Waters of Oblivion

Chapter 11.1: The Drive

By Friday afternoon, Reine was glad she had decided to stay a little bit longer. After a champagne brunch with Morgan and Kenzi followed by shopping and pampering at a very high-end spa, she felt rejuvenated both in body and spirit.

Before they left the house, Max had specifically instructed her to find a classic black dress with a demure neckline. As she made her final preparations for dinner, Reine couldn't stop smiling with mischievous pleasure at finding something which went against all of his wishes.

It was a floor length, low cut silk gown with cap sleeves and a thigh high slit on one side. The pale mint green color sparkled against her flawless skin, and it created a dazzling contrast with her auburn hair. It had cost a small fortune, but Max's credit card had paid for it, which gave Reine even greater satisfaction. 

On her way down to meet the others, she stopped at the top of the stairs. Morgan and Kenzi, as well as Dodger and Mikey were all waiting in the hall below. The men looked elegant in their classic black tuxedos, although Dodger's was cleverly paired with a formal kilt and knee-high socks.

The girls were also ravishing in their equally sophisticated, yet dazzling attire. Like her, Morgan wore green, but it was a darker emerald against which her red hair seemed to be ablaze. Kenzi had chosen a short, bright yellow dress to perfectly complement her ivory skin and ebony locks. They'd all been intently discussing something before her arrival, but as she appeared, all four pairs of eyes turned to her.

"Looking good!" Mikey called out as Morgan elbowed him in the ribs.

Reine giggled as she descended the stairs, trying to both concentrate on not slipping on the marble steps and scanning the room for Max.

He walked into the hall just as she stepped off the last riser. Absolutely dashing in white-tie, Reine waited for him to come to her. Anticipating a backlash for ignoring his instructions, she asked what she'd been wondering all day. "What do you think?"

He smiled. "You look perfect."

Judging from the collective gasp which echoed through the room, his reaction took everyone by surprise.

"But it's nothing like what you said you wanted," she said, shaking her head in confusion.

"Which is exactly why I said that. I knew you'd not only ignore my request, but also go out of your way to find a dress that was the exact opposite." He stuck one hand in his pocket. "I think you definitely succeeded."

"How did you know what I'd do?"

"We're the same, remember? Even if you won't admit it," he said.

Reine wanted to tell him she wasn't just like him, but that wasn't completely true. She sighed. Although she was happy because he wasn't angry, she was also disappointed. He ended up getting exactly what he wanted once again, and she didn't see it coming.

"Man, I am starving." Mikey's exaggerated tone redirected everyone's attention to himself. Reine had almost forgotten the others were all still standing around waiting to leave for the event.

"Let's go then," Max ushered the group towards their coats and out the front door, shutting it with a loud bang behind him.

While the rest of their party headed for the black limousine parked at the top of the drive, he held open the passenger door to his car standing directly in front of the entryway. It was the Maserati he'd been personally washing a few days earlier.

Sliding into the leather seat, Reine was momentarily taken aback by the exterior finish. "Wow, this color. I didn't want to mention it before, but it's quite . . ." She trailed off, not sure of how to finish.

"Unusual?" He raised an eyebrow.

She giggled. "Well, yes. But I was actually going to say girly."

"Don't worry. I'm not going to take offense. I've heard worse," Max said with a smile as he shut her door. He was in a very good mood, indeed.

"How did you ever pick it?" Reine asked as soon as he took a seat behind the steering wheel. She needed a safe topic of conversation after their encounter in the foyer minutes before.

Instead of immediately answering, he turned the ignition and revved the engine. The sound was strong, yet somehow smooth at the same time. Shifting into first gear, he finally answered. "I was actually in the market for another Ferrari, but when I heard the colors the GranCabrio came in, I couldn't resist."

Her eyes widened. "You specifically bought it because it's maroon?"

They sped down the winding driveway toward the gates of the estate.

"I guess you could say that. I actually picked it for the name of the color: Bordeaux Pontevecchio. It just seemed right," he said.

She laughed. "That explanation right there, now that sounds like something a woman would say."

"I prefer to call it being sentimental, but like I said, I'm secure enough in my manhood to not care about what others think of me for it. And besides, just because I don't live in the past doesn't mean I don't think of it fondly. Parts of it, anyway."

She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. You know I'm just kidding, right? It's actually a very nice car, but your reasoning for picking it is even more beautiful." 

He didn't comment on the compliment, so she paused to arrange her thoughts. She'd just found out he bought the car because it was named after the most famous bridge in the city of their birth. This was probably the right time to ask another question she'd been wondering about for days.

Reine took a deep breath. "Do you ever go back?" she asked.

There was another momentary silence as Max turned onto the tree lined road leading away from the property. When he answered, his voice was more solemn.

"You mean to Florence? No, I haven't been back in a very long time. There's nothing for me there anymore. My home is here now."

They both remained silent for much longer, as if to reflect upon the meaning behind his words. Reine looked up at the pitch black night sky through her window and watched the moon emerge from behind a patch of gray clouds.

Max finally began to talk again. "The last time I did go back, it was still early enough to talk to people who knew us both. I tried to get them to tell me as much as they could recall. I'm grateful for one story in particular." He swallowed. "We were in our early teens, and apparently snuck across the river to see the giraffe Uncle Lorenzo got from an Egyptian mameluk."

Even though he used the familiar term for the Medici prince, she suspected it was as proof of endearment rather than relation. "I'm sure I was just following your lead."

He scoffed. "Well, I was a couple of years older than you, but you should have known better. I heard your mother was definitely a force to be reckoned with, especially when it came to your virtue."

"I don't know how she ever let me near you after I probably came home smelling like raw meat and animal dung." She laughed, referring to the odors her fancy dress had most likely picked up while crossing the bridge full of butcher shops and then later in the menagerie of the Palazzo Pitti.

He floored the gas pedal. "Apparently it was after this escapade that Lorenzo got the idea you'd be a suitable bride for me. I believe he suggested it to our families the very next day."

"Suggested?" she scoffed. "As if anyone could say no to a Medici."

"Not if they wanted to keep their status, wealth, and land." He agreed. "I'm guessing I would have married you even if it hadn't been arranged. In fact, I probably would have done it even if Il Magnifico had specifically forbidden it."

She looked out the window. The trees by the side of the road were an indistinguishable, black blur. "Of course you would have. Always doing the opposite of what's expected."

"And does that remind you of anyone you know?"

She intended to spend the evening with him in peace, so Reine held back the retort which immediately came to her mind. It would have surely hurt Max's feelings. They had too much drama between them already without her looking to cause more by insinuating that fate apparently didn't share his optimism. So they fell silent and merged onto the highway leading to downtown Philadelphia.