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It was a short trip downtown by carriage. William was quite insistent for her to meet him at eleven o’clock that morning at the address he had given her—sharp. Charlie wasn’t sure what all the fuss was about, but by now she was excited to find out. William was sometimes a mysterious or secretive fella—a side effect of his profession, she figured—but it was also one of the things she found enchanting about him. Just when she thought she had her Maxy all figured out, he always managed to surprise her.
And Charlie loved surprises.
“This is it!” She called to the driver, signaling that this was her stop. William stood outside the rather tall and sophisticated looking building with a smile on his face. Not his usual charming smile, however, but the kind that suggested there was something up his sleeve. Charlie could feel her enthusiasm bubbling up on seeing it.
“Sorry I’m late, Max.” She said as he helped her down from the carriage. “There was a little accident with a trolley and a motorcar. I hope I haven’t missed anything.”
“Not at all, my dear, there’s still some time yet.” He answered rather cheerfully, stepping away from her briefly to pay the driver. The man tipped his hat courteously to William before pulling away.
“So, where are we going?” Charlie asked, excited for whatever it was he had in store. “You’re awfully chipper about it.”
“That’s because you’re here now,” he added smoothly, offering her one arm as he extended his other proudly towards the building’s canopied entrance. “And we’re already at our destination.”
“Oh?” Was the only sound Charlie managed, taking his arm somewhat absentmindedly as her gaze wandered up and down the skyscraper before them. The building was practically new, only two or three years old at most, and was home to a host of finely built apartments. The kind she imagined the rich or famous must live in—it had doormen and everything! And she turned to William with a shocked expression on her face. “Are you thinking of living here?”
William grinned playfully. “You could say that. Come, let’s go in and I’ll explain more.” And with that said he quickly escorted her inside.
The inside was even nicer than the outside. Charlie hadn’t seen such plush chairs and marbled flooring since William’s stay at the Palace Hotel, but the lobby of this building seemed almost as grand. There was even a long Persian rug that led up to the large stairwell that would take them higher up, but what caught her eye was the gold colored gate of the elevator next to it. It was really something, Charlie almost felt like royalty by passing through. Would William really be living here?
They took the elevator up to the ninth floor, Charlie hanging on to his arm the entire ride up. William did little to conceal his own enthusiasm—his grin wide and proud—but why should he? He was on cloud nine, and damn it he had every right to be! He deserved this, and so did Charlie. The fact that the floor number matched was a happy, little coincidence, but he took it as a sign.
“Ah, here we are.” William announced once they reached the correct door, his grin leaving him momentarily as he retrieved the key from his pocked to unlock the door. “Ladies first,” he offered with a polite gesture of his hand, eagerly awaiting her reaction upon entry.
“Oh my goodness—Max.” She was astonished, her head turning left and right as she took it all in. It was simply beautiful, perhaps the most lovely dwelling she had ever laid eyes on. The foyer was small like most flats, but it opened into a large and spacious parlor. The area was not yet furnished, save for a lone green chaise which sat rather dreamily by the balcony. William smiled as he watched her eyes wander the room, enjoying the click of her heels along the redwood floor. It felt right the more he watched her look around, to see her in such a place—with him! The world was his oyster, and there was no one else he’d rather share it with.
“Oh Maxy, the view’s incredible from here!” Her cheerful voice suddenly dragged him from his thoughts. She was propped against the balcony's iron railing with both arms, looking out over the busy street with a beautifully, wide smile. “You can even see the bay from here!”
“You haven’t even seen the rest of the place yet. But yes, the view is quite lovely.” William chuckled, walking over. Things seemed to be going well so far. His right hand came to rest at the small of her back when he stood beside her, and he placed a soft kiss on her dark hair. “Very lovely indeed.” And then his hand slid lower to brush against her ample backside.
“William Carter,” Charlie feigned offense, turning so that her bottom was now up against the railing, but her flirtatious smile gave it away. “Did you lure me up here just so you could have your way with me?” She teased him.
William cringed inwardly upon hearing his birth name, but he wouldn’t let it sour his mood. Not today. Today was the day his life took another step forward—or better yet, upward. Though now that he was in here with Charlie, his uncertainty from earlier was slowly surfacing. What if she thinks it’s too soon, too forward? Or worse, what if this jeopardizes your relationship? William had to fight to suppress the swirl of doubts in his mind. Maxwell was well composed and always sure of himself. Maxwell didn’t worry about what might happen, his only concern was for the here and now. Charlie was here, now, and she was happy and looking at him in such a way he never thought a woman would ever look at him. This was going to work out, just like everything else had before it.
