Love's Dilemma (Sixty Minute Romance) (5 page)

“That is what I was afraid of. Come on then, out with
it!” Clair was finding it hard to be truly angry. She was more fearful about
how far over the line of truth and lies he had stepped.

“There were three things actually. The first thing I
told them was when they asked me what my career was. I told them I didn’t
really have one as I was concentrating on my music at the moment. They then
accused me of bringing you down to the gutter. So I told them that I was
extremely wealthy, having inherited half of my family’s fortune. My sister
Sandy got the other half.”

“So you lied to them and you do not have a job.” This
was not going well. Clair moved away from Max on hearing this.

“Come back here!” Max demanded.

Clair moved back and they were touching again. That was
better.

“It was nearly a lie. I do inherit a fortune on my
twenty fifth birthday, next year. Until then I am a pauper. Sandy already has
hers as she was twenty five when they got killed. So I am helping her spend all
her money until I can get my half of it.”

“You have a fortune?” Clair was unsure whether to
believe this.

“Yes I do, Babelicious, or I will do in January. That’s
not so bad is it?”

Clair struggled to get past the ‘Babelicious’ word
again, she wanted to hear more.

“How much?” Clair said it before she could stop it!

“Errr. That’s got you interested in me, eh?”

“Sorry, it just came out, I’m embarrassed.” Clair
looked away from Max.

“It’s only just over two million, nothing to write home
about. But your folks liked the sound of it.”

“That is a great deal of money. Max. What will you do
with it?”

“Well, my dad, he was actually my step father, my real
dad died when I was two. Anyway, my dad made sure I wouldn’t blow it all in the
first week by placing an income limit on it. So I only get five thousand a
month from interest on the large pot of money. I get the lump sum when I turn
thirty.” It was all coming out now. Max was admittedly even more interesting
than he was before. Clair couldn’t believe she was thinking in such a mercenary
way.

“That is unbelievable. What were the other two things
you told my mum and dad?” She was afraid to ask.

“Oh yes, the money was only the start. Then I told them
that my step dad was from Trinidad, which is true actually. He made his money
with buying and selling boats, and running a holiday company in the Caribbean.”

“So your dad was black?” Clair couldn’t stop her mouth
from asking dumb questions. She held her hands over her mouth with a gulp.

Max just laughed.

“Yes indeed, babelicious. It got very confusing at
school when we had parents evenings, I can tell you. But my mum loved him. He
was a great dad.” Max fondly enjoyed recalling his dad to mind.

Clair finally snapped and pushed Max over on the
shingle. She demanded that Max stop calling her babelicious.

“OK Licious.” Replied Max quickly. Clair sat silently
in defeat. Max sat back up making sure he was sitting very close to Clair.

“What was the third thing you told my mum and dad?”
Clair was completely involved, but a bit distressed with all the nicknames Max
was inventing.

“I told them I went to church and was a born again
Christian!” Max sat back on the shingle looking very pleased with himself.

“You did what! You can’t lie about things like that! My
parents would be furious if they knew you had lied about that.” Clair was
genuinely shocked that Max would take something like this so lightly. She had
been brought up in church her whole life, and definitely believed in God and
Jesus. She knew enough to know that you couldn’t be flippant like this. Max was
beginning to disturb her.

“Who said I was lying? I’ve been to church, although I
admit that I do not go very often now.” Max was all seriousness now.

“Tell me about it.” Clair was earnestly wanting to know
this new side to Max she had never seen.

“My dad took us all to church. He helped run it really.
We loved it. It was one of those churches where you are allowed to jump around
and sing to rock music. I sometimes got to play in the band. I was pretty
heavily into it, as was Sandy. All my longest standing friends I have today are
from there”

“That is my favourite sort of church.”

“Tell me about it!” Max was enjoying this.

“I stopped going when my folks were killed in the
yachting accident. Not because of God or anything. It’s just because being there
is too upsetting for me at the moment. I have been back a few times, but that’s
it. But the most important thing is that your mum and dad let me bring you out
today.”

“That is not the most important thing.” Clair responded
and saw in his eyes that Max was joking.

“And I was coming out with you today, whether they
wanted me to come or not!” Clair was warming to her day with Max.

They both lay back on the shingle beach, holding hands
and talking about God and faith and their upbringing for a long time. They were
not so different after all, they agreed.

“I’m hungry, what about you?... Licious?...” Max gently
broke a ten minute silence.

“We are not moving until you stop calling me Licious.”
Clair hated the name.

“What do you want me to call you then?”

“How about Clair? That is my name.”

“No, no, no. That won’t do at all. Can I call you
babe?”

“OK you can call me babe, it’s not as bad as the
alternatives.”

“I knew you would come round in the end.” Max replied
victoriously and Clair started punching him in the arm. She let out a short
squeal. She had been outwitted. They were still lying on the shingle. Max
grabbed her arms that were hitting him and they faced each other with their
bodies almost touching. Neither of them spoke but they looked deeply into each
other’s eyes and enjoyed the time. It was the first time Max had managed to
look into Clair’s eyes for more than a few seconds duration since the day had
begun.

“I’m sorry Clair. I think I love you babe.” Max
whispered.

Clair couldn’t say anything back straight away. She lay
there facing him silently. Eventually she nodded and whispered back.

“Don’t apologise, just be you. And don’t rush. I am
scared!” Max smiled at Clair and his heart swelled with relief. It was the
first time Clair had given him anything back in return. Max let go of her arms,
took her right hand and kissed it. He pulled her up onto her feet.

“Time to eat I think!” Max declared.

