One Thing Leads To Another

Chapter 4



"Dammit Sketchy where the hell are you?" Original Cindy said bouncing on her feet.



Max smiled and stretched some more, "Chill out girl he'll be here."



"He better be here or Original Cindy is gonna half to open a can of woop ass on him, " Original Cindy said watching Max stretch.



"Why are you stretchin? Ain't you naturally flexible and all that?"



"Yea, but it helps to stretch. I can go that extra mile, " Max said bringing her right leg strait up in the air.



"I'm sure it's great for other uses too, " Original Cindy said wiggling her eyebrows.



"Oh yeah, " Max grinned.



Original Cindy laughed then saw Sketchy running toward them. "Where the hell you been boy?" she asked as he crashed in front of her out of breath. While laying on the floor he handed her the CD she requested. Original Cindy took the CD, "You alright?"



Sketchy nodded, "Yea, I just...need to catch my breath."



Max shook her head and went to her and Original Cindy's table to get her bottled water. Drinking plenty of fluids would be good at this point. All the dancing she would be doing tonight would make her dehydrate if she didn't. Max was pretty confident she and Original Cindy would win the contest. The reward money was enough initiative. The prize money was one thousand dollars.



Max took a seat and propped her feet up. She watched Original Cindy and Sketchy in there 'conversation'. Sketchy was explaining why he was late to deliver her CD. The scene made her think of Alec. Ever since they had met she remembered on numerous occasions when they 'argued'. Original Cindy used to and still calls in foreplay. The thought of Max and Alec as an item never crossed Max's mind until here recently. Alec had changed a lot in the past year and it was taking it's toll on Max's walls she had put up to protect herself from him. He was a weak spot for her. She wondered if he would show up for the contest. She hoped he did. It would give her some more confidence.



"Max, " Original Cindy snapped her fingers in front of Max.



Max snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to her, "Yea." She hadn't realized Original Cindy was trying to talk to her.



"You day dreamin?" Original Cindy asked taking a seat.



"I was just thinking, " Max said playing with her water.



"Thinkin bout' what?"



Max shrugged, "Nothing in particular." She knew Original Cindy knew she was thinking about Alec again. It was a subject she liked to bring up at the most inopportune moments.



"You gonna have to do somethin boo or you are gonna self-destruct, " Original Cindy said.



Max sighed, "I don't want to say anything. I know it's been a year but...I don't want to scare him off or whatever. I like what we have right now it's good and I don't want to jeopardize that. I feel like I'm going to push him away if I say anything about a 'relationship'."



Original Cindy leaned on her elbows on the table, "Listen to me Max. That boy is crazy about you. You don't see the way he looks at you. He's so intense. It almost turns me on the way he looks at you."



Max couldn't help but laugh. "Alec is the only guy who has ever come close to almost turning you strait isn't he?"



"Like I told you a long time ago. Manticore sure does know how to make them, " Original Cindy said bluntly.



"He is a big turn on isn't he?" Max said smiling.



"The thought has crossed my mind Max, " Original Cindy said.



"I'm so proud of him you know. He's come so far in the past year. If you had told me a year ago when we first met that he would be one of my closest friends a year from now I would have laughed in your face. It's like he's done a one eighty. I don't know when it happened, but I'm glad it did, " Max spoke staring off into space.



"Speakin of Alec, what time is he supposed to show?" Original Cindy asked.



Max shrugged, "I don't know if he's even coming. This morning I kind of reminded him and he acted like he was supposed to remember something."



"Don't worry, he be here, " Original Cindy said.



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Alec rushed through his apartment trying to remember if he was forgetting anything. He wanted to surprise Max at her and Cindy's dance competition. Earlier that morning he acted like he didn't have anywhere to be that night. He only hoped Max didn't take it to heart. The look on her face told him she knew he was kidding though...he hoped. If there was one thing he learned about Max was never to piss her off. Back when they first met he liked to see her mad. It was a turn on to him. Her face would flush and he detected a slight rise of her pheromones. Now, he didn't to to see her mad. There was just something about it. If she was mad at someone else yes he was enjoyed himself immensely.



He shook himself from his thoughts, "Ok, Alec do you have everything?" Checked and ready to go he went out the door. Outside, he straddled his bike and peddled onto the streets. His bike had become his diet so do speak. He either walked or road his bike everywhere. He kept himself in shape that way. He sold his Cadillac for some cash and that got him his new apartment.



Before long he was outside Crash. By now it was nightfall and the place was beginning to fill up. The crowds didn't keep him from getting inside though. He locked his bike away and went around the back to get in. He entered the back of Crash and looked for Max. She was nowhere to be seen at the moment. He walked in further and spotted her and Original Cindy watching a group.



