Chapter 18

a/n: soooo remember when I said I needed to re-read the whole story before writing the last chapter? Yeah I was stalling. I realized that, so I went ahead and wrote it 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

*Two Weeks Later*

Maxine parked her white Jetta on the street below Brooks’s office. Up above, she saw what she assumed had been Brooks’s own hand holding open the blinds, peeking out to see her arrive. She smiled. He’d finally gotten out of the hospital and was good as new, according to him.

Had she not had this corroborated by Adrienne Gladstone, she wouldn’t have believed it. Of course, she’d gone to visit him in the hospital once she herself was discharged, but everything had been such a whirlwind after that. The press had been all over the story, and fighting to speak with everyone involved. Thankfully, she was able to stay at Derek’s parents’ place with the rest of her roommates, which meant the trust front gates kept out unwanted reporters.

She hadn’t seen Miles, because once the press got his name, they began showing up at his abuela’s place, bothering his extended family. Miles had therefore concluded it best that he stay there.

Maxine had suffered a concussion, and a fairly serious one at that. Consequently, she had very fuzzy memories of the time following the confrontation at the catering hall. She knew there had been conversations, but the content of them was up for interpretation. Bizarrely, she thought that perhaps the original Willy Wonka movie had been playing on her hospital room television, because her memories seemed intertwined with scenes from that film.

Miles had been there, she had been told, but she couldn’t recall in what capacity. She hoped to be able to talk with him soon, however.

Shortly after Maxine had been discharged from the hospital, Gladstone had reached out to her. At first, Maxine thought it was solely to discuss what had happened at the hall, which they had, but she’d been surprised to learn of an ulterior motive the woman had been holding rather close to her chest for a while.

Maxine had been offered an apprenticeship with Detective Gladstone. It turned out that for a while, the woman had been tracking Maxine’s work with Brooks, and had done some maneuvering to bypass the rules that had kept Maxine from becoming an officer. Based on Maxine’s track record as an assistant PI, and particularly her part in the recent bust, she’d been offered the position and asked to start as soon as possible.

While Maxine had let go of the intention to work with the actual police long ago, it had been out of resignation rather than a loss of desire. The idea was beyond tempting, but she had to talk to Brooks about it first. She couldn’t just leave him after all he’d done for her, unless he was somehow in support of the idea. Furthermore, she had become pretty set on the idea of being a PI, and was still feeling extremely confused about it all. Finally, she decided there was nothing to be gained from thinking it to death, she would simply have to talk it through with him.

She stepped out of her car and made her way to the door. When she reached it, however, she felt that something was off. That was Brooks’s hand she saw peeking through the blinds, wasn’t it? She could hear shuffling around and hushed whispers above as she pushed open the door and ascended the staircase. Noticing the door was closed, she opted for knocking, seeing as the last time she had arrived at this spot she’d walked in on something she could not unsee.

“Come in,” said Brooks’s voice from the other side, and she felt her body relax.

The second she opened the door, however, she was hit in the face by a wall of sound.

“SURPRISE!” called a chorus of voices as confetti was flung into the air, celebratory music began to play, and noisemakers were… made to make noises.

She blinked as she looked around, doing her best to take in what was happening. It seemed that everyone she knew was in attendance in the tiny office. Her roommates jumped and cheered, particularly Eashan, who was somehow blowing on two noisemakers at once.

Glancing around the room, she could see that Derek’s parents were in attendance, as well as Charlene, the veterinary assistant from down the street, and Jill and Ernie, too, who had also holed up at Derek’s to let the dust settle. Of course there was Brooks, and standing next to him was Detective Gladstone. Behind them all was a banner that read Congratulations Maxine.

“Oh my gosh you guys! What is this? You know I hate surprises!” she said, directing her venom mainly at Arden, who knew this well.

“I tried, babe, but he would not let it go,” she said, motioning to Eashan, who was running around the room handing confetti poppers to everyone and encouraging them to pop with abandon.

Maxine looked around the room, recognizing who wasn’t there for a moment before her eyes landed on Brooks. He wore a smirk, but it was somehow solemn. She turned to him and he put his hands in his pockets sheepishly as she approached.