They stood up on the shingle beach and turned around to
look at the available eateries. They had a choice of three in the immediate
vicinity.
‘The Golden Plaice’
was a traditional English fish and chip
restaurant. Next to it was
‘The Ming Palace’
which in the evening was a Chinese
restaurant, but in the daytime served a delectable range of traditional fish
and chips. Next to
‘The Ming Palace’
was
‘Bob’s Chip Shop’
which
was a take away only. It served fish and chips. It was quite difficult deciding
which one to choose.

They eventually chose to walk into town in the hope of
finding something more to their liking to eat. They settled on a posh coffee
shop that also served paninis, toasted sandwiches and other small dishes.

“I keep forgetting how posh and polite you are. I have
often wondered what a Panini was. Now I know!” Max teased Clair mercilessly.

“I’m not posh and polite. I am just me!” Clair replied.
She was feeling a lot lighter in her spirit now.

“Trust me, you are posh and polite. Compared to anyone
else I’ve been on a date with, you are miles posher.” Max forgot himself and
was extra nice to Clair.

Clair decided to have a Mexican chicken wrap and Max
was forced to have prosciutto and mozzarella Panini. He really wanted ham and
cheese but this was the closest they had on the menu. They ordered their food
and drinks and found a place sitting out in the garden at the back. It was a
nice shady spot under a parasol and they made themselves comfortable.

“So tell me about all these other dates you have been
on.” Clair didn’t really want to know, but it was a good opportunity for some
retaliation.

“I’d rather not talk about them if it’s alright with
you, I’m afraid that my success with ladies has been severely limited. Girls
seem to like me for a week or two and then they go off with someone else. Now
can you tell me why?” Max was trying to think of better conversation but he was
struggling to say anything sensible.

“Well, let me see now. There are a number of reasons I
can think of why girls would run a mile from you. Do you want a list? Or shall
I just tell you one for the moment?” Clair looked directly into his eyes.

Max looked confused and hurt. Where was the lovely girl
from the beach, the one he had expressed his feelings to twenty minutes ago?  He
looked back at Clair hoping she wouldn’t be too hard on him. He didn’t always
know when people were being serious and when they were joking with him. He had
no idea if Clair was being serious or winding him up at this moment. Clair saw
the fear in his eyes and decided to be kind to him.

“You are not so bad Max; you are just different from
other men. You have no set agenda for your life and that comes over strongly.
In fact you rarely have an agenda for the next minute. Sometimes a girl wants
to know where she stands with a guy. She wants to know that he is reliable and
loyal. She wants to know that you will not disappear on the next whim of fancy
that you have. In some ways, you are too free and out of control. With you it
is very hard to know where I stand.”

“Phew, is that you being easy on me?” Max asked.

“Yes it is.” Clair wondered what she had said wrong.

“Well don’t tell me what you really think; I’m not sure
I am man enough for it yet. You sound just like my sister!” Max was dismayed.
He thought he was any girl’s best friend.

“Well Sandy has a lot of wisdom that you could learn
from.” Clair tried to think of something nice to say to Max to help.

“So what do you think of me?” Max couldn’t stop himself
asking the question.

This was the moment Clair chose to sit silently for a
few minutes, trying to think of something to say. While she was thinking Max
was sitting looking at his Panini and wondering where the conversation had gone
wrong. It was very unnerving. Eventually Clair remembered that an answer was
required to Max’s question.

“Oh, Sorry Max, I had drifted off.” Clair said
hurriedly.

“You sure know how to hurt a guy! I have never had
anyone drift off before. Walk out yes! But drift off. That is really bad.” Max
wanted to hear something more positive from Clair’s lips.

“You are very cute and attractive. Part of me wants to
be with you but I am scared of getting close to anyone. I’m a bit mixed up
really. But I do like you.” Clair said the truth almost without concentrating

“OK, so cute and attractive is a start, yes? That’s not
so bad. Plus I have a lot of money coming my way very soon. That must count for
something.” Max was talking himself up.

“Money isn’t everything you know.” Clair said.

“Your mum and dad liked the money.” Max said.

“They are very bad for thinking like that and you know
it!” Clair replied.

“Yes they are. I would much rather we had disagreed and
had a proper argument really. It was too easy to bring them round with money.
The bacon butties were great, but if I was a penniless tramp I would never have
been served them. Sorry to be so serious.” Max was being thoughtful for a
change.

“Well thank you for saying that, I agree. I wish they
could see you and not your money and your background. I never realised how
mercenary they are.” Clair was astounded at this bit of common sense coming
from Max’s lips. She liked him even more for it.

They had both finished their meal and Clair paid the
bill. Max had forgotten to bring any money for the day out. Clair smiled and
thought, ‘
What if I had also forgotten to bring any money?
’ It was not
worth fretting about, but Max’s free and easy lifestyle had its consequences.
They had just escaped one consequence in the coffee shop. Out of the blue Max
asked.

“What do you do for work Clair?” Clair looked quietly
at Max.

“Let’s get out of here and I’ll tell you while we are
walking.” Clair prepared herself.

“Phew, now you are really scaring me. It can’t be that bad,
can it?” Max had not seen Clair be so unsure of herself before. She was always totally
calm and assured. They started walking back to the beach.

“I recently qualified as a solicitor and work in my parent’s
legal firm. I currently specialise in immigration law, but I hope to move into
employment law once I get a few years under my belt.” There, it was out there.

“Well that is intimidating. Man you are just a complete
woman. Why are you even in the same room as me? You sing, you look amazing; you
have a high powered job. You are completely together, man, I mean girl!”