Page 85 of Primary Seduction
“It’s okay if I can’t go though, all right. If it’s too expensive, then I’ll find a course in England.”
“I will let you know if that’s the case, all right? Stop worrying. We’ll make it work somehow.”
“Grazie, Papa.” She turned to Max. “Grazie, Max.” Then she smirked and said, “I’m going to have to find an Italian name for you, Max.”
“Good luck with that.” He laughed.
****
After spending so much time at Trent’s house, Max finally went home for more than a breeze through. Inevitably, a knock sounded at the door not half an hour later. He walked to the door, knowing exactly who it would be.
“Good morning, Max. Where is your boyfriend today?”
“Good morning, Mavis. How are you?” Max opened the door wider so she could enter.
“Good, good, thank you for asking. So where is your man?”
Max laughed. “He’s at work, Mavis. He’s a primary school teacher, so he has to teach all the kids about interfering old busybodies, like you.” He sounded harsh, but he knew she wouldn’t take offence.
“Well, it’s busybodies like me who get things done around here,” she threw back.
He laughed again. “Quite right, quite right indeed. What can I do for you anyway, or were you just coming to see if my better half was here?”
“I’ve not seen you for a while, Max dear. I was worried about you,” she answered softly. “I saw a man creeping around looking at your house the other day. He didn’t go inside, he just looked around the outside, then he wandered off again. I thought maybe you’d had some trouble.”
Max walked into the kitchen, debating what to tell her. She might be a busybody, but he didn’t want anything to hurt her. It might be better to tell her some of it so she could be vigilant. He sat down with her and a pot of coffee and spilled the beans about his beating and Trent and the man being dealt with. Obviously, he left out the AN bit.
“Bloody hell, Max. Why is this the first I heard about it? Why didn’t that man of yours tell me?”
“Because he had no idea who you were, Mavis! I hadn’t told him about you yet. As far as he was concerned, you were a nosy neighbour and that was it. It was only when he came back and told me about you that I told him who you were.”
“Well, someone had to keep an eye on you, Max. You were heading for trouble with all that ‘dating’ you were doing.” She used finger quotes to emphasise her point.
“I’m fine, Mavis. Everything’s fine now, all right?”
She smiled. “It is, isn’t it? Oooh, I’m so excited. Do you have a date for the wedding?”
Max choked on his coffee. “What wedding?”
“Yours, you silly boy. Surely, you’ll be getting married soon?” She narrowed her eyes.
Max expected the thought of marriage to freak him out, but it didn’t. With all the problems with his parents and their marriage being a sham, he thought he’d detest the idea of signing away his independence. But the thought of having Trent as his and his alone was blinding. He would love nothing more than to marry Trent. Just not yet. It was a bit soon.
“If we are still together in a few months, maybe there will be a wedding in the future, but not yet, Mavis. We’ve only been together a week!”
“Doesn’t matter how long you’ve been together so long as you’re happy,” Mavis said with a knowing glint in her eye. “And you, my boy, are ecstatic.”
Max laughed. “Yes, I am, Mavis. Yes, I am.”
****
Trent
Trent had just put his bag on the table after finishing work when there was a knock at his door. He opened it to find the two police officers from the day of the bank incident.
“Good afternoon, Mr Walker. May we come in?” Trent couldn’t remember the officers’ names.
“Of course. Would you like a drink?” he asked, manners on autopilot.
