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Here With Me
Chelsea couldn’t believe it. She thought this scenario was impossible. But here she was.
Bored at shopping.
Somehow, however, Max had pulled it off. Chelsea knew this whole process could be so much more fun. If only Max would stop worrying so much.
Terry was attending a gala for Wayne Enterprises and invited Max along. Max, who had been dealing with her feelings for Terry for a while now, happily accepted, even though the invite was entirely platonic. Chelsea wasn’t so sure about Terry’s request being purely about friendship, as she described Terry’s invite as “asking her out without asking her out.”
“What about this one?” Max stepped out of the dressing room. The outfit was a long sleeve, black maxi dress that completely covered her up and did nothing to accentuate Max’s figure. There was a split on the left leg but even that stopped just above the knee.
Studying the outfit, Chelsea leaned her head to the side. She scrunched her face up, “Mm! Not enough cleavage.”
“Chelsea!” Max argued. “I’m serious!”
“What? I’m serious. Your body’s a gift from God Himself. I don’t think you should always hide the work of art.”
Max rolled her eyes.
“I’m not saying where a string bikini every day. But every now again… let the people drool a little bit.”
“You’re not helping!” Max dashed back into the dressing room.
“I am, too,” Chelsea defended. “You just won’t accept the help I’m giving.”
“I’m dealing with something major right now! And you’re making fun of me.”
“No, if I was gonna make fun of you, I’d say, ‘do you actually think Terry is into you? It’s only been two years since him and Dana broke up, and she moved! Away! He could still be grieving.’”
Max paused. “You don’t really think he’s still thinking about Dana, do you?”
Chelsea groaned, “Oh, my God, woman! I was being sarcastic!”
“I know, I know! I’m sorry!”
Chelsea uttered more of a growl this time. “Max, seriously?! Why are you doing this to yourself?”
“I don’t wanna make a mistake. I know this is just a party, like any other he invites to, but… I don’t know.”
Chelsea sighed. “Alright. I can tell this is really bothering you. I’ll try to ease up. It’s just not easy. Because, and I’m serious when I say this, you’re being ridiculous about this.”
Max poked her head out, as she was only in her underwear. “So, you think I shouldn’t tell him?”
“No, that you absolutely should do! I meant you shouldn’t worry about telling him! You’re in love with Terry! God, just say it to him so I can get a niece or nephew out of it! I’m pretty positive he feels the same about you.”
“Don’t say that. I don’t need that much hope.”
“Sorry, sister,” Chelsea folded her arms. “The only reason I’m not sure Terry’s in love with you is ‘cause I haven’t asked him directly ‘cause you won’t let me.”
Max sighed. “Because I don’t want him to… think that I’ve… been hoping for this all along.”
“Max. Terry is the person who knows you the best. And that’s saying something coming from me. He knows you’re not like that.”
“I just don’t want that thought to even creep in his mind. If nothing else… I want him to always trust me.”
“He does,” Chelsea smiled. “He will. Always.”
Max stood still, uncertainty written all over her face.
“You’re being way too hard on yourself. Dana and Terry were done two years ago. Heck, they were kinda over before that, they just didn’t say it. And no one, not a single person, thinks you were ‘hoping and praying’ for them to break up. And this… self-imposed chastity you’re forcing yourself through as some kind of atonement for something you didn’t do is really ridiculous.”
Max looked at Chelsea and smiled, “Your vocabulary really expanded.”
“Happened since college,” Chelsea shrugged. “Have you ever heard of this thing called a ‘dictionary’?” She smirked.
Max laughed.
“Finally! You’re relaxing a bit! It only took forever! Now! Can we, finally, take this dress shopping seriously and get you a dress that’ll make every man want you and every woman hate you?!”
Max thought it over. She really did want to take this risk for Terry, and she really felt like this party was her best chance. She looked back at Chelsea, “Will you pick the dress?”
In an instant, Chelsea smiled as wide as possible. She hurried over to a nearby rack and pulled a dress from behind several other garments. The dress clearly didn’t belong on that rack, as it didn’t match other outfits. Chelsea walked back over and presented it to Max.
