Chapter 26 - Closing Bell

“Five minutes until the closing bell!” a shout echoed across the trading floor. The whole room looked like a hurricane whooshed through it, as if they just pulled the fire alarm.

Max sat with his feet up on the desk and head slouched to the left holding his trading line, looking disheveled but still somewhat presentable. He wore a white striped shirt unbuttoned at the collar with a loose fitted Prada tie and a matching charcoal grey vest and slacks.

He put his feet down as he straightened in his chair and took a swig of his vitamin water, then with his free hand went to the second drawer and took out a small airline-sized bottle of Johnnie Walker Black and finished it in one gulp.

Pressing hold on the phone with his left index and middle finger, he ripped back, “I’m on it you git. Layoff, he’s my buyer. I’ll get it done, Sebastian.”

“Don’t fuck this up or play midnight cowboy. We have an inside institutional seller and a tanking market, just cut your losses and scrap it.”

Sebastian was head of the trading floor, husky voice and intimidating fellow, but part of the old school generation of commodity traders.

“I told you, I got this.” Max smiled, “Besides, live a little. Aren’t we having fun yet?”

“End it now.”

“Bloody hell, alright.” Max unclipped the phone, smacking the receiver against his palm.

“So, Javier, we have an understanding?”

“Yes, Don Emilio will be pleased,” he spoke in a thick Spanish accent. “We have a good understanding of the futures contracts, and let’s just say, we have it on good authority that the crops will rebound nicely the second half of the year. It’s been a tough winter.”

“If that’s the case, we have an in-house seller, nothing leaves this room mind you, but he would prefer the whole lot. It would move the market, but you would control most of it. It’ll show up on trace at the end of the day's runs, but nothing too severe ahead of tomorrow’s USDA report. At a premium of course, I don’t want to insult the seller.”

“Ah...Max, always the boy scout, eh? Poor little Max, waiting until the last minute to have someone save him. Or hope to save him. How do I know if you don’t sell that lot to me, that you won’t turn around and sell it after the report tomorrow?”

“Well. You don’t. But you also won’t find the exact crop and commodities contracts that I’m offering you now at a small, teensy, premium in order to ensure your profits – so you say – for the rest of the year. Imagine, Javier, that could be a whole summer in Tuscany with your family…and no calls from me.”

Max’s eyes squinted a little as he scratched the bottom of his chin. He noticed his stubble was a bit itchy, it must have been a couple of days since he last shaved.

“Okay Max, do it at a quarter more. Not one penny less or one penny more. Buy yourself a new boy scout suit.” Under his breath, but still audible he heard, “Este miserable hijo de la gran p-” before the line cut off.

“Hmm, well, I’ll just send you the trace confirm and call it a day,” Max still said into the receiver and hung up.

The rest of the trading floor was closing shop for the day, but a loud bell rang and various hoots and hollers echoed from the other traders congratulating Max. However, that died down as the closing bell sounded and Sebastian re-entered the room.

“In my office…Now.”

Max walked out of the trading floor through the double-pane glass doors and entered his bosses’ plush London office. Sebastian had a few pictures of his family, training retreats, and some original Dali paintings hanging on the walls. It was a private space large enough for a small desk, conference table, a couple of Barcelona chairs, and rug and ottoman area to entertain clients and VPs.

“Max, sit…please. Okay, so where do I start?”

“I think a ‘thanks, great job out there’ is a good starting point, Sebas.”

“Shut the fuck up, Max. Look at you. Since you’ve been back from business school, which I and the company fucking paid for mind you, you’ve been a mess and playing it very, very risky.”

He continued, “You got back two weeks ago, and you look like you haven’t showered in a couple of days or been out on a bender, and a damn ghost out there when you aren’t working. You aren’t even trying to fuck the sexy ass associate you used to bang - and single handedly got this office a 24/7 sexual harassment compliance officer due to your indiscretions, thank you – or hang out with the other traders. You punch in and punch out, like clockwork, only you’re barely here. And when you are, you are a complete risk. To me, the traders, and yourself.”

