Tourist Trap

Chapter 17

Sarah was still a rat when she woke up the next morning. Max had his arm wrapped around her and was drooling from his mouth, which hung slightly ajar. Vance still snored noisily on the bed.

She wiggled free from Max's embrace and went into the bathroom to look at herself in the mirror. A rather ugly rat face stared back at her. She even appeared to have a chunk missing out of her ear. She debated the necessity of taking a shower and decided to skip it.

She wandered back into the bedroom and nudged Max with her toes. He sat up abruptly and blinked his eyes. "You can't prove anything officer! I didn't know she was underage!"

"Rise and shine," Sarah announced cheerfully.

"Huh?" Max looked around bleary-eyed. "Where am I? Who are you?"

"I'm Sarah, the girl you slept with last night."

"Good lord, I must have been drunker than a sailor on shore leave! I'm sorry, miss, but I'm married. I'm sure you're very nice and all, but I'm afraid we won't be able to see each other again."

"Relax, we didn't have sex. We just slept next to each other. Will you wake up, already? We need to get to work and find my uncle."

Slowly Max began to recollect where he was. "Oh yes, yes, of course! The investigation is still in full swing! I'm sorry. It just takes me a few minutes to get going in the morning."

"I guess I should wake Vance up," Sarah said as she gently shook him.

He opened one eye slowly and fixed it upon her. "Thou art yet a rat? Prithee, be gone from my sight. Thou mayest return when thou art sexy once more." He rolled over and resumed snoring.

"Well, that was rude," Sarah frowned.

"I'm telling you, that guy's a dick," Max said. "He only liked you before because you were hot. Let's just leave him. We don't need him anyway."

"You're wrong about Vance," Sarah protested. "He's the sweetest guy I know. It must be the stress of being in a strange world. He's not usually like this. But I agree, he probably just needs to rest more. Once he gets more settled in I'm sure he'll return to the wonderful sweet man we all know and love."

Max rolled his eyes. "Honey, I've met some delusional women in my day, but this truly boggles the mind. You seem reasonably intelligent in most matters, so what are you so hung up on this asshole for? Oh yeah, I forgot chicks always go for the assholes."

"Vance is not an asshole," Sarah glared at him. "You don't know him like I do. You're probably just jealous. Besides, you can be quite the jerk yourself sometimes."

"And you can be quite the bitch so I guess that makes us even, huh?"

"How dare you talk to me like that?" Sarah fumed.

"Hey, I'm just speaking the truth," Max shrugged. "I know most guys probably just tell you what they think you want to hear just because you're 'so gosh darn pretty.' Well, normally at any rate. Besides, I know how this all works. Whenever a man and a woman hate each other at first they inevitably fall in love. It's called sexual tension, baby. I guarantee you before this investigation is over you'll be shacking up with me. Preferably after you've returned to your normal form. No offense, but the rodent look just isn't doing it for me."

"And you have the nerve to call Vance an asshole?" Sarah gasped. "Listen to yourself. I don't know why I shouldn't fire you on the spot."

"Because you need me," Max said. "And because deep down you know I'm right. You want to hate my guts, but your intense attraction towards me is making you confused. You're doubting yourself. You still love that buffoon over there for some inexplicable reason, but your desire for me is eating you up inside. It's just a matter of time before you fall into my arms. But don't worry, I'm not in a rush. I can play it cool and bide my time. We both know what the ultimate outcome of this is going to be."