Max’s face contorted to an annoyed glare. She looked at Chelsea. “When?”
“About three minutes after we got here,” Chelsea declared, victoriously. “The second I laid my eyes on it, I knew you’d look fantastic in it. It was the first and only dress I wanted you to wear. But, seriously, it’s your call.”
Max sighed. She looked at the dress. “It’s short and revealing.”
“But only so much. In other words… perfect.”
Max smirked, subtly. “I hate you. I hate more that you’re right.”
“Go try it on. If you don’t like it, I mean even a little bit, we’ll find something else.”
Chelsea waited again as Max changed. This time, though, Chelsea felt a little more excited.
A few moments later, the curtain pulled back, and Max stepped out. Once Max appeared, Chelsea looked up and stopped moving.
The dress was a dark red, satin mini-dress. It featured a halterneck design with an open back. It had a slim fit design that perfectly showed off Max’s curves. While not high on her thighs, the dress’s cutoff just above the elegant enough to be classy while still sexy enough to leave anyone at rapt attention.
Chelsea stared so hard, she dropped her phone.
“So…” Max smiled, timidly. “You… think it’s good?”
“Holy crap!” Chelsea blinked. She picked her phone up, “‘Good’? Are you kidding me?! How many inappropriate cliches should I use?! ‘Hubba hubba’! ‘Let me get som’ o’ that’! ‘You doin’ anything tonight, baby’! What else?”
Max laughed, “Please, stop!”
“For now. But, seriously, Max, if Terry won’t marry you, I totally will!”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! ‘Marry’?! I’m just trying to get a date! No one said anything about getting married!”
“He’ll take one look at you in that dress and a ring will materialize in his hand! Or fly to him like a Green Lantern!”
Max laughed again.
“But like I said,” Chelsea said, “do you like it?”
Max sighed. She looked at the mirrors in the dressing room, turned and got a look from another angle. She looked at Chelsea. And smiled. “I love it.”
Chelsea grinned from ear to ear.
Max looked back at her reflection. “I might need a shawl or something…”
Chelsea presented a black, sheer shawl she had hidden nearby.
Max saw the shawl through the reflection and her shoulders dropped. “Dude.”
“What?!” Chelsea shrugged. “We’re shopping. This is, literally, the thing I do the best!”
Max smiled then turned toward Chelsea. “Nope. You’re an infinitely better friend than you’ll ever be shopper.”
“Awww! You’re such a sweetie!”
Max looked back at the mirror. “This is the right thing to do. Right?”
“Yeah,” Chelsea confirmed. “Go get your guy, Max.”
Terry was standing in Max’s apartment, waiting for her to come out of her room. He was staring at his phone, rechecking the crime reports to see if anything was happening. The only thing that came up was a robbery that happened two nights before.
Max peeked around the door, “Almost ready.” She noticed his focus on his phone. “Gotta go?” She hoped she didn’t let the disappointment creep into her voice.
“Nah,” Terry reassured. “Just seeing if the GCPD had any updates. Nothing yet.”
Max breathed a silent sigh of relief. She ducked back into her room, “You’ll get ‘em.”
“Jokerz just getting braver. Stealing from a mob boss to begin with is nuts, even for them.”
“Alleged mob boss!”
Terry rolled his eyes, “Whatever. His nickname is Tully ‘The Iron Crowbar’ Roberts. But I’m sure he just raises rabbits on his farm upstate.”
“‘Iron Crowbar’ could be his gaming handle,” Max joked. “You don’t know.”
“He did 10 years in prison for aggravated assault!”
“You know how false charges happen! Besides, he can’t be all bad; someone said he has a rabbit farm.”
Terry threw his head back while Max laughed. Terry just chuckled.
“Are we late yet?” Max asked.
Terry checked his watch, “Nope. Got plenty of time.”
“Good.” Max took a breath. “I’m ready.”
“Great! I wanna see this dress you’ve been hiding from me.”
