Broken (Endurance) (6 page)

Cressida looked up at him and smiled. "Okay, but you need to put some clothes on before something happens. I’m a drunk, single woman... you do the math."

"Wow, you never made me feel like the victim before," Maxwell said with a teasing smile. He stood up. "Of course, I wouldn't mind if you did." He curled his lips into the most deliciously wicked smile.

Cressida's eyes lit up with an erotic flame as she brought her hands to her heated cheeks. "You better get out of here and put some clothes on." She laughed and threw a pillow at him.  A chill ran down her spin as she watched his muscles flex and contract as he blocked the pillow.

“Fine, fine.”  He jumped off the bed, walked into his closet and threw on pajama bottoms.  He was drying his hair when he walked out of his closet and saw Cressida sitting up and preparing to put her shoes on. With an easy and casual stride, he walked to the bedroom door and locked it.

"What is your problem today?" Cressida asked with a nervous laugh.

"For some reason I don't want you to go, at least not until you tell me what is happening with you."

"Is this what you call dressed?" Cressida pointed to his pajama pants.

"I'm not going anywhere and neither are you."

"Look, I don't know what you want from me, but I have a sickness with you Martinez men, and right now I'm on the twelve step program to rid myself of the disease.  You are not helping."

"I'm a disease now?" Maxwell laughed.

"All of you are. Look at Mei and Makayla. Those poor chicks need to be put in rehab and brought back to reality. No man can love any woman like that. It's just not in them. I will not be another one of the Martinez's victims, thank you very much." Cressida got to her feet and headed for the door.

Maxwell stood in front of the door with his hand on the doorknob.

"Look, if you want to leave, I will have the limo take you home. You don't like me and I understand that. I know you had a thing for my brother and I'm not as dashing as he is...whatever…, but you really need to tell me why I found you so drunk tonight. Talking about the twelve steps, I know all about it. If you’re not careful, Cressida, you could lose everything, everything you’ve worked so hard for. Your father didn't make it easy for you to reach the position you’re in. Don't throw away your dream."

Every word he said rang true and captured her attention. She knew he was right. "My father," she mumbled and walked back to the bed to sit down. She reflected on their conversation earlier that day. She felt manipulated by her father and knew it was a mistake agreeing to take the Blake Carter case.

Maxwell came to sit beside her. "Your father? Did he do something?"

"He forced me to take this... this case for a client. I just can't bear to even think about it. You would think my father would know better than to have me take this case. He cares more about his company and making money than he does about how I feel."

"You don't have to take a case that makes you feel uncomfortable."

Cressida shook her head. "I know, but he made me feel like I had to. It broke my heart today.  I know all about manipulation. I’m a lawyer, but when someone you love and respect uses that kind of tactic on you... well, I just wasn't prepared for the emotional blow I received. I found myself agreeing to what he wanted. I just wanted to get out of there, away from him and his pirate attitude."

“Pirate?”

She waved her hand dismissively.  “His idea of a joke.”

"What is the case about?" Maxwell leaned in closer, eager to show his concern for her situation.

"Do you remember the guy who raped and killed those children?" Cressida began gently weeping.

Maxwell wrapped his arm around her. "Yes."

"I have to defend him. He's claiming insanity and saying he didn't do it." She cried.

Maxwell rubbed her back as she spoke. "That man is not insane, he’s just evil," he spat.

"I know and I just can't do it.  Maxwell, what am I going to do?" Cressida sat up straight and looked at him.

Maxwell looked into her eyes, her pupils began to dilate. He didn’t realize when they began to kiss. Cressida slowly ran her nails against his bare skin. Chills ran up his spine and across his body as he reached for her, pulling her closer, pulling her shirt out of her skirt and ripping off the buttons. They laughed as Cressida took off her shirt and threw it on the floor.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Maxwell whispered.

"I don't want to think about it right now. Whatever happens, happens?" she whispered back.

Maxwell smiled as he kissed her again, sliding off the remainder of their clothing. He paused for a moment as he gently glided his hands along the sides of her breasts to her thighs.

"Perfect," he whispered.

"You don't have to lie."

Maxwell gazed at her. "I don't have to lie. Deep down I've always liked you, I just assumed I wasn't your type."

"I would never have guessed that you liked me.  You always seemed so caught up in your..."

"I know. I kind of shut myself down for a while." Maxwell lay back on the bed.

Cressida leaned over him and ran her fingers through his hair as she kissed him softly. Running her fingers over his chest and below his belly button, she lightly glided her nails across his waist.

Overwhelmed with passion, Maxwell pushed her back onto the bed and made love to her.

Deception

Max chased Uriel up and down the corridors, playing with the tireless boy. It was a last attempt to wear out the boy’s abundant energy. Max had let him sleep most of the day, a move he now regretted and was paying for. He looked at his watch. It was minutes to six in the evening. "Okay, little man, it's time for dinner and for us to see Momma," Max said as he picked him up.

"Mama!" Uriel yelled as he clapped excitedly.

"Yeah, Daddy can get a break!" Max laughed and swung him into the air.

Max walked back into his dorm room and grabbed his cell phone. He then remembered that cell phones didn’t work on this island and set it back on the desk. He packed up his son's baby bag and headed to the campus cafeteria where Mei was waiting.

Mei walked into the cafeteria feeling rested. The campus was beautiful and exotic. It looked like most of the campus had been designed to look as if it were a tropical paradise. The cafeteria was designed to look like a huge, open bamboo hut.

