New Beginnings (7 page)

Chapter 10

Max

Max drove steadily. He didn’t want Sophie to notice that his heart was racing. He hadn’t been to ‘The Games’ in a while and he wasn’t sure who would be there that he knew. He hoped that all the usual girls were long gone by now. He should have thought it out a bit better, this was the club he had always brought his new assistants to, to see if they would be comfortable with the role he needed them for. He wasn’t sure if Sophie realized that he had come to these clubs without Alexis. And he wasn’t sure if he wanted her to know that. Something told him that she wouldn’t be as understanding if she knew he had fucked half the women who worked there.

“So what will we do when we get there?” Sophie turned to him and he smiled at the eagerness in her voice.

“We’ll leave it up to the moment.” He smiled briefly at her and turned back to the road so that he could think.

“Are you okay with us going, Max?” Sophie’s voice was tight and worried.

“Yes, of course.” He smiled at her while warning bells rang out in his chest. If he were a smart man, he would turn the car around and drive them somewhere else, far away from New Jersey and ‘The Games’. But he didn’t listen to his inner voice and kept on driving.

“Have you written any poetry lately, Sophie?” He attempted to change the subject as they drove in silence.

“No, not really.”

“Written in your journal?”

“Yes.” She laughed. “I try to write in it every day.”

“Can you remember anything you’ve written lately?” He looked over at her. “I’d like to hear it.”

“Not by heart,” she lied. She could remember her words of anguish as well as if she had written them moments ago.

“I wrote something recently.” He paused. “I wrote a poem.”

“You did?” She looked at him in surprise. “I didn’t know.”

“It’s something my therapist taught me to do, to express my feelings.” He laughed at her face. “I know, I know. I have a therapist. I’ll tell you more about it later.”

“I never knew you had one.” She looked at him thoughtfully. “How often do you see him or her?”

“As often as I need.” His voice was low. “There are some things I need to tell you but tonight is not the night.”

“Okay.” She reached over and squeezed his hand, her voice soft and sweet. “Whenever you’re ready, Max.”

“Thanks.” He pulled into the parking lot of a fancy restaurant. “I want to recite the poem to you before we go in.”

“Go in?” Sophie looked at the steak restaurant in front of her. “Are we eating first?”

“No.” He grinned at her puzzled face. “You’ll see.”

“I’m so confused right now.” She laughed and Max turned towards her undoing his seatbelt.

“From the first time,” He held her hand. “That’s the name of the poem.” He gazed into her eyes and tried to penetrate her mind. He wanted her to understand how deep his words were and how honest he was being. He cleared his throat and started to recite his poem:

“From the first time I saw you,

I knew that I was yours.

In the infinity of time and space,

That moment was destined.

The way your heart beats in mine,

The way that your eyes make me see,

The way that your smile makes me happy,

The way that your tears make me sad.

I’d give a million lifetimes for one day of your life,

I’d give a billion dollars for one kiss from your lips.

I can not be without you.

I can not see without you.

I can not live without you.

I knew all this from the first time I saw you.”

“Wow.” Sophie looked at him with tears in her eyes. “No one’s ever written something so sweet for me before.”

“I hope it doesn’t sound creepy.” He smiled at her gently. “I’m not some perverted man. I didn’t love you love you from the first time I met you as a kid. But I did feel a connection with you. It wasn’t until later that I knew that I loved you as more than a friend. As more than a sister.”

“I know.”

“I tried to fight it, Sophie. I did everything that I could. You deserve better than me.”

“Max, you are my life. There is no one better for me than you.” She leaned towards him and whispered in his ears. “And I knew the very first time that I saw you that I was going to love you for an eternity.”

“Oh Sophie.” Max’s voice was emotional. “Please let us always remember these words and feelings, no matter what happens.” His words held an ominous tone and Sophie felt scared inside. She had a feeling that she had opened Pandora’s box by insisting on going to the sex club and she wasn’t sure if their relationship would ever be the same again.

***

Max walked slowly to the restaurant with Sophie’s arm tucked under his. He had a foreboding feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had already seen a few Mercedes and BMW’s that he recognized. Some of the old Johns were still frequenting the club it seemed. Maybe they had a contingent of Japanese men come over for business. They were the ones that paid the highest to get taken to clubs like these. And they were always taken to ‘The Games’ because it was innocent and fun. The X Club was for the men and women who knew what the lifestyle was about and had a lot to lose. Men like him, and men like Senator Frank Phillips. The X Club was for the men of power who liked to take control in all aspects. Max never wanted Sophie to see that place.

“Hello, we have a reservation.” He greeted the Maître d’. It was still Pierre and as always Pierre’s face was blank as a slate. No one would have thought they had known each other for years, that Pierre had been his hook-up for a countless supply of drugs and women.

“What name is the reservation under, Sir?” Pierre looked down at the pad in front of him, pen in hand. Maxwell wanted to laugh at how seriously Pierre took his role.

“Max.”

“Mr. Max?” Pierre looked up.

“Yes.” Max paused. “I’m here for games night.”

“Oh, I see.” Pierre looked at him and smiled tightly and then looked at Sophie and frowned. Max knew what he was thinking. Sophie looked too innocent and too gentle. She didn’t fit the look of the normal kind of woman that came to these places. She looked too fragile but Max knew that Sophie was strong enough to withstand the men of ‘The Games’. It was The X Club that he was most scared about.

“Can we go down, Pierre?” Max slipped up and addressed Pierre by his first name and the man frowned at him again. He looked agitated and scratched his head nervously.