“I don’t get it, congratulations for what?”

The sadness in his smile was unmistakable as he said, “Come on kid, there was no way I was gonna let you pass up an opportunity like that.”

“I’m so sorry, Maxine,” said Detective Gladstone, stepping over to join them. “I told him what you said. That you were only in if he was on board, and…”

“And I decided to get on board,” Brooks said with a shrug. “I can’t hold ya back, particularly not after learning that you always wanted to work with the pigs.”

A sharp smack to the arm made him wince. 

“Sorry, the noble order of the—ouch!” he said as a second smack made contact.

“Best to just stop speaking, darling,” Gladstone said, then placed a quick kiss on Brooks’s cheek.

Maxine stared between them with wide eyes.

“Alright fine,” Brooks said, rubbing his arm. “So we’re officially an item, you don’t have to look so disgusted by old people kissing,” said Brooks.

“Oh, this is not a look of disgust, I’m just amazed you’re finally admitting it!”

“Yeah, well how about you? When were you planning to tell me I was your second choice?”

So many thoughts flew through Maxine’s mind at once, she barely knew how to respond. It truly wasn’t like that, except she could see from Brooks’s perspective how it might seem that way. She had truly acclimated to the idea of being a PI. She’d even made business cards!

Though, she had to admit that there was a growing sense of elation in her belly at the idea that she could have this, and have it guilt-free. That being a bona fide police detective could be her real future.

“I guess… I didn’t really think about it as a first or second choice, it just… was ruled out as a possibility.”

“Yeah, I’m just messin with ya. I get it, kid. Although it would have been nice of you to tell me.”

“I was going to! That’s why I was here!” she began to say, but Brooks’s attention was drawn away suddenly, and Maxine turned to see what had stolen it.

That’s when she sucked in a quick breath at the sight of Miles stepping through the door. Brooks breezed past her to shake his hand.

“Sorry I’m late,” he said with a smile. “Grandmothers, you know?”

But before Brooks could respond, a cry of glee sounded from behind Maxine and she spun to see Jill running across the room towards Miles. “Finally, you’re here! Can we tell them now?” she said, jumping up and down with both of her hands on Miles’s shoulder. 

Maxine found that she was having a hard time breathing. She had to shake herself to get the attention off Jill’s hands and back to the reality of what was happening in the room.

“Tell us what?” Maxine dared to ask.

Miles looked up and when their eyes connected, she tried her best to seem casual and unalarmed.

“This guy,” said Brooks, patting a firm hand on Miles’s other shoulder, “is gonna start working for me.”

“And so am I!” cried Jill.

“It’s an internship, Jill, I’ve been clear about this,” said Brooks.

Jill scoffed. “Okay fine, but still!”

They all turned to look at Maxine at the same time, and for a moment she just gaped, but then she shook herself and said, “That’s great!”

They seemed to accept this as her genuine reaction. Of course they did. She was a fantastic liar. 

Jill split off to argue the nuances of an internship vs a job, and Miles stepped towards Maxine.

“Hey stranger,” he said, then handed her a small box. “Just a little something for your new desk, you don’t have to open it now.”

“Thanks, you didn’t have to.”

“I know.”

They held one another’s gaze for a moment before he said, “So. You’re gonna be a real detective. How’s it feel?”

“Well, seeing as I hadn’t actually accepted the position yet, this party was quite the surprise for me.”

“Holy shit, for real? Wait, what?”

She pulled him aside and explained the sequence of events that had led to this moment. Then said, “But if I’m honest… I was dying for him to be okay with it, so… really this is… this is kind of perfect.”

“Well, thank God, cause this was about to be real awkward if not,” he said, and they both laughed.

“How’s your abuela?”

Miles took a deep breath and nodded slowly. “It’s been a strange week for sure, but she’s okay. She’s tough, you know? The last reporter that tried to corner her in the grocery store got a chancla to the chin.”

Maxine’s hands flew up to cover her mouth as she laughed.

“Yeah, she can handle herself. I just haven’t wanted to leave her alone too much with them showing up at the house.”

