Chapter 5

Nathaniel POV

I stood there sweating profusely in the center of the field staring back at Max. ‘Who in the hell does he think he is?’ I silently asked myself. Frustrated as all get out, I threw my helmet half way across the field in anger and quickly chewed up the distance between us.

We were now on the sidelines standing toe to toe, face to face.

Shaking with fury, I roughly shoved my finger into his chest and asked, “What do you think you are doing here?” between clenched teeth.

Max let out a long sigh and rubbed at his eyes tiredly.

“Look little brother, I’m not here to make your life miserable but I can’t just let you run rough shots over me either. I am a teacher, you are a student. You came in late and you have to take the punishment. You were supposed to be in detention,” he said earnestly.

I stared back at the man like he had just lost his damn mind. “You have got to be kidding me, right?” I started incredulously while arching my eyebrow.

Max glared back at me and it didn’t waver in the least. He looked as serious as I had ever seen him. “No little brother, I’m not kidding,” He said sternly.

“This has to be some type of sick joke. Hey, I get it, Ashton Kutchner is going to come around the corner any second and tell me that I’ve just been punk'd. Ashton, you can come out now” I hollered, highly amused, while walking around my brother looking for the cameras that had to be hiding somewhere.

“Nate...” Max called out to me quietly while I continued to look all around the bleachers.

“The gigs up Ashton, you got me. This is a really good one too, Maximus a teacher... Ha!” I mused. “That's the funniest damned thing that I have ever heard”.

Max growled in frustration, “Nathaniel.......” he called out once again but I still refused to pay my clown of a brother any attention. I had just been punked and I wanted my minute of fame.

“Nathaniel, stop for a damn minute and look at me,” Max asserted. This time he reached out and grabbed my shoulders, turning me around so that I had no choice but to face him.

“Nathaniel, there is no Ashton, it’s just me, your blood brother, Maximus. That’s all.”

Glancing back at my brother, I noticed for the first time that he not only looked tired but sounded tired as well.

It only took me a second thought to look down at his chest and just underneath his shirt where a button had conveniently popped open. I spotted the tip of the mark that cursed us both to immortality so long ago for me. In that second I remembered exactly what kind of person my brother truly was. He was no good, whoring around miserable rat set out to ruin my life and my chances and finding true love to break this wretched curse.

“Go away. If you ever gave a damn about me then you will leave this town and me without even taking a second look back,” I sneered.

“Nathaniel, I can’t....I can’t do that,” he said to me and then looked away.

“It’s not that you can’t,” I said, “It’s more like you won’t,” I affirmed.

His gaze swung back to me and for a moment I could have sworn that I saw a shimmer of tears in his eyes. That had to be a joke too because The Great Maximus had no empathy for no one other than himself. He was one self centered son of a bitch.

“Fine,” I ground out between clenched teeth. “Have it your way but I’m warning you now, if you step in my way, your ass will be grass and I’m going to be the lawn mower. Get me?” I asked only sparing him one final quick glance.

His mouth opened, then closed and then opened once more, but no words came out.

“Nate,” someone called out, an all too familiar voice that had my insides humming at attention.

I glanced back at the fence to see my Panda Bear waving and smiling brightly at me.

A smile curved up at my own lips as I stared back at the one, the one that my heart ached to be with. ‘To hell with my brother, I have wasted enough time on him today,’ I thought dryly.

“Consider yourself warned,” I shot back at him darkly before turning on my heel effectively dismissing him and jogging towards greener pastures, Panda. I heard him say something unintelligibly but I was done with listening to him for the day. My focus was now turned to the beauty that was standing before me.

“Hey there Panda Bear.”

Maximus Point of View

“I’ve changed Nate. I’m not the same man that you knew before,” I spoke under my breath as I watched his retreating back. I saw where he was running off to, or rather whom, Pandora and briefly I wondered if something special was there.

I stared down at the ground as I replayed the conversation that had just occurred. I know I was an ass before, but what was it going to take to convince my baby brother that I’m not the same person. That I have changed and that I think I have found the one. Fern.

“Shit, what time is it?” I muttered to myself.

Glancing down at my watch, I cursed myself for being an idiot. Fern was going to be so pissed. I was supposed to meet her at the restaurant twenty minutes ago.

Turning around, I took off running like a bat out of hell towards my car. “Damn, damn and double damn,” I cursed again, fumbling with my keys to press the button that would eventually unlock my car.

She was really going to be pissed, I mused. Sliding into the driver seat I smoothly started the car. Then I threw the car in reverse and peeled out of the parking lot with the expertise of a Nascar driver. “Damn,” I cursed yet again and came down on the dashboard, hard, with my fist.

