at me with pity, everyone has talked about me when I left the room, they've laughed at me."

She shook her head again, then downed half her beer, "if I don't go he wins, doesn't he? He gets the biggest and the most final laugh; he humiliates me on every level. Kim is my rock. She would make it bearable." With a dramatic sigh she collapsed back onto the sofa, "see? My friend is unwell having difficulties anyway, and what do I do? Think of myself. I'm such a bitch."

He was still leaning forward and he was able to reach out and touch her leg, "you're not selfish, and you're not a bitch. You're just a bit upset that your plans haven't come good. Though that doesn't have to be the case."

Shaking her head she wriggled away from his hand and kicked her legs back under her, "I can't go on my own; I'd rather have the laughter at my absence than have to face all those amused expressions."

Max grinned, "you don't have to. I'll be your plus one."

Nicole stared at him for a long time, "what?" She finally managed to formulate words.

Maxim merely grinned up at her, "it's obvious, I'll go with you, I mean I'm a man, I'm younger than him, I've been told I'm not ugly...I can wear a dinner suit. It's the perfect solution."

Nicole shook her head almost manically, "no. It wouldn't work, it's not possible."

"Just think about it." He could see her mind working over time, but he was right, this was the perfect solution. "I can be very charming, and I can be very devoted. I can convince this man easily that I am head over heels in love with you...that'll give him food for thought."

The thought of going out with her, being close, intimate almost made him feel warm inside, but that wasn't what this was about. This was about a woman he'd come to really like beating her demons. He only wished he could find out more about this husband and pummel his face into the floor. He shuddered then, he'd been trained to fight professionally, watch for signs and counteract them before receiving a blow. To actually imagine beating someone was a million miles from his normal thoughts that he paused a moment to appreciate the effect this woman was having on him.

"I can't do that Maxim."

He swallowed his doubts, his thoughts that she was right, that this was too much for him, and grinned, "you want to show him what he's missing? You want to shut up the gossips? You want to feel a zillion dollars?" When she nodded, albeit reluctantly, he gave her a dazzling smiled, "then I am your man!"