Max decided to mask her nervousness as best she could. “Well! Try not to fall in love with me once you see it.” She then thought to herself, ‘No matter how much that’s exactly the point of this dress!’
“I’ll do my best,” Terry replied.
His response almost made Max pause. But she took one more breath and opened her door.
Terry looked up, saw Max in her dress, and froze. His mouth fell open a bit. “Whoa,” he whispered.
Max smiled. “You… like it?”
“Is that a serious question?” Terry took a breath, “Max, you look… amazing! Wow!”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. If your goal is get some rich guy tonight… yeah, I’ll be okay driving home by myself.”
Max laughed. “Please! I’m going with you, I’m leaving with you. You’ll be the best guy there.”
“I may be in the top five,” Terry countered.
“Only if the other four are Superman four times.”
Terry laughed.
“Okay, okay,” Max got her phone. “Photoshoot!”
“Seriously?”
“I promised Chelsea.” Max grabbed her tripod.
“We’ll take pictures there!” Terry laughed again.
“Yeah, but we need our own. I mean… we look good! Look at us!”
Terry looked down at his all-black suit. He looked at Max. “Okay, yeah, we seriously look good!”
Max took several pictures of Terry, in both serious and silly poses. Terry did the same for Max in turn. With the tripod, Terry and Max took a series of pictures together. With Max even requesting a prom type picture. That picture meant a lot to Max. Even if tonight didn’t go like she wanted, this picture alone with worth it.
The Wayne Enterprise gala was being thrown for current and potential investors and board members. The reason Terry was attending instead of Bruce was simple: Bruce didn’t want to go to. Bruce made Terry attend so Bruce could have a presence, though Terry tried and failed to protest. Terry’s annoyance with the party was quickly erased when he saw Max in her dress. After arriving, Terry and Max mingled for a bit until they found their table. After sitting for a while, Terry got up to greet some investors on Bruce’s behalf.
While Terry worked the room, Max stared at him from the table. She couldn’t stop the smile that shone on her face, even leaning on her hand as she gazed at Terry. She blinked, coming back to the present. She didn’t know how long she was staring and was terrified Terry noticed. But she couldn’t help herself.
Max pulled out her phone and started typing. I’m an idiot, she text Chelsea. I keep staring at him. I’m trying not to. But I keep failing. Good Lord, he looks soooooo good!
A few seconds later, Chelsea replied, How good exactly?
Max sent one of the pictures of Terry she took before they left.
Chelsea didn’t reply for a minute. Then sent, Has he always been this hot and I’m just now noticing?
Max glared at her phone then text, Girl…
Kidding! LOL!
Max rolled her eyes.
I would never get between you and your true love, Chelsea sent, complete with a winking emoji.
Max giggled softly. Thanks. He’s on his way back. We probably gotta mingle more. I’ll call you later.
Or if the night goes like its supposed to call me tomorrow.
Max sent a rolling eyes emoji. Three, in fact.
Chelsea just sent back a series of laughing faces.
The next couple of hours were spent with Terry and even Max shmoozing the partygoers. Terry was impressed with how Max was wowing the room. He knew her personality was magnetic but to see it in action was something to be impressed by. No one who left a conversation with Max did so without smiling. The night went on with dinner and talking, and even a professional photographer, who took a couple of pictures of Terry and Max. With the atmosphere around them, Max found it nearly impossible not to consider tonight a date. Whether she and Terry talked or not, Max took this night as a complete win.
At the end of the night, they walked outside, waiting for the valet to bring the car around.
“Okay, I have to admit,” Terry said, “that was fun.”
“Right?!” Max hopped a bit. “I did not expect to enjoy that so much!”
Terry laughed. “Well.” He stared at her. “You made it special.”
Max was surprised by the compliment. She couldn’t even come up with a joke or retort. She just smiled. “Thanks, Terry.”
The valet brought the car and they got in. Max took note of how Terry held her door open and offered his hand to her to get in. It was at that moment that Max realized Terry held the door open for her when they left her apartment. As they drove back towards Max’s apartment, Max stared out of the window, still smiling.
“Thanks for coming with me,” Terry said.