Fern was supposedly bringing a potential client and she was relying on my charm to bring the fuddy dud of a woman in. If I blew this opportunity for her, I didn’t want to even consider the consequences. Man, she was going to be fit to be tied.

In less than six minutes, I was pulling into the restaurant parking lot. Typically, it would have been a twenty minute drive, but what can I say, I’m just that good.

Glancing up in the rear view mirror, I buttoned my shirt back up and tightened my tie. I did a quick hair check and got out of the car. Patting my back pocket to make sure that I had my wallet, I was already moving towards the entrance, man, I just hoped I wasn’t too late.

I walked in and was met at the door by a hostess. She smiled at me and I couldn't help but to notice the blatant way that she stuck her chest out. Not so long I would have been all over that like grease on bacon, but not now. I have Fern and I love her.

I pasted on a fake smile and spoke as professionally as possible, “Lemon’s party please.”

Her smile grew even wider as she fanned at her chest, “Yes sir” the hostess said with a little too much enthusiasm for my tastes.

Really, could the slut have been any more obvious. “Right this way, Sir” she purred.

I didn’t have anything to say to the woman. I was just anxious to get to Fern and her client. Silently, I followed the slut to the table.

Fern stood when she saw me and I, after being with her for over a year, could tell the smile on her face was as fake as the Mona Lisa.

“Darling,” I said quickly, scooting around the hostess and taking Fern’s smaller hands in mine. I pressed a kiss to her cheek and didn’t miss the tension that she held in her small hands.

“Sorry,” I whispered in her ear before pulling back away from her.

“It’s fine,” she replied curtly and I knew then that it really was anything but fine. I had to make this good and win this client or it would be a no nookie night for me, probably several no nookie nights. I shuddered at the thought.

I turned to the older woman sitting by Fern. “And who is this lovely looking woman may I ask?”

Fern took her seat and I pulled my chair out in front of her flashing that charismatic smile that won me millions of girls in the past.

“Max, meet Olivia Jupes. Ms. Jupes, this is my boyfriend, Max,” Fern replied astutely.

Still standing by my chair, I leaned over the table and took Ms. Jupes frail hand. Lifting it to my lips, I pressed a kiss on the back of it and gave her a wink for good measure.

“Nice to meet Ms. Jupes,” I said using my suave voice. It worked like a charm, I had her giggling like a little school girl half way through the meal and by the end of dinner she was blushing crimson red and signing on as Fern’s latest client.

It’s good to know that I still have the touch.

The three of us walked out of the restaurant and I being the gentleman, helped poor Ms. Jupes to her car. Still smiling, she patted my hand, “You're a good boy Mr. Max. You take care of that pretty young lady over there.”

We both turned towards Fern who was standing at the front of the restaurant waiting for me. She had ridden over with Ms. Jupes and I was planning on driving her home.

“I plan on it,” I told Ms. Jupes honestly. With that being said, I closed her car door and watched her drive away. I jammed my hands back in my pockets and headed back to Fern.

She was standing there and with the lamp light shining down on her; she looked like a golden haired angel.

“I’m still mad at you,” she said as I came up to stand in front of her.

“Really?” I replied with a smile tugging at my lips.

“Really,” she affirmed.

I could see the laughter in her eyes, if she was mad it wouldn’t take much for her to get over it. I placed my hands on her waist and pulled her to me.

Bending down, I brushed a soft kiss against her lips. “Even after all that hard work that I did to win you Ms. Fuddy duddy,” I said and I leaned in to brush another kiss across her lips this time letting my tongue slip out and slide along her bottom lip.

“Even... even after aalll of that” Fern stuttered seemingly focused on my lips.

I smiled, evidently my magic still worked on Fern too.

Again I bent down and kissed Fern, this time I was a little more demanding and pushed my tongue in her mouth. Damn, she tasted so good. She melted into me like ice cream left out on a hot summer day. Sweet putty in my hands. I lifted up and was satisfied with the dazed look that appeared on her face.

“Am I forgiven now?” I whispered just a breath from her lips.

“Ahh,” she sighed and I couldn’t stop myself from taking my thumb and tracing her now kissed swollen lips. “ Hear this mister,” she said in a husky whisper of her own, “ What I won’t forgive you for is if you don’t hurry up and kiss me like that again,” she challenged.

“Oh,” I chuckled. “Now we can’t have that happening, can we?” I told her just before I crashed my lips to hers and proceeded to kiss her very intensely and so thoroughly that she would forget me ever showing up late in the first place.