“The thought had occurred to me,” he grinned mischievously, eyes darting to the nearby chaise before coming back to hers. It wouldn’t be the first time they’d made love outside the walls of his home, or hers. “But no, I actually did lure you up here for a legitimate reason. Although, I suppose we could find time for that, too.” He added with a chuckle, and Charlie playfully slapped at him.
“And what reason might that be?” She asked once her fit of giggles had subsided. “To show me your new place? You’re buying it, I take it?”
“That all depends,” he began, walking back into the parlor. He gestured about the room with open arms. “Do you like it? Because I won’t buy it if you don’t.”
Charlie eyed him curiously. Yes, there was most definitely something up the magician’s sleeve, but she decided to keep playing along. Besides, it was kind of fun. “It’s beautiful. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.” She told him, coming back from the balcony to look around some more.
Across from them was the kitchen, which was also spacious. It held a generous amount of cabinets, all with polished silver knobs—a lot of storage for a man who never really cooked, nor cared to. Even his current kitchen was barely used, and what little it was used was when she would cook for them. The show kept them busy for the most part and the two were often forced to eat out, but that seemed to suit William just fine. And even Charlie had come to enjoy the pampering.
To the left of them stood a pair of French doors that led into the study, behind them she could make out a fireplace with a shiny wooden mantel. Right of the doors was the hallway, which presumably led to the bedrooms and so on. Charlie was in complete awe of the place; it was as big as a house. Or it felt that way, at least. “It’s certainly roomy. What are you going to do with so much space, entertain?”
“Oh I’ve got something in mind,” he smiled knowingly at her, and stepped right up to her. “So, you do like it then?”
She smiled back, becoming more curious by the second. Just what was William getting at? “Yes, yes, I love it! But why does it matter what I think? You weren’t like this with your other place.”
“First off, my current residence was only meant to be temporary. I was tired of living in a hotel, and I needed a place for my props.” He explained. “Secondly,” William gently took her by the hands, his expression softening when their eyes met. Her hands felt so small and delicate in his rather large, thin ones, and he caressed her knuckles slowly with his thumbs. “Because I want you to live here with me.”
Charlie gasped, a low breathless sound, and her cheeks turned a noticeable shade of pink. “Really?” was the only word her brain was able to currently form, but her lips curved into a pensive smile. Of all the things she thought today might bring, this was not one of them. Should she say yes? She wanted to say yes. She loved William with all her heart, and the thought of living with him was an exciting one, but… “What if people…talk?” And by people, she meant their new neighbors. Charlie might be able to handle the occasional uncomfortable glance—she got them every now and then because she was a young woman who lived alone—but could William? He seemed to value what others thought of him.
“Let them,” he answered softly. “They don’t mean a thing.” At least she was receptive to the idea—an observation that gave his confidence a steady foothold—but he could see in her eyes that she was also a bit apprehensive. Maxwell was not so easily dissuaded, however; he knew just what to do. He gave her hands a reassuring squeeze, to show her his offer was indeed sincere, and said. “I’ve given this a lot of thought, and I know that I don’t want you anywhere else except with me.” But he didn’t stop there. William gave one of her hands a gentle tug, encouraging her to follow him down the short hall. He was still confident! “Let’s look at the rest of the place, shall we?”
“Alright,” she agreed, blush darkening along the apples of her cheeks from where she was grinning so hard. Only William could make her feel this way, burning hot and weak in the knees all at once.
She let him lead her down the hallway, not letting go of his hand. The first door they came to would be the guest room, and William added that her sister would always be welcome—he knew how close the two were. Next was the bathroom with its beautiful blue tiles and porcelain fixtures, and he pointed out how the tub was big enough for two. Charlie only giggled. The last stop was the master bedroom. “Our room,” he said with an enticing smile. “And here’s something you might like…”
William then brought her over to a pair of bifold doors, opening them to reveal a none-too-small closet. Charlie brought one hand to her mouth in surprise. Never had she seen anything like this before, at least not in person. She didn’t even own a closet; she had an armoire that wasn’t even hers, it came with the small apartment she was renting. But this closet was practically the size of a small room, she was even able walk inside it! And so she did.
“Will this be enough room for your dresses?” He teased, walking up behind to place his hands along her upper arms. He ran them gently along her soft skin, feeling particularly pleased with himself at the moment. Nothing was too good, too much—he wanted to give it all to her. He wanted her to see that he could give it all to her.