“I still can’t believe they were trying to connect you with the trafficking.”

Miles shrugged. “Anything for a story. Especially in the suburbs.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Maxine said, shaking her head.

“I’m sorry I didn’t come see you, I’ve had to lay low.”

“Oh no, it’s totally fine, of course.”

It wasn’t totally fine, of course, but he didn’t need to know that.

“So,” she said, brightening, “You’re taking my place. Big shoes to fill.”

“Tiny sparkly black converse, you mean?”

“Hey! My feet are not tiny, they are incredibly average sized!”

He laughed. “Well, that might be true, but I was kidding, they’re big shoes to fill.”

“I’m sure between you and Jill you can handle it,” she said, smirking as genuinely as she could muster.

A pang in her belly reminded her of how much she hated the sensation of jealousy. It had been jealousy that had spurred her to chase Miles’s car so recklessly down the parkway. Jealousy that had landed her closest friends in the hospital. Sure, they were all okay, but it could have been so much worse.

If he was going to be working closely with Jill from now on, she needed to quell her stupid human reaction to seeing them together, and fast.

Plus, with her new endeavor, she would really need to focus. It simply wouldn’t do to have her second chance at her dream turn out to be a failure.

She’d hardly had time to process that she had (unknowingly) accepted the apprenticeship, let alone to ponder precisely what she wanted from Miles moving forward, but she found herself acting on a knee-jerk response nonetheless.

“So, I suppose I’ll see you around. If Gladstone’s track record is anything to go by, we’ll likely be working together on some cases in the future.”

Miles stared back at her, his expression tentative, like he was trying to decide how to interpret what she’d said.

Taking pity on him, she went on. “I mean obviously we are going to be professionals working together from here, so we’ll… you know… have to keep it purely professional.”

“Maxine, hey… I need to say sorry about that night, I—”

“Oh, please don’t apologize,” she said, suddenly mortified that he might mention the multiple orgasms he’d given her under the guise of being helpful, when really he’d just been trying to distract her. And it worked.

“Never apologize for being good at what you do, alright? You beat me at my own game; it’s impressive.”

“Well, that’s not what I—”

“And thanks for the gift,” she said, holding up the box and cutting him off at the same time. “I should probably mingle a bit, though. I’ve hardly said hello to anyone.”

Without waiting for a response, she turned from him and went to greet Derek’s parents, who were so chatty it was easy for her to get lost in conversation with them even while she was screaming—loudly—on the inside.

𓂃🖊 

Miles stepped outside for some air, opting to take a walk down the block in hopes of clearing his head. He wasn’t sure what had just happened, but he knew it wasn’t sitting well.

His phone rang as if on cue, and it was just who he expected.

Holding up the phone and standing under the nearest streetlight, he said, “Hola abuela.”

“Hola mi amor! So… how did it go?”

“Are you really calling to ask me that after I’ve only been here twenty minutes?”

“No, I was calling to tell you I got another one with a mango out the window!”

“Abuela! You need to stop throwing mangos, they’re gonna call the cops on you!”

“And so let them! I can handle the cops, they ain’t gonna scare me!”

Miles signed and put a hand over his face.

“But don’t change the subject, why are you moping around on the streets instead of kissing that beautiful girl?”

Miles removed his hand and stared at the phone, unable to form words for a moment. Eventually, he said, “It’s not gonna be like that with us, abuela. She… said she wants to keep things professional.”

“Ay dios, what a dummy.”

“Abuela, I’m not a dummy, I’m just respecting her wishes.”

“Not YOU! HER! Mmm, I used to like her, but now I think she’s a dummy. You gonna need to smarten her up, teach her what’s good for her.”

“We’re working together now, it’s not gonna work like that.”

“Oh yeah? Well, if you say so, I guess. You’re the woman expert here, not me, the WOMAN YOU’RE TALKING TO!”

Her voice had risen to a volume that made the audio choppy.

“Ok fine, fine, I hear you.”

“You better hear me and stop making me yell! I’m gonna lose my voice and then how will I yell at the reporters—hey!” she said, her attention moving to elsewhere in the room. “Hey, I’m gonna get my mangos!”