“I guess so,” he finally said and opened a side door. Max grabbed a hold of Sophie and they walked through it quickly. Sophie gasped as they walked through a dark corridor. The only light came from tall white candles and classical music played as they walked. She thought she recognized Bach. The corridor was fragrant, and reminded her of jasmine. She heard light laughter coming from further down and she felt her heart beating quickly. This was it. She was finally going to see inside Max’s secret world. “Ready?” He turned to her and smiled and she squeezed his hand, too overwhelmed to say anything.

They walked into a large room that had bright lights and a lot of beautiful women. There was a long bar at the far end and lots of vases of beautiful and exotic flowers. Max nodded at Sarafina, the Eastern European Mom to all the girls. She was sitting on a long chaise chair talking to a middle-aged Mid-Westerner. The guy looked like it was his first time in paradise and Max held a smile. He supposed this was like a candy store for men. He saw the man turn and look at Sophie and he grabbed her closer to him. He didn’t want anyone to get any ideas.

“So, where is everyone?” Sophie looked at him curiously. “I don’t see anyone having sex,” she whispered into his ear and he laughed.

“What exactly do you think a sex club is?”

“Where people have sex?” She frowned and looked embarrassed.

“So, let me tell you a little secret,” he whispered back into her ear. “We’re not in the club yet. This is the façade for the cops and the losers who think they are coming to a whore house like that guy over there.”

Sophie turned and looked at the guy with Sarafina and studied him closely. “He doesn’t look like a freak.”

“A freak?”

“You know, the type of guy that would come to a sex club.” Sophie’s face turned red as she realized what she had said. “Oops, I’m sorry, Max. You know what I mean.”

“It’s okay.” He laughed. “I’ve been called worse. Let’s get a drink.”

“Should we drink?”

“Yes.” He smiled at her warmly. “They need to think we are inebriated enough to not judge the others. We won’t get in without consuming alcohol.”

“Oh wow. Okay.” Sophie walked up to the bar and tossed her hair over her shoulders. Max watched her sashaying with a smile. This was a Sophie he had never seen before. “I’ll have a Tequila Sunrise, please.” She looked over her shoulder at Max. “And whatever the man’s getting.” She took out a twenty dollar bill from her purse and laid it on the bar. “Keep the change.”

Benny, the bartender, looked at her with a smile. “I’m going to need another twenty for your drink alone.”

“Forty dollars for one drink?” Sophie’s voice rose and Max walked up to her quickly.

“Don’t worry about it, Benny. I’ll take care of you.”

“Thanks, Mr. Max. It’s good to see you again.” The bartender beamed at Max and Max tried to look away, hoping that Benny would get the hint. “I’ll have to let Gina and the girls know you’re here.”

“That’s okay—” But before Max could finish his sentence Benny was calling out to someone across the room.

“Gina, Mr. Max is here,” he shouted out to a tall statuesque blonde and Sophie watched the scene unfold in front of her like a movie scene.

“Why Max, it’s so good to see you.” The blonde came up to Max and pressed her lips against his. He was so taken aback that he didn’t immediately withdraw from her gaze. “Tasting as good as ever.” She tinkled while pressing her ample bosoms into his chest. He smiled at her coolly, and introduced her to Sophie.

“Gina, I’d like you to meet Sophie.”

She turned around and studied a shy and nervous Sophie, who looked beautiful and completely out of place. “Your new assistant?” She asked with raised eyebrows. “She looks different from the rest.” She reached over and grabbed Sophie’s breasts in her dress. “And her breasts are real?”

Sophie stood there with a dazed look in her eyes, like a deer in headlights. Max wanted to grab her close to him and protect her but he knew that there was no way they would get in if he was acting like a protective father or husband.

“She’s not my new assistant.” He smiled, not wanting to say more than that.

“Oh?” Gina looked at him hard then, studying his face. “You do look different.”

“Thanks.”

“I haven’t seen you at X recently either.”

“No.”

“We’ve missed you.” She grabbed his hand and placed his middle finger in her mouth and sucked it. “I’ve missed you.”

“I took a break.” He slowly withdrew his finger, not wanting to upset her. She was the number two woman in the club after Sarafina and he knew that she would kick them out if she felt offended. He sighed to himself as he made eye contact with Sophie; she was staring at him with hurt eyes. He’d have to explain to her why he was acting the way he was afterwards.

“So is this your first time at the club, doll?’

Sophie nodded wordlessly and Gina cackled. He’d never noticed just how witchy she had sounded before.

“Are you guys looking for a threesome or just sampling the fun?” Gina slid an arm around Sophie’s shoulders and played with her hair. “Cause I’m available tonight.”

“I think we’ll just test the waters tonight. Thanks, Gina.”

“No problem, Max.” She sidled back over to him. “You know where I am if you change your mind.” She ran her hands over the front of his pants and grabbed his cock. “I miss fucking you. No one knows how to work a long wide cock quite like you do.” She smiled at him and walked off.

Max walked over to Sophie and she glared at him.

“What the fuck was that?” Her voice was high and angry and he looked at her in shock. He had expected her to be angry but he hadn’t expected her to show it so clearly.

“Sophie, I—”

“Why didn’t you introduce me as your fiancée?” Sophie glared at him. “Or would you rather Gina didn’t know?”

“Sophie.” His voice was pained.

“Yes, Mr. Max.” She spoke in an accent.

“Don’t do this.” He looked at her with serious eyes. “Please trust me. You wanted to do this.”

She stared at him with unshed tears. “I don’t know anymore. I don’t want to see you with other women.”

“I won’t do anything with other women.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.” He pulled her towards him. “I love you, Sophie.”

“I love you too.” She looked around her. “Though I don’t think I’m a big enough slut for this place.”

“Sshh.” He laughed. “Trust me every guy in here wishes he had a chance with you tonight. You are gorgeous, sexy and you look like an angel. Everyone is wondering what I did to get someone like you.”