“Big speech, can I go now?” Max retorted.

“No! What the fuck is going on?”

Max slid into one of the Barcelona chairs, sliding his hand gently over the leather and tufted buttons and threading. Soft and silky, like her. Like Emma.

“McFly, hello? McFly?”

“Look, I’ve had some personal issues going on. I never took a break between finishing classes and coming back to work, and if you must know, I just got out of a relationship and it’s been fucking with me.”

“Geezuz Christ, Max. Bitches runnin wild, huh? We used to call you Gator, cuz you were a pimp out there. Now you just one of the bitches.”

“Boss, is now a good time to tell you that you are British and pasty white, and not a thug life gangster from Compton?”

“Funny. Here is what happens…homey. Two weeks non-paid leave so you get your shit together. Fix whatever the hell is wrong with you, and you get back here and do your best ‘Max the guy I hired’ impression or you get the fuck outta dodge.”

“Got it, boss,” Max said getting up and attempting to fix his tie.

“Just go home, bang one of the interns or associates, and I’ll still say you’re on paid-vacation leave for appearances. Okay?”

“Sebas, c’mon you know I don’t fuck with little boys like Ming over there.”

“Hmm. See you in two weeks, Durant,” Sebastian said, closing the door in his face.

Max didn’t even bother going back to his desk and exited the door of the building to find Rebecca, one of the younger work associates, waiting in the courtyard.

“Hey sexy, why haven’t you wanted to play lately?” she smirked with one eyebrow raised.

“Ah shit, Rebecca. This is really not a good time.”

“Maxi, you haven’t said a word to me since you got back. Are you avoiding me?” she reacted with a pouty face.

“Damn Rebecca I already told you, we had some fun, but I wanted to do something else with my life, which is why I left.” Max frowned his forehead together, while rubbing his hair and searching for his cellphone in one of his suit pockets.

“You also said to keep an open door policy when you got back.”

“Yeah, well...looks like the door is closed for now. Listen, I just got a lot of shit on my plate, we’ll catch up later, okay?”

“No. You look like shit by the way. I dressed up for you, and even brought you a little present for us to open.”

“Two new voicemails.” Max closed one of his ears shut and tried to listen to the messages, while fake Jessica Rabbit tried to seduce him through pedestrian traffic in downtown London.

“Hey Max, it’s Mom. Well, it’s about your dad again. He got the flu after his check-up with the heart doctor. Doesn’t look good, son. Maybe one of these weekends you can fly here and cheer him up and look after the twins? Beso. Call me back.”

He didn’t even wait for the recording and pressed 7 to delete.

“Hello? Are you listening to me? I put on a skimpy outfit and everything. Hint, the toy is for me down there, sugar.”

“Oh my god, are you serious? Have you not heard anything? Desperate much? Not interested.” Max lost his cool and composure for a second, but it was enough.

“Fine asshole, here’s your present. Put it to good use and stick it up your ass.”

“Huh?”

Rebecca stormed off and threw a discrete wrapped bag at his chest. Max caught it mid-air, still juggling his phone.

“Press 1 to repeat, 7 to delete.”

He hadn't heard the next message at all, so he pressed 1 as he approached his flat. He conveniently lived walking distance to his office. It was pretty rare for these parts, but being a rising star in high-finance had its perks, or so he thought until a few days ago.

“Hey bro, it’s Leo. Mia and I were thinking of going to see Dad. I’m sure mom already stalked you on all that, she sent me the same email four times from her iPad. Anyway, call me back, maybe we can go the same weekend. Whatever happened with Emma? Alright, good things.”

Max opened the door to his flat and immediately went to his kitchen and opened the sub-zero fridge and grabbed another bottle of vitamin water. He threw his phone down on the counter as well as the bag as it tipped over.

“Ha, the rabbit, what are the odds.”