Max turned to him. “Of course. Any time.”
Terry saw one of the safer parks in the city was nearby. “Hey. I’m not really ready to call it a night. What about you?”
Max hoped nothing on her face gave away how badly she wanted to keep spending time with Terry. “I guess that depends,” she lied. “What did you have in mind?”
Terry laughed. “I do have a crazy idea in mind.”
“Okay?” Max raised an eyebrow.
“There’s a park nearby.”
“Alright.”
“Wanna go for a walk?” Terry asked.
Max jerked her head back. “Just… just a walk?”
“Yeah. We’re always rushing off somewhere. Nothing wrong with slowing it down a little.”
“A lesson you learned from the old man?”
“What can I say? Sometimes, he’s right. You in?”
Max smiled. “I’d love to.”
Terry drove to the park, and they spent time just walking around. They had been walking for about ten minutes before Max declared, “This is nice.”
“It really is,” Terry said. “Bruce being right about stuff usually makes me mad. But he’s right about this.”
“I mean, he is smarter than you.” Max smiled.
Terry just laughed.
Max looked around, “Mom used to always be on my case about being out after dark.”
“Can’t blame her. It is Gotham. But the crime rate here is practically nonexistent.”
“I’m not worried. I’m with you after all.”
“I do have some experience with crime, yes,” Terry joked.
Max giggled a bit. “I don’t mean because of your job. I just meant…” From a place of bravery she didn’t know she had, Max reached out and took hold of Terry’s hand. “…I trust you. I know you’ll protect me.”
“Always,” Terry replied without hesitation. “No matter what.”
While neither of them called attention to Max holding Terry’s hand, neither of them were making any effort to let go. They walked for a while, making two laps around the park. They talked about whatever subject came to mind or just enjoyed the silence with one another.
Holding hands all the while.
They eventually made their way back to the car. Max couldn’t help but feel sad that the night was coming to an end.
Terry stopped and stared at her.
Max was shocked by gaze. “What?”
“You’re really beautiful, you know that?” Terry asked.
Max’s voice caught. “T…Terry!”
“Sorry, that came out of nowhere.”
“I mean… no one on the planet hates hearing they’re beautiful. I’m just… thank you.”
“Just…” Terry shrugged, “sorry for blurting it out. But I mean it. I only managed to get through this dumb party because you came with me. Then… well, look at you! You’re always looking great but you put some time in for this!”
Max smirked the classic smirk of hers. “I’m representing Bruce Wayne! Had to make sure I did so well!”
“Mission accomplished. You turned more than a few heads.”
“Even you?”
“I did leave with you, didn’t I?” Terry raised an eyebrow.
Max laughed.
“Max, seriously,” he said, sincerely, staring into her eyes. “You’re always there for me. No matter what. You don’t know how much that means to me.”
She got lost in the look in his eyes, “It’s not that hard. Not hard at all.”
Terry smiled and broke the gaze, letting out a drawn-out exhale. “We definitely have to do this again.”
“For sure,” Max whispered.
Terry started to open her door, just pulling on the handle.
“I love you!” Max blurted out. She almost scared herself with how she said that.
Terry stopped. He looked and stared at her. “Say that again.”
“I…” Max contemplated taking it back or claiming she didn’t mean it how she meant it. But she found only the truth would come out. “I love you. Terry, I love you. Like… like for real. Like, I mean it in the… the ‘I-wanna-be-with-you-date-you-and-kiss-you’ kind of ‘love you’.”
Terry let go of the door handle and stood up straight.
“I know, I know!” Max said, desperately. “You just broke up with Dana. Uhh. Two years ago. But my point is… I-I know talking about this is crazy. We’ve never had this talk! I’ve never even given you a hint that I feel this way! And you never have either! I just… I just… I just really wanna give this a try! You and me! Please!”
Terry stared at her, giving her a chance to catch her breath. “Ya done?”
Max blinked. “Uhhh. I guess?”
“Good.” Terry leaned down and kissed her.
