183 Back to the thinking spo

Liz got out of the restroom in a daze and she walked toward Max with her head lowered.

Max noticed that Liz's mood if off. "Are you OK?"

"Uhm… I'm not sure. I need some time to think.", Liz responded absentmindedly.

Max was confused. What happened? Why is she saying this? She was fine only a few minutes ago. She wants to think? What does that mean? Does she want them to separate so that she can have some time for herself? She is not thinking of kicking him out for the night, is she?

He remembered that the last time when she told him that she wants to think, he took her to his powerboat.

"Do you want to go to my thinking spot?", Max offered.

Liz realized that Max is talking about his boat. That vessel is a synonym for peace while all the drama is far away. With her emotions all over the place, Liz craves for solitude, with Max.

She nodded in response.

On the way to the marina, Max glanced at Liz who was silently gazing through the window at the darkness broken down by lights. Since she came out of the restroom in the hotel, she didn't say a word and with every passing minute, his concern grew.

Max told himself not to jump into conclusions. It was a long day and they are tired. Yes, that must be the case. Liz is tired. And even if Liz has something on her mind that is bothering her, he should not worry because she is with him, and she will tell him about it when she is ready.

Liz had troubles wrapping her mind around what happened in the restroom. The way Andrea approached her the first time in the event hall, the hostility, the arrogance… Liz was confident that Andrea is interested in Max and that Andrea sees her as a competition.

Liz didn't see this coming: Andrea is interested in her! What a miscalculation!

It is the first time that a woman made a move on Liz, and Liz was caught completely off guard. Now that she thinks about the situation in the restroom, it was embarrassing. She didn't even respond to Andrea.

Liz wondered, should she be flattered that an attractive and successful young woman like Andrea is hitting on her? Probably.

Liz remembered that until recently, she was convinced that Max is gay.

Well, that confirms it: her gay-straight radar is broken.

Other than blindly guessing what is on Liz's mind, Max remembered that he does not have food on his boat, and considering how late it is, he needs ingredients at least for a breakfast and maybe some snacks. He took a slight detour to a grocery store which is open at this late hour.

Liz was not interested in joining him, so Max went by himself and swiftly returned with two large bags which heaped from all the things he got.

By the time they reached the boat, Liz was alert, and she helped him keep the groceries.

"Why did you buy so much? Are we spending a week here?"

Max can't deny that he got a lot of food. "I was not sure what you would like to eat, so I got a variety. Don't worry about it. We will eat what we feel like. As for the leftovers, what can't be kept in the freezer we will leave to the seagulls. They eat everything."

Liz thought how that makes sense. She glanced toward the window and there it was: Tyler's boat.

"Are you sure that no one will come to disturb us?"

Liz didn't think much about security the last time they were here, but now she knows that guys like Tyler own boats and can come to the marina, and this boat does not look very secure. Anyone can climb on!

Max guessed her thoughts. "It will take about fifteen minutes to reach a spot where we can dock safely for the night."

Liz moved toward the end of the boat and looked at the ocean which is completely dark. "Can you drive this at night?"

Max confirmed that he is very familiar with the destination and that with all the gadgets the boat has, it's not a problem.

He suggested Liz to go and shower, but she rejected his offer. "We can shower later. Together."

Max has no objections. The shower on the boat is smaller than the one in the apartment, and that means they will need to get closer. Max definitely has no objections.

Liz settled on the sofa on the upper deck with a glass of wine, and Max started the boat.

The screens and buttons of the controls were dark, and the boat was illuminated only by a few dim lights which are barely enough for a person to see the outlines of the surrounding.

As soon as they left the marina and the engines roared, Liz felt peaceful.

She smiled while her gaze moved from the diminishing Seattle's nightlights to Max whose figure from the back looks powerful, like he can defeat whatever comes his way.

…

"We are in a cove.", Max explained when he turned to face Liz after anchoring the boat.