Poking outside the bag in a very cheesy X-rated store package, was a pocket size rabbit vibrator. Rebecca had supposedly bought it for him to ‘experiment’ on her. He laughed to himself for a few seconds before getting serious again.

It had been two weeks since he saw Emma, and essentially, since his world fell apart. She had been the glue that held everything together. She was the reason he got up in the morning. He even joked with her that she was the “hope” in Obama’s re-election campaign.

They had fought when he left and to his mind, broken up. She wanted to get her life in order and he had initially said the same. But he knew. He knew the moment he met her he was in too deep. She was a feisty firecracker and he didn’t mind if his hand blew up playing too close. She had this lure, this magnetic pull within her that leveled and flattened him.

“Why are you even going back to London?” she demanded during their last argument on the topic. It had been all fun and games up until that point when the truth finally came out.

“You know why. I have to work, and I just feel like everyone is counting on me.”

“What about me? About us?”

“What about it, Emma? I want to be with you, but you send so many fucking mixed signals, I don’t know which way is up. You want to be independent and figure your stuff out. Great, I love that about you. But then you don’t want me to interfere or change what I want.”

“Well, what do you want Max?”

“You, dammit! It’s always been and it’s always going to be you.”

“Then stay with me for a bit. We just graduated and now we are supposed to just go back to how things were before? They were shit before. I don’t know about you, but it was shit before I came here, and I met you. I can’t just turn that off, but I can’t promise you the world either.”

“Emma, I can’t explain it. I have…a duty...to go back. I wish we could just pick a place on the map and escape together, but real life does not work like that. Why can’t you just come and stay with me for a bit? See London, stay at my flat. You’ll love it. Everything is paid for. We can figure it out there.”

“Ah yes, paid for. Just like you like it, right? So I can do whatever you say?”

“All I meant was we would both be taken care of, and maybe in a stable external environment, and not here in bizarro world, we could make some real decisions. Make sure that this is real.”

“You don’t think this is real? Well, I fell in love with you in bizarro world, asshole. So put that in your pipe and smoke it.”

Max closed his eyes again and just imagined her soft skin and touch. He hadn’t seen his family in so long, and he was barely holding on to his job, and apparently he resembled a New York cab driver and shared hygiene tips with the same cabbie. More importantly, no contact whatsoever with Emma. It had ended so quickly and so stupidly. She didn’t answer his emails or phone calls. She probably played him like a violin.

He was so fucking mad at the world, he just wanted to release his anger somehow. It was boiling inside of his stomach and loins and it was taking every inch and urge of his body not to jump out of his ten story window or throw knives at the delivery guys when they came with his order.

Nice job, psycho. Losing your mind much? Yup. Check. Now let’s go down another bottle of whisky and pass out til Sunday, he talked to himself.

Rummaging through his liquor cabinet, the door suddenly opened and his entire world stopped.

Emma.

“Okay, well he should be home soon, so I hope I surprise him. I’m so excited. I love surprises. Okay, bye Mia.”

She was on the phone and hadn’t seen him across the living room.

Click. Literally.

“Em?”

“Holy shit you scared me, Max! I hate it when you do that!”

“Why are you...” he had to stop and think about what he even wanted to ask. Her green eyes flashed at him, and he forgot who he was for a second. They had never looked so vibrant, had such a hold over him.

“What are you doing here? I haven’t heard a single word from you in over two weeks. I thought we were over. Did you slip on that sweet ass of yours in the shower and knock your head open?” Max said quite methodically.

“Max, I can explain. Nigel let me in. I told him I was your wife and I did all that to surprise you. I want to fix this.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa…who’s Nigel?”

“Nigel, the big guy with the weird whisker mustache. The doorman, hello?”

“Ah, I always thought his name was Kenneth. No wonder he never got my R.E.M. jokes. Anyway, an email, a simple phone call? A pigeon with a fucking note on its leg? All these would have been preferable methods of communication other than just showing up here out of nowhere.”

“Because I…” she started crying.

