Keep Your Girl Out of My Shoe Cabinet, Your Wife

Viviane sat in the main room of the suite and watched the seconds pass and the hands wander over the face. Anakin laid on his blanket and played with some toy.

Tick tick tick.

The clock ticked the seconds away and 2pm inched closer. Her hands were sweaty and her mind was spinning. In the morning she had overslept so she and Sidney didn't have the time to come up with a last second emergency plan. Sidney actually didn't even know about Max overhearing the conversation and coming over today. 2pm passed and still nothing happened. She pulled out her phone to check for missed texts or calls from Max but he hadn't contacted her. Nervously her leg bounced up and down. The only sound in the large suite was the ticking of the clock and every now and then some joyful sounds Ani made.
At 2:15 a loud knock made her jump. Quickly she skipped through the room and pulled the heavy wooden door open.

"Maxime" she smiled and pulled her friend into a hug.

"Princessa Viviane" he replied and walked by her into the room dropping a bag, his cap, sunglasses and his Flip Flops right next to the entrance.

"Good daz Ani. Were you a good boy and let Mommi sleep tonight?" he cooed at the baby and scooped him into his arms before sitting down on the couch.
Viviane plopped down next to him and pulled her legs into her chest.

"Viv I brought you ice cream. It's in the bag I dropped somewhere. I thought we'd need a good Gorky heart to heart with ice cream and all."

She threw her head back in laughter before responding:" Oh Max, for one I'm on a diet. I set myself a deadline to return onto the runway and I'm slacking already. On the other hand how can we have a girly heart to heart when I'm not wading your legs and how about some fabulous pink nail polish?"

Max made a face: "Please... A bright coral works better with my tan.

The friends shared a laughter.
"Sometimes you are just too much. Why again did you have to go to Philapelphia?"

he let out sigh and only shook his head.after watching Max play with Ani for a while she started shifting in her seat clearly uncomfortable with the situation bsoon the baby fell asleep and Viviane put him into his bed.

"So..." Max started when she returned. "Like I heard last night my good friend seems to have some uhm problems with uhm getting him up right?"

Viviane stared at him in shock: "Excuse me?"

"I heard you in the phone with your mom last night and it sure sounded like it." Maxime tried to explain but looked at Viviane in confusion who started laughing really hard.

Soon Viviane's lungs stared hurting and she started coughing. Tears stung in her eyes and her cheeks burned.

"No Max. Giant. Huge. Humongous misunderstanding."

The question mark on his face only kept growing and he shook his head at her sillyness. He couldn't figure out what was so funny about Sidney's situation.

"I swear it's not that. It's... Wow. How do I put that... The night Ani was concieved... was the first time we met in 8 years." Viviane was still giggling but somehow managed to get these words out.
Max' eyeballs grew wide and now it was his time to stare at her in shock.
"Excuse me?"

"Yeah, you heard me correctly. The last time we spoke was the night before he moved to Minnesota. We were best friends since kindergarten. I always told him everything and I thought he'd trust me too. Anyways he waited until 6 or 7 hours before the left to tell me that he was accepted at Shattuck. Soon after I started my own career and went to Europe. Yeah that's my story."

"Uhm okay... And how did all the rest happen? I mean you don't just marry a person for shit and giggles." Max stated after staying quiet for a while popping open the jar of the Ben and Jerry's and stuffing himself with the partly molten ice cream.

"Well my cousin and I were out got a little drunk. I don't remember anything. I swear. Next thing I know is waking up next to the person who broke my heart when I was 15. Sidney just dropped me off at home and that was it. Roughly a month later I found out, that little Ani here was on the way. My parents pressured me into telling him. So I had to. His girlfriend flipped of course when..."

"His WHAT???" Max interrupted her.

"Girlfriend? Rebecca something. Blonde bimbo?" she hoped the vague description would make the light bulb light up.

"Wow... Do I even know that guy? He grew up with a Supermodel, had a girl friend. Chested on said girlfriend with said Supermodel without yelling me any of it? And yet he always makes us all belies he is that perfect work-a-holic every Mom wants as a son in law."

Viviane laughed: "Believe me, he is many things but not even close to perfect. The only mther that knows his real face and still wants him as the son in law is probably mine."

"Okay okay... Carry on..."

Viviane continued to tell her story about the arranged marriage, the troubles with Becky- including the very interesting honey moon and the LeBron incident.
When she finished Max stared at her with his jaw dropped and his eyes wide open.

"You are kidding me right? April Fools was months ago." He commented finally.

"No. Trust me, sometimes I wish I was. Even almost one year later it feels like a dream or a nightmare. I never would have pictures myself in such a situation ory parents pushing me into something like this but then again it is not like we are still the kids from down the street ndamn that fame."

"I just don't understand it. Suddenly I see him in anwhe diffeent way. He really had another girlfriend he flew out to your honeymoon? I mean even the whole thing didn't happen the way both of you would have liked but still he should have had the decency of going there alone. Wow. Viviane I promise you I will talk to him how can a sane man be married to a woman like you and behave pike a monk? I can't grasp that. Doesn't he have any needs? Until like 5 minutes ago I would have said no but now..."

"Max... NO! Don't interfer with this mess. Trust me you don't want to get sucked into this. Can you imagine how bad I feel everytime someone makes comments on our relationship? It's all one giant lie to keep our reputations up. It's ridiculous right?"

"No. I understand your parents and agents but why won't you let me help you?"

"I don't need help. In the last 11 months I've been through worse than the situation I'm in right now. It's only a little frustrating but that doesn't matter and shouldn't bother you."

Max tossed the Ben and Jerry's aside, scooted closer and took both of her hands between his.

"Listen: It does bother me, because you are my friend. If you say I shouldn't talk to him I won't but you have to promise me that when it gets worse or something is wrong you will call me, let's come to you or you come over yourself. I'm still in the same state only a two hour flight away okay?"

Viviane smiled and nodded.

"And you two have been close when you were kids. It sounds like you had better times some months ago. Maybe those will come back eventually and it becomes more... Satisfying. He sure cares about you. Even he wouldn't spend so much money on such a rock for a woman he doesn't have any feelings for okay? For that things guys like me have to work months."
Maw squeezed her hands softly before pulling her into a comforting hug.

"But Max... Don't tell anyone okay? Not even Marc-André. This has to stay between us. Don't even tell Sid that I told you okay? I will find a way to tell him that you know the truth."

"Of course my cœur. Your secret is safe with me. You have my number and I want you to use it. But now you have to excuse me. We wouldn't want your precious husband to find out about me being here." Max said standing up he pulled Viviane into a hug before heading towards the door to put his shoes back on and pick up his sunglasses and cap.

"You sure made that sound like we are having an affair..."

"Haha would you mind?" he jokingliy asked raising one eyebrow.

"Well then..."

He closed the distance between the two of th before softly pressing his lips against hers. Viviane's eyes fluttered close at the tingling sensation of his 5 o'clock shadow against her velvet skin. As sudden as the moment came it ended. The front door fell close with a bang and her eyes flew open again. Hesitantly she let herbeyes wander through the room before leaning against the wall for support.

Her fingers found her pounding lips.

What the he'll had just happened?