Tall, Dark & Obnoxious

Episode NINE

Max

More than two weeks after Max and Patricia had consummated their new relationship for the first time, things were still on the downlow. They'd since done a whole lot of helping Pat out of her comfort zone. On her kitchen counter, in the shower, on the hood of her car in her driveway late in the evening—that one took some persuading. But he'd made sure she'd be all for doing it again after the way he took care of her that night.

They'd agreed to keep the relationship to themselves for now. Patricia wasn't ready to tell the world, especially as fast as things happened. She said her sisters would worry, given how unlike her it was to do something so spontaneous like jumping into a relationship so quickly. Especially with someone she'd first thought she was so incompatible with.

"They'll think I've gone off the deep end," she'd said but was quick to assure Max she didn't mean it in a bad way. "I'm just saying, if you thought I was wound too tight, you don't know the half of it. I can admit it now, and my sisters would absolutely question my sanity for doing something so impulsive."

They'd even been around everyone together for Moe's birthday gathering. But they'd played up their disagreeing on just about everything. It wasn't hard. Despite him being crazy about her now and her seemingly feeling the same about him, it was still too easy to rile her up.

Max was cool with keeping things on the downlow—for now. He could also admit this had been impulsive. Even for him. For years he'd been saying he didn't do the relationship bullshit drama and now he'd jumped into one with a woman so opposite of him, no less. Talk about the potential for drama. But every time he was around her, with each new kiss and time they made love, he was even more sure he was all in. All he cared about, for now, was her promise that she was over her ex, wanted nothing to do with him anymore, and this thing they were doing was absolutely exclusive.

Even the age difference didn't matter. At thirty-three, she was ten years his junior, but with Patricia being the way she was, most the time he felt like the younger much less mature one and he loved it. She'd keep him young forever. She'd since mentioned her ex was also older than her. Though, Max didn't ask her to elaborate because, after witnessing her cry over the fucker, he didn't even like to hear her talk about him.

He used to laugh and tease Moe about what a fucking cave man the guy could turn into when it came to Izzy. Now he knew better. Max had been dating the wrong women, because the entitlement he felt over Patricia in such a short span of time he'd never felt for any woman—ever. It was insane. Maybe seeing her vulnerable side had done him in. Maybe it was because a match that seemed so impossible and had come together so quickly meant that much more.

Whatever it was, while he'd been tempted to tell Manny about it, he hadn't out of respect for Patricia's wishes. Even that was huge. He'd never kept anything from his brother, especially something this big, but on top of the entitlement, he was beyond protective of Patricia's feelings now. Though he had caught himself more than once talking too much about her to his brother.

"Where you going?" Moe eyed Max suspiciously as he walked into the kitchen.

It was Manny and Aida's anniversary, and they'd invited Moe and his family over for dinner so they could watch the video of Manny's drive-thru wedding in Vegas again. Like they did every year.

"Nowhere."

This was the first night since his and Patricia's first night together that Max might not be able to see her. It was fucking ridiculous. He was a grown ass man, and here he'd been trying most of the evening to sneak out without being caught. But ever since that first night with her when he hadn't gotten home until after midnight and Manny's big mouth let Moe know, his nephew had been suspicious of what was really going on between him and Patricia. His being gone so much now because he couldn't get enough of her didn't help the suspicions either. But staying true to Patricia, he'd given nothing up. Though he knew both Manny and his nephew weren't exactly buying all his lies.