Shit, he hated seeing her cry. It felt like someone was ripping his heart out.

“Because I was an idiot. I always shut down and block people out and I’ve been a mess since you left. I can’t believe you would leave me. I mean, I know, I did it. But that was me protecting myself. I needed to know that you felt the same. If you don’t, I’ll leave.”

Max immediately made his way across the living room and drew her close. “Shh...baby. I’ve been going fucking nuts here. I almost got fired, my family’s been affecting me a lot, and I didn’t have you. I didn’t know where you were or what you were doing or who you were with.”

“I was waiting for you to rescue me, you jerk. I guess I was a fool for showing up here. Everything I’ve been through and I’m still the girl who doesn’t get asked to the prom. Pathetic.”

Max grabbed her face and softly wiped her tears. “Don’t ever fucking say that in front of me. I was giving you time...I didn’t want to push you. You’re amazing. I wish you could see it. Everyone else does. My best moment in life was knowing you were mine.”

“Then show me, Max,” Emma whimpered.

Max quickly placed her on top of the counter and kissed her deeply, tilting her head back and placing his right hand around her neck. With his left hand he pulled apart her legs, wrapping them around his waist so he could get closer to her.

Her scent was intoxicating. He sucked on her lip and then nibbled around the rim of her earlobe and bit on her ear. His right hand moved towards her shoulder as he cupped her ass with his left.

Emma wrapped her hands tightly around his neck and played with his hair as she panted for breath. Her lips were like heroin, and Max felt the need and urge with every motion. He knew it felt very real, but also very carnal and rough. Like he was fulfilling his physical and emotional needs at the very same moment. It scared him a little.

They were like two wild horses let out of the barn on a stormy moonless night. His eyes fixated on her and quite like a stallion, had blinders on to the world when she was in sight. Now he was going to show her who her stallion beast was.

She was wearing a skimpy grayish tank-top and a long cardigan he loved, a tight skirt with leggings, and knee high boots. She looked beyond beautiful and sexy. She placed both hands behind her and moved more on top of the counter, giving Max a better view as she opened up her stance wider.

Suddenly feeling like he was wearing too much clothes, Max took off his own shirt and Emma quickly got up and helped him unbuckle his belt. He ripped off her top and sweater, revealing a white lacy bra that enhanced her luscious breasts.

He kneeled down a bit over her and whispered, “I need to taste you. Now.”

He pulled up her skirt and pulled down her tights and panties in one motion. She was already wet and smelled delicious. His tongue gave one lick over her folds and she let out a soft moan.

“I’m just getting started, lean back.”

As he placed his face closer to her flesh, he flexed his left arm and held her left thigh over his left shoulder. With his right thumb, he rubbed a soft circle around her center and opened her up.

Her head and back arched and she let out a deep moan and uttered, “Oh Max, I need you.”

Max placed his tongue and index finger deep inside her core and with his left arm jolted her back and forth on top of the counter as she met his movements with her body.

His entire body heated up and was bursting at the seams, waiting for the coach to put him in. That was one bull that would be running through Pamplona tonight.

But with one motion, everything came to a halt.

“Stop. Now.”

Max got up and noticed Emma had stiffened her legs and her body was completely rigid.

“What the fuck is this, Max?” She pointed to the bag next to her on the counter.

“Baby, it’s really not what you think.” His swelling started to decrease slightly as he adjusted himself and got up.

“I’ve heard that one before. Save it for Judge Judy. God, I’m such an idiot.” Emma started to get up and adjust herself as well.

That’s when Max snapped. “Emma. Look at me. Look at me, dammit.”

She was taken aback and froze for a second. “What, Max?”

“Emma, this…this is bullshit. It’s from a desperate girl who I used to hook up with. She gave it to me as a way to get back with her. Because I haven’t been myself lately. Because all I want and I need is you.”

“So she gave this to you? And that’s it?”

“Em. You said you were here before, and it wasn’t here, right? Do I look like I had time to have a sexy orgy and midday rendezvous, and then conveniently leave it here out in the open for you or anyone to see?”

