Perfectly Matched—Chapter 7

Note: Man, I wish this was really on TV, I know exactly what music would kick in where…it is sad.

 

 

Alec told himself that he had a plan.  He DID have a plan…didn’t he?  Help Max, get her clear, and go back to Manticore.  Right?  Then when they eventually caught up to her, he would be there to tell her ‘I told you so.’  So why didn’t he like the idea?

 

They walked into their second clothing store that day.  He immediately signaled a saleswoman.

 

“Yes, sir?”

 

“My wife and I have a big stuffy dinner to go to tonight, you think you could help us out?”

 

The saleswoman smiled, of course.  Salespeople always liked selling expensive things.

 

“So you need a tux…and an evening gown for the lady…?”

 

“That would be wonderful, thank you,” he gave the woman a warm smile.  She blushed and rushed to find what he wanted.

 

Alec caught Max’s gaze and she rolled her eyes.

 

“Jealous?” he asked.

 

“Of…having to…do your bidding?  Hmmm…let me think.”

 

“Getting to, Max.  Getting to,” he corrected.

 

“I’ll let her have the honor…  How the hell are you going to pay for this?” Max asked suddenly.

 

“I’m not,” Alec commented with a smile, tossing her a wallet.

 

Opening it up, she raised her eyebrows.  “Where’d you get this?”

 

“The hotel,” he said with a grin.

 

“Just from some guy?” Max asked.

 

“Max, to get this kind of cash from just one pull…I would have to be more than just blind luck.”

 

She looked at him, obviously incredulous.

 

Alec sighed, “Fine, he just looked rich.”

 

“Looks like it,” Max fingered the thick wad of bills.

 

The saleswoman came back, “This way please,” she gestured for them to follow her.

 

In the back, the girl handed Alec a tux and gestured to the dressing room.  As he slipped out of his clothes, he listened to the conversation between the women.

 

“These are the dresses that I thought you’d like best,” he heard the sales woman say.

 

“They’re all beautiful, I think I’ll try this one.”

 

“So how did you meet your husband?”

 

Alec rolled his eyes, as Max was probably doing as well.  Women. 

 

“Well, he walked into the room…and BOOM,” said Max.

 

Alec grinned.  That’s right, baby.

 

“So it was love at first sight?”

 

Max snorted, “Well, he wanted me right away.”

 

Alec rolled his eyes, pulling on pants.

 

Max continued, “I actually didn’t like him, he was so sure I’d just fall into his arms.”

 

“Had it easy with the women?”  There was no surprise in the woman’s tone.

 

Smiling, Alec looked at his reflection in the mirror, cocking his head to the side and raising an eyebrow at himself.

 

“Oh, women all love him until they get to know him.  I guess it’s understandable, they just overestimate the size of his…”

 

He opened the door quickly.

 

“Ready,” he burst out…his mouth dropping at the vision of Max, in strapless white evening gown, bringing out the deep hue of her skin tone.  He didn’t bother concealing his appreciation, it would seem strange if he had.  “You look beautiful.”

 

He looked amazing, of course, it was in the genes.

 

“We need shoes,” he waved the saleswoman off, not looking away from Max.

 

“How long do we have before the party?” she asked hurriedly. 

 

“Plenty,” he looked bored.

 

“Plenty as in fifteen minutes or two hours?”

 

He shrugged, “We’ll be there.”

 

“Great.” 

 

For someone on a mission, he was pretty nonchalant about the whole thing. 

 

There was an awkward silence in which they didn’t look at each other until the saleswoman returned.  Max didn’t really care what shoes she got, so she just got the first ones that fit and Alec, being male, was similarly apathetic.

 

Not bothering to change, they unloaded a ridiculous amount of money and hit the door and headed back to the hotel.

 

“Ready…Violet?” Alec offered her his arm.

 

Max raised an eyebrow and took his arm.  They both smiled slightly and walked into the hotel ballroom.

 

Immediately, their eyes were scanning.

 

“Found her, 8 o’clock, red dress,” Alec murmured, turning to whisper in her ear.

 

Max nodded and they walked that direction, grabbing punch on their way.

 

“Watch out!” Alec said sharply, as Max tripped, spilling her drink on the woman in red.

 

Max gasped and collected herself, staring at the woman in horror.

 

“Oh no! I’m so sorry!” she told the woman, “Honey, get me some paper towels,” she instructed Alec. 

 

The woman tried to tell her it was all right, but Max wouldn’t listen.

 

“Let’s go to the ladies’ room, we’ll make it perfect,” Max gave her large smile and the woman responded to it, allowing herself to be guided to the rest room.

 

As Max cleaned her up, she started gushing.  “I’m sooo sorry, it’s these new shoes.  I’m really a sweatshirt and jeans girl.  I’m Violet, what’s your name?”

 

“I…Angela,” the woman clearly didn’t know what to say.

 

Max gave her a wide, friendly smile, “Now who was that handsome man I saw you with?”

 

Angela laughed, “That’s my husband, John.”

 

Max let her eyes light up and she giggled, “I just got married too!   Isn’t it wonderful?”

