He was in his room in his boxers trying to pick out an ensemble for the day. From what happened the night before, everything from the encounter with Tess when him and Michael brought her home to the heated discussion last night with the guys, he felt the need to talk to Liz.

~*~*~*~*

“Hello."

“Hey you."

“Max......hey sweetie, it’s so good to hear your voice."

“Ditto."

“How’s everything going?"

“Ok...ok....I guess....what about you?"

“Tired and busy as ever." Liz had gotten so excited she was all rapped up in the phone cord twirling it around her finger smiling. “You know I miss you sweetie."

“I miss you too baby. You’ll be here soon enough though."

“I sure will.....in one piece I hope." Liz was staying at Max’s place while he was out of town. She had been real busy since he left trying to finish up the catering job she was doing so she could be in New York with him first thing Sunday morning for the wedding. She had gotten up early and was in the middle of cooking when Max called.

Max went on about the different reactions he was getting from his friends about his book.

“Well it’s not the worst thing in the world.....I mean they were gonna read it eventually, right?” Liz said nibbling on a piece of carrot.

“Yea...yea...I just didn’t think they would take it so personal."

“Hey," Liz smiled, “I’m glad you called me."

“Yea....you’re right....it’ll be ok,” Max said totally disregarding what she just said.

Liz looked sad and just went back to stirring her pot.

“So…did you figure out what you’re gonna be wearing to the wedding?"

“Not yet," she said with a bit of an attitude.

“Well what about that little pink strapless number with the....” Max moved his hand to his shoulder gesturing about the strap.

“Max I got it under control.....I think I know how to dress for a wedding...duh,” Liz said with a slight attitude shaking some seasoning into her pot.

As this was going on Tess walked in, well walked to the door and just stood there surprised when she realized Max was only in his boxers. She stood there and watched him and listened to his conversation. Until he noticed her and freaked and grabbed a folded towel trying to cover himself. Tess just put up her hand as a wave and smiled.

“Oh....oh my God....” Max said into the phone still fumbling with the towel. “Ok...gotta go....gotta lot to do today,” he said trying to rush Liz off the phone.

“Ok......I love you,” Liz smiled still rapped up in the phone cord.

“What?" Max said sounding like Liz was speaking in a foreign language.

“I said, I love you."

“Oh....” he turned and looked at Tess still standing there, “oh ok....well I’ll....see you ok....baby.....alright,” he said rushing and hanging up the phone.

Liz frowned and slammed the phone down and went back to her cooking.

“Morning,” he said still holding the folded towel over only his lower body.

“Good morning,” Tess smiled.

Max grabbed his toiletry bag and started moving to leave out the room “I’ll.....ah.....I’ll just be a second."

“Chop chop....time is money,” Tess teased.

Tess stood in the middle of the doorway making it hard for Max to pass. But he inched pass without letting his chest graze her arm. He turned to leave when Tess said, folding her arms, “nice boxers....I figured you were a briefs man."

She was flirting and Max was just trying to get to the bathroom before he embarrassed himself anymore. “Oh....” he looked down at his boxers, “they were a gift....from Liz."

“Girls got good taste, huh!"

Max just ignored that last remark and headed towards the bathroom.

Tess still stood in the doorway now leaning against the panel. She closed her eyes and exhaled.

~*~*~*~*

Max and Tess had finished lunch and decided to walk over to the Chinaware shop to pick up some last minute stuff for the wedding.

“So....what about you.....got any kind of a social life?” Max asked picking at a leaf he was playing with.

“No.....not really.....I mean my professional and personal life cross paths so much, I don’t even know where to draw the line anymore....but I’m fine with that because sacrifice is the name of the game," Tess said gesturing with her thumbs like it was ok.

“Well you know....you can’t let work consume you."

“What?” Tess said surprised. “Please Max,” she stopped and looked at him, “that doesn’t even sound like you."

“Well maybe I’m maturing."

“Maybe, you’re full of shit."

Max laughed.

“I know how badly you want that limelight,” Tess preached as if she knew Max so well “I see it....and I recognize it in myself,” she said pointing at her chest. “And besides....you made that painfully obvious in your depiction of 'Emilie' in your book,” Tess made the quote signs with her fingers when she said Emilie.

“Hey...I just call it like I see it."

“Well then you must not see it too well 'Jason' because you are exactly the same,” she said waving her finger in Max’s face stressing the word exactly."