Max was positive she was dreaming. There was no way that her rant turned into Terry kissing her. But denying that meant this wasn’t really happening, and Max was a long way from accepting that this kiss wasn’t real. After all, it felt phenomenal. After the kiss, she stared at him in amazement.
“Because you were taking forever to finally admit that!” Terry chuckled.
Max’s eyes widened. “You knew?!”
“Max, duh! I’m a detective. How did I not know?!”
“Why didn’t you say anything?!”
“Because, obviously, you were afraid to talk about it!” Terry laughed again. “If you didn’t want to, I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable. I figured, you were ready when you were ready. I didn’t mind waiting.”
“Well, it’s not just about me!” Max argued. “You need to be ready, too!” She stopped. “Which… I… guess you just proved you are… since you kissed me.”
“That should’ve been a hint, yes.”
“Wait.” Max paused. “Go back. Before you said you’d… you were gonna wait for me?”
“Yeah.”
“Terry…”
“What?” Terry shrugged. “That’s a surprise? I love you, Max. You’re more than worth waiting for.”
Max’s eyes grew even wider. “L… love me?”
Terry smiled.
“Oh, my God. You’re serious.”
“Max, I would never say that to you to mess with you. I like jokes, but I’m not that much of a heartless jerk.”
“You’re not a heartless jerk at all.” Max smiled. “It’s one of the reasons I fell for you in the first place.”
“Good to know.”
“So… we’re giving this a shot?”
“It’s not a shot,” Terry reassured. “We’re doing this. Any problems? Like we do everything else, we’ll work through them. I’m ready for this, Max. I want this. You in?”
“Oh, yeah!” Max smiled.
Terry smiled. “So, are we kissing or what? This stalling slag is getting annoying.”
“You chicken! You should’ve kissed me again already!” Max rushed forward, pressing her lips to his. This one felt better than the last; a trend Max hoped would continue. After their kiss, she smiled, “You know I get to totally hold over you I said ‘I love you’ first.”
“Not the worst race to be in second place in,” Terry smiled. “But I kissed you first.”
“Dang it!”
“Tie?”
“Tie.” Max sighed. “Now what?”
“I want ice cream,” Terry declared. “And you want ice cream.”
Max stared at him. “Why are you so close to perfect?”
“‘Close’? Woman, have you seen my abs?”
“I refuse to answer that question!”
“I knew you’d been sneaking peeks!” Terry smirked.
“Dang it!” Max hissed.
“If it makes you feel better, why do you think I constantly don’t wear a shirt around you?”
Max gasped. “You created thirst traps?! You thirst-trapped me?! You swindled me!”
“Two things. One, yes. Yes, I did. Two, really? How hard did I have to try to ‘trap’ you?”
“Admittedly… not at all.”
Terry laughed.
Max giggled but sighed. “Terry. I’m really sorry. I should’ve just talked to you about this. We’d already have worked this out.”
“Don’t apologize. I’m serious. I knew, but I wanted you to be ready. I know you didn’t want to do anything I wasn’t ready for. And I didn’t want to force you before you were ready.”
“But waiting for me?”
“Max. You’re crazy if you don’t think you’re worth waiting for.”
“You just have so many other options,” Max shrugged. “You’ve never had to wait for me.”
“Let’s pretend that ‘other options’ thing is true,” Terry replied. “Why would I wait for someone subpar?”
Max’s eyes widened. “Holy crap, you’re wooing me!”
“I am. And you know what? It’s working.”
“Why… do you know me so well?!”
“How long have we been best friends?” Terry raised an eyebrow.
“Clearly, too long!” Max cried out. “I’m standing here with no leverage on you! That doesn’t happen to me!”
“Wrong,” Terry said. “You have one leverage on me. I’m all yours.”
Max’s smile was instant. “Okay! Yep! That works!”
“Let’s get that ice cream,” Terry opened her door.
“Then we can stay up watching movies?”
“What else did you think we were gonna do tonight?”
Max suggestively raised her eyebrow. “A few things come to mind.”
Terry smiled, dangerously. “Well! Let’s see how the night goes.”
“Yes. Let’s.”