“My dresses wouldn’t even fill half of this!” She could feel tears prickling in the corners of her eyes even though she was smiling. It was wonderful—William was wonderful. He was like a massive tidal wave that she was afraid of being swept away in, but at the same time being swept away was all she wanted.
“Well,” he started, bending forward until his lips were barely touching the shell of her ear. “We’ll have to work on that then, won’t we?” He then kissed her there, softly, before turning her around to face him. He could see the budding tears in her eyes, and smiled. “You know, I meant what I said before, every word of it. I want you here with me. After every rehearsal, show, dinner—what have you—I hate seeing you go.” His dark eyes were intently focused on hers, and he brought his hands up to lovingly cup her face. “You’ve given me so much, and I want you to know how much you mean to me.” She trusted him implicitly, far more than he deserved. But that would change one day, one day he would tell her the truth, when he no longer needed Codex or Maxwell. Until then, all of his fame and fortune was hers—along with his heart. “I love you, Charlie. Let me give you the world.”
“Oh Max…” His name came out breathlessly on her lips, and a few loose tears found their way down her rosy cheeks. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever said to her. How could she not say yes after all that? She’d be a fool not to. “Yes—yes, I’ll live with you!”She said with a smile and a sniffle, choking back her tears. She didn’t mean to cry, but she felt so happy. “You’re the most wonderful man in the whole wide world. I love you, Maxy.”
“Hey now, no water works. This is a happy occasion.” William lightly chuckled, brushing a few tears from her face with his thumbs. His heart swelled with affection at her words, and they seemed to make everything he had done completely worth it. What would he possibly have to offer her otherwise? “I’m glad you want to stay.” He added, bending down to kiss her before she could say another word. Charlie moaned low and soft against his lips, her arms instinctively finding their way up his jacket and around his neck. And when they parted for breath and his hands left her face, she would find one of them dangling another small key in front of her. “Because I already bought it.”
Charlie giggled when he pulled the key from behind her ear—an older trick of his, though she never tired of it—and placed it carefully in her palm. “So, does that mean we can move in? Do you even have enough furniture to fill this place?”
She doubted it. William’s current residence, while nice, was much smaller than this place—but it was all he required for himself and his props. He didn’t even own most of the furnishings anyway; he rented them along with the flat. It was similar for Charlie; the only thing that belonged to her was a white lacquered vanity. It cost her twenty-five dollars, but it was also new and she really wanted it. “What about my vanity?” She added, excited.
“As early as next week,” he answered, laughing again. Her enthusiasm was contagious. “Bring whatever you want, doll. This is our home, after all. Pick out anything you like.”
Charlie left his side then to look around once more, with William following right behind her. She could hardly believe this was happening—it felt like a dream! “Frankie and Lulu’ll love all this space!” She turned to say, a bright smile on her face. Frankie and Lulu were William’s trained rabbits and pets, though it had been many months since they were a part of his act. The show was growing, moving on to bigger and better things. And Maxwell wasn’t interested in cheap parlor tricks anymore.
“Ah—about that,” his expression evened out, and he rubbed at the back of his neck absentmindedly. He hadn’t told her yet. William had been too preoccupied with acquiring their new place that he’d almost forgotten about it entirely. “I’m afraid they won’t be joining us. I sold them to a fella a few days ago.”
“Sold them? How come?” Charlie pouted suddenly. “Maxy, you loved those bunnies.” She loved them, too. They were so were adorable and sweet, especially when they ran about jumping and twitching in excitement.
“I do, I do.” He gave her a warm smile, slipping his arm around her shoulders. “But it’s unfair to keep them pinned inside all the time, don’t you think? The guy has a house outside the city, so they’ll be able to run around and eat grass to their hearts content.” In truth, William was a little fuzzy on the details. The man he sold the rabbits to did have a place outside the city, but whether the rabbits would be ‘running around and eating grass’ all the time he was unsure. But it made a good story for Charlie, and the last thing he wanted was to ruin an otherwise perfectly good day. “They’ll be much happier there than here with us.”
“I guess you’re right.” She admitted somewhat sadly.
“Of course I am. They’ll be so busy running around they won’t even have time to miss us.” William reassured her, his smile shifting into a more seductive one. He gently took her chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting it until her baby blues found him. “Besides, we’re going to be busy ourselves, what with the new act and…settling in.”
Her expression quickly softened, her cherry lips quirking into a beautiful, blushing smile. Charlie wasn’t foolish, she knew exactly what he had meant by settled. “That so?” She giggled, running the tips of her fingers along the length of his tie. “In that case, maybe we should start now.”
She pulled away from him then, walking slowly toward the green chaise and beckoning for William to follow.