Max
“I DIDN’T TAKE your father for such a suburbanite.” Max entered my childhood home behind me and looked around. “I expected some decked out, ultra-modern place inside the city. He’s just this force of a man, you know?”
My father lived in Larchmont, which was about twenty-five miles outside Manhattan. Close enough to enjoy all the benefits of the city while also giving the residents some much-needed peace and quiet.
“Uh . . . yeah. I know that better than anyone,” I prattled as I entered the den, a room which had been my absolute favorite growing up. I’d spent many an hour huddled up in the oversized and worn-leather chair, lost in so many different worlds I’d lost count.
Each wall consisted of built-in bookcases, the shelves littered with old books, many of them precious first editions. There were classics such as Pride and Prejudice, The Great Gatsby, and Little Women, the last title bought specifically for me on my thirteenth birthday. My father also loved westerns, so he had an entire shelf of Louis Lamour books. I tried to read one of his favorites, Silver Canyon, but it wasn’t my cup of tea.
As I trailed my fingertip along the countless spines, reading the titles as I moved, wonderful memories flooded in. Wanting to make the nostalgia last, I closed my eyes and randomly selected a book to take with me. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells.
“There you are,” Max uttered, walking up behind me to peer over my shoulder. “What do you have there?”
“One of my father’s many books.”
“I’ll say. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a collection before.” The den was rather large, one of the biggest rooms in the house to be exact.
“This was my favorite room when I lived here.”
“Did you grow up here?” he asked, walking ahead of me to look at the titles.
“Uh-huh. My father couldn’t bring himself to sell it after my mother died, which I’m very thankful for, even though I haven’t been here for some time.
“Well, maybe you and your father can move forward. He’s accepted you’re with me, so at least he’s let go of some sort of control over your life.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, mister,” I teased, all the while knowing things weren’t that easy. “He may have stopped berating me for my decision to be with you, but it doesn’t mean he’s accepted you. Not yet. But I’m working on it.” I turned around and wrapped my arms around his neck, peering deep into his beautiful eyes. “All that really matters is how I feel.”
“I know. It’d just be nice to be in a room with the man without him glaring at me.” Max snickered, but I knew the situation bothered him.
“I’m sure it’ll happen soon enough.” I tried to be optimistic, even if my hopes were semidelusional.
“Until then,” Max hummed, pressing me against the bookcase while his hands roamed my body. His kiss was scorching, the fire inside me burning brighter with every flick of his tongue and every sweet bite of his passion. My skirt was around my waist before my good sense ripped through me.
“Wait,” I whispered, my inner voice bouncing back and forth between wanting Max to fuck me and not giving in to my baser need within the confines of my father’s house.
“For what? It’s not like he’s going to walk in on us.” His devious eyes stared back at me, daring me to deny him.
“I know we’re alone. It’s just . . . I don’t feel right about it. He’s lying in the hospital, and we’re about to have sex? It just doesn’t sit well. Sort of. I don’t know,” I babbled.
Max nodded before taking a step back. “I understand. Your head is all over the place. I get it.” He lifted his chin toward the large antique desk in the center of the room. “Why don’t you grab your father’s laptop and we’ll be on our way.” He busied himself flipping through one of the books he’d pulled off the shelf while I searched for the power cord.
Rooting through a few of the desk drawers, I came across a flash drive, and normally I wouldn’t’ve picked it up. But it had Play me taped to the front of it. Odd. With my curiosity piqued, I turned on the laptop and inserted the drive, not expecting to find anything of real interest. Maybe one of his associates sent him something to look at. Or it was a reminder to himself to work on whatever was on there. All the while, I tried to come up with excuses why there was something placed toward the back of his desk drawer with Play me written on it. I knew it had to be something he’d wanted to keep hidden.
“What do you have there?” Max asked, standing next to me while the computer booted up.
“I don’t know. I guess I’m just being nosy.” My smile faded as soon as I heard the first sound. Groaning. Then a man’s voice asking, “Do you like it like that?” I’d been looking at Max when the video started playing but turned to see the screen the more I heard. The man’s voice sounded somewhat familiar, but I’d been so surprised that what was on the drive was a porn video I didn’t pay much attention.
Until I saw his face.
Geoffrey Paulson.
I swore all the blood drained from my face, my body frozen in place as we continued to watch the video.
“Why would your father have some homemade porn on a flash drive?” Max found the video amusing, until Geoffrey moved out of the way and he saw the other participant.
Me.
“Oh my God,” I whispered, my handing flying up to cover my mouth.
“WHAT. THE. FUCK!” Max roared, leaning in to get a better look. I couldn’t look away, no matter how hard I tried. I should’ve slammed the laptop closed. I should’ve destroyed the drive, but I did nothing. I couldn’t move. I could barely breathe, let alone contemplate how the video even existed.
Max turned toward me, and I sensed he was going to start shouting, but instead, he grabbed me by the arms and gave me a gentle shake.
“Alina. Who is that?”
Nothing. It was as if I was in some sort of trance, my eyes trained on the screen in front of me. Geoffrey had positioned me so I was in full view of the camera, as was he. We were lying on the bed, my legs wrapped around his waist as he hammered into me. “You love the way I fuck you, don’t you?” Geoffrey asked, to which I moaned, “Yes.”
With a glance back at the laptop, Max was the one who slammed it shut. His face reddened, and I knew he was beyond livid. I only hoped his rage wasn’t directed at me. I had no idea Geoffrey had taped us having sex while we’d been dating, and I couldn’t fathom why he’d sent it to my father.
“Alina,” Max barked, shaking me once more to break me out of my daze. When my eyes finally focused on his face, I was mortified. I could only imagine what was racing through his mind, yet he said nothing, which only served to make things worse. Tears fell down my cheeks before my lips parted to utter a single word. Seeing the distraught look on my face, he pulled me into his embrace, his body tense the entire time.
I tried to put myself in his shoes. If I’d seen a tape of him having sex with another woman, groaning and obviously enjoying himself, I’d be devastated. And so angry, not to mention jealous beyond comprehension.
I could feel his heart racing, and his skin was on fire. Needing space to think, I slowly stepped back, keeping my head down the entire time. I couldn’t bear to look at him, to see the hurt and anger radiating from his eyes.
The silence was deafening. Trudging toward the laptop, I picked it up and threw it into the carrying case, shoving the power cord in right behind it. The flash drive was still inserted because I wanted my father to know I’d seen it.
Oh my God! My father saw this. A fresh wave of embarrassment painted my skin with the acknowledgement.
As I tried to gather some semblance of myself, Max suddenly crowded my personal space. “Who was the guy in the video?” Each word he spoke dripped with disdain.
“My ex. Geoffrey Paulson.”
“The guy who hurt you.” It wasn’t a question. “Did you know that bastard made this video?” I shook my head, the tears continuing to fall. “You had no idea?” His voice was deep and raspier than usual. I shook my head once more. “Goddammit!” he shouted, the fury in his voice making me flinch. “I’m sure it’s not the only copy.” The notion Geoffrey could share this video with anyone he pleased made me sick to my stomach.
“Why does my father have it?” I finally spoke, gripping the edge of his desk while my nausea ripped through me.
“That’s what we’re going to find out.” Max snatched the laptop case and strode toward the door, each step he took angrier than the last. “I’ll be outside.”
Guilt and shame dueled for dominance. How would Max ever look at me the same after seeing the video? Me with another man, delighting in our sexual tryst?
My sadness continued to coat my face as I locked the door behind me, trying to prepare myself for what lay ahead.