Undressed by the Rebel

‘I’m Gina,’ the woman said. ‘I’m a…friend of Max’s. And Rick’s,’ she added with a confident smile.

Ellie nodded. She tried, and failed, to smile back.

‘And you are?’

It was right then that Ellie remembered the advice and it was simply too tempting not to use it.

‘I’ll Ellie McAdam,’ she said.

‘Oh…’ Perfectly sculpted eyebrows shot up. ‘Max’s sister?’

‘No.’ This time, Ellie managed a smile. ‘His wife.’

Maybe the advice hadn’t involved using the fraudulent relationship as well as the name but Ellie couldn’t resist. She couldn’t even summon sympathy for how Max was going to explain his way out of this after she’d gone.

‘And…’ Gina’s gaze dropped to the baby in Ellie’s arms. ‘Oh, my God…’

Ellie didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to. Gina was obviously having no problem coming to her own conclusion.

‘Um…’ Her visitor had been holding something in her hands, which she now held out. ‘I can see why he’s on the lookout for a new property. This one might be really great for you guys.’ Gina wasn’t one to let an opportunity slip past, evidently. ‘I met Max…and Rick at a bike show recently. I’m a real estate agent and Max gave me his details. Said he was on the lookout for a new property. This just came into the office and it’s kind of special so, of course, I thought of Max.’

‘Thanks.’ Ellie’s smile was genuine now. Sympathetic, even. She could well believe that Gina had thought of Max. What woman wouldn’t?

Max didn’t appear to have returned the interest, however.

‘Gina? Gina who?’ He’d brought Chinese food home with him and the aroma was seriously tempting as he unpacked the carry bags.

‘She didn’t say. Gorgeous looking, though. Leather pants and long, dark hair. Said she met you and Rick at a bike rally or something.’

‘Oh-h…We did pop in on a Ducati show a couple of weeks back. Yeah…rings a bell. We swapped cards but I gave hers to Rick ‘cos he was thinking he might give her a call.’

‘She left you brochures. Said you were looking for a property to buy?’

Max grimaced. ‘I should be but I really can’t be bothered. I might just move back in with Rick when Jet gets another stint away with the army.’

‘What’s wrong with this place?’

‘I’ve only got a sub-lease for three months. Sarah reckoned she wouldn’t be away any longer than that, though I can extend it if she doesn’t come back. She took this on as a two-year lease.’

‘Oh?’ Ellie was distracted, both by the tubs of hot food now on the table and the reminder of her old flatmate. ‘I must email her and see how things are going with Josh.’

‘Good idea. Might give me a shove in the right direction.’

‘Which is?’ Ellie pulled the disposable chopsticks apart. Max was opening the tubs and she’d never felt so hungry in her life. She must be getting better, she decided. Her body was coming back to life.

Max saw her practically drooling and he grinned. ‘Good to see you looking hungry. Steak with black bean sauce in that one. This one’s chicken and ginger and that’s stir-fried veggies ‘cos it looked healthy. There’s a bucket of rice so dig in.’ He dipped his chopsticks into the first container and started filling his plate. For a minute or two they were both preoccupied with their food but after a few mouthfuls Max paused and glanced at Ellie.

‘I guess the right direction is settling down,’ he said sadly. ‘I’m thirty-six. I can’t ride round on my bike and move from place to place for ever. I like it here in Dunedin so maybe I need to put some roots down. Buying a house seems like a good first step. What do you think?’

A settled-down Max? With a home of his own? Would a wife and children and maybe even a dog be on the agenda as well?

Stupid to feel that bubble of hope but irresistible not to take the opportunity to soak in the expression on Max’s face. To enjoy that rough look his jaw always had at this time of day that made her fingers itch to touch it. To make direct eye contact and feel it all the way to her bones.

‘Couldn’t hurt to look,’ she offered. ‘The picture’s lovely and Gina seemed to think it was something special.’

‘But it’s way out on the peninsula. Long way to work.’ Max ate in silence for a while again. ‘Mind you, it’s a great road for a bike ride. Good twists and turns and it runs right along the harbour’s edge.’ He ate another mouthful. ‘I’ve got a couple of days off coming up. Why don’t you come with me and help me look?’

‘On your bike? Not on your life, mate.’

Max laughed, a wonderfully rich sound that made Ellie feel warm all over and happier than she could remember being in such a long time.

‘Hardly. Not with the mouse to take into account. We’ll take the car and it’ll be as safe as houses, I promise.’

Ellie still shook her head.

‘Why not?’

‘Um…I kind of told Gina that I was your wife and she assumed that Mouse was yours as well. She looked kind of disappointed.’

Max was grinning. ‘Is that so? I’ll tell Rick. She’s just his type.’

‘Not yours?’ Ellie knew she sounded surprised.

Max shrugged. ‘Used to be. Maybe I’m growing up a bit. Thinking about house buying does that to a man, you know.’

Ellie wanted to ask what he thought his type was now but she didn’t dare. This wasn’t a conversation she really wanted to have because the little spears of wishful thinking were too delicious to want to give up. It couldn’t hurt to indulge a small and very private fantasy for a little while, could it?

But Gina used to be his type and Ellie couldn’t help remembering the way she’d felt that morning. Dumpy and dowdy.

‘I still couldn’t go.’ It was her turn to grimace as she looked down at herself. ‘Even if I went back to the motel for my bag, I didn’t bring any non-pregnancy clothes with me. I look like I’ve been rummaging through the unwanted stuff from a charity shop. You really wouldn’t want to be seen out with me, Max.’

‘So wear something else.’

‘Don’t think your boxers and shirt would work either.’

‘So…go shopping.’

‘What?’ That hadn’t even occurred to Ellie.

‘You’re feeling better, aren’t you? You’re certainly looking better.’

Ellie nodded.

‘So, take a taxi and go to one of the big department stores in town. You could take Mouse in the car seat and they’d have everything under one roof. Not too much walking about to tire you out. You’ve got those outpatient appointments tomorrow afternoon, haven’t you? So you have to go out anyway.’

Ellie continued to nod. Everything under one roof? Clothes, lingerie, shoes. A hairdresser, maybe?

How long had it been since she’d worried about her appearance? Or had a reason to want to look good? This was a kind of hope that was permissible. Part of her fantasy, maybe, but one that was grounded in reality. It could happen. She could make a dramatic improvement to the way she looked. It was exciting.

‘If I go to a bank, I won’t even have to use my credit card.’

‘Is that a problem? You want some cash?’

Ellie shook her head hurriedly. ‘I’ve just been careful for so long because people can trace where you are if you use cards, can’t they? I’ve seen it happen on those crime shows.’

The reminder of why she had come here in the first place and the continued need for care dampened the atmosphere.

‘I’m sure it’ll be fine,’ Ellie muttered. ‘It’s not as if he doesn’t know where I am now anyway.’

He could be waiting. Biding his time. Probably quite confident that he would receive information about the birth of his child and he would, eventually, because time was running out. The birth had to be registered. Mouse had to be given a name.

‘The offer’s still open, you know,’ Max said quietly.

‘To see the house?’ Ellie’s smile was a little tight. ‘Sure. Sounds like fun.’

‘No.’ Max had stopped eating. He was watching her face. ‘The name. Marriage.’

Ellie stopped eating, too. Her appetite had vanished.

She wouldn’t marry Max to give Mouse his name. Or to take it herself.

To marry Max knowing that it was in name only and that a very amicable divorce was already pencilled in?

No, thanks.

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