Liz glanced to her right, and she can see the lights from the mainland which are barely visible in the distance. Other than that, everywhere around them is endless darkness. If Max didn't tell her that they are in a cove, she would assume that they are somewhere random in the middle of the ocean.

"No one else will come here?", Liz asked when Max took a seat by her side.

"No. It's is a private island. If anyone comes they will be trespassing."

"Are we not trespassing?"

"I know the owner.", he responded confidently.

Liz didn't ask further questions. She would not be surprised if the owner is Nathan or Max himself.

She scooted closer to him, and he welcomed her in his arms.

Liz leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

They sat in silence for some time.

The light breeze caressed her cheeks and the faint rhythmical sound of waves confirmed that there is a beach nearby.

Liz opened her eyes and stared up in awe. Millions of stars look a hundred times brighter than she ever saw them before. Probably due to the lack of pollution and lights from civilization.

"Enjoying the view?" Max's question broke the silence.

Liz turned to him and hugged him tightly. "Finally, it's just the two of us. Thank you for everything you did for me."

Max chuckled. He is also happy that it's just the two of them, and he is even happier to know that she likes it as well. As for her 'thank you'… "Don't worry about it."

Liz was not sure if she should tell Max about her encounter with Andrea in the ladies' room. "Max?"

"Hmm?"

"If someone told me that we are not right for each other and tried to seduce me. Would you like to know about it?"

"Yes." He answered without a moment of hesitation.

"Are you sure?"

"Wouldn't you want to know if someone is trying to cause a rift between us and seduce me?"

Liz exhaled. "I'm not sure. The thought that someone else wants you is disturbing. It would make me wonder if she has a chance or not."

"I understand that it's uncomfortable. But if someone is pursuing you, I would like to know so that I am cautious of that person. And if he knows that the two of us are dating, that is only making the situation more serious. What if he is using underhanded methods? If I am not aware of his intentions, there is a higher chance that I will fall into his trap."

Liz agreed with this logic. Well, here it goes: "In the restroom… before we left… I had a chat with Andrea."

Max's body stiffened. Based on the way Liz started the topic, this can't be good. And it involves Andrea so it definitely can't be good. "What did she say?"

"She said that the two of us are not a good match and that we are not going to last."

Max frowned. Andrea enjoys causing trouble. Max reminded himself to calm down because if Andrea's provocation was successful, Liz would not be here in his embrace. "What did you say?"

"I assumed that she is your ex who is angry that you are with me, and I asked her if she thinks that she is a better match for you. And she told me that I've got it wrong."

"Yes, you got it wrong. She is not my ex."

Liz glanced at Max. "Why didn't you tell me that at the event? You knew that she was ambiguous."

"Andrea loves to incite people. She is always ambiguous. I was confident that based on my interaction with her you can see that we are not friends. If I told you nothing ever happened between me and her, would you believe me?"

Liz pressed her lips into a line. He is right. She would not believe him. She would assume that he said how there was nothing between him and Andrea only to make her feel better, especially after she admitted that she is insecure. "I'm sorry…"

Max felt that Liz's hold on him tightened. He exhaled. "I'm glad we got that out of the way."

"That is not all.", Liz mumbled in his chest.

"There is more?"

Liz nodded. "Andrea said that I am her type."

Max was not sure he heard her right. "What?"

"She told me to call her when I get bored of you. Is she really a lesbian, or was she just playing with me?"

"I don't know. But regardless of which one is it, stay away from her." Max craned his neck to see Liz. "Or… will it make a difference if she is a lesbian? Are you interested in Andrea?"

Liz pinched his arm lightly. "What are you saying? I am interested only in you."

A sly smile appeared at the corner of Max's lips. "Really?"

Liz nodded earnestly. "Don't you know that you are always on my mind? The event tonight had only one negative, that the two of us didn't show up as a couple. Waiting for your arrival was torturous and talking with all those people without you by my side was painful. And as much as anyone who paid attention could get a clue that we are close, I wished that I could tell chairman Lee and everyone present how the man by my side is Maximilian Anderson, a representative from the Alpha group, my boyfriend."

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