“Do not get your mangos, abuela, I’m coming home.”

He just so happened to have been walking past where he parked his car. With a solemn look back at the office where the party was still going on, Miles decided he would send Brooks a text in a bit to apologize for cutting out early. Then he got in his car, and began the trek back to Perth Amboy.

𓂃🖊 

Maxine had watched Miles through the office blinds, wondering who he was speaking to on FaceTime. When he got in his car and drove away, it felt like a punch to her gut. Willing herself not to get upset, she looked down at the small box she was still holding in her hand. It was wrapped in silver paper, the same color as her signature nail polish, and it was kind of heavy.

Ripping off the paper and opening the top of the box, she tilted it to the side.

A tiny snow globe with a golden base fell into the palm of her hand, causing the glitter within to cascade around a tiny model of a roller coaster. She recognized it instantly as the first one they had ridden together, Nitro, even before seeing the name engraved on the bottom. At the top of one of the hills was the train, its passengers all holding their hands up to the sky in surrender.

That was it. That was what she needed: to let go. To let go of what she thought her life would be, and who would be in it, and in what capacity. She needed to surrender to what was to come. To that end, she allowed a single tear to fall from her eye, then wiped it away as she put the tiny globe back in the box, and moved to rejoin her party.

“Everything okay?” detective Gladstone asked as she saw Maxine approaching.

“Yep!” she said, as she both lamented and rejoiced in the fact that she really was great at pretending to feel things she did not actually feel… and to not show what she was actually feeling.

𓂃🖊 

A few hours later, the party was over, and Maxine was stepping out onto the street. Derek's parents had turned out to be complete party animals. Derek, Arden and Eashan were carting them home as a team effort, since neither of them were fit to drive. Charlene and Ernie had become fast friends after realizing they were both originally from the same area, and were thick as thieves by the end of the night. Maxine had done her best to have fun hanging out with Jill, despite feeling an alarming amount of resentment towards the girl. It wasn’t Jill’s fault, of course, it was just Maxine’s stupid humanness getting in the way. But she was determined to master herself.

With that thought in mind, she headed to her car. Just before unlocking the door, however, a voice sounded from across the street.

“Miss Alvarez, I presume?”

She looked up, and both shock and confusion took over as she met the eyes of a familiar older woman in a beautiful red coat. Only, the woman’s voice was not as it had been the last two times Maxine had heard it. Mainly, her accent was non-existent.

“Hen… Henrietta Worthington?” she said, unsurprised that she had retained the full name.

“A favorite alias of mine, though I don’t pretend to be spectacular at the accent.”

Maxine narrowed her eyes. “Who are you?”

“I’m surprised Mr. Brooks didn’t tell you. Or perhaps he didn’t have the chance given all the… merriment,” she said, looking up at the office. “Congratulations, by the way, I hear you’ve accepted the apprenticeship.”

“Who are you?” Maxine said a bit louder, causing the woman to chuckle as she continued moving forward.

“I expected you’d want to cut to the chase, so I’ll do just that,” she said, digging something out of her inner pocket. “Donna Brightstone, FBI.”

The badge was genuine, Maxine could tell immediately, having been rigorously trained by Brooks to be able to do so.

“I’ve been following you; perhaps you’ve noticed?”

Maxine felt her cheeks heat.

“Or perhaps not? Well, anyway, I went to see Mr. Brooks earlier today. I was waiting for the dust to settle. Nice work taking down those scumbags, by the way.”

“Oh, so… you weren’t part of that?”

With a laugh, she said, “Oh no, I was merely gathering information on you.”

“Can I ask why?”

“Well, the long answer might require us going somewhere to talk.”

“And the short answer?”

“It was as a favor to your father.”

(To be continued in book 2!!!!!)

Thank you endlessly to all of you for being here for this. This is usually the time when I'm most verbose, but I have company coming over right now and so I will simply have to leave it at thank you, and maybe one day this week it will actually hit me that I finished the first draft. Currently I think I'm in shock. I hope you enjoyed it!!!!!! And if anyone here wants to be an official beta reader, in any capacity, please let me know!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!!