Pieces of Perfect (16 page)

              “Forgiven,” Max said, smiling broadly.  I had to laugh as he bound toward my desk, plopping himself on top of it.  “So, what have you been up to?”
 

             
I settled back in my chair, putting my hands behind my head.  I didn't know what to say to that, so I shrugged and hoped he wouldn’t press me further.  

“Yeah, me neither,” he responded.  “So, do you really forgive me?”  
 

             
I shrugged again, but this time, I smiled, letting him know that I was teasing him.  “Good, because I have a favor to ask.”  

Of course you do.
I eyed him suspiciously.  “What?” I asked.
 

             
“Well, I thought about what you said, and maybe you were right.  I do have to do more to improve my image.  So, I thought you might like to help me with that.”  

              “What would I have to do exactly?”  I couldn’t think of a single way anything I had helped Max with since we met could
help
his image.  
 

             
“Come away with me.”  

              “What?” I nearly yelled, sitting up straighter.  

              “I have an appearance on Sunday in Atlantic City.  A few of us were invited to an autograph signing at the Tropicana.  There’s going to be press there, maybe even some important people who could help me give my career a jump start. The other guys are all getting there Saturday, so I was going to head down Saturday morning.”

              “And I need to be there because . . . ?”
 

             
“You’d be a real image boost.  First of all, you’re a teacher, which already gets me points.  But you’re also a teacher at the school I’m working at.  The press loves workplace romances.  You’re wholesome, beautiful, have no felony convictions, it’d be great for me to be seen with you.”

              “Is the fact that you’re now banging your co-workers really going to garner you points?  Because, usually, that kind of behavior is frowned upon, even prohibited.”
 

             
“Not here.  I already checked,” he replied eagerly.  I shook my head at this. Of course he had checked.  That was just the sort of creepy thing Max would ask someone.  
“So, how is your day going?  By the way, can I fuck co-workers?”  
 

             
Though, I guess he technically wasn’t an employee anyway, so it didn’t really matter.  
Wait, what was I thinking?  
I should tell him no.  
Hell no.
 But I didn’t.  I was intrigued by his proposal. And maybe this would be a good way for me to make it up to him after being such a bitch.  
But what about Adam?
 
How would I ever explain this to him?
 

              “Max, this is crazy.  People will be there to get an autograph.  They won’t care who you’re with.”
 

             
“Totally untrue.  My agent expects a ton of media attention at this thing.  The NHL is promoting it as the best players of the past 10 years all in one room.  The papers will be all over us.”
 

             
“Oh, Max, I don’t know.  Media whore was never really a label I aspired to.  The whole thing will be so . . . awkward.”

              “Come on, Lil.  I need your help.”  He sounded so genuine and contrite, I knew I was a goner.  But I also needed something to be clear.  
 

             
“Okay, I’ll do it,” I said sourly, like I hadn’t been intending to help him from the moment he asked.  A girl had to add a little flare for the dramatic whenever she could.  “However, what you have proposed is a business arrangement.  Nothing more.  I will help you because you’re my friend, but the physical relationship is over.  Deal?”
 

             
Max looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language.  I could see his brain trying to process the contrasting information. Yes, I would accept him back as my friend, but no, I would not accept him back as a fuck buddy?  
 

             
“Max?  Do we have a deal or not?”

              “So . . . ?”  He still wasn’t comprehending what I was getting at.

              “No sex, Max.  None.  Never again.” I threw in some nice hand gestures to make my point clear.  Max looked at me, bewildered.

“Really?” he asked.

“Really,” I said, my resolve firm.  
 

             
After some deliberation and a couple cursory glances at me as my arms stayed folded across my chest, he finally relented.  “Okay, deal.”  He reached out to shake my hand and I accepted, smiling.  Maybe this would be fun.  Or hell.  It could very possibly be hell.  But, whatever it was going to be, I’d find out soon enough.  

              “Thanks a ton, Lil.  I appreciate this more than I could ever say.”  

              “It’s alright, Max.  I’m glad to help.”  

Max half turned toward the door.  “Okay, then, well, I’ll call you or stop by tomorrow and let you know what time I’ll pick you up.”  

I nodded to him, signaling that that would be fine.  

He nodded back and started toward the door.  He began to leave when he stopped himself, put both hands on either side of the door frame and leaned back into my classroom.  “Oh, one more thing.”  I raised my eyebrows, prompting him to continue.  “You can never say never, doll.”  And with that, he left.  
 

And hell it was.

Twenty-Four
 

             
Agreeing to go to AC with Max was actually the easy part.  Explaining the arrangement to Adam was going to be a different story.  I knew that Adam had nothing to worry about.  The sexual relationship between Max and me was over.  I had made that clear to Max and to myself.  

              But how do you tell your boyfriend that you’re going on a trip with another man to
pretend
that you are
his
girlfriend?  How could I possibly convince Adam that there was nothing more at play here?  I just had to hope that he trusted me enough to believe me.  

              I felt that this was probably a conversation best had in person, but Adam and I hadn't made any plans to see each other this week yet.  And it was already Wednesday; I didn’t want to prolong telling him too long.  I decided to send him a text and see if he was available to get together later.
 

             
Hey, babe.  How’s your day going?  I wanted to see if you were around later.   Maybe we could get together for a bit?

             
I put my phone down on my desk and hoped for a speedy reply.  Thankfully, I heard my phone vibrate not two minutes later.
 

