The Gamble

I looked over my shoulder at Steve, pulling down mugs from the cupboard. “Steve?”

“A cup would hit the spot, Nina.”

I looked at Max as I went to the fridge for milk. “Max?”

“Yeah, baby.”

Mom leaned into me when I made it back to the counter by her side and she whispered loudly even though if she whispered softly Max could still hear her as he was maybe two feet away. “I like that, the ‘baby’ thing. He’s yummy.”

“Stop calling Max yummy in front of Steve.”

“Oh, Steve doesn’t mind,” Mom dismissed with a wave of her hand.

“Okay, then stop calling Max yummy in front of Max.”

Mom leaned back to look behind me at Max and informed him, “Nina can be a bit uptight.”

Max burst out laughing.

I cried, “Mother!”

Mom turned wide eyes to me. “You can!”

I looked to the ceiling and called, “God? Can I have a time machine? Please. I just want to go back thirty-five years, crawl out of my pram, get lost in the wilds and be raised by stray dogs.”

Mom leaned back and said to Max, “She can also be dramatic.” She turned back to whatever she was doing at the counter and murmured, “Though, it’s good, she’s always had an excellent imagination.”

I handed Max his mug and took Steve’s coffee to him, saying, “Mom, Max likes me, okay? You don’t have to convince him seeing as I’m standing in his kitchen in his shirt.”

“All right,” Mom snapped and looked back at Max. “She can get testy too.”

I closed my eyes and dropped my head back. I stood there in supplication for half a second before an arm hooked at my waist and my back was up against Max’s front.

“Grab your coffee, Duchess and let your Mom be,” Max ordered in my ear.

I leaned forward and grabbed my coffee, muttering, “Whatever.” Then I looked at Mom and found I couldn’t let her be so I asked, “What are you doing, anyway?”

“I’m in the mood to concoct something,” Mom answered and my entire body got tense.

“Mom –” I started and Steve was with me for he said in a low, warning tone, “Nellie, not sure that’s a good idea.”

“My concoctions are the best,” Mom declared in Steve’s direction.

“Your concoctions are hit and miss. Mostly miss,” I told her.

Mom whirled on me, aghast. “You loved my blueberry, rhubarb soufflé.”

“Mom, I lied. It tasted a lot like vomit.”

Max’s body started shaking against mine but I was forced to ignore it when Mom emitted an outraged gasp.

“It did not taste like vomit!”

“Please, just let me make toast.”

Mom, if it could be believed, was even more aghast and she cried, “What will Max think, he gets toast?”

“It’s his house, Mom, you’re the guest,” I reminded her.

“I’m the Mom in any circumstances and children don’t get toast. Ever.”

“She’s got you there, Duchess,” Max whispered.

I twisted and looked up at Max. “You’re not a child, Max.”

“As long’s we’re alive, you’re always children, doll,” Steve put in and I looked at Steve and my shoulders slumped.

But I didn’t give in gracefully and therefore mumbled, “Ganged up on.”

“Deal with it, sweetie,” Mom muttered, turned to the plethora of foodstuffs on the counter and went on, hands up, wiggling her fingers, “Now, I’m thinking… something strawberry.”

I decided to take a sip of coffee and let events unfold without my participation.

It was then I realized I was leaning against Max and he still had his arm around my waist. It wasn’t weird or uncomfortable. In fact it felt natural and entirely comfortable. It was also then I realized I liked this.

“Oh my God!” Mom suddenly shouted, I jumped and looked at her to see she was holding up the new creamer I bought Max. “This is divine, Max. You have such good taste.”

“Nina bought that for me,” Max informed her and Mom’s eyes got happy wide, her face beaming and she looked at Steve.

“You hear that, Steve, darling? Nina bought Max a creamer.” And Mom said this like she would say, “You hear that, Steve darling? Nina just declared her undying love to Max and they’re going to be surgically attached at the hip tomorrow.”

“I heard it, love,” Steve said, grinning at Mom’s obvious happiness for it was doubtful Steve was thrilled about the creamer.

“Lovely,” Mom muttered and put down the creamer and then started opening and closing cupboards, still muttering when she said, “Now, bowls.”

“Max,” Steve called, I looked to him and I suspected Max did too for Steve kept talking. “I hate to cut into the usual madcap Nellie-Nina reunion but we gotta talk about that jackass Lawrence.”

There it was, the reason for their visit, just as I would have guessed if I’d had time to make a guess.

Mom was dumping stuff into a bowl but she leaned into me and stated, “Steve has a plan. Steve always has a plan.” Then she winked at me and went back to dumping stuff in the bowl.

“What’re you thinkin’?” Max asked.

“I’m thinkin’ after breakfast we leave the women up here and go down the mountain and have a talk with Lawrence at his hotel.”

My body got tense again.

“Works for me,” Max said instantly.

“Um… I don’t –” I started but stopped when Max squeezed my waist.

“We’ll be back, less than an hour,” Max told me and I twisted to look at him.

“Max –”

“Duchess,” Max cut me off, “it’s as good as done.”

I hadn’t had time to contemplate my predicament, my escape or scrutinize the fact that I consistently seemed to allow myself to get thwarted and end each day in bed with Max. However I was relatively certain that I didn’t want Max to team up with Steve to send my father packing. I didn’t know why, I just thought that was family business and Max wasn’t family. And I didn’t know why, but I thought if he did do this, he’d be that one step closer to being family. What I did know was that I wanted him to be family and I also knew I shouldn’t.

“Max, can we talk about this?” I asked.

“We can though you ain’t gonna change my mind.”