 

Rolling her eyes, Angela shrugged, “Sometimes, just wait until you have kids!”

 

Placing a hand on her stomach, Max smiled, “That won’t be long!”

 

“Congratulations!” Angela smiled.

 

“Thank you!  We’re really excited.  I’ve always wanted a baby, but I was sick when I was younger, the doctors didn’t think I’d be able to have one,” Max drew her new friend into her story, “So I guess this is a miracle, but I’m not saying ‘no’ to it!”

 

“Well, I’m sure you and your husband will be very happy.”

 

“Oh, we already are!” Max smiled brilliantly, “There you go, good as new!”

 

Angela looked down at her dress, which was spotless.

 

“Let’s go dance with our gorgeous husbands, you have to introduce me!”

 

Nodding, Angela led her back to where they’d first met, where they found Alec standing, talking with John…and holding a lot of napkins.

 

Max laughed, “Oh, Tony, we don’t need them anymore.”

 

Alec rolled his eyes, turning to John, “Do women ever know what they want?”

 

“I know that I want to dance,” Max slapped him playfully and Alec gave her an indulgent smile.

 

“Sweetie, this is John, the husband of the woman whose dress you almost destroyed.”

 

Max frowned, “Oh, it’s all right now, Tony.  Isn’t that right, Ang?”

 

“Yes, it is perfect.”

 

“SEE!” Max gave him a triumphant look.

 

Shaking his head, Alec continued the introductions, “John, this is my wife, Violet.”

****

As the introductions continued, Max stopped smiling.

 

Angela frowned at the drop in her sunny expression and caught Alec’s eye, looking pointedly at Max.  He turned to her and her eyes widened.  Clutching her abdomen suddenly, she started gasping.

 

“Sweetie, what’s wrong?” his voice was panicked. 

 

“I don’t know!” she cried, looking at Alec and Angela in confusion until her eyes widened yet again and she screamed, doubling over.

 

“Is it the baby?” Alec asked when she brought her head back up.

 

Terror filled Max’s eyes at the suggestion and Alec had to stop himself from reacting to it. 

 

“Someone help, please!” he cried, looking around wildly and catching Angela’s eye.

 

Her face was white.  She opened her mouth and closed it again.

 

Alec turned back to Max, who was moaning, clutching at him.  “I’m sorry, Tony,” she whispered.

 

“I know someone, you have to hurry.”

 

Immediately, Alec turned back to Angela.

 

“Who?  A Doctor?” he asked, lifting Max in his arms.

 

Angela grabbed one of the napkins from Alec’s pocket and scribbled a number.

 

“Call, tell this person what happened and then meet him at the clinic.”  Angela gave him directions as he nodded, grabbing the napkin in his teeth as he ran out of the room carrying Max.

 

In the lobby, Alec leaned Max against his body and turned away from the man at the counter, who was trying to describe his missing wallet.  Grabbing the phone, he called the number on the napkin and waited as male voice answered.

 

“My wife is miscarrying!  Angela gave me this number!”

 

“OK, calm down,” said the voice on the other end, “Can you meet me at the clinic.”

 

“Yes,” Alec said in relief.

 

“I’ll call ahead and have the nurse make her feel comfortable.  Be careful, see you soon.”

 

Sensitive for ex-Manticore, Alec thought to himself cynically as he lifted Max in his arms again.  He heard a few women sigh and rolled his eyes.

 

“Are we going to save the baby?” Max asked loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear.

 

“Yes, sweetie, we’re going to save the baby,” Alec assured her as the door closed behind them.  “Max, how long to have to carry you?”

 

“Put me down when we’re out of sight.”

 

The clinic was in a shady neighborhood, it wasn’t surprising Manticore hadn’t found this guy yet.

 

Alec was shaking slightly, but he ignored it.  They were here on a mission.  They just had to prove Max was pregnant so they could meet the guy, get his information and kill him.  Simple.  Except for the part about Max being pregnant.  He swallowed hard as they walked through the door.

 

A nurse approached them immediately.

 

“Angela sent us,” Alec started babbling, “My wife might have lost her baby and we don’t know, she was sick as a kid, we didn’t know if would affect…”

 

The nurse cut him off and ushered them into the waiting room.

 

“Sweetie,” she said to Max, who appeared to be moving in and out of consciousness, “We need you to take this pregnancy test, it is a security measure.”

 

“Security?” Alec asked angrily, “What the hell??  WE MIGHT BE LOSING OUR BABY!”

 

“Sir, you have to calm down.  Could I see some I.D.?”

 

He grabbed both their I.D. cards and practically threw them at her.

 

“Violet?” The nurse asked, reading her I.D. and then turning to Max, “I need you to take this pregnancy test while your husband fills out paperwork…do you think you can make it to the bathroom?”

 

Max nodded wearily, taking the test out of the nurses hand and walking with her to the bathroom.

 

Alec knew he was supposed to act nervous and frightened…it wasn’t hard.  Max was taking a pregnancy test.  It was part of the mission.  Part of the plan.  Everything was going smoothly.  He ran his fingers through his hair and tried to stop his leg from tapping.