Max watched the two girls. They were good she thought. They were putting a lot of martial arts into there program, but Max could fix that. Even though Cindy didn't know any martial arts Max knew that if she broke down into a routine Cindy would let her do her thing. As Max watched the pair the hair on the back of her neck stood up and she turned to the right and saw Alec staring at her. She smiled and made her way toward him.



He smiled as she walked toward him. She came to a stop in front of him and said, "I knew you were just playing around with me this morning."



He smiled that capturing smile, "I couldn't resist. The chance to watch you squirm doesn't come around often."

Max affectionately punched him in the shoulder then turned around at the commotion behind her. The pair had finished dancing and the crowd was cheering them.



Alec stepped forward and leaned forward to her ear. "Don't worry about it, " Alec whispered.



Max inwardly shivered as his hot breath ran across her ear. Without realizing it she wrapped her arms around herself.



"Cold, " he asked.



She quickly put her arms back at her side, "No, just nervous I guess."



"Were they the first group?" he asked looking around.



"Yea, me and Cindy are last. That's good I work better under pressure, " she said clapping her hands together.



"We were designed that way, " he said off handedly. Once in a while they would both make references to Manticore. It was something they couldn't run or hide from. They didn't see any point in not mentioning the subject.



"So any last minute tips grasshopper?" she asked.



joy joy yourself, " he said confidently.



She nodded, "I'll see you later ok."



He nodded with a smile and she walked away. As she walked away he noticed what she was wearing. 'Oh God she's wearing my favorite pants.'



She was wearing a pair of black suede pants and black tank top with her hair down. He liked it when she wore her hair down not up she looked more natural that way. As he watched Max his direct line of site was blocked by Original Cindy who grinned at him with a knowing grin. Alec grinned back and turned his gaze away to find a table to sit at.



Original Cindy turned and faced Max. "I see your boy is here."



"Yep, " Max said not catching the 'your boy' phrase.



Original Cindy just shook her head and leaned back against the wall.



The night went by with dance couples after dance couples. Then it was down to Max and Original Cindy. Max looked around the bar and spotted Alec and Sketchy standing by the dance floor.



"This is gonna be good man. When these two dance all the guys in the place get rowed up even for Original Cindy," Sketchy said.



Alec glanced at Sketchy and said, "How rowdy?"



Max and Original Cindy took the dance floor and Max glanced to Alec. The look was determined. That made shivers go up her spine. He had that effect on her and both loved and hated it.



The music started the intro and they got into there starting positions. They waited for the intro to finish then started there routine. The song had a fast beat to it making them constantly make a move. Every one around them began to do there own moves to the song as Max and Original Cindy broke it down.



Alec watched as they 'rowed' everyone up around the bar. Men were whistling even woman were. He couldn't blame them as he watched.



"You see what I'm talking about man. This happens every time. You know there was this one time Max got up on the dance floor by herself and she was getting down like she is now, but she was defiantly attracting some attention, " Sketchy explained.



Alec smiled, "Yea, there's no denying that." Alec was able to concentrate on Max and catch Sketchy's words. Max could get a mans attention just walking by him. As Max done a difficult dance move Alec called out to her and started to clap.



Max and Original Cindy finished their routine and turned to each other giving their 'girlfriend' hand shake. Max turned and ran into Sketchy. "Hey I don't' remember there being a wall here, " Max said gently elbowing Sketchy in the ribcage.



"You guys were great Max, " Sketchy said giving Max a high five.



"Thanks, " Max said.



"Original Cindy baby..." Sketchy walked off leaving Max to face Alec.



"That was impressive Max. I didn't know you could dance, " Alec said putting his hands in his pockets.



"Hey, we were designed to do a lot of things, " Max said with a mischievous grin.



Alec laughed, "I think you guy got it." He pointed to a hysterical Original Cindy as she took the prize money and ran toward Max.



"Max! We did it girl we beat this bitch, " Original Cindy yelled.



Max smiled.



Original Cindy counted the money and halved it. "I think part of this is yours, " she said handing Max half.



"Thanks, " Max said as she put the money in her pocket.



"I don't' know about yall but Original Cindy is gonna celebrate, " Original Cindy said walking to the bar.



"Here here, " Sketchy said following her to the bar.



Max turned to Alec and hugged him. Alec returned the hug closing his eyes in the process.



"Thanks, " she said.



"Anytime, " he said.



She pulled away from him and asked, "Wanna drink?"



"Absolutely, " he said. "I'll even by the first batch."



"You still owe me, " she said as they walked to Original Cindy and Sketchy.



"I do not, " he argued.



The rest of the evening became very interesting...