The Only Way is Up

Part Twenty One

Chapter Twenty One

It took just over an hour to get to Southend-on-Sea. Being summer it was still light when they got there. The journey had been exhilarating for Nicole, wrapped around Maxim, the cool wind whipping at her as she clung to him.

It was still warm once the bike stopped; Maxim had driven the bike to the rear of a cafe. And jumping off he helped her too. When she looked at him questioning he nodded to the back of the building.

"This is owned by another friend. We can leave our helmets here."

She followed him into the door beside them as he wheeled the bike into a courtyard. A man appeared at the doorway, and as soon as he spotted Maxim, his face lit up.

"Brother! You are a welcome sight. After all these years you finally make it back to my abode!"

Another Russian, though this man had a far softer accent.

"Andrei, good to see you." The two men hugged briefly, "I've only been here a few months, but I was always going to visit. This is Nicole; I'm here to show her the sites."

Andrei stepped forward, he was a man in his forties, his dark Slavic features made him look a little scary, and when he smiled he had a tooth missing in the front. But the smile was friendly and his face instantly changed, warmed.

"Any friend of Max is a friend of mine. You have time for a coffee before we close?"

Maxim consulted his watch, "a very quick one." Smiling he reached for Nicole's hand, not giving her a chance to change her mind, then led her in to the cafe via the kitchen.

For such a burly man, the cafe was quaint, pictures of various cities in Europe adorned the walls, red gingham table clothes brightened the Formica, and a huge chrome coffee maker, that Andrei attacked with expertise as Maxim perched his hip on the work surface, his hand protectively on her hip, pulling her to his side.

"So you miss Miami? The lifestyle?"

Nicole felt Maxim stiffen at that question, but then she knew he wasn't good on sharing details of his past, his family. Turning, she looked up at him as he shrugged, "I'm diversifying, that's a good thing. London has always treated me well."

Andrei nodded, "without the sun, the sand, the parties...the women."

Both then froze awkwardly at that fact that she was there. A woman. Who was quite obviously not a woman from Miami.

Andrei handed them both a coffee and then the two men explained how they knew each other; the older man had worked at the first gym that Maxim had joined as a teenager. When he'd moved to London the two had kept in touch, and they had seen each other intermittently since.

"Right." Maxim took their mugs and handed them to Andrei, "we have to go. Come to London, we can drink something a little stronger than coffee. Yes?"

Andrei nodded, shaking his hand, "that, as they say in this country, is a date!"

Max loved the sensation of Nicole's hand in his. He hadn't imagined that he'd ever be that interested in a woman, not like this. Not in a protective way, in an all compassing way. But that was how he felt about her.

"Where are we going?"

He grinned, sliding his hand around her shoulder, pulling her close to him, "to the funfair. To play in the arcades, and eat unhealthy food."

She stopped dead in her tracks, "you? Eat hotdogs or chips? Are you feeling ok?" She lifted a hand and placed it against his forehead, "you're warm."