Mei found a large round wooden table that stood close to the entrance so that she wouldn't miss Max as he came in. She looked around the cafeteria. It was busy with students who rushed in and out, their gazes distant as though trapped in their own little worlds. The college enrolled a variety of students. Mei was happy to see people from all over the world proudly displaying their heritage through their clothing. She was amazed at how they kept this a secret for so long.

She looked down at her clothes. The day was hot and she’d decided to where a simple white tank top and light blue layered mini skirt with flip flops. Mei fanned herself as she looked around for a cooler place for them to sit.

"You are hot."

Mei turned to the sound of the unfamiliar voice.  A slim man in his early twenties was walking up to her with a tray of food.

“I’m Samuel Peters,” he said.

Mei offered him only a blank stare.

“I’m a sophomore here at King Solomon University.  You new?”

He looked to be about six feet tall and, although he wasn't overweight, she could tell he’d never set foot in a gym.  Mei narrowed her eyes in disgust and turned away.  Surely if she ignored him he’d walk by and leave her alone.   He didn't get the not so subtle message and placed his tray next to her. Mei glared at him as if he were crazy.

"I'm sorry, is this seat taken?" he asked.

"Yes," Mei snapped.  She turned to look at the entrance. She jumped to her feet as she spotted her son walking in. Max had dressed him in jean shorts and a white tank top. Mei ran to him, picking him up and kissing him all over.

Max smiled as he watched his wife hugging and kissing Uriel. "Did you get some sleep?" he asked before kissing Mei.

"Yeah, you?" She already knew the answer.

"Nooo," Uriel said as if he realized he’d prevented his father from sleeping a second.

Max laughed. "That's right."

"L, you didn't give Daddy a break?" Mei laughed.

"Did you find a table?" Max asked.

"Yes, but..." Mei turned to see if Samuel was still there.   She was relieved to see he’d left.

"But what?" Max asked.

"It's hot.  Let's sit somewhere cooler like on the outskirts." Mei pointed to a table next to a large open window.

"Looks good." He headed for the table.

Mei held Uriel close, whispering into his ear how much she missed and loved him. They sat down on the bench and Mei went through Uriel's baby bag to find his formula. "Babe, can you get some hot water?" she asked Max as she handed him an empty bottle.

"Yeah, what do you want to eat?"

"Chicken salad and a Sprite."

"Okay, be back."

Mei laughed and played with her son while Max took some time ordering their food.  She noticed a couple with a little girl approaching her. The young man and woman both smiled at Mei and gestured to the space next to her. "You can take it." Mei said.

"My name is Karen Howard and this is my two-year old bundle
of joy, Lily Smith.  This guy
over here is my fiancé, Calvin Smith."

“Hi, this is my son, Uriel. My name is Mei and my husband, the guy walking towards us, is Max," Mei said quickly standing and putting Uriel to stand on his feet as she walked over to help Max with the trays.

Max smiled at Karen and her family as he sat down. He nodded to Calvin recognizing him from the dorm room across from his. "So this is your wife?" Max asked.

"No, well, not yet. We get married next year," Calvin replied.

Karen looked at Calvin, obviously offended by the way he’d answered the question.

Calvin seemed to not even notice her cold stare.

"So, Lily, meet Uriel." Mei said talking to Karen's little girl.

"Uriel? Isn't that the name of an angel?" Karen asked.

"Yeah, it is," Max replied.

"Wow. When I was pregnant with Lily I was told to name her after an angel in a dream, but I didn't think it was real so I didn't do it. I figured I’d just eaten something bad that night or something," Karen said nonchalantly.

Max and Mei sat there in shock. They couldn't understand how someone could get a message from God and not take it seriously.

"Karen is now learning about the spiritual. Please forgive her ignorance," Calvin said to a speechless Max and Mei. "Honey, can you get us something to eat?" he asked Karen as he gently rubbed her back.

Karen got the hint and handed him Lily before silently walking off to get some food.

"It's okay, we understand.  When Max and I got together we didn't know what was going on." Mei laughed, visibly trying to ease the tension.

"I come from a family that is really serious about spiritual warfare and it's hard for me because she isn't," Calvin explained.

Max didn’t know how to respond to his statement and judging by the stunned expression on Mei’s face, neither did she.  Everything came so naturally to them. After a long, uncomfortable pause, Max simply nodded and changed the subject.  Being a typical man, he figured he’d bring up sports. It was killing Max that there was no football at this school. "What sports do you play?" he asked.

"Football, well I mean soccer. My family is from Aruba. I was born in America."

"Yeah? My father is from Trinidad." Max said with a smile.

"I have some family there." Calvin laughed. "What a small world."

Mei smiled as she ate and took time to feed Uriel between bites. She listened in on the men’s conversation. Though pleased to see they were getting along so well, she suddenly found herself missing her best friend, Cora, from back home.

"So, how is married life?" Calvin asked both Mei and Max.

"Great!" They answered in unison and laughed at themselves.

"We have our disagreements, but we are learning to compromise," Mei said.

"Yeah, everything goes her way. That’s a compromise," Max joked.

"Oh, whatever." Mei laughed.

Everyone was laughing when Karen came back with two trays of food. She placed them down on the table, still visibly upset with Calvin.

"Hey, Karen, are you okay?" Mei asked.

"Yeah, just... it's a long line." She said not wanting to say what was really on her mind.

"Tell me about it." Max grumbled as he prepared Uriel's bottle.

"Calvin was telling us that his family is from Aruba," Mei said trying to change her mood.

"Oh yeah, Aruba....  It's beautiful over there and the people are all friendly. I love going to visit his family." Karen fed her daughter as she spoke.