“Two peas in a pod....huh?” Max smiled.

“Mmmm hummm." Tess walked a few steps ahead of him with her chin up. “You know....your girlfriend....she must be incredibly patient....or incredibly dumb,” she said glancing at Max waiting for a response.

“Liz deals with it,” Max said still fidgeting with the leaf. “She understands that I had dreams in my life way before I had thoughts of her......uhhh.....she is starting to get ansty though."

“Ooooh......the 'M' word.....huh?"

“Yep.”

“And you have a problem with that?"

“W-well.....yeah.....marriage, you know.....moving in together.....the last person......you.....ever have sex with,” he said looking from Tess to the sky “it’s pretty deep.....you know."

“Yea well at least you’re getting some on a regular basis,” Tess said.

“What???" Max snickered, surprised at what she just said. Tess looked back at him and laughed herself at what she just said. “Tess Sulivan's not getting any?" He was still snickering not really believing it.

“Six months and counting.......and longer than that if you’re talking about good sex,” she stressed.

“Mmmm......well you know what they say.....all work and no play makes Tess......ah......”

“A horny little devil,” Tess finished the phrase as they both laughed and made their way to the entrance of the chinaware shop.

~*~*~*~*

Max was giving an order to the sales lady while Tess just looked around. When the sales lady walked away they started to discuss the wedding. Then they started talking about Maria which made Max a little uncomfortable. Tess had read his book but obviously hadn’t picked up on the hidden secret. Tess started to talk about Maria’s shop and how she had some really good stuff there and Max just drifted deep into thought.

“Yea......mmm.......Maria,” he said out loud but not meaning too. “That girl has talent."

The longer Tess sat there and watched Max’s dazed expression and saw that grin on his face, she finally put two and two together.

“OH.....MY.....GOD,” Tess said sounding like Janice from Friends.

This snapped Max out of his daze and he turned around and said, “what?"

“You scandalous........dog,” she had a hard time trying to come up with the most suitable name for him.

“Oh goodness.....not you too Tess,” Max said turning and walking off to go pay for the stuff .

“Maxwell don’t you dare walk away from me.....this....this whole thing makes perfect sense now." Tess was stumbling behind him right on his heels talking loud enough for all of New York to hear.

“Do you take Visa?" Max asked the cashier ignoring Tess’s babbling.

“We just switched places,” Tess said like a light bulb had popped over her head. “Maria’s Majandra, you’re Jason, and I’m Emilie."

“Tess have you had your medication today?” Max asked her like she was a senile old woman.

“I’m Emilie,” she pointed at herself “Jason sexes me crazy......except you and me we never actually had sex,” Tess continued as it was all coming to her now. “And all Majandra and Jason do is sleep in the same bed together like you and I used to do all the time."

“The pressures of this wedding......” Max pressed a light kiss on Tess’s forehead “are getting to you."

“OH MY GOD, the forehead kiss,” Tess said hysterically. “That is a....dead giveaway."

“What? What are you talking about the forehead kiss,” he said playing dumb.

“The forehead kiss Max.....don’t play dumb with me.....it’s.....it’s....” she said looking for the right word, “endearing....fuck it’s almost erotic.....it almost worked on me,” Tess went on until Max interrupted.

“It’s BULLSHIT Tess....damn. We’re talking about fictitious accounts of experiences I’ve gone through.....friends that I’ve known,” Max said throwing his hands up.

Tess just eyed him and shook her head and squinted her eyes, “oooooh,” was all she could say.

“What now?"

“You actually dedicated that book to them......” she said slowly not believing all she’s discovered. “Max what....are you crazy, what.....what do you want to be found out?” Tess said still freaking out. “Max that is just.....sick,” she said disgustingly.

“You’re right Tess....it’s sick....what you’re implying is just that....sick and ludicrous, so just take a step back and use your head and think,” Max pleaded trying to talk some sense into her, but knowing it wasn’t working.

“All I have to say is....if Michael finds out what went down.....” she pointed at his feet, “you better use your feet and run."

“First of all.....you need a sedative. Second, Michael has a million and one things to do to keep his mind from wondering on outlandish flights of fantasy from my little fictitious book." Max grabbed the bags and started out the door of the shop with Tess right behind him. “Besides.....he won’t even have time to read it,” he said turning and looking at Tess.