Hi, gorgeous.
 Eva has dance class at 6:30.  I could swing by for a bit after I drop her off.  Does that work?

I quickly typed my reply as the bell signaling the end of fifth period rang.  
That’s perfect!
 
See you then.
 

I threw my phone into my purse, closed both in my desk drawer, and stood to greet my students.
 And as I stood there smiling at all the innocent faces before me all I could think about was how telling Adam was really going to blow.

*              *              *
 

I heard a knock on my door at 6:45.
 
Adam.  
I was no more clear about what I was going to say to him than I was earlier today.  I was just going to have to wing it.

I opened by door to find him there, bright eyes and smiling.
 My Adam
.  My body responded to the sight of him immediately.  It was like I forgot how hot he was when he wasn’t directly in front of me.  “Hi, beautiful,” he said as he stepped toward me, leaning in to give me a brief, sweet kiss before walking past me and into my apartment.  

“So, how was your day?” he asked me as he plopped down onto my couch.

I sat down beside him.  “Interesting,” I replied.  

“Oh, yeah?  How so?”  He spoke with an easiness that is befitting a person who is completely comfortable in his surroundings.  
Boy, was I about to ruin that.

“Max came to see me.”

“Max?”  I had never mentioned my friendship with Max before, especially since there hadn’t been anything to tell as of late.  I took a deep breath.

              “Yeah, Max Samson.  The hockey player starting up a team at our school.”
 

             
“Oh, yeah.  Eva was telling me about him.  What did he want to see you about?”  
 

             
I experienced a brief moment of panic when Adam said that Eva had mentioned Max.  Had Eva mentioned how often Max and I were together?  He did stop by frequently after her class, knowing that I had second period free.  At least he had before our fight.  But, since Adam didn’t seem to know who I was talking about initially, my anxiety slightly abated.  
Slightly.

“He needed to ask me a question.  See, he has been trying to improve his image. I never followed hockey, but I guess he was a difficult person to play with.  So, he’s been trying to change the impression people have of him.  Hence the school hockey team and all that.  Well . . .” I struggled to swallow as my mouth had suddenly become completely dry.  “He has an autograph signing this weekend in Atlantic City and he thought that, if I went with him, it might help people see him more positively.”  As I expelled the last sentence in a single breath, I became aware of how stupid it sounded.  
How would taking a girl to A.C. help someone’s image?
 He had made it sound so convincing at the time.
 

“Wait
. . . what?” Adam sat up, instantly tensing.  

“He just asked me as a friend.  He figured that, since the press would be there, they would see him with just your average, everyday girl and think that he was becoming more stable.”  I immediately realized what I had said and hoped that Adam hadn’t picked up on it.  
Your
average, everyday girl.  That was what the major problem was, wasn’t it?  I was Adam’s girl.  Not Max’s.  Though, this wasn’t what Adam honed in on.  

“So, you’re saying he’s not stable?  I don’t . . . I don’t understand any of this.  Why you?  Did you tell him you’d go?”  The questions poured out of Adam like flood water.  I immediately regretted telling Max I’d go.  But Max had been the one who had saved me from the bar that night and he had been there for me on numerous other occasions.  It felt wrong not to be there for him now.  
 

“No, he is stable.
 He just has a reputation for not being that way.  I don’t know why me (
Lily, you fucking liar)
, other than we’re friends and he needs my help.  I thought that it would be wrong not to help him.”  My voice grew meeker as I spoke, losing its conviction.   

“So, you’re going to go away with him?  To Atlantic City?  And pretend to be his girlfriend?  And I’m supposed to do what, give you guys a ride?”  He stood abruptly, running his hand through his hair as he paced wildly around my living room.  “You’re my girlfriend, Lily. Did you think I’d really be okay with some other guy taking
my girlfriend
on vacation and passing her off as his?  Did you even care how this would make me feel?”

I stood quickly to intercept him, stopping him from continuing.  I didn’t want to hear anymore, especially since it wasn’t going to change anything.  I was going to go with or without Adam’s support.  But I didn’t want him to hurt either.  I needed to make him understand that this was no big deal.  He had nothing to worry about.

“Adam, stop.  Please.”  I grabbed his arms with my hands and pulled him back down beside me on the couch.  “Adam, I wouldn’t go if I thought this was anything more than one friend helping another.  And as far as appearances go, no one even really knows you and I are seeing each other.  I need you to trust me.  I won’t hurt you, Adam.  Please believe that.”

Adam exhaled and his shoulders drooped.  I recognized his body language.  It was defeat.  “I do trust you, Lily.  I just don’t trust him.” He hesitated, clearly unsure of what to say next.  He lowered his head, but lifted his eyes to gaze at me.  “But, you’re a grown woman and you make your own decisions.  You’re asking for my trust and you have it.”  I threw my arms around him, kissing him deeply, making my affection for him plain.

I explained that I’d fill him in on the details once I got them all from Max.  Pretty soon, it was time for Adam to leave and pick up Eva.  As I walked him to the door, he pulled me firmly to him, embracing me and looking into my eyes.
 

“Lily, I just have to say one more thing.”
 I let my silence prompt him to continue.  “If he touches you, I’ll fucking kill him.”  He planted a quick kiss on my lips, before disengaging from me and leaving, pulling the door closed behind him.
 

I stayed there, staring at the door, not able to believe that I had just made Adam curse.

Fuck me
that was hot.