“I don’t know Max. Is this what you like? Is this what gets you off?”

“You get me off. End of story.”

“Just get it out of here,” she all but shrieked.

Max immediately threw everything away but the rabbit was still there.

“And what about this? You use it on your schoolgirl mistresses?”

“Actually, I’ve never used it. And no, I don’t have paid girls running around here.”

“Ah, there we go again. Paid in full, Max. Is that what we should call you?”

Max, half nakedly went back and cornered Emma, who was half conscious, half sexed out with a flushed face. He put his hand around her neck.

“You would love that, wouldn’t you? That I’m the eternal bad boy. To give you a reason to run. That there is no way anyone can love you, is there?”

“Well, is it?” Emma seemed scared but also intrigued and intimidated by his scowl look. She didn’t know how to respond.

“Emma, baby. Stop this. You want to keep playing games?”

“Ha, yeah right Max. Nice try, I’m not buying it.”

“I fucking love you, Em. Only you. You’re not leaving me. I won’t allow it.”

“Give me a reason not to leave, Max.”

“I’m about to show you a million reasons not to.”

Max softly grabbed her neck and kissed her. Emma turned her face, but eventually Max pulled her hair back, looking right at her. He was not messing around. He was filled with anger and lust, but also fear. Something was wrong with him and he couldn’t seem to understand it. Maybe this is what he needed? Is this what she needed? He still couldn’t think straight seeing that half of her outfit was either on the floor or around her ankles.

He got caught up in their passionate kiss. But this time, it was rougher. He wanted her so badly he began to act on instinct and left all rational thought behind. He quickly pulled her off the kitchen island counter and turned her body around, placing her hands on the counter and then swooping her hair to the side and running his hands down her back.

“Now, where was I?” he huffed.

Max pulled her hips towards him, making her arch her back and stick her butt out. He quickly grabbed his pulsating member and guided it towards her center. At that moment, Emma whipped her head around not knowing what was going on.

“Uh-uh. Not yet, missy.”

“Max, have you lost your fucking mind?”

“Yes.”

He grabbed on to her hips again and spread her legs wider. He positioned himself again at her entrance. She was still wet, but she would have to earn this release by showing her who was in charge.

He leaned forward and grabbed her around the wrists, pinning them to the counter. She obliged, only slightly fighting him off as he teased his tip inside her.

“Max, please. I want you inside of me.”

“Shh...almost baby.” He was aching and dying to plunge into her. But he needed this. Needed to hear her plead for it and want it as much as he did.

“More,” she begged.

Those words were music to his ears. He pushed inside of her, but only partially.

“More, Max,” she cried. It was a weird agony and ecstasy that was forming in her voice.

“I love you, Em. But I’m sorry. I need to take you hard before I make love to you.”

In one motion, Max thrust into her, deeper than before. He repeated the motion again, and then again. His body slammed hard into hers, firm and deep. Before long, she started to meet his aggressive thrusts. He felt unleashed and started plowing inside of her. He was getting close to climaxing and needed to pause for a second.

“God, Em. Yes.”

Although she was so tiny and flexible, he changed his positioning so she could feel all of him inside of her. He did not want to miss an inch of her.

He tilted her legs a bit and released the hold on her wrists, while getting close to her and kissing her neck and face. She was dripping of sex and sweat, and she tasted so sweet. He thought it was impossible, but she had never seemed more beautiful than in that moment.

He looked deeply at her and whispered, “I can feel all of your insides, baby. I love you. I need you.”

“I need you more, Max. I’m yours.”

He started to feel her erupt and shake under him, and he felt the spasms and blood rush release and explode inside of her. They both fell over to the side and just laid there for a few seconds.

His glare finally calmed and he at last felt satisfied and fulfilled, physically and emotionally. He kissed her cheek and forehead and uttered, carefully choosing his words over what transpired, “You’re mine, and I belong with you and inside of you. Always.”