Dead Before Dawn: The Vampire Curse

Chapter 17 - Home At Last

Moving back to his own home was the next natural step once Max had managed to convince his family that he was perfectly recovered. He'd spent an hour on the phone with Cal, who'd had to go to a shoot in New York, before she would agree it was time. He still had bad dreams some nights, but he needed to start getting his life back on track.

He owned a small house in New Jersey. He'd bought it back when he was not quite famous enough to afford it, from an eccentric widow who he still exchanged emails with at least once a month. She had been moving to a retirement village. They'd hit it off as soon as he went to view the house because she was an ex-Thespian and totally understood him wanting to be close to New York, but far enough away not to be paying New York prices.

Much to her realtor's dismay, Annie had let him have the house at far below market price.

He'd gotten rid of the mortgage as soon as he had enough money, but he had yet to upgrade. He loved his little house with its tiny yard, and the neighbours were nice. No one made a fuss about the fact he was famous. Paparazzi who tried to lurk found themselves sprayed by hoses, peed on by dogs, hit by stray balls or reported to the police as prowlers, so they rarely bothered him. It was a great set up.

He had allowed himself the luxury of hiring a service to go in and clean the place before he got back, since he had been away longer than he had expected. That must have tipped his neighbours off, because, when he arrived with Gian in tow, there were three casseroles and a cake waiting for him on his porch.

"You have good neighbours," Gian said as he helped Max put the casseroles away in the refrigerator.

"The best," Max said, smiling as the fact he was home began to sink in. "I think I'm the youngest in the road by about twenty years apart from the Winslaws, and I guess I remind a few of the couples of their children. I never would have survived my first year here without them. Of course I'm going to have to invite everyone round soon or they will all die of curiosity."

Gian grinned at that.

"Well, well, look who the cat dragged in."

Max turned and then beamed. In the doorway was one of his best friends.

"Rich," he said and immediately went over for a hug.

They had met at Max's very first audition for a tiny little independent production in the bowels of New York's theatre scene. Both of them had been going for a measly bit part and they had bonded over commiserating with each other when neither of them got it. They'd also tried the sleeping together thing a couple of times, before deciding they preferred just being roommates and friends.

"Gian, this is Rich," Max introduced, "Rich this is Gian."

"Ah, the roommate I have heard so much about," Gian said and offered his hand in greeting.

"Let me guess, the story about Pride week, the unfortunate underwear and the Brazilian salsa dancer?" Rich asked and reciprocated.

"I believe that may have been Max's favourite story," Gian agreed.

"Thank heavens," Rich replied, "he could have picked something embarrassing."

That made Max laugh out loud. Rich was always a breath of fresh air. While he had gone into films, Rich had stayed on the theatre circuit.

"So have you been lurking in the bushes waiting to make a dramatic entrance?" Max asked as they all moved back into the kitchen.

"As if," Rich said; "I've been chatting with Leslie across the road, peaking out through her net curtains to pick my moment."

Rich had shared the house with Max for a year after he first bought it, until moving in with his long term boyfriend, and now husband, Grant. Grant was a very well off hedge fund manager, so now Rich lived uptown. The neighbourhood had adopted Rich almost more quickly than Max and had been very sad to see him go. Leslie had to be heading for eighty five by now and lived in the house opposite with her divorced daughter and her cat. Max was pretty sure Rich had Leslie set up as a spy so he could always make sure Max wasn't doing anything stupid.